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Why Cumulus is Drawing a Line in the Sand in Its Lawsuit Against Nielsen

Dr. Ed Cohen
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Why Cumulus is Drawing a Line in the Sand in Its Lawsuit Against Nielsen

I’m interrupting my regularly scheduled column due to the news on Friday that Cumulus sued Nielsen in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

I’ve read over the complaint, and while I’m (thankfully) not a lawyer, I’ll offer some context and thoughts.

Cumulus’ attorneys regularly used the phrase “upon information and understanding,” which apparently is part of federal fraud pleadings and requires further facts. Some of what you’ll read here is upon my personal “information and understanding.”

When I started in this business, Arbitron reported every commercial radio station that met minimum reporting standards regardless of subscriber status. It was assumed that clients, broadcasters, agencies, and advertisers paid for a complete view of the commercial radio marketplace. This was back when one entity could own no more than seven AM and seven FM stations nationally.

Occasionally, the system was abused. Everything was on paper, so someone might borrow a book from a friend at an agency or another station in town that had access. While they couldn’t use the numbers for sales purposes, when you know the numbers, you can negotiate rates. As a television example, when I worked at WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh in the early ‘90s, Arbitron introduced ScanAmerica there, and our owners, Cox Television, did not subscribe.

However, we received overnights via fax from a syndicator, had access to the book, and set rates accordingly. For avails with Arbitron shops, we had rates but no numbers — yet the rates somehow matched up to the ratings.

In this century, access became limited, beginning in 2014 when Nielsen stopped reporting non-subscribers in the topline data release. Apparently, some stations used data that appeared in the trade press or local media for sales purposes. That avenue was cut off.

Next, Nielsen adopted the “Subscriber First” policy in 2021. “Subscriber First” should be named “Subscriber Only,” as the policy removed any non-subscribing stations from the summary data set. That’s the data set that goes to agencies and advertisers, so non-subscribing stations were no longer visible to buyers and planners. The non-subscriber estimates continued to appear in the respondent data set that subscribing stations received so programmers could see a full view of the market.

Let’s move to the present and the motivation for Cumulus’ suit. Cumulus owns Westwood One, one of the two major radio networks (there are others, but none on the scale of Westwood and iHeart’s Premiere, and no other network owners also own local stations). Westwood uses Nielsen’s Nationwide service for sales and programming. Network radio is a numbers-driven business.

When negotiating for a new Nielsen contract, according to the filing, Cumulus decided they no longer wished to pay for local Nielsen ratings in a majority of their 80 local markets. An example is Los Angeles, where the only Cumulus-owned outlet is KABC-AM. KABC was a big deal in its heyday, which passed long ago. Cumulus sees no reason to pay L.A. Nielsen rates for one station with a small audience.

Nielsen cited a new “tying” policy stating that if a company owns a property in a market, it must subscribe to the local service to allow its network to have access as well. If KABC doesn’t subscribe locally, then Westwood One will not have access to L.A. estimates. Westwood does business with multiple stations in Los Angeles that are not owned by Cumulus.

Per the filing, Cumulus would prefer to use Eastlan in some markets or go without estimates in others. However, Westwood can’t operate without the full Nationwide data set. Cumulus in Memphis already subscribes to Eastlan instead of Nielsen. Under the tying policy, Nielsen will not include Memphis in Westwood’s Nationwide data set.

Cumulus asserts this violates U.S. antitrust law under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The Sherman Act was passed in 1890 when Marconi was 16 and having fun at his family’s Italian estate. David Sarnoff’s mother was pregnant with that broadcast pioneer when President Harrison signed the Act into law.

The Act has been updated over the years. Cumulus’ key accusation falls under Section 2: Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several states, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a felony and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $100,000,000 if a corporation or, if any other person, $1,000,000, or by imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, or by both said punishments, at the discretion of the court.

Cumulus argues that Nielsen has a monopoly on national radio ratings and is using that monopoly power to force Cumulus to buy Nielsen data in its 80 local markets. Its position is that if the company doesn’t give in to Nielsen, Westwood One will be greatly harmed, as its full U.S. audience will not appear in Nationwide.

The company sent a “cease and desist” letter to Nielsen in August explaining the tying policy was “anticompetitive and illegal.” Cumulus stated that Nielsen then offered to sell the Nationwide data set without the tying policy but at a price nearly ten times (italics theirs) what Cumulus currently pays. Cumulus says this price would be equivalent to what it would pay for Nationwide and local data in the 80 Cumulus markets. In other words, the company pays the same if it wants Nationwide for the whole country.

When I started at the National Association of Broadcasters in 1987, on my first day, the report of economists working for NAB and an ad hoc group called the Radio Audience Measurement Task Force (RAMTF) was being reviewed. The issue at the time was the high price for Arbitron data and whether Birch, the competitor, was being unfairly held back due to monopolistic behavior by Arbitron.

My memory of the RAMTF was that the economists said Arbitron was a monopoly — but a legal one — in the sense that the company had become a monopoly not by harming other companies, but by offering better products. They also found that Arbitron was much more expensive in markets that did not have Birch than in those that did. Amazing how competition affects prices!

A current analogy might be Google. There are search competitors to Google, and in the distant past, I used Yahoo and even AltaVista at times. Today, Microsoft offers Bing. ChatGPT may soon be a real competitor, yet when someone looks up something online, they often say “Google it.” Google holds a huge share of search but grew organically.

In my experience, “tying” has happened before. When I worked at Birch/Scarborough, I heard we lost out with some agencies because they wanted the BAR service (national ad spend data), which was part-owned by Arbitron. Arbitron would either throw it in or tie radio data to BAR. We had no equivalent to BAR, so some agencies went with Arbitron Radio for just that reason.

More recently, Nielsen has tied co-owned Scarborough to the local ratings service to thwart The Media Audit. I’ve heard that Scarborough is thrown in at little or no cost, thus keeping The Media Audit out. No broadcaster will complain that they may be paying below-market prices for Scarborough.

Cumulus also cites Eastlan in the complaint. Eastlan has been around since 1999, generally measuring small markets that can’t afford Nielsen service, although the service is available in Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro, and Memphis — all three Nielsen PPM markets.

As Cumulus’ counsel notes, Eastlan is far less expensive than Nielsen. However, it does not appear in one of the major agency platforms, MediaOcean. An agency using MediaOcean does not see Eastlan data as an alternative to Nielsen. However, Eastlan data is in Strata and Advantage, per the Eastlan website. Eastlan is an alternative for local ratings. Although considering my issues with Nielsen methodology, it is not at Nielsen’s quality level.

What’s different here is not only that a broadcaster filed suit against Nielsen — shining a public light on negotiations with Nielsen — but that the dispute was not settled before Cumulus resorted to this step. If you trust Google Gemini, the vast majority of cases like this one are settled out of court. Cumulus has requested a jury trial.

This is a game of “chicken.” Considering the issues with network radio, Westwood One without full data is hard to imagine. In their Q2 financial release, Cumulus said their network business was down 14.7% in the first six months year over year. In Q2, the decline was 20.5%. Imagine the state of Cumulus’ network business without Nationwide!

However, Nielsen also needs revenue, especially with private equity ownership. As one of the Big Three ownership groups, Cumulus makes up a solid chunk of Nielsen Audio’s topline. It’s not enough to cause any serious financial issues for Nielsen, but it will sting if Cumulus walks. That infers that Cumulus may go without Nielsen data even in the 32 markets where the company wants it. If Cumulus does leave and holds up financially, it would be a seismic event that one of the big groups made a go of it without Nielsen data.

Is this Eastlan’s opportunity to finally become a true competitor to Nielsen? Assuming the company could bulk up quickly enough to cover many more markets, especially larger ones? Would MediaOcean agree to include Eastlan data so that Cumulus and potentially other companies would have a lower-priced alternative?

Antitrust litigation is expensive. Nielsen will not want to discuss its pricing and negotiation strategies in open court. Cumulus on the other hand is not profitable. Taking a further hit to revenue in the absence of Nielsen data, even after removing the Nielsen expense, will be hard.

All it takes is one desperate or foolish Cumulus AE to use Nielsen data obtained under the table, and Cumulus will be talking with a different set of Nielsen lawyers. If you don’t think this can happen, just ask Saga. In 2014, Nielsen sued for piracy (copyright infringement). Saga, which under Ed Christian had traditionally demurred from buying Nielsen data, eventually licensed five markets.

I expect some sort of deal between the parties later this year. Nielsen will drop the tying language. Cumulus will keep Nielsen in more than 32 markets while adding Eastlan in smaller markets that are barely profitable for Nielsen. I have no inside information to support this, but it only makes sense. What do you think?

Let’s meet again next week.

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.

How Evan Cohen Pushes ‘Unsportsmanlike’ To Build on the Legacy of ESPN Radio

John Mamola
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How Evan Cohen Pushes ‘Unsportsmanlike’ To Build on the Legacy of ESPN Radio

When ESPN Radio announced another lineup shuffle in the summer of 2023, it was considered by many to be a shift in approach by the network — moving away from television faces and moving forward with seasoned sports radio voices. The announcement carried with it the launch of a new morning show for the network, Unsportsmanlike. The program featured Super Bowl champion Chris Canty, ESPN Radio producer/host Michelle Smallmon, and twenty-year radio veteran Evan Cohen.

“We entered at three individuals, and after two years we’re teammates. That sounds cliché, but when you dive into what that means. When I hear we’re teammates on the same team. It doesn’t mean when we’re doing the show, it means when we’re not doing the show too,” explained Cohen.

A journey has many stops along the way; that’s no different for Cohen’s career path. Growing up a fan of Mike & The Mad Dog on WFAN, Cohen pursued a dream of radio by attending the University of Wisconsin. He found his way to radio through an internship at MSG Network. Kickstarting a path to stops in New York, West Palm Beach, and national outlets with SiriusXM and his current home at ESPN Radio.

When recalling what helped prepare him for the role on Unsportsmanlike. Cohen noted that his 20 years in the Sunshine State were the best formula to prepare him for success.

“Unbeknownst to me while I was doing it. Twenty years in West Palm Beach was the greatest training ground ever to do national radio,” said Cohen. “We had no teams in the market, but what we had was a myriad of sports fans that cared about a lot of different teams… I am so lucky to have the experience I had.”

Building The Foundation

Cohen explained that his approach while in West Palm was practicing doing a national radio show without talking to a national radio audience. He reasons that his career path is one of luck. With every stop he experienced made sense for the next one.

He left West Palm Beach to make the leap to SiriusXM. Hosting mornings on Mad Dog Sports Radio with former MLB executive Steve Phillips and lead producer Mike Babchik. Cohen continued to host programming in West Palm Beach while at SiriusXM, meanwhile serving in a managerial role with Good Karma Brands, which he took a role with years earlier.

Eventually, Cohen would find his way to co-host Morning Men alongside Babchik until ESPN Radio made an offer to host morning drive.

“After 12 years at SiriusXM, now the focus changes from the previous show where I was help lifting one person to now how do I help lift two people. Not that they need much lifting, they don’t need much lifting. That’s my job playing point guard, how do I let them score,” explained Cohen about how Unsportsmanlike developed their chemistry. “We always joke about that first month [of Unsportsmanlike] because it’s a small amount of time. When you look at the big picture. For it to only take a month to get on the same page about how to get on the same page. That’s a pretty big win.”

Building Up Your Partnerships

The announced made in 2023 launched Unsportsmanlike on ESPN Radio. Considered by many a return to the roots of what made the network unique. Following the departure of Mike & Mike in 2017, the network went through a number of changes in the daypart. Mike Golic remained in the daypart alongside Trey Wingo and Mike Golic Jr. until 2020. The network attempted other programs that included notable television talent such as Max Kellerman, Jay Williams, and Keyshawn Johnson.

Cohen reflected on the timeline of the daypart and its importance to hold a standard set by those before him, striving for more every day.

“Mike & Mike built and own the real estate that we live on. It is our job to build up a house as big and welcoming as can be. They set the foundation for morning drive on ESPN Radio. Without Greeny and Golic there is no us,” said Cohen. “I’m appreciative if anyone carries our show for a single minute. However long they carry our show for, it’s not on them to carry our show longer. It’s on us.”

Unsportsmanlike is heard on more than 250 partner stations across the country. The program is also heard on Channel 80 on SiriusXM and seen on ESPN2, ESPNU, and the ESPN direct-to-consumer app. While many of the partner stations carry the full program, others only carry select hours instead. For this reason, Cohen considers it vital that not only Unsportsmanlike continue to perform better on air. But also that it connects with as many partner stations as possible.

“I take a lot of pride and work hard to connect with our affiliates. But it will never be enough,” explained Cohen. “The easy thing is to go on the station as a guest. The harder thing is to live up to the word and be in the sales meeting. Every ESPN Radio affiliate across the country is my advertising partner, and I’m the salesperson. I need to have as many relationships as possible because those people are the ones who will buy in to what we’re doing.”

Cohen considers the partnership with every affiliate a two-way street. Unsportsmanlike regularly pushes audio from the program to every affiliate, with a request from those affiliates to do the same in return. Cohen embraces local market content on Unsportsmanlike because its partners work together to enhance stories for a national audience.

“We’re on your air longer, at times, than some local hosts are. Why not work together and embrace each other,” said Cohen. “The relationship with all of our stations is vital.”

Building Along Your Teammates

Fans, teammates, and partners — that’s the north star that guides Cohen every day to ensure those three pillars of success are met to the highest standard. While some may question if the network itself is meeting that model with its investment in its radio product in recent years, Cohen dismisses the notion.

“If you look at the overall question does ESPN care about ESPN Radio. I would make the argument they care more than ever,” said Cohen.

His reasoning lies with ESPN Radio renewing a deal with Good Karma Brands in 2023, with the radio company taking over sales responsibilities within the company’s radio and podcast networks. It also revolves around the decision by ESPN Radio to add The Rich Eisen Show to its weekday radio lineup earlier this fall.

“All of us are trying to reach that level that Rich [Eisen] is on. It is now our job to learn from him. We’re all trying to have that kind of platform that Rich has and that level of success. He doesn’t need ESPN Radio. He’s choosing to have it,” explained Cohen. “If Rich [Eisen] does what we think he’s going to do, which is add an amazing amount of advertising partners and fans to our lineup. I think we’ll have more flexibility to grow [ESPN Radio] than we currently do.”

As Unsportsmanlike enters its third year as the flagship morning show on ESPN Radio, Cohen continues to be excited about the growth and reach of the program. He still considers radio an amazing place for future generations of media to get their start — a vessel for connection with people based on what interests they share and stories they want to hear, no matter how it’s consumed or where it’s consumed.

“Radio is many ways is evolving to the style of show more than the platform it’s on. Of course you’re going to tune into the audio experience, but we’re doing a style of show that is distributed across many platforms,” noted Cohen. “The style of show we’re doing [Unsportsmanlike] is a radio style… When I hear a radio show, I’m thinking about the approach it operates under instead of the frequency it’s on. I still love that part of it, and I think that everyone that wants to be in this industry should absolutely still consider that an amazing place to be.”

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.

Bari Weiss Has One Lesson to Learn as She Takes Over CBS News

Garrett Searight
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Bari Weiss Has One Lesson to Learn as She Takes Over CBS News

If the recent New York Times report is accurate, Bari Weiss is learning a hard lesson at CBS News.

According to the outlet, Weiss — who joined the network earlier this month to steer its editorial direction — is frustrated that her comments from internal editorial calls are being leaked to reporters. And while that frustration might be understandable, it’s also predictable.

Because of course they’re being leaked.

Leaks like this don’t happen in organizations where the leader has earned trust and respect. And that’s the lesson Weiss needs to learn. Respect, like trust, is earned in drops and lost in buckets. You don’t walk into a newsroom filled with veteran employees and established journalists and instantly command loyalty by virtue of your title. You earn it, slowly, through decisions that build confidence, through communication that inspires belief, and through consistency that proves you’re not just another boss passing through.

I once had a boss that was frustrated that the employees would often pick on our colleague who very clearly received special treatment. That’s not sour grapes, either, the employee knew it and admitted as much (it also why he didn’t get picked on, but that’s another story for another day).

The boss eventually shared with the staff that this co-worked deserved our respect because he had been given a very important title in the company.

Yeah, that’s not how that works.

You earn respect. It isn’t simply awarded by fancy titles given to you by the son of one of the richest men in the world. And respect is almost always universally reciprocated. It starts with the leader respecting the people they’re working with, the job their doing, and the effort being put into the product. Not the other way around.

And, frankly, it’s pretty clear Bari Weiss doesn’t respect the people at CBS News.

At The Free Press, Weiss didn’t need to earn that trust from anyone but her own handpicked team. She built the platform from scratch. It reflected her voice, her vision, her priorities. Which was her prerogative, because she was the founder and the face. There was no legacy staff to win over, no institutional culture to understand, and no history to navigate. She could move quickly because she owned every part of the process. That’s a luxury leaders rarely get at a legacy institution like CBS News.

CBS has been telling America what’s happening in the world for more than a century. The network’s history looms large. It’s a place where journalistic traditions run deep and change is rarely smooth. Weiss, by all accounts, has strong opinions about where journalism should go. That’s not inherently bad. But charging into a newsroom that’s existed since before your grandparents were born and acting like you have all the answers is a recipe for backlash.

What Weiss seems to be bumping into is the difference between influence and authority. Influence is earned. Authority is assigned. CBS can give Weiss the title, the salary, and the responsibility. But the people on those editorial calls — the producers, writers, editors, and correspondents — are the ones who decide whether she truly has influence. And right now, it’s clear that she doesn’t.

Leaks are a form of rebellion. They’re a message from within that something isn’t clicking. People — in instances like this — leak because they don’t feel heard, don’t feel respected, or don’t believe in the direction being set. It’s rarely about the actual comments made on the call: it’s about the culture behind them. When a newsroom trusts its leader, it protects those private discussions. When it doesn’t, those discussions end up in the press.

Weiss might see herself as a reformer — a disruptor, if you will — brought in to challenge the status quo at CBS News. That’s fine, even admirable, if it’s done with care. But lasting reform never comes from walking in the door and telling everyone how wrong they’ve been. It comes from listening first. It comes from understanding the pressures, traditions, and personalities that shape the newsroom. Only then can you start to move it forward in a way that feels authentic, not imposed.

The irony is that Bari Weiss built her reputation by calling out what she saw as groupthink in journalism. Yet now, she’s dealing with the consequences of being viewed as an outsider trying to impose her own version of orthodoxy. She’s learning that being “the boss” doesn’t make people listen. They listen when they believe you understand them.

CBS News doesn’t need a disruptor who’s frustrated by leaks. It needs a leader who can blend conviction with humility, vision with patience, and bold ideas with an appreciation for the culture she’s entered. Weiss has shown she’s capable of leading something powerful when she builds it from the ground up. The challenge now is proving she can lead something that already exists.

And that takes time. Time to earn trust, time to show respect, and time to prove that her decisions aren’t just about shaking things up, but about making them better.

Until then, she shouldn’t be surprised when the words spoken behind closed doors don’t stay there. Because in this business, respect and trust aren’t granted — they’re earned, one drop at a time.

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.

Counter-Programming the All-Christmas Music Station

Kevin Robinson
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Counter-Programming the All-Christmas Music Station

The Christmas Music Tidal Wave is days away for radio. So far, two different columns on Christmas Music for Adult Music Brands and best practices for the holiday season have appeared on Barrett Media.

First, we profiled WHEN to launch your Christmas Music Playlist with veteran, successful Adult Contemporary programmers. The second, we called on expert panelists for their take on Christmas Music Playlist Curation.

The Christmas Music ratings onslaught affects all formats, not simply music brands. A cume vacuum is felt across the entire market and the Holiday Book suppresses everyone on the radio dial.

You’re a programmer reading this and you have a big Adult Contemporary station across town who has already built their seasonal holiday programming. They’re ready to launch their holiday ballistic missile as early as November 1st. There is little you can do.

Or is there?

We coach stations that flip to all Christmas Music sometime in November while other clients opt not to flip the all Christmas switch. Every format should be open to staying relevant through the holiday season. Done correctly, your non-Christmas brands can stay connected to the Christmas seasons and you just might make a few bucks along the way.

Christmas stations are traditionally sold out late in the 4th quarter of the year. You, traditionally are not.

First, a few programming tactics for your consideration to kick-start your holiday counter-programming:

  • Tighten Your List: When the Christmas cume gets burned on Christmas Music, they will be seeking a place to hear other familiar music.  As they come to your brand, insure it’s a hit you’re airing. Super-tight like Mike Joseph’s Hot Hits format from the 1970’s. No more than 75 songs. Especially on weekends where cume is higher and Time Spent Listening is not. 

Yes, we are serious and your counter-programming against All-Christmas should be too. Holidays are not a time to break new music. Record companies slow or stop new releases until January. There are only about 30 Christmas Hits with various versions in a well-curated Christmas Music List.

If your crosstown Christmas Music competitor has a loose list or the local programming team wants to introduce new Christmas music, take advantage of this poor tactic. Unfamiliar Christmas Music product will scatter their huge cume. Use it to your favor by only airing monster hits of your format during the season.

  • Christmas Ice Blocks: Several of our brands ask about dropping in a Christmas title or two during the hour in an effort to remain connected to the season. If your decision is to sprinkle in the occasional Christmas Music title, having Christmas music to appear without proper packaging is jolting to your audience. Airing Christmas Blocks (name them Ice Blocks) where you play three HUGE Christmas songs in music blocks at specific promoted times through the day is a smart play. 

Add seasonal holiday imaging in the front, middle and end of the blocks. Sell opening and closing sponsors for the Blocks. Sponsors love this feature. Ice Blocks put their product on an ‘audio island’ free from the typical stop set.

  • Commercial Free Sundays: Sunday afternoons is the time when most people break out the Christmas decorations. During this time, listeners will be searching for an accompanying music outlet. Most will reach for The Christmas Station in their market who will be also airing long commercial breaks. During this time run a tight Christmas list, commercial free. Your audience will appreciate the break from the spots while enjoying the afternoon with their family.

Promote throughout the week that Sundays during the holidays are commercial free. Without running actual spots, have each hour “brought to you uninterrupted by (sponsor)”.

Whatever your Christmas decision, dress up your imaging with Christmas sounds inside your music sweeps.  Like a store that doesn’t sell all Christmas decorations, retailers do not ignore the season. Make your non-Christmas Music product sound like the season with holiday sounds. The listener is still in the Christmas mood even if they don’t want all Christmas Music.

In August we published a piece on all-things 4th quarter for adult formats to include the beginning of fall through Christmas Day. Consider adding the following promotional opportunities to your Christmas promotional arsenal.

  • Free Batteries: This may SEEM like a simple prize. Consider handing out free batteries at all of your on-location events through the holidays. Amazon sell their branded batteries for super-cheap. Batteries for the holidays are often an after-thought. People will stop at your events JUST for free batteries. Batteries are often an oversight on Christmas morning.
  • Christmas Coloring Contest: Develop and post a custom themed .PDF of a kids and adult coloring picture with a Christmas scene. Include your logo. As one of the by-products during the Covid epidemic, adult coloring books sold like crazy. People rediscovered the joy of coloring while isolated. Hold a contest for kids – and adults for the best coloring page with sponsor-supplied prizes. Place printed sheets at sponsor locations and give away a small box of colored pencils to each participant.
  • Chamber Partnership Day: Work with your local Chamber of Commerce to host an all-day event to highlight local small businesses. Do this OUTSIDE of Small Business Saturday which is November 29th. It’s a great way to reinforce LOCAL for your clients. Create a dedicated web page showcasing participating local businesses and their special Chamber Partnership Day offers. Produce :60 spots that feature several businesses together at a discounted rate. This is an affordable avenue for small businesses who often cannot support a full schedule to get on the air. Keep in mind that Cyber Monday follows right after on December 1st.
Santa Claus receives a phone call; Photo Credit: Canva

Add the following to your list of seasonal promotional tools to keep your programming relevant:

  • Free golf cart service to and from shopping areas
  • Free wrapping parties at your local church
  • Phone calls from Santa
  • Christmas Pet Photo Contest
  • Toy Reviews from local retailers

As the competition is surging through the season, creating atmospherics for your non-Christmas Music brand is critical to attaching you to the season.

It’s Christmas. Wrap your brand in it.

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.

Has the NBA Done Enough To Justify Fans Paying More To Watch

John Mamola
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Has the NBA Done Enough To Justify Fans Paying More To Watch

Welcome to NBA opening night, where basketball fans across the country celebrate the birth of a new NBA season. The sights, the sounds, the new places, and the fresh faces are all ready to launch tonight. But so is a new challenge — figuring out where and how to actually watch.

Get your scorecards ready and check those subscriptions. The NBA officially begins its 11-year, $76 billion agreements with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon tonight. Marking the start of a new broadcast and streaming era. After months of chatter about how much more complicated — and expensive — the NBA has become to follow, the journey begins.

For a league that already struggles to attract attention and viewership during much of its regular season, the NBA is now asking even more from its fan base. More in subscription costs, more in patience, and more in effort to find where games are airing. The question is, will fans adapt?

It’s no secret that daily life is getting more expensive. Budgets are stretched thinner than ever. The idea of paying more for anything — especially entertainment — has become a hard sell. Sports networks continue shelling out astronomical rights fees for live play-by-play content, and the only way to offset those costs is through advertising and subscriber revenue.

The NBA Streaming Era Begins

That’s where the NBA’s test begins this season: more games on more streaming platforms than ever before.

According to MarketWatch, fans who want to watch every NBA game online this season — regular season and playoffs — will need to spend roughly $939 across five streaming services. Cable subscribers can still access NBC, ABC, and ESPN, but they’ll miss exclusive matchups on Peacock and Amazon, which will stream games weekly.

So yes, confusion is inevitable.

Take my Chicago Bulls, for example. They aren’t a major national draw this season, with only two games on national TV. Their December 1 game at Orlando will stream on Peacock, while their February 5 matchup at Toronto airs on Prime Video.

Fans of marquee teams like the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, or Golden State Warriors aren’t much better off. Each team will have 34 of their 82 regular-season games on national networks — nearly half the schedule — scattered across various streaming platforms.

Is that fair? Is that right? Is that worth the amount of money fans will need to spend just to watch games from home?

The Product Has Been Damaged

Earlier this year, Commissioner Adam Silver offered an eyebrow-raising defense when asked about the high costs fans will face this season to watch games.

“There’s a huge amount of our content that people can essentially consume for free. And this is very much a highlights-based sport,” Silver said last month. “So, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, you name it—any service—there’s an enormous amount of content out there. YouTube is another example that is advertising-based, that consumers can consume.”

That response was tone-deaf then and remains tone-deaf now. Reading it, you’d think the NBA was built for TikTok rather than television. If the league commissioner is describing basketball as a “highlights-based sport,” why should fans pay premium prices to watch live competition at all?

What the NFL does right is what the NBA continues to miss. The NFL strategically places meaningful matchups on platforms like Prime Video — games that matter in the standings, with storylines attached. Fans might grumble about paying for streaming access, but they do it because the content feels essential. The NBA hasn’t earned that same level of importance for its regular season.

Load management has diluted interest and ticket value, while meaningless midseason tournaments fail to generate genuine excitement. When several teams finish under .500 and still qualify for the postseason, it’s hard to convince fans that every night matters.

Add in the chorus of NBA commentators publicly criticizing the league for chasing broadcast checks over fan accessibility, and it paints a picture of a brand losing touch with its core audience.

Wait for the Results

Make no mistake about it: NBA fans will pay more this season and jump through more hoops than ever before for a product that’s simply not improving. The league isn’t earning the fan’s dollar — it’s expecting it. What was once must-see television has become background noise, and this year, that noise will cost more than ever to hear.

Whether fans adapt remains to be seen. Early viewership figures will tell the story. Last season, the NBA saw a 2% decline overall, with early-season ratings down 20% before rebounding after Christmas. If this year’s trend looks similar — or worse — the message will be clear.

If the NBA is serious about charging more while making games harder to find, it needs to deliver more for its fans. A league should never define itself as “highlight-based,” catering to the collective attention span of a hummingbird. Basketball, at its best, is a competition full of personality, storylines, and emotion — not just clips for social media.

If that essence is lost, fans will eventually make their voices heard.

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.

How Are Hot AC Stations Finding the HITS in Today’s Crowded Media Landscape?

Jim Ryan
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How Are Hot AC Stations Finding the HITS in Today’s Crowded Media Landscape?

Programming a Hot AC station today is harder than ever! The landscape has never been more cluttered. Listeners are swimming in a sea of music choices from Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, Apple Music, Satellite Radio and algorithm-driven playlists that refresh faster than radio’s music calls.

But that doesn’t mean Hot AC radio can’t still own the discovery and curation lane. It’s part of your job as a programmer! The best Hot AC programmers are finding hits not by chasing every shiny new song, but by understanding what truly connects emotionally, sonically, and strategically with their specific audience.

Context Over Data

Streaming numbers, Shazam tags, and social engagement all matter, but only when they align with the lifestyle and taste of your core listener. Finding hits begins with context over data. Yes, a viral TikTok moment may break a song wide open for Gen Z, but that doesn’t automatically make it right for your 35-year-old suburban woman juggling work, kids, and a slew of other priorities.

Hot AC isn’t Top 40; it’s built on familiarity, balance, and evolution. The hits that matter for your format aren’t just “new”, they’re trusted, and tested. Plus, in the pocket enough to live between Ed Sheeran and Maroon 5 without sounding like an intruder.

Art and Analytics

The smartest programmers today blend art and analytics. They look beyond surface-level data and ask: is this song resonating emotionally or just trending temporarily?

Local testing, callout, online surveys, and social feedback still matter, but how you interpret that feedback is key. A track might test only “medium” early on but grow into a monster if you give it the right exposure and context. Think of how songs like “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus or “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims built slow, steady momentum through consistent placement, not hype.

Gut Instinct and Brand Alignment

Every station has a sound, a rhythm, and an emotional temperature. If a song fits the tone of your brand, it’s worth some test spins. Be sure that these occur in a meaningful daypart and not just buried in overnights where next to no one actually hears it! After all, you are seeking core listener feedback.

Programmers must trust their ears as much as what their spreadsheet reads. The best programmers and music directors still live by the “can’t turn it off” test, that moment when a song feels just right between your core currents. You can’t find that in a data chart.

Don’t overlook local connection either. What songs are your listeners tagging in their weekend Instagram stories? Which artists are selling out venues in your market before they break nationally? Radio still wins when it reflects local energy. Tie new music into community lifestyle moments, concerts, events, local artist showcases and you amplify its reach organically.

Filtering Chaos Into Clarity

This is how hits are found in today’s crowded media space. Radio’s power lies in curating, making sense of the noise, not adding to it. The win isn’t about being first to play a track, it’s about being right when you play it. When listeners say, “That’s my station, they always play the songs I love,” you’ve nailed it. That’s the true hit discovery formula for now and in the immediate future of soon to arrive 2026!

Smart use of data, fearless programming instinct, and an unrelenting focus on what emotionally connects with your audience every single day. It’s not a desire or request. It’s a MUST!

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.

Why Personal Connections Between News/Talk Radio Leaders and Syndicated Hosts Still Matter

Peter Thiele
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Why Personal Connections Between News/Talk Radio Leaders and Syndicated Hosts Still Matter

If you are a program director, eventually you will make some changes to your syndicated news/talk radio show lineup.

If you are a show represented by Premiere, Salem, or Westwood One, you have stations under your corporate umbrella that are carrying your show. But if you are a self-syndicated show or with one of the independent syndicators, you have some distinct challenges.

I’m sharing my thoughts on how to grow your affiliate list and protect the stations that are already carrying your show.

I recently made some changes to the weekday lineups on two of the stations I supervise. One show was removed, not because it wasn’t good enough, but because it underperformed and wasn’t a great fit for what I’m trying to do as a programmer. Out of the blue, I got an email from the host who was upset about being cut. He wanted to know my reasoning.

This host had been on my stations for over a decade. In that time, I never heard from him. I once tried to book him as a guest on the station’s morning show and was told he was unavailable. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard from a host only after I’ve replaced their show. My question is: when is the last time a syndicated host thanked you for carrying their show?

This host had been on my stations for over a decade, and I never received a thank-you note or even a holiday card from him. This is a host I’ve never seen at a conference. I had zero relationship with him. I can assure you that if a show isn’t performing on a station, a good programmer is eventually going to make changes. Having a relationship with the local program director and market president is really important.

This host isn’t on more than 100 stations. If he would just call 10 stations a week, he could build and solidify relationships. If you are with an independent syndicator, start protecting your show from being cut.

Every couple of years, I get the pitch for the next great talk show host. I recently received a few form emails from a show host. Here’s the basic pitch: I have common sense, I’m a young host with a fresh perspective, and I’ve filled in for shows with limited reach. I listened to the demo, and this host was essentially doing the same show that hosts have been doing for the last 30 years. No interesting wrinkles. No contemporary angle. If you’re a young host wanting to make an impression, do something that hits the news/talk demographic in a different way.

It seems like nearly every host has an insatiable need to be syndicated. I can only imagine the pitches from new radio hosts believing they’re the next big thing with little to no experience. If you really want to be the next syndication star, get on a station and blow the doors off the competition in your market — not just the news talk competitors but every format in your market. That’s impressive. If you want to be great, you must show the drive to be committed for the long haul and demonstrate that you’re an innovator.

So, you’re rolling out your syndicated show. I don’t care if you’re with Westwood One, Premiere, an independent syndicator, or representing yourself — don’t just email potential stations. Call program directors. I probably receive 100 emails every day, and some brand managers get many more. Your email touting that you have common sense and want to talk politics is not enough.

By the way, have a demo ready. Don’t just send programmers to a podcast link. Many of these links have pre-roll commercials, and many hosts have long, uninteresting openings to their shows. I’ll give a show demo 30 seconds to grab my attention. If I’m not interested, I move on to another task.

When song-adding decisions were made in individual markets, I occasionally sat in on listening sessions. The PD and music director would give a song 20 seconds to impress them. Make sure your demo comes out firing. Hit that program director in the chin with an awesome opening.

There’s a lot of material available, and if you want to add stations, it’s really up to you. I guarantee that personal contact is your first opportunity to impress someone who can truly help your career. Here are some tips on how to establish those connections.

  • Go to the BNM Summit and other news/talk events next year.
  • Shake everyone’s hand.
  • Give a business card to everyone, including the support staff at the event. Don’t pester people, though.
  • Treat this like a job opening.
  • When you follow up with a brand manager, don’t call them without something of value.
  • Don’t ask for advice.
  • Come in with an idea.
  • Share a new blog.
  • Offer a guest hit with that station’s morning show, even if the station isn’t carrying your show.

This is a business built on relationships. Act like it.

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.

Spinning with Intention: The Modern Art of Playing Pokies Online for Real Money

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Spinning with Intention: The Modern Art of Playing Pokies Online for Real Money

Every era has its form of excitement. Decades ago, people gathered around physical machines in crowded lounges, where sound and light blended into ritual. Today, that same rhythm has shifted online — cleaner, faster, and infinitely more creative. As someone who’s observed this transformation from both a player’s and designer’s perspective, I can say the essence remains unchanged: it’s still about emotion, rhythm, and timing. But now, it lives inside a beautifully engineered interface that feels more like a cinematic experience than a mechanical one.

Modern Australian platforms have turned this craft into a form of digital art. They no longer compete through size or noise; they compete through atmosphere. When I explore pokies online for real money, I look for balance — where storytelling meets structure, and design supports focus instead of distraction. The best experiences no longer depend solely on luck; they reward awareness, strategy, and rhythm. In that sense, digital pokies have evolved beyond simple reels — they’ve become interactive stages where every spin feels choreographed.

From Mechanical Reels to Digital Worlds

It’s easy to forget that early pokies were purely mechanical — simple levers, metal frames, and predictable tension. What changed wasn’t just technology, but psychology. Online environments introduced narrative layers, visual depth, and responsive feedback. Players no longer pull a lever; they enter a designed universe that reacts to every choice.

I often compare today’s pokies to short films: each has its tone, color, and pacing. The best use cinematic cues — light fades, sound modulation, and micro-animation — to maintain emotion. You’re not just playing; you’re watching your own momentum unfold.

Here are three design shifts that transformed the modern experience:

  1. Visual storytelling: Thematic depth replaces generic symbols, giving every game its own identity.
  2. Audio direction: Soundscapes evolve dynamically, just like a film soundtrack responding to action.
  3. Mathematical rhythm: Probability systems now mimic narrative arcs — tension, release, resolution.

This combination of aesthetics and algorithmic balance keeps players engaged not through volume, but through meaning.

The Real-Money Mindset

Playing with real stakes changes everything. It introduces responsibility, but also focus. I’ve learned that once real money is involved, every action demands structure. It’s not about chasing wins; it’s about building consistency — the same discipline you’d apply in sport, film editing, or investment.

Platforms that cater to real-money players, like those offering pokies online for real money, succeed because they design for clarity. Clean layouts, smooth loading, and transparent reward systems reduce mental noise. That simplicity encourages smarter play.

When people ask me for advice on handling real-money environments, I usually share three timeless rules:

  • Treat time as your main resource. Long sessions distort perception; define a beginning and end.
  • Observe before you react. Patterns reveal more over patience than over emotion.
  • Appreciate small wins. Momentum matters more than magnitude.

These habits may sound simple, but they transform how you experience the game.

Emotional Design and the Flow State

Cognitive research shows that the “flow” state — full immersion where time disappears — happens when challenge and skill align perfectly. Great online pokies are engineered around that concept. Every animation frame, sound, and pause aims to maintain equilibrium between control and chance.

As a UX consultant, I often test whether a game achieves this by observing how naturally players breathe. In balanced systems, the rhythm of interaction mirrors natural attention cycles — short tension bursts followed by relief. Poorly designed ones, by contrast, overstimulate and fatigue. The difference feels as stark as a well-edited thriller versus a chaotic montage.

Crown-level platforms understand this nuance. They use design restraint to build anticipation rather than overload it — an art that makes real-money play not only safe but deeply engaging.

Australia’s Cultural Take on Digital Play

Australia has always had a distinctive relationship with gaming — social, visual, and community-driven. The digital transition didn’t erase that; it refined it. I’ve noticed that Australian players tend to favor balance: a mix of relaxation and strategy, risk and reflection. That preference explains why platforms hosting pokies online for real money feel grounded rather than excessive. They offer realism, not illusion — and that’s precisely why they endure.

This market also emphasizes fairness and transparency. Clear payout ratios, responsible-gaming tools, and modern verification systems reflect national expectations of trust. It’s a quiet revolution: entertainment built on ethics.

The Future of Real-Money Entertainment

Looking ahead, I see the convergence of cinematic design, artificial intelligence, and personalized pacing redefining how we experience online play. Imagine systems that adjust tension to your mood, music that shifts with your focus, and visuals that mirror your emotional tempo. That’s not science fiction — it’s the next iteration of immersive design already being tested in Australia’s most advanced digital studios. When this evolution meets the real-money model, the result isn’t riskier gameplay — it’s smarter engagement. Platforms like those hosting pokies online for real money are proving that when technology prioritizes rhythm and clarity, entertainment becomes both responsible and thrilling.

ESPN, FOX One Early Subscriber Data Shows Strength In Early Days Of Launch

BSM Staff
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ESPN, FOX One Early Subscriber Data Shows Strength In Early Days Of Launch

While ESPN and Fox Corp are not publicly sharing first-party data of their subscriber base with the general public, third-party data provider Antenna’s latest data suggests ESPN and FOX One are maintaining steady momentum as both networks settle into the streaming marketplace.

Following their joint August 21 launches, the platforms have now completed their first full month, with sign-up activity signaling ongoing audience curiosity and engagement.

According to Antenna, ESPN drew an estimated 2.1 million sign-ups through September 30, while FOX One brought in 1.1 million over the same period. Those figures exclude existing Disney subscribers who transitioned from other plans or users who activated access through multichannel video programming distributor partnerships.

Weekend viewing remains a clear driver for both services, with Antenna noting consistent spikes in sign-ups around major sporting events. FOX One experienced its most significant surge on September 14, coinciding with the highly anticipated Super Bowl rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.

For ESPN, consumer interest appears to be leaning toward its premium tier. Antenna’s data shows roughly 57% of subscribers opted for ESPN Unlimited — the network’s flagship offering that provides full access to live games, studio programming, and on-demand content. The remaining 43% subscribed to ESPN Select, the rebranded version of ESPN+.

Bundles are also playing a crucial role in ESPN’s early success. Antenna reports that two out of every three ESPN sign-ups between August 21 and September 30 came through package deals with Disney+ and Hulu. Those bundles are available in both ad-supported and ad-free tiers, giving subscribers more flexibility while strengthening Disney’s overall streaming ecosystem.

Both networks have not detailed exact subscriber numbers for their respective services. ESPN parent company Disney has stated there won’t be any such disclosures as it said earlier this year. The company plans to stop reporting streaming subscription totals as part of quarterly earnings reports. That decision follows a similar shift made by Netflix. 

Antenna’s full-month snapshot provides early evidence that sports fans are willing to follow familiar brands like ESPN and FOX into new digital spaces.

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.

Tony Pike Returns To ESPN 1530 Weeks After Being Laid Off By iHeartMedia

BSM Staff
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Tony Pike Returns To ESPN 1530 Weeks After Being Laid Off By iHeartMedia

Tony Pike is back on the Cincinnati airwaves. The former University of Cincinnati quarterback and future Bearcats Hall of Famer has returned to host Cincy 360 on ESPN 1530 today just weeks after being laid off by iHeartMedia.

Pike made the announcement on X, sharing that his popular midday program would return to its familiar noon to 3 p.m. slot. He will also rejoin his colleague Mo Egger for the afternoon drive show from 3 to 6 p.m. according to a report by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

“Tony is back and all is right with the world,” Egger told The Enquirer following the announcement.

The move marks a quick turnaround for Pike, who had become one of Cincinnati’s most recognizable local sports voices before being caught up in iHeartMedia’s company-wide reductions earlier this month. During his appearance with Egger on Monday, Pike opened up about the experience from being laid off till today.

“It felt different last week,” said Pike. “You think for so many years, my Mondays during football season have been this, and then they weren’t. I didn’t know what to do about it. And thankfully, I’m back here.”

Pike shared his thanks to everyone who reached out after news of his departure had surfaced, and was thankful to make a return to ESPN 1530.

“If there was any good that could have came out of what happened, it was getting a little bit of the gratification that at least what I had been trying to do was working,” said Pike. “People have enjoyed listening, and now that they can continue to enjoy listening.”

Pike admitted he leaned on his family following his departure from the station, and was thankful for their support during that time.

“I’ll shout out to my dad. We went to my parents house and kind of just had a pizza night, and we’re just kind of hanging around, and pizza gets delivered,” said Pike of the night following being laid off from the station. “I was in a rough spot for a few days, and as the pizza guys leaving, my dad yells at him, says, Hey, sir, we’re all sitting right. So you guys hiring? So there was a point I thought about maybe reinventing the pizza delivery game.”

On October 8, Pike posted on X that his position had been eliminated, ending his daily hosting duties on ESPN 1530, as well as his regular appearances on Egger’s show and his work with Bengals pregame coverage on 700 WLW.

“It’s not something I ever hoped to say, but my current time with iHeart has come to an end,” Pike wrote in the post. “I’m deeply thankful for the opportunity they gave me and for all the experiences that came with it.”

Even during his brief hiatus, Pike remained connected to the Cincinnati sports scene. He continued to serve as the color analyst for UC football broadcasts, operating as an independent contractor. His on-air chemistry and deep ties to Bearcats athletics have made him a staple in the city’s sports media landscape.

Pike’s return was welcomed on air and online by ESPN 1530 talent and listeners. His show, Cincy 360, offers a mix of local sports talk, listener interaction, and Bengals, Reds, and Bearcats coverage — all presented with the familiarity of a hometown voice.

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.

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