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Creativity is the Key to Survival in Sports Radio – Stop Playing It Safe and Start Thinking Big

Dave Greene
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Creativity is the Key to Survival in Sports Radio – Stop Playing It Safe and Start Thinking Big

Sports talk radio has long been a staple of entertainment for the passionate fan. However, in an age where fans have access to instant analysis through social media, podcasts, and on-demand streaming, traditional sports talk radio risks becoming stale. To stay relevant, hosts must embrace creativity and innovation like never before.

For years, sports radio has thrived on heated debates and polarizing takes. The ‘shock-jock’ approach generates headlines, but the formula has grown predictable. Listeners can anticipate the recycled arguments—LeBron vs. Jordan, analytics vs. eye test, or the never-ending debate about which city has the best fans. While these topics have their place, originality is key to keeping audiences engaged. Hosts should challenge themselves to introduce fresh perspectives, unexpected angles, and more nuanced discussions that go beyond the standard narratives.

Many hosts assume that creativity and content innovation are the responsibility of producers, sales teams, or management. This mindset is outdated. If you’re on the air, your job isn’t just to talk—it’s to create. The best hosts understand that engaging content isn’t just handed to them. It’s developed through brainstorming, experimenting with new ideas, and being proactive in shaping their shows.

I’ve seen firsthand the difference between a host who simply reads what’s in front of them and one who is actively involved in crafting the content. When you take ownership of an idea, you sell it with enthusiasm. The audience can tell. There’s an authenticity in delivering something you’ve personally had a hand in creating.

Yet, too many hosts sit back and complain that the company isn’t doing enough to promote them or bring in new revenue opportunities. Meanwhile, when it’s time to innovate, they’re nowhere to be found—too busy golfing or taking a nap instead of brainstorming fresh ideas.

What’s even more baffling is how much great content exists that stations aren’t taking advantage of. There are incredible ideas being executed in one market that could easily be replicated elsewhere. Some companies have brilliant concepts that, for some reason, don’t extend beyond a single station. Why not adapt what’s already working?

This isn’t about stealing ideas—it’s about recognizing what engages audiences and finding ways to implement similar strategies tailored to your market. The best hosts and producers are constantly studying what others are doing successfully and applying those lessons to their own shows.

Creativity is the lifeblood of both content and advertising (as I wrote in a column earlier this week). If you’re on-air regularly, ask yourself: when was the last time you introduced a truly great idea that drove ratings or revenue? If you can’t remember, it’s time to step up. Look around. See what others are doing to attract listeners and advertisers.

Being ‘talent’ doesn’t just mean showing up and talking. It means engaging your audience, developing fresh content, and constantly pushing the boundaries of what your show can be. Somewhere along the way, sports radio talent became complacent, focusing only on content while leaving creativity to others.

That doesn’t work anymore. If you want to stay employed in this industry, you have to evolve. You have to think beyond just delivering a show—you have to be part of shaping it. In today’s media landscape, those who bring great ideas to the table will always have a seat.

So, what was the last great idea you had for your show? If you don’t have an answer, it’s time to start thinking.

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The Best/Worst Thing I’ve Heard/Watched/Read Recently

Big time kudos to TNT Sports and their team for the coverage of the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off. The event actually made new hockey fans and part of the reason why was the coverage of the event.

Laim McHugh, Wayne Gretzky, Henrik Lundqvist, Paul Bissonnette, Anson Carter, Tuukka Rask and Tony Granato all did a great job of bringing the energy and excitement to the fans while explaining the crazy amount of talent that was on display in the tournament.

And that was just the studio team. The announcers for the games brought it as well and you really felt the emotion of the tournament. It worked. People loved it. Now, give them more of it!

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In Case You Missed It

Earlier this week, Derek Futterman had a great piece on ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio who has been with ESPN for 30 years. Derek wrote about Paolantonio, “Every time he travels to a game, he looks to obtain at least one piece of information that no one else possesses, something that he acknowledges has never been harder to achieve.”

I also liked a quote from Paolantonio about interacting with fans:

“I enjoy the interaction with fans for a lot of reasons,” Paolantonio said. “They’ll always ask me a question, like, ‘What’d you think of the game?’ and I go right back at them and ask them what they thought because I don’t believe that I have a monopoly on what’s important.”

You can read the full feature by clicking here.

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

Megan Holiday Is ‘Invested’ With California Alternative Listeners on KROQ and LIVE 105

Charese Fruge
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Megan Holiday Is ‘Invested’ With California Alternative Listeners on KROQ and LIVE 105

Megan Holiday is the Afternoon Host on Alternative 106.7 KROQ in Los Angeles and Live 105 KITS in San Francisco. She’s also the Midday Host on ALT 94.7 KKDO in Sacramento. There’s a reason she feels so at home at two of the biggest and most legendary Alternative stations in the country. She’s originally from SoCal and went to college in The Bay Area.

“My first taste of radio happened when I attended Live 105’s BFD summer show,” she explains. “And that’s where I met Menace, as you know ‘The Woody Show’ started at Live 105.”

“Menace wanted me to come and intern for the show, but I had to finish up my final year of school. He planted a seed in my brain that radio could actually be a career, so I moved to San Diego after college and did an internship at 91X. It was such a blast, and I caught the ‘radio bug.’”

Holiday later moved back to the Bay Area to go to graduate school, where Menace reached out to her again and wanted her to help out on the night show at Live 105. “I literally dropped my bags at my apartment and started doing nights with Menace,” she says. “I worked my way up from nights to Middays and eventually ‘Megan & Menace in the Morning.’ Unfortunately, I self-sabotaged and lost everything because of my drug addiction.”

“About a year later I moved back to SoCal to go to rehab and get my life together. Sixty days into my sobriety I reached out to Lisa Worden at KROQ, and she had me come in for a meeting with her and Kevin Weatherly. I laid my cards on the table and told them my story and that I wanted to get back into radio more than anything in the world. They took a chance on me, and I will forever be grateful. They gave me back my career, and side note, I just celebrated nine years sober. Working at KROQ was always the dream. It’s been quite a wild ride!”

It’s not lost on Holiday that she works on two of the most legendary stations in the business. “It means everything to me!” she says. “I am so grateful to all of those who have come before me in the afternoon time slots at both stations like Jed The Fish, Stryker, No Name and Jared The DJ. I observed the way they did their shows; they mentored me, and I learned so much from them.”

“At KROQ I took notes from the badass women like Kat Corbett, Nicole Alvarez and Tami Heide. All of these people have helped shape what I do on the radio today. I mean Kevin & Bean are literally in the Radio Hall of Fame and they accepted me with open arms. I got to fill in a few times on the show and it was surreal. And Klein & Ally are two of the funniest, kind and entertaining people I have ever met, and I truly think we have one of the best morning shows in the market now on KROQ. The history, the rock folklore and the talent from these radio stations is something out of a movie.”

LA and San Francisco are two very different cities. I asked Holiday how she manages to balance the content between both markets. “I grew up in Rancho Cucamonga, which is about an hour east of LA, so I spent most of my life hanging out and going to shows in LA, the OC and San Diego,” she explains. “I moved to The Bay for college and then to work at Live 105, so I lived in various cities up there and of course lived in San Francisco for a long time.

“The Bay had a profound effect on me, and I hope to move back one day. The community, the culture, The Golden State Warriors! I thrived and lived it up in both places, so it just comes naturally to toggle between both. I visit The Bay as often as I can and I love that I live in SoCal, my family is here and KROQ is here!”

With her history in both cities, Holiday is entrenched in the community. “I feel like my job is to serve the listeners. Keep them informed about all the cool stuff they can win, the concerts that are happening, local stories, and also sharing personal things about my life,” she says.

“I’m invested, and I try to be encouraging and give them hope because we all could use a boost of confidence in life. I just want them to know I’m there for them and that I care. I also like to have a silly goose time, and I want to make them laugh. I don’t take myself too seriously.”

It’s all fun and games for Holiday, except when the natural disasters hit. All three markets she’s on air in are often plagued by wildfires. That’s when things get serious. “I think the main thing is to just be real about what’s happening, being raw and honest. Pretending like it isn’t happening and just doing a ‘normal’ show is tone deaf and I can’t fake the funk.”

“With the fires I was giving out information about how to get help from organizations, where people could go to get food, supplies, places to take their pets and how to volunteer. I wanted to comfort people and just keep them informed. I told them about my experience getting evacuated and encouraged them to call if they wanted to talk or share about a resource that I could pump up on the air.”

Holiday has made a lot of great memories over the years. “I remember working my first BFD at Live 105 in 2010 and we hooked up listeners with the chance to play ping pong with Deftones before their set,” she explains. “Deftones are my favorite band ever, so I was just as excited, if not more, as the listeners were.”

“Also, flying to Ireland and doing a live broadcast at the Jameson Distillery was amazing even though it was all a blur, haha. And interviewing Gwen Stefani last year was unreal and definitely a bucket list moment, she’s always been a huge inspiration.”

Holiday has also faced some major challenges over the years. “During the pandemic there were a lot of layoffs, and I was tracking six markets, doing interviews, Instagram lives and commercials.” She says. “I was working ten-hour days sometimes and it put me into one of the worst depressions of my life. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do a good job so relating to markets where I haven’t lived was tough, but I got through it.”

“Another challenge is that radio is a bit of a boy’s club and as a woman it seems like you have to work three times as hard to get any acknowledgment, so I just let my work speak for itself. If I feel proud of what I’m doing and the listeners are feeling me, that’s all that really matters at the end of the day. Leaders in radio should make their people feel appreciated and supported.”

For those unaware, in 2021, after 35 years of Alternative Rock, Audacy flipped Live 105 in San Francisco to Adult Hits “Dave FM,” a move that no one in the industry understood. That lasted less than two years, and somewhere in between that, the station was re-branded as Alt 105.3, another move no one in the industry understood. The station officially returned to its original brand “Live 105” on June 5, 2023.

I asked Holiday about the response from listeners. “The audience is so beyond stoked!” she says. “Live 105 is such an iconic station and it is my home, where everything started for me. I was the person to do the last live break on the radio when it flipped to ‘Dave.’”

“Then when it flipped to ‘ALT1053,’ I was on the air again, but it wasn’t the same. Then I was the first and only on-air personality for a while when Live 105 relaunched, so I feel like I never left in a way. So, this relaunch is just so rad, and I love my YAY AREA listeners so much.”

The Los Angeles radio market is a bit of a different beast. When it comes to ratings and being local, there is a HUGE difference between the lifestyles of those living in LA, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. Anyone in programming or on air in that market has to consider this in order to be successful.

“I do my best to highlight different local stories whether it’s LA, the OC or the IE,” says Holiday. “But I think what binds us all together is our love of SoCal and our love of music.”

The big question on everyone’s mind in the business is what kind of impact AI will have on the industry. “I haven’t personally done any experimenting with AI aside from asking ChatGPT if aliens exist like Tom Delonge says,” admits Holiday.

“I think it would be a grave mistake for radio to go in that direction. People respond to energy and authenticity not just what a voice sounds like or crappy AI jokes. To replace personalities with AI would take away the heart and pulse of radio.”

“As humans, we are looking for someone else we can relate to, someone we can actually meet in real life, so we don’t feel alone, and I don’t think something called artificial intelligence can provide that. AI can make songs, but I want to go out and actually watch a band live and meet them, ya know. AI can be used in other ways to make programming easier, but everything in radio needs human touch.”

“The listeners and I go through the same life experiences; mental health challenges, seeing and experiencing the chaos of the world, we have a blast at the same concerts. We got through the pandemic together, we got through the passing of Chester Bennington and Taylor Hawkins together, we got through the wildfires together. The main thing is I want them to know I have their back and they’re never alone. AI can’t do that.”

“I always try to throw out words of encouragement to them because life is hard and maybe they don’t get that anywhere else in their life. When I do that, I get a lot of listener response back, thanking me for what I said. I want to be a voice of comfort; I want them to feel like they get to hang with a good friend every afternoon. I want them to rock out, get lost in the music and have fun with me.”

Follow Megan Holiday on IG & Twitter/X @meganholiday and her nonprofit, Life Of The Party on IG @lifeofthepartyorg.

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 Pulse: Is It Time To Unionize?

Jeff Lynn
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The Pulse: Is It Time To Unionize?

I am confident we can all agree that a work environment that breeds fear of job loss is not healthy. One that has you looking over your shoulder, hoping you don’t make that one mistake or say the wrong thing that will “get me on the corporate radar.”

I remember feeling that the sword of Damocles was hanging over my head every year from November through the end of each year. Now, it’s not just the fourth quarter; as they say in the sports world, it’s “any given day.”

I was RIF’ed twice by a major company. Twice only because I was dumb enough to go back for more after the first.

Recently, in producing content for Barrett Media, I have seen some of this job fear up close and personal.

I talked with a Program Director for a major company about being a regular contributor to Barrett Music Radio. He said he was concerned that corporate might notice if his byline started popping up on our website. He feared this could lead to the thought that he didn’t have enough to do, which might make his position expendable.

Another recent case was just this week.

I set out to write a piece with a person whose producing and content work I have long admired. It turned into an entirely different piece. While speaking candidly, he did so under the cloak of anonymity because his employer “might not like it.”

It’s all about “flying under the corporate radar, ” living in fear of your job, and looking over your shoulder for that syndicated show that is always about to be piped in.

Then I came across this. When talking to industry leaders, I like to close the conversation by asking, “Is there anything else you would like to talk about?”

A large market programmer who also asked not to be named told me, “There is but I’m not sure I want my name attached to it.”

“I wonder if the time hasn’t come for radio to unionize?”

No wonder he didn’t want his name attached. That is a big grenade. Of course, there are major market stations and talent that are part of a union, but those drop off dramatically outside the top ten markets.

He indicated his intent to approach some of his colleagues to see how they felt about the idea—adding that it’s time for everyone to stop fearing for the job daily.

He put this on my radar, and I want to explore it with you in the coming weeks.

What do you think? Is it time for radio to unionize? I would love to hear your thoughts and guarantee you will share them anonymously.

Email me here, and we will take the industry’s temperature in the coming weeks. I’m eager to hear what you think.

Community Connections:

95.5 KLOS Los Angeles broke its own record by raising $1.25 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The two-day event over 26 hours broke the previous record of $1 million.

Brooke & Jeffrey are hosting a “Merch for a Cause” fundraiser to benefit California Wildfire relief. The proceeds will go to Convoy of Hope, a non-profit that helps rebuild and support impacted communities. Visit convoyofhope.org.

Industry Happenings:

Congratulations to 95.7 WHIO-FM and 1290 WHIO-AM, who recently celebrated 90 years of broadcasting in Dayton, OH. The stations are owned by The Cox Media Group.

Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. will continue its mentorship program with Country Radio Broadcasters. Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Country Radio is designed to enhance female leadership in Country radio.

One mentee will experience a year-long program with personal coaching from radio and music industry leaders. Find out more here.  

        

Add Ons:

The Texas Radio Hall of Fame is conducting its annual membership drive offering a reduced fee through March. More information is available here.

San Francisco NPR and PBS affiliate KQED has implemented MaxxCasting to improve its signal in the East Bay. The four-node system is designed to help with coverage in areas with a high population density or challenging topography.

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.

Ratings Roundup: NewsNight With Abby Phillip Up 35% For CNN

Garrett Searight
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Ratings Roundup: NewsNight With Abby Phillip Up 35% For CNN

The Lead

It’s no secret that both CNN and MSNBC have struggled in the ratings department since Donald Trump secured victory in the 2024 election. In February, however, CNN saw a bounceback, especially in the 10 PM ET timeslot from NewsNight with Abby Phillip.

During the month, the primetime show saw a 23% increase in its overall viewership compared to the same month last year. The show helmed by Abby Phillip averaged 615,000 total viewers. Additionally, the show rose 28% in the Adults 25-54 demographic, averaging an audience of 154,000 from the key demo.

Those figures were the largest upticks for CNN overall. NewsNight with Abby Phillip was joined in double-digit growth by Erin Burnett OutFront, up 14% in the key demographic, while Laura Coates Live was up 25% in that same sector. Coates’ show also grew 10% in the overall audience category, averaging 391,000 viewers.

Anderson Cooper 360 and The Source with Kaitlan Collins were each up 10% in the key demographic for the month, too.

Fox Business Sees Highest Month Since 2022

Fox Business earned its highest-rated month since December 2022 during the month of February.

The network bested CNBC in the total day ratings for the 11th straight month as it featured 147,000 total viewers on average. During the business day ratings, an average audience fo 234,000 viewers tuned into the network, marking the third consecutive month it beat CNBC during business hours.

Larry Kudlow’s 4 PM ET show continues to serve as the top-ranked business program. The show averaged 323,000 viewers during the month. It marked the 41st consecutive month that Kudlow finished above competition from CNBC in the total viewership category.

Additionally, Stuart Varney’s Varney & Co. — which airs from 9 AM to Noon — earned an average of 280,000 total viewers.

NewsNation Adds Viewers in February as Chris Cuomo Stays on Top

NewsNation saw a 21% increase in total viewership during the month of February. Chris Cuomo’s primetime show earned the top spot on the network with an average of 180,000 total viewers during the month.

Elizabeth Vargas Reports — which was moved to the 7 PM ET timeslot earlier this month — saw its ratings grow by 19% compared to February 2023.

Meanwhile, The Hill saw a 71% year-over-year increase in total viewers, and a 50% increase in the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic.

In the key demo, NewsNation’s audience has seen a 10% increase compared to the same month in 2024.

Fox News Sees Highest February in Network History

Fox News saw a year-over-year increase of 50% in the total day metrics during the second month of 2025, making it the most-watched February in network history.

The Five remained the top-performing show in total viewers for Fox News with 4.7 million viewers. Jesse Watters Primetime (4.1 million), Hannity (3.6 million), Special Report with Bret Baier (3.6 million), and The Ingraham Angle (3.5 million) rounded out the top five programs for the network.

In the Adults 25-54 demographic, the primetime program from Watters just surpassed The Five with 518,000 viewers compared to 517,000. Similarly, Hannity (467,000) just bested Gutfeld! (466,000) for the third-most viewers for the network in the key demo.

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.

Social Studies: Sarakshi Rai, The Hill

Garrett Searight
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Social Studies: Sarakshi Rai, The Hill

Few digital news outlets can rival the success of The Hill. The Nexstar Media Group-owned outlet routinely has millions of web traffic each month and has fostered a strong social media following under Director of Audience Development and Social Media Sarakshi Rai.

On Facebook, the organization has 1.6 million followers, which pales in comparison to the 4.3 million followers it has on X. The Hill has an additional 110,000 followers on TikTok, 42,000 followers on LinkedIn, and 247,000 followers on Instagram.

In this fifth and final installment of the Social Studies series, Sarakshi Rai, the head of social media for The Hill, shares the overall social strategy for the outlet, whether or not they’re concerned that TikTok could potentially go away, and how it has used Reddit differently than other news organizations.

*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.

Garrett Searight: From the social media aspect for The Hill, what, overall, do you hope to accomplish? What’s the necessity for social media for The Hill? 

Sarakshi Rai: Honestly, we’ve seen the social media landscape changed for organizations. It’s no longer this system or this ecosystem where you post something on social media and you get this traffic boot. So we’ve had to really diversify what we do on social media and figure out ‘Is this really something we should be investing in? How much time should we be investing in it?’ Because we want to make sure that we continue to innovate and continue to reach new audiences. So, for us social media is very important.

We have a huge following on X and we have a huge following on Facebook. We have also adopted this trial and error method where we will sign onto new platforms and see if there is interest from our audiences to have us there. So we’ve launched a TikTok, we’ve launch an Instagram. It’s grown by leaps and bounds and we only had TikTok for a year now and Instagram for about two. And we have a huge following there.

We really believe in the trial-and-error approach because we want to be accessible to our readers and our audiences on whichever platform they’re at. That, I think, is the most important because you want to make sure that our journalism gets out on all fronts. We really do experiment a lot on social media. 

GS: With having that TikTok account and seeing it grow to know more than 100,000 followers, is there any apprehension about the future of TikTok or do you just keep investing in that space thinking that it’s not likely to change? 

Participant

I mean there is some apprehension because it’s like I would see 100,000 to a small rate and it’s not like the investing too much of our time on it we will try and get the most important news of the day out there but we’re not really it’s not the only thing we focus on you know we also have a Reddit strategy as well so so really for us. You know it’s we’re just gonna keep doing what we’re doing and and if the ban is in place a new pivot to something else you know, but that’s the beauty of the trial and error method where you don’t really have to be too worried about about something and you know we also of the videos we post on TikTok. Also go on Instagram to go on a Twitter, so that’s really this uniformity across-the-board so it’s not like they’re just creating content for TikTok. 

SR: There is some apprehension. I would say 100,000 is still a small following, right? And it’s not like we’re investing too much of our time on it. We will try and get the most important news of the day out there, but it’s not the only thing we focus on. We also have a Reddit strategy as well. So, really, for us, we’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing. If the ban is in place, we’ll pivot to something else.

But that’s the beauty of the trial-and-error method, where you don’t really have to be too worried about something. Also, the videos we post on TikTok also go on our Instagram. They go on our Twitter. So it’s not like we’re just creating content for TikTok. Having the videos go up everywhere, rather than just one platform, that takes the reliance out of the picture.

GS: You mentioned that Facebook and X have large followings. Those two platforms notoriously now don’t especially love publishers. What is the secret sauce for The Hill to break through on those two platforms today? 

SR: I think Facebook is an interesting one. We stopped getting traffic from it and then suddenly last week, one post took off and we got a huge amount of traffic. We’re talking millions of clicks from this one Facebook post, so it really depends. You have to figure out what the demographics are for each social platform and then tailor your content to those specific platforms.

That doesn’t mean we only post one particular piece of content on one platform and another piece of content on another platform, but it means that we were thinking a bit more strategically about what time we post, when we post, what kind of content is. Do we highlight a quote? Do we highlight an image? For X, really, they’re still our audience on X is still very interested in from us. It could be clips, it could be House floor proceedings, it could be news of the day. Could be talking heads.

So we wanna make sure they continue to get that. 

GS: Have you found that there is a definitive kind of prime time for Facebook and X users? 

SR: Not really. It really depends on the news of the day. It’s just so unpredictable with the news cycle right now. The news cycle is supercharged. There is a lot of news happening, so there’s really no peak time per se anymore. It just really depends on seizing the moment and making sure we put out accurately reported, unbiased stories up on our social media feeds.

GS: This is the fifth discussion that I’ve had with social media managers, etc…in the news media aspect. You’re the first person to bring up Reddit. What is the Reddit strategy from The Hill and how has that played out for you? 

SR: We’ve actually been on Reddit for a year and it has worked for us beautifully. Reddit is a very daunting platform. Because as a user, there are these subreddits that run and almost by these individuals who are called moderators who do it on their own free time. And it’s really run as this kind of fiefdom. So, sometimes you have this threat of being banned oir about getting a slap on the wrist if you post something that that they might not like. It takes a lot of research and due diligence when you start off on that platform. You have to really explore what subject you want to post in and what your strategy is gonna be. You have to reach out to these moderators and introduce yourself and make sure that they are aware of your brand so they don’t think that you’re a bot or spam.

But also you know figure out the rules of each of the subcommunities. We found a lot of success in doing that. It takes a while to get going. You have to be very specific in your approach, but the rewards are great. We see a lot of engagement with content on Reddit.

Our content was getting posted on Reddit anyway by all of these users on all of these different subreddits. And we thought ‘Why not start posting ourselves? What we will found was that there was only one kind of stories were the ones that were getting pushed out, which was short, news-of-the-day stories. But we wanted some of our deeper reporting to also go out to some of these communities to show the breadth of everything we offer. So we decided to take that very conscious approach to Reddit and start making sure that we were the ones in charge of posting what went out from our website to that platform. 

GS: It makes sense though because, instead of relying on others to do it, you can control what you put up and what you put out.

SR: Exactly. I think that there are also a lot of times we would be seen with this kind of negative light because we weren’t the ones in control of posting our own stories on this platform. We found now after we’ve taken control and have a presence and have done a few Ask Me Anythings with reporters who cover different beats like the Supreme Court, like the campaign, there’s a deeper understanding of how The Hill journalists report and how we approach a story. And we found that people have started to appreciate the fact that we are straight down the middle. We are an unbiased new organization and that’s really starting to shape some of the conversations on the platform as well which is, for us, great.

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.

News Media Members Are Going Through Overcorrections and Real Journalists Will Suffer

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
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News Media Members Are Going Through Overcorrections and Real Journalists Will Suffer

There is a major over correction happening within the news media and it is about to become even more difficult for REAL journalists. 

For definition sake please accept the following as a REAL journalist:

Removes themselves from the story 

Envokes thought and not emotion 

Amplifies both left and right sides of the political story equally

Lets the audience decide where to stand on an issue

These are the four things real journalists do – many today do not and fail to recognize their own bias within a story. 

Yes, most of the legacy media outlets are left leaning. This does not mean you ban them from the White House press briefing room. Instead what the White House should be doing is welcome more opposition and shut them down verbally with the truth. 

Instead, the political right are now trying to control the narrative which was long held by the left leaning outlets. Not to be left behind, but even Jake Tapper is trying to get onboard with this new ideology by publishing his new book “Original Sin.”

The premise surrounds President Biden’s mental decline (which only right leaning outlets reported on before the June 2024 debate) and the cover-up of said decline (which again, only right leaning outlets called out). I’m sure his ghost writers had an easy time writing this as there is ample evidence of Biden’s slow down. 

However, the challenge for his PR team is how to get around the hundreds – if not thousands – of clips with Tapper saying phrases like, “It’s a conspiracy theory to say Biden has cognitive decline. It’s a stutter.” Sure, Tapper may have asked Biden in 2022 about his cognitive ability but taking the then-President’s word on his health after the several mishaps is not journalism. It’s propaganda. 

The move by Tapper is similar to that of MSNBC. They are trying to sell themselves both literally and figuratively. The network is going to get spun off into a new company dubbed “SpinCo,” along with CNBC and other Comcast-owned outlets. This hasn’t stopped billionaires on the left and right have made offers to buy the number two cable news outlet. 

Regardless of which plan actually pans out, there is one thing we all know when it comes to a sale or spin off company: layoffs are inevitable. Which is why Joy Reid and the other 99 other staffers who were let go shouldn’t be surprised. As one great host once told me, “You haven’t truly worked in news until you’ve been laid off.” 

The commonly used cost saving measure did have one anchor calling foul play and placed a target on her, and her team’s, back. Rachel Maddow broke what should be a cardinal rule in any newsroom, “Don’t shoot in the tent.” I know, it’s ironic to suggest the MSNBC host follow the advice of Roger Ailes but even a broken clock is right twice a day. 

The network is attempting to become more center as they prepare to rebrand. Reid is just one of the many leftist anchors caught in the cross fire. While this may increase cashflow it will likely result in a loss of viewership because the viewers who are expecting an anchor to call Elon Musk a Nazi will no longer be there. I don’t condone this behavior, but if the network overcorrects too much it could result in CNN-esque results (aka ratings tanking). The media over correction in the White House press briefing room is no different.

By inviting influencers, podcasters, TikTokers, and all those who are not from actual media outlets (regardless of the political slant) to the White House Press Briefing room at the expense of the Associate Press is dangerous. 

Yes, for more than 100 years, the AP has been accused of ‘poisoning the well.’ But, regardless, they have demonstrated an ability to show up and hand out information as the pool.

If the Trump White House can boot out the AP, the next Democratic-led White House can boot out Fox News and Newsmax. Either way, it’s not leading to fact-based journalism. It’s leading to perpetuated bias and further decisively dividing the country. 

This affects real journalists very simply. Since real journalists don’t pander to either side they will be left out to dry. Algorithms are only amplifying voices on the extreme left or right because this is what keeps people engaged and clicking. The spitefulness of the White House against left leaning and left wing outlets and replacing them with influencers is dangerous and gives way to more propaganda and less informative news (Which is what we could actually use right now).

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.

Marquee Sports Network, Chicago Sports Network Could Land on Higher-Priced Comcast Tier: Report

BSM Staff
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Marquee Sports Network, Chicago Sports Network Could Land on Higher-Priced Comcast Tier: Report

As baseball season approaches in Chicago, there is still some uncertainty surrounding how consumers will be able to watch the Cubs and White Sox. Marquee Sports Network, a regional sports network owned by both the Chicago Cubs and Sinclair Broadcast Group, expects to be moved to a higher-priced tier by Comcast on the Xfinity cable system, according to a report by Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times. This would align with a pattern exhibited by Comcast in recent years with RSNs around the country, including the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, New England Sports Network and NBC Sports-branded regional channels as well.

Comcast has about 1 million subscribers in the Chicago marketplace and is among the largest cable television providers in the United States. The company has had various disputes surrounding retransmission fees, one of which was recently resolved in a deal with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the owner of Altitude Sports. The Cubs had previously been televised on the WGN-TV broadcast network for 72 consecutive seasons before moving to Marquee Sports Network ahead of the 2020 campaign. Agrest also reports that Sinclair is looking to get out of its contract with Marquee, something that could portend legal proceedings in the future.

Chicago Sports Network has been unable to reach a deal with Comcast, but there is reportedly hope from the RSN that the two sides will come to terms on an agreement. Since the network made its debut in October, the companies have not reached a deal amid regular-season broadcasts of Chicago Bulls basketball and Chicago Blackhawks hockey. The entity is entering its first season as the broadcast home of the White Sox, who had previously been televised on NBC Sports Chicago before it officially shuttered last September.

The Cubs and White Sox both have direct-to-consumer streaming functionalities surrounding live game broadcasts that allows viewers to tune into games without a traditional pay television subscription. Both teams have ownership stakes in their respective regional sports networks and are among the 15 most-valuable franchises in the league, according to valuations by Forbes.

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.

Rick Couri Is Joining Groovy 105.7 Tulsa For Mornings

BMM Staff
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Rick Couri Is Joining Groovy 105.7 Tulsa For Mornings

Long time Tulsa personality Rick Couri is joining Classic Hits Groovy 105.7 KWEN/Tulsa.

Couri will host “The Groovy Morning Show” weekdays 6-10 beginning Monday. (3/3)

Jason Bennett, Owner and General Manager of Groovy 105.7 said, “We are beyond excited to welcome Rick Couri to Groovy 105.7. His voice is iconic in Tulsa, and his ability to entertain, inform, and engage an audience makes him the perfect fit for our station. Rick has deep roots in the community and has built strong connections with listeners over the years. His presence on Groovy 105.7 will strengthen our bond with the Tulsa audience.”

Couri added, “I’m thrilled about this opportunity to remain on the air in a city and area that has given my family and me so much. I can’t wait to interact with the audience, tell stories, and play the music that has become the soundtrack of my life. Let’s have some fun!”

His history in Tulsa radio is primarily in spoken word, having worked at News/Talk 102.3 KRMG and the former The Sports Blitz 1170 KSTB, which is now News 1170 KOTV-AM

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.

Audacy Expands Podcast Sales and Distribution Deal with CBS to Add News and Entertainment

BNM Staff
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Audacy Expands Podcast Sales and Distribution Deal with CBS to Add News and Entertainment

Audacy has announced an expansion of its exclusive long-term sales and distribution partnership with CBS to now include the company’s entertainment and news media ventures in the podcast space.

The new and entertainment divisions for CBS contains nearly 40 podcasts, including shows hosted by Survivor host Jeff Probst and late-night host steven Colbert, alongside news shows like 60 Minutes, CBS Evening News, and Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, among others.

“CBS Sports is a thriving part of our business, and we are thrilled to expand our partnership with CBS’ storied news and entertainment slate,” said Audacy Chief Digital Officer and President of Podast and Streaming J.D. Crowley. “This stellar lineup of talent and podcasts offers a compelling slate of premium content and new scaled opportunities for our advertising partners.” 

Audacy has been the ad sales and distribution partner for the television brand’s sports division since 2022.

In addition to serving as the ad sales and distribution partner for CBS, all of the network’s podcasts and shows are available on the Audacy app, as well as each major podcast platform. The partnership has also included CBS News Radio top-of-the-hour newscasts airing on 27 Audacy news/talk stations, which was extended in January 2024.

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.

NAB Launches Campaign to Mordernize FCC Ownership Laws

BNM Staff
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NAB Launches Campaign to Mordernize FCC Ownership Laws

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has announced the debut of a campaign aimed at persuading the Federal Communications Commission to overhaul its ownership regulations.

A formal campaign comes on the heels of NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt sharing his stance that the current ownership laws are outdated and puts broadcast media companies at a disadvantage to Big Tech organizations.

In an address to The Media Institute earlier this month, LeGeyt opened his speech by calling the ownership regulations currently in place outdated. He emphasized the place that outlets like YouTube currently hold in the media marketplace, sharing his belief that it is an uneven playing field.

“This campaign underscores the urgent need to modernize outdated FCC ownership regulations that put the future of local TV and radio stations at risk,” said LeGeyt in a statement about the launch of the new campaign. “In today’s media environment, local broadcasters must have the ability to grow and compete with Big Tech platforms that operate without similar restrictions.

“As trusted sources of news and information, particularly during emergencies, local stations provide a vital service to their communities,” he continued. “Policymakers must act now to ensure broadcasters can continue serving the public effectively, before it’s too late.”

The campaign will begin as being directed specifically at Washington D.C. policymakers and will also share information with consumers on how to reach out to the White House and the FCC.

Additionally, the campaign launch is planned to coincide with more than 500 broadcasters descending upon the nation’s capital for the NAB State Leadership Conference.

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.

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