Home Blog Page 710

Why Both Radio and Nielsen Need to Prioritize Cume Instead of AQH

Dr. Ed Cohen
-
0
Why Both Radio and Nielsen Need to Prioritize Cume Instead of AQH

In the last two columns, I’ve suggested that the radio/audio audience measurement system from Nielsen is outdated. I’ve covered some of the data collection issues and made suggestions. This week, I’ll offer some thoughts about metrics.

Keep in mind the goals for an updated system:

· Simplicity, meaning fewer metrics but not necessarily a simpler collection system—in other words, simpler for transacting business
· Incorporating multiple data sources and “big data”
· Eliminating the diary service and using PPM everywhere
· Most important: a less costly system

Before you think that I’m suggesting we tell Nielsen Audio to get lost, I’m not. Nielsen is likely to be with us for many years to come. If another company wants to challenge them, so be it and welcome to our world, but this is not a “F— Nielsen” screed.

Now that I’ve offered a template for data collection, what metric should be reported and become the new radio currency? The advertising world is moving to “impressions” (you could argue that I should have used the past tense of “moving”), a term I’ve never fully understood because I thought that’s what we were selling all along. Selling access to an audience of an agreed-upon size based on estimates supplied by a trusted neutral third party creates impressions. As someone who grew up in a Kodak family, that’s like calling a “picture” an “image.” Perhaps you say “12” and I say “a dozen.”

Last week, I buried the average quarter hour measure (AQH). The funeral was lovely, with lots of tributes from radio people. You should have been there—or at least you could have sent flowers. But if we don’t trade on AQH, then what?

The key word in AQH is “average.” When you look at the AQH for any station for a daypart/demo, it’s an average of the estimated audience for all the quarter hours (QHs) in that daypart. Some QHs have more audience and some less, but in nearly all cases, the advertiser is buying the average, not the audience in the quarter hour in which the spot ran. For example, a spot in morning drive is bought and sold based on an AQH estimate for morning drive. If the spot runs at 6:50 AM, it reaches one size of audience. A spot at 8:20 AM reaches a different size audience.

Cume has similar properties. It’s the number of different people in the desired demo that can be reached during that daypart. You won’t reach them all unless you buy one spot in every quarter hour of that daypart, which entails a great deal of wasted spend on the advertiser’s behalf as well as a lousy experience for a long listener.

My suggestion is to make cume the de facto metric and report cume for every quarter hour throughout the day. Dayparts will look exactly as they do today but without the AQH metric. Nielsen and/or a competitor can report cumes by daypart as well, just as is done today.

The next question is qualification. Today, PPM requires three non-consecutive minutes within the clock quarter hour, and the diary service requires five consecutive minutes within the clock QH. My suggestion is that any minute within the quarter hour counts toward the quarter hour cume estimate. Yes, one minute gets you the quarter hour cume estimate.

Your first reaction might be, “Huh? You want to turn one minute into fifteen?” Any estimate from Nielsen, Eastlan, or any other source is just that—an estimate. A spot runs at a given time, and the audience varies every single minute—and it’s probably fair to say every single second. That’s before we account for the large amounts of sampling and non-sampling error involved, which we rarely do. Like all estimates, these are guides and offer a basis for buyer and seller to agree on pricing.

While my vision may seem cloudy to some of you, this is a system that uses the PPM panels in place today combined with streaming data (Nielsen can do it or license it from Triton), DTS AutoStage (again, licensing), and potentially other data (cell phone sample through apps, etc.). Next, much of that data would be “adjusted” using the PPM panel to “calibrate” the big data. It’s not easy to do. Nielsen has jumped through a lot of hoops to get their big data plus streaming system into the video service, but there are smart people out there who can figure it out.

Is this a perfect solution? Of course not. Some formats would likely argue that their appeal is for longer listening and that there is an upward bound on the format. For example, any Spanish-language format is likely limited to people who speak Spanish. It’s tough to build cume beyond that point. The same goes for urban formats, while CHR has always been a cume format with lower TSL. That’s mostly true, but those “limited” formats also “super serve” an audience that isn’t easily reached any other way.

Initially, I thought I’d be done with putting my thoughts out there this week, but there’s more to say. For example, in a cume-only world, how do programmers evaluate and make adjustments? Would the proposed changes eliminate certain formats as PPM did to Smooth Jazz? And most importantly, how do we move forward to a new reality, whatever it may be?

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.

After the Charlie Kirk Tragedy, Are News/Talk Radio Hosts Worried About Public Events?

Garrett Searight
-
0
After the Charlie Kirk Tragedy, Are News/Talk Radio Hosts Worried About Public Events?

On Wednesday, Charlie Kirk did what Charlie Kirk does: he went to a college campus, prepared to debate politics, culture, and whatever else might come up at the campus of Utah Valley University.

He left the campus being carried by bodyguards after being shot in the neck by an assassin.

The video footage was immediate, sudden, and sickening. The 31-year-old was shot immediately after answering a question about mass shootings. Only one bullet was fired: the one that struck him. Not long after the shooting, Kirk was pronounced dead, with President Donald Trump serving as the definitive source of the news.

In the aftermath of the shooting, one of many questions persisted: What does this mean for live events and future interactions with the public? Especially for conservative media pundits.

Coming off the BNM Summit earlier this month, some of the attendees had their own security teams, well aware of the risk posed by their political stances. In a column, Barrett Media President Jason Barrett noted that he had never questioned that an attendee being slain was even a possibility before Kirk was shot in Utah.

“I’ve spent the past 24 hours thinking about last week’s BNM Summit. Glenn Beck, Scott Jennings, Chris Ruddy, Curtis Sliwa, and John Catsimatidis graced our stage. Access to them in the theater was easy,” Barrett admitted. “At our past shows, Clay Travis, Brian Kilmeade, Tomi Lahren, Jason Whitlock, and others have joined me. Never have I held an event and worried about being shot on stage while discussing broadcasting. But maybe I’ve been foolish to not consider that possibility. If people have to fear doing what they love, and minimize interacting, what’s the point of it?”

Ben Shapiro, who also travels with his own security detail for similar reasons, firmly stated that he won’t be avoiding live events or interacting with the public in the wake of Kirk’s death.

“I will be coming to college campuses, many of them this year. We’re not going to be deterred,” he said in an episode of his podcast after the shooting. ” “We’re going to pick up that blood-stained microphone where Charlie left it. And to those who would intimidate, who would seek to stop us, who would seek to end free discussion, who believe that they have ownership over public spaces, and can violently threaten and kill people who speak freely. We are not going to stop. I have two words: f— you.”

Other news/talk radio hosts we spoke with, who were granted anonymity to speak more freely on the topic, weren’t as boisterous.

“It will take some time before I’m ready to do a public-facing event, I’ll say that,” one nationally syndicated radio host told me when asked if they were concerned at all about there being more potential violence.

This host has been known to do many events with listeners, and take their show on remote throughout the calendar year. They admitted that the thought of facing violence had always been in the back of their mind, but was brought to the forefront after the tragedy with Charlie Kirk.

“I’ve always been a bit of a Nervous Nellie,” they shared. “When you take the stances that we do, getting hate mail or angry texts on the text line is nothing new. I’ve been more worried about face-to-face interactions and someone getting too big from their britches, so to speak, and trying to take a swing at me. But after what happened to Charlie? You have to be cautious about all sorts of things now. I don’t know when — or if ever, frankly — I’ll be comfortable in that setting.”

A local news/talk radio host, who also hosts and leads several events throughout the year with listeners and the general public, made similar remarks when asked.

“Charlie had a bulletproof vest on, which tells me he knew and was concerned, at least somewhat, about the possibility that he could be in harm’s way,” the host began. “I’ve never even thought about someone wanting to harm me at an event. You can usually sniff out when someone might not be there for the right reasons, but that involves thinking about what they’re going to say into the microphone, or what they might do when your advertisers are in the room, not so much about whether or not they’re going to try to kill you.”

790 KABC host John Phillips — in 2023 — had shared that he was always worried about having his back to the audience while on a remote broadcast because “sometimes people don’t like you.”

“And sometimes they really don’t like you and sometimes they like you way too much,” Phillips said at the time. “In any of those cases, you don’t want your back to them. You want to be able to see what’s going on at all times.”

When the local news/talk radio host was told about those comments, they admitted that it is something they’ll think about for the rest of their career.

“It’s a sad commentary on where we are today that I’ll even need to think about that,” they concluded. “But it’s now a necessity. I have to think about it. Charlie was able to have security guards and a team around him. When I go out, it’s me, sometimes I’ll be with (someone else from the station), and a producer or a remote tech. That’s it. My senses will be heightened, absolutely, after what happened to Charlie.”

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.

MSNBC Was Wise to Cut Ties With Matthew Dowd, But How Do They Avoid Similar Situations in the Future?

Garrett Searight
-
2
MSNBC Was Wise to Cut Ties With Matthew Dowd, But How Do They Avoid Similar Situations in the Future?

“Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions,” Matthew Dowd said on MSNBC. “You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and then not expect awful actions to take place.”

It didn’t take long for MSNBC to act. By the end of the day, the network had fired Dowd, saying his remarks following the murder of Charlie Kirk were over the line. Top Comcast executives Brian Roberts, Mike Cavanaugh, and Mark Lazarus issued a rare joint statement criticizing Dowd’s comments and vowing to steer the network in a different direction.

“That coverage was at odds with fostering civil dialogue and being willing to listen to the points of view of those who have differing opinions,” they wrote. “We should be able to disagree, robustly and passionately, but, ultimately, with respect. We need to do better.”

So how does MSNBC ensure that this doesn’t happen again?

The answer isn’t found in a new HR policy or a mandatory training seminar. The solution is found in a lesson from Robert Sutton’s 2004 book The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t. Sutton’s thesis was simple: if someone has a track record of being difficult, cruel, or unnecessarily abrasive, don’t bring them into your workplace.

By extension, if you know someone has a reputation for pushing the limits of civility on television, don’t put them in a high-profile chair where a single sentence can define your network’s brand. Or, more simply put: don’t hire assholes.

MSNBC didn’t fire Matthew Dowd because they were surprised by who he was. They fired him because he said what many already suspected he might say. The network put him in a spot where his words carried maximum consequence — live television, in the wake of one of the most polarizing political murders in American history. What exactly did MSNBC expect him to do? Offer calm and measured analysis when his career has been built on blunt commentary?

Hiring someone like Dowd in the first place is where MSNBC failed. Networks often fall into the trap of valuing “a voice” over responsibility. Producers want panelists who can cut through the noise, say something memorable, and generate social media attention. The problem comes when that attention isn’t flattering, and the executive team is suddenly scrambling to distance themselves from the very personality they once promoted.

This is where Sutton’s “rule” comes into play. If your gut tells you a potential hire is going to create more headaches than they’re worth, listen to it. If you’re worried that, under pressure, a contributor will default to a line that sounds like a personal attack instead of a measured critique, don’t put them in front of a camera. It’s not censorship. It’s common sense.

The joint statement from Roberts, Cavanaugh, and Lazarus framed Dowd’s firing as part of a broader effort to foster “civil dialogue.” But it rings hollow if MSNBC continues to staff its programming with commentators whose entire appeal is based on being sharp-tongued and combative. Civil dialogue isn’t just about what you say when things are calm—it’s about how you behave in the most heated moments.

And make no mistake: the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination was one of those moments. The country was on edge, emotions were raw, and plenty of viewers were watching. Millions more would eventually see the comments made by Dowd. That’s precisely the time when you need people who can handle the spotlight responsibly. Instead, MSNBC handed the microphone to Dowd, who predictably connected “hateful thoughts” and “hateful words” to “hateful actions,” leaving no room for nuance or respect for the dead.

Was Dowd’s analysis wrong? That’s debatable and up for your interpretation. But was it the right time, the right place, and the right tone? Absolutely not. And MSNBC’s leadership knows it.

Here’s where the network has an opportunity to make a real change. Don’t just fire someone after they cross the line. Build a culture where you don’t hire them in the first place. Create standards for who sits on your panels and anchors your shows. Stop rewarding the loudest, snarkiest voice simply because it drives quick attention.

Cable news is in a credibility crisis. Viewers are cynical about motives, tone, and even basic facts. Every time a network allows someone to say something that feels like a cheap shot — especially in the wake of tragedy— it deepens the distrust. MSNBC has a choice: keep repeating the same cycle of controversy and firings, or set clear expectations for conduct before someone ever goes on air.

The executives’ statement said, “We need to do better.” Doing better means taking Sutton’s rule seriously. A newsroom doesn’t need to be filled with saints, but it can’t thrive if it knowingly employs people who can’t be trusted in pivotal moments. If you suspect a commentator will cause chaos, don’t bring them on. If you’re worried a contributor is more interested in scoring points than fostering dialogue, find someone else.

MSNBC can talk all it wants about civil dialogue. The only way to prove it’s serious is to hire people who embody it — not people who undermine it.

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.

Connoisseur Media Elevates Sales Leaders Across Connecticut and Long Island

BNM Staff
-
0
Connoisseur Media Elevates Sales Leaders Across Connecticut and Long Island

Connoisseur Media has announced a series of leadership promotions designed to strengthen collaboration between its sales teams in Connecticut and Long Island. A move the company says reflects its commitment to building a unified structure across the two regions.

Stu Gorlick has been elevated to vice president of sales for Connecticut and Long Island. A familiar name in the company and the market, Gorlick has guided the Connecticut team on and off for nearly 20 years. His resume includes leadership roles at some of the region’s most recognized outlets. These include sales manager at WFAN, general manager at WRKI and its Danbury cluster, and positions at WPDH in Poughkeepsie and WDRC in Hartford.

The bulk of his career has been spent with Connoisseur’s Connecticut stations. He has helped create systems and strategies that consistently drive sales success.

In addition, Todd Moskowitz has been promoted to regional digital sales manager. This extends his oversight to Connecticut while continuing to lead Long Island’s digital efforts. Moskowitz joined Connoisseur after serving as director of digital strategy at Townsquare Media and holding positions at New York City’s 1010 WINS. Since then, he has been credited with playing a key role in revenue growth on Long Island. Assisting the company’s Connecticut stations with digital initiatives.

Meanwhile, Andy Alcosser, revenue development manager for Connecticut, will expand his role to include Long Island. Alcosser has been a steady performer for Connoisseur, focusing on revenue strategy, training, and seller support. His responsibilities will now stretch into special projects for Long Island, including training and target development.

Also on the Connecticut side, Shannon Begley has been promoted from digital sales manager to general sales manager. Begley has been with Connoisseur for more than 15 years. Steadily climbing through the ranks and serving as a core part of the Connecticut team’s success.

Rounding out the leadership group, Darren DiPrima will remain director of sales for Long Island, working alongside Gorlick to guide the market forward.

“These changes are about building a stronger, more unified local sales organization that leverages the incredible talent we already have,” said Kristin Okesson, senior vice president and market manager for Connecticut and Long Island. “Stu, Todd, Andy, Shannon, and Darren each bring unique strengths to the table. Together, their leadership will help us deliver exceptional results for our clients. I’m so proud of this team and excited to see what we will be able to accomplish for our clients together.”

The promotions highlight Connoisseur Media’s broader strategy to connect its markets more closely, create growth opportunities, and reinforce its ability to deliver innovative solutions to both advertisers and listeners.

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.

WWE Announces WrestleMania 43 Location of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2027

BSM Staff
-
0
WWE Announces WrestleMania 43 Location of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2027

WWE announced that WrestleMania 43 will be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027. Making it the first time the company’s marquee event will be held outside of North America. The event will be part of Riyadh Season. The announcement comes through a partnership between WWE parent company TKO Group Holdings and the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), led by HE Turki Alalshikh.

“WrestleMania is already the biggest date on the wrestling calendar and this announcement marks a significant moment in our partnership with WWE,” Alalshikh said in a statement. “We deeply respect the legacy of WrestleMania and the global prestige it holds among wrestling fans around the world. As part of Riyadh Season in 2027, our vision is to elevate this iconic event to unprecedented heights and deliver a WrestleMania unlike anything the world has ever seen.”

The move underscores Saudi Arabia’s push to bring high-profile sports and entertainment properties into the region. While simultaneously highlighting WWE’s global ambitions. Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Chief Content Officer, praised the collaboration, noting that Alalshikh and the GEA “have made a massive impact on the world of sports and entertainment” and remain “phenomenal partners” for the company.

Since first partnering with Saudi Arabia in 2018, WWE has staged a number of high-profile shows in the Kingdom. These include Crown Jewel, Elimination Chamber, King & Queen of the Ring, Night of Champions, Friday Night SmackDown and Monday Night Raw. The relationship has helped WWE expand its international reach. While offering Saudi Arabia the opportunity to showcase itself as a destination for global entertainment.

That partnership continues to expand. Riyadh will also host the 39th annual Royal Rumble in January. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN platforms in the United States and Netflix globally.

WrestleMania has become more than just a single night of matches. The event has grown into a week-long celebration featuring SmackDown, Raw, NXT, fan events, and community initiatives. Leaving a lasting imprint on host regions. WWE says the spectacle draws fans from more than 60 countries annually. Generating more than $1.5 billion in cumulative economic impact for host cities over the last decade.

The news follows a record-setting WrestleMania 41 this past April in Las Vegas. Which WWE called the most successful and highest-grossing event in company history.

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.

Top Comcast, Versant Execs After MSNBC’s Coverage of Charlie Kirk: ‘We Need to Do Better’

BNM Staff
-
0
Top Comcast, Versant Execs After MSNBC’s Coverage of Charlie Kirk: ‘We Need to Do Better’

MSNBC cut ties with contributor Matthew Dowd earlier this week after what the network described as “inappropriate, insensitive, and unacceptable” comments he made in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Now, top executives from parent company Comcast and Versant are speaking out about the incident.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting that killed Kirk, Dowd suggested that Kirk’s prior rhetoric was responsible for his shooting.

“Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which ten lead to hateful actions,” Dowd said. “You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and then not expect awful actions to take place.”

In a memo to staffers on Friday, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, President Mike Cavanaugh, and Versant CEO Mark Lazarus addressed the situation in a joint statement. The trio stated that they were disappointed by the failings of the comments and network in the way the story was covered.

“That coverage was at odds with fostering civil dialogue and being willing to listen to the points of view of those who have differing opinions,” the executives wrote. “We should be able to disagree, robustly and passionately, but, ultimately, with respect. We need to do better.”

The entire memo, obtained by Barrett Media, is below.

Dear Comcast NBCUniversal Team,

The tragic loss of Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old father, husband, and advocate for open debate, whose faith was important to him, reminds us of the fragility of life and the urgent need for unity in our nation. Our hearts are heavy, as his passing leaves a grieving family and a country grappling with division. There is no place for violence or hate in our society.

You may have seen that MSNBC recently ended its association with a contributor who made an unacceptable and insensitive comment about this horrific event. That coverage was at odds with fostering civil dialogue and being willing to listen to the points of view of those who have differing opinions. We should be able to disagree, robustly and passionately, but, ultimately, with respect. We need to do better.

Charlie Kirk believed that “when people stop talking, really bad stuff starts.” Regardless of whether you agreed with his political views, his words and actions underscore the urgency to maintain a respectful exchange of ideas – a principle we must champion. We believe in the power of communication to bring us together. Today, that belief feels more vital than ever. Something essential has fractured in our public discourse, and as a company that values the power of information, we have a responsibility to help mend it.

As employees, we ask you to embody our values in your work and communities. We should engage with respect, listen, and treat people with kindness.

The joint memo from Lazarus, Roberts, and Cavanaugh comes as Versant prepares to separate from NBCUniversal early next year. After that separation, Lazarus will remain in charge of MSNBC — and CNBC — while Comcast’s NBCUniversal will oversee the NBC News brand.

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.

Jesse Watters to Host Fox News Weekend Special on Life of Charlie Kirk

BNM Staff
-
0
Jesse Watters to Host Fox News Weekend Special on Life of Charlie Kirk

Fox News has announced plans to showcase a weekend program to remember the life of Charlie Kirk, with Jesse Watters tapped to helm the special show.

On Saturday at 7 PM ET, the network will host a one-hour special following the assassination of Kirk in a shooting at Utah Valley University earlier this week.

With Watters leading the program, several Fox News hosts, anchors, and contributors will make appearances in the special.

Donald Trump Jr., My View host Lara Trump, Graham Allen, and Pastor Jack Hibbs are scheduled to appear. Will Cain, Laura Ingraham, Brian Kilmeade, Ainsley Earhardt, and Lawrence Jones will also contribute and reflect on Kirk’s impact in his time in the spotlight.

Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz, who was at the location the day Kirk was killed, will join the show, as will Lisa Boothe and OutKick’s Riley Gaines.

Charlie Kirk made regular appearances on Fox News. In fact, his final appearance on the network came on Tuesday as he was a guest on The Will Cain Show, one day before he was murdered.

An encore presentation of the show will air on Sunday at 7 PM ET, as well. The program will also be made available on the FOX Nation streaming platform.

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.

Bruce DuMont, Chicago Radio/TV Analyst and Museum of Broadcast Communications Founder, Dies

BNM Staff
-
0
Bruce DuMont, Chicago Radio/TV Analyst and Museum of Broadcast Communications Founder, Dies

Bruce DuMont — a longtime Chicago radio and television political analyst, as well as the founder of the Museum of Broadcast Communications — died Wednesday at the age of 81.

During a long career, DuMont worked at stations like WEEF, WGN, WLS-FM, WEAW, WBEZ, and WLTD, among others. In 1978, he moved to TV, working at WBBM-TV as a producer of the talk show hosted by Lee Phillip. He also produced the station’s public affairs program, anchored by Harry Potterfield.

In 1982, DuMont joined WTTW-TV in the Windy City, later becoming the original producer of Chicago Tonight. He later went on to anchor the program at the 1984 Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

He hosted a show called Inside Politics, beginning in 1992, for WLS-AM. It was later nationally syndicated and renamed Beyond the Beltway. It was canceled by WLS-AM in 2015, when it then moved to AM 560 The Answer, where it ended in January.

DuMont began working on the Museum of Broadcast Communications in 1982. His mission was to preserve the archives of radio and television stations that didn’t have the space or resources to do so. The physical location of the museum officially debuted in 1987. In 1992, it moved to the Chicago Culture Center, where it remained until 2003, when it operated online-only before finding new space in 2012. It is currently in search of its next location.

DuMont retired from the Museum in 2017. The Museum of Broadcast Communications is the home of the Radio Hall of Fame.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

ESPN Extends SportsCenter Anchor Michael Eaves

BSM Staff
-
0
ESPN Extends SportsCenter Anchor Michael Eaves

ESPN has re-signed veteran anchor Michael Eaves to a multi-year contract, ensuring he will continue his work on SportsCenter and contribute to the network’s coverage of major golf events.

Since joining ESPN in 2015, Eaves has been a familiar face for sports fans, primarily anchoring nighttime editions of SportsCenter from the network’s Bristol studios. He also frequently reports on the road, covering marquee events including the Masters and the PGA Championship. In addition to anchoring, Eaves conducts post-round interviews with players and hosts practice round shows during live golf coverage.

“I can’t believe it’s already been 10 years since I signed my first ESPN contract. Time flies when you are having fun, and I have been doing that during my time here,” Eaves said.

Before joining ESPN, Eaves built a diverse broadcasting career that spanned local television, professional sports coverage, and national news. A Kentucky native, he began at WKYT/WDKY-TV in Lexington before moving to Memphis as a sports anchor at WPTY/WLMT-TV. While in Memphis, he also covered Memphis Grizzlies telecasts and hosted a morning sports talk show. His career then took him to Los Angeles, where he spent more than a decade with FOX Sports West/Prime Ticket. Where he covered the Clippers, Angels, Lakers, Dodgers, and Pac-12 football. Eaves also served as a news and sports anchor at Al Jazeera America.

“Michael has been a steady and familiar presence for sports fans, from the SportsCenter desk to major golf events. His professionalism and versatility have made him a valued member of our team. We’re pleased he will continue with ESPN,” said Mike Foss, senior vice president of Sports Studio & Entertainment.

Throughout his career, Eaves has received numerous accolades, including four Los Angeles-area Emmy Awards for Best Sports Reporting and Outstanding Sports Feature, a 2012 Telly Award for Best Sports Feature, and recognition as Best Television Anchor in Southern California by the LA Press Club in 2013. His professional affiliations include the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and the National Association of Black Journalists.

Eaves, a University of Kentucky graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, was honored in 2025 by his alma mater’s alumni association with induction into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni. Reflecting on his career, he said, “I have been very fortunate to have covered some of my favorite sports and the biggest events, and I look forward to a few more years of doing the same.”

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.

Former 98.7 The Bull DJ Danny Dwyer Launches Country-Focused Podcast

BMM Staff
-
0
Former 98.7 The Bull DJ Danny Dwyer Launches Country-Focused Podcast

After departing 98.7 The Bull earlier this summer, Danny Dwyer has launched a new project, focusing on a country music podcast.

Dwyer is partnering with Country Music Rocks editor Julia Currier to host a new podcast of the same name.

“We are longtime friends, and figured it’s time to start our own podcast,” Dwyer said in the debut episode of the program.

He added that the duo had discussed the effort for nearly a decade before the circumstances were right to launch the new program.

Dwyer departed 98.7 The Bull — the then-Alpha Media country station in Portland — in July after being at the station since 1998. In his most recent capacity, he served as the Music Director for the brand, while helming the 9 AM to Noon timeslot in the station’s lineup.

He shared that country music is “in his blood.”

“It flows in and out of the system,” said Dwyer. “I always feel like music takes us to a place that makes us feel happy, it takes us to a place that makes us sad. We both have talked about this for so long. We’ve been friends for almost 15 years now … We’ve been talking about this since 2017.”

Dwyer concluded that he was blessed to spend as much time as he did at 98.7 The Bull. He departed the station as Alpha Media was being acquired by Connoisseur Media, which was officially completed last 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.

1...709710711...2,892Page 710 of 2,892