NBC Sports and Turner Sports will reunite a familiar broadcast team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, with Kenny Albert set to call play-by-play for Team USA men’s and women’s hockey, the network announced Thursday.
According to a report in The Athletic, Albert, Turner Sports’ lead NHL play-by-play announcer and a longtime voice for NBC’s hockey coverage, will team with Eddie Olczyk for men’s games. Olczyk, who works for both NBC Sports and Turner Sports, will return to the booth alongside Albert, while Brian Boucher returns as “Inside the Glass” reporter for his third consecutive Winter Olympics.
For the women’s tournament, Albert will be joined by two-time Olympic medalist A.J. Mleczko. Jennifer Botterill, a three-time Olympic gold medalist with Team Canada, will make her NBC Olympics debut as the analyst beginning with the quarterfinals.
This will mark Albert’s seventh Winter Olympics as a hockey play-by-play voice, the most by any American broadcaster. He will also handle play-by-play for the medal rounds of both tournaments.
The February competition is expected to draw strong attention. Last February, the 4 Nations Face-Off men’s exhibition between the United States and Canada drew 9.3 million viewers on ESPN, surpassing Game 7 of the 2019 NHL Finals, which had 8.9 million viewers on NBC.
In Canada, the same game averaged nearly seven million viewers across Sportsnet and TVA.
The men’s Olympic tournament will feature U.S., Canada, Finland, and Sweden, along with Czechia, Germany, Latvia, and Slovakia, all fielding NHL players. The 2026 Games mark the first Winter Olympics since 2014 to feature NHL talent.
NBC Sports will also deploy a deep roster of broadcasters for the games. Brendan Burke and Chris Vosters will handle additional play-by-play duties, with analysts including former NHL players Anson Carter and T.J. Oshie, as well as four-time Olympic medalist Angela Ruggiero.
Streaming will play a key role in NBC’s coverage, with Peacock serving as the primary platform. The Winter Olympics will run February 6-22, with live broadcasts on NBC during the day and full streaming on Peacock. The women’s tournament begins Feb. 5 and concludes Feb. 19, while the men’s tournament runs Feb. 11-22.
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Veteran broadcaster Dan Patrick is preparing for the next chapter of his storied career — and the end of an era. Appearing on Pablo Torre Finds Out, Patrick opened up about his impending retirement, his mindset behind it, and how the message surrounding his final contract took on a life of its own.
Patrick, who has hosted The Dan Patrick Show since 1999, said his initial intent was to communicate commitment, not closure.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had signed for four more years and I said that’ll be my last contract,” Patrick explained. “Immediately people went to the end of the four years and like so you’re retiring in four years. And I go, ‘Yeah, but it wasn’t meant as an announcement other than I’m going to be here for four more years. That’ll be the last contract I sign.’ And all of a sudden, then it became I’m retiring.”
Patrick admitted he wished he could have phrased it differently, noting that retirement is still a couple of years away. But he also acknowledged that stepping away is a decision rooted in self-awareness.
“I made a promise. I didn’t want to be laughed at unless I was laughing at myself with you,” he said. “I can tell where I’m slowing down a little bit, not as sharp on things. I’m a perfectionist. I can’t put up with that.”
Patrick’s current plan is to finish after the Super Bowl in Atlanta in 2028, marking the end of his daily show but not his career entirely.
“I’m gonna stop after the Super Bowl in Atlanta. That’s it. I’ll do other things,” Patrick said. “I have a broadcasting school at Full Sail University and there’s some other things that I’m involved in, but I want to be great or the best that I can possibly be. And I’d rather go out early than go out late.”
The longtime radio and television personality added that the decision is also personal. “I made a promise to my wife. I was selfish for—we’ve been married 38 years. I’ve been in TV since I’ve known her and it was always about me, always about my career,” he said. “I told her that I’m going to retire so I can still, if I’m healthy enough, that we can actually do things.”
Even with an end date in sight, Patrick’s competitive drive hasn’t faded. He said that mindset continues to fuel his creativity.
“Michael Jordan would create rivals, but they weren’t really rivals. He’d make up stories. Like, in my mind, I’m still competing with ESPN,” Patrick said. “They’re not competing with me, but in my mind I’m competing with them and other shows, whether it’s [Pat] McAfee or Colin Cowherd or whatever. You want to be great.”
For Patrick, retirement may mean stepping away from the daily grind — but not from the pursuit of excellence that’s defined his broadcasting legacy.
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Megyn Kelly has signed a contract extension to remain with SiriusXM, and expand her partnership with the satellite radio company.
As part of her contract extension, Megyn Kelly will get her own branded channel, as she’ll take over the Triumph Channel 111 brand where her current show is already heard.
Kelly is taking over the channel on the heels of news revealed earlier this year that she would launch her own podcast network, with the likes of Mark Halperin, Link Lauren, and Maureen Callahan joining for new shows.
“Linear television news is dead. People can’t stand those stilted, censored conversations anymore, which is exactly why this medium is thriving,” said Kelly. “I’m thrilled to deliver our bold brand of no-BS news live on SiriusXM and to be expanding my relationship with such a stellar, blue-chip brand and great partner. Soon our listeners will have the Megyn Kelly Channel to enjoy and trust for the conversations and content they love.”
Megyn Kelly originally joined SiriusXM in 2021, launching a radio show after previously working in cable and network news at Fox News and NBC News, respectively. She reupped that deal in 2023, expanding to not only SiriusXM platforms but to YouTube and other avenues, as well.
The Megyn Kelly Channel will officially take over channel 111 on Tuesday, November 4th. The current lineup of programs on the channel — which includes shows hosted by Glenn Beck, Dr. Laura, Nancy Grace, and Dave Ramsey — will move to channel 123, which is the current home of independent public radio.
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For the first time in its storied 36-year history, Inside the NBA is crossing networks. ESPN announced that the iconic TNT Sports studio program will serve as its official pregame, halftime, and postgame show for select NBA coverage throughout the 2025–26 season, including the NBA Finals on ABC.
Produced by TNT Sports from its Atlanta studios, Inside the NBA — hosted by Ernie Johnson with Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith — will make its ESPN debut during the league’s season-opening doubleheaders on October 22 and 23. The program will air on ESPN and ESPN2 from 6–7 p.m. ET on October 22 and from 6:30–7:30 p.m. ET on October 23, followed by postgame editions immediately after each doubleheader.
“We’re proud that Inside the NBA – one of the most iconic and beloved shows in all of media – will play a leading role in our NBA coverage,” said ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus. “Fans should expect the same great show they’re accustomed to watching as it becomes an essential part of the highest-profile events in the NBA, including the NBA Finals.”
The move represents a historic collaboration between two major sports media powers. While ESPN and TNT Sports have long been competitors in NBA coverage. The new arrangement gives Inside the NBA an expanded national footprint across ESPN and ABC broadcasts. From the regular season through the NBA Playoffs and the Finals.
Throughout the season, Inside the NBA will appear as part of marquee events such as the NBA on Christmas Day, NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC, and NBA Sunday Showcase. Pregame shows on ESPN will air one hour before tipoff, while ABC broadcasts will feature a 30-minute pregame window. Postgame coverage will continue on the ESPN App following ABC games.
ESPN’s schedule includes multiple Inside the NBA editions during key dates such as December 25 for Christmas Day coverage, January 24 and January 31 for NBA Saturday Primetime, and February 22 for NBA Sunday Showcase. The show will also be featured during regular ESPN doubleheaders and marquee weekend matchups throughout the year.
Known for its unscripted banter and blend of basketball insight and entertainment. Inside the NBA has earned 21 Sports Emmy Awards and has been enshrined in both the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Details on Inside the NBA’s postseason schedule, including coverage of the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals, will be announced later this season.
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iHeartMedia’s latest round of staff layoffs has continued into a third day, following several markets and talent being affected on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In Cincinnati, Tiff Potter departs as APD/morning host at Kiss 107.1. Potter joined the radio station in May 2019 as APD/MD. Her previous stops include six years at KISS 108 in Boston with roles including Music Coordinator, night-show co-host, and traffic reporter.
In Cleveland, Afternoon host Jeremiah Widmer departs 96.5 Kiss-FM. He joined the radio station in May 2022 after previously hosting mornings at Audacy station Q104 for five years. Widmer also hosted mornings at in Canton previously.
In Dallas, legendary radio personality Bo Roberts exits as morning host at Lonestar 92.5 KZPS. Roberts was one half of the Bo & Jim Show in mornings on Q102 from 1982 to 1997, mornings on KZPS from 1998 to 2001, and reunited with White on KZPS from 2004 until Jim White’s retirement in 2022 and solo since then.
Roberts has not publicly commented on his exit, but many tributes have been posted about Texas Radio Hall of Famer.
In Denver, Garner Goin exits as vice president of programming for Northern Colorado and Classic Rock Programming and Program Director of 103.5 The Fox. Goin first joined the station in 1994 and had been with the station outside of a three year stretch programming 102.1 K-Fox in San Francisco from 2011 to 2014.
Brad White departs as Program Director for 97.3 KBCO. White was elevated to the position in 2023 after previously serving in roles including cluster Marketing Director and Promotions Director, APD of KBCO and Program Director of 107.9 KBPI since 2003.
In Minneapolis, AJ Mansour departs as Vice President of Business Development and National Podcast Talent Director. Mansour has held on-air, digital, and sales roles in the Minneapolis cluster at 100.3 KFAN and the Minneapolis cluster since 2007.
In Fayetteville, Duce Foreman exits as program director and afternoon host at 93.3 The Eagle and cluster Promotions Director.
In Toledo, Rick Woodell departs mornings at 101.5 The River after 20 years. Woodell previously has held roles including morning host i Greenville from 1992 to 2005 and PD of WAYS in Macon, GA.
In Little Rock, Kevin Mercer departs as program director and morning host for 100.3 The Edge and program director of 105.1 The Wolf.
In Nashville, Kaitlyn Askew exits as Digital Director for the Nashville cluster after ten years with the company.
In San Diego, Taylor Jukes exits as senior vice president of programming for the cluster. Jukes joined the San Diego cluster in February 2024 after five years programming Y100 WHYI Miami.
In San Francisco, Corey Foley exits the Marcus & Corey morning show at Star 101.3. Foley joined Marcus Najera in May of 2022 after previously working morning shows in Portland, Houston, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Tampa.
In St. Louis, Mike Chambers departs as cluster Production Director and afternoon host at 103.3 KLOU. Chambers has been with the cluster since May 1998.
*** This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available. ***
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Spotify and BMG have announced they’ve entered into a multi-year direct U.S. publishing licensing agreement.
The deal, according to the two companies, is “designed to deliver greater value to songwriters and their teams.”
The latest agreement follows a long list of other deals Spotify has inked with major music companies and publishing organizations in an effort to increase artist and songwriter compensation.
“At Spotify, we believe the future of music depends on stronger collaboration across the industry,” said Spotify Co-President and Chief Business Officer Alex Norström. “Our partnership with BMG advances that vision with renewed support for songwriters through a licensing model that will enhance how music is enjoyed on our platform.”
“Working directly with Spotify helps us reinforce our mission to ensure songwriters are fairly represented and rewarded for their work,” added BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld. “We’re pleased to agree on a progressive licensing model that reflects the real-world use of music across digital platforms and are excited to take our partnership to the next level as we continue to redefine what a modern music company can be.
“We applaud their momentum and support their position on developing new AI protections,” Cosfeld continued. “While we support the use of AI to enhance human creativity, these policies align with BMG’s philosophy and will help ensure that fair remuneration and protection of artists’ works remain non-negotiable.”
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To Mr. Bob Pittman and other various iHeartMedia Executives,
Any time iHeartMedia announces another round of layoffs, there’s going to be anger. The calls, texts, and emails will pour in. People will vent, curse, and point fingers. Plenty of folks who don’t even work for the company begin to wonder about their own fates, because if a giant comapny like iHeart can’t make it work, how is my company going to succeed? Existential dread follows, coupled with even more charges that the industry is dying and anyone who remains is going down with a sinking ship.
But this isn’t one of those times. This isn’t a letter written in outrage. It’s one written in genuine concern.
It’s clear that the business realities of radio are tough. You’re not the only company going through this. It’s almost assuredly going to happen at other radio companies before the calendar flips to 2026. Costs rise, revenues fluctuate, and every company has to make painful decisions.
But I can’t help but wonder — do you guys really hate doing this? Does waking up in the morning knowing that you’re going to cause chaos to your employees’ families make your stomaches churn? Because if you hate something, don’t you do everything you can to avoid having to do it again and again? That feels like a logical and reasonable conclusion to me. That, if you truly hate something, you’ll figure out a way to make sure you don’t have to do that again, and if you do have to do it again, you’ll make sure you’ve exhausted all other options beforehand.
And, from an outsider’s pespective, it doesn’t feel like that’s the tenacity with which you work.
At this point, layoffs have become a near-annual, sometimes even semi-annual, event for iHeartMedia. They’ve become so predictable that employees brace for them like they do for bad weather: they know they’re coming, they just don’t know when.
And that’s a problem. Not just for morale, but for the soul of the company, and the industry, really.
For a company that has gone through rounds of layoffs more frequently and robustly than any other radio company, there’s still one thing that’s abundantly clear: you guys are really not good at this.
I’m a firm believer in that you can be the boss so long that you forget what it’s like to not be the boss. Empathy toward employees can easily fade when you’re only surrounded by those who think and act like you, and are more worried about self-preservation than anything else. That knowing what it’s like to be the managed instead of the manager is fleeting, gone in such a short time you can’t really remember the thoughts and feelings you had toward those above you in the corporate heirarchy.
With that in mind, I’d like you to go through a thought exercise with me: put yourself in your employees’ shoes for just a brief moment.
Think about what it must be like to make it through Tuesday’s rounds of cuts, only to have to come in to work on Wednesday, or Thursday — or even Friday, for that matter — wondering and worrying about whether or not the Market Manager is going to give you the dreaded “Hey, do you have a minute to meet in my office real quick?” Questioning if you really did make it through the cuts, or if they just haven’t gotten to you yet. Wondering what your future looks like. Are you gonna have to sell your house? Is a move in the cards? What am I gonna have to do to make it? Will there even be another radio job out there for me?
Now, you can see how that would absolutely suck, right? So, my question would be: why do you continually do it? Not the layoffs. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt in that these are absolutely necessary for the company’s survival. I’m certain they’re not, but for sake of the argument, let’s go with that.
Why do your company’s layoffs routinely last days? It isn’t 1984 when word would slowly trickle out that someone in some far-flung locale had been let go or that news of mass layoffs at a company would come out days after the fact. We live in an instantaneous world, where these things are reported immediately. So, when word gets out that there are plenty of layoffs taking place, people know.
Have some humanity. I’m certain that it absolutely sucks to swing that ax. And I’d like to think that you hate swinging it. But why prolong it? Why take extra chops and put employees that you’re — in theory — supposed to care about through extra psychological torture?
Do the employees ever put themselves in your shoes and consider what the ramifications are for not cutting costs and slashing positions? No, not likely. But that’s the burden of leadership. That’s the downside of being tasked with running a radio giant. I’m not naive enough to think that there aren’t aspects of your jobs that suck, despite never really getting the chance to air those grievances.
I don’t envy the position you’re in. I wouldn’t ever want to be in a position where I had to continuously figure out how we’re going to cut our way to prosperity, because I don’t believe that pathway exists. And I also know that this is a business and business is business. You gotta do what you gotta do. I understand and respect that.
But I hope you believe that you win with people. You’re running out of those people, though. And even worse yet, you’re inflicting torture on those who are busting their tails for you day in and day out. I know it’s not easy, I know it’s not fun. Maybe there are reasons for why you can’t get layoffs done in one fell swoop. But I think you need to figure out how you do that, because once you’re able to stop the bleeding, the healing can begin.
Futhermore, I hope I’ve given you something to think about. Because I have a deep appreciation and respect for the work you do and the situation you’re in. As I said, I wouldn’t ever want to be in your shoes. But that’s why you make millions and I work from a spare bedroom in my house.
I thank you for your time. I know how insanely valuable it is. And I wish you the best of luck going forward. In many facets, your success is the radio industry’s success. Like you, I want to see that industry not only survive, but thrive going forward.
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It’s been less than a year since I was laid off as part of a reduction in force by iHeartMedia. It was quick, simple, heartbreaking—but also expected. Unfortunately, the days of working in the radio industry as a career you can trust are over. I didn’t realize it until then, and many find themselves in the same boat today as the company engages in another series of layoffs this week.
For years, I was told you never truly work in radio until you’ve been the victim of a cut. I went over two decades working in two markets for two different companies before my name was marked out with the red pen. It was yet another day in another year where iHeartMedia was once again “positioning for long-term growth.”
What strikes me now, on the other side of the coin, is the question of iHeartMedia’s leadership. For years, the company has been known to cut time and time again with no penalty paid by its senior management team. It makes me wonder—will there ever be a time when senior management feels the sting instead of cutting what once made radio great: local people?
When the cuts began earlier this week, I was reminded of Jason Barrett’s piece written when former Audacy CEO David Field stepped down. In the piece, Barrett recalled a company-wide email that Field wrote to staffers about his time in South Africa. The message was intended to motivate employees to bring their A-game while the company restructured. While jobs were eliminated, and more pressure was placed on local management to get revenue in shape.
Barrett called the note a “holier-than-thou message,” written by someone disconnected from his employees.
Words Matter
Last year, following iHeart’s November reduction in force—which included little ol’ me—Bob Pittman said on a Q3 earnings conference call that what the company was doing with the layoffs at the time was “not getting rid of air talent.”
“I think what we’re doing is not getting rid of air talent. What we’re able to do now, because we’ve got technology, is we can take talent we have in any location and put them on the air in another location,” said Pittman. “So it allows us to substantially upgrade the quality of our talent in every single market we’re in.”
Pittman also went on to herald his highly paid and fully secure syndicated programs as the people everyone wants to be “friends” with.
“Great talent are great talent because people all want to be their friends,” noted Pittman. “When you look at Ryan Seacrest, he’s America’s favorite friend. Everybody wants to be his friend. Or Charlamagne tha God or Bobby Bones.”
Then came the dagger in the iHeart (pun intended) to all local talent who found the axe during last year’s reduction in force. Which affected more than five percent of the company’s entire workforce.
“There’s not a slot for everybody,” said Pittman. “Just because [talent] was willing to live in the market doesn’t assure that they’re the best person for that slot. The criteria had to be willing to live in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, or Jackson, Mississippi—my old hometowns—in order to be on the radio. Today, technology frees us of that constraint, and our programmers can now make the decision about who’s going to be the best talent in that time slot on that radio station, regardless of where they live.”
It leads me to question: which example was more tone-deaf?
An executive trying to rally the troops through a difficult time using a personal trip as an example, or an executive telling those who were laid off that they were not talent to begin with and didn’t matter in the grand picture for iHeartMedia?
Losing the Locker Room
Since those November 2024 layoffs, iHeartMedia has continued to cut staff, including the currentwave underway. In fact, two close friends of mine just signed multi-year extensions recently were part of the hundreds who will be let go by week’s end. How can anyone believe in a company that signs people one minute to reward hard work, to only be let go a month or two later.
I’m fully aware that businesses have to adapt to changing landscapes and challenges. But what will Pittman’s response be this time?
iHeartMedia continues to be one of the few giant broadcasting companies to turn a profit, albeit not as high as it once was. In Q1 of this year, iHeartMedia’s digital revenue rose by almost $40 million year-over-year. Almost solely driven by podcasting and digital audio ads. Under Pittman’s leadership, the company has rebranded, created a national streaming app other broadcasters envy, and finally embraced podcasting by creating several national networks—all while going through bankruptcy.
From a business standpoint, the company continues to be profitable despite the number of people it no longer seems to need. With the adoption of AI and more acquisitions—like the reported bid for Audioboom—where does that leave the thousands of hard-working employees around the country?
Pittman just signed an extension in September, and a month later, a round of company-wide layoffs is underway. He earned a bonus of nearly $3 million for his work last year. Which included a number of reductions in force throughout the year.
For all the pain, stress, and worry that many iHeartMedia employees deal with daily, does Pittman feel any semblance of the same? For those fortunate enough to remain employed but forced to take on more duties and responsibilities without compensation—is that fair? Can Pittman defend the line of thinking that salaried employees should work well beyond their hours to keep the ship afloat without added pay?
It’s been nearly a year since I departed my position with the company. However, i’ve had the pleasure of supporting and attending events held by my former teammates here in Tampa Bay. The first topic past pleasantries is always about holding on until it’s over—not by choice, but because there’s no other option to stay employed. That’s not a culture problem inside one building; that’s a culture problem defined by the company’s positioning and its leadership.
Radio station employees want strong leadership. They want people who believe in the product they pour their passion into. Pittman once held that standard and goal. However recent comments and actions tell a different tale. Especially when those comments and actions are rewarded while others are punished, no matter their performance.
I’m not writing this to call for change. I’m writing in hopes that the message is received. To encourage treating these moments with the respect and dignity people give the consumers of iHeartMedia. Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are facing. In moments like this, all management should lean on that while treating others well and staying true to who you are. When you do, many will want to see you rise despite the pain along the way.
Once you stop, many can’t wait to watch you fall.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Meet The Leaders is a special 8-week series created in partnership with Point to Point Marketing. Our first feature is on the VP/GM of Gamut Podcast Network & Podcasts at Hubbard Radio, John Goforth. Follow along with the series and revisit former conversations by checking out the entire category.
John Goforth joined Hubbard Radio in August of 2024 after spending six years as the chief revenue officer at Magellan AI. A seasoned leader with expertise in all facets of podcast, digital, and broadcast advertising. Goforth new serves a growing portfolio of podcasts as Gamut Podcast Network continues to build upon an already stellar lineup utilizing Hubbard radio talent across their eight markets in the United States. After over ten years of local sales experience in traditional sports radio, Goforth returns to the format leading Hubbard’s podcast wing into the next generation.
In this edition of ‘Meet The Leaders’, we explore how John’s extensive career led him to Hubbard, the recent launch of Gamut’s newest product 312 Sports, and artificial intelligence’s role in the future of podcasting.
John Goforth spoke with Barrett Media from the Hubbard offices in Chicago, Illinois.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
John Mamola: You’ve had an extensive career working in St. Louis, Chicago. Traditional radio and non-traditional. What skill set from your previous experience with traditional radio stations helped you prepare for your role currently as the VP and GM of Gamut Podcast Network with Hubbard Radio?
John Goforth: The street fighter sales mentality that I learned in local radio sales and local radio sales management absolutely applies to podcast revenue growth. They go hand in hand. You’re talking about connecting audiences with advertisers. There’s no difference.
Whether you’re selling a large national campaign for a huge podcast that gets millions of downloads, or if you’re selling a local or regional campaign for a local show that listeners absolutely love. You’re taking that audience who thinks of that host as being as big as Oprah or Joe Rogan. They are that big to them and inviting them into their ears.
Learning how to do that at the local level, and certainly on the national side has served me well.
I think a big thing that the podcast industry is missing on right now are local and regional advertisers and audiences are criminally underserved. From a sport perspective. From a sports perspective. Name the genre. That’s something that we’re going to look to change a Gamut [Podcast Network]. Having that visibility and understanding the mechanics of that. Understanding why radio is still a $14 billion industry depending on who you ask.
The podcast industry, no matter what revenue you believe, is still much lower than radio. The difference is super serving those audiences and those advertisers that are local and regional.
John Mamola: Bouncing off what you just said about local advertisers being not represented. Is that more on the sellers themselves? In your experience, did you find local clients were clamoring for a play in podcasting, but weren’t a focus because of the ability to sell to larger more national clients with podcasts?
John Goforth: It’s twofold. I think it’s the nascent nature of the podcast industry. I’ve been knocking around for almost a decade in the podcast world. That makes me an old guy in this space. It’s still a very nascent industry; it’s still growing up and finding the opportunities.
I wouldn’t put anything on the sales teams. They are going to sell whatever advertisers are interested in ultimately. If we had to play the blame game, it would be in the development of content for those audiences.
We recently launched a sports brand in Chicago. Before we launched that brand, we would have had a harder time selling to advertisers that were looking for that target demographic in Chicago. We had to create the content. If you build it, they will come.
We built it and now we’re able to super serve both national and local advertisers on the content that we built. More of that content needs to be built in all markets. Whether it’s by Gamut or by some of our brothers and sisters out in the podcast world.
John Mamola: You’ve been with Hubbard now for a little bit over a year. Just out of curiosity, why a return to the traditional radio company when you were playing in the non-traditional space for as long as you have?
John Goforth: I think those lines are getting blurrier. If you were to ask our awesome CEO Ginny [Hubbard], she would say that podcasts are the third pillar of excellence of our company.
We’ve got the broadcast arm which is an amazing business. We’ve got 2060 digital which is an amazing digital agency that super serves advertisers and agencies across the country. Then we’ve got Gamut. These are all individual pillars under the greater Hubbard umbrella.
So, I don’t know that I returned to traditional media in that I just joined an amazing company that was interested in expanding their footprint into this amazing medium that I’ve been a fan of and been a part of for almost a decade.
John Mamola: Entering the second year with the company, what’s been the biggest positive from your experience so far joining Hubbard. Also, a challenge that you’re still attempting to conquer since you began.
John Goforth: The biggest positive has certainly been the support that we’ve received from internal stakeholders. Our CEO Ginny [Hubbard} and our EVP and CFO, Dave Bestler are just so bullish on the space and want us to succeed. They are as supportive as you could hope for. We’re encouraged to go out and find bets to take and find places to win. To help grow Gamut into what we know it can be. That’s what me and my partner in crime, Jeremy Sinon, do every day.
The biggest challenge is also the biggest opportunity. That is finding the areas of growth from a revenue, content, and a download perspective. It turns out when you’re building things, you can take a lot of different paths up the same hill. Choosing which path is the correct one and where we should place our bets is the biggest challenge, but it’s also the most fun.
If we rewind back to when I decided to join Hubbard. One of the things that I said to my wife often was I want to go and help be a part of something and build something. I don’t want to just take a job to show up and make sure the trains depart and arrive on time. I want to be part of building the tracks. That’s the most challenging part, but also the most fun and rewarding part.
John Mamola: With 312 Sports, you said there were a lot of advertisers that were asking for what can you do for us with that particular audience in that market? Hubbard has music brands in that market. Was there not a notion of those brands or those talent could reach that audience? Was it a sports direct focus that advertisers wanted that led to creating 312 Sports?
John Goforth: An important thing to do is when you’re a business that’s looking to expand is to lean into your strengths. A huge strength of this company that was built out in Minneapolis is SKOR North. Which is a regional sports podcast network that’s part of Gamut. It’s exactly what we want to build in 312 Sports.
It covers all the sports in the Twin Cities area, led by amazing hosts like Phil Mackey and Judd [Zulgad] that do really great content. It reaches millions of people.
We saw the success of that and the success of the advertising sales that go along with it. Both with local and national advertisers. We’ve got a real strength here. Then with the help of Phil [Mackey] being a thought leader in the space as well, we decided that we did want to try to build replicas of that in some of our other markets.
At the same time, you can’t just decide to do that. You must have the right pieces to win. It’s a matter of also being opportunistic. We had the amazing luck and fortune to have a conversation with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola to potentially bring them on board to launch this venture. That was the missing piece. I wouldn’t want to launch a new venture and not have a top performing team to do so. That’s what these guys are.
They are the creme de la creme when it comes to sports talk programming in Chicago. We were lucky enough to launch 312 Sports on the backs of their success. It’s proven out to be wildly successful so far. I’d be remiss not to mention our market president, Keith Lawless, and his integral role in bringing 312 Sports to life. It’s as much his baby as ours.
John Mamola: Is the plan to replicate the SKOR North model in the other Hubbard Radio markets like Washington D.C., Seattle, Phoenix, and others?
John Goforth: They say the definition of luck is when planning meets opportunity. We like to be lucky. Planning is one thing and understanding the opportunities out there, but the opportunities have to present themselves. We’re not going to force ourselves into a market just because we think we’re good at something. We’re going to find the right opportunities.
There’s no arguing that it helps to launch in markets where we already have a presence because you have an infrastructure there. You have the sales team, finance, studios, just basic stuff. We certainly like to lean into that first, but again I don’t want to take anything off the board or say that we’re definitively launching a brand in market X just because we happen to have a presence there.
We’re going to be intelligent about it. We’re going to pick places that we think we can win. We don’t want to put out a subpar product and nor do we want to pursue advertisers with something that’s half baked.
The one thing I think you can say about 312 Sports is it was very intentional. You knew exactly what we were launching. Everywhere from the paid marketing that we launched to some of the previews and the interviews that Dan [Bernstein] did. We’ve been very upfront about the type of content we wanted to create and the brand that we wanted to launch.
I think if we were to do that again, and maybe we will, maybe we won’t. If we were to do that again, we’d want to be just as intentional.
John Mamola: Was there any pushback internally based on the way Dan Bernstein’s situation with Audacy played out leading to his dismissal from 670 The Score? We’re there internal discussions about should we go down this road with him?
John Goforth: No, and if there had been, it was mitigated from the moment we sat down with Dan [Bernstein]. As you heard in his first episode in Dan Bernstein Unfiltered, he couldn’t have been more contrite and really took full blame.
Whether it’s deserved or not. he will tell you that it’s 100% on him. Not my words.
After having that conversation, but then also looking at the scope of his work. When you can look at the breadth of work over 30 years and just how amazing the content has been over those 30 years. Interviews, work in the community, charity work and everything.
When you look at the breadth of work and then you talk to the man to put that all together. There was no hesitation on our part. We were just glad and lucky to be partnered with him.
John Mamola: Is the plan for 312 Sports to continue to expand on content with other personalities from Chicago? Or is the plan right now to wait and see what you have with Dan [Bernstein] and Matt [Abbatacola] to adjust off of those results?
John Goforth: We’re full steam ahead. We absolutely have intention of releasing new podcasts as new sports seasons commence. We’re bringing Dan’s Chicago Bulls podcast back; Organizations Win Championships that Dan does with his son, Jason.
Other seasons will be coming around, and whether we’re looking internally or externally. Finding the best content creators to help super serve those fandoms as well. Don’t have anything to announce yet but stay tuned.
John Mamola: Chicago is a big market for sports content. You have five pro teams and a division one school in Northwestern. You can also say the University of Illinois has a big footprint in the market as well. With that, the on-demand content market is very full. You have CHGO from ALLCITY, and two massive traditional sports radio stations that put out a lot of on demand and time-shifted content. Both on audio and video.
In other markets, there are similar stories to that tale. Does the amount of competition in any market from a sports perspective weigh into decisions to enter a crowded sports podcast landscape?
John Goforth: I truly believe that we haven’t even scratched the surface.
Looking at it from a macro perspective, depending on who you ask anywhere from 30 to 36 million different YouTube channels. Those are channels on one platform. Even the most aggressive estimates for the number of active RSS feeds is in the 2-3 million range.
No one is sitting around and saying there are too many YouTube channels.
It’s about putting out the right content and being able to reach the right people with that content. Whether you’re talking about YouTube using its algorithm to find me and identify that I really enjoy content about my favorite band. That is the same thing as us identifying a need in the city of Chicago for an independent sports voice. That’s why we hired Dan [Bernstein] and Matt [Abbatacola].
We needed someone to set the sports talk agenda on a daily basis because we didn’t believe anyone was doing that fully. To me, that’s the same thing as an algorithm identifying that I want to go listen to My Chemical Romance concerts.
Going back to your earlier question, that’s what we’re trying to do in the markets when we look at them. We’re trying to identify holes in the market. We’re not just going to blindly run into a market just because we think we need a seat at the table. We’re going to look for where we believe there to be additional opportunity.
Broadly going back to your original question, do I think that it’s oversaturated? Absolutely not.
John Mamola: In the short time you’ve been with the company, how have you seen the talent from the Hubbard music stations adapting to the goals of the podcast network?
John Goforth: I’m very lucky in that I joined a company that has always been interested in having the topflight talent that’s live and local in every market it owns.
It doesn’t matter what market you look at, generally speaking, one of our stations has the top morning show. We have amazing talent that does amazing content. It’s a real testament to Hubbard’s EVP of Programming, Greg Strassell.
These morning shows are content incubators even if they’re on a music station. Many of them don’t run any music, or if they do run music it’s very minimal, and they produce amazing segments.
If you look at The Rizzuto Show in St. Louis, it’s routinely in the top 200 podcasts. Its time shifted audio. It’s audio that went out across the radio and it’s repurposed for podcasts, and it’s a great podcast.
That’s the message that I try to impart to all our creators. It doesn’t matter what the content is, whether the podcast is exactly what you put out over the radio airwaves or a benchmark that’s typically two minutes on the radio. Maybe you stay in those seats after your shift ends and do a half hour version of that benchmark.
Every market, talent, and creator that I’ve gone and talked to, I’ve said the same thing. You don’t have to have the same strategy as everyone else; you just need to have a strategy.
John Mamola: How brands are utilizing AI continues to evolve on a daily basis. For Hubbard, is AI utilized in the content creation itself on any level? Especially with growing fears of AI potentially replacing actual people for content itself in the podcasting wing?
John Goforth: It’s hard for me to play guess the future. I’m certainly no prognosticator. I’ve learned a long time ago to never say never. However, I can talk about the present, because AI is here and it’s real.
On our narrative series, where we go out and we do a lot of work and we have amazing hosts that put out amazing content. We will make sure and put a disclaimer in stating no generative AI was used in the creation of this podcast.
I believe AI, whether it’s on the sales, content creation side, or anything in between. It’s meant to be another tool at our disposal to make us that much more efficient and better at our job. It is no different than the disruption that email caused as email became more prevalent in the corporate world. That was a huge disruption.
People at that time were saying this is the end of business as we know it. No one’s ever going to see each other in person anymore. You’re not going to shake someone’s hand and look them in the eye and be able to sell them. It turns out it made us all that much more efficient, and you can get a lot more business done.
Even going back to the invention of the printing press. These are just tools at our disposal.
If you think that you can just build a business on the back of one tool. Until we’re proven otherwise, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. I love the use of AI in the sense of it makes us better at our jobs.
If I’m producing some sort of content, can I use AI to help fact check? Can I use AI to do some research for me? Sure, but then it’s incumbent upon me to fact check to make sure the AI is not hallucinating.
If I’m in sales, can it help me identify who the best targets for a podcast are? Who the decision makers at a given business might be?
Strategy and planning, can it help me put together the right spreadsheets and templates to really think about my business in a more comprehensive way?
Can AI help me think through that rather than just sitting in front of a blank canvas and going, where do I start? That’s how I think AI is and should be used. Not this doomsday scenario where the robots replace all of us who think of ourselves as talent. That narrative leads to a lot of clicks, but I don’t think that’s the right way to approach it.
The consumer’s not there either. One of the things that you can see online pretty quickly, even with this new introduction of Sora is that we have not crossed the uncanny valley yet. People know when something has been produced by AI, and they don’t like it.
It’s going to get better. Don’t get me wrong. There will come a day where you won’t be able to tell the difference, but we’re not there yet.
I still think independent, real voices. Giving independent, real thoughts on great podcasts are the way to go. That’s what we’re going to continue to pursue and use AI to help support that dream.
John Mamola: You’re having a conversation with someone who has no idea about anything to do with podcasts. How would you define a podcast?
John Goforth: Audio first, platform agnostic content and probably just stop there. I don’t get into whether it has an RSS feed or doesn’t. Whether it has a video component or doesn’t.
I don’t even think if it was YouTube first, that you couldn’t call it a podcast. There are plenty of amazing shows on YouTube. They’re actually podcasts; they just don’t realize it. Nobody’s ever ascribed that word to what they do.
It’s an evolving definition. If you talk to the old guard in the podcast world. By definition, it can’t be a podcast if it doesn’t have an RSS feed. That’s an antiquated way of thinking.
If it’s a lean forward audio first content and it’s platform agnostic, that’s what a podcast is.
To learn more about Point-To-Point Marketing’s Podcast and Broadcast Audience Development Marketing strategies, contact Tim Bronsil at tim@ptpmarketing.com or 513-702-5072.
ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown remains a vital part of the NFL pregame television world, and two big reasons why are ex-NFL quarterback Alex Smith and Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss. While Smith and Moss never played together in the NFL, they do have a connection on television—namely, they are the absolute stalwarts of this year’s version of Countdown.
Smith has undoubtedly raised his game, moving from merely talking about football to making bold and brash statements about it. He has come out of his shell, if you will—more open, candid, honest, controversial, and willing to interrupt a conversation to interject his opinion.
Coming off a well-documented battle with cancer, Moss’s game on TV is as strong and unique as it was on the football field. There’s something different about Randy Moss this year, and I think that stems from the aforementioned cancer battle. You can sense that he is really happy and grateful to be back on television with his mates talking ball. Smith and Moss join a tremendous Sunday NFL Countdown cast headed by host Mike Greenberg, analysts Rex Ryan and Tedy Bruschi, and NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
This year, however, it has been Smith and Moss who have stood out from the pack.
A Dynamic Duo
I caught the October 5 edition of Sunday NFL Countdown, and the pair took their respective games to new levels. What I really like about both Moss and Smith is that they offer comments, hot takes, and singular stances on their own while also blending very well with their cohorts.
On this ESPN program, Moss offered an excellent analysis of the Philadelphia Eagles’ sputtering offense. In discussing seemingly unhappy wide receiver A.J. Brown, Moss said he had no problem with Brown’s attitude, statements, or social media posts.
He said that Brown knows the offense can be better and that he can help. Moss also said that the real problem with Philadelphia’s offense is that it has become very predictable. He wants to see the Eagles move players around in different spots to give defensive coordinators more to think about.
Smith had a unique follow-up, saying that one of the problems with the Eagles’ offense is that QB Jalen Hurts is trying to force the ball too much to Brown. While Smith spoke, video backed up his point, showing several plays where Hurts threw the ball to Brown while other players were far more open. This is analysis at the highest level.
Moss was extremely adept at getting into the mind of a top-flight wide receiver. Similarly, Smith was absolutely terrific explaining that the quarterback of a team with a standout wide receiver always has it in his head to get the ball to that receiver.
It becomes something that the QB thinks about perhaps too much. Smith stated, “They got to let this come naturally. Run the offense. It will come.” It’s great that Sunday NFL Countdown seats Moss and Smith next to each other, generating some great back-and-forth between the two of them—just some really cool quarterback and receiver talk. This is excellent use of talent.
Unmatched Perspective
In the show’s “Contender or Pretender” segment, Smith said that the Chiefs are undoubtedly contenders. He stated that they are getting healthy and, despite their mediocre record, are still going to be a factor in a very winnable AFC. Moss went with the Jaguars, talking positively about Travis Etienne and Josh Hines-Allen. You can tell that Smith and Moss are both ultra-prepared for every edition of Sunday NFL Countdown. Smith’s diction, intonation, and sheer voice volume have increased this year, bringing power and presence to his performance.
The shared strengths of Moss and Smith come from their careers as players. Moss is one of the all-time greats at his position, and Smith was the number one overall draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2005. Both men had great success during their careers, but both also experienced the lows of the NFL. They have been praised, lauded, and cheered, but also dumped, ignored, and insulted. Both men saw their careers rise, fall, and rise again. This breadth and depth of experience come across in their football parlance.
When Sunday NFL Countdown moves to its Film Wall segment, Smith takes off the sport coat and heads to the big screen to talk about a particular aspect of football. In this particular segment, he talked about the play of Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
This ESPN segment was a great combination of talent and technology. While Smith made his points, video of last week’s Cowboys-Packers game highlighted different angles, actions, and accomplishments in Prescott’s game. Smith was outstanding in showing how supposedly easy plays are really not so easy.
Again, it’s the enthusiasm of Smith that is really shining this year. He has shown such great emotion and excitement in talking football. I was quite doubtful when Smith was given a starring role on Sunday NFL Countdown, but he is proving me wrong. The guy has grown into the job. He has worked at it, and the producers of the program have done excellent work bringing him along as a talent. Smith does an excellent job of looking at the detailed nuances of football. He dissected the Dallas offense quite expertly.
Similar to Smith, Moss takes center stage in his incredibly popular “You Got Mossed!” segment. For this particular segment, the whole on-air gang joined Moss on stage, highlighting some acrobatic catches and plays in college football, high school football, flag football, and even the NBA preseason. All of the plays were reminiscent of the amazing athletic skill that Moss showed as a player. Moss is squarely at home in this segment and absolutely loves it, bubbling with joy and fun.
There are few more enjoyable moments on football television than when the whole ESPN crew shouts, “You got Mossed!” at the end of a highlight.
On the previous week’s edition of Sunday NFL Countdown, Smith was adamantly against the Giants starting rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. He said it was a bad move for the young player and engaged in a lively debate with Ryan. As it turned out, Dart played very well as the Giants won that game vs. the Chargers.
This week’s edition of Countdown actually rolled the tape of Smith’s comments before talking about Dart and the Giants. Smith took it in stride and was very diplomatic, saying that it was a great win for Dart. He did lament that Dart carried the ball too much and got hit too many times in the game. Smith’s initial comments proved a bit prophetic this past weekend as Dart threw two interceptions in a loss to the Saints.
Smith and Moss both added some insightful comments in previewing the Cowboys-Jets game from this past weekend. In the show’s wagering segment, Moss was prophetic, taking the 7.5-point underdog Patriots against the Bills. He also mentioned Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs going back home to Buffalo and stretching the field. Diggs did just that and then some versus the Bills, logging 10 catches for 146 yards.
Sunday NFL Countdown might just have the best mix of talent on TV in terms of background and experience. You have the ultimate host in Greenberg, a glib and entertaining ex-head coach in Ryan, and a stalwart, championship defensive player in Bruschi.
Ultimately, though, the show is brought together by Smith, a former QB who understands the game, and Moss, a former wide receiver who changed the game. They are, indeed, the key gears transferring motion and emotion in ESPN’s Sunday morning football machine.
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