The NFLrevealed its pregame entertainment lineup for Super Bowl LX, setting the stage for a star-powered Sunday at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, 2026. The broadcast will air live on NBC, Telemundo and Peacock, and the league is leaning heavily into a mix of chart-topping names and cultural impact to open its biggest event of the year.
The league announced that Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Charlie Puth will perform the national anthem, while 11-time Grammy winner Brandi Carlile will deliver America the Beautiful. Rising R&B star Coco Jones will take on Lift Every Voice and Sing, continuing her rapid ascent as one of the genre’s most prominent new artists.
“Super Bowl Sunday is the world’s biggest entertainment stage, and we’re proud to spotlight artists who embody the very best of music and culture,” said Jon Barker, the NFL’s senior vice president of global event production. He added that beyond the game itself, the event serves as a global celebration, and the performers help set the tone for a day that draws hundreds of millions of viewers.
Roc Nation, which continues its partnership with the NFL on Super Bowl entertainment, echoed that sentiment. “Charlie, Brandi, and Coco are generational talents, and we are honored to have them—alongside our extraordinary deaf performers—on Super Bowl LX’s world stage,” Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez said. She noted that the combination represents “the very best of culture, live performance, and our country.”
Puth enters the event with more than 35 billion streams and a catalog full of platinum hits, including Attention, We Don’t Talk Anymore, and the global smash See You Again. His Super Bowl appearance arrives just weeks before the release of his fourth studio album, Whatever’s Clever!, scheduled for March 6, 2026.
Carlile, one of the most decorated and respected artists in modern music, adds another major stage to her résumé. The Oscar-nominated, 11-time Grammy winner recently released Returning to Myself, a critically acclaimed solo album that Variety hailed as one of the year’s best. Her work with Elton John on Who Believes in Angels? also earned a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
Jones, who stars in Peacock’s Bel-Air, continues to build momentum following her 2024 Grammy win for Best R&B Performance for ICU. Her debut album, Why Not More?, has already secured eight Grammy nominations, including Best R&B Album in 2026.
In addition to the musical performances, the NFL emphasized its continued commitment to accessibility. The pregame show will feature American Sign Language interpretations from renowned Deaf artists Fred Beam and Julian Ortiz. For the first time, the Apple Music Halftime Show will incorporate a multilingual signing program, led by Puerto Rican Deaf performer Celimar Rivera Cosme, using Puerto Rican Sign Language.
The NFL previously announced that global superstar Bad Bunny will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins as executive producers.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Paramount and UFC are wasting no time showcasing the strength of their new long-term partnership. The companies announced on Thanksgiving that UFC 324 will mark the first live event featured on Paramount+ as the streaming service becomes the exclusive home of UFC events in the United States and Latin America beginning in 2026.
The announcement came during a special Thanksgiving Day segment on CBS and Paramount+, where UFC President and CEO Dana White revealed that the January 24 event will stream live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas at no additional cost to Paramount+ subscribers.
It is the first of 13 numbered events that will be included with a subscription.
UFC 324 brings immediate star power. The main event features an interim lightweight title fight between former interim champion Justin Gaethje and rising fan favorite Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett. The co-main event adds another historic layer as women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison defends her title against UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes, who returns to competition for the first time since 2023.
The card will begin early prelims at 5 p.m. ET, followed by prelims at 7 p.m. ET. The main card airs at the new designated start time of 9 p.m. ET. All fights will stream live on Paramount+.
For UFC fans, the shift represents a seismic change in distribution strategy. For the first time, every marquee numbered event and all UFC Fight Night cards in the U.S. and Latin America will stream exclusively on Paramount+ with no pay-per-view fees. In Australia, subscribers will receive preliminary bouts for all numbered events and full access to all 30 UFC Fight Nights at no additional cost.
Paramount is backing the partnership with a full-scale marketing campaign. The company announced a 360-degree rollout across CBS, cable networks, outdoor placements, theaters, and digital platforms. A new brand spot featuring some of Paramount’s biggest Hollywood franchises debuted Thursday, signaling institutional alignment behind UFC’s expansion on the streaming platform.
“Paramount+ and UFC are transforming the mixed martial arts fan experience,” said Cindy Holland, Paramount’s chair of direct-to-consumer. “Every division of Paramount is working in concert to ensure maximum visibility and unparalleled accessibility to current and future fans.”
White echoed the enthusiasm, calling UFC 324 “absolutely stacked” and highlighting the return of Nunes as the biggest women’s fight in the sport’s history. He also emphasized the value shift for consumers. “This deal is such a huge win for fans with no more pay-per-view,” he said.
The event’s undercard adds further depth. Former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley meets Song Yadong in a pivotal contender bout. Heavyweight knockout artist Derrick Lewis faces Waldo Cortes Acosta. Arnold Allen takes on Jean Silva in a featherweight matchup. Former champions Alexa Grasso and Rose Namajunas meet in the featured prelim. Rising middleweight Ateba Gautier also faces Andrey Pulyaev.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Meet The Leaders is a special 8-week series created in partnership with Point to Point Marketing. Our final feature is on the Chief Executive Officer of Townsquare Media, Bill Wilson. Follow along with the series and revisit former conversations by checking out the entire category.
Bill Wilson joined Townsquare Media in September 2010 and previously served as Co-Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President, and Chief Content and Digital Officer of the Company. Before joining Townsquare, he was President of AOL Media from 2006 to May 2010. During his nine years with AOL, he was responsible for the company’s global content strategy. He also held multiple positions including President, AOL Programming & Studios, and Executive Vice President.
Wilson also served as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Marketing at Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG), which he joined in 1992. His duties involved worldwide marketing including artist, digital and non-traditional marketing across more than 50 countries for the world’s biggest artists.
Bill has been recognized as one of the industry’s brightest and most influential people several times by many publications. He’s even won an Emmy Award in 2006 for the record setting Live 8 program.
In this edition of “Meet The Leaders,” we dive into his day-to-day duties guiding Townsquare Media, why the company prioritizes markets outside the top 50, the company’s plans for expected deregulation on ownership caps, and his focus on partnerships with other broadcasters to expand reach for all parties involved.
Wilson spoke with Barrett Media from his office in New York.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
John Mamola: You began your career at the inception of Townsquare Media. How would you say your role has evolved from the time you started with the company to today?
Bill Wilson: When I began at the company in 2010, I joined as the chief digital officer. My primary role at that time was to determine the strategy on diversifying our revenue streams and our assets so that broadcasts would still be relevant and important to our company but wouldn’t be the only division driving revenue and profits.
That was what I was hired to do back in 2010. Over the years my role adjusted. I became the chief content officer as well, overseeing all of the DJs and content that we create for our mobile apps and websites.
About six or seven years ago the chairman and co-founder of the company, who was the CEO, decided to relinquish the CEO duties. Then I moved into this role. So I guess about six or seven years ago I became CEO of Townsquare.
John Mamola: I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. Townsquare Media is the third largest owner of radio stations in the country. You have around 340 stations in over 70 markets. From your seat, how do you ensure growth where everybody sees an upward trend across the country with that many stations?
Bill Wilson: As you noted, we have over 300 radio stations. We’re now in 74 local markets. A core founding principle of our strategy was to stay outside of the top 50 markets for two reasons.
One, we felt radio is even that much more important from a connection standpoint to the community. We reach, on average, in our 74 markets, one in two people just by our FM and AM signal, which is pretty incredible. In a top 50 market, the number one market share would probably be 20 to 25 percent.
You can see in smaller markets, particularly in the last 15 years, the newspaper industry has obviously gotten decimated. Plus, in the last six to seven years, cord-cutting has really decimated traditional television broadcast. More people listen to AM/FM radio today than 10 or 20 years ago, which speaks to the power of the medium, particularly in the face of everything from Netflix to Spotify to TikTok competing for people’s attention.
In terms of the revenue trajectory, I bring up that focus on markets outside the top 50 because literally every market of our company can drive positive results. On the flip side, if a market is having a bad year, it can really impact the overall financials for the company.
So it’s quite different than some of the larger public companies who have markets outside the top 50 but whose revenue and profit concentration is likely quite different, where the top 50 markets probably make up the majority of their revenue and profits.
For us, radio has been a traditional cash cow, but the revenue has been declining over the last several years. The growth is coming from digital advertising and marketing solutions from a revenue and profit perspective.
John Mamola: Do you not see that any sort of penetration into the top 50 markets would lead to revenue growth?
Bill Wilson: For the people who are in the top 50 markets and the companies that are there, I’m sure their asset base and strategy works well in the top 50 markets. For us, our growth engine is digital advertising and digital marketing solutions. The competition outside the top 50 markets is so much less than in New York or Chicago.
That’s another reason why we never went into the top 50. Not only because radio is that much more powerful, but also because our strategy for growth in revenue and profits is on the digital side. There’s a lot less competition.
We feel like we’re bringing national scale and sophistication of a full-service digital agency to smaller markets in the U.S. We think that’s highly differentiated. Not that it wouldn’t work in the top 50 markets, but we think being outside the top 50 markets is a real differentiator for us at Townsquare.
John Mamola: The industry has been following the story this year of Connoisseur Media purchasing and selling stations across the country. Regarding Townsquare Media, are you interested in buying or selling any of your radio brands? How satisfied are you with where you’re currently at? Is there any consideration to purchase in the top 50 markets?
Bill Wilson: There’s really no consideration in the top 50. We’ve had multiple opportunities over the past 15 years. Assets like CBS Radio and others have come up with a heavy concentration in the top 50. We stay exclusively outside the top 50.
In terms of potential acquisitions and M&A, a lot is going to transpire. We believe deregulation is going to take place in the middle of next year. We believe the caps in terms of ownership limits will be loosened. So I think there will be a lot of activity, be it swaps or purchases.
For us, the company has been built through acquisitions. We started with only a dozen and a half markets, and now we’re in 74. That’s through, I don’t know, maybe a dozen acquisitions of radio properties. The last one was Cherry Creek about three and a half years ago. That has worked out well for us and the markets we acquired.
We know we have a strategy that works when we acquire a traditional broadcast company that may be doing some digital but isn’t proficient or doesn’t generate the majority of its revenue from digital. That said, we started a media partnership division last year. We’re now white-labeling our full-service digital agency capabilities for others in broadcast. Probably the largest partner we have is Summit, which is a private broadcaster in about nine markets. We’ve signed up over six partners who are all currently in local radio, with some in TV as well.
We see the opportunity to continue to grow our penetration into other markets we don’t own through partners in this media partnership division. Over the next three years, we’ll grow from under ten partners to probably over 25. We may do acquisitions, but it’s interesting because we have two paths.
We can move into new markets through acquisitions, but we can also move into new markets without deploying capital to purchase assets by partnering with others in local media. It could be broadcast television, radio, or outdoor.
It’s going to be a very interesting couple of years for the industry with deregulation, acquisitions, and swaps.
John Mamola: With the expectation that deregulation will happen by mid-next year, are you having conversations internally about strategy on potential targets or potential markets you want to look into if those caps do indeed come off?
Bill Wilson: Yes, 100 percent. We’ve been war-gaming this for about six months now.
We have a map. Who we currently compete with. Which markets we’d be most interested in. Who owns those markets. What the media landscape looks like. Whether there is a local television station and who owns it. How many there are. Is there a local newspaper? Is there a heavy presence of outdoor? We go pretty deep. Not only the strategy but the details.
We’ve also had informal conversations with others in the industry about what they’re thinking. We’ve started the process. Whenever those rules get changed, we’ll be in a position to act accordingly.
John Mamola: Townsquare struck a partnership deal with Audacy in Michigan recently, which led to the creation of the Detroit Sports Network with 97.1 The Ticket. How did that situation with Audacy develop and come to fruition?
Bill Wilson: Kelly Turner, who was named the CEO of Audacy earlier this year, and I go way back. We worked together at AOL Time Warner in the mid-2000s.
When she moved into that role, she and I had dinner with Chris Oliviero and Erik Hellum, who is our COO at Townsquare. We know Chris really well, not only from Audacy but from his CBS days.
We sat down and had a great conversation about the industry, where Audacy was going under Kelly’s leadership, and what our priorities were. It was a natural extension of that conversation to explore opportunities where we could both benefit.
97.1 The Ticket in Detroit is one of the best sports stations, if not the best, in the U.S. We knew Audacy and The Ticket didn’t have a presence in other Michigan markets. There was clearly an appetite for this type of programming. So we proposed extending their brand and coming up with a financial arrangement that worked for both sides.
That’s how it came about. I think we’ll be doing other things with Audacy as well moving forward based on Kelly’s leadership and shared interests.
John Mamola: In addition to the Michigan arrangement, you also have a deal with iHeartMedia in Minnesota. You’re featuring programs on KFAN that you’ve clearly seen value in for regional opportunities.
What are the advantages of this model as opposed to utilizing a national sports network? Is this a model you’d explore in other markets? For example, you mentioned Audacy. They just launched the Wisconsin Sports Radio Network using their Milwaukee brand at 105.7 The Fan as the flagship.
Do you see other opportunities around the country in states or regions that have a singular dominant market that could spread wealth for everyone involved?
Bill Wilson: That’s definitely an obvious one. So yes, I’d say that’s a starting point. Currently we don’t have stations in Wisconsin, but that is a starting point.
We also work with iHeartMedia, as you noted, so there are opportunities there too. We look at all the best programming we generate from our own personnel. Then we supplement that with great brands from great partners like Audacy and iHeart.
John Mamola: Townsquare has been a leader in building brands in the digital content frontier for years. It’s impressive how much the company has invested in building the digital ends of your radio stations.
You’ve often referred to the radio side of the business as the “Trojan horse” to assist in building the digital side. Moving into 2026, could the reverse also be true? Could the digital entities you’ve built lift the radio properties in your markets?
Bill Wilson: It’s a great question. We have digital brands like “Taste of Country,” the number one destination for country music fans in the U.S. in terms of mobile app and website traffic. Also we have similar brands for other genres like “Loudwire,” a hard rock brand.
We partnered with Compass Media and extended those brands from pure digital to radio. We’ve grown that into nighttime and weekend shows branded as Taste of Country Nights and Loudwire Nights. We also have XXL, the number one hip-hop brand in the U.S.
Compass has syndicated them to dozens of markets outside of Townsquare, extending the footprint of our digital properties. I expect more of that moving forward.
We are very active in taking all of our assets and figuring out which platforms will extend our reach and interest consumers. Our ratings on these radio programs that started as digital brands have performed well.
John Mamola: Am I right on this? I saw over half the company’s total revenue is tied to digital this year. Is that correct?
Bill Wilson: Yes. Importantly, not only the revenue. It’s about 55 percent of our revenue, but also about 55 percent of our profits being driven by our two digital divisions. Many companies are working hard to diversify their revenue base, which I applaud.
One thing that differentiates Townsquare is that our profit margin on our digital properties and divisions is equal to, if not greater than, our broadcast business. There was a term in the last 10 to 15 years where people said you were trading broadcast dollars for digital pennies or dimes.
For us that couldn’t be further from the truth because of the profit margin.
Going back to your question, yes, the majority of our revenue and profits are driven by our digital divisions. That will continue. Over the next three to five years, I think we’ll be approaching 80 percent of our revenue and profits coming from digital, with digital growth remaining strong.
John Mamola: I want to ask you about evaluating the performance of a Townsquare employee. How do you determine if your market managers, programmers, and everyone at your local radio stations have had a successful year with the revenue trend leaning more digital than traditional?
Bill Wilson: We’re quite blessed to have a tremendous executive team. We have regional vice presidents managing local markets, and each market has a dedicated market president. We’ve had great tenure and loyalty throughout the ranks, which has helped us transform from a traditional broadcast company to a digital-first local media company.
In terms of measuring success, one important thing as a leader is making sure everybody knows their responsibilities and how they can measure their own success. It’s one thing if I can measure it, but I want each team member to know if they’re doing a great job.
There’s data they can look at without talking to their manager. They know if they’re achieving their goals. We give them goals at the beginning of the year and adjust if needed.
For local DJs, in the past it was almost entirely ratings driven. But many markets we’re in aren’t even rated anymore because Nielsen has exited several markets.
We still look at research indicators: inbound calls, brand connectivity, social media engagement.
If you’re a local DJ, your role changed in 2010. You not only host a local show that informs or entertains, but you also write content for our websites and mobile apps.
They receive real-time feedback on what they’re writing and how it’s connecting with the audience. They use that feedback to understand what resonates. If they are rated, they get a book two to four times a year, but with real-time data they know instantly what connects.
That’s crucial for a company with so many markets and over 2,000 team members. Everyone must know what success looks like for the company and for their own role.
If you’re a salesperson, it’s not just how much revenue you generate but how much new business you generate. We’re agnostic about what people sell. We don’t push broadcast over digital or vice versa. It’s about selling what’s best for the client to ensure repeat business.
We focus on clarity—knowing your role, your responsibilities, and what success looks like.
Townsquare CEO Bill Wilson, COO Erik Hellum, Chief Content Officer Jared Willig, Chief Revenue Officer (Local Media) Matt Kiger, and VP of Content Jackie Corley joined regional Vice-President Jason Finkelberg and the Townsquare Hudson Valley team to celebrate their success (photo courtesy of Townsquare Media on Facebook).
John Mamola: In markets where you have competition from the top two groups, what do you consider the point of differentiation? What does a Townsquare product or personality have that’s a must-have for a client?
Bill Wilson: From a pure broadcast perspective, I think we’ve done a tremendous job protecting the local nature of our content. Syndicated and national content can work, but our focus on local is what differentiates Townsquare.
From a client perspective, we offer a full-service digital agency. We sell solutions that work on our websites and mobile apps, and we have a full programmatic division. That’s the division we white-label for others.
Five years ago, we couldn’t sell a television commercial. Now it’s the fastest-growing revenue in the company.
Competitively, even the larger players in top 50 markets don’t offer the breadth of products, insights, or first-party data that we do. Our reporting not only shows how media spend works but how marketing messages perform. Clients can use that for things like in-store merchandising.
We’re highly differentiated in breadth, sophistication, and data. We invest heavily in data and provide insights based on it. We know it’s differentiated because we’ve seen other reporting from broadcast, TV, and outdoor companies.
Having first-party data, a data warehouse, and audience insights is highly valuable for clients.
John Mamola: Back in June, you said you were frustrated with the company’s stock performance because it was being classified in a neighborhood that you said doesn’t live anymore, which you said was the radio industry. Where is your confidence level moving into 2026 that shareholders will take greater notice?
Bill Wilson: I think it’s important because sometimes our vernacular gets misinterpreted. Particularly on earnings calls, I try to highlight this.
We love broadcast radio, and would not have the success we have in digital without the power, connection, and companionship of local radio. We don’t view radio as the growth engine, but as a core part of our DNA and offering. It’s highly differentiated and high impact for both audiences and clients.
I want to be clear about that. Sometimes people say Townsquare doesn’t love radio and is focused on digital. The reality is we love radio and we’re really into digital. Those statements are not in conflict.
In terms of the stock price, we have not performed at the level we wanted this year. Our broadcast business is down roughly eight percent year to date, and the industry is down low double digits from a spot perspective. It’s a challenging environment. There are great broadcast companies with different strategies and assets.
Over time, something important to note is that many companies in the broadcast space are highly leveraged with much higher debt loads relative to profit. Our perspective is to stay focused and execute. Over time, shareholders will be rewarded with a higher share price.
In the meantime, we have a high-paying dividend. The yield is now in the double digits. Investors are being rewarded with a hefty dividend while they hold the stock and look toward future appreciation.
As long as we consistently grow profits and revenue minus political spending each year, the stock price will take care of itself. That’s our focus: consistent organic revenue and profit growth over the next five years.
John Mamola: Is there anything that can be done to turn the revenue story around for the broadcast end of the business?
Bill Wilson: I think there’s an opportunity for stabilization of pure broadcast spot. Once stabilized, I think there is potential for growth. A key part of that is utilizing talent.
Doing endorsements has a significant impact for clients. About five years ago, broadcast television was the number-one-reached medium at 96 percent of America. Now radio is number one with over 90 percent penetration. More people are listening today than 30 years ago.
The important part is doing something that stands out. Endorsements, live reads, and other elements. We’ve seen positive results in client testimonials.
I definitely see the opportunity over time to reverse the trends of the last 10 years and stabilize and potentially grow.
🦃 Huge congrats to the Townsquare Missoula team! This year's Guerrilla Turkey Drive brought in 935 turkeys and $11,700 for local families. Western Montana showed up big.🙌 https://t.co/SfCtlFzyXY
John Mamola: What excites you about your job and lights the fire within you for a big 2026 for Townsquare Media?
Bill Wilson: I couldn’t be prouder of the team. We have an amazing team across the company. I feel blessed, privileged, and honored to represent them.
What drives me today is the same thing that brought me to the company 15 years ago: making sure these communities are served with great information, news, and content. And making sure clients and businesses can partner with us so we can help them achieve their goals through our broadcast and digital platforms.
What sparks me is that I joined the company in 2010 because I loved radio. As a kid, I’d listen to the radio all the time. When other people were watching TV at night, I’d have my headphones on listening to great radio. I joined because I wanted to make sure radio always has a place and is important in the U.S. and in these markets.
That still drives me today.
I want to make sure that if you’re a DJ, you’re relevant 30 years from now. Relevance looks different today than 30 years ago, but you’re even more relevant now. Thirty years ago, your brand was primarily on air and at remotes. Now your brand is across all social platforms, and the reach is significant.
That’s what sparks me. I want to ensure the broadcast industry is thriving 30 years from now. The only way to do that is to look at your assets and ask how we can continue to drive profits and revenue, even if it’s not coming specifically from broadcast.
To learn more about Point-To-Point Marketing’s Podcast and Broadcast Audience Development Marketing strategies, contact Tim Bronsil at tim@ptpmarketing.com or 513-702-5072.
Holiday weekends are the best when it comes to checking your timeline. Pictures and videos of family enjoying a holiday meal mixed with college football conspiracy theories and random complaints from egg icons about sports media personalities. Maybe it’s my algorithm. Maybe it’s not. For me, Thanksgiving reminded me of the grind of working in sports media, all thanks to comments by FOX Sports’ Erin Andrews.
The great Kermit the Frog once said, “it’s not easy being green.” It’s was a worldwide sensation of a track that speaks about the challenges of being green while explaining the joys of it and why it’s what Kermit wants to be.
After watching Andrews’ comments from her Calm Down With Erin and Charissa podcast, I thought about the ironic nature of the podcast’s title compared to the reaction her comments received. Unfortunately, in the world without nuance that social media is, Andrews became a target when everyone should have just calmed down.
In case you missed what Andrews said, she was replying to a listener question about taking a new job that would mean more money but the same amount of stress on married life. It’s a question many of us face in our careers. More money and added responsibility can increase stress and hurt your quality of life. Or you take a little less money for less responsibility and more time for your quality of life.
Both Andrews and Charissa Thompson have faced this dilemma in their careers. Both have worked for several networks and taken on numerous other roles on top of their network jobs. There’s no one more perfect to “calm down” the listener of their podcast than Andrews and Thompson, who both shared their perspectives.
Andrews went on to explain that the choice for the listener is choosing which one they like doing the most: the quality of life or the job being presented.
“This is what I say to everybody who asks about our jobs, and this is what one of my first professors said.. and because I grew up with a dad who was on television for a living, I got it,” explained Andrews. “He said If you don’t want to make 40,000 in your first job, get out. If you don’t want to be told you need a nose job, get out. If you don’t want to be divorced, get out.”
Andrews continued, “If you don’t want to work holidays, get out. I don’t say it like that, but I say you have got to love what you do. Because I miss all the holidays. I didn’t get married till I was in my 40s. Not that that is going to be your route, but I live out of a suitcase. I miss a lot of stuff, and miss a lot of weddings. I miss a lot of events. You have to love it to get you through the fact I’m not going to be home for Thanksgiving next week or Christmas is cut short. But I’m getting to work Packers, Lions.”
The reason for the full quote is context. Andrews is the daughter of longtime television investigative reporter Steven Andrews. She understood the challenges of working on television from a very young age and took her career to a national superstar level. Andrews provided context by citing the lessons of her childhood alongside what she was taught at the University of Florida.
The sacrifices of the careers we choose are not always for public display. In Andrews’ case they are. Therefore, a backlash is always guaranteed because nuance on social media is lacking.
Eighteen million views and counting later, the level of vitriol and backlash filled timelines all holiday weekend including my own. Several members of sports media called out Andrews for her full remarks, showcased in a singular sentence. Former ESPN personality Trey Wingo said, “that’s literally what they pay you for.” ESPN Tampa Bay Buccaneers reporter Jenna Laine spun Andrews’ comments into a lack of acknowledgement of the realities many people face. People who share the same challenges but don’t have the lofty paycheck Andrews has.
Many others on social media felt Andrews was complaining about the sacrifices of her job. Others mentioned how doctors, nurses, police, and firemen and firewomen share the same sacrifices but never “complain” about the work. Some of the vitriol was even directed at Andrews’ professor.
When you take any job, there are sacrifices. They are all different, and not every sacrifice is the same. For twenty years, I worked nearly every holiday, and more of them as a manager than as an employee. I attempted to allow my team added time with their families because I understood the level of sacrifice we all make for the roles we choose to chase.
The bigger the star, the wider the platform, and the larger the tsunami of criticism you can expect. Andrews has come to understand that in a world of 280 characters or less, more often than not you can’t win.
The simple fact is that for all the time it took for people to reply or share their critique of the tweet posted, many of them didn’t take time to read what she said. If there’s no time for context, nuance will never survive.
The Thanksgiving lesson we can all take from what happened this holiday weekend is twofold. If we choose to ignore perspective, none of us will ever learn from one another. The second item is we should look internally.
Was this about “missing holidays,” or was this about envy? A feeling that because the paycheck and brand is bigger than yours, any level of perspective is considered complaining about the role.
In the end, the outrage is nothing new for Andrews, who continues to be the star of NFL on FOX’s top team. There’s a reason she’s there, and success breeds envy. The bigger the star, the wider the platform, and this weekend was just the latest misguided tsunami to hit her. It’s not her fault, it’s more on all of us to correct it before the next one hits. But will we?
Andrews’ perspective carries more value than any response in 280 characters or less. She chooses to live the dream she wanted and accepts every sacrifice that comes with it. That should be celebrated and appreciated that she allows a look into the window of her professional career, so others can learn from it while choosing their path.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
All for one and one for all. Teamwork makes the dream work. We’re all in this together. United we stand, divided we fall. For White House correspondents? Not so much.
Everybody’s heard about the repeated incidents in which President Trump has insulted reporters, primarily female reporters, for asking legitimate questions he doesn’t want to answer.
If you hit a nerve, he lashes out, calling you stupid and fatty and a bad reporter before moving on to insult the organization for which you work.
Maybe he’ll even slam his palm on his desk for emphasis. And he’ll never answer the question, because somehow his profane refusals are quite effective at ending the conversation, if he doesn’t just end the press conference right then and there. He thinks he can get away with it, and he’s right, because he keeps insulting people with ad hominem attacks and nobody in the room steps forward to object.
They’re cowards. They’re worried that they’ll be Acosta’d, getting their credentials pulled because the Big Guy doesn’t like them.
But if you’re out in the real world with friends and someone goes after someone in your entourage, you’d at least say something, right? You might even slug someone. (Not endorsing violence here, but that’s how a lot of fights start.) You defend your own against blowhards, or you literally walk away. Even if you choose de-escalation, you at the very least respond to the provocation in some way. Trump resorts to name-calling and crude behavior and what does the White House correspondents pool do?
Nothing. Someone asks a different question, and they hang the insulted reporter out to dry. Later, after the conference is over, they may complain, tsk-tsking in op-ed pieces nobody reads, but nothing is otherwise done and everybody moves on as if this is perfectly normal behavior by a perfectly sane person. Nothing to see here. Credentials still in effect. We’re good.
This is normalization. It allows toddler-like (or worse) behavior by officials to continue, lets those officials off the hook, and leaves at least one person in the room a ripe target for the trolls you see daily on social media. Crude bullying is accepted because, well, that’s just Trump — we all know he says whatever’s on his mind — and, besides, I gotta get outside for a live hit on MSNBC or MS NOW or whatever the hell it’s called these days.
So the President’s bad behavior is rewarded, a colleague takes a hit, and, soon enough, he’ll do it again. Why wouldn’t he? Nobody hits back, and it embellishes one of the policies that got him the job in the first place: making the media into the enemy unless they bend the knee and praise him.
What should they have done? If someone doesn’t answer your question, ask it again. If you don’t get an answer, or if the result is a barrage of insults, the next reporter he calls upon should ask the exact same question. Every reporter should ask the same question until they get an answer. And someone in the room should directly respond to the insult and make him squirm or yell or whatever he does when he’s upset. If you let him get away with it, not only will he repeat the performance at future press gaggles, but it gives other officials free rein to use the same tactic to avoid tough questions. You KNOW Pete Hegseth took notes.
It’s come down to having to treat the President of the United States as if he’s an unruly toddler. He’s not a toddler, though — he’s a crude, badly behaved adult, and he needs to be humbled when he calls reporters “fatty.”
Maybe they should make him look in a mirror. He’s not exactly svelte, his skin is badly spray-oranged, his hair is odd, and he can’t dance. There. Imagine a reporter telling him that in a press conference. Sure, it’s a guaranteed way to lose your credentials, and maybe your job, but someone has to do it and you’ll sleep better at night.
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The music world hasn’t caught up to Vernon Reid’s genius yet. For close to four decades, his guitar has wowed audiences. He has also impressed countless musicians. His band Living Colour remains as busy as ever. The group is platinum and multi-Grammy Award-winning.
Vernon’s latest solo release, Hoodoo Telemetry, came out this fall. I was excited to catch up with one of my favorite guitar players. We discussed a collection of songs he once worked on and then shelved. The tracks show his incredible range as a player. They mix rock, jazz, blues, funk, and sounds only Vernon creates. A talk only about the new album? Not even close.
Instead, I got an incredible conversation about his new music. We also talked about his role in the Ozzy Osbourne Back to the Beginning celebration. He shared a lesson in humility that stayed with me. Vernon is an epic talent. He also founded the Black Rock Coalition in 1985. It is a New York–based artists’ collective and nonprofit. The group is dedicated to promoting creative freedom for Black musicians. It also supports their artistic work.
Rock, race, radio, and more. Vernon Reid is such a special talent and person.
His new release Hoodoo Telemetry is a ride. Here is a bit of my conversation with a man I just met and felt like I have known my whole life. What a joy it was to talk music with Vernon Reid.
TC-Hoodoo Telemetry is not a record to be broken down; it’s a record to enjoy and just take the ride. It’s interesting that these songs were crafted a while back, then shelved, then brought back, then worked on. Talk to me about doing a record like that.
VR- Just like anything else, things happen in time, and sometimes people are not ready for whatever. It’s not the time. Like a song like Beautiful Bastard.
I had been working on a follow-up to Mistaken Identity (solo record), and I was part of a huge purge.
There was a kind of Black Monday purge across the board. A lot of artists were being dropped by the label.
TC: That was your Sony days in the 90s, right?
VR- Yeah, the Sony days, and that was very difficult. It wasn’t just for me, but a lot of artists were dropped like the A&R men’s favorites or whatnot. There was an economic purge at that time, and that was very depressing. It was not a great time.
But I was still writing, and a lot of the songs I was writing at that time dealt with difficult times. There’s a great phrase — “Situationship.” It was “Situationship.”
TC- That’s an album title!
VR- I taped a guy who was in the subway, and he was homeless (for this record). He was incredibly polite. He goes, “Good afternoon, everyone. Could you help me with something to eat today?”
“Good Afternoon, Everyone” is the song.
His rage — he’s incredibly polite. He doesn’t scream, and doesn’t yell. He’s obviously intelligent, but the rage at his circumstances and that people are taking for granted what they have in their life.
Is there anyone that hasn’t taken for granted what they have in their life? “Can you help me with something to eat today”?
He’s also talking about, “you think you’re different from me and I’m here because of circumstances and it could happen to you.”
TC- I deeply feel these songs, but that’s the type of artist that you are. You’re an artist who emotes. When I saw you at Back to the Beginning, the final Sabbath show, I thought you were an MVP.
Rudy Sarzo on bass was an MVP to me that day. Nuno Bettencourt obviously was an MVP. I felt like you were the guys — the glue that held the day together on the projects that you were doing that day. Seeing you up there, being a guy from my area — I’m in Jersey and not far from the city — we’re each other.
Seeing you up there, an amazing Black rock guitar player being represented, it made me feel proud and good.
VR- The fact that Tom Morello was the musical director. He put the whole thing together. I was really incredibly proud of him. It was great to see my friend William Duvall from Alice in Chains.
TC- I want to talk to you about BRC. I mentioned this as we started, and thinking “he’s probably never going to believe me,” but Black Rock Coalition meant a lot to me. “It started 40 years ago. Wow — 40 years!”
VR- We’re not that old. (It started) in 1985.
TC- I remember a friend mentioning to me — because we would go see all these great artists, whether it was King’s X or 24-7 Spyz or Bad Brains. I had bought the John Butcher record and loved that record.
We saw the turning of the tide. Eric Gales was coming out. Lenny Kravitz came, and he did something a little different.
Lenny was, in the beginning, more of his folky granola-y thing. Joan Armatrading was somebody who was all over MTV and nominated for a Grammy. So there were colors that were around us at that time.
A friend of mine said, “There’s these guys in New York — they’re starting something called BRC — Black Rock Coalition. These guys, Vernon Reid and Greg Tate, who writes for the Village Voice, are starting it. We got to keep going and seeing these bands.” It was such a movement.
Last week, I had on a good friend of mine — and I’m sure you know him — Ayron Jones, an amazing guitar player and an artist that is incredible. I feel like nobody knows where to put him right now because we’ve got to box everybody. Before I chatted with him, I searched out some information thinking “Ayron is the record holder for number ones at rock radio for a Black solo artist.” I’m like, “I’ve got to bring that up.” At first, I said that to Ayron and he’s like, “I think it’s me?”
He wasn’t even sure. I don’t want to box him in as the Black guy doing rock. However, when you’ve had two number ones at rock radio on a debut record happening during COVID time, and you’re not out touring and promoting, and then you get a number two, and then you get a top five — that’s got to be recognized. It just has to.
It circled me back to 1985 when you put BRC together with Greg Tate.
VR- Yeah, we started. We started everything, and we’ve never stopped. This is the conversation. The inspiration for me was rock. For me, rock, of course, was Led Zeppelin but it included Funkadelic too.
Funkadelic was a rock band. I’m talking about those early records — America Eats Its Young, Cosmic Slop.
They were rock stars, and it was rock and roll. Right? War — War to me, after Eric Burdon, was a rock band. That’s the reality. When Cult of Personality came out, I was on the cover of the guitar-playing magazine. I’m eternally grateful for it, but I got on that cover because Ernie Isley didn’t get on the cover.
That was a crime to me. Mind you, all of the guitar players that got covers of Guitar Player magazine — I loved them. Rory Gallagher, Jan Akkerman — I love these guitar players, but Ernie Isley was systematically ignored.
He wasn’t a music critic’s favorite, but he had that sound — Hendrix’s sound — survive on top-40 hits. Still, he was denied attention when he was young. He was pretty and was in his prime and denied his rightful place.
At the same time, what was happening on radio — radio was becoming segregated. There was a time on WNEW you could hear James Brown and Marvin Gaye. There was a time where you would hear Queen on WBLS because the DJs were free. They were like film auteurs, right? Frankie Crocker and Scott Muni — they played what they wanted to play.
Nobody was telling Scott Muni what to do. Nobody was telling Frankie Crocker what to do.
TC- They were doing shows!
VR- They were doing shows.
My chat with Vernon was the kind I cherish — organic and unscripted. One of the most fun and enlightening I’ve done. I’m so happy he’s still making music his way.
Hoodoo Telemetry paints many colors, sounds and emotions. In the AI world we live in these days, Vernon restores my faith in artistry. Check out my full chat down the musical rabbit hole with Vernon Reid- on my Carr Stereo Podcast.
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What if I told you there was a band with a distinctive Rock-leaning sound that plays 100 arena shows every year to an audience of more than one million people and has sold millions of albums primarily based on the strength of an incredibly familiar, Rock-leaning hit song from 1995?
Would you consider it for your station? After all, both Classic Rock and Classic Hits stations are playing product from the nineties.
The band in question is Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the song is “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” which was released in 1995. The same time as some of the Grunge and Alternative records being played regularly at the formats. Yet, digging into Mediabase, it appears that Classic Rock and Hits collectively account for only about 15% of the song’s airplay.
The Birth of a Classic
If you aren’t aware, or may have forgotten the background like I had, Trans-Siberian Orchestra grew out of a nineties metal band called Savatage. The band’s late founder, Paul O’Neill, produced a concept album about the Bosnian war called Dead Winter Dead, which included “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24.”
The song was picked up by radio stations in New York and became highly requested. From that humble beginning came more Rock-leaning concept albums about the Christmas holiday, which led to the birth of Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Beyond the airplay, the other notable piece of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra machine is the yearly tour. The group maintains close ties with radio stations across the country in support of the annual trek. I spoke to John Kuliak from Night Castle Management. He is the primary radio contact for all things related to the band. He points out that not many artists play to as many people as Trans-Siberian Orchestra does each year.
“There are only a handful of acts of any kind who play to that many ticket buyers in any given year, and TSO does it every single year,” he said.
According to Kuliak, the band remains loyal to “early believer” presenting stations, maintaining promotional partnerships even when they could potentially switch to bigger stations in some markets. With those partnerships, one dollar from every ticket sold goes to a charity selected by the station.
“TSO has given over 21 million dollars to station charities so far,” explained Kuliak. That doesn’t mean other stations are frozen out.
“It’s a big show with a broad demographic. Any station that wishes to participate with ticket giveaways or artist interviews is welcome, presenting station or not.” That’s because, in his words, “Christmas belongs to everyone, and TSO is the biggest Christmas-themed musical event of the year.”
A Hit That Continues To Grow
Kuliak says airplay and participation vary widely from market to market. The Christmas-formatted stations play two TSO songs, while other stations go deeper. He also says if you roll up the different Rock formats, “’Sarajevo’ is now the most played Rock Christmas song of all, It’s getting more monitored spins at Rock stations than even John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen.”
He adds that as Classic Rock stations embrace the nineties, “the fact that ‘Sarajevo’ is 30 years old and is still so popular and relevant should make playing it during the season both safe and useful.”
There’s no doubt that Christmas music in our formats is a tricky proposition. Between the quality of the available songs and the competition from all-Christmas stations, there’s no easy answer. Deciding how to embrace the season musically remains a challenge.
Perhaps getting involved with the TSO show closest to your market could help marry your station to the season.
But the best part might simply be the song that sounds like Rock and should be instantly familiar.
Kuliak points out, “Our songs have been successfully synched with many brands and sports teams over the years. People hear them in stores and restaurants every fall and winter. Thousands of people around the country synch their outdoor Christmas lights to TSO music. Our fanbase is huge, and it’s yours for the taking.”
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Plenty of news/talk radio listeners — whether they listen to hosts like Vince Coglianese, Larry O’Connor, Anthony Cumia, or any other show — think the host just sits down and fires from the hip when the mic turns on.
Obviously, there’s more to it than that.
But what goes into show prep for these nationally syndicated and local radio hosts? We recently sat down to discuss the topic with these three top show hosts and geit their insight on the subject.
“It’s never-ending,” Coglianese, who hosts the nationally syndicated VINCE for Westwood One, admitted of his show prep routine. “What did Rush (Limbaugh) say about show prep? Life is show prep. It’s all consumed. So, every second of the day — whether it’s consuming media on my phone, or on television, on radio, or it’s kind of taking a mental note of a personal experience I’m having and how it can translate to the audience interest — It is a never-ending experience.”
Anthony Cumia — who hosts a nationally syndicated weekend show for Red Apple Audio Networks, which originates from 77 WABC — said he takes a drastically different approach to preparing for his program.
“Social media is just huge when it comes to show prep now,” said Cumia. “I don’t know anyone that watches mainstream media anymore. I remember ‘back in the olden days’, you’d pick up your (New York) Daily News, New York Post, and Wall Street Journal and paw through the newspaper. Whereas now, with social media, those top stories, you can scroll and see what the real top stories that people are talking about on any given day are.”
He added that the advent of social media makes it “so much easier to prepare” today than previously.
“I print out the top stories, write a few notes on them, because I don’t like scripting myself,” said Cumia. “I don’t like writing a monologue. And I know what I’m going to say about this story, add a couple of bullet points, and then I just roll on it.”
For 105.9 WMAL host Larry O’Connor, he also hosts a digital video show for TownHall. That means he needs to decide what works for radio and what is a better option for his digital video show. And the freedom that is offered with that digital show allows him to open a story a little bit more, so to speak.
Doing a morning show means that we have a pretty strict clock: shorter segments, lots of topics, traffic and weather every 10 minutes, news breaks at the top and bottom. It’s your typical clock. Which means the longest I get on a topic without taking a break is about eight minutes,” O’Connor said. “When I start my live stream at noon for my Town Hall show, I usually go for about an hour. It averages about an hour and 15 minutes without a break.
“I can take as long as I want,” continued O’Connor. “I aim for about 20 minutes per topic of just me monologuing or interacting with videos and audio on a topic. Sometimes I’ll do an interview, but usually it’s just me. So it definitely exercises a muscle to be able to talk about a topic for as long as I want without a break, building the story arc and the narrative. It’s been good for me. It’s allowed me to sort of open up the way a story is presented”
Vince Coglianese has a similar situation with his podcast with Silverloch Media and Rumble. He still tries to prioritize his radio audience with content specficially curated for that medium. He believes its the difference between a good show and a great show.
“I think that in order to succeed in radio, you should put a lot of work into it and try and make the best possible product you can,” Coglianese said. “And that means constantly thinking about the ways you can utilize your life and the things you’re consuming to enhance the product.”
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The Thanksgiving in America programming on CNN last week showed something rare in cable news today. It showed effort in a place where effort is optional. Holidays tempt networks to settle for filler. CNN chose not to phone it in, and that choice deserves real praise.
Cable news executives know the numbers on Thanksgiving morning. The audience is small. People are in the kitchen or on the road. Many viewers want a brief headline check, then the TV goes back on mute. It would be easy for CNN to toss up a few pre-produced features and call it a day. Many networks have done that for years. It is the safe move. It is also the lazy move.
But CNN made a different decision. The network offered a full window of thoughtful stories, live moments, and fresh reporting. It delivered programming that had a purpose. It did not feel like a placeholder. It felt like something meant to serve an audience, even if that audience was smaller than usual.
That is what stands out here. CNN didn’t treat the holiday morning as a burden. It treated it as an opportunity. It offered stories about communities, families, and traditions. It highlighted parts of America that TV news often overlooks. The show felt real, not rushed. It felt intentional, not forced. Viewers can recognize that difference.
Every newsroom faces a choice when a time slot dips below peak ratings. Some decide it is not worth the effort. Others argue that news is a service, even when the service reaches fewer people. CNN chose the second approach. That choice matters. It shows respect for the viewers who did tune in. It shows respect for the craft.
This is also smart strategy. Viewers build trust through consistency. They notice when a network puts in the work on a quiet morning. They notice when a channel cares about the experience they get, even at 8 AM on a holiday. That trust becomes valuable when news breaks. People return to the outlets that respect their time.
Thanksgiving programming does not create ratings momentum by itself. CNN is not winning the day because it offered a stronger holiday lineup. But it might win a viewer the next time a big story hits. A viewer who felt seen on Thanksgiving morning is a viewer who remembers who showed up. That is how brand loyalty forms in today’s fractured media world.
CNN has taken plenty of criticism over the past few years. Some of it has been fair. Some has not. But praise should follow any moment when a network makes a choice rooted in service rather than convenience. Thanksgiving morning is one of those moments. The network put effort into a space where effort is not guaranteed.
The content also reflected a more balanced vision of what news can be. Not every story requires a political fight. Not every segment needs drama. Sometimes viewers want to breathe. Sometimes they want a sense of connection. Thanksgiving in America delivered that calm, steady tone. It offered something simple, but not simple-minded.
Cable news can learn from this approach. Treat viewers with respect. Give them stories that feel human. Do the work even when ratings dip. These ideas sound basic, yet they are often ignored. CNN embraced them for a few hours, and the payoff showed on screen.
The network deserves appreciation for that. It showed that effort still counts. It showed that viewers notice more than executives think. And it showed that even a quiet holiday morning can be a moment to strengthen the bond between a news organization and its audience.
CNN did not need to try. It tried anyway. That alone deserves recognition.
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American General Media Albuquerque Operations Manager Michelle Matthews died on Thanksgiving Day after a brief health battle.
She joined the company earlier this year after previously serving as Program Director of 96.3 WDVD in Detroit. She exited that position as part of a round of corporate layoffs last year.
Other stops in her career include nearly a decade as Operations Manager at Saga Communications in Columbus, where she led Sunny 95 and Mix 107.9, as well as serving as the Program Director of KLOU in St. Louis for iHeartMedia. She also served as a Regional Programming Manager for iHeart, overseeing the company’s clusters in Omaha, Wichita, and Sioux City.
Many former and current colleagues, friends, and co-workers shared remembrances of Matthews — whose real name was Michelle Weber Rigden — on social media.
She is survived by her husband, Jonathan, and sons Kiefer and Ryan.
Michelle Matthews was 54 years old.
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