What We Know: Bill Cody, morning host of “Coffee, Country & Cody” on 650 WSM Nashville, passed away yesterday at the age of 67. Cody — born Trent Clutts — had helmed the morning show at the Opry Entertainment Group talk/classic country station since 1994, and served for decades as the voice of the Grand Ole Opry.
What They Said: WSM announced it will honor Cody with a special marathon of moments from “Coffee, Country & Cody.” Services have not yet been announced.
What We Know About His Career: Cody began his radio career in 1971 at WLBN Lebanon, KY at just 12 years old. He went on to WVLK Lexington in 1977, WHAS Louisville in 1979, and briefly hosted mornings at WCII Louisville in 1985 before moving to WHOO-FM Orlando. He spent seven years at 680 KKYX San Antonio from 1987 until joining WSM in 1994 — a post he held for more than 30 years.
Beyond WSM, Cody hosted the syndicated “GAC’s Classic Country Weekend With Bill Cody” and the television program “GAC’s Master Series.” He was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2008. He will be inducted posthumously into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame next month.
What It Means: Bill Cody was one of country radio’s most enduring voices — a rare talent who spent more than five decades in the business and built an institution at one of the format’s most storied stations. His posthumous Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame induction next month will serve as a final tribute to a career that touched nearly every corner of the format.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
The 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit is three weeks away. If you work in music, sports, news, advertising or in the media industry anywhere across the country, there’s no reason to not be in attendance for this show. From start to finish, this is as strong of a lineup as you’ll find for an industry conference. Whether you come for one session, one day, one party or all three days, just come. Watching from the sidelines or on social media isn’t the same as having in-person conversations, gaining insight and ideas, and crossing paths with the best in the industry. Tickets are available here.
The final day of our three-day conference focuses on music radio with an after party planned immediately following the show. Having a fun time with friends is great, but you can’t exactly have a music after party without music, right? Thankfully, we don’t have to.
Thanks to Raffaella Braun, Kevin Herring, and our friends at Triple Tigers, we will have a live acoustic performance from Country artist Shane Profitt. Shane is a talented performer who is serving as a special guest opener on Luke Bryan’s “Word on the Street” tour. He’s taking a slight detour to join us in NYC, play a few songs, and enjoy a celebratory shot afterwards. We greatly appreciate it. This will be a cool, intimate setting to hear some great music, interact, grab a photo, and put a bow on a fun, few days in the big apple.
“Triple Tigers is excited to partner and support the Barrett Media Audio Summit in NYC” said Raffaella Braun, VP, National Promotion! “What better way to kick off the 4th of July weekend and America’s 250th than to have Shane Profitt sing “Long Live Country” to some of the brightest and best in all formats of the radio world! I am excited to attend the Summit. Our label strives to be a part of innovation and music networking, and Barrett Media’s Summit mixed with Shane Profitt’s songwriting and strong vocal prowess in New York City is at the pinnacle of those crosswords.”
Background on Shane Profitt
Shane Profitt is originally from Columbia, Tennessee, about an hour’s drive from Nashville. His single “How It Oughta Be” became a career-launching hit that peaked at #19 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. To date, the song has over 2 million views on YouTube. His 2025 album “Population Me” featured the single “Long Live Country” which hit #46 on Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
In addition, Shane’s newest single “Comes With The Country” was officially released on May 29th. Stations such as 96.9 The Kat, Country 103.7, New Country 105.1, KBAY 94.5/102.3, WTQR 104.1, and KHEY 96.3 are all known to play and promote Profitt’s music. Have a listen for yourself to his latest single down below.
Damion ‘Damizza’ Young Joins the Summit Lineup
I’ve been a fan of Damion ‘Damizza’ Young‘s video commentaries for a while. He’s smart, knowledgeable, and champions the radio industry while remaining fair and objective. His social media following is strong, and his commentaries make you think. Damion’s love and passion for hip hop also stands out.
When I was building our hip hop panel, I thought Damizza would be a great moderator for it. I just didn’t know if it would be possible. Fortunately, it is.
I’m excited to announce that Damion is joining our music radio summit lineup on Thursday, July 2nd. ‘Damizza’ will serve as moderator of our Hip Hop panel featuring Skip Dillard, Angela Yee, and Devin Steel. The knowledge, passion, and love for the format that these four share will be impossible to ignore. Radio pros, make sure you’re in the room for it. It’s going to be a fantastic session.
My thanks to Mr. Master for signing on as a partner for this year’s show. Their addition brings the list of Summit supporters to thirty (30). A few opportunities remain available to businesses looking to get involved. Our deadline for sponsorships is Friday, June 19th. Contact Stephanie Eads at Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com to learn how to be a part of the show.
For folks in management, programming, content and/or artist representation, I really hope you’ll make time to join us. This is going to be a great three day event with people crossing paths who don’t often intersect. Make sure you’re in the room. Secure your ticket today, and I’ll see you in NYC!
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
At least not if you do it quickly, before someone says, “We should run this by legal.”
My wife is a lawyer, so I hear that sentence more than most people — usually right at the exact moment I have a great idea. Nothing kills creative momentum quite like realizing the person you married has good judgment, taste in men, and a law degree.
Trend jacking is when a brand grabs onto a cultural moment and finds a way to place itself inside the conversation.
McDonald’s just gave us a great example with Backrooms. McDonald’s didn’t need to explain Backrooms. It just needed to find a yellow wall, make the lighting terrible, and go Grimacing down the hallway.
Radio Should Be Leading This Charge
Radio and media should be better at this than almost anyone.
We have talent. We have immediacy. We have music. We have local context. We have phones in everyone’s hands. Yet often, we treat marketing like it still needs lots of text and a station logo centered over a stock photo of people laughing at a salad.
Trend jacking works because it lowers the cost of attention. As a result, the audience already understands the setup. You do not need to explain the World Cup or Scary Movie, or why a Taylor Swift song in Toy Story is going to get dissected line by line.
Here are four free jackable ideas:
1. The Talent Jack
Put your morning show inside the trend. If Backrooms is hot, send your talent into the most depressing hallway in the building and shoot a ten-second bit: “We found where all the logoed mouse pads went.”
Also, mouse pads?
That’s your marketing strategy?
People use their fingers to navigate everything now. Maybe phone book covers will make a comeback, too. Finally, somewhere to put your hot-rockin’, flame-throwin’ hit line.
2. The Playlist Jack
Music stations should be doing this every week. World Cup? Build a playlist with songs that sound good in a stadium. Scary Movie wins the weekend? Give me songs from the soundtrack. He-Man is back? Play the strongest men in country music. You are not changing your format — you are packaging your format around what people are already talking about.
3. The News Jack
If everyone is talking about AI, inflation, local crime, or a citywide event, frame your coverage through the pop-cultural language people are using. “The Backrooms of City Hall” is a segment. “What’s Really Behind Door 404 in the Budget?” is a promo. Jack the language. Keep your journalism.
4. The Sales Jack
Trend jacking is not only a content trick — it is also a revenue trick. Local clients want attention, too. Create fast-turn sponsorships around cultural moments. Clients don’t always need a six-month campaign and a cost-per-point. They need to be attached to what people are already sharing today.
That said, I do have one word of caution: do not jack what you do not understand.
The internet can smell a fake faster than your competitor calling Nielsen to say you have a meter. If the moment is tragic, sensitive, or political in a way your team cannot handle, keep your hands off Jack.
However, done well, trend jacking is the new in-the-moment, low-cost marketing. It rewards speed. It rewards taste. It rewards talent who can entertain.
The Old Model vs. The New Model
The old model was: build a campaign, buy attention, hope people notice.
The new model is: notice where attention already is, then move in before the moment moves on.
So this week, think of Jack not as a tired, syndicated format telling you it plays what it wants because apparently it matters more than the listener. Instead, think of Jack as a verb.
Jack the moment. Jack the conversation. Jack the thing your audience is already talking about before someone else does.
Or sit it out and say Phil Becker doesn’t know jack about radio.
Which, to be fair, would also be a form of trend jacking.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Music discovery was supposed to get easier. That was the original promise of streaming. When Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other platforms suddenly put almost every song imaginable in everyone’s pocket, listeners needed help. Nobody could realistically sort through that much music on their own.
So the algorithms went to work.
They tracked what listeners played, skipped, saved, replayed, liked, ignored, and added to playlists. They also learned from time of day, geography, mood, listening habits, and similar users. The goal was simple: keep people listening by serving more music they were likely to enjoy.
That worked. Maybe too well.
When the Algorithm Became the Gatekeeper
Ohio University School of Media Arts and Studies Director Josh Antonuccio recently framed the issue clearly in an article about streaming algorithms and music discovery. With so much content available, he said, “the algorithm is going to be the determining factor.”
That is the reality of music discovery in 2026. The algorithm is no longer just helping listeners find music. In many cases, it is deciding what discovery even means.
That raises a bigger question for radio programmers, music directors, artists, labels, and anyone who still believes in human taste. Has music discovery become so personalized that it is no longer really discovery?
There is a difference between being served another song that sounds like something you already love and being genuinely introduced to something you never would have found on your own. The first one is efficient. The second one is discovery.
What Algorithms Do Well — and What They Miss
Algorithms are very good at the first part. They can identify adjacent artists, match tempos, and connect sonic similarities. They can also recognize that someone who likes one mood, genre, or artist may enjoy another song that lives in the same neighborhood. That is useful. It is also safe.
But some of the best music discoveries are not safe. They are interruptions. They come from a DJ, a programmer, a friend, a journalist, a record store clerk, a playlist curator, or some oddball late-night show that plays something completely outside the expected lane.
That kind of discovery does not always begin with comfort. Sometimes it begins with confusion. Then it becomes curiosity. Then it becomes love.
That is where algorithms still run into a human problem. Music is not just data. Music is identity, context, culture, emotion, timing, memory, and trust. A recommendation from a machine may be accurate. A recommendation from a trusted person, however, can feel meaningful. That distinction matters.
The Digital Cul-de-Sac
In the Ohio University piece, Antonuccio warned that algorithms can guide listeners without necessarily expanding their worlds. His best line was that it can become “a sort of digital cul-de-sac.”
That is the danger. The listener is still moving. The playlist is still changing. The artists may even be different. But the road may be taking them in a circle.
That is not necessarily a failure of the system. In fact, it may be the system doing exactly what it was designed to do — reduce friction, lower risk, increase comfort, and keep the listener from leaving. But comfort is not the same thing as culture.
Radio’s Real Advantage
Radio should be paying close attention to this. For years, radio has been told that streaming is better at music discovery. In some ways, that is true. Streaming platforms can personalize at scale. Radio cannot customize every listener’s experience in real time.
But radio has something the algorithm still struggles to replicate: shared surprise. A good programmer can hear a record and know it belongs before the data fully proves it. A good personality can make a listener care about a song before the audience knows why. Moreover, a station can turn a record into a moment because it is not just serving one person — it is speaking to a community.
That is still powerful. Radio does not need to beat Spotify at being Spotify. That game is over. Radio’s opportunity, instead, is to be what pure personalization cannot be. Be local. Be human. Be opinionated. Be trusted. Be willing to expose an audience to something that does not perfectly match yesterday’s behavior.
That does not mean radio should ignore data. That would be ridiculous. Streaming signals matter. Research matters. Shazam matters. Audience behavior matters. But data should inform taste, not replace it.
Human Plus Machine
The best version of music discovery is not human versus machine — it is human plus machine. Algorithms are great for convenience. They help listeners navigate impossible volume and remove friction. Human curators, on the other hand, bring context, take risks, and attach meaning. They can say, “You may not know this yet, but you need to hear it.” That is very different from, “Because you listened to this, here is something similar.”
The music business has spent years optimizing discovery — but too much optimization starts sanding down the edges. Great records do not always arrive neatly inside a listener’s existing taste profile. Sometimes they break it. That is where radio, curators, DJs, and human tastemakers still matter — maybe more than they have in years.
The future of music discovery is not about choosing between algorithms and humans. It is about whether the humans using the algorithm still have enough taste, courage, and curiosity to break it once in a while.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
The first time I saw Sevendust was Ozzfest ’98. Scorching hot — the weather and the band. I remember thinking, “This is one of the greatest live bands ever.” I thought it then, and I think it now.
Over the next three decades, I have been to more Sevendust shows than I can count. I wanted them on my radio shows, and they were nice enough to oblige. I wanted them at stations I programmed. They just keep getting better.
I caught up with Sevendust’s incredible frontman Lajon Witherspoon on my Carr Stereo Podcast on the second-to-last show of their recent tour. We discussed 30 years of magic Dust and their 15th record, One — their fourth with sonic partner and producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette — out last month on Napalm Records. We also talked about Lajon’s uniquely soulful vocals combined with the heavy that creates the band’s “Rhythm and Bang” sound, balancing life and music, and their first time playing the iconic Madison Square Garden. And we broke down a few personal R&B favorites, too.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
Terrie Carr: You may be my favorite person to talk to. LJ is in the house! LJ has arrived! I thank you so much because you’re on tour!
LJ: It’s always a pleasure. I love when I see your name, or if you’re going to be at a show or somewhere close. It makes me so happy. I love you. My family loves you. You’re a movement in this world that we live in. You carry a flag that everyone loves. And yes, we are on tour!
Terrie Carr:One is out. It is the 15th record for the band. I think I said this last record, but I mean it for this record — this is my FAVORITE Sevendust record EVER! There’s been an energy shift, I think, in the last couple of records, and tell me if you feel it too. I have a few theories as to why I think that there has been. For you guys, slow and steady wins the race. Sevendust has been such a staple of the Active Rock format, and yet never tried to sound like a lot of the bands that do sound very similar on radio. You never said, “You know what, we’re going to make this record that sounds like that band.” You’ve always just stayed true to who you are. I think your shift came with a management change when you joined Janus.
LJ: Yes, that happened. I’m so grateful for them, too. Also, going into that with Janus, the future was so bright. We’ve been with them for a while — Tim is incredible. But after the Disturbed tour, doing the album, then going back to Europe and having such a big success over there with One before it even came out, doing videos over there, and the shows were great with Alter Bridge. Terrie, I feel like when we went in to do the album, it was very organic. I just feel like we’re at a point in our career, as grown men at the age that we are, that this album came together — and it didn’t mean to tell a story, but it actually does. It has to do with everything that’s going on in our lives, including management, but not only that — relationships, wives, daughters graduating, kids growing up, everything that’s going on in life that everyone deals with. I think we were just able to paint this portrait of that in time, in real time. That’s what’s happening to us, and I feel like people can relate to that.
The Farmhouse, Elvis, and the Sound
Terrie Carr: I read a quote where you said about Elvis Baskette, your producer, “He doesn’t tell us what to do. He knows what we do.”
LJ: Yes, absolutely.
Terrie Carr: There seems to be this whole feeling of a rebirth in a different direction for The Dust. Did you feel it going in, or did it kind of just work out that way?
LJ: We just knew something was going on when we went to the farmhouse when we first started writing.
Terrie Carr: It’s a magical place — the farmhouse always brings the magic, right?
LJ: Yes, it’s incredible. We just knew something was special, and just the things that were actually going on in real time, songs were getting written. It was a very special time. And so we went into Elvis’ spot. We were very secure with a lot of the songs that we had, and we even still worked on new songs while we were there. But we were very tight as a band, and we knew that we had something special.
Rhythm and Bang
Terrie Carr: When I heard One, I was like, “Wow.” There’s something special about your vocals on this record. You’ve always had this great ability to bring this soulful R&B vocal styling to the heavy, which floats above the metal — if that makes any sense. I call it kind of “Rhythm and Bang,” right? Rhythm and Bang, not Rhythm and Blues!
LJ: Yes, thank you! I like it! That’s so funny you say that. I just wanted to really soul it up. The song “Is This the Real You” — I call that the “Gap Band” song, and everyone’s like, “Yeah, I get what you’re saying, man.”
Terrie Carr: That song! It’s such a groove. It’s got these great harmonies, and every turn on that tune is GROOVE!
LJ: I just wanted to go old school and just let the kids and everyone out there see a different avenue of Sevendust. It’s been going over so well. They’re singing that song and people are dancing. That’s what I want. I want something that’s going to be remembered and not something that people are going to forget for a week. I want them to hear it and want to hear it again and again for a long time.
Still Standing, Still Swinging
Sevendust has gone the distance and beyond. Moreover, their best days are NOW — and not every band in rock can grab that prize. Next year marks the 30th anniversary of their TVT Records debut. Need to feel the “soul of metal”? Grab One, and take the Rhythm and Bang ride with one of rock’s most enduring bands.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
There’s nothing like a once-in-a-lifetime event. For the first time in American history, there will be a professional sporting event held on the grounds of the White House. What started as an idea in a random conversation between President Donald Trump and UFC CEO Dana White has taken shape in less than two years to become the most unique event in the promotion’s history. For Daniel Cormier, who will be on the call for the event on Paramount+, the opportunity to be part of it is personally fulfilling.
“We all had the same idea when we first heard about it. Impossible,” explained Cormier, who’s been a full-time member of the UFC’s top broadcasting team since 2020. “It happened very quickly where what once seemed impossible to this might actually happen.”
Cormier wasn’t alone in his initial feelings surrounding the concept. However, over the last year, momentum never seemed in doubt. After months of meetings between officials from TKO Holdings, the UFC, and the White House, the event was officially announced for June 14 on the South Lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
A stacked card was later announced. The event features seven fights involving some of the promotion’s top fighters. An expected 4,300 people will watch from the White House lawn, while up to 100,000 others will gather at nearby Ellipse Park to view the action on large screens.
Cormier, who represented the United States in the Pan American Games and is a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, considers the event a celebration. Standing on the doorstep of the White House, with the country’s semi-quincentennial anniversary approaching and the eyes of the world watching, makes the moment even more meaningful.
“Honestly, it’s a dream,” said Cormier. “As a guy that’s represented the country in wrestling and the things that I’ve done, I’ve always wanted to go to the White House. Now, I have an opportunity to do it. Plus, to do it with fighting and representing the UFC. That’s crazy to me.”
A Milestone Moment
For the UFC, the event is just another milestone. In 2001, White’s friends bought the UFC for $2 million, gave him a 10% stake, and asked him to run the business. Through force of personality more than any traditional playbook, White turned the mixed martial arts league — now part of the TKO conglomerate — into a global phenomenon. Today, the UFC is worth north of $25 billion, with more than 600 fighters under contract, according to most estimates.
Cormier has seen that rise firsthand and views UFC Freedom 250 as the next step in that growth.
“Anyone that’s downplaying the significance of being on the south lawn of The White House is lying to you,” said Cormier. “Every UFC fan should be excited about the UFC doing this. MMA is doing well when the UFC is doing well. For the UFC to be on the cusp of such a significant event, that’s a victory for the entire sport.”
Cormier is no stranger to the Octagon. Following the 2008 Olympic Games, he fought for several MMA promotions before making his UFC debut in 2013. He went on to win the UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight championships in a career that culminated with induction into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022.
In his approach to broadcasting each numbered UFC event, Cormier puts the focus on the fighters. He tells their stories and leans on personal experience and film study to guide viewers through the action. However, with the event being held at the White House amid the country’s current political climate, Cormier says his approach to the UFC Freedom 250 broadcast will remain the same.
“We’re going to call fights like we do every time. Our job hasn’t changed. Our job is to tell the story of the fighter. If I do anything different, that’s not doing right by the actual athletes competing,” explained Cormier. “The preparation will be the same and I’ll do the best job I can. This is only going to happen once, ever. That’s what is special about this. I get to call a fight that’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Preparing for a Global Audience
For the past few weeks, Cormier says he’s immersed himself in film study with the same approach he once used while training for a fight. He prefers to wait until an event draws closer before diving fully into preparation.
With a stacked card for UFC Freedom 250, Cormier is excited to see how the participants perform under the 92-foot-high structure known as “The Claw” on the South Lawn. However, when asked whether there was a particular fighter he wished had made the final card, he referenced perhaps his greatest rival missing the opportunity.
“I was hoping Jon “Bones” Jones would make the card,” said Cormier. “I believe in terms of American fighters, he’s the best one.”
UFC Freedom 250 will serve as the signature event of the UFC’s first year under a seven-year media rights agreement with Paramount Skydance. The landmark deal gives Paramount exclusive distribution rights to UFC’s full lineup of 13 marquee numbered events and 30 Fight Nights on Paramount+, with select numbered events also scheduled to simulcast on CBS.
The opportunity to broadcast on CBS hits home for Cormier. He understands the significance of the UFC appearing on traditional television and views it as a chance to expand its audience and reach unlike ever before.
“I grew up in Louisiana where cable television wasn’t always a thing. Now, to be on CBS, that was one of the free channels we got. To be talking about fighting on the free channel, that’s crazy to me,” said Cormier. “It can’t stop and can’t change, it has to continue growing. Paramount already is as big of a company as you can be associated with. It’s just getting bigger and bigger for the UFC.”
Remaining a Student
On Sunday night, Cormier will join UFC play-by-play voice Jon Anik and fellow commentator Joe Rogan on the call. The trio has become as synonymous with the UFC as any broadcast team in professional sports. From pay-per-view events to video games, Cormier remains a student of broadcasting as much as he once was a professional fighter.
“It’s more family than anything. I’ve been lucky to work so close with Jon and Joe, but especially with Jon Anik. He’s one of the best broadcasters across the globe in any sport,” explained Cormier. “I’ve been able to soak in all that knowledge with all these opportunities to sit right next to him… It’s been a masterclass, I am so lucky.”
Joe Rogan has also been instrumental in Cormier’s media career. The comedian, television host, podcaster, and UFC commentator has grown The Joe Rogan Experience into an influential force in pop culture.
As Cormier watched his teammate’s success over the years, Rogan shared his unique advice. Discussions that ultimately led Cormier to launch his own independent podcasting projects, including The Daniel Cormier Show.
“Joe told me to do what I want to do. Focus on doing the things that make you happy, then it doesn’t feel like you’re working,” said Cormier.
Leaning on that advice and receiving help along the way, The Daniel Cormier Show has become one of the sport’s most successful digital programs. That success led Cormier to partner with Colin Cowherd’s The Volume in 2022. The partnership provided him with additional resources, support, and opportunities for growth.
“The Volume has been a great network that helps me with sponsorship, production and everything I need,” said Cormier. “I never could have imagined that this is what my third act would have looked like. This has been a dream come true, and I’m doing everything that I want.”
Desire For More
Cormier’s approach to creating content is simple. He takes a commonsense approach and avoids issues that could spark division. He never holds back in a critique. Often finding himself coaching fighters from afar without even realizing it, based on the knowledge he’s gained throughout his career.
Over the past couple of years, Cormier has placed greater emphasis on long-form interviews. Focusing on the stories that shape the person rather than simply the participant. He believes a good interview requires a compelling guest, engaging questions, and an opportunity to learn. It’s an approach he’s developed by studying others in the industry and applying those lessons to refine his own style.
The hope for Cormier moving forward centers on continued growth. He says he has ambitious goals while keeping a close eye on an industry that continues to evolve.
“If you aren’t keeping your eyes on everything going on in the industry, you’re doing yourself a disservice,” explained Cormier. “Every athlete has a goal of being on a show every single day that doesn’t just go with MMA. That takes work and time. I think we’re on the right path to go in that direction, but ultimately it’s that. To be on one of the bigger shows in the world and be ever present.”
For most athletes, the dream ends when the fighting stops. For Daniel Cormier, it keeps evolving.
On Sunday night, he’ll stand on the South Lawn of the White House. Microphone in hand, helping tell the story of an event that once sounded too improbable to be real. It’s a moment that reflects not only how far the UFC has come from its fringe beginnings, but also how far Cormier has traveled since first representing the United States on a wrestling mat decades ago.
The Hall of Fame fighter has become one of the sport’s most trusted voices — a broadcaster, podcaster, and media personality with aspirations that extend well beyond mixed martial arts.
Yet even as he looks ahead to bigger platforms and broader audiences, Cormier remains grounded in the same philosophy that guided him through championship fights: prepare relentlessly, stay curious, and embrace the opportunity in front of you.
And on this night, the opportunity is unlike anything combat sports has ever seen. For a fighter who built a career on making history, it seems fitting that his next chapter includes calling it.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
What is OutKick without Clay Travis? It’s a fair question to ask following the announcement that Travis is officially leaving the digital media outlet he created. The vision was simple. Build a sports content website and brand that served a conservative audience. The site grew, the brand expanded, Travis became a star, and here we are. Fifteen years after its creation, Clay Travis is leaving OutKick by his own choosing.
So, what now for the sports and culture brand? Five years after selling the website to Fox News Media, it’s now without its biggest star. Travis will continue to work for Fox, yet his duties at OutKick have come to an end. That leaves a number of questions for a brand that once dominated a space where many copycats have chipped away at its impact.
Don’t be fooled. OutKick maintains a strong footprint by delivering content with a particular political lean. It’s invested in talent such as Dan Dakich, who recently signed a multi-year extension with the company. However, with Fox News now assuming full oversight, should that create concern about the business model moving forward?
Since Fox purchased OutKick in 2021, the website has continued to operate as a standalone property within the Fox News ecosystem. However, OutKick.com now directs visitors to a FoxNews.com splash page featuring the latest content. According to Travis’ final OutKick The Show on Monday, the site recorded strong traffic and unique visitor numbers in May.
Going out on a high note seems logical rather than running away from a burning house.
However, what’s puzzling is why leave if the brand remains so successful? Also, why announce plans to launch another company alongside former OutKick talent Chad Withrow in the very same announcement?
A Massive Loss for Outkick
Love him or hate him, Clay Travis is the star of his own brand. OutKick is, and forever will be, tied to Travis’ talents. Oftentimes, the question becomes whether the talent is bigger than the brand. In this case, Travis is a bigger brand than the company he founded.
He always has been and always will be.
We’ve seen this play out in sports media time and time again. Imagine if Colin Cowherd left The Volume or Bill Simmons departed The Ringer. Would either brand be the same or have the same impact without those key figures? Probably not.
Now take those hypotheticals a step further. What if Cowherd or Simmons launched another company after leaving? What if they used the platform they built to introduce their next venture? In an era when consumers attach themselves to personalities as much as brands, what’s to say that audience wouldn’t follow where the talent goes?
More than likely, it would.
Especially if Travis remains in the same lane as the company he built provided. With the experience of operating OutKick under Fox News ownership, could he be preparing another venture designed to rival his former brand? Could he have seen signs that OutKick’s current business model has a shorter shelf life than what he described Monday as his “new mousetrap”?
Would Travis create an entity to compete against his current employer? Likely not, but could there be a gap in the current OutKick model that he believes the company cannot effectively address? Possibly so.
A New Challenge
However, the new challenge for OutKick isn’t whether it can continue generating traffic. Under the Fox News umbrella, it almost certainly can. The bigger question is whether it can continue generating relevance without its biggest star.
In today’s media landscape, audiences don’t simply follow websites. They follow people. They invest in personalities, perspectives, and voices they trust. That’s why Pat McAfee can move platforms and bring an audience with him. It’s why Dave Portnoy remains synonymous with Barstool Sports. It’s why Bill Simmons and Colin Cowherd have built media empires around themselves rather than around logos.
For 15 years, Clay Travis wasn’t just OutKick’s founder. He was its engine. He was the face, the voice, the chief promoter, and the personality that gave the brand its identity. When consumers thought of OutKick, they thought of Clay Travis.
That’s what makes this moment so consequential.
OutKick may continue to produce content. It may continue to benefit from Fox’s enormous distribution machine. It may even continue to post impressive traffic numbers. But traffic and relevance aren’t the same thing. One measures clicks. The other measures cultural impact.
The attention economy has never been more dependent on star power. Without Travis, OutKick doesn’t have a star. It failed for years to ever develop another one outside of its own founder. Brands that fail to develop recognizable personalities eventually become interchangeable with countless other outlets competing for the same audience. If consumers begin following Travis to whatever comes next, OutKick could discover that the biggest asset it ever possessed wasn’t its website, its name, or even its business model.
It was Clay Travis.
And if that proves true, then OutKick’s biggest challenge isn’t replacing its founder. It’s proving that it still matters without him.
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As the 250th anniversary of our great country’s founding approaches, I can’t help but be a little bit excited. Like you, I assume, I love this country. I love what it means to be an American, what living in this country provides, and the America 250 celebration has me bursting with pride.
To be frank, however, I’m a bit disappointed by the response from the news/talk radio space. This should feel like a momentous occasion.
But I don’t know that you’d feel that reflected by the medium as a whole.
Sure, it’s probably too late to get much done for the coming weeks and have it ready by the 4th of July. I don’t believe, though, that the America 250 celebration has to end on Independence Day. It can carry all the way through the end of 2026. Heck, if you commit to it hard enough, you could really argue that it should roll all the way through July 3rd, 2027.
Below, I’ve crafted some easy — and some not-so-easy — ideas for news/talk radio hosts, producers, leaders, and sales managers to execute over the coming days, weeks, and months to help spark some ideas on how the format can own this event.
Imaging
Legal IDs
This is perhaps the simplest way to “own” the celebration. I know your legal ID is probably already crammed full with a sponsor, positioning statement, the actual ID, and promotion for something else on the station. But slapping in a “(Insert City/Region Here)’s Official Home for the America 250 Celebration”, or something similar, is easy. Now, should you have been doing this for the past six months? Absolutely.
I’ll give credit to one station I know has been on top of the ball: WOWO in Fort Wayne. I think I heard the first piece of “America 250” imaging the first week of January. Having your ducks in a row that early sure makes it much easier to monetize than thinking about it now.
Local Heros
If you look hard enough, you can find local connections in major stories. They’re not all this simple, but, for instance, Neil Armstrong’s hometown was in my old radio market. Additionally, every tank used by the American military was built in that market. Not every story like that is going to be that easy to find/well-known. But they’re out there. Honoring the local heroes in both the past and present is a fun, easy way to connect deeper with your community and sound like the local authority.
Listener-Driven Imaging
It’s never been easier to get audio from listeners. Whether it’s phone calls, talkbacks on your app, having listeners record voice memos, or setting up a recording station at your remotes, if you want listener audio, you can get it. But ask listeners what freedoms they value most. What makes them proud to be an American? What does it mean to be an American? They’ll answer. Truthfully. Honestly. And most importantly, passionately. Harness that for an “America 250 Minute…powered by (insert advertiser here).”
Social Media/Digital
Special Logos
Similar to the Legal ID space, this is also easy to pull off. Even if you don’t have an on-staff graphic designer, with the rise of AI, it’s simple to create graphics for social media.
For instance, I changed the 1210 WPHT logo from its usual branding to be more “American flag themed.” Drop it in as your logo on your social media channels, use it as your branding from Flag Day through Sunday, July 5th, and look like you’re owning the topic.
(Photo: Generated by Google Gemini)
“My American Story”
There is probably a strong crossover between news/talk radio listeners and those interested in family genealogy. Creating a place for listeners to submit their own personal stories about family history in the country, as well as the opportunities, service, and sacrifices they and their family members have experienced, will draw plenty of submissions and attention on social media. People like seeing themselves. Show them, then. It is also a great chance for listeners to share their or their relatives’ military history. It’s never a bad time to honor our veterans. No one is going to look down upon it. Take the opening and run with it.
Polls/Question of the Day
If polls aren’t already a part of your social media strategy, they should be. You know who listens to news/talk radio? Boomers. You know who loves to tell you how they feel about everything? Boomers. Have an America 250 question of the day on social media. Slap a sponsor logo on it. Tag their business in the post.
Furthermore, theme questions of the day are good social media options. Easy things like: “Who’s the greatest President in American history? What’s the greatest American invention? Who gave the greatest speech in American history?” Then, use the answers as a short segment on a show. Cross promotion. Everyone wins.
On-Air Content/Promotions
250 Acts of Service
This is perhaps the most difficult to pull off. But it is also the most impactful. Think about your city or market. There are always places to help. Similarly, there are always people to thank. You wouldn’t believe how appreciative a local fire or police station is when you bring them pizza, donuts, or a catered meal. You have those connections within your community. If one of the tent poles of great radio is the local component, harness it. Bring people together in your community. Help create volunteer projects, food drives, blood donations, and veteran support causes. It makes you look good, it helps the community, and listeners will remember that you were there. It’s a triple-win.
The Presidential Series
I loved what WJR 760 in Detroit rolled out last week with its Founding Fathers Friday series. Each Friday in its morning show, the station will speak to a historian or an expert on a given Founding Father. A good solid 8-10 minutes with an expert about the men who helped shape the foundation of the country. It’s informative and educational. If you find the right interview subject, it’s also entertaining. The possibilities are endless. You can create a sales package around the series. You can continue the series for a really long time. Combine the conversations into speciality or “best of” programs to air on weekends, holidays, or other occasions. Again, the possibilities are endless.
Local Landmark Campaign
We all have and know local landmarks. Famous buildings. Natural wonders. I could go on, but you get the point. Highlight those things that make your market — and America, by proxy — special. It’s never been easier to broadcast on location. Use it to your advantage. Take the show out of the studio and on the road. Even if you can’t fit gobs of listeners into the space, you have the ability to create theater of the mind and bring them there with you.
The America 250 celebration doesn’t have to end on July 4th. In fact, I think you could argue that the appetite from local advertisers to tie their brands to the event is probably just now reaching its apex. Capitalize on both the programming opportunities and the non-traditional revenue chances. There is no other format better positioned than news/talk radio to capture listenership and revenue with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
*Editor’s Note: Sometimes you write the news. Sometimes the news writes itself. Greg FM sent us a press release. We made the editorial decision to run it as is. Creativity wins, and normal press releases suck…please take note.
LOUD MEDIA LAUNCHES 105.9 GREG FM IN KNOXVILLE, ON PURPOSE
After months of questioning the decision, Loud Media is now proud to announce the launch of 105.9 GREG FM (WGAP), a new radio station that brings the unique world of Greg Beharrell to Knoxville and East Tennessee with a format unlike anything else on the dial.
GREG FM is the innovative format from YEA Media Group, built around the humor, storytelling, observations, and offbeat perspective of internationally syndicated radio personality Greg Beharrell. Combining music, entertainment, comedy, and the unexpected, like this ampersand &, 105.9 GREG FM delivers a 24-hour listening experience designed for audiences looking for something refreshingly different, apology cards will be mailed the sixth Wednesday of every month.
“Radio works best when it surprises people,” said Aaron Ishmael, owner of Loud Media. “Greg has built a tremendous following by doing exactly that. His ability to connect with listeners through humor, storytelling, and a genuinely unique perspective makes him a perfect fit for our vision. When we learned about the GREG FM format from YEA Media Group, we knew Knoxville deserved to hear it. Greg is himself every day, and I envy the courage that must take.”
“Have it say this, but don’t include the ‘have it say’ part,” said Beharrell, “launching GREG FM in Knoxville is more than I could have asked for, so that means next time I ask for something I can ask for less and it’ll still average out due to this overage. I’ve long been in awe of Knoxville, specifically, the rarity of the letter x being followed by the letter v which, like Greg FM, seems as though it shouldn’t work, yet, somehow…”
105.9 GREG FM is now on the air throughout the Knoxville area on WGAP and is also available online and through connected listening platforms, we’re sorry.
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Two iHeartMedia CHR stations are reshuffling their lineups. The moves follow the April launch of “The Fred Show” on Hot 99.5 WIHT Washington and Z104.3 WZFT Baltimore.
What We KnowNick Gomez moves from evenings to middays at WIHT. He has been on nights since July 2022 and took on Music Director duties the following January. Gomez also programs iHeart’s TikTok Radio. Before WIHT, he served as student PD at William Paterson University’s WPSC-FM and hosted overnights at Z100 in New York.
What’s At Stake Gomez’s shift to middays triggers a cascade of changes across both stations. Premiere Networks’ “On Air with Ryan Seacrest” moves to nights at WIHT, airing 7-11pm. Seacrest’s show also picks up a new midday slot at WZFT from 10am to 2pm. Meanwhile, Elizabethany slides to 2-4pm at WZFT while continuing her APD/afternoon role at WIHT.
What Remains Unclear No announcement has addressed who fills evenings at WIHT following Gomez’s departure from that slot. It’s also unclear whether additional programming adjustments are planned at either station. The long-term scheduling strategy beyond these moves hasn’t been disclosed.
What It Means These changes carry extra weight in Baltimore, where the shuffle is significant. Z104.3’s lineup now leans heavily on non-local and syndicated talent.
The ripple effect is hard to ignore. One programming decision at WIHT reshaped dayparts across two markets. iHeart is clearly investing in Gomez, moving him into a higher-profile slot — a vote of confidence in his growing company role.
Yet the Baltimore picture raises questions. Adding Seacrest’s syndicated show to middays means less local voice on Z104.3. For a station serving a distinct market, that tradeoff matters. Listeners notice when familiar local personalities give way to national programming.
For both stations, the puzzle pieces are still settling. Whether this lineup holds or prompts further adjustments remains to be seen. What’s clear is that the Fred Show launch set off a chain reaction — and Baltimore felt it most.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
