The Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles have jointly announced that their long-standing dispute with the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) has been resolved. The network released a statement Monday morning, confirming that both Nationals and Orioles games will continue to be broadcast on MASN, with the Nationals agreeing to a new one-year contract with the network.
Following the 2025 MLB season, the Washington Nationals will be free to explore alternative options for their television rights for the 2026 season and beyond. As part of the settlement between the three organizations, all further litigation and disputes have been agreed upon to be dismissed.
Both teams expressed their gratitude to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for his role in facilitating the resolution.
The dispute dates back to 2005 when the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, D.C. and became the Nationals. While MASN is technically co-owned by both the Orioles and Nationals, the Orioles have held the controlling stake in the network since its establishment in 2005.
Under the original agreement, Baltimore received approximately 90% of the profits from the media rights deal and controlled 77% of the network, while the Nationals received the remaining share. However, after multiple rounds of litigation over the past 20 years, the Orioles’ share of revenue from the rights agreement has decreased to nearly 67%, though they remain the majority owner of the network.
Since the Nationals’ relocation, they have been contractually barred from selling their broadcast rights to another regional network, as part of the agreement allowing them to move into a market already occupied by the Orioles. The two teams play their home games just 35 miles apart.
Baltimore Orioles games will continue to be exclusively televised by MASN.
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In what is seen as a crackdown on pirate radio stations, the FCC has levied $400,000 in fines under the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act.
Pirate stations operate illegally and without an FCC license, which can interfere with and disrupt commercial and safety operations.
Abdias Datis, a repeat offender, is accused of operating at 91.7 in Miami, and has been fined $325,322. The station calls itself Unique FM and is broadcast from a family residence.
A $60,000 fine has been levied against Aaron Streeter. Streeter is accused of operating at 89.1 in Miami Gardens, FL. The station is known as Da Pound FM and also broadcasts from a residence.
“The FCC will not tolerate unlicensed radio broadcasting. It’s that simple,” said FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. “Licensed radio stations have invested time and money into their operations and are relied on by the listening public for news, entertainment, and even life-saving warnings. Pirate operations break the law and get in the way of these important services.”
Both operators can respond before a final judgement is made on the fines.
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Last week, reports surfaced claiming MSNBC host Ayman Mohyeldin was included in a round of cuts at the network. He has shared those claims are greatly exaggerated.
To end his weekend show, Mohyeldin shared that his program being removed from the schedule at MSNBC was due to a contract extension and a change in timeslot rather than his complete departure.
“This week, several headlines claimed that my show had been canceled and that I was leaving the network,” Mohyeldin said. “That incorrect news created a wave of commentary and criticism about which voices can be heard and which cannot on mainstream cable news, especially when it comes to coverage of the Middle East. And it is important for me that I set that record straight.
“I’m not leaving the network. In fact, quite the opposite. Despite the challenging and fearless ways we have covered stories on this show for more than two years, MSNBC has offered to extend my tenure at the company. It has also offered me to launch a new show that gives my voice and others more expanded hours of coverage on Saturday and Sunday.”
Mohyeldin will join the revamped morning show The Weekend, which airs on both Saturday and Sunday on MSNBC. The previous hosts of the show — Symone Sanders Townsend, Alicia Menendez, and Michael Steele — were added to the network’s daily lineup in place of The ReidOut with Joy Reid.
During his commentary this weekend, Ayman Mohyeldin shared that, despite the change in timeslot, he won’t alter from how he covers the news.
“One thing that won’t change is my promise to you, the viewers, that I won’t stop talking about the difficult stories and challenging topics that others don’t cover,” he concluded.
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For the last two decades, Jay Glazer has been the insider for FOX NFL Sunday and delivers news surrounding the players, personnel and teams in the league. Establishing a reputation as a trusted and reliable source of information, he has established relationships with those in the sport and keeps most of his reports exclusive for the Sunday pregame show or other FOX Sports properties. For example, he divulged that the New York Jets had decided to move on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers shortly before Super Bowl LIX, an insight that elicited reaction and advances to the story.
On the latest edition of WFAN’s Boomer & Gio, Glazer was a topic of discussion following a different report surrounding the reported strife between Jordan Schultz and Ian Rapoport from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Ind. WFAN host Gregg Giannotti explained that the Barstool Sports Pardon My Take podcast conveyed that Rapoport accused Schultz of offering stocks in Uber in exchange for scoops. Although Schultz denies these accusations, Boomer Esiason expressed that there was maybe some truth to it while also adding that it was “the weirdest thing” he had ever heard.
“There really is only one NFL or MLB insider who could beat up the rest of them,” Giannotti ascertained. “It’s obvious who this is, and that’s Jay Glazer. Guy’s an MMA guy. He’d take out everybody.”
Esiason remembered working alongside Glazer during his stint at CBS Sports and attending his first MMA fight at Bayonne High School. Before the event started, Glazer informed Esiason that his opponent was someone more used to wrestling and that his strategy was staying away from him. Thirty seconds into the match, Esiason recalled that Glazer got the wind knocked out of him and was subsequently knocked out. Reflecting on the situation, he gave Glazer credit in sticking with it for all of these years.
“He’s not as involved on social media as it comes to the posting stuff and the scoops that way,” Giannotti explained. “These other guys are always putting the stuff out there first, but then when he pops up and he has something on FOX, you always believe it.”
Esiason concurred with this perspective, adding that Glazer has always been dependable in having something for the show on Sunday. It is something towards which he is adept dating back to his time with CBS Sports, during which he also joined the staff with the CBS SportsLine website by breaking various original stories.
“He got a lot of phone calls from a lot of players after games, and that’s the one thing I can say,” Esiason explained. “I saw him getting calls and talking to players.”
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ESPN may already have a plan for how the network will adjust following its mutual opt-out of the current agreement with Major League Baseball after the 2025 season. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Main Street Sports Group, which owns and operates the FanDuel Sports Network regional sports networks, has had discussions about potentially bundling its streaming offerings with ESPN’s upcoming flagship direct-to-consumer service.
The four-letter network is scheduled to release its DTC product later this year. With the recent announcement of its opt-out with MLB, there were questions about how ESPN would provide baseball coverage on its new platform. However, according to the WSJ report, plans may already be in motion from FanDuel’s perspective.
Currently, FanDuel Sports Network has agreements with nine of the 30 Major League Baseball teams and 30 teams total across MLB, the NBA, and the NHL.
Last month, ESPN and MLB announced their mutual opt-out of the current broadcasting rights agreement, which paid MLB $550 million annually. The agreement included the weekly Sunday Night Baseball broadcast, MLB Wild Card rounds, and the Home Run Derby.
Meanwhile, reports surfaced last week that MLB has already begun early discussions with streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon, as well as traditional cable provider Comcast, regarding its media rights. Additionally, it has been reported that FOX Sports has shown interest in acquiring a portion of ESPN’s current deal, specifically the Home Run Derby. Since FOX already owns the broadcast rights to the annual MLB All-Star Game, adding the Home Run Derby could create a two-day marquee event for the network starting in 2026.
Currently, FanDuel Sports Networks are available as an add-on to Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service. However, it remains unclear how a potential partnership with ESPN would be structured for users of the network’s upcoming flagship product.
Looking ahead to the 2025 MLB season, ESPN has confirmed plans to continue weekly Sunday Night Baseball telecasts on both ESPN TV and radio. For the fourth consecutive year, Karl Ravech will handle play-by-play for all 25 games. He will be joined once again by analysts David Cone and Eduardo Perez, along with reporter Buster Olney. The crew debuted in 2022, with Olney, an ESPN veteran since 2011, as the longest-tenured member. He will also continue hosting Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney.
MLB Opening Day is set for March 27, with ESPN broadcasting a season-opening doubleheader. The highlight of the coverage will be the return of Joe Buck to the baseball broadcast booth, as he calls the game between the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers.
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Our story last week on the Westwood One situation revealed frustration inside the news/talk radio format. Many programming executives voiced concern, questioning the network’s future plans following the announcement of Dan Bongino exiting on March 14th. With that news following The Daily Wire and Westwood One separating, and Kevin DeLany exiting as VP of News/Talk programming, I get why some are on edge.
One thing I want to address to avoid any confusion. We do journalism on this website. We’re not just a PR outfit passing along press releases and favorable recognition. That causes friction sometimes. Regardless of the news, we try to be fair and accurate.
18 writers are on our payroll including 4 full-time editors and writers. If there’s good news to pass along, we love to share it. If the news isn’t positive though, we have a responsibility to share that too. Our experienced staff have my blessing to offer their opinions, and talk to industry people for added insight. If anyone has an issue with our content, myself and our staff are accessible.
Having said that, change is part of our business, even if we try to avoid it. Westwood One is the same network that employed Kevin DeLany, and brought you Dan Bongino, Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles. They also feature Mark Levin, Chris Plante and Rich Valdes. They’ve not announced what they’re going to do yet, but when a group has a good track record, don’t they deserve an opportunity to show that they have a solid plan moving forward?
I’m not privy to Westwood One’s plans. It’s possible they could make a poor decision with the future direction of the lineup, and create problems for local operators. However, when you’ve had a longstanding partnership with a network, and they’ve helped you grow your business, I do think you at least owe them the benefit of the doubt. I’d say the same thing if this situation involved Premiere Networks, Compass Media Networks, Radio America, Fox News Radio or any other national outlet.
Last year, I was critical of ESPN Radio. With many professional relationships and personal friendships at the network, I didn’t enjoy putting folks in a tough spot. But I also knew that the frequent lineup changes were creating mistrust with local affiliates. So I shared what I knew, which was that radio operators were concerned and exploring new ways forward. The network was challenged to make improvements, and to their credit, they did. They may not have liked the negative attention at the time, but a stronger product furthers business relationships, and in the end, it’s about the audience, advertisers, and affiliates.
As I analyze the Westwood One situation, I think this is a pivotal moment for the network. They’ve done a fantastic job for a long time. However, with a lot of holes in the weekday lineup, local outlets want to see solutions that restore their confidence.
One thing that Garrett Searight heard a lot last week was that the immediate plan was fill-in hosts. Many didn’t feel there was much urgency to set a new direction. I realize you can’t rush big decisions like replacing Bongino, especially when big revenues are tied to the radio show and podcast. But, The Daily Wire partnership ending was known in November 2024. Here we are three months later, and that void has yet to be filled. Local decision makers have a right to ask, ‘where are you heading?’
The bigger question from my end is ‘who’s making the call on the future direction of the network?’ With Kevin DeLany gone, and Bill Hess no longer serving as VP of News/Talk for Cumulus, is it Collin Jones’ decision? Brian Phillips’ choice? Is it a group effort?
I heard different answers from people inside and outside of the company last week. Regardless of who it is, that has to be communicated so those capable of providing options to improve the product know where to turn.
What I hope the network is doing, and if they’re not, they should be considering, is bringing their sharpest executives into this process. Bruce Gilbert is one of the smartest people in this business. He’s handled big situations like this before at ESPN Radio and excelled at it. If anyone knows how to navigate a complex process like this, it’s him, and he’s already on payroll. You also have smart format leaders like Pete Mundo, Paul Mason, Bill Hess, and Bruce Collins who can help. Plus don’t forget, Mike McVay has ties to the company, and can be a strong resource too.
I’m sure the company has ideas of how they want to proceed. When you’re faced with seven figure decisions though, the right plan is vital. The network is likely going to be in this same situation down the road when Mark Levin elects to sign off.
Westwood One already works with Fox News Radio so if the answer is providing stations with shows hosted by Brian Kilmeade, Jimmy Failla, Will Cain, and Guy Benson, that’s an option. The company can also explore going local in select markets or build from within since there are local voices with an ability to become future difference makers. If that’s not the fit, there are some strong voices in the format working for other groups who’d welcome a chance to go national.
Losing premiere talent is hard, but replacing them isn’t impossible. Premiere Networks did an amazing job when Rush Limbaugh died to put the future of the timeslot in Clay and Buck’s hands. That move has paid off for the network. Compass and Radio America built programming around Erick Erickson, Dana Loesch and Chad Benson, and they’re growing too. Salem Media has added new voices like Charlie Kirk, Chris Stigall, and Officer Tatum in recent years alongside established stars like Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager and Larry Elder, and they too are healthy.
Competition from 12p-3p and 3p-6p is strong in the format. In the political climate we’re in, news/talk radio commands a lot of listening and advertising. That alone makes it worth investing in.
I have no dog in this fight. It’s fair for local stations to question Westwood One’s direction yet equally necessary to remind them that good partners deserve a chance to present a plan to keep business strong. Westwood One has done great work for decades, and with hundreds of stations carrying their product, why run the risk of losing real estate that took years to acquire? It’s on Westwood One to get the right people in the room, explore every option available, and make smart decisions to quiet the noise, and reinforce why local outlets have trusted them as long as they have. The only question now is, will they be afforded enough time to do so?
New Website Lookand Open Positions
Notice anything different today when you logged on to the website? Yes indeed, we’ve changed the look of the website. Our prior look was sharp, but with sports, news, and music divisions separated, it was harder to find content, especially on mobile. This new layout now combines content from all three into one section. The same exists for sports and news television, and streaming. Our business section presents more information on research, financials, executive changes, technology improvements, and other relevant news items.
What you’ll discover is that the most recent 9 news stories from all divisions now display in the main area. You’ll also see 3 featured articles, and a Columns section. I welcome your feedback on the improvements.
John Mamola told me last week that he’s not used to working with someone who’s always looking to grow. I loved hearing that. It’s true. I want to serve the industry great daily content. We have a responsibility to invest back since so many invest in us. With that in mind, I’m looking for writers with experience in News Television, the Urban/Hip Hop format, and other areas. If you know the industry, possess relationships in it, love to write, and enjoy what we do, email your resume and writing sample to Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
2025 BNM Summit
Mark these dates on your calendar now if you work in the News/Talk media industry – September 3-4, 2025. That is when the 2025 BNM Summit presented by Newsmax will take place. For the first time ever, we will host the show live in New York City at the Ailey Theater on West 55th Street.
We won’t start building our news conference or selling tickets until after the 2025 BSM Summit in May. Our hotel partner for the show is the Park Central New York, two and a half blocks from the venue. We’ll have a special room rate for attendees, which we’ll share in the near future.
The 2025 BNM Summit will have the usual Kickoff Party, After Party, Awards ceremony presented by Premiere Networks, and a number of talented, successful, and high profile speakers. We’re also working on something BIG that connects to the event. I’ll share more on that once we’re ready to make the announcement.
New Partners
A brand like ours doesn’t work without industry support. Stephanie Eads and I have spoken with a lot of company leaders over the past few months. We’re grateful to all who’ve seen the value in working with us. I want to thank Triton, Radio America, and Tony Katz for signing on as new partners this week. In addition, I want to extend our appreciation to Harker Bos Group, and Premiere Networks for further investing in us. They join a number of existing partners who we’re fortunate to work with.
In my past career, sales felt very transactional. At Barrett Media, those we do business with become a part of our circle. If they’re not successful we’re not successful. I just wanted to make sure it’s known that we value our partners and their business. Anyone else looking to work with us can explore options by reaching out to Stephanie at Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com.
Quick Hits
Long term storytelling whether it’s in movies, television, podcasting or radio always works. There was no better example of it this past weekend during WWE Elimination Chamber. John Cena‘s heel turn on Cody Rhodes and alliance with The Rock set social media on fire. A job well done by all parties involved. Paul Levesque and Nick Khan got just what they needed heading into WrestleMania, which this year takes place in Las Vegas.
Speaking of WWE, congrats to Peter Rosenberg on being named the new play by play voice of WWE Evolve. Peter’s busted his tail for years on HOT 97 and ESPN New York in addition to contributing to WWE programming. I’m glad to see him getting a shot to expand his role.
The oval office episode involving President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was unlike anything I’ve seen before. Our media doesn’t see those types of exchanges often, and though we all have our opinions, I’d encourage folks to resist the temptation to publicly denounce friends and future professional relationships over it. You never know who’s looking at your social media posts, and losing employment opportunities over emotional commentaries isn’t worth it. Whether you hate the current direction of the country or love it, I see much more to bond over in media, than worrying about how someone feels politically. But hey, maybe that’s just me.
MLB not being worth 550 million to ESPN when the NBA gets 2.6 billion seems odd, but it paints a clear picture of how far baseball has fallen compared to other leagues. Growing up, baseball was the dominant sport. Today, even with rule changes, it’s fourth behind NFL, CFB, and the NBA. Rob Manfred may find a few partners to make up the difference of what’s been lost with ESPN, and Disney will have to pay MLB to retain rights to highlights, but in terms of coverage, MLB is closer to becoming the NHL than the NFL, and that’s something I never thought I’d see.
Good branded content by ESPN 1000 and Marc Silverman involving Toyota in the station’s NFL Draft coverage. What better way to incorporate a client into content in a seamless way than to make them part of the trek to Indianapolis.
Job well done by George Kamel at Ramsey Solutions. Stephanie Eads brought this video to my attention, and I thought the presentation around Valentine’s Day was clever.
Talking about money in a romantic relationship can be awkward, so here are a few pickup lines to make breaking the ice a little easier (and way more fun). pic.twitter.com/rYaaS2zJSU
My thanks to all who read last week’s CRScolumn. It’s been cool hearing from so many people in the music industry, and music radio. I’m looking forward to expanding those relationships, and as I’ve told many, we’ve only scratched the surface with our music radio coverage. We’re going to keep building this thing, and I’d love to have you along for the ride.
Imagine living your career dream—something you have dreamed of and worked toward from a very young age, then having it all taken away in the blink of an eye. Sadly, that is happening to far too many radio people these days. But for former Country 106.5 WYRK Buffalo morning co-host Kadie Daye it’s just another challenge she navigates with positivity and enthusiasm.
I recently caught up with Daye to hear her story and learn what navigating the job market is like now. For the 25-year-old Daye, radio had an early impact on her and made her pursue it as a career.
“I’ve wanted to do radio since I was eight or nine. I grew up in northwest Indiana, so we were about an hour outside Chicago. So, I grew up listening to all those legendary stations in Chicago.”
“And what turned me on to radio is my parents had just gotten a divorce. So, my mom would have to drive us to school because she had moved out of the district. And because I’m the oldest, I sit in the front seat, passenger princess style.”
“We were listening to the stations one day. And it was Fred and Angie at the time in the morning in Chicago. And Angie, I remember her telling a story about a friend who I guess was going through a divorce and had kids. She made some statement about if you’re the child in a divorce, you got to remember it’s not your fault. And I felt like she spoke straight to me because none of my friends at the time had parents that were getting divorced. I was the only one in my grade.”
Daye’s love of radio was born at that moment.
“This person I never met through the radio somehow could describe exactly what I needed to hear to cope. That felt like a moment of magic. I wanted to be the voice of comfort for people, the voice of the voiceless, people who felt like maybe they couldn’t reach out about things but were going through similar struggles in life. And that made me kind of obsessed.”
“I would listen to all those stations, memorize the jingles, and sing along to them. When they went to music, I switched to the next station just to hear the radio always talk some more.”
Through high school and college, she sought airtime in any way she could.
“I went to Valparaiso University, about 15 minutes away from my high school, but just down the road from my mom’s house. And I went to the radio station because I had my license. And I stood there and knocked on the glass because it was locked.”
“Someone made eye contact with me within the first few minutes of me knocking, which was their mistake because then I wasn’t giving up. I literally stood there knocking for probably 15 or 20 minutes. And then finally, this woman, Nikki, answered the door and said, “’Can I help you? “’
“I said, I want to be on this radio station. How can I be on this radio station? She asked if I went there. I said, “No, I go to the high school about 15 minutes away.’” And she said, “OK, well, no one likes to do nights, so you can do that.”’
“I was ecstatic. My mom was mad because I wouldn’t get home until after midnight, and I had school the next morning.”
Daye’s commercial career began when a South Bend, IN radio station noticed her.
“I was noticed by the program director at U93 in South Bend. He wanted to bring me on his weekends, which later translated to evenings. I did the evening radio show there for two years while in school. I did that full time through COVID. And I didn’t do it remotely.”
Townsquare Vice President of Country Content and Programming Doug Montgomery heard Daye, which eventually led to a morning show co-host position with 106.5 WYRK, Buffalo. After three years as part of “Clay & Company” Daye was let go due to budget cuts.
Even losing her dream job didn’t dampen Daye’s spirits.
“You could be sad, but how will that help me? It is not going to help me get the next big thing. Also, I know things happen to people that are out of their control, but how you respond to it is important.”
“I decided to put out a video because I believe radio is so much a visual medium nowadays with convergence and the opportunity to be on social media platforms and really go to the listener, to their palms of their hands where they’re holding their devices. I decided I’m going to keep posting. And I just, one day, did on the bright side, gas is less than $3 a gallon.”
How is she approaching the job market, when, like her, there are so many out there competing for increasingly fewer positions?
“I try to connect with two or three new people every day that I haven’t talked to before in radio or people that I haven’t talked to in a while. I’ll reach out to them and just say, ‘Hey, this is my stuff. Can I send it to you?”’
“I’ve been doing that. I also made a video reel on top of my air check because I feel so visible on social media that I should make a reel too. That helped me get more interviews because it stands out more than sending an audio-only air check.”
What has she observed as her biggest roadblock to employment?
“I think my biggest roadblock is being underestimated for what I can bring to the table at 25 years old, and I can’t stand it because I feel I have so much to offer. You cannot teach passion, and you cannot teach drive, and those are two things that I’ve had since I was in that car listening to the Chicago radio stations at eight or nine years old.”
I asked Daye to imagine I had a magic wand in my hand and if she could wave it and create the perfect job, what would it be?
“I definitely want to do morning radio because I felt that magic on my mom’s drive to school every day. The ultimate location for me would be to have a full circle moment and kind of do radio where the love started for me, which was on the Chicago radio stations. That would be the dream.”
“But ultimately, as long as I’m doing radio in some capacity and I’m able to amplify the voices in our community and touch people’s lives. I try to touch at least one person or teach something every day. Something I learned that maybe could help somebody else. I would be happy regardless of where I’m at.”
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She gave respect to her colleague and friend’s recently cancelled show. It was expected and a nice gesture from a co-worker to a host who just lost her job at MSNBC. It’s what she said next that made me rewind the video.
“I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door,” said Rachel Maddow on live television during the “Rachel Maddow Show.” She was talking about Joy Reid’s show, The ReidOut, being cancelled by MSNBC.
Cancelling or downsizing TV and radio programs isn’t new. Unfortunately for radio, the annual reduction in force, or RIF, has become an expected occurrence for the larger broadcast operators. We hear about it through industry newsletters or digital publications.
These days, the victim will post about their job loss and say something nice about the company. Not too many years ago, the person shown the door would simply acknowledge the fact in social media or say nothing due to contract terms. We knew this employee fell into the We wish them well in their future endeavors category.
But what if every announcer/DJ/presenter could do what Rachel Maddow did last week on MSNBC? She took her air time to disagree with management’s decision publicly. I remember saying out loud, “She has a sweet no-cut deal.”
It was bold, courageous, and a smart connection between talent and audience. Again, I’m certain Maddow has a great contract. She has a PhD, too, so I’m convinced she put some quality thought into her actions before talking to her national audience.
How often does a radio talent’s services end, and the audience is left wondering, “Where are they?” No on-air promo tells us why the “Rockin’ Ron Show” was cancelled. He’s just gone. Before the social media days, you might find out through the Entertainment writer’s column buried on the 8th page of the local newspaper.
The HR department has sound reasons for making the axed employees’ exit quick and quiet. Broadcasters have other concerns, too. Someone saying the wrong thing on the air could violate your brand’s mission or saying one of the seven words you can’t say on the radio could get your station an FCC fine.
Those reasons aren’t as concerning as they used to be. The recent Salem Media transition of their seven music stations to a new owner is an example of how it can be done to benefit the audience. Those seven stations gave their listeners a month to know what would happen. I wrote about the exit deal last month in this column.
Imagine what it would sound like if the remaining talent were allowed to have editorial time about the recent changes to the station. What if the afternoon talent were let go for economic reasons, and your morning show could go on the air and let their audience know what happened?
“Hey, we get it. Advertising rates and demand on radio are in a challenging situation right now. Cuts have to be made,” your morning show would say about the exiting talent. “But Jammin’ Jenny was the soul of this radio station.
“She started as an intern, then got a chance to join our street team. When the program director saw how good she was in front of people and her passion for music, he gave her a shot on the air Sunday mornings from Midnight to 6 am. She gradually paid her dues doing whatever was asked of her to make Hot 102 a better radio station. She’s been here through all the ownership and management changes. The listeners and clients love her. We love her and we think this is a sad day and a bad decision.”
Okay, this is where I say, “This will never happen on the radio.” But isn’t this what every on-air talent has wanted to say at some point in their change-ridden career?
If transparency is a popular virtue, then there’s an opportunity to connect on a deeper level with our audience when they know how we, the talent, feel about changes to the product. Plus, it’s not just honest. It can create great radio when someone bears their emotions about changes to the station.
There’s research to support this theory, too. During Nuvoodo’s presentation last month at Country Radio Seminar, a slide indicated two in five respondents complained about hosts and DJs losing jobs on their favorite radio stations.
Here are three areas to improve our connection with the audience through transparency:
Behind The Curtain: Social media video provides multiple platforms to show the audience what we do when the music is playing. How can we bring this to the air beyond promoting our social media channels? Through creating more pictures and scenes with our words.
Own It: Mistakes happen. Be human and humble. By the way, don’t expect a successful career in politics if you take this approach.
Listener Content: If we use social media, emails, and newsletters to get listener feedback, do we share the results with the listeners? There’s an opportunity to let the audience know what they like and dislike.
Gone are the days of, “We asked you what you wanted and you told us you wanted a station like_____!” Let’s find more ways to tell people why we’re making changes. They’ll respect us for sharing the information even if they disagree.
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.
This week for my eavesdropping feature, I tuned in to hear veteran journalists Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker, co-hosts of The Press Box podcast, part of The Ringer network. Curtis serves as The Ringer’s editor-at-large and is known for his in-depth media analysis, particularly on how journalism intersects with politics and culture. He previously worked at Grantland, The New Republic, and Texas Monthly, establishing himself as a leading voice in sports and media criticism.
Shoemaker, also a longtime journalist, is a senior editor at The Ringer and has a deep background in both traditional and digital media. Before The Ringer, he was with Grantland, where he covered professional wrestling and pop culture.
Together, Curtis and Shoemaker bring a sharp, often humorous perspective to The Press Box, offering insightful commentary on how the media covers major events, the evolution of journalism, and the intersection of politics and entertainment.
In this particular episode from Tuesday, February 25, the conversation centered around the flood of news surrounding President Donald Trump, what Curtis called the ‘Trump Dump’ (as opposed to the ‘Trump Bump’ media outlets used to see during his first term). As they dissected the sheer volume of headlines pouring out of Washington, they painted a picture of a political landscape that is not just chaotic but also overwhelming.
“Trump is flooding us with news,” Curtis said, before rattling off a staggering list of recent actions by the administration—pardoning January 6 rioters, firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, floating the idea of annexing Greenland or Gaza, banning the AP from White House events, and even considering replacing the White House Rose Garden’s grass with a patio. Curtis’ point is that even the most engaged citizens are struggling to keep up, let alone make sense of it all.
Shoemaker admitted as much, noting how difficult it is to process the deluge of information, even for those who consider themselves well-read. “Even if you were trying to pay attention, which I guess is your point, it’s impossible,” he said. The concern is that if people feel overwhelmed, they may simply check out altogether.
This topic led to a discussion about how different the media’s relationship with President Trump feels this time around. In his first term, much of the news cycle revolved around his impulsive tweets. Now, as Curtis noted, “This time it seems to me much more policy or at least potential policy.”
Beyond Trump, the conversation veered into other topics, including the idea of Stephen A. Smith being a presidential candidate. Shoemaker speculated that Smith’s flirtation with the idea of running for office is part of a broader phenomenon where media figures are now seen as potential political figures. “The first time that somebody seriously says, ‘You should run for president,’ it hits different,” he noted, drawing parallels to Trump’s initial flirtations with politics. Curtis added that the space between wanting people to think you might run and actually doing it is “exactly where Trump was.”
While the idea of Stephen A. Smith running for president might sound outlandish, it speaks to a larger trend in American politics. The Trump presidency, after all, was built on the foundations of his celebrity and ability to dominate the media cycle. Figures like Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan have been floated as potential candidates, and Smith, with his brash style and ability to command an audience, fits the mold of the modern political entertainer.
The hosts also touched on the Associated Press standoff with the White House over its refusal to call the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” a move that led to the AP being banned from White House events. Curtis summed it up bluntly: “It’s worth just saying how stupid this is.”
Later in the episode, another topic was that of how the media has to prioritize coverage because the newsrooms are shrinking when it comes to staffing. “The media has shrunk dramatically over the last decade,” Shoemaker said, noting that many newsrooms simply do not have the resources to cover every story in depth.
Overall, The Press Box would be what I would call essential listening, especially for media nerds like me. It does what many media outlets have become incapable of doing, which is providing clarity in the chaos.
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The John Phillips Show on 790 KABC is unlike many other Los Angeles news/talk radio shows.
On stations like KFI-AM 640, the talk isn’t always as inherently political as you might expect from a news/talk station. But the show from Phillips on the Cumulus Media Los Angeles station is — like most shows in the format — largely focused on the political happenings of the country and the area. That’s not a knock on the show, simply an observation.
Another observation is that many conservative news/talk radio shows don’t typically delve into hard-news interviews. They’re largely rather friendly conversations, rather than discussions hell-bent on getting hard and firm answers from those in the highest reaches of our government. Again, not a knock, but an important distinction.
Those “friendly” interviews often include the host having a self-serving interest in the guest backing up their stated opinion or why the conservative side of the political aisle is right and the “bad guys” — i.e. Democrats — are wrong.
But how do you handle an interview of someone who is potentially most known for making racially charged comments? That’s the case for Ryan Girdusky, who last year famously told former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” during a panel discussion on CNN’s NewsNight with Abby Phillip. That comment alluded to Hasan being a terrorist, days after the Israeli army utilized the batteries of beepers utilized by terrorists to create explosions that harmed, maimed, and killed dozens of members of the Hezbollah terrorist organization.
The comments from Girdusky went mega-viral, if that’s a thing, with virtually everyone in the news media space having comments one way or the other on the situation.
The interview began by Girdusky clicking the mute button by mistake, leading to an awkward exchange between the author and radio host. Not Phillips’ fault by any stretch of the imagination. There’s a bit of a baseline thought process that the person you’re interviewing understands how a cell phone works. At any event, not a great start.
Phillips turned it into a humorous moment, though, stating that the only time you should put your phone on mute is when you’re ordering in the drive-thru or going through TSA security at the airport.
The first question asked of Ryan Girdusky was about the tense meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance. John Phillips asked about what the purpose of Zelenskyy’s trip to the White House entailed.
Essentially.
What he really said though, was: “Well, let’s get to that tense meeting at the White House today between Ukrainian President Zelensky and President Trump and Vice President Vance. It was impossible to take your eyes off the television as they started yelling at each other and really going at it. If you’re Zelenskyy, what is the purpose of flying to the White House, having that meeting and having those images go out? Because the one thing that you have going for you — if you’re Zelenskyy — and you’re trying to get the globe to get behind you — is sympathy.
“And if you look like a sympathetic figure, then you’re more likely to get more of what you want, even if you don’t necessarily win the argument of the day. But if he thought that this advanced the sympathy for him in Ukraine, either here or abroad, I think he’s got another thing coming.”
That’s a lot to digest for the guest and the audience. There’s a set-up, a question, and then some extended analysis and remarks. But in a situation like this, you’re looking for the guest to be the expert, to be the analyst, to give their remarks.
Think of it like being a quarterback in a football game. If the play is supposed to be a hand-off, your job, ultimately, is to hand the ball off to the running back and let them be the star for that play. Sounds simple, right? Well, you have to make sure you get the ball from the center, get the ball to the running back, and get out of the way for the play to be successful.
And in this instance, it felt like Phillips might have gotten in his own way, slightly. Because the options for the guest is to either agree wholeheartedly — which is basically what happened — or to disagree completely, create conflict, and create listener interest. Now, that’s a good strategy to pique your audience’s interest. But, again, this is likely a “friendly” interview, so the hopes of creating conflict aren’t super high.
Phillips followed up by asking about what to expect from Zelenksyy’s planned interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier. After a long answer, the 790 KABC brought up a great follow-up off of Girdusky’s answer about Europe being unable to fight for itself. It showed that he was actively listening, and was focused on the answers from his guest instead of simply barrelling through a list of pre-planned questions.
But, again, there were several remarks — with the expectation that the guest would respond to the statements — rather than a firm question.
“Go back to the point you just made about Europe not being willing to fight for itself,” Phillips began. “Because the subtext of everything going on right now is not even necessarily Ukraine, although they say it’s about Ukraine. But if Putin takes Ukraine — let’s just say that he’s successful — then next on the list will be Poland, the Baltics, and Finland.
“And I think the assumption is, even for people who are politically not aligned with people like you and me, there’s zero chance any of those countries are going to defend themselves. It’s going to be up to NATO, it’s going to be up to the United States. We’re going to be dragged into some massive international conflict because they just simply don’t have the desire to put up any kind of self-defense.”
Where’s the question? There isn’t one. There’s an expectation that the guest will just respond to what you said.
As I’ve noted in this feature before, there’s a difference between a hard news interview and a talk show interview. As more of a friendly discussion, rather than an opportunity to hold elected officials and policymakers to account, these aren’t bad mistakes to make.
The flip side of that coin, however, is that developing bad interviewing habits can be a detriment when you do get the opportunity to ask hard, firm questions of local, city, state, and national leaders with the expectation that listeners will benefit from the conversation.
I’d be interested to hear what an interview with John Phillips would sound like when the guest was more of an adversary rather than someone on the same side of the political aisle.
The final two observations I had of the conversation were that I appreciated that the 790 KABC host waited until the final moments of the interview to let Ryan Girdusky pitch his book. From a listener’s perspective, I don’t necessarily care that an author is on the show to pitch their book. It’s part of the process of having an author on the show. But listeners are selfish. What do I get out of listening to this interview? So, John Phillips did a good job of making sure the listener was served before his guest/the author.
Finally, and this is just my view, but bringing up the ultra-viral moment from Girdusky on the CNN show late last year would have likely created headlines. And John Phillips never asked that. Whether anyone thinks it’s a missed opportunity as I did is up for debate. But there are few badges conservatives like to wear today as much as “I was canceled by mainstream media” — CNN pledged it would never welcome Girdusky to it’s airwaves again — which would have endeared the author to many in the audience if the situation were brought up.
Ultimately, the conversation lasted for more than 20 minutes. That’s a lot to get through from a listener’s perspective in 2025. Girdusky gave sometimes long-winded, complex answers. I can’t fault Phillips for that. But there does need to be a sort of mental clock for news/talk radio hosts to have to be able to tell when listeners might become disinterested in a subject or a guest. And it might have been slightly earlier, at least in my opinion, than the 20 minute mark of the conversation.
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.
