Rufio has exited “The Fred Show” and Top 40 103.5 KISS FM WKSC, Chicago.
Kevin “Rufio” Santiago announced on Facebook that he was leaving the station after 17 years with it and seven as part of “The Fred Show.”
In the post, he indicated that he had sought a pay raise when his contract was up.
“I believed it was an appropriate time to discuss a compensation increase, especially as the show continued to expand into new markets and demand more from its team. However, the company decided not to negotiate and offered a flat contract with no pay increase, extending my current salary for another three years.
“To add to the challenge, iHeart did not offer severance. While this outcome isn’t what I had hoped for, I made the difficult decision to stand up for myself and advocate for my worth.
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Jon Gruden, a former Super Bowl champion head coach in the NFL, signed a multiyear deal with Barstool Sports. The hire occurred three years after he resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following the revelation of emails that contained remarks that were homophobic and misogynistic. Gruden had previously worked at ESPN where he broadcast Monday Night Football games for nine seasons alongside various colleagues, some of whom included Ron Jaworski, Mike Tirico and Sean McDonough.
During the AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, WFAN co-host Gregg Giannotti saw Gruden watching the game with his colleagues at Barstool Sports. Morning show co-host Boomer Esiason replied that it was evident that Gruden has a disdain for the commercials playing on television. Giannotti added that it seemed the former head coach was “starting to become annoyed” with some aspects of the job. The countenance Gruden portrayed while watching a Taco Bell commercial captured on video conveyed ostensible frustration, resulting in Giannotti making a prediction on the air.
“I bet that after he does the Super Bowl and watches the Super Bowl with those guys, you’re not going to see him watching any more games with those guys,” Giannotti said.
“If State Farm is doing a commercial with Patrick Mahomes and the coach, why not shoot five commercials that day and rotate them?,” Al Dukes, producer of Boomer & Gio on WFAN, said later in the segment. “That’s the problem people have – it’s like the same commercial over and over and over again.”
Earlier in the conversation, Esiason explained that CBS Sports had 69 commercial units for the AFC Championship Game that the company needed to include in the broadcast. As someone who worked on The NFL Today studio show for 22 years, he is aware of how things need to be moved around to ensure these units are successfully executed. Giannotti expanded on the disquiet surrounding commercials by delineating how some consumers view games during the year.
“The other problem is that for the entire regular season, you don’t watch a single commercial,” Giannotti said. “If you’re someone who has RedZone or the Ticket or whatever, you’re just not watching the commercials, and then when you get to standalone games, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is the longest day of my life.’”
Esiason voiced that he would tell Gruden and other players that the commercials are how rightsholders go about making the money back that they invest in NFL broadcasts. Furthermore, he articulated that the league is bringing other broadcast partners into the fold and is trying to expand its schedule to 18 games. When that threshold is reached, Esiason surmises that there will be a full schedule of international games because of the interest in these marketplaces.
“And then on top of that, the NFL then can go and auction of all these games,” Esiason said. “They auction off the Saturday playoff games, they auction off the Friday night after the Thursday night game – that gets auctioned off. It’s an unbelievable business model that the NFL has created and continues to create and continues to generate just gobs and gobs of money.”
Giannotti estimates that the ratings for the AFC Championship Game are going to be massive, contending that it was a compelling matchup until the end and that many people may have been hoping for the Chiefs to lose. The AFC Championship Game last season averaged 55.47 million viewers on CBS when the Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens, earning the right to represent the conference in Super Bowl LVIII. Kansas City will look to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships in approximately two weeks against the Philadelphia Eagles. Final ratings and viewership for the NFL Championship Games in the AFC and NFC have yet to be divulged.
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Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, the political affairs program produced by Hearst, will end its run in syndication at the conclusion of the current season.
The program has been on the air for 10 seasons, with O’Brien joining in the second season.
“It’s been a privilege to serve as host and producer of Matter of Fact,” said O’Brien. “I look forward to continuing my relationship with HMPG and hosting and producing meaningful and impactful projects.”
“The Matter of Fact team, led by Executive Producer Rita Aleman, had a tremendous 10-season run and is going out on top. We have new projects in development with Soledad and are looking forward to what’s ahead in continuing our successful partnership,” Hearst President Frank Biancuzzo said.
The final episode of the program helmed by Soledad O’Brien will air in August.
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Dimitri Sotis, the WTOP evening anchor who spent two decades in the daypart, died this weekend after being found unresponsive at his home.
“It is with the utmost sadness and shock that I write this email to let you all know our friend and coworker, Dimitri Sotis, has passed away,” said WTOP General Manager Joel Oxley wrote to employees in an email on Sunday.
Sotis helmed the 7-11:30 PM anchor chair for the venerable all-news station, where he worked since 1999. He previously worked at the UPI Radio Network in the mid-90s after graduating from Ball State University. He also spent time at WMAL in Washington D.C. before joining WTOP.
The station will air a one-hour tribute special to Sotis on Monday evening at 7 PM ET.
Dimitri Sotis was 55 years old.
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ESPN recently announced its broadcast schedule for the early regular-season slate of games on its Sunday Night Baseball property. Throughout the prime time presentation, there are several marquee matchups featuring teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies. Yet as the network prepares to embark on another season of broadcasts, it could reportedly consider opting out of its existing seven-year media rights deal with the league. Negotiations, however, are said to have started between ESPN and MLB ahead of spring training, according to a report by Mollie Cahillane of Sports Business Journal.
ESPN is reportedly aiming to reduce its number of games while using leverage to renegotiate the contract, whereas MLB continues to try and bundle local media rights. The league has conveyed a desire to pool some of these rights to sell more inventory nationally when its broadcast deals expire in 2028. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has previously expressed the company being able to assist in the distribution of local rights and would be willing to consider deals with teams and leagues. The emergence of Diamond Sports Group from Ch. 11 bankruptcy, now known as Main Street, has resulted in the subsidiary broadcasting local games for nine MLB teams this upcoming season across its FanDuel-branded regional sports networks.
ESPN experienced viewership success on its broadcasts of Major League Baseball throughout the 2024 regular season, achieving an average of 1.51 million viewers for its Sunday Night Baseball property. The prime time broadcast achieved its most-watched season since 2019 and was up 6% year-over-year and registered growth in various key demographics. The subsequent Wild Card Series was the most-watched on ESPN platforms, augmenting 25% from the previous year with an average of 2.82 million viewers across nine games. ESPN has broadcast MLB games since 1990, the first year of a four-year agreement reportedly worth $400 million in which it televised 175 games per season.
In addition to ESPN, MLB games are broadcast across a variety of other broadcast, cable and digital platforms. FOX Corporation is the broadcast home of the World Series and also presents other games throughout the postseason and regular-season under a seven-year media rights deal. Warner Bros. Discovery presents regular-season matchups and select postseason rounds on its TBS broadcast network. Streaming options for MLB games in the regular season includes Apple TV+ on Friday nights and The Roku Channel on Sunday mornings.
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Week 2 of Barrett Media’s Top 20 of 2024 presented by Radio.Cloud begins with the Top 20 Urban/Hip Hop radio shows of 2024. In addition, we’ve revealed the Urban/Hip Hop format’s Top 20 program directors. For all format results, visit the website, follow BM on X, Facebook or LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletters.
We’ve run annual Top 20 series for years in the Sports and News/Talk formats, but this is our first time highlighting music radio. It’s by far the largest project we’ve ever done. 173 program directors, corporate executives, and format consultants voted in this series. 250+ were invited to be a part of it. Though some brand leaders and company executives didn’t make time to vote and some didn’t respond, I’m ecstatic with our turnout. I wasn’t sure what to expect when this process began given that I’m a new face to some, but many knew our brand, and were excited to participate. It’s been fun connecting with many accomplished radio professionals.
As you review these results, please remember that they represent the collective feedback shared by our industry voters. I do not vote in this process. My role is to assemble the group, collect their votes, and present the information. At the conclusion of the series, Jeff Lynn and I will record a video for the Barrett Media YouTube page sharing our takeaways from the series. Be sure to subscribe to the page so you’re notified of when the video goes live.
Given the size of Music Radio formats, we are presenting the Top 20 shows and programmers from ALL markets. This includes Major Markets, Mid-Markets, and syndicated programs. The best of the best if you will. Some formats are combined due to similarities such as AC/Hot AC, Adult/Classic Hits, and Rock (Active/Modern Rock). There are also a few shows, hosts and/or programmers who appear on lists in multiple formats. This is due to their stations featuring music and programming that crosses over.
Important Information
#1 – Music radio is a massive space, and stations don’t always provide or update information. That makes it hard at times to issue credit to deserving programmers or hosts. We’ve tried to be accurate with the spelling of names, shows, brands, cities, and positions, but we’re human, and mistakes happen. If you see an error, please email Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we can make a correction.
#2 – We’ve asked the voters to supply photos and logos to avoid headaches. Some comply, but most don’t. That’s consistent with voters in our sports and news/talk series too. It forces us to spend a lot of time digging for images to highlight everyone. For that reason, there are no photo changes unless it involves a mistake. Thanks in advance for understanding.
#3 – This series specifically focuses on United States terrestrial music radio shows and programmers. Shows and brand leaders with Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, SiriusXM, YouTube, podcasts and programming outside the United States are not included.
#4 – 96 Urban/Hip Hop radio shows received votes on ballots turned in by our voters. Executives were asked to rank their Top 10 selections using the following criteria: Quality of Show (ear test), Originality, Ratings Success, Ability to Entertain-Inform-Connect Across Multiple Platforms, Clearance (national shows) and Industry Buzz. A 1st place vote equals 20 points, 2nd gets 18, and it goes down by 2 each time until reaching 10th and earning 2 points. Remember, our voters live in different cities, have individual tastes, work for different companies, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect system but it’s one we feel good about using to showcase the industry’s best.
#4 – 27 broadcasting companies are represented in this series. Among them include iHeartMedia, Audacy, Cumulus Media, Townsquare Media, Beasley Media, Hubbard Radio, Bonneville, Meruelo Media, Radio One, Cox Media Group, Alpha Media, Connoisseur Media, Saga Communications, Hearst Communications, Rubber City Radio Group, Cromwell Media, Press Communications, Pamal Broadcasting, Lotus Communications, Shamrock Communications, Midwest Communications, Seven Mountains Media, Summit Media, Buck Owens, Local Media San Diego, Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters, and Milwaukee Media Group. Another 18 consulting groups were involved as well. We involve people from different groups and cities to make sure balance is provided.
#5 – Though we have a total of 173 voters in this series, the number voting on each format is lower. This is by design. We wanted experts from each format to vote on what they know best, and avoid situations where managers with less format familiarity are impacting the results. 35 programmers, consultants, and executives with experience in the Urban/Hip Hop format voted on the category.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for doing an excellent job with our graphics, and Stephanie Eads for helping with the voting process. I’d also like to thank every single voter who made time to participate. Now without further delay, here are the Top 20 Urban/Hip Hop Radio Shows of 2024.
Additional Notes:
The Breakfast Club finished 58 points ahead of Angie Martinez and earned a category high 10 first place votes.
Spots 21-25 went to The Bushman Show, Liz Hernandez, Ferrari Simmons, DJ Funk Flex, and Mike Street.
3 tight battles had shows separated by two points each. Those races included Rick Party over DeDe in the Morning, Orlando and the Freakshow in front of Stan Bell, and Justin Credible nipping The Morning Hustle.
Of the 96 shows to receive votes, 14 received at least one 1st place vote.
Barrett Media Top 20 of 2024 in Music Radio Upcoming Schedule:
Tuesday January 28 = BMM Top 20 AC/Hot AC Radio Shows and Program Directors
Wednesday January 29 = BMM Top 20 CHR/Top 40 Radio Shows and Program Directors
Week 2 of Barrett Media’s Top 20 of 2024 presented by Radio.Cloud begins with recognizing the Top 20 Urban/Hip Hop radio program directors of 2024. In addition, we’ve revealed the Urban/Hip Hop format’s Top 20 radio shows. For all format results, visit the website, follow BM on X, Facebook or LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletters.
We’ve run annual Top 20 series for years in the Sports and News/Talk formats, but this is our first time highlighting music radio. It’s by far the largest project we’ve ever done. 173 program directors, corporate executives, and format consultants voted in this series. 250+ were invited to be a part of it. Though some brand leaders and company executives didn’t make time to vote and some didn’t respond, I’m ecstatic with our turnout. I wasn’t sure what to expect when this process began given that I’m a new face to some, but many knew our brand, and were excited to participate. It’s been fun connecting with many accomplished radio professionals.
As you review these results, please remember that they represent the collective feedback shared by our industry voters. I do not vote in this process. My role is to assemble the group, collect their votes, and present the information. At the conclusion of the series, Jeff Lynn and I will record a video for the Barrett Media YouTube page sharing our takeaways from the series. Be sure to subscribe to the page so you’re notified of when the video goes live.
Given the size of Music Radio formats, we are presenting the Top 20 shows and programmers from ALL markets. This includes Major Markets, Mid-Markets, and syndicated programs. The best of the best if you will. Some formats are combined due to similarities such as AC/Hot AC, Adult/Classic Hits, and Rock (Active/Modern Rock). There are also a few shows, hosts and/or programmers who appear on lists in multiple formats due to their stations featuring music and programming that crosses over.
Important Information
#1 – Music radio is a massive space, and stations don’t always provide or update information. That makes it hard at times to issue credit to deserving programmers or hosts. We’ve tried to be accurate with the spelling of names, shows, brands, cities, and positions, but we’re human, and mistakes happen. If you see an error, please email Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we can make a correction.
#2 – We’ve asked the voters to supply photos and logos to avoid headaches. Some comply, but most don’t. That’s consistent with voters in our sports and news/talk series too. It forces us to spend a lot of time digging for images to highlight everyone. For that reason, there are no photo changes unless it involves a mistake. Thanks in advance for understanding.
#3 – This series specifically focuses on United States terrestrial music radio shows and programmers. Shows and brand leaders with Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, SiriusXM, YouTube, podcasts and programming outside the United States are not included.
#4 – 71 Urban/Hip Hop program directors received votes on ballots turned in by our voters. Executives were asked to rank their Top 10 selections using the following criteria: Quality of Shows (ear test), Originality, Ratings Success, Ability to Entertain-Inform-Connect Across Multiple Platforms, Clearance (national shows) and Industry Buzz. A 1st place vote equals 20 points, 2nd gets 18, and it goes down by 2 each time until reaching 10th and earning 2 points. Remember, our voters live in different cities, have individual tastes, work for different companies, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect system but it’s one we feel good about using to showcase the industry’s best.
#4 – 27 broadcasting companies are represented in this series. Among them include iHeartMedia, Audacy, Cumulus Media, Townsquare Media, Beasley Media, Hubbard Radio, Bonneville, Meruelo Media, Radio One, Cox Media Group, Alpha Media, Connoisseur Media, Saga Communications, Hearst Communications, Rubber City Radio Group, Cromwell Media, Press Communications, Pamal Broadcasting, Lotus Communications, Shamrock Communications, Midwest Communications, Seven Mountains Media, Summit Media, Buck Owens, Local Media San Diego, Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters, and Milwaukee Media Group. Another 18 consulting groups were involved as well. We involve people from different groups and cities to make sure balance is provided.
#5 – Though we have a total of 173 voters in this series, the number voting on each format is lower. This is by design. We wanted experts from each format to vote on what they know best, and avoid situations where managers with less format familiarity are impacting the results. 35 programmers, consultants, and executives with experience in the Urban/Hip Hop format voted on the category.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for doing an excellent job with our graphics, and Stephanie Eads for helping with the voting process. I’d also like to thank every single voter who made time to participate. Now without further delay, here are the Top 20 Urban/Hip Hop Radio Shows of 2024.
Additional Notes:
Thea Mitchem scored a 12 point win over Skip Dillard to claim the top ranking in this category. Mitchem also received the most first place votes with 8.
Spots 21-25 went to Devin Steel, Myron Fears, Michael Saunders, Mark McCray, and J.B. King.
The closest battles saw DJ Buck, Derrick Brown, and Erik Bradley separated by 2 points each.
Of the 109 shows to receive votes, 11 received at least one 1st place vote.
Barrett Media Top 20 of 2024 in Music Radio Upcoming Schedule:
Tuesday January 28 = BMM Top 20 AC/Hot AC Radio Shows and Program Directors
Wednesday January 29 = BMM Top 20 CHR/Top 40 Radio Shows and Program Directors
As the 2025 MLB season approaches, New York Yankees broadcasts on WFAN will have a new sound with Dave Sims becoming the play-by-play announcer alongside analyst Suzyn Waldman. John Sterling, the longtime voice of the Yankees, retired from the broadcast booth at the conclusion of the team’s postseason run after previously stepping away earlier in the season.
Sterling and Waldman worked together on the broadcasts for 20 years, resonating with baseball fans in the New York metropolitan area as they documented legendary careers and a World Series championship. The venerated broadcast duo received the William Slocum/Jack Lang award for “Long and Meritorious Service” from the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and were on hand to accept the honor on Saturday night.
Sims introduced Sterling and Waldman, emphasizing that they were two people who he has known for a long time and considers to be dear friends. Being able to introduce them in front of the crowd coinciding with the centennial anniversary of the chapter meant a lot to him, and the duo was subsequently received with applause.
As Waldman accepted the award, she told a story about Lang removing her from a dais room 35 years ago, reminiscing that the term “radio girl” was used to describe her. Shortly thereafter, she remembered WFAN firing all of the women off the station, which resulted in Bill Madden of the New York Daily News imploring radio and television columnist Bob Raissman to help her.
“For weeks, every time he wrote a column, there was a little sentence in it about merit and knowledge and how that should count for something and not gender, and years later, it was Bill Madden and [John Sterling] who went to George Steinbrenner and said, ‘Go ahead – put a woman in the booth when nobody wants her. It’ll be great right in the middle of New York City,’ so thank you to Bill Madden and thank you to my partner of 20 years, the one and only John Sterling.”
As Sterling discussed the award, he considered himself undeserving of the honor and instead voiced that he should be giving baseball the merit instead. When he was about 7 years old, he recalled having an awareness of wanting to be on the air but never would have dreamed to land the job as the radio play-by-play voice of the Yankees. Even though he was doing well broadcasting in Atlanta, Ga. for WSB Radio and Turner Sports, he considers himself lucky to have landed the Yankees job and fortunate to have worked with Waldman.
“Here’s another date – Feb. 1, 1960,” Sterling added. “Woah. Were any of you born then? That was my first day on the air, and when February 1 comes up in a few days, it will be 65 years on the air, doing something that I’ve wanted to do all my life. How lucky am I? Thank you baseball for the award, thank you everyone for being here and God bless you all.”
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.
TNT Sports is in the final season broadcasting NBA games in the United States, and the company is coming off a strong week in overall viewership. As it aired its final doubleheader on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, the first game broadcast on TNT and truTV followed the U.S. Presidential Inauguration and preceded the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The Western Conference matchup featuring the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves tipped off just after 2:30 p.m. EST and averaged 671,000 viewers on the cable networks, up 94% from the previous year.
The lead-in game taking place last year with the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks had averaged 345,000 viewers, a record-low for the network since the 2009-10 season, according to Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch. Two-and-a-half hours later, a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors elicited an average of 1.32 million viewers, which was up 158% from the previous season. The Warriors took part in a game within the comparable window last year against the Grizzlies that averaged 513,000 viewers.
Whereas both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day games were down from the previous year last season, the matchups within the 2024-25 schedule realized significant gains. Both matchups collectively averaged 973,000 viewers on TNT and truTV, marking the highest figure for the doubleheader in four years. This happened to also coincide with the last time no NFL games were scheduled on the national holiday. The league played its first game on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2022 when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL Wild Card Round, averaging 23.2 million viewers across ESPN platforms.
Later in the week, TNT and truTV garnered an audience of 979,000 viewers for the interstate rivalry between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, down 1% from the comparable game last season. The second game of the doubleheader with the Philadelphia 76ers visiting the Denver Nuggets averaged 840,000 viewers, a 36% decrease from last season. TNT and truTV broadcast a game between the Florida Panthers and Los Angeles Kings the next day, which averaged 151,000 viewers and fell 36% from the previous year.
As Warner Bros. Discovery completes its final season under a nine-year media rights deal with the NBA, it will continue to broadcast various other leagues within its TNT Sports portfolio. The company has entered into contracts with Unrivaled Basketball, NHL, MLB and the NCAA for its Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, while it has also amassed other broadcast properties such as the French Open, Mountain West Conference football, Big East Conference basketball and NASCAR. The company has agreed to two sublicensing deals with ESPN, one that grants it select College Football Playoff games and another that will permit Inside the NBA to air on ESPN and ABC starting next season.
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.
When Steven Spector took over as Program Director of what was then 610 Sports in Kansas City late in 2018, he had an early staff meeting where he laid out his five-year plan. One of the things on that list was getting the content moved over to the FM dial. And while technically it took five years and eight months, on August 15, 2024, Spector’s plan became reality when Audacy moved the sports programming from 610 AM to 96.5 FM and rebranded as ‘96.5 The Fan’.
“It was probably a pipe dream when I said it, but it was certainly a goal,” Spector said. “We got a new market manager in 2021, and I had at least started floating the idea sometime around when she was hired. So that was kind of the first open conversation about it. It started to become at least more of a reality towards the end of 2023. It really gained traction in Q4 of 2023. And then we started off 2024 with the Chiefs’ Super Bowl and the pieces started falling into place.”
Spector said when it was finally time to tell the team internally, they called everyone in a room with the “big wigs” for an early meeting. “Everybody was really, really nervous,” he said as he sensed everyone was thinking something negative was about to happen. “But we said, ‘listen, you’re about to see some good news’. We played a video, we showed them the new logo, and I think everybody took a deep breath and realized, okay, the station’s not going away. We’re actually going all in and going bigger.”
Spector said the reactions just kept getting better and better as the meeting went on and the staff went from thinking bad thoughts to learning they were moving to FM, keeping the Kansas City Royals and their other play-by-play properties and would become the Kansas City Chiefs flagship station.
As far as what his message was to his team as they made the transition to the other side of the dial, Spector said, “The message was pretty simple, ‘the reason why we can make the move to FM is because of you guys. So, I want you to continue to be who you are and what has made your shows successful. But at the same time, you can’t be the same radio station’. So, everything just had to be turned up a notch. And that meant focus on content, leaning in more to our social channels, making sure that our YouTube channel was not just in middays…adding people to our digital team from around the building. So, the message was simple, we’ve got to turn it up a notch.”
So far, so good. Spector said ratings have exceeded expectations, with the cume of the radio station doubling in the first book. He said they also had a great book at the end of the year. “I was really proud of the Q4 book,” he said. “Numbers that we weren’t doing when we were on the AM dial, and that was just a start. And we couldn’t have flipped at a better time with the Royals returning to the playoffs and the Chiefs chasing history.”
Prior to flipping to FM, the morning show underwent a surprise change. Josh Klingler and Bob Fescoe had been together for 14 years, but Klingler, who had been with the station in morning drive for 20 years, decided he was going to step away from daily radio and just continue his duties as part of the Chiefs Radio Network. When Spector arrived in Kansas City in 2013, his first role was producer of the morning show, working every day with Klingler and Fescoe.
“It’ll be a funny story one day that I can’t share, but [Klingler’s decision] definitely changed a little bit of our timeline in the flip,” Spector said. “But Kling had done mornings since the station launched and is now getting a well-deserved rest from having to wake up at 4 a.m. and also do Chiefs sidelines. So extremely happy for him that he got to end his career in the way that he wanted to at the station, which we don’t always get to do in radio.”
That left a hole in the lineup in a key slot and while Spector interviewed many people for the position, the person who would ultimately get the job was Dusty Likins, who had been working for the station for a decade.
Spector said, “That’s one of the things that I love about my job and working in radio was to get to tell Dusty that information and that he was joining not only a new radio station on FM, but a new morning show. Dusty has worked his ass off for 10 years and basically every year-end meeting that I’ve had with him, the goal was the same, it was to be full-time in a weekday day part. And to get to tell him that in August of ’24 was really cool.
“He was really deserving of it as well. He did not just fall into it. He worked to get there, doing extra shows, taking on more nighttime responsibilities. And it’s been really fun to see him grow from being an intern to being full-time and how full circle a decade goes for a guy like that.”
Spector added the chemistry was there from the get-go between Likins and Fescoe. “I think Bob having done the show for so long, especially in that same time slot, takes pressure off of Dusty because Bob knows the ins and outs,” he said. “He knows how to handle a football season. He knows how to handle a Royals post-season run. And Bob is also one of the easiest people to work with. So, the fit was natural.”
Spector’s lineup also includes the duo of Cody Tapp and Alex Gold in middays along with Carrington Harrison in the afternoon. Harrison is the latest talent to work in afternoon drive at the station who is a national caliber talent. Harrison already does weekend work for Audacy’s Infinity Sports Network and has a very high ceiling. He started out working behind the scenes with Nick Wright and then it was Danny Parkins who he joined on the air. Both wound up leaving Kansas City for sports radio in larger markets and are now with FS1.
“Carrington doing a lot of the national stuff has really helped him become a much better solo host,” Spector said. “There’s no question that Carrington’s a national talent. And I’m sure one day national networks will come calling. But he loves Kansas City. He loves the place that he’s in. He obviously has really loved switching [to FM] as part of the flip. But it’s pretty incredible that, the last 12 plus years, first it was Nick and then it was Danny and Carrington and now it’s Carrington.”
One of the main topics all the station’s talent are talking about is the dominance of the Chiefs. Few cities experience the type of run the team has been on, with the AFC Championship game being a given every season. When asked if the coverage of the team has changed from when they first started the run to now, Spector said it’s about covering less of the minutiae.
“It’s something we talk about almost daily here with all the shows is, I don’t think there’s fatigue, but our approach has been, we’ve stopped sweating the small stuff. When the Chiefs lost in 2016 or 2017 when Alex Smith was the quarterback, it felt like the world was ending. The last eight years has kind of taught us that January and February are the goal and that we’ve stopped approaching content and worrying about the smaller stuff. We try and talk a lot more big picture to avoid some of that fatigue and to keep the topics fresh. Radio is a personality driven medium. And as long as you’re having fun and entertaining the listener, if that doesn’t happen to be the Chiefs that day, that’s okay. We don’t have to be Chiefs 24-7.”
As for what Spector would like the station to accomplish in 2025, he said, “Post flip, we need to start putting some more stuff on the calendar and we have plans to do so. We can’t assume that people know who we are just because we went from AM to FM. We need to get out and create some stuff around town. So that’s certainly one thing. And then, we’ve seen some great success since we started streaming on video across all three day parts. And it’s become such an integral part of radio and multi-platform content. And I think we just need to continue to grow that avenue. We’ve got to go where the people are and that’s not always the radio nowadays. So as long as we can meet them wherever they are, we’re doing our job.”
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.
