Tucker Carlson and Mark Levin have been at odds, publicly, over a variety of issues in recent months. That was ignited again this weekend, with Disnesh D’Souza joining the fray, as well.
In a video published to the Tucker Carlson Network X account, the former Fox News host shared his belief that it is time for the United States to “separate” from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayhu over comments the leader has made in private.
“This is a fact — I’m not guessing about this because I talked people — he’s running around the Middle East, his region and his own country, and telling people, point blank, just stating it, ‘I control the United States. I control Donald Trump,'” Carlson shared. “He’s saying that, and I dare them to say that’s not true. (Netanyahu) — not the nation of Israel, not Israelis, and certainly not Jews, whatever that means — the leader, the secular Prime Minister of a country is doing immense harm to Donald Trump’s presidency, to the United States, and to the world.
“This is an unbalanced person whose only real concern is for himself. He’s meddling in an extensive way in American politics. He’s loathed by the entire world. He needs the United States, and yet at the same time, he has this patronizing attitude toward Donald Trump. Demeaning Trump to people Trump knows. Separating from (Netanyahu), immediately, I think, is an essential next move. But, objectively, that is absolutely necessary, and very soon because he is hurting his own country, our country, and the world, period.”
After publication of the clip, it is safe to say Mark Levin was not impressed by the comments.
“Talking hemorrhoid,” Levin wrote of his contemporary.
Meanwhile, Dinesh D’Souza had a less vulgar and visceral reaction to the statements made by Carlson.
“Israel is a democratic society which picks its own leaders,” D’Souza wrote. “If we don’t want foreigners telling us how to run our country, we should respect that same principle when it comes to their countries.”
Israel is a democratic society which picks its own leaders. If we don’t want foreigners telling us how to run our country, we should respect that same principle when it comes to their countries. https://t.co/2VHG58ZI2p
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The 2025 regular season finale between the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers marked more than the end of a baseball season. When the final out was recorded Sunday at T-Mobile Park, it signaled the last Mariners broadcast on ROOT Sports. Closing the book on nearly four decades of regional television history in the Pacific Northwest.
On Friday, the Mariners announced that ROOT Sports, which launched as Northwest Cable Sports in 1988 and later became affiliated with Prime Sports. The network will cease operations following the season. Major League Baseball, which has overseen production of Mariners telecasts throughout 2025, will assume full distribution responsibilities beginning in 2026 across cable providers and digital platforms.
“The end of an era,” one staff member remarked to the Seattle Times after the decision was shared.
For Mariners fans, ROOT Sports and its predecessors have been the consistent home of the franchise’s broadcasts since the late 1980s.
In a statement, the Mariners said, “We continue to focus on finding new ways to bring our games in 2026 and beyond to our fans. We’ve determined joining with Major League Baseball is the best path. Beginning in 2026 and moving forward, Major League Baseball will provide opportunities to bring new features and benefits to viewers of Mariners baseball. We are incredibly grateful for the dedication and excellence demonstrated by the ROOT SPORTS staff over the (nearly) four decades they have televised our games.”
For fans, the transition may not feel drastic. Games will remain available through cable providers like Comcast Xfinity and DirecTV. However, broadcasts will be streamlined, likely featuring games and limited pre- and postgame programming.
Streaming access, previously offered through the ROOT Sports app, will shift to MLB.TV with a subscription cost yet to be determined.
Behind the scenes, the change carries more weight. Mariners chairman John Stanton met with ROOT staff in Bellevue last week to confirm the network’s closure. More than 25 employees will lose their jobs in November or the months following. Continuing a wave of layoffs that began last year. While production talent such as play-by-play announcer Aaron Goldsmith is employed directly by the Mariners. Analysts Angie Mentink and Ryan Rowland-Smith, along with pregame host Brad Adam, are expected to be rehired either by the team or MLB under new arrangements.
ROOT Sports’ decline mirrors broader challenges facing the regional sports network model. Once a lucrative source of local revenue, RSNs have struggled under cord-cutting trends and the rise of direct-to-consumer streaming. When Warner Bros. Discovery, a minority partner, exited in 2023. The Mariners became the only MLB franchise to fully own its network — a distinction that quickly became unsustainable.
MLB, which launched its own local broadcasting division in 2023, has steadily absorbed team rights agreements. Seattle becomes the seventh franchise to fully partner with the league for local distribution. Industry sources suggest MLB’s ultimate goal is to bring all 30 clubs under its umbrella.
For the Mariners, the move closes a chapter that began with scattered broadcast partnerships in the 1990s before locking in exclusive RSN rights through deals with Prime Sports, Fox Sports Net, and eventually ROOT. While the names and logos have changed, the network’s role as the team’s television home remained constant — until now.
End of an era 💙
After more than four decades of @Mariners television, today marks the final ROOT SPORTS Seattle Mariners broadcast. Endless gratitude to the crew, staff, fans, team partners, sponsors, and everyone who made this journey possible. We love you all. pic.twitter.com/0DP3IpUn6p
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Paramount, a Skydance Corporation, and TKO Group Holdings have agreed to a long-term media rights deal that will make Paramount+ the exclusive home of Zuffa Boxing in the United States, Canada, and Latin America beginning in January 2026.
The move represents another aggressive push by both companies to strengthen their positioning in live sports. While also showcasing the growing appetite for combat sports beyond mixed martial arts and professional wrestling.
Zuffa Boxing is the newly launched boxing promotion from TKO and entertainment conglomerate Sela. It features a leadership group featuring UFC President and CEO Dana White, Saudi Boxing Federation President HE Turki Alalshikh, Sela Managing Director Dr. Rakan Alharthy, and WWE President Nick Khan, who also sits on TKO’s board.
The promotion will debut with 12 events in its first year. All available on Paramount+, with plans for the schedule to expand in subsequent years. Select events could also be simulcast on CBS or other Paramount platforms. This allows the company added flexibility to reach mass audiences.
White said the partnership creates a unique opportunity to give fans a consistent home for marquee boxing content.
“I’m excited to bring great boxing events to a global audience,” White said. “There are millions of boxing fans that will now be able to watch competitive fights with up-and-coming boxers as well as the biggest stars in the sport. Paramount will be the home for UFC and boxing fans to watch the greatest fights in combat sports.”
For Alalshikh, who has been a central figure in the recent global surge of high-profile boxing events, the agreement underscores a vision of accessibility and innovation.
“This partnership with Paramount reinforces our vision to redefine the way viewers consume boxing,” he said. “More fight fans will now have access to watch some of the most exciting boxers around. We have seen the proof that the appetite is there. This is the future for live boxing coverage and will ensure the sport continues to thrive.”
Paramount leadership sees the deal as a natural extension of its sports strategy. Cindy Holland, Chair of Direct-to-Consumer for Paramount, called it a “bold new chapter” for both the company and the sport.
“It’s a partnership that advances several of our core priorities: delivering premium sports to fans, providing audiences with year-round marquee live events, and creating long-term value through a differentiated, must-watch portfolio of content,” Holland said.
The announcement further solidifies Paramount’s role in combat sports, as the company will already distribute UFC events beginning in 2026.
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Snoop Dogg is heading back to the Olympic stage. Following his widely praised debut at the Paris Games last summer, NBCUniversal announced Sunday night that the cultural icon will return for its coverage of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The reveal came during Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock as the Green Bay Packers faced the Dallas Cowboys.
The Winter Games begin with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, February 6, 2026, airing in primetime on NBC and streaming on Peacock. Snoop will again bring his personality and perspective to the broadcast, this time exploring northern Italy, from the bustling streets of Milan to the Dolomites.
Throughout the Games, he will join NBC Olympics host Mike Tirico to deliver his own spin on the day’s biggest moments. Viewers can also expect the return of “Snoop’s Greatest Hits,” a Paris-born segment in which the hip-hop legend riffed on Olympic highlights and cultural snapshots.
“I am excited to be back with my main man Mike Tirico for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina,” Snoop said in a statement. “The D O double G will be on the scene, and I am looking forward to celebrating with the athletes and their families. The Olympics is the biggest stage in the world and, as everyone knows, I’m all about sports, bringing people together, and unifying while bringing the fun.”
NBC Olympics executive producer Molly Solomon noted that Snoop was a breakout star of Paris, praising his ability to connect with athletes, families, and viewers.
“Our Ambassador of Happiness returns! We can’t wait to see how the kid from Long Beach handles the snow and ice of Italy at his first-ever Winter Olympics,” Solomon said. “Mike Tirico has the announcer blazer and microphone standing by.”
During the Paris Games, Snoop became a fixture on NBC’s coverage, carrying the Olympic torch, celebrating alongside Simone Biles, attending equestrian events with Martha Stewart, and even cheering with swimmer Caeleb Dressel’s family after his gold medal swim. His efforts earned critical acclaim, with The New York Times dubbing him “NBC’s new voice of the people” and the Associated Press calling him “the star of the 2024 Paris Olympics.” He later won two Sports Emmy Awards for his role in the coverage.
Snoop’s growing presence within NBCUniversal extends beyond sports. Earlier this year, the company’s Entertainment & Studios division announced a broad development deal with his Death Row Pictures, including an upcoming biopic directed by Craig Brewer. He has also become a fixture on NBC’s The Voice, returning as a coach this fall after debuting in Season 26. In addition, he will host Snoop Dogg’s New Year’s Eve live from Miami on NBC and Peacock, a two-hour special featuring music, performances, and surprise guests.
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Connoisseur Media is bringing a jolt of rock ’n’ roll to the Texas Panhandle with the launch of 102.9 The Rattler, a new station dedicated to classic rock. The brand debuted today and aims to fill what company leaders describe as a long-standing void in the Amarillo radio market.
Positioned as “Amarillo’s Real Classic Rock,” The Rattler will feature music from iconic acts such as Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Guns N’ Roses. The playlist will also highlight legendary Texas artists. Including ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, while incorporating newer bands positioned to join the rock canon.
The station launch brings familiar voices back to local airwaves. Veteran Amarillo rock radio personality Eric Slayter will serve as program director and on-air host. He’ll be joined by newcomers Mighty Iris and Dirty Dave. Connoisseur executives say the combination of heritage talent and fresh energy will give the station a strong identity. Serving both longtime rock fans and younger listeners discovering the format.
“Connoisseur Media is proud to provide Amarillo and the surrounding communities a true Classic Rock radio broadcast that has been missing from the Panhandle’s airwaves for too long,” Market Manager Cal Hall said in a statement. “We’re excited to bring the energy and passion of Classic Rock back to our listeners.”
For Slayter, the opportunity to help relaunch a classic rock format in Amarillo represents both nostalgia and renewed purpose.
“It’s amazing to be part of the launch of a Classic Rock station that’s not afraid to be loud, showcasing legendary Rock and incorporating the next wave of Classic Rock artists,” Slayter said. “It’s time to turn classic rock back up to 11.”
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The Toast to 10 series, presented by Premiere Networks, is a month-long look back at 10 years of Barrett Media. Throughout the month, you’ll hear from those who have shaped the company, managed and created content, read the site, and partnered with the brand between 2015 and 2025, sharing how they’ve seen it play a role in covering the media industry and educating, celebrating, and challenging the business.
The feedback shared by industry professionals for this series has been eye opening. I knew reflecting on ten years would take us down many paths, and what mattered most was highlighting our readers, partners, and friends who we’ve had the privilege of covering. Seeing the feedback on how much our work is enjoyed and valued is humbling. It makes the countless sacrifices well worth it.
Those who know me best know that I’m laser focused on what I do. I don’t take much time to absorb what kind of impact we’ve had on the industry because there’s always more to do. I appreciate all of the kind words said about myself and our brand but lately I’m feeling a little like Reese Bobby in Step Brothers. The overflow of positivity has me ready to get thrown out of an Applebees. John and Garrett did a heck of a job finding everyone under the sun who loves us. The haters must not have been available, haha.
In all seriousness, I’m proud of the past decade, but the past is in the past. My focus now is on the future. Demetri Ravanos and I spoke last week as we put a bow on a great 8-year run together. He reminded me that sometimes things run their course, and a new direction is needed. I believe that staying fresh requires constant evolution. If growth demands changing editors/writers, modifying content, launching new events, creating new partnership opportunities, learning new areas of the industry or switching how and where we promote ourselves, we’ll adapt. We can’t afford not to.
Stephanie Eads has told me many times that I’m comfortable being the asshole. It’s why I took the stage to Falling in Reverse’s Just Like You at the Barrett Bash. Nobody wants to be the bad guy, but when you own or manage a company, you have to make tough calls. Saying yes is easy. Doing what’s difficult to protect and grow your product, culture and bottom line is harder. I’d prefer the consistency of our first 6-7 years with staff over the past 3-4 years of changes, but with growth comes more work, responsibility, expectations, and headaches.
This is what I love to do. I expect to do it well, and for years to come. I want to work with people who share my love and passion for the industry, and see the value of working with and for us. If we remain educated and connected across the industry, retain trust from our partners, align with new groups, and hire people who are committed and love writing stories and sharing information, maybe we can write a note like this again in 2035.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Just as media managers analyze ratings, content wins and losses, sales activity vs. revenue production, etc., I do the same with our business. I examine if the audience reads our writers, which brands-people-issues connect best, which days-hours-platforms we perform best on, what parts of our newsletter matter most, which sponsorships best help our partners, and who values our work. When I make decisions, I use data and my gut to guide them. My own tastes and opinions matter less than what our readers and partners enjoy.
My goal of making this a daily destination for media coverage remains unchanged. Despite having a large reach across the business, I know we can still get bigger and better. Having 25K receive our newsletters is great, reaching 50K is even better. As Coach Red famously said in The Waterboy, “The only thing better than one Crawfish dinner is five Crawfish dinner.” With that in mind, here’s what we have planned to serve our readers and partners in 2026.
Newsletter and Website Separation
Starting Monday October 13th, The Nooner will be sent 3x per week (Monday-Wednesday-Friday) to music radio and record label professionals. If you enjoy our music radio content and would like to receive it, click here to sign up. This new video below will hit our social platforms today to promote it. This newsletter is where you’ll receive our Music columns, features, and news. It will also include valuable stories on the internet from other great music/radio outlets. The plan is to deliver eight stories per delivery.
The Barrett Media Morning Edition and Evening Edition newsletters will prioritize sports and news media content starting October 13th. There’s a lot of crossover between those two areas, much more than what we see with music radio. The story count will become 5-6 articles each morning, and 8 in the evening. Columns, features, and original pieces will occupy the morning edition. News of the day remains prioritized in the evening edition.
Additionally, readers will see the website sections return to Sports, News, Music, and Business in November. Showcasing radio/audio and television/video together made sense, but certain content areas get lost this way. Feedback from our audience suggests a preference for the original way so we’re adjusting to satisfy our readers.
New Talent and Expanded Coverage
With increased interest, business, and expectations comes a need for more help. I’m looking for a Sports TV Columnist, News TV Columnist, and Country Radio Columnist. I may also add a Daily Media News Writer. If you think you can help, email me at Jason@BarrettMedia.com. I’d also like to add a Sales Specialist. Selling B2B for an industry outlet is different than selling radio-TV-podcast ads. Prior experience and the right fit is necessary so email Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com if you’re interested.
Some additions I’m excited to announce today will bolster our music/radio coverage. I’m excited to welcome Phil Becker to our writing team. I’ve been a fan of Phil’s writing for a while, and his knowledge, passion, and success as Alpha Media’s Executive Vice President of Content are well documented. We have a lot in common and share a ton of mutual friendships. I’m excited to have Phil write a weekly column for us on Wednesday’s, starting October 1st. His insights will make industry professionals smarter.
I am also thrilled to welcome Gunz and Terrie Carr to our crew. I’ve been a fan of both for years. They each are passionate about music, have media backgrounds, enjoy connecting with people, and have existing relationships with artists and labels. Mike will write a weekly artist feature on Wednesdays starting October 1st. Terrie will add a weekly artist feature on Mondays starting October 13th. In addition, Mike Stern will expand his role, adding a weekly music radio feature on Friday’s starting October 3rd.
I have more to evaluate to make sure we enter 2026 with momentum. First though I’m taking a vacation October 4-13. Dylan Barrett and I are heading to London, Paris, and Amsterdam as part of his college graduation gift.
The First-Ever Barrett Media Mega Summit
The BSM Summit and BNM Summit have both been successful but day 2 is harder for media folks to attend than day 1 in both formats. In addition, as a brand that cover music, sports, and news media daily, music radio is absent from our conferences. That is going to change in 2026. The idea of doing three two-day events didn’t feel right but neither did going another year without including music radio. So we’re going to do something cool, different, and exciting.
New York City will be the location. We will announce the date and venue later but in 2026, the Barrett Media Summit will become a three-day event. It will feature news media on day 1, sports media on day 2, and music radio on day 3. The Premiere Networks awards ceremony will close each show. After-parties will follow each day’s sessions.
This will allow industry professionals to choose between attending one day for format specific issues or staying for additional days to learn and connect with folks from other areas of the business. Individual and combo sponsorships and tickets will be available. Stay tuned for additional details!
Top 20 Series Expansion
The radio industry has a strong connection to our Top 20 series. It delivers massive interest and grew even larger last year with the addition of music radio. We are continuing it in 2026 except the series will move to February. We’ll start with sports radio during Super Bowl week, followed by News/Talk, and Music. Twenty one days of lists will be revealed during the month with over 750 shows, stations, and PDs featured. The voting process will once again include radio executives and program directors.
But next year, the Top 20 series won’t just highlight those working on radio content. We’re expanding the series. This is something I have wanted to do for years. As we enter the next decade, it’s time to take the plunge. The above image shows what we’re introducing to celebrate the best in the media business in 2026. It’s a large undertaking but this business is too big to only showcase one side of it. More details to come in the near future.
Social Media Changes, More Videos and New Digital Shows
Barrett Media is now on YouTube, Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, and Rumble. Across each platform you’ll find our daily Barrett Media Minute video voiced by Garrett Searight. You may have also noticed more personality and programmer clips from our Summits, and produced videos for the Newsletter, Jobs Section, Member Directory, and other things we offer. That’s all Dylan Barrett. We are also putting more social promotion on columns and features, and less on news unless it’s big or a breaking story. Folks looking for news can find it on the website and receive it in our newsletters.
In addition, we will launch two new video shows starting in January 2026. Yours truly is getting back behind the mic with The Jason Barrett Podcast. It will be available in both audio and video form. My goal is to talk with media pros across all corners of the industry not just sports radio. We will also introduce The 4-Cast, a new weekly video show featuring our editors/writers and a rotating industry guest. The roundtable styled show will cover the four top media stories each week in twenty minutes or less.
Closing:
I like to look at our company like a book. The first ten chapters were excellent but they’ve already been written. Chapter eleven won’t retain your interest if we don’t add new wrinkles, characters, and advance the story. Some people who write here will land bigger opportunities, lose interest in the industry, find new areas of passion, and in some cases, fail to perform or fit in. Business partnerships and consulting clients may change too, so while we’re aligned, we might as well enjoy the ride because it doesn’t last forever.
To grow our business, subscribers, traffic, and conference attendees, evolving is critical. We’ve adapted many times since 2015, and will do more of it during the next decade. I hope those leading media companies and making marketing decisions are thinking similarly because a brand like ours elevates this industry. We have covered it extensively for ten years and have helped many partners grow their businesses. The Toast to 10 has reinforced that. We’re not the biggest site on the internet or the largest traffic driver but I’ll put our knowledge, relationships, depth of coverage, and ability to grow awareness and business up against anyone.
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When FS1 canceled Breakfast Ball, The Facility, and Speak earlier this summer, speculation quickly turned to what would happen to the hosts suddenly out of work. Among them was Craig Carton, who co-hostedBreakfast Ball with Danny Parkins and Mark Schlereth.
Almost immediately, talk began: Could Carton make a full-time return to WFAN in New York City?
Over the last two weeks, I’ve leaned on my programmer instincts to evaluate whether Carton could fit into the current WFAN lineup. After weighing the options, I’ve found simple arguments both for and against his return.
Let’s begin with why a return to WFAN makes sense for Craig Carton.
The Case for a Carton WFAN Return
Carton’s track record at WFAN speaks for itself. From his early success in Buffalo, Cleveland, and Philadelphia, to his top-rated stops in Denver and Fort Collins, Carton built a resume that eventually led him to WFAN, where he teamed with Boomer Esiason. Within a year, Boomer & Carton was the top-rated show in the key Men 25–54 demographic.
I had the pleasure of talking to Boomer Esiason about the early days of working with Carton. He told me about the endless amounts of fun he had working alongside Carton, but also the struggles at first. Two grown men getting used to working together with the pressure to perform is not easy. Once they found their balance of entertainment and sports, every day was a new day, said Esiason.
That’s what carried Boomer & Carton to dominate New York City morning drive for a decade.
Following his return to the station in 2020 alongside Evan Roberts, the numbers rolled in as well. Carton & Roberts became the top afternoon drive program in the city within the first full ratings book.
Less than three years into his return, Carton announced his plans to leave WFAN for FOX Sports, marking an end to his second stay at the station.
Why does a return to WFAN make sense for Craig Carton? Instant attention and instant ratings. Instant ratings mean the potential for more revenue. WFAN is already one of the top-billing FM stations in the country. Carton would be an injection of newfound opportunity for the station to benefit from.
It also makes sense because Craig Carton is the one thing that nearly every other free agent sports radio talent isn’t—a proven commodity in the largest market in the country. He brings a loyal following, strong digital numbers, and a name that resonates in an era when nostalgia drives so much of sports and media. At 56, his energy, sharpness, and ability to entertain remain intact. His digital reach with FOX Sports showed his adaptability in a changing landscape.
Carton’s name carries weight. His voice brings awareness. His skill set for entertaining sports radio is invaluable. Simply put, he’s still a star. Adding Carton to the WFAN in any capacity would instantly draw more spotlight to an already behemoth of a sports radio station.
“I’m not surprised because I made my name at WFAN. The mornings with Boomer [Esiason], and the two and a half years in afternoons with Evan [Roberts],” Carton told Barrett Media earlier this month. “I’m not surprised that people who like me and enjoy what I do would immediately ask the question. Well, he left WFAN to go to FOX. If he’s leaving FOX, is there a potential for a return? I’m not surprised those conversations happened amongst people who follow sports media.”
Carton even said he’d be open to a conversation about a potential return to WFAN.
“I’m blessed to be a New York radio hall of famer. I know I do it really well, and I enjoy doing it,” Carton told Barrett Media. “If the opportunity arose where WFAN would want to bring me back, I would certainly answer that phone call.”
For all those reasons listed above, it’s a no-brainer that a Craig Carton return would surely be a net positive for both WFAN and Carton. He comes home, and WFAN gets to put a new roof on the house. From a business perspective, a Carton return would be a home run.
The Case Against a Carton WFAN Return
As appealing as the idea may sound, the question becomes: where would Carton fit?
If you’re going to bring in a talent like Craig Carton, you want to make sure you place him in a daypart where he has the best opportunity not only to win in the ratings, but also with revenue. The two targets that fit both models are drive times: mornings and afternoons.
Looking at afternoon drive, Afternoons have thrived since Carton’s departure, with Tiki Barber seamlessly pairing with Evan Roberts. Barber brings credibility, nostalgia, and fresh perspective, while Roberts has proven himself as a strong lead. Together, they’ve stabilized the station after years of post-Francesa shuffling. Breaking them up now would risk undoing that progress.
Looking at morning drive, Esiason signed a multi-year contract extension last year at WFAN. He’s continued to build fun and energetic chemistry with Giannotti, who has performed extremely well since being named to the role in January 2018.
On its face, it would look terrible to the audience if WFAN were to simply swap in Carton for Giannotti. Unless it’s solely contract-related, there’s no reason why Giannotti should be replaced for a potential reunion between Esiason and Carton. The move would alienate listeners, and a three-man show would feel forced. Carton’s dominant personality thrives in a two-person setup, not a crowded one.
It’s what made Carton successful—why would he change?
The only timeslot that would make sense for a Carton return with the current lineup would be middays, which is currently held by Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata. When news broke about Carton being canceled by FOX Sports, Licata was not shy about setting the table for the rumor mill that began spinning.
“I’m not worried about Craigy coming back. I told it to his face,” Licata said in July. “This was years ago, whenever he came back the last time. You can come back all you want; you’re not taking my spot.”
Do you think Licata knew middays would be the only daypart in question? Why even address the rumor in the first place? However, why would you put a talent with Carton’s skill set, resume, and likely paycheck in middays, where the return on investment wouldn’t be as high as it would in drive time?
The Timing Isn’t Right, for Now
For WFAN and Audacy, the focus is on the future. A powerful brand built on names like Carton, Francesa, Russo, and so many others doesn’t need to lean into nostalgia to grow. There is no doubt that Craig Carton is a supremely talented individual—his run of success on sports radio speaks for itself.
However, a lot comes down to timing. Right now, the timing isn’t right for a return to WFAN. There’s no place that makes sense for the personality Carton brings in the current setup, and any addition would feel forced, causing disruption in the WFAN wheel.
The timing isn’t right, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a time that does fit. Esiason has been with WFAN for over twenty years and has begun stepping away from other projects to concentrate solely on the morning show. What’s to say Barber sticks around at WFAN if NFL Network or ESPN come calling for analyst work in the booth or studio? Or what if Carl Banks steps down from the Giants’ radio broadcasts? Barber has booth experience and is a Giants legend.
There could come a time when the idea feels more right than it does now.
What Carton should do in the meantime is exactly what he’s doing with FOX Sports and Red Seat Ventures—building what many sports radio talents should be doing: an online brand of his own. This adds even more value to the Carton portfolio if WFAN decides to pick up the phone. If he can combine his proven stat line with traditional metrics and a build an argument with rising digital metrics, he instantly becomes more valuable to WFAN. Make no mistake about it. Traditional sports radio stations need help cutting through the creator age we live in.
With the right support and timing, there’s no doubt that Carton could dominate the digital landscape for New York sports fans. That would add another layer to his résumé for WFAN to consider when the timing is better for both parties.
For now, though, a return to WFAN isn’t the right move. The station is thriving with its current lineup, and Carton’s larger-than-life personality doesn’t have a natural home. But should the landscape shift, don’t be surprised if his name once again rises to the top of the conversation.
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Turn on virtually any news/talk radio show in the country, and — at one time or another — you’ll hear the host share what they’d do if they were in charge of a given country, state, or city. But few actually make that leap and attempt to enter the world of elected politics. New Jersey 101.5 morning show host Bill Spadea, however, doesn’t fall into that camp.
Earlier this year, Spadea left his role as morning show host at the Townsquare Media news/talk station in a bid to win the Republican nomination for governor in the Garden State.
That move followed a political back and forth between Spadea, Townsquare Media, and his chief rival in the race — Jack Ciattarelli — about whether or not the broadcast company was providing special campaign contributions by allowing Spadea to remain on the air. Ultimately, the state ruled that Spadea and Townsquare Media had not, in fact, run afoul of any laws, but the longtime host stepped away to focus on the race.
It was an unsturdy limb Spadea was climbing out on. He had more than a decade of experience in mornings at New Jersey 101.5. The Republican field was expected to be crowded, with several challengers sharing their intention of joining the list of those seeking the nomination.
But Spadea took that jump. And despite eventually finishing as the runner-up to Ciatterelli, Bill Spadea noted that there were some similarities between running for governor and hosting a news/talk radio show.
“If you’re gonna be a successful morning show host — and maybe any hosting in any daypart, you’ve got to be able to listen to what your audience is saying and then react and engage on the issues that are important to them,” Spadea shared. “Somebody called me this morning and was talking a little bit about the campaign. I said ‘For 10 years on the air, I’ve been listening to what New Jerseyans are thinking about and hoping for for a great future in the state. So that they can live here, build a business, build a family, retire, very similar to my campaign that I was running for governor.
“My strategy was effectively a listening tour, meeting with small groups, talking about families that had kids suffering with disabilities and rare diseases, people were dealing with addiction crises, even down to the details on flood mitigation,” he continued. “I had to listen, and I had to be a good listener to make sure I understood the problem. People suffer, and it’s not something you can always paint with a broad brush. A lot of things are very nuanced, so listening skills is perhaps the most important thing. And quite honestly, I think it’s lost in politics. And when you don’t have hosts that are engaged with the audience, that can be lost, too.”
Bill Spadea rejoined New Jersey 101.5 on Tuesday, September 2nd, slotting back into his familiar morning show position, which had been hosted by the station’s Senior Political Director, Eric Scott, while the longtime host sought the state’s top honor.
He said that first show back was as familiar as riding a bike.
“It was a homecoming,” he said with a smile. “It felt natural and exciting. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to take back the largest mic in New Jersey.”
He did joke, however, that the 3:30 AM wake-up call is a bit of an adjustment from the schedule of a state-wide campaign.
While, obviously, he had hoped to win the Republican nomination and face Democratic opponent Mikie Sherrill in the general election, Spadea said he had always known a return to the news media ecosystem was a fallback option in case he didn’t take the primary.
“I had always hoped that there would be an opportunity in media — whether I was successful or not — at some point. I love being on the air,” he shared. “And I love the work that I’ve done on television and radio, and the audience responds in a great way. So I always thought that, at some point, my career would go in that direction, whether I had had a string of years in politics or not. I was happy that the opportunity (with New Jersey 101.5) presented itself.”
In the midst of the campaign, millions of dollars have been spent. According to the latest projections from AdImpact, $118 million has either been spent or reserved for the New Jersey governor’s race. Which, in turn, means millions have been spent in an effort to sling mud in Spadea’s direction during the primary season.
When asked if that ever becomes “normal,” Bill Spadea said it’s simply a byproduct of the system.
“I think it is sadly just the nature of politics. I had a tense conversation with President Trump a few weeks leading up to his endorsing my opponent, and that was somewhat surreal, when you walk away from that and say ‘That was the president of United States, and he and I are not seeing eye-to-eye.’ That was just an interesting moment in the campaign,” he admitted.
“The million dollars (spent on campaign ads trashing opponents), I think that was unfortunate because when you look at how much money could have been spent on building the Republican Party and spreading a positive message — and if this were about real ideas — the result would’ve been very different. But it’s interesting. They had to spend 00 if you add up their PACs — north of $10 million bucks, and needed the President of the United States to defeat our efforts.”
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Other than having a few very peripheral assignments I’ve never worked in Country radio. I have a personal vision of the target listener but no real experience with who they are or how to effectively reach them. The same must hold true for people who have never worked in Classic Rock or Classic Hits. They likely have a preconceived notion but haven’t interacted with the listeners.
Thinking there are some lessons to be learned in how people see the audience vs. the reality, I sat down with Dave Farra, Jason Mahoney, and Audrey Drake, better known as The Dave and Mahoney show. It’s been almost two and a half years since they moved their morning show from their longtime home at Alternative KXTE/Las Vegas to Classic Rock KSLX/Phoenix. Their show had been a mainstay on the Alternative station since 2005. It was already being syndicated by Compass Media when they made a Classic Rock station their home base.
Now, with almost thirty months of time in the Classic Rock world, I was interested to find out how they have managed the change in audience, what they felt the differences were, and if they had any regrets.
In the spirit of full disclosure, the show is a client of mine. They have been since my pre-Jacobs Media days when I had my own coaching business. I’ll skip any references of having a great coach who has helped them adjust, but feel free to infer that. With that said, let’s start by talking about the show’s perceptions of the Classic Rock audience vs. the reality.
For Mahoney, his perception was that the audience would be more uptight or straightlaced than Alternative listeners. “When you realize that songs like “Cocaine” are regularly played on classic rock radio stations and that a lot of the songs are about subjects like drugs, sex, and debauchery, you discover that kind of applies to what the alternative audiences are interested in as well.”
For Drake, the show’s only millennial, her perception was that the audience would be much older than it is. “I was worried that going from Alternative to Classic Rock I wouldn’t be as knowledgeable as I need to be. That I’d be found out to be a big phony.” But now that she’s spent time with the audience she’s discovered that many listeners are quite easy to connect with. “That makes it so much easier to be ourselves and have fun, lighthearted conversations because we’re already with friends.”
Mahoney echoes that sentiment. He says that on the Alternative station he felt the character he presented on-air had to be more specifically defined. “I think there’s an expectation with Alternative listeners that you need to be the most knowledgeable. You need to be the coolest.” But he has found Classic Rock to be more accepting or at least more casual. “I feel like I can be me with all of my flaws as opposed to a version of me that still needed to impress the average listener.”
Having worked in Alternative since 2005, Farra says the Classic Rock audience at KSLX reminds him of a lot of the people who had been fans of their show since the beginning at KXTE. People that stuck with the show for 20 years have grown up with him. They mirror the listeners he has met at KSLX. “People who grew up loving music from the grunge era are very similar to the people that we see every day interacting with the show that also like CCR and ACDC.”
The show has found common ground with most of the audience but what about winning over the upper-demo listeners? Listeners outside the 25-54 demographic may not relate as readily to them but they’re a big part of the audience.
Farra says winning that audience segment over has been a slow and steady process of wearing them down. “Anytime that you come in and upset somebody’s routine, the thing that they know and love, there’s going to be some blowback,” shared Farra. “And there was a lot of them that were older voices.”
But now, over two years later, it feels like the tide is starting to turn. The key, according to Farra, is that they never dismissed any listener, even the ones who openly hated them. In the last six months, he feels those who were active haters have become some of the show’s biggest fans. “They’re listening all day, every day, participating in topics and events that we do and everything else. It wasn’t a quick process. We didn’t expect it to be,” added Farra. “When the loudest voices against you eventually become fans it’s a testament to the idea that were doing things right.”
Now that we know the perception vs. reality of the Classic Rock audience for Farra, Mahoney and Drake, I’ll drill down next on how the change in audience impacted content decisions, causing effects on their syndication efforts. That will be in my next column.
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Me, I read the news, listen to the discussions, and doomscroll social media, and I just… can’t. Everything’s fallen apart. The dumbest of the dumb, the biggest schoolyard bullies, the nutjobs who inhabit 4chan and QAnon, racists and xenophobes, people who closely resemble cartoon villains but worse — that’s who’s in charge. For many of you, your job is to talk about it or report on it, and I can’t imagine how hard that is.
Honestly, I can’t imagine how a reporter can listen to the president or any of his lackeys without screaming, let alone asking tough questions and follow-ups (which few bother to do). The federal government is weaponized against its own citizens using pretenses that would be comical if they weren’t happening in real life. All checks and balances are gone, the guardrails removed by a Supreme Court that must have been absent the day they taught about separation of powers in law school or even high school history class. I don’t know how you aren’t all losing your collective minds over, well, everything.
But it’s your job, isn’t it? You’re in the information business, and truth is supposed to be Job One. Talk radio is a lost cause, of course, with hosts defending the indefensible either because they’ve lost the ability to discern truth from fiction or reality from conspiracy theory, or because they’ll say whatever will let them keep their jobs and stave off listener complaints. As a veteran of that particular medium, I’m embarrassed to even think about having been part of it.
But talk radio’s not alone, not while Fox News and Newsmax are around to preach to the converted. The same goes, to a lesser extent, for MSNBC — or whatever it’s going to be called when it gets spun off from NBCUniversal. CNN can’t decide what it is, which is troubling, and neither can The New York Times, The Washington Post, or the Los Angeles Times. The media is part of the problem, just not in the way right-wing politicians want you to believe. They’re not the “enemy of the people,” a phrase most often uttered by people with something to hide. They’re just not as interested in getting to the truth as they’re supposed to be.
Yes, I don’t know how you do it. I don’t know how you go to work every day, see what’s happening, and control yourself. It can’t be easy. What I hope you do is not be afraid to tell the truth; this is not the time for both-sides “journalism.” It is time to ask yourself how you want to remember this era, how you want your kids and grandkids to think about what you did when this period of history was current — whether you were a fearless truth-teller or scared of the government and your own audience.
It takes courage to, for example, challenge lies from political powers, but someone has to do it. It takes courage to confront bullies. It takes courage not to fear the effects of exposing corruption or telling your audience what it doesn’t want to hear about its heroes.
Let me tell you a brief personal story. My mother was a Holocaust survivor, one of the few in her family who survived. To the day she died, she was terrified that “it could happen here,” and we used to tell her that, no, the world had learned its lesson and that kind of thing would never happen in America. She died in 1994, and I think of how she would feel about America today, and how I’m glad she didn’t experience this.
That’s why I hope that you resolve to tell the truth about what’s going on, because that’s the least you can do. I don’t know how you could do it any other way.
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