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Political Talk Is Suicide For Music Radio Brands

Kevin Robinson
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Political Talk Is Suicide For Music Radio Brands

It has boiled careers, halted ambitions and destroyed businesses. You would have thought that the political rancor would have settled with a contentious election far in our rear-view.

Far from it.

Even though the First Amendment protects free speech, what you say and project will always be a direct reflection of you. And your brand.

Certainly, if your brand is politics – you’re soaked in the fray.  This message is not for you.

MUSIC personalities – political talk and typing affects your brand in a negative way.  Know that our country is divided nearly 50-50 on all lighting rod issues. Tread on eggshells – if at all.

Examples of celebrities (and – on air personalities are celebrities) who veer far outside their lane pay by becoming political roadkill.

A few – of many – examples of celebrities who stepped into the political dung pile:

Scott Adams (Cartoonist, Dilbert)

 Adams faced backlash for controversial political statements, including support for conspiracy theories. Dilbert was dropped by dozens of newspapers.

Gina Carano (Actress, The Mandalorian)

The actress was fired from “The Mandalorian” after social media posts included vaccine skepticism. Carano has disappeared from mainstream Hollywood projects.

Kyrie Irving (NBA Player)

Irving faced major backlash (including losing sponsorships and game suspensions) after sharing his stances on COVID-19 vaccines and other controversial topics.

Brands who have planted their political flag on either side of an issue:

Bud Light (2023 – Dylan Mulvaney Partnership)

Bud Light partnered with a transgender influencer – Dylan Mulvaney – sparking a massive boycott from heavy consumers. Sales plummeted as parent company Anheuser-Busch-InBev lost billions, launching Mexican beverage Modelo as the #1 beer in the states.

Gillette (2019 – “Toxic Masculinity” Ad)

A Gillette ad challenging “toxic masculinity” faced backlash from some consumers who felt it was anti-male. The controversy led to boycotts while Gillette later admitted it lost $8 billion, led by the market snub.

Nike (2018 – Colin Kaepernick Campaign)

Football QB Colin Kaepernick was profiled in a Nike ad campaign, dividing their consumers. The brand lost 3 billion in market caps and later rebounded when the ad was removed.

We coach our MUSIC brands to create a positive, uplifting atmosphere, which is the expectation of music radio cume.

In YEARS of testing the appetite for the radio music consumer, here’s the top three of what listeners expect – and desire – out of a music morning program:

  • Engaging Personalities

-Hosts with good chemistry and natural banter

-A mix of humor, relatability, and authenticity

-Someone who feels like a friend to listeners

  • Local – Relevant Content

-Weather & traffic updates (at times the #1 attribute)

-Local news & events

– Community involvement (shoutouts, fundraisers, small business highlights)

  • Entertainment & Humor

-Funny segments (jokes, prank calls, or observational humor)

-Lighthearted takes on current events

-Engaging storytelling (personal experiences, listener call-ins)

Followed by great music with popular, upbeat songs, listener requests, contests, pop culture, tech talk, and lifestyle health tips.

Not once have we seen political talk or opinion pop up unaided. When respondents ARE aided and asked about political topics, it’s universally negative.

For most readers today, this is a no-brainer. Personalities—both veterans and rookies—understand this position.

Scores of personalities do not understand that your SOCIAL footprint is you. When you post or respond to a political post, that’s on you. 

If your social bio says something like ‘…views are my own…’, to the end user, YOU are the brand—on air and online.

The topic matters not – Red State, Blue State, Gun Control, Black Lives Matter, Proud Boys, LGBQ+, Ukraine, White Privilege, Climate Change, Immigration, Environment – political chat divides your music-centric audience and ratings carnage will follow.

You signed up to be a local, regional, or national personality.  What you say – or do – reflects on your brand.

Example – During the heated Oval Office exchange last Friday between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, ESPN’s Pat McAfee was LIVE in Indianapolis from the NFL Combine.

The topic was sucking all the oxygen out of X (Twitter) and every other social media platform. Imagine Pat and his team switching from Draft Day predictions to that political story—instant ratings killer.

If your music brand shifts gears to the political hot-stove, ratings suicide is inevitable.

This INCLUDES your social footprint.

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.

Salem Radio Network Host Mike Gallagher Has Seen His Audience Change Since Donald Trump Was Re-Elected

Garrett Searight
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Salem Radio Network Host Mike Gallagher Has Seen His Audience Change Since Donald Trump Was Re-Elected

Fox News has been on a ratings roll since Donald Trump won the 2024 election. Salem Radio Network host Mike Gallagher says he’s felt the excitement from his conservative radio audience in that same timeframe.

Obviously, it isn’t the first time in his longtime news/talk radio career that Mike Gallagher has helmed his show while a Republican is in the Oval Office.

But he said he’s never seen the excitement from his audience like he’s seeing right now.

“I think I could change my name from ‘The Happy Warrior’ to ‘The Ecstatic Warrior,'” said Gallagher. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been this just delighted with our daily content. Everything has changed since November 5th. Everything. It’s one of the most dramatic reversals of an audience mood that I’ve ever experienced in decades of doing this. People are optimistic. People are enthusiastic.

“I, of course, use a lot of barometers to see how the show is doing. One of the most important ones for me are our direct-response advertisers. Usually, that’s captured in our various donor campaigns that we do where people can help Food for the Poor or Prison Fellowship Ministry. Everything is up. Everything is up dramatically … I go to work every day practically giddy with knowing that I’ve got a much happier audience now that the election turned out the way, at least our audience, wanted it to turn out.”

Gallagher admitted that he considered what retirement could look like if Trump hadn’t won the election.

“It would’ve been just so difficult to keep an audience engaged, positive, and focused if everything that we worked so hard to achieve came crashing down,” he shared. “I was truly worried it would’ve impacted our business mightily … I’m not sure that even today most people are fully aware of how consequential this outcome was of this election, but it was it was huge, not only for the country but also for the industry that I’ve worked in for all these years.”

In all of his years in the news/talk radio world, Mike Gallagher said there’s only been one other event as unifying to his audience as Trump’s return: the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“We all became short of unified and we changed our whole way of looking at the world. There was a different world view. I really treasured that sense of unity that we had. In fact, I lived and worked in New York City and for weeks and weeks after the terror attack, people didn’t even honk their horn at each other,” said Gallagher. “Everybody got along. There wasn’t the typical bickering, fighting on the subway in the morning. You could sense it in the audience. Something profoundly different happened to our audience — and to the country, obviously — after 9/11.

It was the same with this. I mean, it was just in the opposite direction. Our audience went from kind of a sense of dread and almost fear and loathing to how his could turn out to just euphoria, just relief and gratitude that the election turned out the way it did. That’s the only other time that I remember the audience collectively changing like that was after 9/11.” 

The Mike Gallager Show host added that the change in attitude doesn’t require him to do anything different to his Salem Radio Network audience.

“I’ve just gotta be authentic and I’ve gotta express sort of what they’re expressing. I always like to think that ‘I say out loud what the audience is thinking.’ Hopefully at this stage of the game, if you’re at a point in your career where you have enough credibility and equity they trust you. They trust us to to be our authentic selves and to speak from the heart and talk from the gut.”

Gallagher concluded that his biggest challenge right now is to keep up with everything his audience wants to hear about.

“I’ve only got a few hours a day on air. With commercial brakes and all that, you’re talking about 30 minutes of content an hour,” he said. “Realistically, it’s hard to get it all in. My whole mantra is ‘breaking news and what to make of it all’ and there’s so much breaking news that I have a hard time squeezing 10 pounds of sugar into a three-pound sack.

“We’re also facing some technical challenges now that we have Salem News Channel, which is the over-the-top streaming component. It can’t be you can’t plug an Access into the wall anymore and do the show in your bathrobe. You got lights and cameras and everything else … We have a whole bunch of challenges, but it’s just a pleasure to go to work these days. It’s such a joy and such a different atmosphere. I can’t wait every day, I just have a show that I want to get off my chest because there’s so much to absorb and it’s a great time to be alive and it’s a great time to be a talk show host, that’s for sure.”

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.

Hard Knocks’ Fading Influence Showcased in North Carolina Selection

Demetri Ravanos
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Hard Knocks’ Fading Influence Showcased in North Carolina Selection

Anyone that has been paying attention for the last decade has seen the cracks forming. Now there is no denying it. Hard Knocks is at a crossroads and there may be no coming back.

HBO and NFL Films are reportedly considering the upcoming installment will focus on a major NFL name, but not an NFL team. Instead, cameras will get access to Bill Belichick and his new players at the University of North Carolina. 

Tar Heel football has nowhere near the caché that Tar Heel basketball enjoys, but I understand that football fans from all over the country have some level of curiosity. They want to see if Belichick will crash and burn in college or if he will come in and immediately run roughshod over the ACC.

I have lived in North Carolina for twenty years. Believe me when I tell you that Belichick may be irrelevant to what the team accomplishes. History suggests that most years, the University of North Carolina will field a 6-6 or 7-5 football team regardless of who is in charge. Admittedly, that 2025 schedule is softer than your most huggable teddy bear. It would take real effort to find four losses.

This column isn’t about the Tar Heels or Bill Belichick though. It’s about Hard Knocks and how quickly any brand can come crashing back to Earth because it stayed flat while the world around it changed. 

Hard Knocks Then vs Now

When it debuted in 2001, Hard Knocks was a novel approach to entertaining sports fans. Reality TV was still a novel concept, really. Remember, it was less than two years earlier that Survivor moved the format beyond the borders of MTV. HBO was able to sell the show as prestige programming in 2001. 

Think about what was on the network at that time – Oz, Six Feet Under, and maybe the greatest drama ever made, The Sopranos (another contender for that title, The Wire, would launch the next year). Even its sports programming felt special. Real Sports and On the Record with Bob Costas are two of the best sports studio shows ever, and HBO’s live sports footprint was in boxing, where its chief competition was pay-per-view events. 

If Hard Knocks occupied the same airwaves, it must have been special. And maybe it was. It took fans into the locker room for some of a team’s most intimate moments. 

Not only was the concept new to viewers. It was also new to the men the cameras followed. Tim Hasselbeck once admitted that he thought he was involved in a scripted moment when he was cut by the Baltimore Ravens during the show’s first season. It didn’t make sense otherwise. Why would the NFL or HBO want to embarrass him like that? That very real and very painful moment didn’t belong on television for strangers to see.

But that was then. This is now. Watching a player get cut is a throw away moment now in every season of the show. We live in a world where screens are everywhere and as a culture, we have decided that the stuff that “doesn’t belong” on them is just about all we want to see. 

NFL Teams/Social Media Have Caught On

Hard Knocks doesn’t really fit in that kind of world. The ubiquity of cameras has not only devalued the content, it has also made coaches and front offices more paranoid than ever. Just think about all of the compromises sold as innovations that NFL Films has had to make just to keep the show going – right down to strong arming teams into participating.

Filming what is going behind the scenes and getting access are two different things. Those cameras don’t matter if everyone involved with the team is putting on a facade, being careful not to say or do anything too interesting.

Pat McAfee once argued that social media had made Hard Knocks irrelevant, and he’s right. Teams are producing their own documentaries in house. If the message is controlled anyway, you probably prefer the shorter, more frequent uploads to YouTube, Instagram and TikTok to Hard Knocks’ five-week deep dive.

It’s not only social media. Athletes’ own production companies are cutting into the pie too. Two years ago, Patrick Mahomes’s Quarterback stole the spotlight from Hard Knocks and won acclaim largely because it felt more intimate than what HBO and NFL Films had to offer that season.

A pivot was always coming. NFL Films had to decide what that would be though. Would Hard Knocks tinker with its familiar formula or would the league pivot away from the concept entirety? 

Shifting the focus to a college football program, an historically awful one at that, feels like the worst of both worlds. Even with Bill Belichick’s involvement, Hard Knocks has gone from the blueprint to an inferior version of an all-too-common product. 

Maybe HBO and the NFL can rest a little easier knowing that FOX Nation doesn’t have enough subscribers to produce a real hit, but if you are asking a casual fan to choose between the North Carolina Tar Heels on Hard Knocks or the Alabama Crimson Tide on The Tides That Bind, don’t you think an average person is more likely to pick the national brand every time? The FOX Nation show is just one of many competitors in the college football behind-the-scenes space too. 

That’s the thing. Hard Knocks was clearly in need of an overhaul. I’m just not sure that the one it chose makes much sense. After all, paranoia and social media staffs are in college football buildings too.

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. 

Aircheck: Rick Dees 1985 102.7 KIIS-FM Los Angeles

Jeff Lynn
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In 1985, Rick Dees ruled the Los Angeles airwaves at 102.7 KIIS-FM. Hearing this aircheck and hearing Dees again 40 years later, it is amazing that I can still remember all the words to his show opening.

Dees also hosted the “Rick Dees Weekly Top 40” and appeared in TV shows Married…with Children, The Love Boat, Melrose Place, and many others.

Of course, Dees will be forever linked to his number one record, Disco Duck, a song he wrote when he was with WMPS, The Great 98, in Memphis. He was forbidden to play the record with management citing a “conflict of interest.” Dees was fired for mentioning the song on his show.

From there, Dees moved crosstown to WHBQ 560 and then to KHJ-AM Los Angeles before settling at KISS-FM where he spent the next 23 years until Ryan Seacrest replaced him.

In the aircheck, notice how he uses branding tools like 78 Dees-Grees and moves seamlessly between characters, many of which were voiced by his wife, Julie Dees.

While Dees’ resume is impressive, you have to wonder what it would have been like if there had been widespread syndication like today and all the content creation avenues developed in the past 40 years.

Enjoy Rick Dees from 1985 at KIIS-FM, Los Angeles. If you are a glutton for punishment, I also included Disco Duck.

Photo: Facebook

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 Roula & Ryan Show With Eric’ on 104.1 KRBE is the Heartbeat of Houston

Charese Fruge
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‘The Roula & Ryan Show With Eric’ on 104.1 KRBE is the Heartbeat of Houston

The “Roula and Ryan Show” began in January 2003. They have been together for over 18 years and remain the longest-running morning show in KRBE history. And the longest-running ensemble show in Houston.

The main characters are Roula, Ryan, Kevin, and the glue that keeps it all together, Executive Producer Eric Rowe. Eric just had his name officially added to the show, an accomplishment he didn’t ask for, but one that both Roula and Ryan fought to make happen.

In the beginning, Eric was helping remotely from a Dallas station before officially taking the job in Houston. Roula had been on a successful morning show at Q102 in Philly before being recruited to return to her hometown, Houston, for Mix 96.5. She and Ryan both worked at KRBE in the ’90s but just missed each other. Ryan left for Z100 in New York as Roula arrived.

Ryan later co-hosted The Jagger, Ryan, and Julie Show in Dallas, where he and Eric became friends. He then moved to LA to work at KROQ before returning to Houston for a new show on Mix 96.5. In 2005, Mix let the team go, not knowing of their massive fanbase. Before social media, their website still generated 1.3 million views and impressions in just three months. Nine months later, KRBE hired them, while Mix 96.5 has gone through at least 13 different morning shows.

Each character on the show has their dynamic role. The perfect combination that makes them hands down the leader in the market. Roula is “The Heart.” She brings passion, emotion, and an undeniable connection with listeners. She wears her heart on her sleeve and makes the audience feel everything right along with her.

Ryan adds “The Spark.” He’s the one who stirs things up, whether it’s making people laugh, pushing buttons, or saying something that gets a big reaction: good or bad. He keeps things unpredictable and keeps the energy high.

Eric is “The Backbone.” He keeps everything running. He’s organized, creative, and loves to strategize to make sure the team is always evolving while staying true to what makes them great. Special K (Kevin) is “The Wildcard.” He’s the unpredictable, off-the-wall energy that keeps things fresh and fun. Whether it’s pranks, characters, or just saying something completely unexpected, he brings the chaos in the best way possible.

And Sam is literally the controller of the chaos. She runs the board and chimes in on almost every break. She brings a different perspective that balances out the show. Whether she’s jumping into the fun or keeping things grounded, she’s the younger voice that listeners connect with on a personal level.

“Our show plays a key role in supporting the Houston community,” says Eric. “We call ourselves ‘The Heartbeat of Houston’ because, when someone needs help, we step in. From raising money for Texas Children’s Hospital to launching our Houston Heroes campaign, where listeners help each other directly, we’ve made a real impact.”

“We’ve even helped the Houston Fire Department secure their first raise in decades by collecting 60,000 signatures in three days to get Prop B on the ballot. Our commitment to this city runs deep, and we take ‘The Heartbeat of Houston’ moniker seriously.”

“During natural disasters, our show becomes a lifeline for Houston,” adds Roula. “With deep connections in the city, we bring in the best experts and information—often outpacing local news stations. But our biggest strength is our listeners, who act as our eyes and ears, providing real-time updates through calls and texts.”

“Unlike other shows that briefly mention disasters before returning to their usual bits, we go ‘all in,’ prioritizing critical information and support. After 22 years of covering hurricanes, floods, heat waves, and freezes, we know how to keep Houston informed, calm, and connected. While we love making people laugh, our first responsibility is to be there for our community—not just during the crisis, but long after national news moves on. We are always there for them.”

Houston is another one of those unique markets, constantly growing and extremely diversified. It is a HUGE city with the Southern charm (and humidity) of a small town. “While every city has its own pride, Houston takes H-Town pride to another level,” explains Eric. “Coming from Illinois, I was shocked at how much Texas loves Texas. You’ll even find the state on Miller Lite cans and Texas-edition Ford F-150s.”

“Houstonians are incredibly friendly and go out of their way to make visitors feel welcome. The city is also unique because it has no zoning and is the most diverse major city in America—seriously, Google it! Houston isn’t just cowboy hats and people riding horses to work. It’s a perfect example of how diverse communities can thrive together, which makes doing our show even more fun. With listeners from all different backgrounds, every conversation is richer, and every topic sparks a variety of perspectives. That’s what makes Houston special.”

“Houston loves heritage and familiarity but also welcomes you as a new Houstonian with open arms, adds Ryan. “Houston is also the most diverse city in the nation. If there is a cuisine you are seeking from a different country, you are sure to find it here in Houston. There is strong pride in Houston sports teams, but we are also the first to say that we are hypocrites because we jump on the bandwagon when a team that hasn’t been doing well for a while is seeing their moment in the national spotlight.

Ryan continued, “We have so many different communities in H-TOWN. Fun fact: Houston is also home to the second largest theater district in the US. With so many different walks of life listening to our show, we handle topics and themes that reach every type of Houstonian.”

It’s not a secret that Eric is one of THE best Producers in the country. Everyone in the industry knows and loves him. And having his name added to the show was “unprecedented.” And it wasn’t even his idea.

“Throughout the years, Eric became more and more of a presence on air,” explains Ryan. “Funny enough, in the producer interview process at the beginning of this show, Roula initially was leaning towards a different producer. She was unfamiliar with Eric’s work, but I knew it had to be him. Ironically, Roula and Eric are now basically family. He married her sister’s high school best friend. They are two peas in a pod. They are one voice. It was simply time to acknowledge that it is not just the ‘Roula & Ryan Show.’ There are three main voices. It made no sense to exclude him. He has certainly earned it!”

“I’m incredibly excited—and to be honest, a little nervous,” says Eric. “Because when you have a brand as strong as ours for all these years, you don’t want to mess with what works. In radio, a healthy ego is important, but I never pushed for this. Roula and Ryan genuinely wanted to do it, and Roula even said she wished it had happened years ago.”

“From day one, I’ve always felt like we each owned 33.3% of the show and made decisions together, both on and off the air. Even without my name in the title, I knew I was an equal part of what we built. So, while the name change doesn’t affect how we operate on-air, it does feel special to have my role officially recognized.”

As for what works for the show, “There’s not really much I hide from my personal life,” says Roula. “People have grown up with me in Houston and remember me as a single girl starting the show out fresh and new. The audience definitely went on the crazy dating journey that I had to navigate. Then I went on a blind date and met ‘the one.’ I got married, had my children -some literally on the radio- lost a parent, went through the highs and lows of life, all mostly on the air. Our audience really knows my life story because I have shared everything with them. They are my second family.”

“I would say I share about 90% of my life on air,” adds Ryan. “It has sometimes gotten me in trouble with loved ones. I signed up for this and they did not. That being said, I am extremely protective of them. I spend about three hours a day editing various projects, constantly writing, and never really stop living life like a show. I am pretty much the same person on and off the air.”

“I’ve seen shows that keep their team at the station until 1 p.m., and I think that’s nuts,” insists Eric. “Especially in 2025 when you can work from anywhere with a phone or iPad. My approach is simple: once the necessary work is done, I tell the team to get out of the station and go live their lives. You have to experience life to be interesting on the air.

“When it comes to sharing personal stories, we have a rule—if you don’t want it on air, you better start the conversation with, ‘This isn’t for on-air.’ We all respect each other’s boundaries and know what buttons to push (and what to avoid).”

“Ultimately, I believe in sharing personal stories that are relatable and entertaining for our listeners. If it doesn’t serve a purpose beyond just talking about us, it doesn’t belong on the show. It’s about making connections, not just oversharing for the sake of it.”

“The Roula & Ryan show with Eric” pretty much just rolls with the punches. That’s what makes it work. “From bad celebrities behaving terribly in Studio that we had to dismiss, to me going into labor with my second child in the middle of a major benchmark break,” says Roula. “We’ve had a lot of stuff happen that was unplanned, but the beauty of our show is we roll with it pretty flawlessly. I’m super proud of that.”

“Yea! That was one of the craziest moments on our show when Roula went into labor—live on air!” Exclaims Eric. “It was around 7:20 a.m. when she suddenly announced, ‘It’s happening—the baby is coming!’ Special K and I jumped into action, rushing her home so her husband could take her to the hospital, all while broadcasting everything in real time.”

“As she was on the way, she kept calling in with updates, and the whole city was along for the ride. Thankfully, she made it to the hospital just in time to deliver safely. But for a while there, we were terrified she’d have the baby right then and there! It was pure, unscripted radio drama, and to this day, listeners still bring up the time Roula almost had her second baby live on the show.”

Follow members of “The Roula & Ryan Show with Eric” @radioroula, @radioryanchase, @producereric, @radiospeicalK, and @slamgiven

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.

Why Betting on the NHL is Different from Other Major Leagues

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Why Betting on the NHL is Different from Other Major Leagues

Betting on the NHL differs significantly from wagering on the NFL, NBA, or MLB due to hockey’s distinct rhythm and betting landscape. The game’s structure, scoring patterns, and specialized betting markets present unique challenges not found in other sports leagues. To make informed bets, it’s essential to grasp these nuances, which can help you navigate the complexities of hockey betting effectively.

The Impact of Low-Scoring Games

Unlike football or basketball, where teams regularly rack up significant points tallies, NHL games often end with final scores below six total goals. This fundamentally changes how spreads, totals, and in-game bets function.

Hockey’s equivalent of a point spread, the puck line, is always set at -1.5 or +1.5, regardless of team strength. In other sports, spreads fluctuate significantly, allowing more flexibility. This fixed structure forces bettors to either back the favored team winning by two or more goals or take the underdog to keep the game close.

The over/under market also operates differently. A single goal can swing the total in either direction, making late-game empty-net situations critical. Unlike basketball, where teams score at a rapid pace, NHL bets can be decided by a single mistake, a power-play opportunity, or a goaltender’s performance.

Goaltending Dictates Betting Outcomes

No position in sports impacts a single game of hockey more than an NHL goaltender. In football, quarterbacks dictate outcomes, but even the best can’t single-handedly win games. In basketball, star players influence results, but they aren’t stopping an entire offense by themselves.

A hot goalie can steal a win against a dominant team, making underdogs more viable in hockey than in other leagues. Backup goalies also introduce volatility. Unlike baseball, where bettors consider starting pitchers before placing bets, casual hockey bettors often overlook the impact of a goaltending change.

Tracking lineup changes, injuries, and starting goalie confirmations is critical for making informed bets. Roster updates can shift betting lines significantly, and keeping up with NHL team news helps bettors react quickly to changes that might not be immediately reflected in the odds. Understanding these updates, especially related to goaltending, can provide a crucial edge before placing a wager.

Overtime and Shootouts Add Variability

Most sports have structured overtime rules that resemble regulation play. The NHL doesn’t. If a game remains tied after three periods, teams enter 3-on-3 sudden death overtime, which is wildly unpredictable. The extra space on the ice allows for high-quality scoring chances, meaning even the best defensive teams struggle in this setting.

If no winner emerges, games move to a shootout, where individual players go one-on-one against the goalie. Unlike baseball extra innings or NFL overtime, shootouts completely change the game’s dynamic. Some teams excel in these situations, while others consistently struggle. Bettors need to analyze overtime and shootout performance trends when evaluating moneyline bets.

Advanced Analytics Play a Bigger Role

Traditional stats like goals, assists, and wins don’t tell the full story in hockey. Sharp bettors rely on advanced metrics like Corsi, expected goals (xG), and high-danger scoring chances to evaluate teams.

  • Corsi: Measures shot attempt differential, indicating puck possession.
  • Expected Goals (xG): Evaluates shot quality rather than just total shots.
  • High-Danger Scoring Chances: Tracks opportunities in prime scoring areas.

Teams with high shot totals but poor shot quality often get overvalued. Those with strong underlying numbers but poor luck in finishing might offer value as underdogs. Since these deeper analytics impact betting decisions, many sportsbooks integrate them into their oddsmaking process. FanDuel is a well-known name in the industry, and those checking NHL odds by FanDuel should consider how factors like puck possession and shot quality influence betting lines.

Scheduling and Travel Impact Performance

The NHL’s travel schedule creates challenges unseen in other major sports. Unlike the NFL, where teams play once per week, or the NBA, where road trips rarely exceed five games, NHL teams endure brutal travel schedules. A West Coast team might play four games in six nights across multiple time zones, creating fatigue-driven betting opportunities.

Back-to-back games with travel between them introduce rest disadvantages that significantly impact performance. The second leg of a back-to-back often features a backup goalie and fatigued skaters. Understanding these factors helps bettors identify when a seemingly strong favorite is actually vulnerable.

The NHL Difference

NHL betting requires a different approach than other major leagues. The fixed puck line, goaltender influence, unpredictable overtime, grueling travel schedules, and reliance on advanced analytics make hockey unique. Bettors who adapt to these nuances gain an advantage over those who apply standard betting strategies from other sports. Understanding these dynamics isn’t optional—it’s essential.

8 Candidates Most Likely to Replace Dan Bongino in the Lineup at Westwood One

Garrett Searight
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8 Candidates Most Likely to Replace Dan Bongino in the Lineup at Westwood One

The Dan Bongino Show is preparing to depart Westwood One. Dan Bongino is set to become the Deputy Director of the FBI, with his final show set for Friday, March 14th.

Bongino has grown to be one of the top conservative news/talk radio hosts and podcasters in the genre. His show is heard on more than 350 stations across the country while his podcast continually finishes in the top five to ten shows in the overall podcast rankings, depending on the outlet involved.

The departure of Dan Bongino leaves a hole in the 12-3 PM ET timeslot Westwood One has offered to affiliates in the past. After speaking with industry sources, we’ve identified the following eight candidates as the most likely options to replace The Dan Bongino Show in the Westwood One lineup of offerings.

We’ve broken down the candidates into three tiers:

  • The ‘Would Be Nice But Likely Unavailables’
  • The Cumulus Callups
  • The Bongino Archetype

Without further adieu, these are the eight most likely candidates to replace The Dan Bongino Show at Westwood One.

#8 – Charlie Kirk

Currently: 12-3 PM ET on Salem Radio Network, in addition to hosting a digital video show

Pros: The first of our “Would be nice by Likely Unavailable” tier is Charlie Kirk. He would bring name recognition and a large following to Westwood One. Kirk has cultivated an audience during his tenure in the early afternoon daypart for Salem Radio Network. He has also become a prominent figure with younger audiences in conservative circles due to his work on college campuses with Turning Point USA, the advocacy group he founded, as well as his social media presence on apps like TikTok.

Like Bongino, Charlie Kirk has seen plenty of success in the podcast space. In the latest rankings from Triton Digital, The Charlie Kirk Show was the eight most popular show in all of the United States.

Cons: Charlie Kirk is under contract with Salem Media Group and Salem Radio Network. Additionally, he keeps quite a busy schedule through his work with Turning Point USA. He also hosts a daily digital video show in addition to a television show with Christian broadcaster TBN.

#7- Erick Erickson

Currently: 12-3 PM ET on 95.5 WSB in Atlanta, nationally syndicated through Compass Media Networks

Pros: Erickson is an experienced talk radio host and won’t have to navigate the shift from podcasting to radio. He also has national syndication experience and knows what it takes to keep Program Directors in local markets happy with the services being provided by the national host.

Being based in Atlanta, he also makes somewhat regular appearances on cable news channels like CNN.

Cons: Erick Erickson is currently under contract with Cox Media Group and Compass Media Networks for his daily radio program.

Also, one of the larger drawbacks may be he doesn’t simply follow the most conservative, MAGA-like opinion on every issue as other potential options, and Westwood One hosts like Dan Bongino do.

#6 – Pete Mundo

Currently: Program Director and Morning Show host at KCMO Talk Radio in Kansas City

Pros: Cumulus Media — parent company to Westwood One — obviously thinks highly of Mundo. In addition to being a PD and Morning Show host at one of its larger stations, Mundo was also recently elevated to Vice President of News/Talk for the company.

Mundo’s youth could be viewed as a negative by some, but when you’re looking at putting a host in a position that you hope they stay in for 10, 15, or 20 years, youth should be a pro, not a con. Also, like others on the list, Mundo won’t have to navigate the shift from podcasting to live radio, which means he can skip the “crawl” portion of the “crawl, walk, run” philosophy.

One other pro is his familiarity with the news/talk radio industry as a whole, not to mention with stations owned by Cumulus Media. National syndication can often resemble the service industry. Relationships in that space will matter, and Pete Mundo will be a familiar name to plenty in the industry.

Cons: Mundo will have the same issue that all of the hosts in the “Cumulus Callup” category will: name recognition. There are few local news/talk radio hosts, if any, that have much broad national appeal to the audience. When local, not national, appeal is the name of the game, there’s no reason to hope for national appeal. Is it a prerequisite to taking the job? That remains to be seen.

#5 – Vince Coglianese

Currently: Afternoon host at 105.9 WMAL in Washington D.C.

Pros: Like Mundo, Coglianese is on the younger end of the news/talk radio demographic. Westwood One hasn’t been shy about being the next generation of news/talk radio as it syndicated shows hosted by younger conservatives like Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, and Michael Knowles.

Additionally, being based in Washington D.C. and working as Editor-in-Chief and most recently as Editorial Director of The Daily Caller, Coglianese has been able to build important and fruitful relationships with some of the most prominent policymakers in the nation’s capital. That would undeniably be a benefit to a national audience.

Cons: Name recognition. While he might be slightly more familiar to a national audience due to appearances on Fox News and The Tucker Carlson Network, among others, his national appeal will be less than others on the list.

Also, Westwood One already offers a show based at 105.9 WMAL — The Chris Plante Show — in national syndication. Will they offer two shows from the same station to affiliates throughout the country? Or are concerns about being too Washington-centric to loud to ignore?

#4 – John Phillips

Currently: Afternoon host at 790 KABC in Los Angeles

Pros: If you went down the list of what you’d be looking for in a new host to pitch to a national news/talk radio audience, Phillips checks plenty of boxes. Major market experience, a firm grasp on what news/talk radio listeners are after, and having plenty of years ahead of him are all plusses for Phillips.

Being inside the Cumulus Media family is helpful for Phillips, too. Sometimes, these positions are as much about fit as anything. And knowing whether or not someone will mesh with management is important. Both he and the company will have working knowledge of the other and whether or not it is a great fit.

Cons: Can he kick the “Left Coast” moniker some may lobby on him? One could argue that working as a conservative news/talk radio host in a market as liberal as Los Angeles, and still being able to command an audience is a pro, not a con. But convincing Middle America news/talk radio programmers that a host based in Los Angeles is the best show for their station could be a tough selling point.

#3 – Steven Crowder

Currently: Hosts Louder with Crowder on Rumble

Pros: Name recognition. Crowder has nearly 2.5 million followers on X alone. On Rumble, he has more than 1.5 million subscribers. Steven Crowder has shown the ability to build an audience, which Westwood One might need to prioritize after Dan Bongino departs.

Crowder is also rather young, 37, compared to many nationally syndicated news/talk radio hosts. So when familiarity is the key to keeping stations, audiences, and advertisers, hiring someone who can do the job with their best years ahead of them should be a priority. Steven Crowder fits that bill.

Cons: What’s the best way to say it? “Off the field issues”? Crowder has made headlines in recent years for things that have happened either in his personal life or in relation to the workplace culture of his show. Does the name recognition and large following outweigh the potential risks for other issues behind the scenes?

Secondly, Crowder doesn’t have radio experience. His digital video/podcast experience is vast, but shifting from that world to a three-hour live news/talk radio show is a different hill to climb.

#2 – Candace Owens

Currently: Podcast Host

Pros: Candace Owens has a following. Crowder’s 2.5 million X followers looks small in comparison to the more than 6.5 million followers Owens has. She has more followers than Dan Bongino, believe it or not. She also has more than 4 million subscribers on YouTube.

The name recognition she would bring would be immediate. On the Spotify podcast charts, Owens’ show actually ranks above The Dan Bongino Show, and is ranked as the second news podcast.

Owens, like many others on this list, is still young with her best years ahead of her. Should she be tabbed as the choice, it isn’t unbelievable to think she could still be in the job 30 years from now if she and Westwood One so choose.

The news of hiring Candace Owens would create headlines, attention, and notoriety. If Westwood One believes “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”, this makes a lot of sense.

Cons: Candace Owens is going to rock the boat. Good or bad, right or wrong, Candace Owens is going to speak her mind, which will likely lead to pushback from audiences, advertisers, and affiliates. Now, if you’re willing to weather those storms, then this is a great selection. But it’s hard to argue — fair or unfair — that someone who left their previous home due to an incredibly public clash with the co-founder of the outlet is going to be a model employee.

Courting controversy isn’t an inherently bad thing. But, if I can editorialize for a moment, sometimes Owens does more than court it. She revels in it. Which can cause trouble. Who cares when that trouble only affects you? But when you have to look out for a publicly traded company and hundreds of other radio stations, the controversy that comes with Candace Owens isn’t always the best thing.

Like Crowder, she doesn’t have radio experience. Podcasting is a different animal, and questions would abound about whether or not she would be able to make the jump. Others — like Charlie Kirk — have managed to move from podcasting to radio, so it isn’t unthinkable that it could be done. But if the goal is to hit the ground running and not miss a beat with the exit of Bongino, this could be a hurdle too high to climb.

Finally, you could argue that large following and name recognition would lead to bigger salary demands than others on the list. While I’m certain Westwood One pays Dan Bongino a pretty penny, is it willing to dive head-first into the deep end of the salary pool? We’ll see.

#1 – Michael Knowles

Currently: Host of The Michael Knowles Show from The Daily Wire

Pros: Michael Knowles might check all of the boxes in what Westwood One is looking for. Conservative? Check. Radio experience? Check. Name recognition? Check. Familiarity with stations, audiences, and advertisers? Check, check, and check. Young enough to build a show around for the next generation of news/talk radio audiences? Check.

Michael Knowles is worth investing in from Westwood One’s perspective. He has the radio experience from his one-hour program being syndicated by the company before The Daily Wire’s relationship ended at the end of 2024. He’s also a multi-platform star, finding success in podcasts and on YouTube.

He is a young, prominent conservative who has seen his star rise in recent years due to podcasting and the digital space. Sound familiar? It’s the same archetype — albeit even younger — that Westwood One used to select Dan Bongino as its replacement for Rush Limbaugh.

Finally, Westwood One offers Michael Knowles something he isn’t likely to ever get at The Daily Wire: he can be the star. As long as Ben Shapiro is at The Daily Wire — which seems likely to be a long time, since he co-founded the outlet — Knowles will be, at best, second fiddle. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles. But Westwood One can offer him something that The Daily Wire can’t. The chance to be the guy.

While he isn’t the conservative fire-breather that Bongino is, or others like Crowder and Owens could likely attempt to re-create, Knowles brings a different approach not heard as frequently on terrestrial talk radio. That presentation could differentiate Westwood One from competitors away from the “angry, old white guy” talk radio into a new age.

An added bonus of selecting Knowles as the replacement for Bongino is it will put a dent into The Daily Wire’s audio efforts. No one from Westwood One or Cumulus Media has said this to me, but it would be naive to think there isn’t just some slight bad blood about the way things ended between the two sides. If you can take one of the more prominent stars from a company that you might have soured on, it sure would sweeten the deal.

Cons: Is Knowles motivated to leave The Daily Wire? In today’s day and age, it would be simple for a soon-to-be 35-year-old to view moving away from a popular podcast and YouTube show to terrestrial radio as a downgrade. That’s the first question.

Similarly to Owens, flat out: does Michael Knowles make too much money at The Daily Wire to pry him away?

Also, is there apprehension about making someone as inexperienced in the news/talk radio format as Michael Knowles the face of your network? That is likely what the next host of the 12-3 PM ET timeslot will be for Westwood One. At least until Dan Bongino’s run at the FBI ends. What happens then? That’s another question both the company, and whoever they hire, will need to have an answer for.

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Additionally, while not officially a candidate per se, there also exists the chance that Westwood One simply pushes Fox News Radio’s Jimmy Failla to stations in the 12-3 PM ET timeslot as a replacement for The Dan Bongino Show. The relationship between the company and Fox News appears to remain strong as The Guy Benson Show has picked up dozens of affiliates since the Westwood One/Daily Wire relationship ended at the conclusion of 2024. The company also syndicates The Brian Kilmeade Show from Fox News Radio, too, in the 9 AM to Noon window, as well as The Fox News Rundown (5-6 AM ET) and The Will Cain Show (3-4 PM ET).

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Slacker Signs New Deal With Alice 105.9 Denver

BMM Staff
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Slacker Signs New Deal With Alice 105.9 Denver

Slacker, host of “The Slacker Show” afternoons on Alice 105.9 KALC Denver has signed a three-year extension with Audacy.

Slackers’ co-hosts T Hack and Erin Doyle signed extended deals as well.

“I’m thrilled to be re-signed with Audacy for three more years,” said Slacker. “With the recent signings of cast members, T Hack and Erin and a soon-to-be-announced fourth member, I know the future will be epic!”

Slacker will celebrate his 27th anniversary with Alice 105.9 in May. He started on the morning show and moved to the afternoons in 2004. He initially teamed with Bo Reynolds and later with Steve Weed.

The Slacker and Steve duo split up in May last year, ending an 18-year run. That is when the show was rebranded as “The Slacker Show.”

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ESPN Kicks Off 2025 at Number One for Sports Digital and Social

BSM Staff
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ESPN Kicks Off 2025 at Number One for Sports Digital and Social

It was a successful start to 2025 for ESPN’s Digital and Social department, as the network announced its January data on Monday. Across ESPN Digital, YouTube, and ESPN-branded social platforms, the network reported reaching 209.3 million unique users. That figure accounts for 75% of the United States adult population, according to recently released Comscore data.

These findings helped the ESPN App remain the top destination, attracting 29 million unique users during a month that featured the NFL playoffs, the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and the NBA and NHL regular seasons. The 29 million unique users represent more than the next seven non-ESPN apps combined and five times more than its nearest non-ESPN competitor in the Mobile Sports App category.

Additionally, ESPN Social recorded over 978 million engagements on social media, making it the number-one sports property for the 43rd consecutive month.

With the NFL and NCAA football seasons concluding in January, many sports fans were locked into ESPN’s television brands.

ESPN’s presentation of the College Football Playoff led all television viewership for the month, according to Nielsen’s monthly Media Distributor Gauge. The report showed that Disney (ESPN) accounted for 12% of all time spent watching television in January, marking the highest monthly share for any traditional media company since the report was first established in November 2023.

Typically, streaming platforms such as YouTube and Netflix dominate these rankings. However, Disney’s strong performance was fueled by the immense interest in the College Football Playoff, which aired on its broadcast platforms. The report states that these playoff games represented the seven highest-rated cable telecasts of the month. As a result, ESPN experienced an 84% increase in monthly viewership compared to December.

ESPN also broadcast the Saturday NFL divisional playoff game between the Texans and Chiefs, which was simulcast on sister Disney network ABC. The game drew an average of 32.7 million viewers, according to preliminary data, marking a 1% increase from the comparable Ravens-Texans game a year ago. It also became ESPN’s most-watched NFL game ever, a record dating back to 1987.

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Jimmy Johnson Retires From FOX Sports: Sports Media Reacts

BSM Staff
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Jimmy Johnson Retires From FOX Sports: Sports Media Reacts

Former NFL head coach Jimmy Johnson announced earlier today on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that he is stepping down from his position with the NFL on FOX television crew. The 81-year-old Hall of Fame coach, who has been with FOX Sports since 1994, called his time with the network the best of his legendary career.

“I made an extremely difficult decision,” Johnson stated. “I’ve been thinking about it the last four or five years, but I’ve decided to retire from FOX.  I’m going to miss it.  I’m going to miss all the guys and I’ll see then occasionally.  But it has been a great run starting 31 years ago.” 

Johnson won two Super Bowls as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and was the first football coach to win both a college National Championship, with the University of Miami, and a Super Bowl. In addition to coaching, he served in multiple front office roles, including Vice Chairman, President, and CEO of the Miami Dolphins.

“I tried to bring out the best in everybody that I came into contact with,” said Johnson via FOX Sports Radio. “I don’t care what their role was. I don’t care how important they were. I don’t care if they were a Hall of Fame player or an intern on our set. I tried to bring out the best in everybody.” 

A member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the College Football Hall of Fame, Johnson was named AP Coach of the Year in 1990 and won 80 of his 144 games as an NFL head coach.

Reflecting on his time at FOX, Johnson expressed deep gratitude for the experience.

“I loved every minute of it,” said Johnson. “Thanks to FOX Sports.  It was really the best time in my entire career.  You mentioned the hall of fame college, hall of fame pro, hall of fame broadcasting.  The best time of my career was with FOX Sports.” 

As the news became public, social media was flooded with appreciation for Jimmy Johnson’s contributions to FOX Sports and the football world.

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