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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Coming up with an idea for and launching the website is undoubtedly exciting, but it also comes with important decisions such as the choice of hosting. The hosting industry offers a wide range of options from budget-friendly shared hosting to powerful Linux VPS hosting.
Unfortunately, many beginners and even experienced business owners make mistakes when choosing a hosting solution, which leads to poor performance, security risks, and increased maintenance costs.
In this article, we will explore five common mistakes people make when choosing website hosting and ways to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Going For the Cheapest Option (Without Considering Needs)
Budget and price seem like some of the crucial factors when choosing a hosting plan. However, the budget is just one of the vital considerations, and going with the most affordable plan can cost you a lot more in the long run. Cheap hosting plans usually indicate considerable limitations in server resources, performance, and technical support.
A basic plan might simply not be enough for projects such as an e-commerce store, a professional blog, a business website, etc.. You will likely lose revenue due to the server’s performance irregularity. Therefore, investing in a more stable hosting option will pay off in higher loading speed of your website and uptime, and better customer experience.
How to Avoid
Instead of focusing on the monthly price, look at the value. How much RAM and storage, and what kind of CPU does the plan include? What are the uptime guarantees? Can you order more resources within the plan, or do you have to migrate? What about the availability of customer and technical support?
Spend time finding answers to these questions to protect yourself from going with the option with poor performance, frequent downtime, but almost “to-good-to-be-true” price tag.
Mistake 2: Overlooking Scalability Features
Many choose hosting based on their immediate needs and forget to plan for the future. If your website grows in traffic or the amount of content it holds, the hosting plan you started with is likely no longer enough to meet your needs. Migrating to a new plan or even a host is often a troublesome task. That’s why the ideal option is to have a hosting plan that can be upgraded.
You can very well launch a business on shared hosting. However, once it starts to grow, this hosting model won’t be able to handle the amount of traffic. At that point, you might need to migrate to a VPS or dedicated hosting. Thus, the choice of hosting made without foresight can lead to frequent downtime or performance issues.
How to Avoid
Choosing a provider that offers scalability features within their hosting plans. Plans based on VPS hosting are usually very scalable and easy to upgrade if needed. They allow expanding resources as the website grows, which means they don’t require a considerable financial investment.
Mistake 3: Compromising on Security
Website security isn’t something worth compromising on. A hosting provider won’t automatically provide you with security features (unless specified in a hosting plan); most of them you have to purchase or set up yourself. Not all hosts provide firewalls, SSL certificates, or security updates. If you’re handling sensitive customer data, the mentioned features are a must; otherwise, you may suffer compromising customer data and damage to your reputation.
In any case, without proper protection, your website can fall victim to hacking attempts, malware, and data breaches.
How to Avoid
Check the security measures that the host provides: look for such features as free SSL certificates, automated backups, malware detection, additional DDoS protection and secure data centers.
Mistake 4: Not Researching Customer Support
Customer support, which in many cases means technical support, is a very important, but often overlooked, service from a hosting provider. When something doesn’t work properly or goes wrong, the availability and quality of customer support can make a difference. Some people encounter problems like downtime, longer page loading, transaction errors, etc. If you choose a host with slow or poor support, you might not get help when you need it most.
How to Avoid
Check the support channels the provider has before committing to using their services: you can check how much time it takes for support to reply in the live chat, for example.
Generally, look for providers that offer 24/7, multilingual support. You can also read the review and see how responsive the support team of the provider is.
Mistake 5: Not Checking Uptime and Performance Guarantees
A common mistake is assuming that all providers deliver the same level of reliability. However, some hosts are associated with frequent downtime or handling heavy loads. Such factors can negatively affect your website’s SEO ranking, reputation, and revenue.
Let’s say an online store is unavailable for a few hours. That time is enough to lose sales and frustrate loyal customers. Poor performance of the site can also drive people away, as so many people nowadays tend to leave a website if it takes longer than a few seconds to load.
How to Avoid
Look for and consider providers that offer a 99% uptime guarantee and have it backed up by a service-level agreement (SLA). Check the type of storage offered (preferably SSD or NVMe), CDN integration, and the option of server customization to ensure its speed. Checking out the reviews can also help determine whether the provider lives up to its promises.
Conclusion
The right hosting for your website is a foundation for your entire online presence. By avoiding these five mistakes, you can save yourself time and set yourself up for long-term success.
We recommend taking time to research the providers, compare features, and choose with the future in mind. Options like Linux-based VPS offer a balance between affordability, reliable performance, and flexibility, making it an excellent choice for businesses of any size.
Ultimately, there are many great hosting options out there, but you need to know how to spot them. We hope this article helped you on this journey!
According to RAMP, Kevin Rich is exiting his role as Vice President of Operations of Beasley Media Group after three and a half years with the company.
Rich first joined Beasley in March 2022 and was officially named Vice President of Operations the following month. In that capacity, he worked closely with company leadership, including President Bruce Beasley, Chief Operating Officer Brian Beasley, and Vice President of Operations Brad Beasley. Together, they oversaw the day-to-day business of the company’s 62 radio stations and expanding digital platforms.
Rich’s tenure with Beasley followed an extensive career in radio sales and management. Before arriving at Beasley, he spent four years as Market President and Chief Revenue and Content Officer at Townsquare Media’s Albany, New York cluster. In that position, Rich guided market operations with an emphasis on revenue generation across multiple platforms, including broadcast and live events.
His career with Townsquare dates back to 2011 when he became General Sales Manager. He was elevated to Director of Sales in 2016, a role he held until earning the Market President title in 2018. Rich’s path also included stints as a Senior Account Executive for CBS Radio in Seattle and Citadel Broadcasting in Syracuse, New York. He began his career as a sales executive at WRMF-FM in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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.
NPR has filed a lawsuit against the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in an effort to block the group from awarding a $57.9 million grant to Public Media Infrastructure (PMI).
The new consortium — comprised of New York Public Radio, PRX, American Public Media, Station Resource Group, and the National Federation of Community Broadcasters — was selected by CPB to operate the satellite system that connects public radio stations nationwide. NPR has handled that system for more than four decades.
The filing comes as federal support for public broadcasting disappears with the start of the new fiscal year. Congressional Republicans, encouraged by President Trump, rescinded previously approved funding for CPB over the next two years.
The CPB is tasked with distributing federal dollars to public television and radio, including PBS, local stations, and NPR. Those subsidies — about 15% of PBS budgets and roughly 10% for public radio outlets — officially end Wednesday.
NPR claims it was told in April it would receive more than $30 million to continue managing the satellite network, only to see CPB reverse course and award the contract to PMI. CPB President Patricia Harrison said the move reflects a commitment to innovation and sustainability, placing “trust in stations to drive the future of radio content distribution,” particularly for rural and community broadcasters.
In its lawsuit, NPR argues CPB’s decision was driven by political pressure from the White House and violates both the First Amendment and the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The filing joins a separate legal fight with the Trump administration over the president’s May order barring CPB from directing federal funds to NPR — a move the network says is unconstitutional retaliation for critical coverage.
NPR CEO Katherine Maher told stations the CPB decision undermines a decades-long partnership, but pledged to work alongside PMI to ensure the system remains stable. CPB defended its action as serving the broader interests of public radio and criticized NPR for “diverting scarce resources toward litigation.”
A hearing on NPR’s request for a temporary restraining order is set for Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss, just 24 hours before the last of the federal subsidies runs out.
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Audacy has announced it is rebranding 1330 AM (WYRD-AM) in Greenville and 950 AM (WORD) in Spartanburg as a unified brand, Upstate Red.
Previously, 950 AM in Spartanburg was home to the ESPN Radio affiliate in the market, while 1330 AM was home to Infinity Sports Network programming in the market, known as The Fan Upstate.
The new Upstate Red brand has officially been launched with the two stations adding lineups built completely around nationally syndicated news/talk offerings.
“We are proud to launch UPSTATE RED and bring a new conservative voice to the Upstate region,” said Audacy Greenville-Spartanburg Senior Vice President and Market Manager Steve Sinicropi. “UPSTATE RED will be a premier destination for principled conversation, insightful news, and engaging talk with some of the biggest names in national talk radio, providing the most important news and information to the Upstate.”
The daily lineup for the new brand features:
6:00 AM – 9 AM: Your Morning Show with Michael DelGiorno
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: The Glenn Beck Program
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM: The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Sean Hannity Show
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM: The Jesse Kelly Show
9:00 PM – 12:00 AM: Rich Valdes America at Night
12:00 AM – 1:00 AM: The Will Cain Show
1:00 AM – 6:00 AM: Red Eye Radio
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Veteran NBA writer Chris Mannix is joining NBC Sports’ NBA coverage as a digital insider, creating video content on breaking news topics that will be distributed across the network’s digital and social media platforms. Mannix will also make occasional appearances on NBC and Peacock studio coverage, reporting on major NBA developments. NBC Sports’ season coverage begins October 21 with a doubleheader on NBC and Peacock.
Mannix has been with Sports Illustrated since 2003, where he currently serves as a senior writer covering the NBA. He also hosts SI’s “Open Floor” NBA podcast and frequently contributes to NBC Sports Boston’s coverage of the Boston Celtics, filling roles that have ranged from game analyst and sideline reporter to pre- and post-game analyst.
“I grew up watching the NBA on NBC. It was the gold standard of basketball broadcasting,” Mannix said. “I’m thrilled to get a chance to play a part in the next iteration.”
His writing has earned multiple accolades. This includes awards from the Pro Basketball Writers Association and a nomination for National Sportswriter of the Year in 2022.
In addition to basketball, Mannix covers boxing for Sports Illustrated. He’s also worked as a ringside analyst and reporter for DAZN Boxing, showcasing a breadth of sports journalism experience.
Adam Littlefield, senior NBA studio producer at NBC Sports, described Mannix as “one of the most respected and well-connected NBA writers for two decades now and someone that audiences can trust with the league’s biggest stories and developments. His top-tier reporting and professionalism are perfect to help lead NBC Sports’ digital NBA coverage.”
Mannix’s digital video content will cover NBA news across NBCSports.com, the NBA on NBC YouTube channel, and the NBC Sports App, providing timely analysis and updates for fans. In addition to his digital presence, Mannix will serve as the NBA insider during select NBC and Peacock studio broadcasts, offering viewers context and insight into breaking news stories.
The NBA’s new 11-year, $76 billion broadcast package with ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Amazon Prime Video officially tips off this season. NBC’s re-entry marks its first NBA coverage since 2002. Bringing back a brand synonymous with the league’s growth in the 1990s.
The schedule will feature consistent national windows across multiple platforms. Mondays will belong to Peacock, Tuesdays to NBC, Wednesdays to ESPN, Thursdays and select Fridays to Prime Video. ESPN will also be continuing on Fridays as well. Saturdays will split between Prime Video in the afternoon and ABC at night. Sundays will feature afternoon games on ABC and primetime contests on NBC.
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