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How Long-Term Branding Drives Real Results in Broadcast Media

Bob Lawrence
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How Long-Term Branding Drives Real Results in Broadcast Media

If you’re in radio or TV as an account exec, salesperson, marketing consultant, advertising rep, or marketing executive, your success largely depends on more than just filling airtime or selling spots. While “selling” focuses on an immediate transaction of purchasing commercial time, branding is what truly transforms those purchased seconds into long-lasting value for both your organization and advertiser. Understanding the difference is essential for building the deep client partnerships and relationships that will deliver long-term results for all parties.

Selling our intangible product is basically about offering time needed to reach the target audience for your client’s potential customers. For generations, media salespeople have mostly focused on:

•How many people are listening or watching
•The demo breakdowns of the audience in relation to a client’s target
•The rate/cost per spot
•Special packages or promotions
•Short-term campaigns designed to boost immediate sales

These all still matter to a smaller degree, but they represent only the transactional side of advertising. This continues to work well for one day events, sales, or specific product introductions geared toward the calendar, but if you rely solely on this kind of “spot-selling,” you’re going to find yourself competing on price, ratings, or short-term seasonal needs way more often than you should have to. These types of clients may buy today but then disappear tomorrow if they don’t see immediate results or a flurry of online inquires.

The bottom line is that spot selling alone can attract clients, but it won’t be good at retaining them for the long term.

Branding, especially in what many consider to be mainstream, traditional media, is about shaping perception over time. Audio is powerful not because it delivers one strong message, but because it repeats consistent messaging until it becomes familiar, trusted, and emotionally connected to the audience. It’s important we remind our clients that they aren’t targeting new listeners with every commercial but the same listeners – repeatedly. Lest we forget that people never think of you until they need you. If they don’t know you, you can bet that they’ll think of someone else.

Case in point, the week I moved into my home, my sump pump failed. Here I was in a new city knowing virtually no one. Great! Now what? I remembered the company I used in Ohio and had their local Michigan guy at my house within an hour, on a Sunday!

The point of course is that I only thought of the one I was familiar with. That’s who I called. Repetition through effective scheduling through reach and frequency is what separates the seller and client who understand the need for long term branding from those who simply expect to move product when they advertise. Sometimes, the buying cycle of some brands can take weeks or months until a consumer makes the decision. Those are the people to whom brand advertising targets.

But branding goes beyond just repetition. It focuses on:
•Building a recognizable identity
•Repeating a clear message over months (and years)
•Connecting emotion to the business instead of just promoting a sale
•Positioning the client as top-of-mind in their category

Instead of: “We’re having a great mattress sale this weekend,” branding says: “We’re the trusted, reliable, hometown place families go for better sleep.”

Where selling tries to push immediate action, branding pulls customers naturally over time through a connection to the heart. Audio also works best when it creates familiarity. It’s no different than why stations repeat the same songs as often as they. Familiarity breeds “Contentment” and it requires repetition. When clients invest in branding rather than short-term campaigns, they begin to see the true power of our medium.

The benefits include:

Long-term branding encourages businesses to stick with a message. When consumers hear or see that message repeatedly, they develop recognition and trust—something no single campaign can achieve. It is challenging because most everyone who commit to long term campaigns has the “chicken-out” period where they get scared and want to stop. Remind them that they would be negating all they already invested by coming to a full-stop and opening the door to the competition.

Branding takes time and the COI (Cost of Inaction) is in equal but opposite proportion to the ROI they will experience through advertising over time. As you build deeper relationships with clients, you become strategic partners helping clients shape identity, choose messages, and create campaigns that evolve. Clients stay with you longer when they see you as part of their marketing team; an unpaid, valuable employee.

Clients who understand the long-term value aren’t constantly shopping for a cheaper rate or the next “deal.” They invest in outcomes, not transactions. While one-month campaigns may or may not show instant results, branding builds momentum, leading to increased customer loyalty, referrals, and repeat business. Branding campaigns are what keep clients engaged, committed, and successful over the long run.

It isn’t just better advertising—it’s better business.

How Daily Caller’s Amber Duke Wades the Waters of Straight News Journalism Mixed with Political Commentary

Garrett Searight
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How Daily Caller’s Amber Duke Wades the Waters of Straight News Journalism Mixed with Political Commentary

“It can’t be both,” is a popular statement to make during heated arguments. Daily Caller Senior Editor Amber Duke is trying to set out that it can be both, by being both a journalist and a commentator.

As one of the leaders of the Tucker Carlson-founded digital outlet, Duke helps set the table every day for the company’s writing staff, ensuring they’re following and advancing the news.

She also, however, makes regular appearances on news/talk radio and cable news programs, giving her opinion on the day’s news from a conservative angle.

She says it can be difficult at times to balance the two, but she enjoys the challenge.

“I think I’m very honest about where I come from with my views,” she admitted. “I don’t make any bones about the fact that I’m conservative. And I think being honest with the reader allows a greater sense of trust to develop, because they know the perspective that I’m coming from, and they can evaluate what I’m saying based on that perspective.”

Duke added that with her background in more traditional journalism, she eased into the opinion side of the medium.

“I had a baseline level of trust where people could believe that what I was saying was true, because I was dealing in facts,” Duke. “So I think it’s easier to transition that way.”

She said, in her view, getting a start in journalism is where every aspiring media personality should start for a simple reason.

“I always tell young journalists when they’re getting involved in the business that when you’re 22 years old, people really don’t care about your opinions,” Duke said with a laugh. “You don’t have much life experience. You learned what you learned in college, which maybe was hopelessly biased, and you haven’t really taken those tenets and put them into practice. So it’s nice to start out by really just consuming and learning as much as you can through the process of journalism and storytelling, and then once you start to develop that life experience and that trust with your audience, that’s a good time to start making that transition, if that’s what you’re interested in.”

It might feel inevitable that someone working as both a journalist and a political commentator would need to eventually choose one role or the other, but Amber Duke doesn’t see it that way.

“I feel comfortable doing both. My role as an editor is very different from my role as a commentator,” she said. “As an editor, I’m looking at every piece that comes from my reporters and making sure that we are following basic journalistic principles … when I’m doing commentary, I am, of course, looking at it from a different perspective, not that I’m not also using the journalistic method of making sure things that I’m saying are factually accurate and make sense.

“But I’m also thinking about a messaging standpoint. So how am I weaving together facts to make an argument? It’s more of a rhetorical process, as opposed to the editor hat, which is more focused on the journalistic process.”

Amber Duke also believes working in digital media with the Daily Caller — and on The Hill’s digital video show, Rising — as well as making appearances on news/talk radio and on cable news shows exposes her work to nearly every demographic, which is always a good thing.

“You don’t just have people who are reading The Daily Caller, but now I get to translate Daily Caller stories in a three-minute TV hit on Fox News, or 15-minute hit on Rising, or if it’s on the radio, people who are listening in their car. So you get to cut across a lot of different age demographics, obviously, with the broadcast media landscape changing with YouTube playing a big part. Platforms like Substack and independent podcasts, you’re getting younger viewers and listeners, whereas if you’re on cable news, you’re getting an older demo. Daily Caller is probably somewhere in the Gen X range. So I feel like I’m covering a wide swath of people.”

Duke concluded that as she’s grown in her career in both the journalism and opinion angles, she’s learned something about those who work in the industry. And it’s played to her advantage.

“I found, in my experience, that there’s a lot of people who can write, and a lot of people who can do TV, and not a lot of people who can do both,” she said. “So I do feel like I have a comparative advantage, and that I’m able to translate thoughts to paper but also to broadcast media.”

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.

Dave Portnoy: Stephen A. Smith Owes Drake Maye an Apology

BSM Staff
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Dave Portnoy: Stephen A. Smith Owes Drake Maye an Apology

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy is demanding that Stephen A. Smith issue a public apology to New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye after the ESPN commentator labeled the rookie a “liar” during a recent episode of First Take.

Smith’s comments came after Maye said he did not know Cam Newton appeared on First Take. Smith bristled at the idea, arguing that First Take’s long-running success made the claim implausible. The segment quickly went viral, leading Portnoy to weigh in with pointed criticism.

“You don’t call a man a liar. He owes him an apology,” Portnoy said in a video posted to social media.

Portnoy argued that Maye’s comment was harmless and that Smith’s response was disproportionate, especially given the fluid nature of the show’s rotating cast since Skip Bayless departed. Portnoy believes casual sports fans and athletes should not be expected to track every on-air personality associated with ESPN’s flagship debate program.

“First Take since Skip [Bayless] left, it’s been a revolving door,” Portnoy said. “People in, out. Hand to God, I had no idea Cam Newton was on that show. I didn’t know the other guy [Ryan Clark], the Steelers guy who I’m forgetting his name. Who is always apologizing every three seconds. I didn’t know he was on that show. Dan Orlovsky is on that show. I know Stephen A. Smith does First Take, but I got no clue who his partner is at this point. I had absolutely no idea Cam Newton was on it, and didn’t even know Cam Newton worked for ESPN. I thought he did his own gig.”

Smith’s remarks follow a WEEI interview in which Maye, asked about Newton’s comments on the Patriots calling the team “fool’s gold” last week on ESPN. The comments circulated back to head coach Mike Vrabel being asked earlier in the week about them. WEEI host Andy Hart asked about the comments to Drake during an interview on Wednesday.

“Oh no, I don’t even know what show he’s [Newton] on,” Maye told WEEI. “I think they get paid to make remarks and make certain comments. So, I just worry about what people in our organization think, and worry about we think and what my teammates think. People are going to have different opinions. I’m just going out there on Sunday and worrying about ourselves.”

Portnoy then widened his critique of Smith, saying that even among sports fans, awareness of Newton’s current media role is far from universal. He said that context matters when judging Maye, who has spent the early part of his NFL career managing practices, media responsibilities and the pressure of being the Patriots’ potential franchise quarterback.

“I think if you polled 100% of white sports fans, ‘What does Cam Newton do in media?’ 60 to 70% are not going to know,” Portnoy said. “Cam Newton, like really everybody knows Cam Newton is on that show, no f*****g chance.”

Smith has not responded to the commentary made by Portnoy.

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.

ESPN Reaches Multi-Year Extension With Rebecca Lobo

BSM Staff
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ESPN Reaches Multi-Year Extension With Rebecca Lobo

ESPN has secured one of the most respected voices in women’s basketball for the long term, announcing a multi-year contract extension with analyst Rebecca Lobo.

The move keeps Lobo in her familiar role as a lead voice on ESPN’s women’s college basketball and WNBA coverage. She will continue working regular-season broadcasts, Champ Week, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, and the WNBA Finals. She will also continue contributing across ESPN platforms, including SportsCenter and a variety of specials tied to the women’s game.

“Rebecca is one of the most influential voices in the game of women’s basketball,” said Meg Aronowitz, Senior Vice President, Production. “We could not be more thrilled that she will continue bringing her expertise to every game she calls on our air.”

Lobo’s presence has become synonymous with ESPN’s coverage of the sport, and she made it clear the feeling is mutual. “I have loved calling women’s college and WNBA games for ESPN the last 20-plus years,” she said. “It’s an honor to be a voice of this sport and to witness some of the greatest performances in the history of the game from a courtside seat. Working with Ryan Ruocco and Holly Rowe is a joy. I appreciate ESPN’s continued commitment to me and the women’s game.”

Her extension comes at a pivotal time for women’s basketball, with both the college game and the WNBA surging in visibility and cultural relevance. Lobo’s credibility, strong analysis, and skill at linking the sport’s past to its present have anchored ESPN’s coverage.

Since joining ESPN in 2004, Lobo has been a central figure on some of the network’s biggest stages. She has called multiple NCAA Women’s Final Fours, national championship games, and WNBA Finals. Lobo brings a rare mix of championship experience and polished broadcasting skill. Her on-air chemistry with Ruocco and Rowe has also become one of ESPN’s signature elements within its women’s basketball presentation.

Lobo’s resume extends far beyond the booth. Before transitioning to broadcasting, she starred at the University of Connecticut and helped lead the Huskies to an undefeated national championship season in 1995. She later became a foundational member of the New York Liberty and spent seven seasons in the league. Her career included a WNBA All-Star selection and an Olympic gold medal. Lobo is enshrined in both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

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The Erick Erickson Show Raises More Than $265K for Hungry For A Day Charity

BNM Staff
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The Erick Erickson Show Raises More Than $265K for Hungry For A Day Charity

As Thanksgiving approaches, The Erick Erickson Show has seen widespread giving from the audience to the Hungry For A Day charity.

Listeners of the show have recently donated more than $265,000 to the charity. Each $40 donation made goes to feed a family of four this Thanksgiving.

“Every year, my listeners remind me why this show exists—not just to discuss the issues of the day, but to drive real change in people’s lives,” said Erick Erickson. “In these tough times, knowing we’ve put food on the table for thousands of families fills me with gratitude. This isn’t about politics; it’s about compassion, faith, and stepping up for our neighbors. Hungry for a Day makes it seamless, and our audience makes it extraordinary with an impact from coast to coast.”

Hungry For A Day works with local food banks to ensure that roughly 75,000 families will receive a Thanksgiving meal, including a turkey or smoked ham, sweet or mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, rolls, and pie.

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.

Stephen A. Smith: Drake Maye Is a “Liar” for Not Knowing Cam Newton Is on ‘First Take’

BSM Staff
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Stephen A. Smith: Drake Maye Is a “Liar” for Not Knowing Cam Newton Is on ‘First Take’

Stephen A. Smith did not hold back Thursday in criticizing New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye for claiming he was unaware that former NFL MVP Cam Newton is part of ESPN’s First Take.

During a segment discussing Maye, Smith called the Patriots signal caller a “liar” and questioned the credibility of a professional athlete who supposedly did not know the long-running show.

“He’s also a liar. First of all, not to brag. Pardon the Interruption is the number one show on ESPN, spanning 20 plus decades. First Take is the number one morning show. 13 years and counting. Don’t tell me you are an athlete and you don’t know that Cam Newton ain’t on the show. You lying,” Smith said during his on-air commentary.

The remarks follow a WEEI interview in which Maye, asked about Newton’s comments on the Patriots calling the team “fool’s gold” last week on ESPN. The comments circulated back to head coach Mike Vrabel being asked earlier in the week about them. WEEI host Andy Hart asked about the comments to Drake during an interview on Wednesday.

“Oh no, I don’t even know what show he’s [Newton] on,” Maye told WEEI. “I think they get paid to make remarks and make certain comments. So, I just worry about what people in our organization think, and worry about we think and what my teammates think. People are going to have different opinions. I’m just going out there on Sunday and worrying about ourselves.”

Following Smith calling the Patriots quarterback a liar, he then said that the question asked by WEEI was taking Newton’s comment out of context.

“The media offers former professional athletes opportunities that corporate America, for the most part, ain’t doing, but a professional athlete performing because he and his feelings, because somebody might have critiqued him, or some weak ass reporter or pundit on radio, gonna ask the question out of context, out of context,” Smith said. “They misquote Cam, Because, like Cam said, he was talking about the Patriots, not him, and you gonna ask the question? Well, ask it accurately, instead of misrepresenting Cam Newton.”

The question asked by the WEEI host was indeed tied to Newton’s criticism of the Patriots, and not Maye specifically.

“Drake, your coach [Mike] Vrabel dismissed this question, but I felt like I’d give you the opportunity because you’re familiar with this guy. He played for the Patriots. Cam Newton said the Patriots are ‘fool’s gold.’ That was his words, not mine. Do you hear those things? Do you react those things? Any comment on that,” asked Hart.

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Stuart Scott ’30 for 30′ Documentary Coming December 10 on ESPN

BSM Staff
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Stuart Scott ’30 for 30′ Documentary Coming December 10 on ESPN

ESPN officially unveiled the official trailer for Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott, the latest installment in its Peabody and Emmy Award-winning 30 for 30 documentary series. The film is set to premiere December 10 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN app, offering an intimate exploration of the life and legacy of Stuart Scott. A trailblazing SportsCenter anchor whose authenticity, wit, and signature phrases forever changed sports storytelling.

Produced and directed by Andre Gaines, Boo-Yah goes beyond career highlights to show the man behind the microphone.

The documentary features never-before-seen archival footage, including self-shot home videos. It shows Scott chronicling his rise and offers an unfiltered look at the journalist and cultural icon who inspired fans and broadcasters alike.

“Stuart Scott didn’t just change sports journalism — he changed culture,” Gaines said. “He made millions of people feel seen at a time when few voices like his were given the mic. What makes his story even more powerful is that Stuart was documenting his own life along the way — the father, the fighter, and the trailblazer who taught us all what authenticity looks like.”

The film chronicles Scott’s journey from local television in North Carolina to becoming one of ESPN’s most influential voices. At a time when hip-hop and pop culture were often sidelined by mainstream media, few Black anchors held national prominence. Scott brought both unapologetically to SportsCenter. He blended analysis, pop culture, and charisma in a way that resonated with a new generation of fans.

Boo-Yah features commentary and appearances from an extraordinary roster of friends, colleagues, and admirers. They include Charles Barkley, Chris Berman, Vince Carter, Linda Cohn, Common, Michael Eric Dyson, Herm Edwards, Rich Eisen, Kevin Frazier, Mike Greenberg, Jay Harris, Ernie Johnson, Suzy Kolber, Shaquille O’Neal, Robin Roberts, Jeremy Schaap, John Skipper, Kenny Smith, and Michael Smith..

Scott’s family — Jacqueline, Kimberly, Sydni, Synthia, Stephen, and Taelor Scott — share personal memories highlighting his humor, drive, and humanity.

The documentary also emphasizes Scott’s impact beyond the newsroom. He bridged sports and culture, transformed SportsCenter into must-watch television, and became a symbol of courage through his public battle with cancer, culminating in his unforgettable ESPYS speech: “You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live.”

The premiere coincides with ESPN’s 19th Annual V Week for Cancer Research and the fifth anniversary of Boo-Yah on December 10. It supports the V Foundation’s Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund. ESPN will also release a merchandise collection honoring Jim Valvano and Stuart Scott at the Jimmy V Classic. One hundred percent of royalties will be donated to the V Foundation.

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The Charlie Kirk Show Remains in Triton Digital Top 5 During October Rankings

BNM Staff
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The Charlie Kirk Show Remains in Triton Digital Top 5 During October Rankings

Triton Digital has released its October rankings, and The Charlie Kirk Show remained one of the top programs for the month, in spite of the host’s assassination.

The show remained in the third position in the Top Podcasts by Weekly Average Downloads rankings for the month. It’s the same ranking the show had during the month of September. October marked the first full month following Kirk’s assassination on September 10th.

The only two programs that bested The Charlie Kirk Show during the month were NPR News Now and Up First from NPR, which also remained unchanged from the prior month.

Elsewhere in the rankings, Vince Coglianese’s program rose one position to 12th in the category, one spot behind the Global News Podcast from the BBC, which also saw an improvement of one place during October.

Kirk’s show also saw a gigantic increase in the Top Podcasts by Listeners/Viewers survey conducted by Triton Digital. The show finished the month 12th, a rise of 68 positions compared to the previous month. The Joe Rogan Experience earned the top spot in that ranking list, while The Daily was second.

The Ben Shapiro Show also saw a large rise in that category. It rose 29 positions to finish the month in the 13th place.

According to the data compiled by Triton Digital, news podcast listenership grew 7% during the third quarter.

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KMOX Partners Former and Current Hosts to Celebrate 100th Anniversary

BNM Staff
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KMOX Partners Former and Current Hosts to Celebrate 100th Anniversary

KMOX is still about a month away from the 100th anniversary of its sign on date. But that isn’t stopping the station from celebrating early.

On Thursday, November 20th (or, 11/20), the station is welcoming former hosts and longtime fixtures on the St. Louis news/talk station to help begin the celebration.

The date of 11/20 is a symbolic one, as the station is heard on 1120 AM, in addition to the 104.1 FM signal it added earlier this year.

The station shared that it has special programming planned for the entire day as it begins the recognition of its 100 years on the air.

“For 100 years, KMOX has kept St. Louis informed and connected, a legacy we are incredibly proud of,” said Becky Domyan, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy St. Louis. “We now honor the pioneers who helped build this station. They are the definitive voices and leaders who became synonymous with KMOX and defined a century of service. We look forward to building on their foundation and continuing to serve as the home for news St. Louisans rely on for the next hundred years.”

Originally signing on on Christmas Eve 1925, the station has several separate special programs planned to honor its legacy in the coming weeks.

Earlier this year, KMOX completed a move to the FM dial on 104.1 FM. The new signal is a full-market, 50,000-watt signal. Previously, the station was heard on an FM translator at 98.7 FM. That signal, however, only featured 250 watts of power.

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.

New Jersey 101.5 Adds Levon Putney As News Anchor

BNM Staff
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New Jersey 101.5 Adds Levon Putney As News Anchor

New Jersey 101.5 is adding Levon Putney as an afternoon news anchor, Putney has revealed in a post on social media.

Putney will work as an afternoon news anchor, helming newscasts from 4:30-9:30 PM for the Townsquare Media news/talk station.

Levon Putney spent nearly 20 years working as a news anchor and reporter for WCBS 880 in New York before the station ceased operations last year. He also previously worked at 1100 WTAM in Cleveland.

Putney will also file reports for iHeartMedia news/talk stations from the company’s Manhattan offices, in addition to continuing to host his Reel Pod News Casts on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The former WCBS anchor/reporter shared that he expects to begin his duties with New Jersey 101.5 after Thanksgiving.

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