There’s a new nighttime jock at Milwaukee’s classic rock 96.5 WKLH, as “Big Jake” Calgaro has assumed the role.
“Big Jake” has been with the station since March, joining as an Assistant Traffic Director and working in the promotions department until the opportunity to be on air arose.
In a post to Facebook, Calgaro shared his excitement to join the Saga Communications classic rock station lineup.
“Milwaukee, your nights just got a whole lot bigger,” the new host shared. “I am beyond excited to announce that I will be taking over weeknights on 96.5 WKLH! I am extremely grateful to everybody in the building especially our GM and KLH brand manager for trusting me to lend my voice to such a legendary radio station … Let’s do this thing.”
Big Jake’s first day on the air was as host of the evening timeslot was on Monday evening. He will be heard from 7 PM to Midnight.
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.
Rumors have been swirling that CBS News is eyeing Fox News anchor Bret Baier as its next anchor of CBS Evening News. On Monday, Baier effectively squashed those rumors.
Late last week, a report from Oliver Darcy of Status shared that Bari Weiss was looking to “shake up” the legacy news brand, which has consistently lagged behind competitors ABC News and NBC News in the evening newscast ratings.
One name floated at the top of Weiss’ list was Bret Baier. However, a Fox News spokesperson has confirmed to Barrett Media that Baier is under contract with the network through 2028.
In an appearance on Citizen McCain with Meghan McCain, Baier was asked about the reports and what his future held.
He quickly denied that a move to CBS News was a possibility at this time.
“I’m flattered by all the press and everything like that, but I’m in a multi-year contract with Fox,” Baier responded. “I don’t know where everything is going. I’m signed on to Fox, very happy at Fox, and we’ll see what happens at the end of that.”
You heard it here first! @BretBaier squashes rumors that he’s leaving Fox to join Bari Weiss and host CBS Evening News.
After McCain noted that her husband works at Fox News and that she’s a viewer of the cable network, Baier responded by saying, “I love the Fox News viewer, one at a time.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
SonicTrek.ai has added a key voice to its expanding digital radio portfolio. The company announced the hiring of longtime country media editor Amanda Hensel as MyCountry.fm Content Coordinator and Director of Social Media.
In her new role, Hensel will lead the development of localized content for MyCountry.fm. While overseeing social media strategies across SonicTrek.ai’s suite of AI-driven formats.
Hensel, based in Austin, Texas, brings more than a decade of editorial experience to the role. She spent 14 years as Editor-in-Chief of Taste of Country. Where she steered coverage of country music’s biggest stars and cultural trends. Known for her authentic storytelling and sharp editorial instincts, Hensel has built a strong reputation in the country music community.
SonicTrek.ai Partner and CEO Joel Denver called Hensel’s addition a significant step for the company’s mission. Modernizing radio through AI-driven content creation.
“We are excited to have Amanda joining SonicTrek.ai in this important role,” Denver said. “Localized AI content is what will make the difference between what’s on the radio now and what will be on the radio in the near future. With our format offerings. Radio’s paradigm will shift toward a more creative playlist for each market, and the localized content from our AI hosts will draw in listeners and keep them coming back.”
That vision of personalization and innovation also defines MyCountry.fm’s approach. Brand Manager Charlie Cook said Hensel’s background and enthusiasm make her a perfect fit for the next phase of the format’s growth.
“When you’re starting something new and creative. It’s lucky to find someone who sees the potential and understands what it’s going to take to make the future come alive,” Cook said. “Amanda brings hands-on experience and a passion for the country genre. Allowing us to deliver on our promise of telling localized stories every day.”
For Hensel, the move represents both a professional evolution and an opportunity to help bridge tradition and technology.
“I’m thrilled to join the team at SonicTrek.ai and help shape the future of radio,” she said. “What SonicTrek.ai is doing with AI feels fresh, forward-thinking, and exactly what this industry needs—more localized content. It’s time to breathe new life into one of entertainment’s most enduring formats.”
SonicTrek.ai has quickly become a leader in AI-infused programming. Launching four distinct formats: MyCountry.fm, hosted by Suzanne Alexander and programmed by Cook; Phoebe: Curiously Alternative, crafted by Dennis Constantine; Starship, a reimagined take on classic rock led by Lee Abrams and Constantine; and Cool Classics, a fresh spin on classic hits programmed by Brian Kelly and hosted by Randi West.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
ESPN, Disney, Pixar, and the NFL are teaming up once again to blend sports and storytelling in a way that continues to push the boundaries of live sports production. On Monday, Dec. 8, Monsters Funday Football will bring the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers to life inside the Monsters, Inc. universe during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast.
This season’s animated telecast will use the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, along with Sony’s Beyond Sports visualization and Hawk-Eye Innovations, to turn every snap, pass, and touchdown into a real-time animated experience set in Monstropolis.
The game will air at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney+, and the new ESPN App, while also streaming on NFL+ for mobile viewers. The traditional broadcast with Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, and Laura Rutledge will run concurrently on ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes.
This marks the third straight season ESPN has experimented with its “Funday Football” concept, following Toy Story Funday Football in 2023 and The Simpsons Funday Football last December. Each edition has advanced ESPN’s blend of sports and entertainment, targeting younger audiences and families while highlighting its growing use of real-time motion tracking and animation technology.
“Each iteration of Funday Football has pushed the boundary of what’s possible in sports technology,” said Michael “Spike” Szykowny, ESPN’s Vice President of Graphics Innovation. “By blending real-time NFL data and tracking with cutting-edge animation, we’re transforming the way fans experience an NFL game.”
This year’s version will see beloved Pixar characters Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan join Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert on a fully animated field known as the “Cheer Floor,” a reimagined version of the movie’s Scare Floor. The two monsters will even sub in for key plays, competing for “Cheer Canisters” that capture fans’ cheers instead of screams.
ESPN’s Drew Carter and NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky will once again call the action as animated avatars of themselves, using Sony’s virtual commentator technology and VR headsets to interact within the Monstropolis world. Social media personality Katie Feeney joins the broadcast this year as a virtual correspondent, offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at the action and characters.
Monsters Funday Football will be available internationally on Disney+ and ESPN platforms across more than 155 markets, including Latin America, Australia, the Netherlands, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Canada.
Monsters Funday Football Coming Dec. 8 🏈
👾 Live, animated #MNF game ft. Mike/@Eagles & Sulley/@chargers 🤖 Set in the Monsters, Inc. Factory on the Cheer Floor 🧌 Characters & sights from Monstropolis throughout
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.
Paramount, now part of Skydance Corporation, and the UFC are extending their partnership with a new seven-year, multi-territory media rights agreement that will make Paramount+ the exclusive home of UFC content across Latin America and Australia starting in 2026.
The new deal builds upon the landmark agreement announced in August. Which granted Paramount+ exclusive rights to all UFC events in the United States beginning in 2026. The expansion positions Paramount+ as a global destination for fight fans, strengthening its live sports portfolio and international streaming presence.
“The partnership with Paramount has already been incredible and it just keeps getting bigger and better,” said UFC President and CEO Dana White. “They are now taking on new territories like Latin America and Australia. This thing is just going to continue to grow. It just shows you how aggressive they are with this business, and I love it. I can’t wait to continue working together and building the next generation of talent all over the world.”
In Latin America, including Brazil, Paramount+ subscribers will gain access to every UFC numbered event and all 30 UFC Fight Nights each year at no additional cost. The agreement ensures fans will be able to stream every major fight live. Significantly enhancing the platform’s sports value in a region where UFC has built a passionate following.
Meanwhile, in Australia, Paramount+ is adding UFC programming to its expanding sports lineup. Fans will receive all 30 UFC Fight Nights and the prelims for every major numbered event. Further bolstering the platform’s live sports offerings in one of its fastest-growing markets.
Cindy Holland, Paramount’s Chair of Direct-to-Consumer, emphasized the company’s focus on expanding high-profile sports content to audiences worldwide. “Delivering premium UFC programming to audiences on a global scale remains a top priority for Paramount,” Holland said. “We are thrilled to expand upon the historic offering of UFC content for Paramount+ subscribers across all plans to more passionate and engaged fans around the world.”
The move continues a broader trend among major streaming platforms aggressively pursuing live sports rights as a means to drive engagement and retention. For Paramount+, adding UFC strengthens a lineup that already includes NFL coverage, the UEFA Champions League, and other major properties.
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.
Last week’s column was the longest I’ve written to date as I attempted to explain the circumstances behind the Cumulus lawsuit against Nielsen. I offered my expectation of a possible outcome. Although I’ve worked for both companies at different times in my career, I have no inside information.
As you might expect, more is going on in the lawsuit, and some expensive lawyers have added more billable hours on both sides. This week, let’s look at some of the other moving parts.
Cumulus wants an expedited hearing on the merits of the case because going without national Nielsen Audio data (Nationwide) will hurt Westwood One. Nielsen is in no hurry. Cumulus’ attorneys sent a letter to Judge Jeannette Vargas of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on October 21.
Judge Vargas has been on the bench for just over a year (a Biden appointee), but you may have heard of her. She was the judge in the Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud when the latter released a “diss track” accusing Drake of being a “certified pedophile.” Drake sued Universal Music Group, and Judge Vargas ruled in favor of UMG, dismissing Drake’s suit.
The letter described a meeting with Nielsen’s lawyers where no agreement was reached with respect to discovery. It wasn’t surprising that Cumulus would like greater discovery and Nielsen would prefer less. Per a footnote in the letter, Cumulus had three attorneys present while Nielsen sent four. Seven attorneys in one conference room always make for a fun time, and I hope the pastries were good. The two sides didn’t agree, so the judge will decide.
Cumulus wants a preliminary injunction that would:
· Stop Nielsen from tying the sale of national data to local market data · Force Nielsen to continue selling Nationwide to Westwood One under the current contract · Prohibit Nielsen from retaliating against Cumulus in connection with this suit
In the meantime, Cumulus filed an “expert declaration” from Dr. Harold Furchgott-Roth. If that name sounds familiar, he was an FCC commissioner from 1997 until 2001, appointed by President Clinton as a Republican. Typically, the FCC has three members of one party and two of the other, with the balance dependent on the party of the President. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford, one of those ACC schools on the wrong coast, and an undergraduate degree from MIT.
I’m old enough to remember a Green Acres episode where Eb said he was attending MIT, which in that case was Middle Indiana Tonsorial, a barber school taught by mail. Dr. Furchgott-Roth’s curriculum vitae was included, and while his expert declaration was 16 pages, his CV ran to 30 pages.
To save you the effort, I read the document. He was asked to give his expert opinion on three relevant questions:
· Are the markets for local and national radio data separate markets? · Does Nielsen have market power in both markets? · Is Nielsen’s new “tying” policy anti-competitive?
As you may have expected, his analysis suggested that, based on the information he was given and was able to find, Nielsen has market power in both markets. For national market data, he states, “Nielsen…has a 100% market share in the market for provision of national radio ratings data.”
On the local side, his analysis stated that even in the five markets with both Nielsen and Eastlan, “Nielsen accounts for the vast majority of the revenue associated with the provision of local radio ratings data. There is strong evidence that Nielsen has market power over local radio ratings data.”
Dr. Furchgott-Roth concluded that:
· Nielsen’s Initial Tying Policy Harms Competition for Local Radio Ratings Data · Nielsen’s Alternative, De Facto Tying Policy Harms Competition for Local Radio Ratings Data
Reading the declaration brought a smile to my face. When I was a Ph.D. student at Michigan State in the ‘80s, I wrote a few policy papers for classes, and law journals were a great source of background. If you’ve ever read a law journal article, you know that sometimes there is more material in the footnotes than in the text itself, so I always checked the footnotes for leads to other good sources.
At the bottom of page 11 of the declaration, footnote 28 cited a column published in Barrett Media last November by yours truly, which makes Barrett Media and me part of the Cumulus-Nielsen case, albeit an infinitesimally small part. While I’m often surprised when I find out who reads my weekly output, this was a shock. I don’t think Jason is shocked by much of anything, but this was probably a first for him as well.
Nielsen has told the court that they intend to bring on an expert, and when that document is filed with the court, I’ll give you a synopsis. However, if Nielsen’s expert doesn’t cite Barrett Media or me, I’ll be greatly disappointed.
Let’s meet again next week.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
There are few broadcasters as synonymous with a sport as Richard John Vitale. A giant advocate for college basketball, he has represented the delivery of entertainment value to broadcasts on ESPN since 1979. Dick Vitale never desired to be a broadcaster, but his passion for basketball was too large to pass up any opportunity to be a part of it, thanks to some sage advice from the people he loves.
“My wife was livid. She’s the calmest person you’d ever meet,” Vitale recalled, describing her reaction when he turned down an opportunity to broadcast the first college basketball game on ESPN a second time. “She said, ‘You’re sitting here moping and feeling sorry about yourself. Bottom line is you should go there, have fun, and talk basketball.’”
The pep talk led to a third conversation with former ESPN executive Scotty Connell, where Vitale accepted an offer to stand beside Joe Boyle and call the DePaul game against Wisconsin on December 5, 1979.
Vitale has never left ESPN since. For the last 46 years, the former head basketball coach in both the NCAA and NBA has been a steward for the game. Admittedly, Vitale knew nothing about doing television when he took the position with the network. However, following his first broadcast, he received feedback that defined his legendary career.
A Life’s Work At ESPN
“He [Connell] called me the next day and told me there are two things you have that we can never teach: your energy and enthusiasm, and your ability to share such insights because you know the game,” noted Vitale. “Then he said, ‘You have no clue, none, when to get in and out.’”
Connell decided to keep Vitale on the roster of announcers for the newly formed sports network and placed him with seasoned broadcaster Jim Simpson. All these years later, that trust and support have elevated Vitale to a star of the network. This past June, on his 86th birthday, Vitale officially signed an extension with ESPN through the 2028-2029 college basketball season.
“ESPN is like family to me. After my family, I’ve been with them half of my life. The colleagues and people I’ve worked with have been so special over the years. They treated me like royalty,” said Vitale. “Jimmy Pitaro and many of their key people have supported me and told me, ‘Don’t worry about doing games. You’re still a member of our staff, and you’re still important.’”
Vitale shared the story of Pitaro offering the extension at his annual Dick Vitale Gala in 2024, highlighting the network’s full support of both Vitale and his cause, as well as his importance to ESPN’s history and impact on college basketball.
Dick Vitale, Jimmy PItaro (Courtesy: Dick Vitale)
“He said, ‘Bottom line is, whatever you can do, I’m pleased to have you,’” said Vitale of Pitaro’s remarks at the Gala.
Fighting Cancer
It has been no secret that the longtime broadcaster has struggled with his personal health in recent years. Vitale has been very public about his four battles with cancer since 2021, ranging from melanoma to lymphoma to vocal cord cancer. He explained why he wanted his fight to be so public: to help raise money for cancer research and provide a message of perseverance.
“The reason I made it so transparent: I did it because I knew it would help me raise money for kids. There’s nothing that means more to me right now than bringing a smile to a child’s face and their family’s faces,” explained Vitale, whose Dick Vitale Gala has raised over $105 million for pediatric cancer research. “I wanted to inspire people not to quit and to keep battling. I feel good about that. It makes me feel like I’m doing something worthwhile with my life. I want to give back now more than ever because people have given me so much.”
Throughout his battles with cancer, Vitale admits there were several ups and downs. The scars remain, but Vitale never gave up, bolstered by the support he received from around the world. He recalled a story from one evening during his lymphoma treatment. A hospital stay that felt like the end, until an encouraging talk with a nurse changed his mindset.
“There was one night after chemotherapy. My doctor told me I couldn’t go home. Things were not going well. I knew it because I was miserable all day. My family was there visiting me, and when they left, I got really hysterical,” recalled Vitale. “A nurse heard me and asked what was the matter. I said, ‘I don’t know, my family just left, and I don’t know if that’s the last time I’ll ever see them.’ It was scary.”
Dick & Lorraine Vitale (Courtesy: Dick Vitale)
The nurse calmed Vitale’s emotions, using the same messaging he had employed for his career as a motivational speaker and coach. He thanked her and then checked his phone, amazed by the support he saw.
“The people who reached out had no idea what had transpired about an hour before. They all knew I was doing chemo, but that’s it,” said Vitale. “I can’t tell you how those messages encouraged me. I choked up talking about how good people have been to me.”
Getting Back To Basketball
Last month, Vitale shared news from a recent PET scan confirming he is once again cancer-free. Although the battle may be over, the aftereffects remain. He is currently undergoing physical therapy to assist his legs, experiencing pain when standing after sitting. As a result, he has had to cut back on some personal travel to Notre Dame and USC, where he had planned to attend college football matchups.
While Vitale is in no rush to retire from ESPN and calling basketball games, he hinted at how he will know when it’s time.
“I still feel I have a lot to offer. I’ve told my bosses this about a hundred times. You’re not going to have to tell me when it’s over; I’ll tell myself because I would never embarrass myself or my family,” said Vitale. “I don’t do it for the money; I’ve made enough. In my heart I have something to contribute, and I still feel mentally alert and sharp. I would not go on air if I couldn’t remember the names of the players. There’s no way.”
Vitale’s focus for the season is his debut on ESPN on November 4, when he will be on the call with Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas for the inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational between Duke and Texas—a game named in honor of Vitale’s lasting legacy with ESPN.
“I can’t tell you how touched I was by that. I was told by the people at ESPN in programming and by those who shared that with me, I was moved to tears,” recalled Vitale. “That’s as good as it gets when your company thinks that much of you that they name an event after you. I hope I don’t get too emotional during the game, but it will be a special moment for my career.”
Outside of his season debut for the invitational, Vitale admitted he’s not sure which games he will broadcast for ESPN.
“I don’t know what games I’m doing. The people at ESPN have been very good with me and told me, ‘If you can do a game, do it. If you can’t, just tell us.’ That’s the approach I must take,” said Vitale. “At my age and after what I’ve been through, I can’t just commit. I’d love to do this game and that game, but I can’t.”
Vitale said he is working hard to ensure he’s ready for the November 4 telecast but is taking a slow approach with anything additional.
Every day for the 86-year-old broadcasting legend is a day to be celebrated. With plans to return to the network next month and reflecting on his legacy, Vitale hopes people remember him for the charismatic personality he portrayed on television and the kind heart he displayed off it. Fitting for a man who was labeled “everybody’s buddy” in his 1958 East Rutherford High School yearbook.
Dick Vitale Yearbook Photo (Courtesy: Dick Vitale)
“I’d like to be remembered as a guy who did everything with passion, pride, energy, and enthusiasm,” noted Vitale. “Reaching out to all people—I tried to do that all my life. It didn’t matter race or anything else. People are people. I’ve tried to live that in my life.”
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.
Mike Pereira has been the calm in the storm for football fans for 15 years on FOX. When chaos breaks out on a Sunday—flags fly, tempers flare, and millions of fans shout “what even is a catch?”—Pereira’s voice has been the bridge between confusion and clarity.
But with reports suggesting Pereira is likely stepping away from his role at FOX Sports after his contract ends following the 2026 NFL season, a bigger question emerges: in an age of technology, real-time replay systems, and now artificial intelligence.
Does modern football broadcasts even need a rules analyst anymore?
When FOX brought Pereira into the booth full-time in 2010, it wasn’t just a programming tweak. It was a revolution. For decades, broadcasters relied on the booth and the officials to explain calls that were often vague or inconsistent. Pereira, armed with credibility from his years as NFL vice president of officiating, became a trusted voice that viewers could rely on to explain the rulebook in real time—often better than the officials themselves.
That move set a template every network followed. CBS has Gene Steratore. ESPN has in Russell Yurk. Terry McAulay serves both NBC Sports and Amazon Prime. The “rules analyst” became a broadcast staple thanks to Pereira setting the stage—right up there with the sideline reporter and the telestrator.
They weren’t just analysts; they were translators. They humanized the rulebook and provided transparency in a sport that often feels like it’s evolving weekly. The human element of the insights was a massive addition to the broadcast at the time, even if the call didn’t go their way.
Enter the Algorithm
Fast forward to 2025, and the broadcast ecosystem looks nothing like it did when Pereira first joined the booth.
Today, AI systems can already track player movements, ball trajectories, and boundary markers with near-perfect precision. The NFL has invested heavily in its Next Gen Stats platform, which uses chips inside footballs and player pads to measure every movement. Tech firms like Genius Sports and Zebra Technologies are working on automated replay tools that can identify penalties or spotting errors before the human eye catches them.
In a world like that—where a smart replay system could instantly overlay whether a receiver’s toe grazed the sideline or whether the ball broke the plane—do we really need a former official to tell us what happened?
Or Do We Still Need a Human Voice to Explain the Human Game when it came to a close call?
Here’s the counterpoint—and it’s a strong one.
Even if AI can detect a violation or show us the rule application instantly, that doesn’t mean it can explain it. Rules in football aren’t purely black-and-white. They’re about interpretation, intent, and context. With humans there to explain it all.
What happens when an AI system flags a defensive hold that wasn’t called on a questionable play? Or when replay shows simultaneous possession but the rulebook’s gray area decides outcome? These are judgment calls—the kind where fans don’t want a machine’s opinion. They want a human to explain the why behind what they’re seeing, and what is being called.
That’s where people like Pereira, Steratore, and Yurk earn their value. They’re not just explaining rules—they’re explaining reasoning. They offer context, and sometimes even criticism that resonates with fans because it’s grounded in experience, not data. Something AI can never provide.
The Broadcast Challenge
Sports networks are walking a tightrope. AI and new tech tools can make broadcasts faster and more precise, and in some cases even more creative. Sports, especially football, are still emotional theater. Fans tune in not just to know the call, but to feel the call.
The tone of a Pereira explanation, his measured patience or his raised eyebrow at a missed holding call, carries personality—something that’s hard to replicate with algorithms or prepackaged graphic explainer tools.
That said, networks are all about experimenting with new toys at their disposal. It’s not a stretch to imagine a future where a replay box instantly shows the probability that a call will be upheld, powered by years of officiating data.
In that world, the “rules analyst” may evolve from explainer to interpreter—someone who doesn’t just tell us what the call means, but how the technology determined it.
Maybe the future isn’t a replacement—it’s a partnership.
Imagine a broadcast where AI instantly breaks down a questionable play, showing probability and rulebook reference in real time. Then a human expert like Pereira (or his successor) adds the “why it matters” context: explaining league tendencies, ref crew habits, or how similar plays were called earlier in the season.
It’s the same reason we haven’t replaced color commentators with predictive analytics, even though the data often outperforms human intuition. Fans want connection and perspective, not just precision.
What Pereira’s Retirement Symbolizes
If Pereira does indeed step away, it’s the end of an era—but maybe the start of an important conversation. For 15 years, he’s been the face of accountability in a broadcast world that thrives on second-guessing referees. He made the complicated understandable and the controversial tolerable. But his potential departure forces networks to ask a deeper question about where that role goes next.
Will they train the next generation of former officials to fill that seat? Or will the booth slowly phase it out in favor of AI-generated rule breakdowns and automated replay explanations? Isn’t that what all talent in broadcasting in afraid of? Why would the NFL be any different?
The smarter move might be to modernize the role, not eliminate it. Fans still crave that trust and transparency—perhaps now more than ever, in an age where everything feels filtered through algorithms and graphics. AI can tell us what happened, a rules analyst like Mike Pereira can tell us why it matters.
The future of sports broadcasting shouldn’t choose between them—it should find a way to let both voices coexist. When millions of fans are shouting at their TVs about whether that was a catch or not, there’s still something reassuring about hearing a calm, credible human voice say, “Here’s what they saw. Here’s why it’s right—or wrong.”
That voice, at least for now, can’t be programmed.
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.
We are all under pressure in our lives. We have personal lives, financial concerns, work worries as it relates to our radio jobs, and safety concerns. This is a lot of stuff, and some people seem to handle it better than others. But I have seen people who seem like they have it all together, and then the wheels come off.
Are you taking time for yourself?
I know — I used to roll my eyes when someone said the term “self-care.”
Even in the happiest and most functional of romantic relationships, there can be some conflict. Obviously, we all know couples who always seem to be fighting like cats and dogs.
I have dear friends of mine who fought like hell while they were dating, engaged, and married. Eventually, they divorced but co-parented two amazing kids. Because I am in radio and have moved a few times, I see these people rarely, but when I visit, I see them. Even though both have remarried, they still have great love and respect for each other and, yes, still snipe at each other over everything.
That works for some people. These are great professionals. Especially when trying to host a show, most hosts want to be focused like a laser beam on the task at hand. When I was hosting a daily show, an argument with my lady friend would be a huge distraction. Perhaps you can handle that better than I. A kid has gotten into trouble or is sick — how do you handle these things? Your mom fell and broke her hip. Your wayward sibling was arrested.
How do you keep the show first? I will answer that for you.
What are your financial concerns? Are you ready for your kids’ never-ending college careers? What about retirement? Do you have enough money to cushion the blow if you are a victim of a RIF? You also may have more personal debt than is manageable. Are you financially supporting elderly parents? Have you priced out doggy daycare? Nothing is cheap, and raises at radio stations are as rare as the black-footed ferret.
Most radio people are creative types, and that doesn’t necessarily mean that we are careful planners. We must focus on a holistic look at our lives. Are you maximizing the 401k program at your office? Are you saving outside of the company program? You are likely not receiving that precious company match to your 401k program.
How do you adjust? There are two ways, of course: gamble a lot and hope for the best, or carefully monitor your spending, debt, and savings. How can you get out of debt quicker? Are you spending an insane amount on car payments? I know people who spend a couple of grand a month on eating out. It is not that tough to spend a couple of hundred dollars on dinner and drinks. How much are you door-dashing? I know that I personally need to watch how much I eat out each week.
What’s going on at the office? A few companies recently laid off employees. If this happened at your workplace, it is stressful and can impact your show. Office stress can affect your enthusiasm, motivation, coworkers’ moods, and teamwork. This can be detrimental to your show. A buddy of mine recently lost his longtime producer to a RIF. He is lost — that producer kept him organized and guaranteed a strong show. These circumstances beyond our control can create stress, challenges, and are just not fun.
Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, there is a big concern for safety. Most radio people are not experts in personal security. We want to live our lives without having safety as job one. Well, it is. It is not just your safety that you are worried about. You can’t help but think of coworkers, family members, and, of course, yourself. Doxxing people is shockingly easy to do. All a crazy person has to do is spend $10 to know where you live. This is stressful as hell. I know that you put this to the back of your mind, but it is there and can affect your mood, show, and more. Do you have a safety plan?
Here are my thoughts on self-care. I hate that term as well, but here we are. You must be able to handle all of these pressures and more. We have all been in situations that seem like a dead end. I personally have benefited from spending time alone to reflect on things. It allows me to make an action plan for what is next.
I was at a job early in my career for too long. I was very comfortable and really enjoyed what I was doing. And I then realized that I could have done more. I was being held back by not moving on to the next position. I was very happy in that city — great friends, fantastic employer, good work experience — but staying would hold me back from achieving what I felt I could do.
My self-reflection was the first step for me to move on to my next job.
Are you taking time for yourself? Are you ignoring issues because you are too busy? If your life is filled with commitments and activities, you may just be hiding from the problems in your life. There is nothing wrong with seeing a religious leader, a counselor, or a trusted confidant and sharing your concerns.
Don’t ignore the issues in your life. Lying to the person in the mirror is so damaging. There are no guarantees in your life. You will be facing huge challenges. We don’t get unlimited time to fix what is wrong. Waiting until next year or for some other benchmark won’t fix what needs to be addressed.
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.
Coaching. Some have it, some don’t. Other’s get bad coaching, even today, from peers who’ve been at this radio thing for decades.
In every field, from boardrooms to break rooms, football sidelines, and chef competitions, no one achieves brilliance alone. A true coach is a trusted partner that helps us grow. No matter where we are in our growth development.
True Growth isn’t an accident. Growth is intentional both using and deploying a step by step process to increase a talent’s confidence and potential.
The number one golfer in the world has a team of coaches. Scottie Scheffler’s swing coach is Randy Smith (since he was seven). The coach behind Sheffler’s brilliant putting is Phil Kenyon. To stay in top physical shape Scheffler turns to Dr. Troy Van Biezen. Those who swing a club know the mental game is a huge part of the game. Scheffler stays fully present on the course by following the teachings of Mental Coach Dr. Karla Steingraber.
In radio, especially among Adult Formats, consistent coaching is nearly non-existent. However, as a talent or programmer, you can find affordable resources to assist in staff advancement.
Coaching isn’t a one or two session thing. No matter the ratings season or system, every day your audience votes with their attention. Not just during a “big” ratings book.
Listener perception never goes on hiatus. What you execute today becomes tomorrow’s reputation. Every element of your brand as a talent weaves into the long-term impression that drives audience recall, preference, and daily visits to your show.
As programmers, you are their coach. Create the time to invest in your most important asset – Talent.
Here’s a starter kit check list:
Equip talent with the tools they need to win.
Define and share a clear picture of success.
Coach consistently and with purpose.
Encourage talent to build a Personal Promotional Strategy.
Hard schedule team updates that keep talent aligned.
Partner with key brands to maximize shared exposure like Chambers of Commerce or local travel bureaus.
Create the atmospherics that make your event feel like a political rally with eye-catching signs, swag that sticks, and show business.
If you’re budget-challenged, affordable sources for talent and programmers are a click away. This list includes the still relevant and decades old “Personality Radio” from Dan O’Day, Tracy Johnson’s “Morning Radio Revisited: A Guide to Developing On-Air Superstars” and the talent staple handbook “Creating Powerful Radio: Getting, Keeping and Growing Audiences” from talent coach Valerie Geller.
At times, you catch sage advice from unconventional places. Here are a few.
Steve Dahl and Garry Meier; photo courtesy of the Radio Hall of Fame and Canva
Before moving onto writing and publishing, Rick Kaempfer made great radio as the guiding rudder as show producer behind the legendary duo Steve Dahl & Garry Meier on WLUP-FM/Chicago (The Loop) and WJMK/Chicago’s John Records Landecker.
Rick is now a publisher and author of several bestselling books including The Radio Producer’s Handbook(with WTMX/ Chicago John Swanson). In it, they share in which they share their legacy knowledge of all things-morning-show-producing. Rick’s just curated the exhibit “Five Decades of The Loop Radio: Where Chicago Rocked” at The Museum of Broadcast Communications in downtown Chicago.
I’ve come to know that radio producers make superior coaches. Nearly two decades back, Rick was a Guest Host for my weekly column “The Robinson Report”. What he wrote then applies still today. Here are a few excerpts:
“I was a radio producer for twenty plus years. I always got along well with both sides because I’m a natural right brained person and could think like the talent, but I was raised in a very strict German family of left-brained thinkers. Therefore I could also understand where the programmers were coming from.
I heard what programmers were trying to say during coaching sessions, but I also heard what the talent was hearing. It wasn’t the same thing. Ninety percent of those problems could have been avoided by following three simple rules.
1. Leave your anal tendencies at the door.
In your job, attention to detail is a necessity until you apply it to your coaching sessions.You must let the little things go. When the talent hears you constantly harping about something that he or she considers completely meaningless (you know what I’m talking about here—the stuff that makes them roll their eyes), your chances of getting them to listen to your advice on any other subject is gone forever.
2. Use the proportional rule.
Yes, talent is sensitive, but you don’t need to deal with them with kid gloves. You can say what you really believe. You just need to convey the positive as enthusiastically as you convey the negative.
If you think 90% of the show was good and only 10% wasn’t, then you should be spending 90% of your time praising the stuff you liked, and only ten percent critiquing. When you only accentuate the negative, you’re subliminally telling them that you hate the show, even if you don’t feel that way.
3. Listen to their ideas, don’t immediately judge them.
Way too many great ideas die because programmers don’t listen. Often a creative person can see the potential in an idea before he or she is able to put it into words. That needs to nurtured, not squashed. Restrain yourself from pooh-poohing ideas you don’t understand. Help them talk through their ideas instead. When the talent is unable to verbalize it to you, he will realize that it needs to gestate in his brain a little longer. Eventually, he’ll come back to you later with a great idea, or he’ll kill it himself.
The key is being non-judgmental. You’re not against it. You’re just trying to understand it.That’s it. That’s all you need to do. If you follow those three simple rules, the talent will believe you are on the same team, which of course you are.
Once the talent believes he has a teammate, he or she will be more confident. Once they are more confident, their natural creativity will flourish, and once that happens, everyone wins.”
Comedian Nate Bargatze is barn-storming his way through America on a sold-out arena tour. So when we saw THIS CLIP of how he writes comedy, it hit home. He doesn’t write his jokes word-for-word. He keeps content conversational and “knows how to get out of the joke” when the timing or audience shifts.
“I always have how I would start the joke and how I would end the joke. It’s when I don’t have the ending that’s where I could lose the steam in the joke. To me, it’s always you’ve got to know how to get out of the joke so you can riff. As long as you start the joke, then you can play and have a dismount.”
We coach talent to write the exit FIRST and assign the exit in an ensemble environment. It’s like building a roadmap for your storytelling.
Coaching styles and presentation tips are vast. Your style should be customized by talent personality and format. Each coach has a different perspective on how to get to the shared ratings win.
Starting with small, meaningful steps with YOUR style builds confidence, trust and results. You get to witness real growth. You might even surprise yourself with your own 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.
