Home Blog Page 762

Why Sports Media Should Be Celebrating Stephen A. Smith Resetting the Market With a New Record Breaking Contract at ESPN

Jason Barrett
-
0
Why Sports Media Should Be Celebrating Stephen A. Smith Resetting the Market With a New Record Breaking Contract at ESPN

If you expected me today to beat a dead horse and write about the Audacy layoffs again, sorry to disappoint you. I said what I said in last week’s group column, meant every word, and don’t want to discuss it further. Instead, I want to turn my attention to something that should be a positive, Stephen A. Smith earning a record breaking contract from ESPN, which resets the market.

I say that it should be a positive because anytime an individual creates massive success for a long period of time, and receives a large contract that paves the way for other top performers to be paid their worth, others should be thankful. ESPN showed with this deal that it invests in top performers. Smith was also able to retain his digital freedom in addition to grabbing the bag.

But unfortunately, I saw a lot of industry people showcase their jealousy and pettiness last week. The list of DMs, texts and public tweets bitching about Smith getting paid was not surprising though disappointing. Every single one of them missed the larger point.

The more Stephen A. Smith or any accomplished talent makes, the better your chances of earning a better future if you perform. Your company is not reducing your paycheck or eliminating your position if you deliver results at a high level. They’re doing so if what you contribute is considered non-essential or not as valuable as what others provide.

Whether you love Smith or don’t, you know who he is, and what he does because he commands your attention. First Take has been #1 for 13 years with Smith as the key figure. Like it or not, it’s the show that draws the most attention to everything ESPN does. Skip Bayless and Max Kellerman have come and gone, contributors have been changed, and regardless, the show remains on top because Smith is an attraction.

And that’s just First Take.

How many other programs, events, and shoulder programming around big sporting events has Smith been a part of for ESPN over the past 15-20 years? When Smith appears, shows receive greater attention. Even outside the company, look at his appearances on The View, Jimmy Fallon, Cuomo on NewsNation, Fox News, etc.. When Smith shows up, people tune in. As TKO CEO Mark Shapiro said last week at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Stephen A. Smith draws eyeballs.

When Stephen A. wrote his book ‘Straight Shooter‘, people bought it. If he’s asked to appear on a radio show, podcast or speak at a business function, he says yes. You don’t have to love his style or content but his grind deserves respect. His track record of success also warranted higher compensation.

I always expected ESPN and Stephen A. Smith to extend their relationship. He deserved more than Pat McAfee, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, and others. Stephen A. has delivered more audience than McAfee, works more than Buck and Aikman, and is the face of the company. Industry people love the glory days of ESPN and celebrating the impact Dan Patrick, Keith Olbermann, Stuart Scott, Chris Berman, and Bob Ley had, but over the past 20 years, nobody has been more important to ESPN’s success than Smith.

Negotiations may have been bumpy. But that’s just business. Smart people get over it and understand that they’re better together than apart. It’s why Bob Iger, Jimmy Pitaro, and Stephen A. Smith and his team were able to reach the finish line.

For folks like McAfee, Clay Travis, Shannon Sharpe, Colin Cowherd, Nick Wright, Big Cat, Shaq, Charles Barkley, Dan Le Batard, etc. this is great news. It’s evidence that shows that top companies will still reward top talent for top results. That will come up in future negotiations when individuals look to see how their employers value their contributions. It means less in radio circles, but a similar precedent should exist. The better Mike Felger, Fred Toucher, and Chris Russo get treated, the better that is for Mike Valenti, Boomer & Gio, Jim Rome, and other successful talent.

Smith’s new deal shows that there’s a reward for being at the top of your profession. Furthermore, it suggests that being the best in sports media can be more lucrative than playing or coaching sports. As an industry, we collectively express frustration, anger and disappointment when jobs are lost, but don’t express enough enthusiasm when people in our business get rewarded. That needs to change. When one person wins, it opens the door for the next one to shine.

Jimmy Pitaro has invested in stars since taking the reins at ESPN. It’s a good strategy. In the cluttered media environment we’re in, spending top dollar on people who command attention is smart business. Whether it’s been Stephen A. Smith, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Jason Kelce, Joe Buck & Troy Aikman, Scott Van Pelt or the upcoming partnership with TNT for ‘Inside The NBA’, Pitaro knows top talent and programming produces higher ratings and revenue. That’s a business plan that other media executives would be wise to follow.

Around The Horn

I watched Tony Reali‘s on-air confirmation of Around The Horn coming to an end in May, and then watched his interview with Dan Le Batard. How can you not like and root for that guy? His energy, positivity, and likability are off the charts. And it’s not fake. I’ve met Tony twice at the ESPN Edge Conference, and he genuinely enjoys conversation, and goes out of his way to say hello and engage.

I have no idea what ESPN is going to put in place of ATH. That said, I hope the company has a plan for Tony Reali. He belongs on a top show. If Scott Hanson steps away from RedZone, Reali would be a perfect replacement. Regardless of where he lands, I’ll be rooting for Tony Reali.

Audacy Layoffs Blunder

Letting hundreds of employees go is bad enough, but informing people that they’ve lost their job, only to tell them a day later that they’re not gone is embarrassing. The good news is that Henry Lake and Chris Tubbs are back at WCCO in Minneapolis. Kudos to PD Brad Lane and Market Manager Jeff Gonsales on fighting for their people. Folks up top though can’t make mistakes like that. It shows sloppiness at the corporate level.

Quick Hits

  • Stephanie Eads and I will be in Las Vegas April 6-9 for the NAB Show. If you’re making the trip and want to meet to discuss business, email Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com. Jeff Lynn will also be attending to work on some stories for the site including a Countdown series prior to the show.
  • Tucker Carlson will appear tonight on NewsNation with Chris Cuomo. It’ll be the second conversation between the two popular hosts. Cuomo airs at 8pm ET.
  • Westwood One announced Vince Coglianese as the replacement for Dan Bongino. I wish Vince the best as he enters national syndication. Dan Bongino‘s newly formed production company, Silverloch Productions will produce the show’s podcast with distribution provided by Cumulus Podcast Network.
  • Awesome job by Froggy 98 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The radio station celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8th by featuring songs from only women artists. In addition, a spotlight was shined on the station’s female employees. That’s a cool one-day programming initiative that gets people talking, and gives listeners incentive to tune in, and advertisers a reason to continue investing. Cool idea.
  • Congrats to Jeremiah Crowe, Tom Tolbert, John Lund, Paul McCaffrey, Tony Rhein and Daniel Ogden on the launch of the Bay Area Sports Collective. With so many talented people in the Bay Area no longer on the San Francisco airwaves, there’s an opening in the sports digital space. The question moving forward is how do advertisers respond to it. From a talent standpoint, BASC has a lot to offer.
  • Audacy Boston Market Manager Mike Thomas took batting practice at Red Sox spring training with Jonny Gomes and Jarrod Saltamacchia standing nearby to offer encouragement. Thomas held his own in the cage, which for his sake is important. The on-air talent would’ve had a field day with him had he bombed.
  • New tunes I’ve been enjoying this week include A Day to Remember‘s ‘LeBron‘, Struggle Jennings featuring Jelly Roll ‘Only God Knows‘, and the ‘Dust in the Wind‘ cover by Corey Taylor and Bad Omens.
  • Look for the next 2025 BSM Summit announcement tomorrow. Five more speakers are being added to our lineup. The show comes to Chicago May 8-9, 2025 at the MCA. Get your tickets here. We’re also planning to announce our annual college contest soon.

‘The Johnny Dare Show’s’ Closing Love Letter To A City

Ron Harrell
-
0
‘The Johnny Dare Show’s’ Closing Love Letter To A City

Radio industry layoffs. We don’t seem as surprised anymore, and that’s not good. Last week’s latest radio reduction-in-force was hosted by Audacy, America’s second largest radio station company. The news generated criticism from analysts and pundits for the next 72 hours and then faded as other stories grabbed our Goldfish-like attention span. 

Dozens of the estimated 200-300 employees on the job-loss list used social media to share the moment and express gratitude to their company, co-workers, bosses, and the audience. That’s a social media benefit in 2025. Twenty years ago, no one outside of your family and friends would know what happened to you until you crossed the street to another radio station.

As I read through the names of people willing to share their dismissal with popular media publications like this one, I had these reactions: “Oh, wow. He was there a long time. Great run.” Or, “No way. That’s a big loss.” Here’s one of my favorite reactions in the multi-job era, “How is this a savings? Those guys were hosting a morning show in one market, an afternoon show in another market and serving as an APD!”

One show caught my eye Friday morning as I read through the updated and curated list of cuts. “The Johnny Dare Show” on Rock 98.9, KQRC Kansas City. This one got the, “Oh, wow. He was there a long time,” response. Yeah, 32 years as the morning show host on the same radio station. That’s four careers in dog-years…or in government-job-years these days.

The last line of the two sentences about the Johnny Dare Show grabbed my attention. The show will get to host one final show tomorrow morning. No other show or talent on the list was allowed to say goodbye as far as I could tell. 

Reading the updated list on Friday morning during my second cup of French Roast, I realized the show had 90 minutes remaining. So, I pulled up the Audacy app and found KQRC. I know the Johnny Dare Show from hearing shared bits and audio through the years, but I never listened to it in its live form.

Based on that experience, I’m sure “The Johnny Dare Show” would be a daily experience if I lived in the Kansas City market and commuted during the morning drive hours. It’s one of those shows where I would get a loud rock song to energize the mind-numbing commute and ask myself, “What are these guys talking about today?”

Yes, I was listening to the final 90 minutes of a heritage show’s existence, so it was the best of the Best Of. However, there was something else that captivated me during Friday’s listening experience besides the oh wow tune from Jackyl. They shared stories and characters I knew nothing about and connected me to an experience. I believed them.

Would the Friday show have been as emotional had they not found out about their downsizing at 9:30 last Thursday morning? Not for the same reasons, but I’m certain there would’ve been something to make me laugh, smile or emotionally agree and disagree. 

Here are three takeaways from my experience with “The Johnny Dare Show:”

  1. Act like you’ll win but play the game like you’re behind. 

There’s a common message among the tenured talent who shared their goodbyes. They couldn’t believe the job lasted, 15, 20, or 32 years. And while that’s true in this transient business, I think most people had the internal confidence that they would be in these great jobs as long as they wanted. Believe in yourself because spreadsheets don’t.

  • On-Air Goodbyes are rare, but the experience provides clarity and closure. 

“The Johnny Dare Show” got an FCC fine, and they let him have a final show after he was RIF’ed. Do we really think the heritage AC morning show will say something wrong during their goodbye show? 

The goodbye show brings closure and transparency to an audience. You’re asking, “Ron, won’t the farewell show and the downsizing announcement to the audience hurt the radio station’s image?” What’s worse, telling your fans why you’re leaving or evaporating one day?” 

There’s another angle with the goodbye shows: marketing. Kansas City TV news mentioned the cuts and the social media jumped on the farewell  Johnny Dare Show. 

  • Understand our purpose in the process. One of Johnny’s final lines caused me to write it down. “This is a closing love letter to a city.” I think he understood the magnitude of those 32 years of entertaining his audience with fun, goodwill, sarcasm, irreverence, charity… and an FCC fine. 

After the closing montage of audio and bits from the show, the VO talent said, “This was the Johnny Dare morning show.” Someone was paying attention to details.






Bonneville San Francisco’s Brian Figula Discusses An Industry In Transition

Jeff Lynn
-
0
Bonneville San Francisco’s Brian Figula Discusses An Industry In Transition

Brian Figula is Director of Programming Operations and KOIT/KBLX/KUFX Program Director for Bonneville San Francisco. He recently made the Barrett Media Top 20 Program Directors for both AC and Classic Rock.

“Grateful is the word that I say. I was on the AC and Classic Rock list. And I’m grateful to be on that list. That’s my summary. I like how Jason and the team let the peers influence who’s on that list and who’s not on that list. It was pretty cool and pretty good. I didn’t see anything that I went, come on.”

When I talked to Figula, Audacy was amid a massive company-wide layoff, so I asked him what advice he would offer to those caught in the downsizing.

“First, don’t panic. Believe. We’re an industry in transition, locating non-traditional ways of generating revenue, whether digital events or audio distribution. Get on the transition bus, invest a little more than your neighbor, and see where it goes. That’s good advice. That’s my attitude.”

“I wake up every day with the attitude that, yeah, some days suck. But for somebody who’s invested 30 years in this industry, am I just going to give up and quit? Let’s face it, that attitude will eventually be noticed by management. At a time when companies are looking at ways of reducing resources and putting together their A-team, don’t get caught up on that Debbie Downer train.”

With radio in transition, Figula believes that reflecting on the past is ok, but don’t let it destroy your attitude because it isn’t what it used to be.

“I think it’s fun to reflect on the good old days and the past and yesterday. But if you catch yourself in an environment that isn’t good and you’re down, quickly pick yourself up and find a way to make it happen.”

That extends to program directors rethinking their role.

“Program directors need to work closely with sales, senior, and corporate management, and share ideas and new ways to generate revenue from content. I think there’s also a little bit of experimental time, which is scary, but also super exciting because we get to evolve the industry.”

And what should talent be doing to make themselves known?

“Network, period. I’ll share a story. I was in Cleveland doing afternoon drive, and I was more hungry than ever in my career. I’m in afternoon drive on WQAL, working for CBS and Infinity, and think about all the things that came with it.”

“I started reaching out to some of my favorite DJs, asking for feedback on my demo. Not on how I could get a job at the radio station, but being sincere. “Hey, you’re one of my favorite DJs to listen to, and I would love for you to spend a minute listening to my air check and giving me some constructive criticism. I only had one or two people respond. One of those people who responded was Race Taylor. He was at WPLJ at the time and is now at WCBS.”

“He wrote back and said, hey, you sound really good, dude. Keep up the good work. That was it. He didn’t say hey, that second break sucked. It was just that. Wow that’s motivating.”

It’s a moment and a lesson that has impacted Figula to this day.

“If we could all do that right now to each other, we’d lift people up. Just reply to emails. Take 10, 20 or 30 seconds and listen to that air check, and understand how you’re going to inspire people. Those people were inspiring to me, and they gave me the motivation to continue to grow. Right now, we could use that more than ever.”

And that story had a full circle moment. “I ended up a few years later working at WDVD in Detroit. I was filling in for somebody and got a call on the request line. It was Race Taylor. ‘What’s up Fig, it’s Race Taylor.’ I’m like, seriously? He said, “I just want to tell you, you sound great, dude. I can’t believe it. You’re on DVD. You sound great.”’

Race Taylor Photo Facebook

“He was in town for the holidays. And again, inspired. He took the time to talk to me for one minute on the request line. During the layoff times of PLJ and going to Christian Music, I reached out to Race and said, hey, is there anything I can do for you during this transition? He said, absolutely. Keep your ears open. Give me feedback.”

“He inspired me, and I’ve never told him this whole story, but he’s inspired me to pass along that tradition. Because it works, it worked for me.”

Mentoring and giving back is important to Figula.

“I have a story with that. I currently have a part-time opening on KOIT. And I posted the job, obviously got dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of resumes. Who would not apply for a job at KOIT? That’s a big gig. And one of the applicants is in his teens.”

“This kid is in my listening area and has his own syndicated night show. Streaming, super, super small, unrated markets. And he needs a mentor. He needs a coach. He’s not ready for this position, but this guy’s in my backyard. He needs direction, but he’s passionate about radio. He’s all in on radio.”

“We have to capitalize on that, and reach out to those people and say, I want to meet you. Here is my email. Don’t ever hesitate to reach out to me. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything here for you. You’re not the right fit, but I want you to know that you have my email and phone number. You can call me anytime, and I’d love to help you with your career.”

Figula says it’s important to mentor young talent and pay attention to one’s own team.

“I had a high-up company VP tell me that they took on a new territory, and one of the DJs hadn’t been air checked in over 15 years. All the jaws dropped. The VP’s jaws dropped, and my jaw dropped. This is at a big company. That’s a huge problem for our industry.”

And what about the often-heard excuse that PDs and OMs are just too busy and have too much on their plates?

“One solution is delegation. Find your future replacement or your future APD that is good and a little more advanced in a certain area, where you need to invest in one of the talents. Set up a weekly or bi-weekly air check or hire people. There’s a ton of people for very reasonable prices like Tracy Johnson or Ron Harrell.”

“There’s a bunch of people out there that you can hire at a very cost-effective price tag to help out. And if you’re not investing in talent, you’re probably in the wrong position.”

I asked Figula if he had one secret weapon in his programming toolbox?

“Invest in and stay interested in. That’s my trick: go above and beyond and invest. Invest in learning new technologies, new trends, networking, and asking for feedback. That’s how any great manager or leader in any industry stays vibrant and successful: being willing to learn and being open-minded to change.”

To reach Brian Figula, email him here. 

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.

Donovan Lewis Earned ‘Dream Job’ Following Lessons From Legends

Derek Futterman
-
1
Donovan Lewis Earned ‘Dream Job’ Following Lessons From Legends

When sports talk radio legend Norm Hitzges announced his retirement from Sportsradio 96.7/1310 The Ticket after more than four decades on the Dallas-Fort Worth airwaves, plaudits and tributes celebrating his momentous career poured into the station. Hitzges had made a name for himself as a solo host for most of his career, but he had also contributed on Dallas Cowboys postgame shows on the station alongside Donovan Lewis. Longtime program director Jeff Catlin informed Lewis of interest in pairing him with Hitzges in 2015, and The Norm & D Invasion established itself as appointment listening for sports fans in the metroplex.

Lewis needed to make a profound transition in terms of how he approached the show while also realizing Hitzges was working to assimilate into the new format. In the beginning, there were some occurrences when Lewis would suggest something and find that Hitzges felt hesitant, but as time went on, they cultivated unequivocal rapport and synergy. Despite pairing for seven years on the postgame show, the weekday program was a significant alteration, but it enriched Lewis’ understanding of the craft and created a formidable daily product.

“When you’re working with someone else, it seems like you’re overloaded with things to talk about, and that’s exactly what he did and that’s what he kind of taught me, almost preparing to do the show like you’re doing it by yourself, but you’re bouncing ideas off of someone else,” Lewis said. “And if you prepare like you’re doing it by yourself, it’s going to make it easier for you, and he was correct in that.”

Once Hitzges announced his retirement, station executives were trying to determine where Lewis would fit in the programming lineup. Before working in middays, Lewis had been assigned to the BaD Radio early afternoon program with Bob Sturm and Dan McDowell, but he initially found himself struggling to adjust his position. Accustomed to only speaking when addressed in his youth, comfortably finding his position without being timid to expatiate his notions took time.

“They were willing to make sure that we made this thing work and my addition was going to help the show overall,” Lewis said. “It wasn’t just three separate people, it’s three people trying to do one show, so they were cool and fortunately it all worked out.”

Through experience in various hosting configurations and dayparts, Lewis augmented his versatility and gleaned a panoptic view towards editorializing on sports in the locale with a fervent consumption base. The station aims to nurture and maintain relationships with listeners, including P1s who drive audience engagement and interaction with the programs. Possessing industry knowledge and previous experience, Lewis had never seen a cadre of fans as passionate as P1s and does not foresee discovering a subliminal group in the future.

“They make us who we are, these P1s really, truly do, and some that have been there from the beginning, they feel that we’re family members,” Lewis explained. “I don’t know if I’ve ever done that with someone that I listened to on a regular basis when I was coming up as far as radio listening, and this is just something different.”

As the station welcomed Matt McClearin as a new member of The Invasion program with Lewis, the hosts quickly gained familiarity and built unfeigned chemistry. The first edition of the show took place live from Cowboys training camp, and the on-site broadcast further facilitated the adjustment by ostensibly coercing the duo to spend time together outside of the studio.

Lewis contends that McClearin is “a radio lifer” who truly cares about the business and always arrives prepared to execute behind the microphone. In fact, the duo has not had a single disagreement over nearly two years on the airwaves, and the show has flourished on linear and digital platforms while captivating a broad audience. Although there is a stark contrast towards how McClearin and Hitzges approach a show, Lewis has been successful working with both personalities and finding ways to thrive.

“I don’t want to say it’s night and day difference between Norm and Matt,” Lewis explained. “Norm is old school, and he writes things on his yellow pad and he is all about the stats and all those other things. And Matt is, sometimes when he’s talking about the teams that he loves, he’s a fan, and he kind of comes from that fan perspective, which is kind of refreshing because a lot of people who are listening feel the exact same way.”

Safeguarding against coming off as disingenuous or duplicitous in his elocution, Lewis strives to remain true to himself and lucid in his rhetoric. Through exegesis of the overall landscape, he can discern obfuscatory signals in demarcating sports talk with two people arguing about a given point. This differs from what Lewis and McClearin offer to the listening audience, abstaining from perfunctory segments or other hackneyed conversations and prioritizing authenticity.

“I am always, always going to tell you exactly how I feel and what I’m thinking about a game and not trying to do it just to spur on an argument or other conversations,” Lewis said. “I’m just going to tell you what I think and what I feel, and if you disagree, hey, that’s life. You’re never going to always agree with what I have to say, but I’m always just trying to be straightforward.”

Hosting in middays has been enjoyable for Lewis, who avers that the show can help guide people through their workdays and supplement the surrounding drive time programs. With pride towards the allotted time for the show, he does not take any segment for granted and strives to garner stellar ratings and avoid complacency. Even though the program has accumulated triumphs amid traditional paradigms measuring consumption, the content is also accessible through other means beyond terrestrial radio frequencies.

“We’re really happy with where things are right now, but we know that we still have a lot of work to do and we got to keep going,” Lewis said. “You can enjoy ratings success for a day or two, and then you got to keep grinding to make sure that you don’t lose the people that are listening to you.

Coming off of its highest-rated year in program history, The Musers morning show recently cut back its hours of operation in order to continue the program. Because of this scheduling change, The Invasion has been broadcasting for one additional hour per day, a significant change that has altered Lewis’ daily routine.

“We have no issues filling the extra hour as far as content goes, but we just want to make sure it’s the right content and we’re doing the best job that we possibly can,” Lewis said. “It is challenging, and we’ve accepted the fact that we have this extra hour to do five [days] a week, which doesn’t seem like a lot to a lot of people, but man, in radio terms, that extra hour is almost like a dog year trying to fill that hour every day and all week.”

Growing up with a passion for the craft, Lewis attended East Texas State University and studied under professors concentrated in television and radio. With a mindset of hosting a music show centered around R&B or hip-hop, he learned the fundamentals but was then told by his radio professor that he did not surmise him being cut out for the business. Rather than changing his direction, he used the incredulity to stay motivated and navigate other difficulties wherein he gained empirical proficiency and aptitudes.

“I was going to teach one time, I was going to work in insurance one time because I didn’t think that this thing was meant for me or this business or this career was meant for me, and then something happened to where I stuck around,” Lewis said. “And then now it’s just come to this point now to where this is the dream job that I thought about, and now I have it and I’m having fun every single day.”

When Lewis graduated from college in 1993, he networked with journalist Bob Ray Sanders, who was also hosting an evening talk show at 570 KLIF. One week later, Sanders called and encouraged Lewis to apply for an open position at the station, and he was subsequently hired as a board operator filling in on weekday and weekend shows. Lewis is grateful that he concentrated on radio rather than television in part due to the intimacy and accessibility of the medium despite mass layoffs occurring throughout the business.

“It’s always one of those to where you feel badly about the people losing their jobs around in this marketplace, in this landscape,” Lewis said, “but on the other side, it’s really nice knowing that your company is behind you and that you just have to keep showing how valuable you are as far as a space and a show to have them keep investing in the station and the show.”

While staff reductions impact professionals in the business, the format is also competing with a variety of other platforms that provide alternative options. Lewis seeks to compel listeners that he is an ideal option to hear the latest sports talk, and he feels the familiarity with the hosting lineup helps in this endeavor. At the same time, he looks to refrain from patronization or vain proclivities despite prominent accolades such as a sixth-place finish on the Barrett Media Top 20 list coinciding with their market size and daypart.

“We appreciate the honor, definitely, but again, that ‘little Ticket’ mentality just kind of keeps being ingrained in our heads as far as just, ‘Keep doing it,’” Lewis explained. “We love it – we really, truly love coming in every single day, working with each other, trying to figure out how we’re going to do the show and then going out and doing the show.”

The Ticket made history last fall when it became the first sports talk radio outlet in nearly three decades to win the NAB Marconi Radio Award for ‘Major Market Station of the Year,’ a category that includes several other formats. This victory coincided with the entity celebrating 30 years on the airwaves, and it was an achievement that Lewis does not think everyone has still fully understood. Even so, he is humbled to be part of this station and help The Ticket further ascend beyond its presumed potential.

“It’s something that everyone there should be proud of and shouldn’t be ashamed to kind of tap your chest a little bit and let everybody know because that’s something [where] I don’t think a Dallas station has won ‘Major Market Station of the Year’ before. For us to be the first to do that, it’s a special moment for everybody, and everybody’s taking pride in the fact that The Ticket has been recognized for an award like that.”

Lewis avoids defining his current state as the supposed pinnacle of his career, but he would not be disappointed if it ended up being true. Considering every show to be a blessing, he looks forward to continuing to work with McClearin and The Ticket bringing a sonorous blend of sports talk in middays replete with information, opinion and repartee. Lewis remains excited about the appeal of audio and consistent presence of sports as the station chugs along the tracks with valor and fortitude through a dynamic media ecosystem.

“This is something I never thought would happen as far as hosting my own show in a major market like Dallas, and since I’ve been here for a while now, some of that has kind of gone away, but just going in and having fun and talking and laughing with my friends on the air – that feeling of having fun like that I don’t think will ever go away,” Lewis said. “And as long as that feeling is there, then I’m going to be happy going into that office every single day doing that exact same thing.”

As History Disappears, Radio Needs to Remember to Preserve Its Past

Perry Michael Simon
-
0
As History Disappears, Radio Needs to Remember to Preserve Its Past

History is disappearing. That’s a literal statement, although I’m not suggesting that everything from the past won’t exist in the future. What’s disappearing is evidence, the recording of events of all kinds — from radio, to television and feature films, for posterity. Part of it is technological, part of it is commercial, and part of it is just that, as the song said, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.

The latest example is cultural, with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s announcement that those DVDs produced in 2006-08 of Warner movies and cartoons are now unplayable due to manufacturing defects and that they’ll replace the discs if they’re available. That’s a big if. The rights to some of the movies may no longer be in Warner’s hands, and it’s also the case that Warner may not really care to re-release some titles because there’s insufficient demand for them, including some Looney Tunes collections which include cartoons that just aren’t seen anymore, anywhere, unless someone ripped them to YouTube. So much for physical media protecting you against streamers dumping content at will and making it unavailable through any means.

We assume that the internet has made everything available to everyone, but that’s just not the case. A lot of material has been lost because the rights holders don’t see a commercial market for it. You might think that news is not the same, that we’re chronicling our history more than ever. Maybe we are, through social media and “citizen journalism,” but none of that is guaranteed to be around in the future.

Take Disney, for example, which just shuttered what was left of 538 (the former FiveThirtyEight before someone decided spelling it out was too much to bear), the data vertical that bounced from Nate Silver to ESPN to The New York Times to ESPN to… oblivion, it seems, because the overlords at Disney decided not just to pull the plug and fire the staff but to also wipe any evidence of the site’s existence off the internet.  All those polls, all that analysis, gone for good. Oh, well.

News sites… well, there’s the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, which rights holders have fought for years. Otherwise, we’re at the mercy of the site owners, and that’s trouble right there. Besides, which version of an edited and/or updated story gets saved?

What would we get if, say, The New York Times went back and redid Walter Duranty’s stories to edit out the glowing reviews of the Soviet Union, or The Washington Post redacted the names of some of the Watergate principals? They can, which doesn’t do much for trust. We do have Newspapers.com and its virtual version of newspaper archive microfiche; it’s expensive but worth it, because I’ve lost track of how many forgotten details of stories I found with a quick search of a small-town paper. But all of that can go away at the whim of ownership, and then what?

Oh, and radio. Yes, people collect scoped airchecks of old Top 40 radio, and “recorded transcriptions” of the Golden Age exist, but stations have never been in the business of recording and archiving everything they put out every day, and they aren’t going to start now with their private equity overlords (and creditors) watching every penny. Decades and decades worth of radio news, sports, entertainment, and even commercials are gone, unless in the hands of collectors.

I can’t even play you what the radio stations where I worked sounded like back then, because airchecks were taped over and lost to the ages. (Individual hosts may have kept tapes, but YOU try and get them in one place and archive them all.)

And if we’re looking at an unreliable, hit-or-miss archive of news coverage of important events like, oh, what’s going on in Washington and Palm Beach right now, what will history look like for your grandkids? Maybe it’ll be like the 1800s, where we can piece together from written accounts what was going on; maybe it’ll be like everything before Gutenberg, guesswork based on evidence from archaeology and science. Maybe someone will carbon-date Ryan Seacrest and extrapolate the history of his many jobs.

We don’t know what the future will bring, or if we have a future to worry about, but we thought we were videotaping and collecting everything in news and culture and it turns out we don’t know if we can see every Bugs Bunny cartoon.

These are interesting times on all fronts. Someday, people will look back on 2025 and ask what the hell happened and how, whether it’s political or movies and TV or what life was like back then. It’ll probably be a good idea to save everything so they know the truth. At the very least, they’ll get to make fun of our hairstyles and clothes.

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.

The Interview: Nashville’s Morning News with Dan Mandis on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN

Garrett Searight
-
0
The Interview: Nashville’s Morning News with Dan Mandis on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN

At many news/talk stations, the morning show is strictly dedicated to the most pertinent news of the area, state, and country. But that’s not the case for Nashville’s Morning News with Dan Mandis on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN.

It is a stereotypical news/talk radio show, driven by the host’s opinions more than interviews with local leaders, etc…there is still a news wheel that the show follows, but it isn’t as news-dominated as many other shows in the daypart.

So, while the show is somewhat atypical, is the interview style from Dan Mandis? I pulled an interview he conducted with Rep. Scott Desjarlais (R-TN) after President Donald Trump’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress last week to find out.

The first question, in my opinion, highlights that it isn’t a news-dominant show. Mandis began the conversation by asking what was the bigger story: the great speech by Donald Trump or the reaction by the Democrats. Not exactly an unbiased question. And I don’t care about the bias, to be frank. Dan Mandis hosts a conservative-focused news/talk show. That’s his right. But it does highlight the notion that this isn’t your straight-down-the-middle morning news program.

The next question from the SuperTalk 99.7 WTN was a good one, whether you agree with the politics of the show and guest or not. He noted that the representative got to speak with Trump following his address. Mandis asked what the President’s feeling were in the immediate aftermath of the speech. Fantastic question. Truly.

By asking that question, Dan Mandis got valuable insight for his listeners from a first-hand account to how the leader of the free world felt about the biggest news story of the week. It is really easy to overcook that thought process in this type of situation. Sometimes, less is more. This is a less is more question and a phenomenal one by Mandis.

The next portion of the interview was something I don’t especially love in an interview unless you’re asking your subject to react to audio they haven’t heard, but Mandis played a clip of Trump’s speech calling out Democrats for their failure to celebrate his accomplishments. In that moment, it feels almost as if you’re using the subject as a co-host rather than an expert.

And that should be the goal, right? In this instance, Rep. Scott Desjarlais should be on the show as an expert, not as a buddy or a friend of the program, in my view. It didn’t lead to a great reaction from the Congressman, it didn’t lead into a strong question, it was a chance for Mandis to make an additional point about the topic. Which is fine, but you have plenty of other time outside the interview to accomplish that. It breaks one of the Seven Deadly Sins of Interviewing, which is sharing your remarks rather than asking your subject an insightful question.

After re-setting the interview, Dan Mandis continued his remarks by sharing that the show has shared plenty of audio of Democratic pundits sharing their disappointment about how the party’s elected leaders reacted to the speech. He said he believed those members of Congress would think they “shanked” the response on Tuesday night.

That’s just more remarks. And, again, you have plenty of time to share your opinion throughout the show. There is only a finite amount of time you have to interview a sitting member of Congress. Additionally, you only have a finite amount of time with your listener.

Mandis then followed up remarks by Desjarlais by asking about the situation between the United States and Ukraine, and asked “What do you think — from your perspective — is going to be next?”

Another good question from the Nashville’s Morning News host. If the Trump speech was Topic 1A, which it was, the conflict between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was #2. And again, getting the insight from someone who is significantly closer than virtually anyone else available is good work by Mandis.

The final question included a question from one of Desjarlais’ constituents about executive orders. That was a good, engaging move by Mandis to give sort of the “last one for the road”, so to speak, to one of his audience members. It feels empowering from a listener’s perspective to have that opportunity.

Overall, when Dan Mandis asked questions of the guest, the answers were insanely valuable. The comments were likely used on newscasts throughout the day on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, and probably also elsewhere inside the market. The questions provided valuable insight to the audience from an elected official.

The Congressman was able to share his perspective on the two largest topics in the news, which is ultimately all you can ask for. It just included some comments from the Nashville’s Morning News host that listeners needed to filter through to get there.

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.

Netflix CCO Bela Bajaria Explains Shared Mindset With WWE

BSM Staff
-
0
Netflix CCO Bela Bajaria Explains Shared Mindset With WWE

Netflix and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) signed a massive ten-year, $5 billion agreement in January 2024, it signaled the streaming platform’s first major foray into rights agreements with professional sports or sports entertainment. Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said at the time that the partnership between the two entities would create tremendous value for both their audiences.

With a reported 4.9 million global viewers tuning in for the debut of Monday Night Raw on Netflix in January—2.6 million of whom were in the United States—the show has consistently ranked among the platform’s most-watched programs each week. Bajaria, along with WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, spoke at the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on Friday to explain why WWE was the ideal choice for Netflix’s first full-time rights agreement.

“I think we have a very similar mindset or goals,” Bajaria said. “Entertaining a large audience, a big fan base, multi-generational. Knowing that it’s about entertainment first.”

WWE has seen a massive rise in revenue, ticket sales, merchandise sales, and viewership over the past several years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Since taking over as WWE’s Chief Content Officer in 2022, Levesque has transformed the organization into a global brand, with more WWE events now taking place overseas. This made Netflix with its worldwide distribution, a perfect fit for WWE.

“Normally, we would do non-televised live events, maybe one or two television shows from there (overseas),” Levesque said. “Right now, we’re going three weeks back-to-back of live events, non-televised. But also, each week, Raw and SmackDown are coming from international markets and markets that we wouldn’t necessarily go to.”

Levesque noted that the partnership with Netflix has helped WWE identify the most important markets for its brand, allowing for greater international expansion than ever before.

“WWE has characters that people love. You’re invested in it,” Bajaria said. “You also surprise them and bring new guests in, or there’s a really surprising storyline. So I just think we’re so like-minded in the goal and ambition—honestly, of entertaining the world.”

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

Ryan Lang Steps Down As 107.3 Alternative Cleveland Morning Host

BMM Staff
-
0
Ryan Lang Steps Down As 107.3 Alternative Cleveland Morning Host

107.3 WNWV Alternative Cleveland morning co-host Ryan Lang has left the station for a position with The American Red Cross.

107.3 Alternative Cleveland Program Director Brady Marks posted on Facebook, “It is with the heaviest heart, but also so much hope for the future, that today I say goodbye to Ryan as my cohost (but hello to a lifelong friend). He has accepted an amazing opportunity working for the Red Cross, and I wish him the absolute best. You experience a lot with someone when you sit in a room with them for 5 hours every day, and I am forever grateful for our time together. He has taught me so much about this industry, having such a strong work ethic, waking up at the butt crack of dawn, valuing family above all else, navigating through life’s challenges, and so much more.”

Lang previously held positions with Rubber City Radio Group in the newsroom and as contributor to the “Scott and Sarah Show” on Country WQMX, Akron.

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

Mark Shapiro: ‘Stephen A. Smith Draws Eyeballs’

BSM Staff
-
0
Mark Shapiro: ‘Stephen A. Smith Draws Eyeballs’

Stephen A. Smith recently agreed to a five-year extension with ESPN that is reportedly worth at least $100 million, a contract that will keep him on the airwaves as a member of First Take and have him appear on network programming throughout the year. Smith expressed his gratitude for his colleagues at ESPN on the program earlier Friday and his excitement about remaining with the network for years to come. Mark Shapiro, the president of Endeavor Group Holdings, was involved in the negotiations as one of Smith’s representatives and spoke about the deal during an appearance at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on Friday.

Shapiro explained that Smith is a synonymous presence with the network and that it is in his DNA. On top of him remaining on First Take, Shapiro shared that Smith will also be appearing on ESPN programming specifically around the NBA and hopefully more surrounding the NFL as well. Moreover, he explained that the deal also grants him the chance to continue spreading his wings in politics and news coverage as well. Contessa Brewer, a CNBC correspondent who was moderating the panel, remarked that media has become an ad-pressured environment with costs being scrutinized and was curious to know how ESPN would receive a return on investment in this deal.

“It’s really synonymous, or I should say analogous to doing a deal with the NFL,” Shapiro said. “When you are determining what rights you’re going to go after as a programmer, as a network, as a platform, you’re looking to those properties that bring you reach and engagement, that are good for your brand but also good for your business, and Stephen A. Smith draws eyeballs. He’s unique in that sense. There aren’t a lot of talent left these days on air that are of the unicorn ilk that he is.”

Shapiro explained that people watch to see Smith in the manner that they may tune in to view the NFL since they are a fan of the league. In fact, Shapiro remarked that Smith is polarizing, energetic, hard working and cuts through a variety of sports, going beyond a mere sampling.

“That audience at the end of the day is what is the foundation and fuels these businesses, and if a property is losing engagement or losing audience, losing viewership, losing attendance, maybe you’re selling,” Shapiro said. “But if you’re on the way up the way Stephen A. Smith is, the way the NFL is, the way I like to think the UFC and WWE are, then you’re buying.”

Earlier in the panel, Shapiro spoke about the evolution of sports television and how properties are moving towards streaming after growing on linear television. Despite recognizing that streaming is the future and a dwindling number of homes that receive pay television service, he defined the current state as straddling between the two. Shapiro feels that the ecosystem will be operating in this manner for a while and that companies have a proverbial “winning formula” if they have content that can be distributed on both platforms.

For example, WWE distributes its programming on both linear and streaming platforms through deals with Netflix and NBCUniversal for its Raw and Smackdown properties, respectively. Shapiro serves as the president and chief executive officer of TKO Group Holdings, which is the parent company of WWE and UFC, the latter of which is reportedly targeting remuneration of more than $1 billion per annum in its next media rights deal.

“Having the networks to get the big reach, the big audience, really capture the casual fans,” Shapiro said. “You see it across the board – NBA alike, your ratings are higher, your viewership is higher when you’re allowed to exercise broadcast, but you still need streaming to capture that younger audience and where the business is growing.”

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.

‘Wango Tango’ 2025 Announced By 102.7 KISS-FM Los Angeles

BMM Staff
-
0
‘Wango Tango’ 2025 Announced By 102.7 KISS-FM Los Angeles

Top 40 102.7 KIIS-FM Los Angeles is set to host its annual “Wango Tango” concert on Saturday, May 10. Among the performers are Doja Cat, Meghan Trainor, DJ David Guetta, KATSEYE, NMIXX, xikers, A2O MAY, and Hearts2Hearts.

Ryan Seacrest will host the show with a special sunset performance by Gwen Stefani.

KISS FM PD Beata Murphy said “We’re thrilled to bring Wango Tango back, knowing fans have been eagerly awaiting its return. This year, we’re elevating the experience with an unforgettable day of music, energy, and beachside vibes—everything that defines SoCal. We’re also shaking things up by featuring some of the biggest artists with extended set times, unlike ever before.”

iHeartMedia Regional President Paul Corvino added, “Wango Tango has become a legendary event for Southern California music fans. Something they’ve looked forward to year after year. Our partnership with Code Four is taking it to the next level, bringing it back bigger and better than ever for an unforgettable fan experience at the beach.”

iHeartMedia has teamed up with Code Four for this year’s “Wango Tango.” Code Four is recognized for organizing significant events, including the Pacific Airshow and Afterburner Music Festival.

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...761762763...2,609Page 762 of 2,609