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Can the Super Bowl Halftime Show Be Counter Programmed Successfully

John Mamola
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Can the Super Bowl Halftime Show Be Counter Programmed Successfully

The Super Bowl Halftime Show is entertainment. It’s unique to the sport and the league. A championship determined through a single game rather than a seven-game series. MLB, the NHL, and the NBA wish they had the opportunity to replicate it. This year’s selection for the Super Bowl Halftime Show is Latin pop sensation Bad Bunny.

The 31-year-old Puerto Rico native is a three-time Grammy Award-winning global artist and one of the most streamed musicians on the planet. With more than 100 billion streams across platforms and 80.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the NFL’s decision makes perfect sense. The league has been clear about its intent to reach younger and more global audiences — and Bad Bunny delivers both.

Still, since the announcement, backlash has been building. Some of it comes from political criticism. Some from personal taste. But now, there’s a growing conversation about whether someone — or something — could actually counterprogram the Super Bowl Halftime Show.. The question is, can it be done—and how?

Every year, the Super Bowl dominates American television. Nineteen of the 20 most-watched broadcasts in U.S. history are Super Bowls. The last three games alone sit atop that list.

Halftime Is A Hit

Last year’s game wasn’t just another big number — it was the most-watched broadcast ever. The halftime show drew 133.5 million viewers as Kendrick Lamar performed a set filled with Compton pride and subtle jabs at Drake. The internet lit up with memes of Lamar pacing the 50-yard line, smiling as he delivered his message.

That’s exactly what the NFL wants — a halftime show that grabs attention, trends globally, and gets people talking long after the game. And Bad Bunny has already done that without performing a single note.

In 2019, the NFL signed an agreement with Roc Nation, which is owned by rapper Jay-Z. As part of the deal, Jay-Z was named live music entertainment strategist in charge of producing the halftime show and aiding the NFL with social justice initiatives. This deal was signed following the controversy surrounding Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality.

Since then, the Super Bowl Halftime Show has featured Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, The Weeknd, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, and Usher — with Bad Bunny set for 2026. Notice the pattern? The league has leaned into artists who reflect younger, more diverse audiences rather than the classic rock comfort zone of acts like The Who or Coldplay.

So if that’s the direction, can anyone really steal their thunder?

Who Can Even Attempt

For starters, any media partner of the NFL won’t even try. With this season’s game airing on NBC, you can cross off CBS, ESPN, Amazon Prime, Netflix, FOX, and YouTube immediately. No one wants to jeopardize their relationship with the NFL, the most valuable sports property in the country.

The same goes for digital sports brands. Their traffic, sponsorships, and access all depend on the NFL. Going head-to-head with the league on its biggest day would be professional suicide.

The NFL has too many ties to too many brands for someone to go against the shield on its big day.

That’s why we get the Puppy Bowl annually on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, TBS, and truTV (all owned by Warner Bros. Discovery), which received an average of 12.8 million viewers last year. That’s a higher viewership number than every game of the MLB postseason so far and the NBA Finals last year.

FOX attempted a counterprogramming measure in 1992, airing a live episode of In Living Color to go head-to-head with Gloria Estefan’s performance as a salute to the 1992 Winter Olympics. FOX began broadcasting the NFL in 1994. The move by FOX to counterprogram has been credited with signaling the NFL to improve its product at halftime of the Super Bowl.

But that was three decades ago — long before streaming, social media, and second screens. Today, trying to chip away at the NFL’s broadcast audience would be a fool’s errand. The smarter move would be digital.

Dominate Digital

The NFL is simply too popular to strike a significant dent in the traditional viewership of the Super Bowl. The halftime show is now designed to cater to younger and more diverse audiences than ever, drawing attention for months leading up to the moment of execution.

The goal shouldn’t be to cut into the viewership of the halftime show—it should be to dominate the conversation online. It’s the same approach advertisers take with their commercials during the broadcast of the game.

Digital currency is the currency to earn if you attempt to counterprogram. If your 25-minute programming can dominate online conversation over the latest Doritos ad or a new movie trailer, that’s where you win. Attempting to draw viewership on traditional television like the Puppy Bowl should not be the goal. The Puppy Bowl has a 20-year head start on you already.

It doesn’t have to be music. It could be comedy, gaming, influencer-driven content — anything that gives audiences an alternative experience, not just another performance. Competing with the NFL on its own terms rarely works; giving people something completely different might.

Can it be done? Yes. Could counterprogramming be considered a success? Certainly.

But it’s a high-risk play. The upside for a brand that tries might not outweigh the cost. The NFL’s reach, resources, and cultural footprint make it nearly impossible to “beat” the halftime show in any traditional sense.

And that’s okay. Sports and music both exist to bring people together, not divide them. The halftime show has never been designed to please everyone — it’s meant to create a shared cultural moment.

So if Bad Bunny’s performance isn’t your thing, there’s an easy solution. No need to rage, protest, or counterprogram.

Just turn the television off.

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 Heavy Metal’s Queens of Scream Showcase a Movement, Not a Moment

Terrie Carr
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How Heavy Metal’s Queens of Scream Showcase a Movement, Not a Moment

Heavy metal is one of rock music’s most loyal fan genres. Traditionally known for headbanging and dudes, the metal mainstream is shifting. I have always been a self-proclaimed “metalhead,” and never has the fan base been stronger than it is now — from Sabbath to Slipknot to Spiritbox.

Yup, the ladies are present in a big way — selling out shows without selling out. Women in metalcore, alt metal, and power metal are not only present but popular. The recent shift to harsh vocals, mixed with pop sensibility and powerful visuals, seems to be a trend for a new generation of female performers and the fans who follow them.

Future female stars? Check out Daedric, The Pretty Wild, and Living Dead Girl — talented, determined, and business-minded. Gone are the days of needing a major label or airplay to jumpstart a career and define success.

Social media, hard work, and a DIY attitude have made the field much more accessible for a new generation of strong females who could easily go the pop star or TikTok route but decided to let their vigorous voices and passion for the genre define their art.

The Model Is Evolving Quickly

I recently caught up with Molly Rennick, the intoxicating frontwoman and visionary for the band Living Dead Girl (whose second full-length metal masterpiece Conspiracy just dropped). She told me about her self-made approach — and why never compromising in her music or her band’s impressive videos is more important than instant crowd size.

“Without control, my identity is not my music. If I were a fabricated artist, like a Disney Channel pop star that they write songs for, I would not enjoy music anymore. It has to be my idea, my vision. There was this one band that asked me to join twice — they reached out to me again recently, where I would be in face paint and anonymous — and I said no,” said Rennick. “I’ve seen that they are playing huge shows to huge crowds, and that would be really fun for me, but if no one knows it’s Molly, then what’s the point?”

Living Dead Girl has also worked with Mitchell Marlow (In This Moment) on both of their records. How does an indie band score the perfect producer?

“I just messaged him on Facebook, asked what his rates were, and told him I am a self-funded musician who wanted to hire him because I respected his work,” explained Rennick. “He knew I meant business and told me to come up next month. That’s why he took me seriously — I was a businesswoman.”

Managing The Metal

Having a team that has a strong belief in artistry is an important piece of the puzzle, and I hit up a few “male metal believers” who stand by their women.

Speaking with the founder of Landshark Promotion, Gary Jay, I asked how do you open doors for new artists who clearly have the talent and drive to become unique stars when the genre is so much harder to the ear and not specifically radio-friendly.

“Fortunately, there are a vast number of airplay outlets at commercial rock and classic rock radio that cater to artists and bands with a heavier edge to their music,” said Jay. “I wish there were more, ’cause there’s absolutely an audience out there that’s hungry for it. Ultimately, radio is a giant loudspeaker — an amplifier — that broadcasts your music, and also whatever you’re doing, to the masses. So, if you’re not doing anything, well, that message gets delivered as well. Musicians that treat their band like a business, that tour extensively, that invest in their own future — those are the ones that tend to succeed, and the types of artists that we’re looking to work and partner with.”

Jay believes the women in the country have every right to be angry, especially in this current climate. He says that the expression of that anger manifested into music is maybe more relevant now than ever before. So, why does he choose to partner with super-heavy artists?

“While the airplay outlets for the stuff that’s really heavy and shocking aren’t plentiful, there are some — and their loyal audience is a dedicated, prime target to market aggressive and edgy new sounds to. To me, it all starts and ends with the riff. That’s my point of entry into a song — a deep, sludgy riff that immediately sends you into air guitar mode,” explained Jay. “As a radio guy, I’m also looking for a hook — a massive, monster chorus (I love gang vocals, fist-in-the-air, call-and-response, etc.). There’s gotta be something that brings you back to the song again and again. I think all of the best metal songs have that epic chorus that makes you wanna scream it back at your radio or speakers.”

Legendary radio metal god Munsey Ricci, president of Skateboard Marketing, has definitely noticed a shift in acceptance of the female-fronted, super-heavy genre.

“Yes, we’ve seen a big shift of women in heavy music,” noted Ricci. “We have Lacuna Coil, Butcher Babies, Dogma, and Tati from Jinjer. All have left a mark on the format, but we’ve seen a growth of many more artists come in.”

He went to to explain in the past, the genre had Doro, Lee Aaron, and Lita Ford — the two most predominant in the ’80s. Over the last 10 to 15 years, metal seen a big rise in symphonic metal and hard rock with Epica, Nightwish, Xandria, and Within Temptation. All have made an impact on how fans view music.

“Then we have Alissa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy, Otep, and Kittie as well — all of whom have made a massive impact with fans musically,” said Ricci. “It’s not a man’s world any longer, as the look and the trend have shifted, where some women are making a bigger splash than men are. If you look at many of the newer artists, such as Dystopica and The Burned Over, it’s very clear that they are in a position to leave a legacy on heavy music.”

Screams And Streams

Loud ladies are streaming as well as screaming — the stats for super-heavy, female-fronted music are massive.

Heavy metal pop superstar Poppy is at close to a billion streams with very little traditional radio support and has had wildly successful tours. Newcomer Daedric is making noise with over 21 million streams on Spotify. Japanese metal icons Babymetal have surpassed the one-billion mark with literally no radio airplay.

Spiritbox is selling out venues, breaking terrestrial radio barriers, and has over three million monthly listeners on Spotify. Their classic “Circle With Me” has surpassed 100 million streams.

Cheers to the groundbreakers — Doro, Lita Ford, Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil, Maria Brink from In This Moment, and more — who have opened doors for new generations to step through. And to those empowering the genre to move forward. Evolution in the music business is moving fast — metal fans will not get left behind.

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 Classic Rock Radio Cannot Leave Listeners Numb and Unfulfilled

Mike Stern
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Why Classic Rock Radio Cannot Leave Listeners Numb and Unfulfilled

One of radio’s biggest strengths is still people listening while they are at work. In fact, in the last Jacobs Media Tech Survey, over 54% of Classic Rock listeners said that listening while they work is a primary reason they use AM/FM radio, which is a higher percentage than the overall sample.

But that’s not the survey we’re talking about this week.

Instead, I want to discuss an article on the StudyFinds website about a survey that asked people at work to describe their relationship with one word, and many of the choices they made are very telling: tired, unfulfilling, adequate, and even autopilot.

Now, those responses are about the respondents’ relationship with their jobs, not a radio station. But if you had even a moment of panic thinking they could be in reference to the radio, it says something about the state of the industry—and possibly about your station.

What Can We Learn

The gist of the study claims that people aren’t just stressed about their jobs; they are literally checking out at work. According to the team that wrote the analysis, workers are experiencing a state of “numbness, self-preservation, and detachment.”

Again, this isn’t in reference to a radio station, but tell me the language doesn’t make your skin crawl just a bit. Especially in Classic Rock and Hits, where we rotate the same songs day in and day out, it’s easy to imagine those descriptions being applied by listeners to what we do.

There are other findings that, again, aren’t about radio—but the language could be. For example, when companies announce new ways of working or new strategies, 30% of respondents say they are “indifferent,” while only 23% say they are “inspired.” I don’t think it’s a giant leap to apply those numbers to our programming. Even when we announce new initiatives to reinvigorate our stations, we often assume people will find out on their own and don’t put enough promotional effort behind the new ideas to inspire people or capture their attention.

A more direct lesson comes from respondents being asked about communication with their colleagues.

More than 60% said they feel disconnected despite constant digital connection through email or programs like Slack, Teams, and Zoom. Many say that lack of connection leads to disengagement and cynicism. They are lonely—and our job is companionship.

Now, I realize all of this sounds pretty doom and gloom, but that’s not the intention. The goal is to spur Program Directors and air talent—especially those on during the workday—who read this to consider what their listeners are going through.

Try Something Different

We need to work every day on creating programming that helps them get through the day and, in turn, makes your station more engaging.

In our world of Classic Rock and Hits, look for ways to consistently make the station more exciting than just playing the big hits. Mix up the music in new and interesting ways with special features. Instead of caller nine or keywords, develop unique contests with greater play-along value. Don’t settle for bland host content, regardless of the daypart. Challenge the talent to be engaging storytellers every day. And finally, find ways to celebrate the people who are working while we get to make a living playing cool music every day. Give them a voice and a role on the radio station.

Then communicate what you are doing as loudly as you can.

Many Classic Rock stations call their email databases “The Workforce,” but when it comes to communication, are you taking that concept far enough to help lessen listeners’ feelings of detachment at work? Use your off-air communication channels like email and social media to tout the interesting things you are doing. That will bond people who are slogging through their workday to your station.

I realize there is probably a conversation about detachment in the radio workplace to be had, but that’s for a bigger stage than this column about Classic Rock and Hits radio. For today, let’s just focus on what we can do to help the people who are feeling detached and frustrated at work.

Just taking on that challenge might make our jobs more fun.

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.

News/Talk Radio Has a ‘Get Off My Lawn’ Problem: Aging Hosts vs. Today’s Pop Culture

Perry Michael Simon
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News/Talk Radio Has a ‘Get Off My Lawn’ Problem: Aging Hosts vs. Today’s Pop Culture

The cliché, of course, is that we all turn into our parents at some point. Progressive Insurance has been using that old saw in its “Dr. Rick” commercials. It’s also true that no matter how hard you fight the evolution, it will, as Abe Simpson insisted, happen to you. But there’s also the contingent that fights the cultural aging process and just comes off as try-hards, being way too obvious about their pandering to youth culture (insert Steve Buscemi “How do you do, fellow kids?” meme here). Radio people are especially illustrative of both.

It’s really evident on Facebook and Instagram. Now, if you primarily use Facebook, you land on the old-fart end of the spectrum anyway, but Facebook is where old radio jocks and crusty talk show curmudgeons trash any music—really, any pop culture since hip-hop took over pop music—while others post pictures of their grinning selves standing next to Taylor Swift or Sabrina Carpenter when the singers visit the studio.

I guarantee that every mid-market radio jock who got a snapshot with Tay-Tay posted it to social media, because nothing says “with it” and “I’m a big shot in this industry” like a photo of yourself grinning broadly while Ms. Swift manages a tortured smile while looking into the distance for her escape route. It will be a highlight of your career and your life, and that’s okay.

She, on the other hand, will not remember that moment—not ever. Promotional tours feel like the Bataan Death March to celebrities.

All of that is to say that if you find yourself posting dismissive comments about current pop culture icons, you’re telegraphing to your audience that your on-air enthusiasm is phony—that you really don’t like what you’re doing for a living, that pop music died in the ’80s, and that there hasn’t been a good album by anyone since David Lee Roth still fronted Van Halen.

It’s a “kids these days” attitude, and you don’t want to show that to the public, even if that’s what you really think—especially when a pop culture story shows up in the news and you have to address it. You’re disconnecting the link between yourself and the listeners when you tell them, in effect, to get off your lawn.

The last few weeks have seen a lot of this. I saw Facebook and Xitter comments from a lot of radio people bemoaning the appointment of Bad Bunny as this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. It mostly came from conservatives livid that Mr. Bunny sings in Spanish and refused to tour the mainland U.S. because of ICE’s heavy-handed tactics targeting anyone with brown skin. That he’s American, and that Puerto Rico is an American territory, seems to have slipped past them, and the comments just made old radio heads look even older and more out of touch—almost as out of touch as Speaker Mike Johnson suggesting that the NFL should have asked Lee Greenwood to perform.

Never mind that Greenwood hasn’t had a hit since “God Bless the USA” rode the post-9/11 national mood to the top 20, and that most non-country fans probably can’t name another of his songs.

But no halftime show will satisfy everyone, and unless we get a wardrobe malfunction or a spectacular performance in a driving rainstorm, it will be forgotten in due order no matter how great Bad Bunny does (and I’m betting he does just fine). You can always watch whatever red, white, and blue nightmare Turning Point USA will be counterprogramming against the game broadcast. Maybe there’ll be another Puppy Bowl. Maybe you’ll take a break and hit the bathroom and the stash of snacks. (Separately.)

But please, please, PLEASE stop trashing the new and extolling the way things used to be. Some things were better; some were not. Some of the music you prefer is 60 or more years old. If that’s what you think radio should be all about rather than reggaeton, you’re just cementing radio as a bunch of old guys pushing the same old tracks down everyone’s throat.

You’re no longer young and well-informed about the culture, but it doesn’t seem like a good strategy to announce that fact when you’re desperately trying to reach listeners under 50 years old. Let the past be the past.

And maybe you should learn Spanish before the game. It might come in handy sometimes.

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.

News TV Needs More Sit Down Interviews and Fewer Roundtables

Garrett Searight
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News TV Needs More Sit Down Interviews and Fewer Roundtables

There’s something that’s been lost in News TV, and it’s not journalistic integrity, credibility, or even the public’s trust — those ships sailed long ago, you could argue.

What’s missing today is the one-on-one conversation. The genuine sit-down interview. The kind where two people actually talk to each other, not over one another. Somewhere along the line, news executives decided that the way to keep viewers engaged was to cram as many people as possible around a desk and let them go at it.

It’s not just one network guilty of it, either. Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, Newsmax, they all do it. Nearly every daypart is packed with “panels” of contributors, analysts, and pundits all competing to be the loudest person on screen. It’s a format that’s easy to produce, dependable in structure, and relatively predictable in tone.

The panel has become to cable news what the laugh track once was to sitcoms: a sign you’re watching something that’s been done before.

Even CBS News — under new leadership with Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief — leaned on that same model last week. One of Weiss’ first major programming moves was a live-streamed panel discussion that aired on CBS News’ 24/7 digital channel and YouTube. It was symbolic, maybe unintentionally, of how ingrained the panel discussion has become in modern TV news culture. If your first big swing is another “let’s gather some people and talk about the state of things” panel, it’s hard not to wonder if we’ve all run out of ideas.

Now, let’s be clear: panel shows can work. The Five on Fox News isn’t just the exception — it’s the king of cable news. It’s routinely the highest-rated show in the format, and one of the most popular in all of television. But here’s the problem: for every The Five, there are plenty of other shows that try to copy it, and none of them come close.

You can’t duplicate chemistry by copying structure. Viewers tune in to The Five not because there are five people, but because the people at that table actually have defined roles, personalities, and genuine interaction. Is it contentious at times? Certainly. But it’s lighthearted plenty of others. It’s lightning in a bottle, not a formula to be replicated.

If anything, the real growth opportunity in News TV isn’t finding new ways to repackage The Five. It’s by doing what nearly every other medium has figured out: audiences want conversations. They want interviews. Long-form, sit-down, one-on-one exchanges where the viewer gets to learn something about the subject —not the host, not the panelist across the table, not the network’s agenda.

Just look beyond television. Radio, podcasts, YouTube, and even digital print media all prove the point. The best-performing content, time and time again, isn’t a group of voices talking over one another. It’s one voice speaking directly to another. Whether it’s Joe Rogan sitting down with Elon Musk, Howard Stern interviewing Lady Gaga, or a respected journalist producing a one-on-one deep dive, the pattern is obvious. People crave depth, not noise.

Even social media engagement follows the same logic. Clips from genuine interviews — where a subject has space to expand, explain, or even contradict themselves — consistently outperform snippets from panel shows. Why? Because interviews feel human. Panels feel rehearsed. Viewers can sense when a show is more interested in scoring debate points than understanding the topic.

Of course, it’s not lost on anyone that landing those one-on-one interviews is harder than ever. High-profile figures don’t want to sit down and be questioned without control over the final product. Politicians, CEOs, entertainers — they all would prefer that roundtables stay en vogue or hope for a friendly segment where the message can be guided, if not outright scripted. The one-on-one interview feels dangerous in 2025, both for the interviewer and the interviewee. One wrong question, one awkward silence, and the clip is viral before the commercial break ends.

Still, that’s what made those interviews matter in the first place. The best ones weren’t polished or perfect —they were real. They revealed things about people. They captured moments that couldn’t be manufactured in a six-person shouting match.

So yes, it’s easier said than done. The days of Barbara Walters or Larry King-style interviews are long gone, and the industry has shifted toward production efficiency over storytelling. But the overreliance on panels —on just throwing as many voices at a table as possible and hoping the mix of opinions keeps things interesting — isn’t working nearly as well as feet-to-the-fire discussions.0

News TV needs to get back to the basics of conversation. It needs to value connection over contention. That’s why the networks that figure out how to make sit-down, one-on-one interviews compelling again will be the ones that ultimately separate themselves.

The audience isn’t asking for more panels. They’re asking for more substance. And maybe — just maybe — it’s time someone in News TV gave it to them.

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.

Podcast Time Spent Listening Peaks in Middays, Edison Research Data Shows

BNM Staff
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Podcast Time Spent Listening Peaks in Middays, Edison Research Data Shows

Many daily podcasts are scheduled to release each morning in advance of 6 AM. But new data from Edison Research shows that podcast listening actually peaks later in the day.

Drive time — between 6-10 AM and 2-6 PM — is often viewed as the highest time spent listening to most audio mediums. But that doesn’t appear to be true of podcast users.

According to the latest Edison Research Share of Ear data, 29% of podcast listening takes place from 10 AM to 2 PM.

That figure is just slightly higher than 6-10 AM, which saw 24%, and 2-6 PM, which rested at 21% of the overall podcast listening.

Interestingly, podcast listening does not cease in the overnight hours. 3% of all time spent listening to podcasts takes place between 2-6 AM. And Edison Research says there’s a reason for that.

“Some people keep very different hours and schedules from the traditional 9-5 workday,” the company shared.

In the evening hours, 12% of listening happens between 6-10 PM, with an additional 11% taking place from 10 PM to 2 AM.

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.

D.C. Sports Reporter/Host Craig Heist Passes Away

BSM Staff
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D.C. Sports Reporter/Host Craig Heist Passes Away

The Washington D.C. and Baltimore sports world is mourning the loss of Craig Heist, a respected journalist and broadcaster whose voice was a fixture in press boxes across the region for decades. Known for his professionalism, warmth, and approachable nature, Heist built enduring relationships with athletes, coaches, and fellow reporters throughout his career.

Heist’s passing was first shared by The Washington Post’s Tom Schad on X, who wrote, “Craig was an absolute fixture in the local sports media scene for decades—someone you’d see in every press box between D.C. and Baltimore. Always friendly, and kind. Terrible news.”

Audacy’s 106.7 The Fan also issued a statement mourning Heist’s loss, emphasizing his impact on both colleagues and fans.

“106.7 The Fan is saddened by the passing of our longtime friend and colleague Craig Heist,” the station said. “Craig was a longtime anchor and reporter for 106.7 The Fan and postgame host on the Nationals Radio Network since 2013, and had a storied career at stations across the Mid-Atlantic region. But above all, Craig was a husband, friend, and sports lover. Press boxes across the DMV will never be the same without his wide smile and infectious laugh. We will keep his family in our thoughts.”

Craig Heist graduated from Salisbury University in 1983. He began his broadcasting career at WKHI in Ocean City, Maryland, covering local college and high school sports including play-by-play and color for Salisbury football.

Over the past 30 years, he has covered Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA, NHL and college basketball for several national networks including ESPN Radio, Sirius NFL Network, SBNation, CBS Sports Radio, AP and Metro Networks.

Craig has appeared on MASN as a guest panelist and occasional host of Nats Talk. He worked for WTOP for 14 years before moving to 106.7 The Fan in October of 2013.

He was a three-time winner of the Maryland Sportscaster of the Year, voted on by his peers.

Beyond his work, Heist was remembered for the camaraderie and joy he brought to every assignment. Colleagues said his presence could brighten any press box, and his approachable demeanor made him a mentor to many younger reporters entering the field.

Fans and sports media in the D.C. and Baltimore area also expressed their condolences on social media, recalling Heist’s signature enthusiasm and the passion he brought to each broadcast. Across the region, his loss has left a noticeable void in the sports media community, one that will be felt in stadiums and newsrooms alike.

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.

Rob Manfred Happy With Early MLB Playoff Viewership Figures

BSM Staff
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Rob Manfred Happy With Early MLB Playoff Viewership Figures

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is expressing satisfaction with how fans have tuned into this year’s postseason, calling the early viewership results “phenomenal” during an appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM.

Speaking with Smith, Manfred cited impressive numbers from both the Wild Card and Division Series rounds, emphasizing that the sport’s reach remains strong despite ongoing shifts in media consumption habits.

“Some of the numbers have been phenomenal,” Manfred said. “The Wild Card round on ESPN was up 64%. On the Division Series, we’re going to have our highest ratings in 10 years. That’s a long time to go back, particularly given how the media landscape has changed.”

Manfred’s optimism comes at a time when leagues across sports are competing for attention in an increasingly crowded entertainment space. The Wild Card 64 percent increase in viewership from last year’s Wild Card Series was the highest average for the WCS round since the current format was officially added in 2022. Baseball has long faced questions about maintaining relevance with younger audiences, but the commissioner said the numbers show the game continues to connect on a large scale — both in the U.S. and beyond.

He pointed to the recent matchup between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays as a key example of baseball’s cross-border appeal.

“People talk about you’re going to have a team from Canada,” Manfred said. “The Yankees–Toronto series averaged 6.7 million viewers in the U.S. and Canada. That’s a great showing for us and again is an emphasis on the internationalization of the sport. It’s not just a U.S. sport.”

MLB’s postseason viewership surge follows a regular season that already saw signs of growth. Attendance across the league increased for the second straight year, while streaming and social engagement continued trending upward. Networks like ESPN, FOX, and TBS have also benefited from high-profile matchups and big-market teams advancing deep into the playoffs.

Still, Manfred’s comments suggest he sees the recent success as part of a broader story — one that goes beyond short-term numbers. For a league working to balance tradition with innovation, the commissioner’s upbeat tone reflects confidence in baseball’s ability to evolve while maintaining its unique place in the sports landscape.

“I’ve taken a lot of pride in those numbers,” Manfred added. “I feel great for the game that it’s producing those kinds of results.”

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.

Howard Stern: SiriusXM Doesn’t Want Me to Talk About Contract Details, And I Don’t Want Them Talking About It

BNM Staff
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Howard Stern: SiriusXM Doesn’t Want Me to Talk About Contract Details, And I Don’t Want Them Talking About It

Howard Stern has revealed he has yet to officially come to a contract extension with SiriusXM.

In an interview with Andy Cohen on Friday morning, Stern revealed that despite his high-profile return to the company last month amid rumors that his show had been canceled, he hasn’t actually agreed to a new deal yet.

“I’m talking to Sirius right now about extending in some way, and if that works out great, and if it doesn’t, great. I mean not great, I love this company,” Stern shared.

He then added that reports about his deals should be taken with a grain of sale due to the close-to-the-vest nature both parties like to operate with in regard to his contracts.

“One of the things that I will tell you is that when I make a deal with Sirius, they don’t want me talking about it, and I don’t want them talking about it, but they do consider that material very important,” Stern said. 

In August, reports began surfacing that SiriusXM and Howard Stern were unlikely to reach an agreement on a contract extension. Originally, Stern was set to address the rumors on Tuesday, September 2nd. However, he later pushed back his return date.

At that return, the 71-year-old said he was very happy with the company and that he would be extending his deal with the satellite radio brand. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Monday, SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz said that she believes the company and Stern will “get to the right place” regarding a new deal.

“It’s really about what does Howard want? What do we want? What do our listeners want? And I think something will come together,” she said.

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ESPN Tabs Alyssa Lang For Sidelines On NBA Broadcasts

BSM Staff
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ESPN Tabs Alyssa Lang For Sidelines On NBA Broadcasts

ESPN is adding a fresh face to its NBA coverage this season. The network reportedly will add Alyssa Lang to serve as one of its sideline reporters, joining a rotation that includes Lisa Salters, Katie George, Jorge Sedano, and Malika Andrews. This is according to a report by Front Office Sports.

Her first NBA assignment comes this Sunday, when the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Boston Celtics in preseason action. Lang will work alongside play-by-play voice Mark Jones and analyst Doris Burke, marking her official debut on ESPN’s national NBA coverage.

Lang, who has worked as a host and reporter for ESPN and SEC Network since 2018, brings a lively and engaging personality to her new role. Known for her work on shows like Out of Pocket and SEC Now, she’s established herself as a versatile broadcaster with a strong connection to both athletes and fans.

ESPN’s decision to expand its sideline rotation reflects a continuing effort to bolster its on-air presence across the NBA schedule. In addition to Lang’s addition, the network recently announced that Malika Andrews will return to the sidelines this season after spending the past two years focusing primarily on studio duties. Andrews, who hosts NBA Today and NBA Countdown, recently signed a contract extension with ESPN.

While Andrews will continue to lead NBA Today, her Countdown responsibilities will be scaled back during the postseason. The change comes as ESPN prepares to license elements of TNT’s Inside the NBA, a move that could reshape the network’s playoff coverage and studio presentation.

Lang’s addition comes during a period of transition for ESPN’s NBA team. Earlier this year, Cassidy Hubbarth departed the network to become the lead sideline reporter for Amazon’s new NBA package, creating an opportunity for Lang to step into the national spotlight.

With her energy, humor, and experience connecting with players and coaches in the SEC, Lang’s transition to the NBA sidelines appears to be a natural fit. She becomes part of an evolving roster of reporters and analysts that ESPN hopes will bring a fresh, engaging feel to its coverage this season.

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