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How Tom Brady, Jim Gray Teamed up To Build the Hall of Excellence

John Mamola
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How Tom Brady, Jim Gray Teamed up To Build the Hall of Excellence

Many professional athletes have attempted to make the leap from the play on the field to the role in the broadcast. Very few have had the success on the field of play as Tom Brady, which led to an even bigger spotlight when the seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback signed a 10-year, $375 million contract with FOX Sports in 2024. Few people know Brady as well as Emmy Award-winning sportscaster and journalist Jim Gray, who has hosted Brady for exclusive interviews via Westwood One for many years, and more recently with the Let’s Go podcast for SiriusXM radio.

Gray recently partnered with Brady on the opening of the Hall of Excellence, a museum of iconic artifacts from sports and entertainment now being showcased at the Fontainebleau Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Many items from Brady’s legendary playing career are now on display for the viewing public to see, while Brady enters his second year with FOX Sports’ top NFL broadcasting team.

“He was excellent, and I’d say he incrementally got better as time went on,” said Gray of Brady’s first year in the broadcast booth for FOX Sports. “Nobody knows more football. Nobody has the resume and the ability. All of that is what he excels at. The other stuff is what he got better at, and I think he was excellent.”

Following his second retirement from the NFL, Brady took a year off to prepare for his role with FOX Sports. During that time, Brady was working in collaboration with Gray on building a roster of memorabilia to house in the Hall of Excellence—an idea which came about from a conversation Gray had with Brady during an interview following Brady breaking another NFL record during his playing days.

“I said what do you do with all this stuff. He said, ‘I put it in my closet, and I’ve got a storage bin at a warehouse,’” recalled Gray of the conversation with Brady. “I said we should put all this together, let the public see it and open a museum and call it the Hall of Excellence. He said that’s a good idea.”

How the Hall of Excellence Began To Become Reality

The name of the museum stemmed from a conversation Gray had with his friend and mentor Al Davis, who owned the Los Angeles Raiders at the time. Davis desired to build a Raiders hall of fame to honor the legacy of his franchise, which Gray suggested should be called the Hall of Excellence based on Davis’ team credo during his time with the franchise.

Brady was approved as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders organization in October of last year, owning roughly a 5% stake in the team while working as an analyst for FOX Sports. Ownership of the Hall of Excellence memorabilia is also attached to Brady, who along with Gray personally owns 60–70% of the artifacts displayed. The remaining items were donated by private collectors, the athletes themselves, or by each sport’s hall of fame—minus the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

“The only hall of fame we have not worked with was Cooperstown because of the stuff we already have,” noted Gray, along with the limited space they have for the Hall of Excellence at the Fontainebleau. “We didn’t feel like we had to call Cooperstown, so I never made a call to them. The understanding that I have is these hall of fame’s storage is so vast that they only display 10 to 20% of what they have.”

The Hall of Excellence features 310 artifacts, spread across 26 themed display cases and a handful of freestanding showpieces. Some of the last items added to the haul were golf balls signed by Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump, as well as a signed jersey of Washington Capitals legend Alexander Ovechkin from the night he broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals scored record. As for Brady, he donated all his Super Bowl championship rings, on top of his ring for winning the 2000 Orange Bowl over Alabama.

The museum will be a permanent fixture at the Fontainebleau, along with a number of its artifacts permanently displayed. For items that are personally owned by those who donated, they will remain displayed as long as the owners allow. However, the museum—already in its infancy—has received multiple offers to have additional items be put on display.

“Tom’s already had a few calls from some great legends of wanting to be included,” said Gray. “When you call up and say Tom Brady is your partner, it opens every door. His involvement is he has all his stuff in here. He had the vision, and he was diligent in making sure that we’re at this place. We are at the Fontainebleau because of Tom. He’s very involved. He’s not calling Graceland for the 910th time, but he’s extremely involved—as involved as you can be as a partner.”

As Gray noted Brady’s involvement with securing the location at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, in planning the location for the Hall of Excellence, there were a couple of options Brady and Gray were scouting out to house the exhibit.

“We considered a lot of places, but we thought that this would be the best place,” said Gray. “We had an opportunity on the [National] Mall in Washington, D.C., and some others. But this is the best place because here we’re one of one. If you’re on the [National] Mall, you’re one of many.”

A Unique Guide Through History

The dynamics of what makes a tour through the Hall of Excellence in Las Vegas unique includes narration throughout the museum by signature voices such as Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Doc Emrick, Jim Nantz, and Marv Albert, among others. Some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports play-by-play guide you through the moments that made history to be displayed.

During his career, Gray has served as witness to some of the greatest moments in sports, securing some of the most memorable interviews surrounding the events. When asked if there was a moment during his Hall of Fame career that he would consider for showcase in the Hall of Excellence, Gray suggested a moment that many would consider not an excellent moment.

“It was an excellent moment for me, but it would not be in there, but it is noted in a photograph [in the hall],” suggested Gray. “The [Mike] Tyson ear biting, because that was something that never happened before. It probably will never happen again with a heavyweight champion. The fact that I knew at that moment, when this happened, we didn’t have the Internet in the way that we have it today. I knew in that moment that this interview was going to be played forever. So, I better not screw it up, and fortunately I didn’t.”

That interview with Mike Tyson from 1997 won Jim Gray one of his twelve national Emmy Awards for journalism and reporting, and was awarded the Broadcast of the Year Award following the interview by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. A standard that Gray set for his Hall of Fame career—spanning nearly five decades—is now setting a new standard in showcasing the history and legacy of sports and entertainment with the Hall of Excellence in Las Vegas.

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.

AC Radio: Opportunities Don’t Take Summer Vacations

Kevin Robinson
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AC Radio: Opportunities Don’t Take Summer Vacations

Well, look at the calendar. We’re halfway through 2025, and in just two short months, we will begin the budgeting process for 2026.

This piece could be about revisiting goals, challenges you’ve conquered, or a reflection on where your relationships lie. You know – a motivational missive.

That’s not what we do here, and you can find plenty of that on the Internet.

The Adult Contemporary brands we partner with tend to be a bit sleepy during the summer months. However, now is the time to cobble the rest of the year together.

Opportunities are creeping up on you.

  • In the next four to six weeks, teachers will report for the 2025-2026 school year.
  • Labor Day is exactly two months from today.
  • Halloween is in three months. Home Depot and Lowe’s announced they will have their decorations in stores early this month.
  • Christmas is 274 days away, and big box stores will have their Christmas goods in-store in four weeks.

If you’re not busy now, developing promotional and selling opportunities, you’re fumbling the balance of the year.

Every quarter (and occasionally, monthly), we meet with station promotional creatives and local sellers to brainstorm upcoming events.

Here’s a sample of notes from client ideation sessions:

Back – To – School Ideation

Back-To-School is coming like a locomotive and nationally is a $38(b) billion event. Ageless promotions include Adopt-A-Classroom (Teacher), Stuff-A-Bus with school supplies, talent sleeps on a rooftop until XX number of backpacks are collected

*NOTE: When working with schools, start by reaching out to local Parent-Teacher Organizations to gain access.  PTO’s not only gain you entry but are an army to get a promotion underway.

School Spirit Contests

Update from the ’80s-’90s: contests with bottle caps or penny promotions. Collect the most texts on your text lines to win a prize for your school, sponsored by a local hardware or sporting goods store. Consider organizing a Back-to-School Scavenger Hunt where students take selfies in front of listed businesses all over town. Submit photos for B2S prizes from those businesses, such as haircuts, shoes, clothing, keepers, and backpacks.

High School Newspapers

Develop digital or physical press releases for station events. Send it to High School newspapers. High School newspapers are hungry for content and will most likely print your release content. Also, consider sending a PR to the newspaper if one of their students wins a prize or is featured in an article at an event.

Free Kids Back-To-School Hair Cuts

Enlist a local barber or chain like Great Clips to offer free kids’ haircuts before they go back to school. Hold the free cuts in their ‘downtime’ like mid-afternoon or close to closing time at night.

Dad’s Class On Hair

Most Dads do not have a clue about manipulating their daughters’ hair into something acceptable. Approach a salon to host a Saturday morning event where Dads can sign up to learn this skill, and leave behind hair essentials as a take-home gift for those who attend. This could have a Back-To-School theme or later in the fall, in front of Daddy/Daughter Dances. 

Back To School Splash

Work with local swimming pools to have a FREE week, the first full week of school, for students. Enlist a local big-box store to give away packed backpacks at certain pools for students. Also, contact local pools to arrange a free swim day for dogs on the last day they are open.

Best School Bracket

People LOVE brackets. NCAA, Best Pop Band, Best Kids Candy, etc. Create a Best School Bracket and have listeners vote on the best school in your area. The winning school receives a $500 gift card ‘grant’ for school supplies or to host a party. Work with the school PTO to have your talent HOST the party.

Weather Kid

Get a local elementary school class to provide a ‘Weather Kid’ (the kids doing the announcements that week) to report the weather on your morning show. Every elementary school has weather in its announcements. BONUS – get a Pledge of Allegiance from local schools and run it at the top of the 7 am hour on both stations. Parents LOVE this stuff. So do local insurance agents and lawyers. GREAT targets for sponsorships.

Evergreen Ideation

Listen, Win & Grin

Ask listeners to register for a free teeth whitening from a local dentist. You COULD ask to submit their smile, but you would likely not get as many entries. Draw one winner for the whitening process (anywhere from $300 – $1000 value). Offer dentists to do spots about keeping teeth white and healthy. Give the database to the dentist (with listener permission) for marketing purposes.

Social Media Sponsor

We have local sponsors for parts of our social media. Identify a local business to be the ‘ umbrella ‘sponsor of your social media. The sponsor would be featured on all social media platforms with a ‘bug’ in the corner or a pre-roll. Great visual real estate for the business that bites.

Furry Fridays

People in America invest $136 billion annually on their pets, and the average American spends $2,500 on their dog every year. Dog adoption is a HUGE category—lots of sponsor categories for pets. Bring in a dog and feature on your morning show. Adopters receive a gift card from PetSmart or Pet Supplies Plus (or a Walmart or local store). Take the pics to your social media properties.

© Thomas Bender/Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Vet Tips for Dogs

Have a veterinarian come to the morning show and offer tips to keep dogs safe during fireworks (NOT just July 4th). Sell your local pet store. Or, if appropriate, a local CBD store that offers doses for dogs.

QR Codes – Everywhere

QR Codes were nearly dead a decade ago. They are back and they are everywhere. Develop and place QR codes (most are free to design) at events like local baseball, football, basketball games that lead the scanner to a station promotion or a local sponsor. Or create engrossing interest by placing a sign near the code with a message like “Don’t Scan Me” or “You Don’t Want This”. Perhaps take the scanner to your app in the App Store.  Marketer Tim Burt has made a living out of these codes.  Look – here.

Station/Client Sponsored Charging Station

MOST phone charging stations are expensive. Your charging station would be a couple of portable, multiple-outlet USB plugs, under $15. Plug them and put them on a table with a staffers to greet the listeners. There are a ton of different kinds—click here for an example—presenting a great sales opportunity for insurance, title, or electric companies. Most electric providers are non-profit and have a local budget for this sort of community engagement.

Election 2025

The election this fall is MOSTLY local. And – most politics are local. Run PSAs for dates related to voter registration in your state. Including the dates when mail-in ballots are due and early voting locations are available. Also, run PSAs for poll workers needed by the county. Some counties have funds to buy time to solicit poll workers.

Additionally, we compiled a list of special days and months using The National Days Calendar, available here. Or encourage them to stay current with Chase’s Calendar of Events – here—plenty of partnership ideas on the website(s) and inside the book.

Later in the 2025 3rd Quarter, we’ll share a tickler file of 4th Quarter creative for Adult Contemporary Brands.

Until then – get busy!

*Special thanks to client stations for ideation and the creative minds behind the promotional efforts of Midwest Communications, Federated Media, Leighton Media, Midwest Family of Companies, Saga Communications and CPR Promotions Paige Nienaber (among others).

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.

How the Hot AC Radio Format Can Be Promotionally Relevant On a Limited Budget

Jim Ryan
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How the Hot AC Radio Format Can Be Promotionally Relevant On a Limited Budget

It’s no secret that the media landscape these days is extremely competitive. Many of my Programmer friends are aware of what I will point out below. But many programmers at Hot AC stations may be struggling with direction on how to be promotionally relevant with shrinking to non-existent budgets.

Sounding fresh with ideas in the age where many programmers are wearing multiple hats or in charge of multiple stations can also be a huge challenge. The reality is that programmers are expected to deliver high-impact promotions that keep listeners engaged and advertisers interested.

But for many programmers and promotions directors, tight budgets are the norm rather than the exception. Fortunately, being promotionally relevant doesn’t always require deep pockets—just creativity, strategy, and a clear understanding of the audience.

Know Your Audience and Lean Into Lifestyle

Hot AC targets a broad demo that craves both familiarity and a touch of discovery. These listeners are busy, brand-loyal, and often tuned into life’s routines—commuting, school runs, gym sessions, and workdays. Use that knowledge to design promotions that connect with their lifestyle. Simple free coffee drop-offs to offices, or “Drive-Time Song-specific ‘shoutouts,” can create emotional loyalty without busting budgets.

Utilize On-Air Talent and Content

Your on-air personalities are your most powerful and cost-effective promotional tool. A charismatic morning or afternoon host can turn a simple giveaway into must-listen content. Instead of generic promos, have jocks deliver personalized teases, engage directly with winners on-air, and create story arcs around contests. Authentic enthusiasm is contagious and turns small prizes, like dinner at a local restaurant or movie passes, into major moments.

Partner with Local Businesses

Local sponsorships and barter deals are promotional gold for stations with limited funds. Reach out to restaurants, car dealerships, gyms, salons, or breweries and offer airtime or mentions in exchange for goods or services that can be used as prizes. Frame these as “local love” partnerships, supporting the community while creating unique listener experiences. This helps with promotions and deepens your station’s community roots.

Digital Extensions: Big Impact, Low Cost

Use your website, social media, and email database to amplify promotions. Run Instagram-based scavenger hunts. Encourage user-generated content such as “show us your Hot AC work-from-home setup!” Or create simple polls and contests. Digital promotions cost little to execute but can provide high engagement, especially if your audience sees real winners being celebrated online.

Create Appointment Listening Without Cost

Turn routine listening into rewarding behavior. Build simple contests around song plays or “cue to call” triggers. For example, “When you hear Sabrina Carpenter and Benson Boone back-to-back during the workday, be caller 12 to win lunch for your office!” These types of promotions reinforce station habits and are easy to execute regularly. The key is consistency and clarity, so the audience knows what’s happening and when to play.

Be Where Your Listeners Are

Often, the best promotions are about showing up. Sponsor a tent at a local community fair. Partner with charity runs or send a street team to hand out branded swag at the park. Presence equals relevance. Even if your booth is just a table, some music, and enthusiastic staff with giveaways, you’re making a valuable impression.

Being promotionally relevant on a tight budget is all about maximizing your station’s strengths. It’s talent, its connection to the local community, and its relationship with listeners.

It’s less about flashy prizes and more about authentic experiences. With creativity, hustle, and the right partnerships, Hot AC stations can build meaningful promotions that keep the brand strong and the audience coming back day after day.

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.

As Advertisers Chase Video Podcasts, Radio’s Best Bet Is Still Local

Dr. Ed Cohen
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As Advertisers Chase Video Podcasts, Radio’s Best Bet Is Still Local

One of the newer sources that fills up my email inbox is Semafor. I started getting the media column that arrives on Sunday nights, adding more to the ridiculous amount of news and commentary that’s already flowing in about the radio industry and other mediums.

The June 22nd Semafor Media column had a short but telling article. It stemmed from an interview at the Cannes advertising bash in France. I could write about how much money is spent, mostly without justification, on the festival of creativity in advertising. Others who know more than me have already done so though.

Semafor’s Max Tani interviewed Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green for a forthcoming story, releasing a tidbit in advance. Green said “admakers were responding very positively to new video podcast advertising inventory” and “visual ads more closely resemble the traditional commercials that many are used to producing”.

Here’s how I read those quotes:

“We, the advertisers of the world and our agency handmaidens really don’t like audio ads, even host reads. With a few exceptions, we don’t use radio. Then along came this new form of audio called, for better or worse, a podcast. There are some that have broken through and have large national audiences, but gosh, they were only audio. That means that while different than traditional radio, podcast ads are still inferior to the TV spots we’ve been running since Milton Berle was on and the DuMont Network still existed. Now that many of the podcasts that we like (and listen to) are available via video, we’re interested.”

If what Green is suggesting is true, maybe the smartest radio/audio person in the room is another Jeff — Jeff Warshaw. Let’s face it, the guy who owns the local chain of tire stores or the chef who just opened her new restaurant will not be at Cannes any time soon. In fact, they probably couldn’t find Cannes on a map, even a map of France. But they know their businesses. They’re not waiting for podcasts to go to video so they can put a 30-second TV spot somewhere in the mix. They want to see people showing up at their doors.

I had a conversation recently with Rich Tunkel, managing director of Nielsen Audio, about a few topics. Rich shared that the Audio Alliance, a group of radio broadcasters (and Nielsen subscribers) would prefer to see Nielsen Audio have a greater presence in front of major advertisers rather than spending marketing money sponsoring radio events.

On the surface, this makes complete sense. Getting the audio story in front of major advertisers and agencies might bring additional dollars to the medium. We have plenty of wonderful stories to tell, especially with Pierre Bouvard and his group at Westwood turning out data each week.

But if Jeff Green is right that advertisers and agencies shy away from audio and prefer 30-second TV spots regardless of what radio can do for them, is this money well-spent?

We all remember the big deal when Procter & Gamble returned to radio and began spending, led by John Fix. The P&G change was a great win for the medium. That started in 2017 though, eight long years ago. Have any other major advertisers shifted a reasonable proportion of their business to our medium? Have you heard anyone in the business say anything lately like “national is really doing great”?

Someone not named Jeff echoed the same thing. Fred Jacobs recently wrote that our focus needs to be on local.

I’m not in sales (thankfully for both me and the sales profession), but I can read the tea leaves and articles just like you. Major advertisers and agencies like video regardless of the cost (can any company truly justify the dollars for a spot in the Super Bowl?). Having another place to run TV spots, such as video podcasts, makes them happy.

What the Audio Alliance said to Rich is right: the medium needs to get in the face of advertisers. But the venues may be wrong. Perhaps Nielsen should financially support local radio organizations at local events that get in front of business owners.

Let’s meet again next week.

Why Appointment Listening Is Still Critical for News/Talk Radio Success

Peter Thiele
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Why Appointment Listening Is Still Critical for News/Talk Radio Success

The attention span of people in modern society is less than nine seconds. You read that right—nine seconds. For anyone in news/talk radio, this fact should drive home the point that every second counts.

If you are not grabbing your listener’s attention immediately, you’re going to be ignored. There is no greater fear for a host than to be irrelevant.

Everything on your show should be carefully planned. There should be a strong structure for every moment. Many — and perhaps most — talk show hosts love it when a topic seems to be working. The temptation is to keep running with it if the topic is generating a strong reaction.

I used to work with the legendary Don Vogel. I was Don’s fill-in producer at AM 1500 KSTP. Don had an amazing topic one day that lit up the phones more than most segments. He teased the next segment with something completely different.

I asked during the break, “Why are you moving on? That topic was going great.” Don told me, “You need to always leave the audience wanting more.”

He then picked up the phone during the break and spoke with each caller. Don Vogel gave me a masterclass that day. Show prep should drive your show’s schedule. Don knew exactly what was planned for each segment. For the uninitiated, Don was a host who worked in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Twin Cities radio. He was blind, and the construction of his show was impeccable every single day.

I’ve often thought about how Don would prep. He would hold court with his producer and another staffer or two, breaking down how to approach each subject. Don’s show wasn’t political. He rarely touched on big news stories unless they were massive or he could create an entertaining angle. The point is, Don’s show was carefully planned, and outside of something catastrophic, he never strayed from that plan.

So, is your show’s plan loose and unfocused, or is it set in stone? Is your show prep so detailed that you can move on even if a topic is red-hot?

If you’ve done detailed prep, you know what’s next. Unless something major happens, this discipline is essential. You have nine seconds. Data tells us that people tune into your radio show every minute. If the listener hasn’t been audibly grabbed, they’ll find something that does.

What about the listeners who’ve stayed with you for a full segment? Data shows most people change the station during commercial breaks. So, how do you keep the audience in place? You make an appointment. A strong tease with a specific time.

For example: “So the city is doubling your garbage fees. It’s ridiculous — I’ll explain what you need to know at 7:36 on The Jim Jones Show on 105.9 The Talker.”

Making an appointment is important for hosts being measured by PPM or the diary. With PPM, a strong appointment tease can help create another listening occasion. This creates urgency, much more than just “coming up next.” Someone stuck in traffic may click away to another audio source. If your tease was impactful, it could train the listener to come back. That’s a huge win for hosts and stations using the PPM methodology.

If you’re in a diary market, creating a subliminal appointment might also help a listener recall the exact time they were tuned in, which could lead to higher time-spent-listening when they fill out their Nielsen diary.

Strong teasing with an appointment time should be part of your station’s strategy. Program directors, we’re always telling our hosts to tease ahead. That’s good advice — but if the tease is weak, it means nothing. If there’s no firm time in the tease, it’s a missed opportunity. Creating more listening occasions is essential.

Sometimes I hear PPM stations not pushing the tease hard enough. Maybe that’s part of the “managing the meters” strategy that many are prioritizing. I’m not criticizing the effort to maximize TSL for each occasion, but if the audience disappears during every commercial break, shouldn’t maximizing listening occasions be the main goal?

Hey, diary folks—strong teasing with an emphasis on your show’s name and station branding is a must for recall on Thursday morning, when the diary keeper remembers it’s time to send the book back to Nielsen.

Making a specific appointment for the next segment creates the right environment to maximize your show’s impact. With the average human attention span down to nine seconds, you cannot take your listeners for granted, especially in the connected car. Your audience can switch to a podcast, another radio station, satellite radio, a personal playlist, or an audiobook.

If they’ve chosen you, why wouldn’t you do everything in your power to keep them? More than just managing the meters, it’s about growing listening occasions. Isn’t that what it’s really about? Building listener-focused experiences that connect more than any audiobook or song.

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 Houston VP/Programming Melissa Chase Exits

BMM Staff
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Audacy Houston VP/Programming Melissa Chase Exits

Melissa Chase, who served as VP of Programming and Brand Manager for Hot AC Mix 96.5, Adult Hits 95.7 The Spot and Country 100.3 The Bull, has exited Audacy Houston. Chase joined the team in 2021 and was promoted to VP of Programming in early 2023, expanding her role to include oversight of KILT. She also hosted PM Drive on Mix 96.5.

This move comes on the heels of Jay Michaels’ exit on Monday from his role as Assistant Brand Manager for “Mix 96.5” and “95.7 The Spot.” (BMM 6/30)

Prior to Houston, Chase spent 14 years at SummitMedia in Richmond, where she rose to the rank of OM. In 2010, she took on the role of morning host and Program Director at 103.7 Your Variety. She guided the station through multiple format evolutions: from adult alternative as The River, transitioning to Hot AC in 2013, and later rebranding to Your Variety in 2021

By 2016, she was elevated to Operations Manager with oversight for the cluster’s six radio stations.

There is no word on who will fill the role.

Photo Station Website

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.

Major League Baseball, ESPN Resume Discussions as Opt-Out Nears

BSM Staff
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Major League Baseball, ESPN Resume Discussions as Opt-Out Nears

Major League Baseball and ESPN have re-engaged in talks that could potentially extend their decades-long partnership, according to a report from The Athletic. The conversations are said to be in the early stages, with sources cited by Andrew Marchand that negotiations are centered around pieces of ESPN’s former broadcast package and potential involvement in local media rights. If no new deal is reached, ESPN’s 35-year relationship with Major League Baseball would officially end in October after the two sides mutually agreed to part ways before this current season.

The mutual opt out of the final three seasons of its $550 million annual agreement between MLB and ESPN included rights to Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby, and a portion of MLB’s postseason coverage including the wild card round.

Since the news of the upcoming split, networks including NBC, Apple, and Fox have been linked to potential pieces of ESPN’s former package. Manfred has publicly stated that he hopes to have a new rights deal in place by the All-Star Game in mid-July.

In a memo obtained by The Athletic earlier this year, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred described ESPN as a “shrinking platform” and criticized the network for offering “minimal coverage” of baseball outside of live game broadcasts. Despite the rocky upcoming separation, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has expressed ongoing interest in being part of MLB’s evolving media strategy. Speaking in May during a presentation for ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer app, Pitaro said he viewed the network as a viable player in helping solve baseball’s local rights challenges.

MLB has faced mounting pressure to modernize its media distribution, especially as the traditional regional sports network model has declined. The league has already reached smaller streaming agreements with Apple TV+ and Roku, while actively exploring future plans for its MLB.TV platform.

According to The Athletic, ESPN is viewed as a top candidate to acquire rights to the league’s out-of-market streaming package, although any deal would likely be short-term. MLB is aiming to align all of its media rights agreements to expire after the 2028 season.

Both ESPN and MLB declined comment to The Athletic on the ongoing discussions.

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.

Silver Tribe Media Names Neal Carruth as New General Manager

BNM Staff
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Silver Tribe Media Names Neal Carruth as New General Manager

Silver Tribe Media has tapped longtime audio and digital media executive Neal Carruth as its new General Manager.

The company, which manages direct-to-consumer media ventures and top-tier talent in the digital space, announced the hiring on Monday as part of a broader effort to grow its footprint in news, tech, and personal development content.

“I am honored to join this incredible group of professionals and so impressed by what they have built,” Carruth said of his new role with Silver Tribe. “The news business is undergoing an incredible transformation right now. I’m so excited to help talent, brands, and properties build in this fast-changing digital media environment.”

Carruth joins the team after a successful run as Executive Vice President and General Manager at Freakonomics Radio Network. There, he led multiple aspects of the business, including external partnerships, audience development, and the rollout of a subscription program. He also oversaw the relaunch of the network’s YouTube channel, further strengthening its digital presence.

Before Freakonomics, Carruth spent more than 20 years at NPR. His career began behind the scenes, eventually rising to lead roles including showrunner for All Things Considered, Chief Business Editor, and senior leader of the network’s podcast division. His work was instrumental in developing NPR’s daily podcasting strategy.

In his new role, Carruth will be based in Silver Tribe’s New York office and work closely with existing clients. He’ll also play a key part in expanding the company’s expertise on platforms such as Substack, Patreon, Supercast, Beehiiv, and Mailchimp.

“Neal’s depth of experience and relationships in news, business, and other genres are tremendously expansive,” said Michael Klein, founder and CEO of Silver Tribe Media. “There is a huge opportunity to build digital businesses with talent and brands in those genres, and Neal is perfectly equipped to continue our goal of providing top-level services to current and future partners.”

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.

Shams Charania Tried To Be a “Great Teammate” in Not Posting NBA Draft Picks Early

BSM Staff
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Shams Charania Tried To Be a “Great Teammate” in Not Posting NBA Draft Picks Early

Shams Charania recently made his debut on the ESPN coverage of the NBA Draft in his role as a senior NBA insider for the company, which he started nine months ago upon the retirement of Adrian Wojnarowski from the journalism business. Charania, who previously worked in insider roles for both The Athletic and Stadium, refrained from posting selections in advance through his social media channels. The decision drew attention from viewers across the country, including SportsRadio 610 morning host Sean Pendergast, who conveyed that taking this action ultimately rendered a “more pleasant watching experience.”

The venture occurred at a critical time within the league just after the Oklahoma City Thunder hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy victorious as NBA champions for the first time in franchise history. Beginning at 6 p.m. EST on Monday, NBA teams have the right to negotiate with free agents and agree to deals, although most players are unable to sign until the moratorium period lifts just after noon on Sunday. In reflecting on the NBA Draft, Charania expanded on why he decided to refine the recent approach where insiders tend to break news about selections before they are formally announced on stage by NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

“It’s really just trying to be a great teammate,” Charania said while being interviewed for a recent story by Peter A. Berry of Rolling Stone. “I caught myself [about to post those tweets] at least five to 10 times. But that’s just human nature.”

Charania will be on the airwaves for NBA free agency specials on ESPN, the first of which takes place Monday at 7 p.m. EST. Earlier in the day during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show, he stated that there would be some big deals on Monday night. Wojnarowski previously appeared on NBA programming surrounding free agency, but he is now working in a different area of the sport as the general manager of the men’s basketball team at St. Bonaventure University. While they were perceived to have a rivalry in the latter years both working as insiders for different companies, Charania recognizes that he owes a lot to Wojnarowski.

“We worked together for two-plus years and he gave me an unbelievable opportunity at [Yahoo’s] The Vertical,” Charania said. “We had such an amazing team there that I think about every single day. I did the draft show with [former Vertical team] members Jonathan Givony and Bobby Marks a couple days ago. All three of us were hired at The Vertical. And to me, it’s a special thing we share together. The competition is the competition, [but] once you take a step back on a human level, the relationships and the moments and the memories always supersede anything.”

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Jeff Tyler Longtime iHeartMedia Executive Steps Down

BMM Staff
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Jeff Tyler Longtime iHeartMedia Executive Steps Down

iHeartMedia Area President Jeff Tyler is retiring, bringing to a close a 47-year career in broadcasting. Tyler steps down today from his position overseeing the Madison and Milwaukee markets.

Tyler said, “Broadcast radio has been my life. I’ve worked in every aspect of this business and have been fortunate to work for tremendous leaders who helped shape my career, including the creative and innovative team at iHeartMedia. I’m grateful to have worked with so many talented, dedicated professionals in vibrant broadcast markets, serving advertisers and creating meaningful partnerships. I’m excited to begin a more flexible chapter of life with my family, while continuing to support our sports partnerships in the short term.”

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Tyler’s career began behind the mic in 1978. Serving as an air talent in Madison and Milwaukee. In 1997, following Capstar Broadcasting’s acquisition of six stations, Tyler played a pivotal role in orchestrating one of radio’s earliest market mergers. One that would become a blueprint for future consolidation efforts, including what would eventually evolve into iHeartMedia’s current Madison cluster.

Tyler stepped into market leadership roles in both Madison and Milwaukee before being promoted to Region President in 2010. Five years later, he added the Minneapolis region to his responsibilities.

By 2018, he had earned the title of Division President. In 2022, he returned to his Wisconsin roots, where he had served as Area President.

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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