ESPN host Paul Finebaum has been reportedly banned from his regular appearances on ESPN programming following an interview with OutKick founder Clay Travis. Travis took to social media on Monday with his reporting that Finebaum was removed by Disney and ESPN executives following the SEC Network host’s interview with Travis regarding Finebaum’s interest in running for a vacant senate seat in the state of Alabama.
During the same interview, Finebaum stated that ESPN previously shut down a potential interview then President Donald Trump in 2019 in which the host said surrounded the LSU-Alabama showdown that year.
ESPN public relations team is denying the report. Barrett Media has also reached out to Finebaum, but has not returned messages.
Travis posted the report on his social media accounts early Monday morning.
Per sources: Disney/ESPN has removed Paul Finebaum from appearing on ESPN since his OutKick interview expressing interest in running as a Republican for senate in Alabama,” tweeted Travis. “ESPN has canceled all network appearances on all shows, including some that have occurred for a decade plus.”
It should be noted that Finebaum did broadcast his program, The Paul Finebaum Show, on Friday live from Gainesville. Ahead of the Florida Gators match up against the Texas Longhorns. Finebaum also did make an appearance on ESPN’s College Football YouTube channel during his weekly appearance with SportsCenter anchor Matt Barrie on The Matt Barrie Show.
Where Finebaum was missing from since the interview with Travis was his regular SportsCenter hit on Sunday morning where he looks back at the weekend of college football. He was also absent from a weekly appearance on First Take on ESPN.
ESPN vice president of public relations Bill Hofheimer was quick to deny the report by Travis.
“This is not true at all,” tweeted Hofheimer. “The below is TOTALLY FALSE.”
Travis then responded to ESPN PR’s statement on his report by stating the decision is above Hofheimer’s “pay grade,” and stands by his reporting.
Paul Finebaum has been a mainstay at ESPN for over a decade. He joined the company in 2013 and helped launch the SEC Network in 2014 as one of its main talents. In August of 2024, ESPN and Finebaum agreed to a multi-year contract extension.
Per sources: Disney/ESPN has removed @finebaum from appearing on @ESPN since his @outkick interview expressing interest in running as a Republican for senate in Alabama. ESPN has canceled all network appearances on all shows, including some that have occurred for a decade plus.
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ESPN is doubling down on its NHL coverage heading into the 2025-26 season, announcing new multi-year agreements with several of its top hockey voices. The network has re-signed Bob Wischusen, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, P.K. Subban, Kevin Weekes, and Leah Hextall, solidifying a veteran roster that blends play-by-play excellence with deep on-ice insight and analysis.
Joining the group this season is Stanley Cup champion T.J. Oshie, who transitions from a 16-year NHL career into his new role as a studio and game analyst. Known for his leadership and clutch playoff performances, Oshie brings firsthand experience and championship pedigree to the broadcast team.
Additionally, veteran coach and 2004 Stanley Cup champion John Tortorella rejoins ESPN as an analyst, offering candid insights and a coach’s perspective on the modern game.
Wischusen, who joined ESPN in 2005, remains one of the network’s primary NHL play-by-play voices. Known for his storytelling and versatility, he has called everything from college football to golf, in addition to serving as the radio voice of the NFL’s New York Jets. His steady presence brings familiarity and credibility to ESPN’s growing hockey footprint.
Campbell-Pascall, a four-time Olympic medalist and eight-time IIHF World Champion, continues her role as an analyst. Since joining ESPN’s NHL coverage in 2021, she has become one of the sport’s most respected voices. Her groundbreaking career includes becoming the first woman to serve as a color commentator for Hockey Night in Canada in 2006, along with her ongoing role as a special advisor to the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Subban returns as part of ESPN and ABC’s high-energy studio coverage, bringing charisma and sharp analysis to Hockey Saturday alongside Steve Levy and Mark Messier. The former Norris Trophy winner and three-time NHL All-Star has translated his dynamic playing career into a standout media presence while continuing his philanthropic work supporting youth hockey across North America.
Weekes, one of the most trusted names in hockey broadcasting, extends his tenure as both a studio and game analyst. The former NHL goaltender made history in 2009 as the first Black analyst in the sport and remains a global ambassador for hockey. His ability to blend insight, personality, and perspective has made him a cornerstone of ESPN’s NHL presentation.
Hextall also returns for her fifth season as a reporter. A pioneer in hockey broadcasting, she was the first woman to call play-by-play for a nationally televised NHL game and the first to call an NCAA men’s ice hockey championship for ESPN. Her continued presence reinforces ESPN’s commitment to representation and storytelling across its hockey coverage.
ESPN’s 2025-26 NHL roster features a deep bench of play-by-play announcers, analysts, and reporters, including Roxy Bernstein, John Buccigross, Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, AJ Mleczko, Emily Kaplan, and Arda Öcal. The network’s renewed lineup underscores its commitment to delivering comprehensive, personality-driven coverage as the puck drops on another season.
ESPN re-signs five #NHL commentators to multi-year agreements
Plus, John Tortorella returns as an NHL analyst for the '25-'26 season
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1210 WPHT morning host Nick Kayal has announced he has inked an extension to remain with the Audacy Philadelphia news/talk station.
Kayal joined the station in 2022, taking over morning drive when previous host Rich Zeoli moved to afternoons as part of a lineup revamp on the station. He joined after previously working in the spots talk format in markets like Nashville, Atlanta, and in Philadelphia, among others.
In a post on social media, Kayal shared that he had inked the extension to remain in the City of Brotherly Love.
“I am very excited to announce that I have signed a NEW, Multi-Year contract extension with (Audacy) to continue doing mornings in Philadelphia!” Kayal wrote.
🚨CAREER NEWS🚨
As many of you know, Friday, we celebrated our 3-year anniversary of Kayal & Company @1210WPHT!
So as we begin year number 4, I am very excited to announce that I have signed a NEW, Multi-Year contract extension with @Audacy to continue doing mornings in…
Kayal added thanks and appreciation for station and company leaders like brand manager Greg Stocker and Audacy Philadelphia Vice President and Market Manager David Yadgaroff for their belief in him and for getting the contract extension finalized.
He concluded by thanking the audience for tuning in each morning.
“Last but not least, YOU, the audience! For trusting in me and tuning in every morning!” the 1210 WPHT morning host wrote. “We have set record ratings for 3 years, and it’s because of your devotion. Thanks so much! We’re just getting started!”
Kayal & Company — which includes Nick Kayal, Greg Stocker, and Dawn Stensland — airs from 6-10:15 AM on the station.
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Former NFL quarterback and FOX Sports analyst Mark Sanchez has been formally charged following an early morning altercation over the weekend in downtown Indianapolis that left him hospitalized with stab wounds.
According to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Sanchez faces three misdemeanor charges: battery resulting in injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle. The incident occurred early Saturday in an alleyway between the Marriott and Westin hotels in downtown Indianapolis, where police say Sanchez became involved in a fight with a 69-year-old man operating a grease removal truck.
A probable cause affidavit described by Detective Joshua Slayton alleges that surveillance footage captured Sanchez approaching the driver’s side of the truck, opening the door, and engaging the man—identified in court documents only as P.T.—in conversation. The situation quickly escalated as the two moved toward the passenger side of the vehicle. Then began fighting near a large dumpster in the alley. The affidavit noted that Sanchez appeared to chase and throw the man against the wall of the Westin before the confrontation spilled into the middle of the alley.
Police say the driver told investigators that Sanchez was agitated about the truck’s location and at one point entered the vehicle, threatening him. The driver said he attempted to use pepper spray, but when it failed to deter Sanchez, he feared for his life and used a knife, striking Sanchez two or three times.
The affidavit said Sanchez later told detectives at the hospital he did not recall who attacked him or where the incident occurred.
Scott Bennett, a bartender at nearby Loughmiller’s Pub & Eatery, told FOX/CBS4 in Indianapolis he was closing up around 12:30 a.m. when Sanchez—bloodied and disoriented—began pounding on the bar’s window asking for help.
“I looked and saw that the person needed help and went outside,” Bennett said. “He said that he’d been shot. We brought him inside, laid him down, and called 911.” Bennett said he didn’t recognize Sanchez at the time but tried to keep him calm until paramedics arrived.
Court records show Sanchez has since posted a $300 cash bond and has been ordered not to contact the alleged victim. A Marion County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson confirmed Sanchez was formally processed at the hospital and may not have a booking photo because he was not taken to jail.
FOX Sports briefly addressed the situation on its pregame show Sunday. Host Curt Menefee told viewers, “Mark Sanchez was involved in an incident that, to be honest, we’re all still trying to wrap our heads around. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, his family, and all those involved.”
Sanchez was replaced on the Colts–Raiders broadcast by Brady Quinn. His initial court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
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Taylor Swift is once again the topic of conversation everywhere. Her new album The Life of a Showgirl set a record for most streamed album on Spotify in a single day. It was also #1 on Apple Music and sold 2.7 million copies in its first day of release. If that wasn’t enough, Swift’s Release Party of a Showgirl finished #1 at the box office.
The Swift effect is happening outside the United States too. I’m writing this column from London where the new album played inside the Broadway Shopping Center, at a restaurant that Dylan Barrett and I ate at, on BBC radio, inside multiple rooms inside of our hotel and in our first two Uber rides. The drivers of those two cars were middle aged non-white men.
Whether you’re a fan of Taylor Swift’s music or not, she’s the biggest artist on the planet today. The release of her records has become Christmas-like for fans and music brands.
When special moments like this occur, radio is at its best. Look at how music radio stations met the moment last week. Creativity was on full display, and talent were invested in the content and creating connections through her life and songs. Some brands even adopted new identities to capitalize on the excitement. Listeners became part of the experience through on-air feedback, contesting, and in-person release parties. It was a perfect reminder of what success looks like when the worlds of content, audience and advertising are linked through a special event.
Why does all of this matter? And who should be paying attention most?
The advertising industry!
How many times do radio professionals hear the same tired feedback: ‘radio is old, it’s not cool, it doesn’t work, only old people listen to it.’ The narrative written by the business world and competitive mediums always paints the radio industry in a negative light.
But guess who doesn’t buy it? The biggest megastar on Earth.
Taylor Swift understands the power of radio. She knows how valuable it is selling her music and elevating her persona. Given her status, she doesn’t have to do press tours for this record. Yet she’s spending a ton of time doing radio interviews. She also recorded a bunch of commentaries about the new songs, exclusively for radio. iHeart, Audacy, Hubbard, SiriusXM, and others have all built programming around it.
If radio is important enough to Taylor Swift to attract worldwide interest and sell albums, songs, tickets, and more, why isn’t it a top priority for other businesses?
Taylor Swift is as sharp a business woman as she is an artist. If she felt podcast appearances or newspaper interviews would have a bigger impact selling her albums, she’d change her strategy. That’s what smart business people do. She hasn’t done that because she knows radio works. If it’s not broke, why mess with it?
Buyer bias gets in the way too often. If the goal is to help a business increase their customers and dollars, directing them to what works should be all that matter. Radio isn’t perfect, it has things it can do better, but if media buyers, and local and national businesses need an example of the medium in action creating impact, just look at what transpired the past few days.
Fans can download an artist’s song on Spotify or Apple or watch a video on YouTube. Those platforms can’t create a connection though between the songs. They can’t pack a theater full of fans to celebrate an artist’s new masterpiece. They don’t move people to buy merchandise to support the artist.
That’s what radio does unlike any other platform. It creates community connection and a cool factor around people and events. That energy, excitement, and bond between host and listener moved millions last week to reach into their wallets to buy music and head to the theater. The beneficiary this time was Taylor Swift.
I hope that resonates with a few of our advertising friends. If radio can produce millions of album and movie theater sales for the top artist in the world, what can it do for your clients?
A client’s message running when streaming an album on Spotify feels like an interruption. The same is true when ads run before or during a music video or podcast. On radio, it’s woven into the imaging, live content, and the online presentation. It feels natural, and benefits the advertiser.
Many like to sing the praises of digital, streaming and television. I love those platforms too. They’re all great places to find content and market products. This isn’t about tearing them down. It’s about recognizing the impact radio can have when trusted to rise to the occasion.
Taylor Swift understands the business benefit of working with radio. She embraces it, and knows how helpful it has been in helping her grow her empire. For those running businesses or making advertising decisions on behalf of clients, what’s your excuse?
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Taylor Swift is a phenomenon. A moment in time. An experience unlike anything else in the world of music. Her presence drives engagement, revenue and connection for everything her brand touches. We saw this earlier this year when she provided more than two hours of non-sports commentary on her boyfriend’s podcast, New Heights. It shattered records, touching the music, news and sports media all in a single appearance. Sports radio brands were discussing it, news media brands were criticizing it and music brands shared in it.
That’s the definition of a phenomenon.
On Friday, Barrett Media published a lengthy piece on how music radio celebrated the release of her new album, The Life of a Showgirl. While the title may not appeal to the under-18 crowd, the music encased within the tracks surely did. Getting back to being a phenomenon — is there anything that sports radio could learn from its music counterparts this past weekend as they celebrated the album’s release? There is. And it should shed light on the biggest opportunity sports radio continues to miss.
Let’s state the facts first.
Swift’s album will no doubt be the best-selling record of the calendar year. She had a documentary filmed about the creation of the new album that tops the box office this weekend. Last year’s Eras Tourgrossed more than $1 billion in revenue and more than $2 billion over its two-year run.
She is the hottest music artist since Michael Jackson. Go ahead, debate me on that. Everything she creates is heralded as amazing, her lyrics become gospel to many and the cash cow doesn’t seem to be slowing anytime soon.
Is there anything in sports like Taylor Swift — or a Taylor Swift record-release party — that can generate a massive amount of buzz for sports fans across the nation?
There is, and sports radio always seems to be left out of the party.
A Super Bowl Type of Moment
The single biggest event on the sports calendar: the Super Bowl. The NFL has partnerships with iHeartMedia (NFL Podcast Network, several local rights), Cumulus (Westwood One play-by-play, several local rights) and Audacy (10 local NFL broadcasting rights agreements on its stations). There are also local rights belonging to other radio broadcasters such as Lotus Communications, Bonneville and others.
What music radio does better than any format is find a moment in time and build the formula for a promotion that fits all its brands. It finds opportunities with a record release, tour announcement or even an artist’s death. Stations pre-build contesting, prizing, promotional support, graphics, social media collaborations and more on the front end.
Then the moment in time occurs, and everyone launches their execution of the creative.
Music radio looks great. Listeners get exclusive playlists to celebrate the moment. The creative is clean. The website remodel for the day grabs attention, and social media is flooded with posts capturing the moment.
Has that ever happened with sports radio for anything?
Is it a challenge to get all sports radio stations on the same page? Of course. No sports radio station is the same. Every brand is modeled differently because the content is not a playlist — it’s spoken word.
However, have broadcast companies ever attempted to do anything similar that could create that same level of buzz, excitement or attention?
Sports radio plays in the same attention economy as every other format.
It Starts up Top, Not Locally
Where music radio stations receive massive support from upper management teams for nationwide execution, it’s almost as though sports radio is forgotten in the discussion. Several sports radio stations carry market share for their music contemporaries locally. There are plenty of NFL fans spread across the country who don’t all live in NFL markets but still want to celebrate the event itself.
When did spending a week at Radio Row become a reward to the listener? Most stations have already slashed their budgets for the trip because Radio Row has morphed into Media Row — full of podcasts and influencers looking for content.
It seems sports radio continues to give up ground on that front too.
This is what Radio Row looks like at the Super Bowl. A LOT more Podcasts and Digital Shows. Most media I’ve seen. pic.twitter.com/J3A0aHk4tK
However, what no podcast or influencer can do is build a promotion to launch on all radio across the country, driving revenue, reach and attention.
Why not have the massive national audio teams develop vignettes of Super Bowl moments instead of sports minutes? That’s sponsorable and better content than 45 seconds of a talent not heard on every brand spouting off about the NBA during NFL playoff season.
Why not work with your NFL partner or through your local NFL franchise to launch a national ticket giveaway promotion for the “big game” (yes, be careful with that, sports radio)? The whole point of the two weeks between Championship Weekend and the Super Bowl is to hype up the matchup.
Why can’t iHeartMedia do a national giveaway for the Super Bowl like its iHeart Music Festival?
Can Cumulus do a national giveaway for all stations that carry Westwood One’s NFL product?
Why can’t Audacy work through its local NFL partners to do something similar?
Try Something New
It’s all about attention in an attention economy. These companies have national brand teams that develop their websites and social creative. Why not get creative, lean on AI and your teams to do something that hasn’t been done before — catching the eye and heart of the NFL fan during the single biggest time for the most viewed sport in the country?
Are we just happy with quarterly cash contesting that doesn’t lift cume, increase TSL or do anything for branding your sports radio station?
While there are many hoops to jump through, in sports radio no idea is a bad idea. The format continues to lose ground to podcasting, on-demand video and social influencers. Instead of resting on what has worked with live coverage from Radio Row (if you can still afford it), why not think outside the box and take a lesson from what music radio does with its Super Bowl moment?
It could be a phenomenal moment for the format.
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.
I don’t know if you happened to read it, but I viewed a recent letter emailed to Nielsen Audio clients from Ryanne Laredo, who holds the title of Senior Vice President of Customer Experience for Nielsen.
I’ll bet many readers didn’t know that Nielsen had such a position, but apparently, they do. That means you now have an additional person who can receive all your gripes about the service, other than your rep.
The subject of the letter was the recent unplanned outage of Nielsen’s online software services. Every Nielsen Audio online service (Tapscan, PD Advantage, etc.) was down for a couple of days in early September. Nielsen sent regular status updates until the services were restored. As you would expect, clients were unhappy. To be more precise, most were probably really pissed off.
The letter from Laredo (that sounds like the title of a country song, doesn’t it?) said the problem was a disk failure in the authorization program — the part of the system that lets subscribers get into the software and work with their data.
She said that Nielsen will devote more resources to their online services, but whether this means people, technology, or both wasn’t clear, at least to me. In the near term, the company is reducing “single points of failure.” Isn’t that nice? Did no one identify these points years ago? None of the software is new, so it appears that Nielsen went along with the system as it was. Why bother improving it if it works?
Long term, Nielsen says it will migrate its platforms to a “best-in-class cloud environment” with a target date of next June. If you’re a subscriber, you should be asking about Nielsen’s progress beginning early next year. Deadlines for IT projects have a habit of slipping, which is not unique to Nielsen but happens in many situations. If Nielsen comes back next June with a grand announcement about the completion of the upgrade, you should say, “Good work.”
But here’s what caught my eye. Now that we know that Nielsen even has an SVP of Customer Experience, why was nothing said about the recent reissues due to Nielsen mistakes? My column on August 12 noted the number of times Nielsen had to reissue reports because stations were left out of the report. When that column was published, the total stood at six markets, plus there was a delay in releasing PPM monthlies and CPRs.
Since that time, it’s happened three more times — in Stockton, Fargo-Moorhead, and Odessa-Midland. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s nine metros, plus the PPM delay, in the past few months. Considering the very small number of “oops, we made a mistake” reissues by Nielsen over previous years, this is a troubling trend.
Since Nielsen has an SVP of Customer Experience, I’ll take a wild guess that the customer experience in the affected markets (all 48 PPM markets, Monmouth-Ocean, Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula, Gainesville-Ocala, New London, Grand Rapids, Omaha-Council Bluffs, and the three mentioned above) was less than the clients expected and less than Nielsen would like to see.
That’s 57 markets affected by Nielsen’s internal errors. Will there be another letter from Ms. Laredo explaining why this problem continues to happen and the steps that Nielsen is taking to ensure that this becomes a rarity rather than a case of “here we go again”? Will she say anything like, “Perhaps Nielsen has offshored a little too much of our operation, and it was better when people in Maryland were reviewing data before it went out the door”?
The Media Rating Council (MRC) closely reviews Nielsen Audio’s procedures as part of their annual audit, and I’m aware that MRC is looking into the reissue situation. However, MRC audits are shared only with MRC members. That makes sense because it keeps the nonprofit group in business, as MRC’s revenue comes from membership dues. However, not all Nielsen subscribers are MRC members.
Here’s my suggestion: when the MRC Radio Committee gets the opportunity to review the findings of what was behind the Nielsen Audio reissues, the committee members should vote to require Nielsen to release a public statement like the one sent voluntarily regarding the software issues. It needn’t be long but should cover what happened, how Nielsen found the problems (clients or internal review), how long it took to find the problems, and, most importantly, what the company plans to do to prevent further mistakes like this in the future. Nielsen Audio’s clients are owed at least that much.
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.
Streaming isn’t the future anymore — it’s the present. And CNN is about to walk away from one of the most popular streaming platforms in the world, HBO Max, in favor of an unknown, unproven, and — at least for now — completely undefined service.
Come November 17th, CNN’s live stream will no longer be available on HBO Max, a move that raises more questions than answers about what exactly the network’s next digital home will look like.
This decision is tied to a major corporate reshuffling. Warner Bros. Discovery is splitting into two entities: Warner Bros. will keep HBO Max, while Discovery Global will take CNN under its wing.
That’s the business explanation. But the practical outcome is that CNN — which has struggled to find its footing over the past several years — will soon be leaving a thriving streaming ecosystem for a brand-new platform that hasn’t been announced, explained, or promoted.
That’s a risky move in a marketplace already crowded with streaming services, many of which are starting to feel the squeeze. Consumers have reached their breaking point. The streaming service bubble hasn’t just inflated — it’s starting to wobble. People are looking at their credit card statements and realizing they’re paying for seven different subscriptions they barely use. Something has to give. And if CNN thinks viewers will line up to pay for yet another standalone service, they might be in for a harsh reality check.
Here’s the problem: CNN isn’t exactly the kind of brand that commands loyalty in the streaming world. Sure, it’s a household name, but the way audiences consume news has shifted dramatically. On cable, CNN once had a captive audience. In streaming, viewers have endless options. You can get breaking news on YouTube, clips on TikTok, analysis on X, or live coverage from dozens of free apps. CNN’s biggest competition isn’t MSNBC or Fox News anymore — it’s the convenience of the internet itself.
When CNN+ launched in 2022, it became one of the most expensive flops in modern media history. It lasted less than a month before shutting down. And while this new effort may not carry the same branding, it’s hard to ignore that CNN is once again setting out to build something from scratch in a market that doesn’t seem to want it. The average viewer isn’t begging for more paid news content. They’re begging for fewer logins, fewer monthly charges, and fewer reasons to juggle multiple platforms just to stay informed.
If CNN were joining forces with an established streamer — say, remaining on HBO Max or attempting a deal with another entity like Netflix, AppleTV+, or Prime Video — this would be a very different story. But going it alone feels like a step backward. When every major media company is consolidating to survive, CNN is choosing to separate itself. The timing couldn’t be worse. It’s like watching someone leave a successful restaurant to open their own down the street, right as notices about the upcoming demolition of the entire neighborhood are being nailed to doors.
From a business standpoint, you can understand the motivation. Warner Bros. and Discovery want to simplify their portfolios and give each brand more independence. But independence isn’t always an advantage in streaming. Look at what’s happening across the industry: Disney is merging Hulu into Disney+. Paramount is exploring ways to integrate CBS and Showtime under one banner. Even Netflix, the original disruptor, is adding live programming to stay relevant. The companies that are surviving are the ones that are combining their strengths, not separating them.
For CNN, leaving HBO Max means giving up a built-in audience that already pays for access. On Max, users could at least stumble onto CNN’s live stream or on-demand coverage. That kind of discovery is valuable. On a standalone platform, there’s no casual traffic — only committed subscribers. And the truth is, there may not be enough of them to make it sustainable.
In my opinion, this move puts CNN in a dangerous position. They’re stepping out of a proven ecosystem — not by choice, for the record — into the unknown at a time when the entire streaming landscape is tightening. It’s not a question of if the bubble bursts — it’s a question of when. Consumers are already deciding which services are worth keeping. If CNN isn’t on a platform people already use, it risks being forgotten entirely.
Sometimes, it’s easier — and smarter — to join the party rather than try to create your own. HBO Max gave CNN a seat at the table. Now, they’re walking out to start a new party in an empty room, hoping people show up. In the streaming wars, that’s a gamble few have won. CNN might learn that the hard way.
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.
I am supremely confident that everyone in radio reading this post will be able to complete this advertising jingle. You won’t even need a second to think about it. It’ll be a reflex reaction. Ready?
I don’t want to grow up…
If you didn’t instantly say or think, “I’m a Toys’R’Us kid,” I’m worried about you. That means you don’t know that there are, “a million toys at Toys’R’Us” that you can play with.
While Toys’R’Us as a brand has struggled, it appears drilling the idea of not growing up and wanting to play with toys into the heads of so many kids with tons of advertising may have had more impact than expected. According to a Sherwood News article, the trend of “kidulting” where adults yearn for time to play like kids is booming.
This isn’t just some fringe movement that makes for a good headline. It’s having real impact on company’s fortunes. For example, Build-A-Bear Workshop’s stock is through the roof. The stores where a person can stuff, name and dress a toy has seen their stock rise 2000% over the last five years. It’s in the top twenty biggest gainers over that period. The stock bottomed out during Covid when stores were closed. But since the end of lockdown the company has been on fire. Grown adults make up 40% of the business. They are the demographic driving the success.
Likewise, Lego is reporting record sales for the first half of 2025. Driving it are the success of Botanical and Formula One themed sets. Do you know who wants to build flower-themed sets of Legos? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not kids. Then there’s Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Squishmallows. They’re just a few of the toy brands that are seeing huge growth with adults.
This shouldn’t be a huge surprise. The world is tough to navigate right now. Prices are up, jobs are hard to find, and politics is a blood sport with sharp divisions. Why wouldn’t people, like your listeners, want to go back to a simpler time when they were building bears, racing Hot Wheels, or building Legos?
The real question is can you help them?
Our format is built around the idea of contemporizing nostalgia. We take music that is between thirty and fifty years old and find ways to talk about it that is relevant to today’s world. Our industry features hosts who, in many cases, are barely grown-ups themselves and probably have the same yearning to escape.
Your station is ready-made for this trend. Here are a few ideas to help get you started:
Giveaways: Lego sets are expensive. This new Death Star set that will cost you $1000 but it could make a great grand prize for a contest. Hot Wheels only cost about a dollar and Barbie’s aren’t that expensive.
On-Site: It would cost next to nothing to outfit your on-site presence with a bunch of toys for kids of all ages to play with. A Hot Wheels racing set, a Barbie dream home, even a few Squishmallows for stress relief. Give people a reason to stop by and hang with you.
Photo Credit: Canva
Adult Play Time: Sponsor recreational sports leagues, bowling, or game nights. Better yet, create your own. Try to be a part of any place your listeners are leaving their cares behind and acting like kids again.
On-Air: Think beyond the music when you are designing on-air content and contests. Talk about things that take them back or at least away from their troubles. Help listeners tap into that urge to escape even when they’re stuck at their desk or in traffic.
Social media: There is plenty of content to share that will tap into the power of nostalgia and play. Make it a regular part of what listeners can find on your social channels. If you do, they’ll keep coming back for more.
Escapism and any of the Classic formats go well together. There is an opportunity here to tie your brand to things that bring happiness and fun into your listener’s lives. That type of association is exactly what a streaming service cannot do.
Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the Atlantic coast during late September and early October last year. Few places were as damaged as the Asheville, North Carolina area. And 570 WWNC morning show host and News Director Mark Starling had a front-row seat to all of the carnage.
On Thursday, September 26, 2024, Starling went to work at the iHeartMedia Asheville news/talk station.
He didn’t know it at the time, but he and colleagues like producer Tank Spencer would spend the next 14-and-a-half days on the air, commercial-free. Connecting listeners throughout the region to vital, life-saving resources, as well as one another.
In the months following the devastation, the radio industry has recognized Mark Starling and 570 WWNC for their work during the hurricane and subsequent flooding. The station earned both a regional and national Edward R. Murrow Award for its coverage. Additionally, Starling was also nominated for a 2025 Marconi Radio Award for Small Market Personality of the Year. 570 WWNC was also nominated for Small Market Station of the Year. They’ll find out if they’re winners later this month.
Mark Starling said navigating the extra attention to him, the station, the cluster, and the market hasn’t always been easy.
“I never got into radio to get awards in the first place,” he shared. “Just being nominated for an award like (the Murrow Awards), no less winning it. I just never thought my name would be associated with that. That was a big deal. It’s still difficult, because I’m still of the mindset that the work wasn’t necessarily ‘award-winning,’ per se. This is what broadcasters do. This is what every broadcaster in the country does when their community is in a position like what we were in.
“It’s just a lot,” he continued, fighting back tears. “It’s just hard to wrap my head around,” he added before crediting colleagues like Eddie Fox, Amanda Fox, Josh Michael, Ariel Rymer, Tank Spencer, Brian Hall, and Ashley Wilson, among others, for their work during the two week period.
“If any member on that team was different, then this coverage would not have happened the way it did,” said Starling. “I don’t know that we’d be having the same conversation. I firmly believe that the right people were in the right place at the right time during a really bad event and we managed to make it work.”
There’s a dichotomy of the situation that Starling is forced to grapple with. On one hand, he’s proud of the work iHeartMedia’s Asheville teams produced when the community needed them the most. On the other, it came on the heels of pain, devastation, and uncertainty for a community he loves.
“I’ve probably said it 100 times: I would trade every article, every award, every nomination, and every recognition to be able to go back to September 25th and for that storm to go a different route,” he said. “I’m fully aware that the recognition is happening because a really horrific thing happened. There is a lot of levity in that.”
As vital resources became scarce in the aftermath of the storm, 570 WWNC served as a vital lifeline for the Asheville community. Thousands of listeners were exposed to the work done on the station after Helene hit. Starling said he’s felt the audience grow and prosper in the year following the carnage.
“I cannot tell you how many times that I have walked into the grocery store and been minding my own business in the produce section and someone walks up and just says, ‘Hey, I just wanted to thank you, and I wanted to just say hi and tell you how much what you and the team did meant to us. Can I give you a hug?’
“Maybe 10 trips to the grocery store since the storm has that not happened,” Starling continued. “There is such a special bond with these people now. I think there always was a special bond, we just didn’t know who a lot of the folks were. That’s one of the tough parts of radio. You don’t get to know every single listener on an intimate level. There was a certain amount of realism and just genuine bonding that took place that has continued. I don’t think it’s leveled off any.”
Recently, Mark Starling has started to go back and listen to each hour of the marathon broadcast. And as he reminisces, he said that he’s noticed something he wasn’t necessarily aware of in the moment. But as the hours turned to days, and days turned to weeks, he became more and more cognizant of.
“You kind of realize we weren’t necessarily providing people with any sort of groundbreaking information, because the truth was, there was no groundbreaking information,” he shared. “I think most of what we were doing was providing companionship and providing a place for someone to have an outlet. That if they wanted to vent their frustrations about whatever it was — whether it was FEMA, the county government, or whether it was the gas station or running out of gas — I think we just gave them a platform. I think that they have embraced that and continue to embrace that.”
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