Former ESPN college football analyst Todd McShay didn’t hold back in his commentary, both celebrating Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer’s road win at Georgia and taking a pointed swipe at his former ESPN colleague Paul Finebaum.
Speaking on his The McShay Show podcast after the Crimson Tide’s 24-21 victory in Athens, McShay acknowledged the significance of the win for DeBoer, who is navigating his second season at Alabama following Nick Saban’s retirement. For McShay, the result was less about the scoreboard and more about easing the relentless pressure that can swallow a coach in Tuscaloosa.
“It’s really good to see this,” McShay said. “I’m not pulling for either side. It’s really good to see this for DeBoer. Because it feels like if Alabama had lost this game after losing to Florida State — and Florida State just lost to Virginia — that place is vicious.”
From there, McShay transitioned from relief to critique. Pointing directly at Finebaum, who has built a career amplifying the highs and lows of SEC football. McShay suggested that Finebaum’s brand of commentary contributes to an atmosphere he views as toxic.
“Watch that trash, Paul Finebaum, to see how vicious,” McShay said. “It’s just not good humanity. Get my little shot in at Paul, one of the all-time cowards.”
While McShay didn’t elaborate further, he hinted more details are coming. “Is it October 1 yet? Let’s see. I can let it all unleash. We’ll explain it all,” he added, leaving the door open for a deeper explanation of his grievances.
The exchange reflects a growing tension within sports media about how analysts and hosts cover the sport. Finebaum’s radio show and ESPN appearances have long thrived on polarizing takes and strong criticisms. Particularly of coaches and programs in the SEC. His style has drawn as much praise for its entertainment value as criticism for its perceived harshness.
McShay, who spent nearly two decades at ESPN as a draft analyst before being laid off by the company in 2023, has rarely taken public shots at former colleagues. His comments over the weekend suggest lingering frustration with how some voices in college football media handle coverage of teams under pressure. McShay signed with The Ringer in the fall of 2024.
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.
Spotify is set to undergo a major leadership shift at the start of 2026. The streaming giant announced Monday that founder and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek will move into the role of Executive Chairman, while longtime company executives Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström will serve as co-CEOs.
The move formalizes a structure that has quietly been in place since 2023, when Söderström and Norström took on the co-president roles and began leading day-to-day strategy and operations. Both will also join Spotify’s Board of Directors, pending shareholder approval, and will report directly to Ek.
“I always believed that Spotify could play an important role in revolutionizing listening around the world. With more than 700 million users, we’ve truly charted a new course bringing creativity to every corner of the globe,” Ek said. “Over the last few years, I’ve turned over a large part of the day-to-day management and strategic direction of Spotify to Alex and Gustav—who have shaped the company from our earliest days and are now more than ready to guide our next phase. This change simply matches titles to how we already operate.”
For Ek, who launched Spotify in 2006 and has grown the platform to more than 700 million users worldwide. The new role marks a shift toward long-term strategy. His position will resemble a European-style chairman, where he will focus on capital allocation, future planning, and guiding senior leadership.
Woody Marshall, Spotify’s lead independent director, emphasized that the board has been preparing for this moment. “We have tremendous confidence in Alex and Gustav as they step into these roles,” Marshall said. “They each have more than fifteen years with the company and have been instrumental in driving our success and enabling Spotify to lead our industry. We are also thrilled that Daniel will be actively involved. Giving Spotify both founder-led strategic stewardship and mentorship to the co-CEOs as the company continues to innovate and scale.”
Both incoming co-CEOs have been with the company since its early days. Söderström has overseen product and technology, while Norström has managed business operations. In a joint statement, they said their partnership is built on complementary skills and a shared vision.
“Nearly three years ago, when we stepped into our role as co-Presidents, we charged our teams with relentlessly focusing on building the best and most valuable experience available anywhere and that ambition hasn’t changed,” they said. “While we bring different experiences and perspectives to the CEO role. We both have a strong bias to action and can’t wait to get started. Knowing that we will have Daniel’s full partnership and ongoing support.”
The leadership changes will officially take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
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.
The Toast to 10 series, presented by Premiere Networks, is a month-long look back at 10 years of Barrett Media. Throughout the month, you’ll hear from those who have shaped the company, managed and created content, read the site, and partnered with the brand between 2015 and 2025, sharing how they’ve seen it play a role in covering the media industry and educating, celebrating, and challenging the business.
For the past month, Barrett Media has celebrated its 10th anniversary of serving the media industry. We’ve shared stories from current and former members of the Barrett Media team, along with insights from our amazing partners, talent in television and radio, and tech and research professionals on how vital Barrett Media is to the industry.
From sales and advertising managers. To a look back at the highlights and what’s to come from Jason Barrett himself. A Toast to 10 has been a complete journey. Reaching every section of the media industry as we celebrate our story.
Today, we wrap up our Toast to 10 by speaking with several sports media executives from around the country. Sports media has been the foundation that helped launch Barrett Media just a decade ago. Led initially by coverage of the sports radio industry, Barrett Media later expanded to cover the sports television world. For much of its history, our writers have covered every angle of what makes the world of sports media click. Hundreds of profiles have been featured by Barrett Media, from the biggest stars on screen to the important dignitaries off camera. From rising stars behind the mic to the leaders guiding the path into tomorrow.
Today, we share the reflections of ten years of Barrett Media from the minds of top sports executives in sports media.
Rick Cordella | NBC Sports
Rick Cordella (Toast To 10 Series: Canva Creation, Social Screenshot)
Rick Cordella is the president of NBC Sports. Assuming the role in 2023, Cordella oversees all aspects of NBC Sports’ collection of brands. From the Olympics to the NFL, Cordella is a major key to the success of what makes NBC Sports and Peacock the destinations for sports content they are.
Cordella began following Barrett Media just a few years ago. He subscribes to the two daily newsletters that our brand provides, which share the news of the day along with the perspective and opinions of our Barrett Media columnists.
“It’s a great source of news and opinion,” said Cordella. “The credibility of the Barrett team continues to increase.”
Cordella has been part of NBCUniversal for nearly two decades, serving in a variety of leadership roles. A nine-time Sports Emmy award winner. Cordella is always on the hunt for fresh and unique information to help his team at NBC. Barrett Media is a daily stop for the NBC executive.
“There have been many times over the years when the newsletter has given me new or additional information. As well as some thought-provoking ideas to carry forward for our NBC Sports businesses,” explained Cordella. “It’s on my list of must-read publications covering our industry.”
With his busy schedule, Cordella has yet to attend one of the Barrett Media summits. However, he looks forward to attending if there’s a day when his schedule becomes free.
Courtney Hirsch | Jomboy Media
Courtney Hirsch (Toast To 10 Series: Canva Creation, Barrett Media)
Courtney Hirsch is the CEO of Jomboy Media, a leading creator-led sports media company with a focus on baseball. The company is home to a number of highly consumed podcasts, the viral Breakdowns video series, and the adaptive creator-led Warehouse Games, bringing indoor competition to life on digital platforms.
Since joining the company in 2020, Jomboy Media has seen record-breaking growth in revenue and profitability. The digital creator-led company signed a partnership with Major League Baseball. The first time a pro league has partnered with a creator-led company in its history. They also established distribution partnerships with iHeartMedia and Audacy’s WFAN, announced just two weeks ago.
Hirsch values the independent voice that Barrett Media provides in covering the expanding world of creator content online.
“Barrett Media is valuable because it champions creators who are changing the game in sports media,” said Hirsch. “Their independent voice keeps us plugged into fresh ideas and bold innovations.”
Over the past decade, Barrett Media has experienced many changes. Not only in writers and columnists, but also in reach to other platforms, formats, and sections of the media industry. Hirsch believes the continued expansion of Barrett Media is a shining example of what makes the brand truly unique.
“Our respect for Barrett Media has only grown as they’ve consistently elevated new companies and unique ideas,” noted Hirsch. “They’ve become a trusted, independent platform that really gets where the industry is headed.”
Hirsch has been both an attendee and a guest speaker at the annual Barrett Sports Media Summits and has been featured in our Meet The Podcasters series earlier this year.
Looking ahead to the next decade of coverage. Hirsch said she hopes the brand continues to evolve as the industry does.
“We hope Barrett Media keeps shining a light on the next wave of creators and innovations that move sports media forward,” explained Hirsch. “Their growth means even more energy and momentum for the industry’s future.”
Dave Roberts | ESPN
Dave Roberts (Toast To 10 Series: Canva Creation, Derek Futterman, Barrett Media)
Dave Roberts is the executive vice president and executive editor of sports news and entertainment for ESPN. For over two decades, Roberts has been a man who wears many hats in the business both in previous roles and his current one. He’s managed much of ESPN’s content from sports to news coverage, investigative and enterprise journalism, research, and digital editorial on all editions of SportsCenter.
Roberts also oversees some of ESPN’s largest show productions, including First Take, Get Up, Pardon the Interruption, ESPN Bet and fantasy programs, ESPN Audio, ESPN podcast content, and all ESPN digital shows. As you can tell from his oversight, Roberts wears many hats and his time is extremely limited.
What he does make time for daily is the coverage that Barrett Media provides. Roberts has been an avid reader since Barrett Media began ten years ago.
“It’s one of the first things that I do each and every day because it’s informative and insightful,” said Roberts. “You walk away learning something new about the business. It’s a very productive use of the time to help prepare for the day.”
Roberts believes it’s always good to know what’s new in the industry while learning who is doing unique things in the business. Any little bit of information helps as the number of platforms distributing content continues to grow each day.
One aspect that Roberts truly enjoys is the consistent production of thought-provoking ideas that both celebrate the business and challenge the industry.
“Barrett Media does an excellent job of highlighting new and innovative ideas that can be applied in everyday walks of our business,” said Roberts. “If you have a hunger for learning and recognizing that no one has a monopoly on good ideas, what you do at Barrett Media is beneficial to anyone in this business who’s interested in learning and applying what they learned to their own roles.”
Roberts has attended the Barrett Sports Media Summit on multiple occasions, both as a speaker and attendee. He always feels he comes away with something valuable from the discussions.
“The key takeaway for me is that there are so many interesting people in our business, people willing to share and exchange ideas, and to be candid about the challenges we face,” said Roberts. “Those were all takeaways I got from attending the previous summits.”
The ESPN executive makes sure to check the daily opinion pieces provided by the Barrett Media team. Roberts notes that the opinions are topical and fact-based, something he truly values.
“It’s a good compilation of information that continues to become even more sophisticated each day,” said Roberts. “It’s a very impressive evolution of coverage in the media.”
Looking ahead, Roberts hopes Barrett Media continues to evolve with the industry.
“I expect and hope that Barrett Media continues to focus on the changing landscape of our business, doing so in a way where you can learn and stay ahead of the curve,” noted Roberts. “The commitment Barrett Media has to staying on top of constant changes in our industry is impressive.”
Bron Heussenstamm | BLEAV
Bron Heussenstamm (Toast To 10 Series: Canva Creation, Social Screenshot)
Bron Heussenstamm is the founder and CEO of Bleav, a premium audio and video network producing, distributing, and selling a diverse range of sports and lifestyle content. With more than 500 shows and 800 hosts, including over 100 professional athletes, Bleav produces more than 1,000 hours of original content per month.
Since 2020, Heussenstamm has followed the Barrett Media brand. Drawn in by its focused coverage of the sports media industry, he feels he’s not missing a thing and stays consistently up to date with the latest happenings.
“The written content is particularly valuable for my teams at Bleav,” said Heussenstamm. “The articles provide industry-specific insights, highlighting what’s working, what’s not, and trends.”
Heussenstamm cited a specific example where a Barrett Media article guided internal discussions with his teams.
“I shared ‘How to Sell Local Podcasts’ in 2021 with one of our hosts to reinforce best practices for monetizing podcast content,” said Heussenstamm. “The article aligned perfectly with our process, so it was nice to have some industry backup.”
Heussenstamm enjoys Barrett Media content that details what’s working in the media industry. His team is constantly on the hunt for any information that can give them an edge.
“This practical, results-oriented approach allows us to benchmark our strategies against industry standards and anticipate shifts,” noted Heussenstamm. “Barrett Media’s ability to distill complex industry dynamics into easy-to-read articles is great.”
Heussenstamm attended his first Barrett Sports Media Summit in May in Chicago, where he enjoyed being a panelist.
“It stands as the leading authority in this space,” explained Heussenstamm. “The fact that I’m unsure of another publication that rivals Barrett is a good sign for Barrett Media.”
Since following the brand in 2020, Heussenstamm has noticed the robust changes Barrett Media has made in its coverage.
“Since I began following Barrett Media in 2020, my view of the publication has only grown more positive,” explained Heussenstamm. “The brand has consistently improved its content and expanded its scope to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the sports media industry. They could have stayed focused on radio and TV but were leaders in podcasting overviews as well.”
Always busy with his business, Heussenstamm offered one suggestion for Barrett Media moving forward:
“More articles on Bleav,” noted Heussenstamm.
David Locke | Locked On Podcast Network
David Locke (Toast To 10 Series: Canva Creation, Social Screenshot)
David Locke is CEO of the Locked On Podcast Network while also serving as the radio voice for the NBA’s Utah Jazz. A former sports radio program director, Locke has followed Barrett Media from the very beginning.
“It feels like it has been a staple forever,” said Locke. “Was there life before Barrett Media Online? Seriously! I can’t remember not reading and following.”
The Locked On Podcast Network is an industry-leading sports podcast network featuring more than 275 programs, delivering over 40 million listens and views per month. The network covers every league and nearly every team.
Locke established the network in 2016 with a single podcast covering the Utah Jazz. Since then, Locked On continued to grow and was acquired by TEGNA in 2021, reinforcing the network’s growth as a leader in the space.
What drew Locke to Barrett Media was its up-to-date coverage of where the industry is heading and who the people to know are.
“It’s the insider knowledge of the industry from people who knew the industry, who had done the work, lived the life, and understood the struggles,” said Locke.
Locke is a multiple-time attendee of the Barrett Sports Media Summits, both as a speaker and attendee. The reason he continues to support and consume Barrett Media content is simple: no one else does what Barrett Media does.
“There isn’t anyone better at covering local sports media,” said Locke. “Some places cover the big picture and massive deals, but no one else is ingrained in the fabric of sports radio and media like Barrett Media.”
As Barrett Media continues into its next decade of coverage, Locke looks forward to seeing the brand expand digitally and beyond sports.
“Clearly, there is an effort to expand the brand digitally and beyond sports, which is great and admirable,” said Locke. “I need the sports. They haven’t dropped the ball there at all. Local sports is the forgotten space, and I will be coming to Barrett Media to keep an eye on the industry.”
As we wrap up our Toast to 10 series on the first decade of Barrett Media, I’d like to personally thank everyone who contributed. From every walk of life in the media industry, we extend our deepest thanks for sharing your experience with us. At Barrett Media, led by Jason Barrett, we will continue striving to provide the coverage you expect while exploring new ideas to expand our horizons—touching more people to celebrate, educate, and challenge for a better tomorrow.
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.
For generations, there has been a church-and-state type of vibe regarding sports media personalities and their political leanings. Far too often, the argument has been that the less the audience knows, the better. Networks and radio broadcast corporations have attempted for years to encourage their own employees to understand the audience they serve is filled with a mix of people from different political spectrums. Then you have the examples of Stephen A. Smith and Paul Finebaum from ESPN.
It made headlines yesterday that ESPN SEC Network personality Paul Finebaum is considering a run for a vacant United States Senate seat in Alabama. Finebaum told OutKick’s Clay Travis that he’s been approached about the seat and is weighing his options.
What was even more telling was Finebaum stating—possibly half-heartedly, joking—that ESPN tells their employees not to discuss who they voted for. In an age where transparency has no end, Finebaum and Smith both serve as examples of why more sports media personalities should not fear the walls networks and companies place on them. If you haven’t realized it by now, the age of church and state in sports media is officially over.
Republicans buy sneakers. Democrats buy sneakers. Sports fans buy sneakers. What unites people isn’t the party box they check at the polls—it’s the games, the debates, and the passion that draw them together.
Showcase What Is Great For Everyone
Make no mistake about it: the country is divided. Far too often we find ourselves in places of division, where our leaders on both sides are more concerned with self-value than with the constituencies they represent.
This is a perfect time for sports to be the great unifier it has always aimed to be, by breaking down the walls that prevent individuals from expressing political leanings.
Why? Because while sports media personalities may differ on real-life issues, the uniter is sports and sports discussion. That should be celebrated, but it’s not represented that way.
In the age of transparency, why continue to force (or persuade) talent to hide their leanings?
Finebaum told OutKick that there was a moment in 2019 where he had lined up an interview with then President Donald Trump for his radio program. The interview was scheduled to be taped at The White House surrounding the LSU / Alabama football game that fall.
ESPN killed the interview when Finebaum made them aware of the possibility saying that the network told him there is no mix of politics and sports. Of course, we all remember when Andy Katz would pay a visit annually to The White House to reveal President Barack Obama’s Final Four bracket years earlier. Why the double standard?
Paul Finebaum is respected by most for his decades of covering college football, particularly the SEC. I spoke earlier this year with Finebaum for a feature piece on Barrett Media.
Did I know he was Republican? No.
Did I know he voted for Donald Trump? No.
If I had known either of those facts, would it have changed my perspective on having a conversation with Finebaum? Absolutely not.
However, both notions were revealed in Finebaum’s interview with OutKick. Will there be a loss in viewership? No. Will it affect his listenership to The Paul Finebaum Show? Probably not.
Suppression Is Outdated
In his conversation with OutKick, Finebaum called the exchange with Travis “cathartic” because he had said some things in the interview that he hadn’t intended to say. Should anyone feel cathartic when simply having a conversation about personal beliefs or stances? That would mean a person had felt suppressed or prevented from expression—that they felt they couldn’t explain how they felt or what they thought about a certain issue.
No one would want that feeling.
Finebaum and Stephen A. Smith embody this shift. Neither man hides from who he is, and neither has lost his platform because of it. If anything, authenticity has made them stronger
Sports and politics are no longer oil and water. They’re Kool-Aid. The two mix more today than at any time in our history. It no longer matters if it’s a good or bad thing—there’s no escaping it.
If players, franchises, and leagues can break down the walls of restriction, there’s no reason why networks, companies, and talent can’t either. The muzzle no longer fits, and the time we live in demands it.
Don’t get it twisted. It doesn’t mean that networks should turn College GameDay into Meet the Press. It also doesn’t mean that ESPN’s massive social media apparatus should be sharing election results in November.
It does mean talent should be free to show their whole selves without fearing punishment. Finebaum can be a Republican. Smith can be an Independent. Both can still break down NIL legislation or debate the NBA’s international relationships. Viewers are smart enough to separate political leanings from sports expertise.
Why It Works
Dana White offers a playbook that networks and media companies can learn from.
“I’m a big believer in free speech,” said Dana White during a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday night. “I hate it [cancel culture], on both sides.”
White runs a $15 billion sports league with a diverse roster of competitors from all walks of life and political leanings. He just signed two multi-billion-dollar media rights deals with Paramount for the UFC and Zuffa Boxing.
Is business bad for White because of his allowance of freedom of expression?
Are media companies shying away from coverage of either the UFC or Zuffa Boxing because of political leanings?
His business thrives not because of silence, but because his product delivers while his people speak freely. It helps with connection, engagement, and overall interest. Isn’t that what every media outlet wants?
The single biggest issue our nation faces is the inability to converse with one another. More people than ever before are finding silence is best when it comes to conversations with people of different political leanings than themselves.
Why should networks and media companies not embrace the diversity of their own talent and showcase how people can come together—how people of different leanings can speak to one another?
Finebaum himself spelled it out in that interview: “I am a registered Republican.” Did it change his credibility? His ratings? His voice on college football? No. And it won’t.
Networks would do well to remember that. Suppression doesn’t build loyalty. Authenticity does.
Let talent speak. Let the audience decide. And let sports continue to be the bridge.
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.
Longevity is a desired quality anyone would want in the field of their choosing. Most never achieve it, while the few who do cherish every hour of it. While many consider longevity the secret to success, without success there is no longevity. Chris McClain has been a member of the WFNZ team in Charlotte for over two decades, the last 16 years serving as the morning show co-host on Mac & Bonealongside co-host Travis “T-Bone” Hancock.
“Before I got here, I would do the radio shuffle where I would leave after a couple of years on my own or be asked to leave,” joked McClain. “I’m so glad to find the continuity, especially in a city like Charlotte. It’s a perfect place to raise a family too. I’m just so glad that I ended up here. Radio karma ended up putting me here.”
McClain and Hancock have been the guiding voice of Charlotte sports fans for nearly two decades, with a show that mixes fun, sports, and laughs while always keeping the energy high. McClain calls himself the “human alarm clock” and prides himself on being energetic for the audience.
“I like that role of being on here screaming. I’m energetic. I get people telling me all the time, ‘Man, I’m half asleep,’ and I’m like, it’s 6:30,” said McClain. “As a kid, if you had dug up my teachers, they would tell you, oh yeah, I could tell he was going to do something like this.”
When describing his co-host dubbed “T-Bone,” McClain believes the duo complement each other well. Hancock first began with the show as an intern and worked his way into a co-host role. While Hancock still contributes some aspects of producing for the program, McClain believes finding a person like Hancock was a massive key to the show’s success.
“We’ve gone through different ownerships, and you never know how that turns out,” noted McClain. “Different program directors too. I think finding a guy like Travis [Hancock] to work with—it helps that you find good people to work with… When you find a good bunch to work with, it’s a good portion of the key [to success].”
Balancing Sports & Politics
While the faces have remained the same for over a decade, the state of the sports radio industry has evolved. Far too often, the demands of the listening audience have forced sports radio to adapt—especially morning drive programs, which cater to a constant on-the-go audience looking for different types of content in small bite-sized pieces.
This is especially challenging with the political climate being what it is. Far too often, politics have intersected with sports, causing heated debate and giving listeners another lens to judge their favorite sports radio talent. For McClain, he understands the shift but has attempted to avoid joining the trend.
“People will tell us to stick to sports if they don’t like our political opinion. If they like the political opinion, they won’t say that,” noted McClain. “These issues, a lot of them are intertwined. There are sports issues that have become political. When I was younger, I was more eager to let the world know how I felt about these issues. As I’ve gotten older in the business, I’ve realized we are so divided on so many things as a country. Maybe just focus on what a Mac & Bone community has in common.”
McClain aims to be a sports radio host who brings people together through a passion for sports. Although he recognizes that there are more ways than one to cater to that audience, he leans on what he’s always been comfortable with as his guide.
“It’s gotten so divided and so nasty out there,” said McClain. “There are moments where you’ll get a text from a listener, and it’ll say they thought that sounded political. However, I take pride in bringing people who are so divided on these bigger issues together. When it comes to our sports world, I can get them together.”
Benefits of FM Signal, Desires for More
Mac & Bone have built themselves a following through longevity in the market but also a devoted social and digital presence. The game changed even more when WFNZ flipped to a dedicated FM signal in 2022.
“That’s been the biggest game changer from a scoreboard standpoint,” said McClain. “It’s [ratings] way more consistent with the FM signal. Whereas in the past it wasn’t. I would be trying to evaluate what we did in a three-month period. Right now, you get a feeling that it’s more representative of who we have out there.”
McClain credits the work of the Radio One/Urban One team in Charlotte for getting the station on an FM signal. He noted that the move had been a goal for many in station management but finally came to fruition in 2022.
Another avenue McClain said he’d like to see WFNZ move into is live streaming of shows on video platforms like YouTube or Twitch. He recognizes that audience consumption habits have changed dramatically since 2020, with more people turning to digital outlets to consume content both live and on demand.
His hope is for Mac & Bone to be available everywhere people can consume the product while also getting full credit for the consumption.
“I don’t even know the rules for how much you need to have digital listeners included [in your Nielsen credit],” said McClain. “That’s got to be modernized better so you get full credit for that. I’d be interested to see how that ends up going. Digital has become a bigger part, and I do think that must be something that they [Nielsen] work on so you can get proper credit for everything.”
Social media use continues to be a larger part of everyday life for all sports radio talent. From using the tools for promotion and personal branding, the constant churn of algorithms has made it more difficult to engage and interact with a following. McClain is a very active user of social media, he says, because sports fans are always scrolling.
“That’s another area where we could bring fun,” said McClain. “If someone’s having a bad day, what are they doing? Scrolling. If we can make someone laugh with some goofy video we put together, that’s the goal. We try to do that to show our humorous side and give people a laugh.”
For over two decades, Chris McClain has enjoyed the ride, sharing many laughs along the way. While many consider longevity the secret to success, without success there is no longevity. He said he has no desire to be anywhere else in the country and only hopes to continue doing what his passion guides him to—talking sports and continuing to be a leading voice in the growing footprint of Charlotte sports fans.
“I just want to be here for as long as they’ll keep me, and I want to keep proving that I deserve to be one of the voices of Charlotte sports,” noted McClain. “I have seen Charlotte become this passionate, demanding sports town. We’re not saying we’re near being a Boston or a New York City. I’ve seen this city grow as a sports city, and I want to be a part of the city’s growth.”
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.
In 2025, owning a cable news network is increasingly complicated. Cable news has always been a high-stakes business, but the current environment has turned it into a tightrope walk.
Hyper-partisanship dominates every hour of programming, and networks that attempt neutrality often get pummeled from both sides. Today, alienating half—or sometimes more—of the potential audience isn’t just possible, it’s practically guaranteed.
Add to that the political climate. President Donald Trump has never been shy about using his platform to pressure networks, and FCC Chair Brendan Carr has shown he isn’t afraid to flex his regulatory authority either.
For major corporations, the optics of running a news operation can easily morph into a strategic headache. Just inject some truth serum into Disney CEO Bob Iger, and I’d bet he’d tell you the same.
A network’s editorial decisions no longer exist in a vacuum; they ripple across corporate holdings, investor confidence, and public perception. That can make a once-prized asset feel less like a strength and more like a liability.
There’s also the cold, hard economics to consider. Publicly traded companies in 2025 face relentless pressure to create shareholder value, and news operations are expensive. Staffing, investigative reporting, technical infrastructure, and legal resources all demand cash—and plenty of it.
Unlike streaming or sports programming, which can often generate relatively predictable revenue, news doesn’t necessarily scale in a neat, algorithm-driven way. If profits are the measure of success, cable news can feel like a giant anchor chained to a corporate bottom line.
And yet, labeling news as a drain overlooks its strategic advantages. Cable news provides unmatched influence in a world where attention is currency. It allows parent companies to shape cultural conversations, move markets, and, in some cases, protect other business interests. FOX Corp., for instance, almost certainly views Fox News as an irreplaceable strength. Its ability to drive narratives, dominate election cycles, and command advertiser dollars is something no streaming platform or entertainment network can easily replicate. Influence, after all, is intangible but immensely powerful.
For newer or diversified media conglomerates, the calculus is different. Warner Bros. Discovery, with CNN, or Versant’s newly launched MSNBC venture, likely weigh the risks differently. The backlash potential from controversial reporting, combined with the relentless partisan scrutiny, may create more headaches than advantages. Every tweet from a politically active president, every FCC signal, and every viral social media post forces these companies into strategic maneuvering that can feel more like crisis management than business development.
It’s important to remember that cable news’ value isn’t just in influence or revenue; it’s also in reach. Millions of Americans tune in daily, making these networks cultural touchstones. For advertisers and executives, that reach translates into leverage, which is why some parent companies continue to invest aggressively despite the risks. In other words, cable news is a double-edged sword: costly, politically combustible, and yet undeniably potent.
The current media landscape also highlights a harsh truth: even the most powerful cable news networks rely on ratings. Influence is meaningless if no one is watching, and money is meaningless if it doesn’t justify the expense. FOX Corp.’s confidence in Fox News is bolstered by consistently high viewership, giving it a clear edge in the attention economy. Meanwhile, CNN and MSNBC’s parent companies must constantly balance audience growth against political exposure, a calculation that often makes boards sweat.
Furthermore, Newsmax launched its cable channel at what could have been the single worst time — besides today, perhaps — to begin a new cable network. And yet, it’s found sustainability, profitability, and growing relevance at a time when no one could have predicted that success.
Truthfully, it’s impossible to definitively say whether owning a cable news network is an advantage or a liability in 2025. The answer depends on each company’s risk tolerance, corporate strategy, and appetite for political entanglement.
But one thing is clear: despite the political volatility, the expense, and the inevitable criticism, cable news remains a uniquely powerful tool in any media conglomerate’s portfolio. Look at the top-rated channels in the entire cable ecosystem, and consistently, you’ll see Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC in the top five, and you generally don’t have to look past spot number two to find Fox.
Networks can be a headache, sure — but they are also a megaphone, and in today’s attention economy, that megaphone is priceless.
In the end, the measure of strength is deceptively simple. If a network drives ratings, it drives influence. If it drives influence, it drives value. For some companies, like FOX Corp., that equation is already paying dividends. For others, the calculus remains uncertain.
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Hot-AC programmers and general managers are under continuous pressure to stand out in a crowded media environment. This holds true for any radio format, some more than others. For decades, the instinct has been to lean on hype, louder, bigger, “can’t-miss” messaging designed to grab attention. There was a time when stations such as Z100 in New York ‘hyped” the fact they were broadcasting from the “top of the Empire State building and it worked big time! They sounded like the big dog and it was marketing genius from Scott Shannon. Z100 wasn’t the only station with its tower on top of that building, but Scott made damn sure the audience thought that was the case!
But today’s radio landscape has changed. Listeners are no longer captivated by exaggerated promises. In fact, over-hyping the audience is one of the fastest ways to weaken credibility, tune out listeners, and stall long-term growth. It’s time to retire hype as a strategy and embrace a more authentic approach.
Credibility
Listeners know when they are being oversold cause they get it every day. When every promotion is framed as “the biggest giveaway ever” or every concert as “the most epic night of your life,” the words lose their impact. Worse, they create disappointment when reality doesn’t match the claim.
This isn’t just an on-air issue; it’s a brand issue. A station’s value is built on trust, and each time exaggerated hype is used, it erodes trust. Once your stations credibility is compromised, it becomes harder to keep audience loyalty, which directly impacts ratings and revenue.
Outdated
Audiences, especially those in the target Hot AC and CHR demos, spend many hours consuming podcasts, YouTube creators, and TikTok personalities who succeed by being authentic, not by shouting. These platforms have set the tone for how people expect content to sound: conversational, real, and relatable. When radio still leans on overblown adjectives and carnival-barker enthusiasm, it doesn’t just sound old, it makes the station feel out of touch. Hype is outdated in a digital-first world. That’s not a good place to be in when competing with streaming and on-demand content that feels more genuine.
Hype also causes fatigue. Listeners can only hear so many “incredible,” “unbelievable,” or “life-changing” promises before they mentally tune out. This is the same effect as commercial clutter: too much noise dulls the impact of the message. Instead of building excitement, hype turns into wallpaper, and the station loses the ability to move the needle. For Hot-AC programmers, this means wasted effort and promotional dollars with very little return.
Authenticity
This could be the most important point, and I don’t write it as “hype”. Perhaps hype undervalues the content you already have. A compelling morning show, strong music mix, and meaningful giveaways don’t need to be oversold, they carry their own weight. By constantly leaning on hype, a station signals it doesn’t fully believe in its own product. Audiences pick up on that disconnect.
The better strategy is to trust the strength of your content and frame it in an honest, authentic way. That makes the station sound confident, not desperate. For Hot-AC programmers and GMs, the path forward is clear: replace hype with authenticity.
Direct your talent to be enthusiastic because they genuinely believe in what they’re presenting, not because the script tells them to. Frame promotions honestly, highlighting the value without inflating it. Encourage personalities to build connections with listeners through conversation, humor, and relatability. Authenticity doesn’t reduce a stations energy, it redirects it into something listeners recognize as real.
Your radio station’s biggest competitive advantage isn’t louder hype. It’s the trust and connection you create by being genuine. In a marketplace crowded with options, Hot-AC stations that ditch the hype and double down on honesty will be the ones that earn listener loyalty and deliver the strongest results.
Here are my Do’s and Don’ts for Hot-AC managers.
Do frame promotions with honesty and confidence.
Don’t call every prize “life-changing” or “the biggest ever.”
Do encourage personalities to show authentic enthusiasm.
Don’t script artificial excitement or shouting.
Do let strong content (music, talent, promotions) speak for itself.
Don’t oversell, which makes the station sound insecure.
Do model after conversational, relatable, real voices.
Don’t cling to dated hype tactics that alienate modern listeners.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters today and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
The initial shock of radio stations flipping their seasonal format to All-Christmas is in the rear-view mirror.
When the idea floated through radio halls, both listeners and programmers grumbled while reactions ranged from “This is genius!” and “This is ridiculous!”. Until boxcar Arbitron numbers delivered. Ratings so powerful, Arbitron (now Nielsen) was forced to create a magical 13th month in their ratings plan, The Holiday Book.
Holiday 2025 as Nielsen refers to it today runs from December 11, 2025 through January 7, 2026. Today virtually every market in America has at least one station that flips to Christmas music.
The title of First Adult Contemporary All-Christmas Station in a major market is a wrestling match between Phoenix’s KEZ (now KESZ) and KEZK in the early 1990’s, both owned by the now consolidated EZ Communications. We covered the timing of the All-Christmas format flips in this column earlier this month.
The other All-Christmas topic which brings spirited debate is playlist curation. Opinions are as vast as the “timing” topic. We asked a panel of All-Christmas veterans for their perspective on the titles recommended for playlist design.
Jonathan Little
Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Famer Jonathan Little is a household name in Madison, WI. He is a legendary Morning Man, Programmer and General Manager. Now the Owner and General Manager of Troy Research has plied his knowledge of best practices for All-Christmas for decades. He shares those thoughts with me.
Ratings tell the story. Christmas music produces additional Cume and increases Time Spent Listening. For stations going all-Christmas it’s an outreach opportunity. From my experience and observations of other people’s programming, familiarity is the most critical factor in curating Christmas music. At first blush that sounds like an “of-course” observation. But some programmers like to be adventurous with new Christmas songs. And there a few brand-new Christmas songs released every year. Be careful with those.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Little on Facebook
Johnathan Little’s Christmas Music Do’s and Don’ts:
Do make familiarity your guide. Familiar artist or familiar song every time, every song. Often it’s both.
Do play the classics by the original artists. (Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, Nat “King” Cole, Brenda Lee, etc.)
Do play the classics by familiar artists in your format.
Do play novelty classics, but never more than one per hour. (The Chipmunks, The Grinch, etc.) They carry tune-out potential.
Don’t play a new Christmas song by a relatively new artist in your format.
Don’t play a Christmas song with high burn even though it’s a classic. Research will guide you.
Don’t overplay the same artist. Attempt to give 30 minutes separation. At least 20 minutes.
Some discoveries in the last few years with our research. Three sometimes overlooked and underplayed tracks.
Downhere “How Many Kings”
Faith Hill “A Baby Changes Everything”
Tasha Layton “Rockin Around the Christmas Tree”
Research is marketing! Go for listener engagement. To achieve additional promotion that you’re “The Christmas Station” post a link to your Christmas Music Survey on your homepage. “Help us curate Christmas music this year by taking our Christmas survey. Thanks in advance for helping program your Christmas favorites.” Troy Research can help.
John Frost
When I made the transition from secular to Contemporary Christian Radio in the early 2000’s, John Frost was a trusted mentor. In his four decades of leadership across all formats, John has mentored countless successful on-air shows and programming leaders. John is widely known for applying mainstream radio strategies and research disciplines to Christian radio. He has driven the All-Christmas charge in Christian Music Radio for years and shared his thoughts as well.
Is it Christmas music programming good or bad? Right or wrong? Hip or stale?
Viewed simply as a programming tactic, programming all Christmas music is about as crazy as it gets. Your listeners come to you because you play the music they love (Chris Tomlin, Big Daddy Weave, Hercules and the Chicken Fat People). Now you’ve decided to stop playing the Christian music they love to start playing Burl Ives and Brenda Lee. That’s like ESPN deciding to stop carrying sports. How in the name of Alvin and the Chipmunks is THAT supposed to be a good idea?
However, viewed as a programming strategy it’s a different thing altogether.
RISK is something every business, every product, and every radio station must overcome in the Adoption Process. With no offense to Ronald McDonald, no one you’ve ever met considers McDonalds their favorite hamburger place. Yet McDonalds is the 6th most valuable brand in the world according to Forbes. How’d that happen? It’s not because they have the best burger, but because they flawlessly deliver a consistent experience whether in Dallas, Dublin, or Dubai.
In other words, McDonalds has virtually eliminated RISK.
When done well, Christmas music programming totally eliminates RISK for a new listener. The unfamiliar music is replaced by music they’ve known and loved since they sat on Santa’s knee as a kid. And Christmas is a holiday that is foundational to our Christian faith. This strategy wouldn’t work on Ground Hog Day.
I’ll never forget the story told to me by my talented friend Tom Fridley. He spent a season working in the post office, where the dozens of employees went about their business of sorting the mail isolated in their cubicles listening on the headphones to their individual pop, country, rock, or AC station. Something interesting happened when the Christmas music started. The headphones came off, and everyone in the office listened to one station, the Christmas music radio station.
Photo Credit: John Frost on Facebook
Christmas is the largest possible “shared interest” for our format. It allows stations to become instantly familiar as we connect to Christmas memories, shopping, decorating the tree, the local parade, the neighborhoods with the best Christmas lights, the dynamics of family get togethers, and the church Christmas pageant.
Stations tend to play a tighter list than throughout the year, primarily because there are fewer songs to choose from. There are also so many different versions of the same song. Stations tend to stay away from novelty Christmas songs (“Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”), that would be out of sync with the station’s Beliefs and Values position. Some classics make their way into the playlist because they have been reintroduced to a younger generation, such as “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” in Home Alone.
Styles of Christmas music by preference:
Traditional songs by pop/classic artists
Traditional songs by Christian artists
Originals by Christian artists
Originals by secular artists
Tactically, replacing the regular playlist with Christmas music makes no sense at all. Strategically, it may be the most important decision for growth that a station can make.
I have worked with numerous Christian music stations that have reached #1 in their market in the Christmas season or reached one million in cume, once considered impossible for a CCM station.
Alex Rawls
Jonathan and John’s perspectives are solid for terrestrial radio. What about All-Christmas Music Superfans outside radio who also create lean-forward Christmas Playlists? That brings us to Alex Rawls, New Orleans based writer and podcaster whose work has appeared in Spin, Rolling Stone, Offbeat, and The Times-Picayune among others. Alex has what you might call, a different take.
I come from a campus radio and alternative press background. I’m almost always interested in something new or interesting that the mainstream overlooked. I still love the thrill of discovering something new or simply new to me, and that applies to Christmas music too. I want to hear somebody find an interesting, unexpected way into canonical Christmas songs, or figure out how to write a good song within the familiar confines of Christmas music.
Photo Credit: Alex Rawls on Facebook
When I make Christmas playlists, I have a few ideas in mind as starting places. Most people hear Christmas music as background music, so I make playlists that will fit into people’s lives. I don’t need to show off my most outrageous discoveries of the year. I’d rather pick songs that don’t demand attention but reward it when it’s paid to them.
I also buy the broadcasters’ belief that people approach Christmas music from a nostalgic place. They’ll also cut a little slack if you earn it though. I lean on familiar songs, sounds and voices, but not all together. “White Christmas” is beautiful, but I’ll play Clyde McPhatter’s version, not Bing’s. Minneapolis R&B singer Alexander O’Neal was part of the music community that introduced us to Prince, and his version of “The Little Drummer Boy” livens the song up with those funky roots.
Similarly, Brenda Lee’s a part of America’s Christmas. I want to hear her voice during the holidays, but I’ll hear her sing “Papa Noel” or “I’m Gonna Lasso Santa Claus.” From church, we’ve heard the organ play Christmas music, so when in doubt I’ll go to an instrumental organ version of a Christmas song. Booker T & the MGs Christmas album, “In the Christmas Spirit,” might be one of the best.
I think there are two modern Christmas classic albums, “A Joyful Sound” by Kelly Finnigan and “Socks” by JD McPherson. Both are more overt in the way they reference the past. Finnigan’s retro R&B hearkens back to the psychedelic soul of the late 1960s and ‘70s and groups like The Rotary Connection. The instruments and the overall song recall that era, so every song sounds like a lost 45 on a regional label that you lucked out and discovered. McPherson’s echoes go back to the 1950s as he tried to write the songs that Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller should have written for The Coasters but didn’t. They’re fun and often funny on their own merits, and exquisitely crafted.
If I have a basic Christmas playlist guiding principle, it’s putting the listeners’ interests ahead of my own. I’m still picking songs with my own aesthetics, but I think about how they’ll land. One year, I found Los Del Rio’s “Macarena Christmas,” and I thought the existence of the record was so funny that I couldn’t wait to put it on holiday playlists. It never happened, though. It never fit. The change to it from almost any song was too jarring.
For what it’s worth, I tend to pull together 3 to 4 hours of Christmas music and encourage people to hear it on shuffle. You can hear one of my playlists from last Christmas in a piece I wrote for Nola.com here. Another accompanied an appearance I did last year on WBUR’s “Here and Now”. Yo can read that one here. Both of these are shorter and tastes of music to help open up people’s Christmas playlists.
Conclusion
Development of an All-Christmas playlist is more than just simple programming. It’s strategy. Or in Alex’s world, just plain fun.
For radio, the balance of Gold Standards with “newer” hits while salting in a few surprises allows your brand to connect emotionally with the sound of the season. Done well and with intention, you’re not just a radio station – you are the holiday spirit one song at a time.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters today and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Put yourself in a listener-focused mindset. If you are a news anchor, talk radio show host, or producer, you must be thinking about your audience first.
I have heard more than one radio performer say that their show is important for their listeners. It probably is. But how are your ratings? Are the listeners getting older and the numbers dwindling?
If you tell me that ratings don’t matter, it’s revenue. How are your revenue numbers? Have you asked your market manager? Are you meeting your target demographic where they are?
When Walter Sabo was consulting stations, he didn’t want to have lunch with the market manager, program director, or operations manager at some fine restaurant. Walter wanted to go to the food court of the local mall.
There were a couple of reasons. The only place that served the delicacy “bourbon chicken” was at the food court. The other reason is that the food court actually had busy people doing things. People in the food court are real. If you go to a fancy eatery that brags about handmade cocktails and burgers, you are around a few foodies but not seeing the great unwashed. The food court is perhaps the only part of your local mall that is still doing great business in 2025.
To think strategically about our ratings and revenue growth, we must stop theoretically trying to retool what worked in 2005 and seriously evaluate everything we do. I am not a rocket scientist, but if we are just doing what we did 20 years ago, we are in huge trouble as a format and a medium.
News/talk stations have some built-in advantages over music radio. We are hopefully speaking with the people. When I refer to the people, I am not talking about some pinhead from a think tank or a locally elected official. We are at our best when speaking to listeners. Your listeners want entertainment.
Music stations have a huge mountain to climb. I use Amazon Music. I have 800 songs on my playlist that I love listening to. There is no music station programmed for me personally, and for decades, music stations programmed into their listeners’ skulls that more music and less talk is an actual benefit.
Well, the content comes from the radio personalities, not from the music. Your news/talk station or show has the potential to relate to your audience in real life. News/talk has so many advantages over other platforms. Now, are you actually using those advantages?
Because of Reddit, social media, and other information destinations, we can run deep on practically any interest. That can be great and quite rewarding. The limitation of going down the rabbit hole is that there is very little interaction, and the ability to ask questions or debate a particular subject is somewhat limited.
We have all received or written a text/email where the intended recipient read it out of context. There is no natural inflection. Nuance cannot easily be expressed. Well, you, the news/talk radio host, can express the shades of gray or wrinkles in a news story. Callers can add to the conversation with details that have not been expressed or question a point that the host made so an idea can be clarified.
Talk radio, in many ways, was the first social media platform. I was speaking with a friend of mine, and she read something from a fairly well-known commentator. She wanted to know what I thought of the story. My answer was that I didn’t know the information presented and needed to research it more closely. Talk radio hosts can break through the noise. A lot of blog writers will do whatever they can to get more clicks and likes. The currency of the internet is all centered on clicks and likes. There are many “hot takes” on current events. I am all for it, but hosts should always realize that having a hot but inaccurate take is problematic for their brand. If you are a hot-take host, you must be able to totally back it up.
As I have referred to previously, humor is a currency that many hosts have almost zero ability to execute properly. Your credibility is more important than gold. If your audience cannot depend on you to deliver on your show’s unique selling proposition, you are in trouble.
Speaking of that: what is your show’s unique selling proposition? If you have never adopted this strategy, ask a favorite account executive or sales manager to explain how your company helps local businesses develop their unique selling proposition. It is a solid exercise to make sure your show or station’s brand is delivering on its strongest attributes.
When is the last time you enjoyed bourbon chicken at the food court? Have you noticed that your friendly neighborhood Chinese restaurant does not serve bourbon chicken? I love Chinese cuisine. I am an amply proportioned gentleman and I love all types of ethnic foods. I went to an Ethiopian place a while back and just loved it. I believe I was the only person who looked like me there for lunch that day. Be that host or station that meets and exceeds the expectations of your listeners — the real, food-court-listeners — every day. Pick up some bourbon chicken as well.
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KCBS Radio anchor Eric Thomas has announced his retirement from the San Francisco all-news brand.
Thomas joined the Audacy station in 2020 after more than a quarter-century working in local television in the Bay Area at KGO-TV.
Thomas previously worked in radio at another Audacy news/talk station — KMOX in St. Louis — after graduating from college. He spent five years on the air working as a writer and producer before ascending to the role of on-air reporter.
He later moved over to KMOV-TV before taking a position at ABC7 in San Francisco, where he worked until joining KCBS Radio in 2020.
Most recently, Eric Thomas has served as the morning news anchor at the all-news station, alongside Margie Shafer.
His final day with KCBS Radio was today.
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