If you want to market your “Guys Night Out with Metallica” promotion, you’re not going to buy a mailing list of Women, right? Sh!t like that happens, though.
Vegas odds aren’t high enough for someone to look at me and guess my name is Sheila. And yet, a shocking number of marketers think that’s my name. I have never met thisSheila, but I do know her last name and where she lives.
Let me unravel and get to the point.
Back in ‘98, a radio company moved me to L.A., and I got a badass flip phone to ditch the “303” and flex my new “310.” That was so long ago. Stations still had overnight DJs who sometimes needed to call their PDs at 3 am.
I’ve had that number ever since.
Turns out, before me, it belonged to Sheila.
This isn’t just a funny, wrong-number story. It’s a marketing red flag. Depending on who you ask, 20% to 30% of mailing lists are made up of outdated or inaccurate data. That means Rock campaigns could be burning thousands by going to people like Sheila instead of their intended recipient.
STILL TO THIS DAY, I get calls and texts from strangers wanting to talk to Sheila about:
Solar panels
Selling her home
Seasonal spraying for bugs
Refinancing, mortgage rates
Political polling (no wonder political polling is often wrong)
Here’s why it matters: While this could impact pivotal rockresearch, radio companies often use outside vendors to facilitate marketing. They trust vendors to have updated target lists so they can tell their friends to tell their friends to tell their friends to listen on the :20s and say the phrase that pays to win a truckload of cash.
I’m living proof that old lists are being sold and used, over and over, in multiple industries. I could tell a similar story about a radio brand that also thought I was someone else. But I’ll stay focused on Sheila. I know more about her than I should. I could bake her a f&$k!ng cake – and drive it to her house, thanks to solicitors disclosing her sensitive information.
There have been too many to count over the years, but here are screenshots of a recent text exchange (I looked them up, the texter/company is legit, they rep homes far above my pay grade. Looks like Sheila is a baller.)
I don’t fault this real estate company; they’re likely using a purchased list of homeowners. But as you move forward and determine what your next marketing campaign is going to be, think about Sheila.
Is your big RockTernative “Song of the Day” campaign – with the calendar filled with bangers for each day of the month – landing with Pop listeners who don’t know the Pumpkins from the Cranberries? Is that dope cash mailer going to future check-cashers who are outside your target demo?
If you’re spending thousands on direct mail, telemarketing, or digital campaigns, ask your vendors where their lists came from and when they were updated. If Sheila’s still in the system, your ROI just took a hit.
I’m mailing this piece to Sheila right now…
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SAWGOD/Col./Triple Tigers’ Ella Langley is taking Country music and radio by storm. Her current single, “Weren’t For The Wind,” is currently number five on the Mediabase Country chart.
I caught up with Langley to talk about her music and her relationship with Country radio.
“My first song ever on the radio was ‘you look like you love me’. I mean, that song just took everything by storm. It’s kind of a crazy, crazy radio story for my first single.”
“And now, with ‘Weren’t For The Wind,’ I feel the same way. It hasn’t been that long. To see what it’s done in such a short period of time really shows that the music is connecting. It’s just really awesome to see.”
“I think radio is a little bit of a daunting and a scary thing to new artists. There’s a lot to learn, and a lot to figure out about how it works. To see the love that I’ve been shown from Country radio is just really, awesome.”
Artists in the Country format are known for being accessible to radio. Langley thinks that allows her fans to see her in a more human way.
“I just look at this career as this big ladder. With every step, there is a new thing you have to learn. This is just something that takes practice. But what’s cool is I get the opportunity, like today, for fans to hear me talk. Not on TikTok or on stage. In a normal way, and this more nonchalant way. They get to learn about me as a human being a little bit more, which is awesome.”
What was it like the first time Langley heard one of her songs on the radio?
“I was at rehearsal with my band. We all got in the truck, and we all got to hear it together. It was just an incredible experience. Those guys and I had played so many shows together, and we’ve worked so hard for this. We’d played so many shows where nobody knew who I was. Traveling in bands is crazy, so to get to experience that with them for the first time was really awesome.”
Ella Langley Album Cover
I asked Langley to go back to a very specific date, February 17, 2023, which was her first time stepping into the circle at the Grand Ole Opry.
“I’m very bad with dates and remembering certain things like that. But when you said February 17th. I knew exactly what you were talking about.”
“If I quit right now, I’d feel like I’ve done something with my career. Getting to play that and getting to be in an Opry Next Stage class. The love that the Opry has shown me is just crazy.”
“It’s such a special thing, and it’s hard to explain. If you’ve never been to the Grand Ole Opry, it’s hard to explain the history that you feel when you walk in there. We played the Ryman on my first tour with Randy Houser in 2022, and that was so special. But to get to the Grand Ole Opry, the circle, I don’t know how many people have placed their feet on that piece of wood. It’s incredible.”
“I don’t really get nervous at shows anymore. It’s not really a nerve thing. It’s more like jitters. Like you’re just kind of excited to get out there. In the past few years, I feel like I’ve only gotten that kind of nerves before walking out there and playing at the Grand Ole Opry. It’s just almost overwhelming. I had so many people from my hometown there.”
Was radio a part of Langley’s life growing up?
“When I was younger, I just listened to the radio. I could tell you the stations in Alabama. 98.9 is Country, 97.9 is the Jamz, 101.9 is Pop. I was sitting at my counter, and I was listening constantly. Then in the back of my dad’s car and the back of my mom’s car. They were playing completely opposite things. We were always singing something. We’re just a big musical family. Not everyone can play everything, but we all love it.
And as far as the breakout, “You look like you love me.”
“I wrote that originally with Aaron Raitiere here. Riley (Green) came in, and we asked him to do a second verse, and he wrote his. It’s a silly song, and we wrote it as a joke, and didn’t know what it was gonna do.”
“The fans, man, they fell in love with the song. They changed my life. And the people listening to it, just everywhere. Everybody’s been singing the song. It’s just wild to see. It feels bigger than me. I see so many videos of groups together singing it. Husbands and wives, or boyfriends and girlfriends, and it’s just really crazy.”
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We are all obviously working harder while also trying to work smarter. But most of us are certainly living in a resource-constrained environment that expects the “team” to do more with less.
While the often short bursts of high-intensity work can spark creativity and generate some camaraderie, prolonged periods can chip away at morale, productivity, personal well-being, and joy at work. As leaders, one of our most important responsibilities is keeping our teams motivated – even when it stretches them to the max.
Start by being transparent and acknowledging the strain. Motivation begins with recognition. When people are under pressure, it’s vital to acknowledge these efforts honestly and, most importantly, publicly.
It can be as simple as, “I know how much we’re asking of you right now, and I really appreciate everything you’re doing.” This can go such a long way.
This gesture of recognition makes people feel valued, which fuels their own internal motivation. Please avoid telling them, “It’s part of the job so suck it up!” I have seen that done, and it’s never received well, even as a joke.
Next, make sure they each understand the important purpose. There are many things we ask of people, and it’s very often the “how,” but giving them the “why” is also a big part of the motivation.
When people understand why they’re working hard, they’re more likely to push through. When your team knows the larger purpose behind the crunch, it tends to hurt considerably less. Sometimes the best way is to connect their work to the company’s mission—the impact on the customer or a meaningful milestone. Purpose can turn stressful effort into commitment, rather than burnout.
Offer them ways to eliminate non-essential tasks. Set clear priorities and let them know that it’s Ok if some other things don’t make the priority list right now. Communicating what won’t get done lets them feel like you’re replacing, rather than adding even more to their list. This frees up capacity while reassuring the team that you understand the reality of their workload.
Nothing makes a day worse than working and feeling like they’re losing control. Help them fight that overwhelming feeling by involving them in decisions wherever possible.
Ask, “What can we drop?” or “What’s slowing us down?” When your team feels like they have a say in the process and how things get done, motivation improves – even when stress remains.
In high-pressure environments, many managers tend to unintentionally send signals that extra work is to be expected. Talk openly about ways to manage the more stressful times.
Respect boundaries, and teams will do the same. Don’t email your staff at 2 am or call/text after hours. I had a manager calling people after 9 pm or emailing in the middle of the night. The subliminal messages you’ll be sending will have far more impact than the message intended within the text or email.
When you’re in survival mode, it’s easy to focus only on what’s next, so take time to celebrate the positives! Acknowledge even small wins to keep energy high and help people see the progress being made. Whether it’s a shout-out in a team meeting, a quick note of appreciation, or a small personal reward, take the time to reinforce that hard work is being noticed.
Finally, motivation improves when people know their manager is working as hard to support them as they are to meet the demands. Let them know you believe in them and that you’re making investments in them.
Whether it’s bringing in temporary help, offering flexibility, or simply showing up with lunch after a long week. Small acts of support send a powerful message. As Al Jarreau sang, “We’re in This Love Together.”
It cannot always be about relentless cheerleading. But empathy, clarity, and shared commitment go such a long way. With the right balance of recognition, prioritization, and support, even the most overstretched team can stay engaged and remain energized.
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This week, the Northeast was gripped by a heat wave with temperatures rising above 100°, but in the NBA, it was Windy. I’m talking about ESPN’s NBA scribe and commentator Brian Windhorst. Windhorst’s rise to popularity, omnipresence, and success has been nothing short of phenomenal.
He came to the forefront covering LeBron James as the basketball wunderkind rose to fame in Ohio, but Windhorst has escaped the shadow of James not only by talking about what’s happening in the NBA, but by telling viewers what’s going to happen in the NBA.
This has been some kind of a week for Windhorst and the Association – a scintillating seven-game Finals series culminating with the Oklahoma City Thunder winning the championship, a series of big trades, and then the NBA Draft. Indeed. It is the NBA’s world right now, a world in which Brian Windhorst thrives.
Windhorst Wears Many Hats Because He Can
On June 24, Windhorst was all over the ESPN programming lineup. His day began with an appearance on Get Up in studio alongside Mike Greenberg and Bobby Marks. Windhorst opened the discussion of the Celtics trading Jrue Holiday to the Blazers for Anfernee Simons and a couple of second-round draft picks. Windhorst talked about Simons being nine years younger than Holiday and his solid stats but stressed that this was a money move to help the Celtics free up cash and get out of the second apron of the NBA salary system.
Windhorst then joined the discussion on the cloudy future of the Eastern Conference with injuries playing a role on several teams. He explained that the Knicks could benefit from this given that they have some salary cap room to go out and sign players. Windhorst said that the conference is basically up for grabs next season with teams like Cleveland, New York, Orlando, and Boston leading the way.
One of Windhorst’s strengths is his scope of knowledge. He segued perfectly into a discussion on the Knicks’ endless coaching search, talking about the team’s interview with Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori. Windhorst may not break stories at the pace of ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania, but he offers terrific and in-depth analysis. Moreover, he has an uncanny ability to explain how today’s headlines will affect tomorrow’s news.
Later in the show, Windhorst contributed to Get Up’s Burning Questions segment. This discussion focused on what the Lakers need to do to become true title contenders. Windhorst warned that if L.A. plans to play Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves together, they are going to need some defensive protection. The next question focused on which Western Conference graybeard was closer to winning a title: Stephen Curry, LeBron James, or Kevin Durant. Windhorst said that he liked what they are building in Houston, but he’s not sure Durant will be there long enough for them to achieve their title goals. Windhorst also said that, similar to the Knicks, the Lakers have a financial window of opportunity right now to add to their roster and make a run at a championship.
From ‘Get Up’ To Sharing a ‘First Take’
Despite the outcome, @WindhorstESPN believes Tyrese Haliburton earned "the respect of everybody in this league" by playing in Game 7 💪 pic.twitter.com/J3cWDAdqWy
The second leg of Windhorst’s TV Triple Crown saw him on First Take joining Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim. The program opened with a debate on whether Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton should have played in Game 7 vs. OKC, a contest in which he tore his Achilles. Windhorst gave the best explanation of why Haliburton was right to play. He stated, “He has got his contract … He’s been an All-Star. He’s been an All-NBA player. He won a Gold Medal in the Olympics. He’s got a shoe deal … The only thing he doesn’t have in his life is that championship.” Windhorst added that the saddest part of Haliburton’s injury is that he was off to a great start and may have scored 40 points and delivered a Game 7 performance for the ages.
He breaks stories but can also break down the game. In addition, he likes to get to the heart of the matter. Regarding Haliburton’s decision to play Game 7 with pain, Windhorst said that he has spoken to numerous NBA people, all of whom have gained a ton of respect for Haliburton. He then doubled down, surmising that the Pacers’ leader also gained millions of worldwide fans for his selflessness. Windhorst is right. Haliburton’s decision to play was refreshing in this age of load management and future-first decisions on the part of players.
Windhorst is a dream guest for any program because he can talk about anything and anyone in basketball. These shows are pre-planned in terms of topics and time for each program block, but conversations often move away from the script. He thrives in these moments. He is plugged in and turned on to any and all basketball discussions. I especially like when he’s a guest on First Take, where he lies in the weeds waiting for his turn to pounce on a subject as Smith sermonizes. He smiles, raises his eyebrow, and then unloads—either agreeing or annihilating Smith’s take.
When the discussion turned to the Celtics, Windhorst stated bluntly that they are not trading Jayson Tatum, and they don’t want to trade Derrick White or Jaylen Brown, so Kristaps Porziņģis would be the next likely person to go. Just a few hours later, that happened, as Boston shipped the talented but injury-prone Porziņģis to Atlanta in a three-team trade.
First Take continued with Qerim leading into an interesting question about which veteran player has more at stake with his new team: Durant with the Rockets or Aaron Rodgers with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Windhorst said that Durant has a much better chance to achieve success, adding that, as a team, the Steelers are not heading in any way near as positive a direction as Houston.
Wit, Wisdom, and Insights Define Windhorst
When he appears on numerous shows on a given day, he doesn’t just regurgitate what he said on a previous program. While the subject matter is the same, he brings a different look and substance to his takes. In a First Takestandup segment, he talked about how the Milwaukee Bucks are financially handcuffed in terms of improving their roster, then segued to a discussion on the best duos in the NBA, saying that Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are still tops, but OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams are on the come up for sure.
Windhorst continued his Tuesday Tour de Force joining Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption for their 5 Good Minutes segment. In this format, Windhorst showed his ability to be both lightning-fast and in-depth. He ripped through a discussion on the current frequency of Achilles injuries in the NBA, further analysis of the Durant-to-Houston deal, expectations with the Lakers’ sale to Dodgers owner Mark Walter, and more on the Knicks’ head coaching search.
Windhorst is listed as a Senior NBA Writer at ESPN and also hosts the Hoop Collective podcast, but those titles do not do justice to what he brings to the airwaves. His wisdom and basketball know-how shine in any format and on any program. LeBron James recently chided Windhorst, calling him “the guy who says he’s like my best (expletive deleted) friend.” Guess what, LeBron? Brian Windhorst doesn’t have time to suck up to you. He’s too busy offering up some of the best real talk in basketball.
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Major League Baseball continues to evolve as the sport now finds itself with increases in viewership, attendance, and digital reach in 2025. Between the insertion of pitch clocks, larger bases, managerial challenges, and the end of defensive shifts, MLB has not hesitated in recent years to make the game more appealing to expand to a larger fanbase. Earlier this month, MLB made another investment in its future by announcing a strategic partnership with the wildly popular baseball-centric Jomboy Media.
What started as a hobby between Jimmy “Jomboy” O’Brien and Jake Storiale now finds itself with a major investment from Major League Baseball, bolstering its presence as one of the fastest-growing digital media companies in the country.
“We’re doing new media that I think baseball was a little nervous of us at first. I think we were probably a little nervous of how all of it would work,” said Storiale. “It was just a matter of finding the right time to make it all start to come together. We started having really productive conversations probably 6–8 months ago.”
Jomboy Media has been producing baseball content since its inception in 2017, when Storiale and O’Brien created the Talkin’ Yanks podcast. The creator-led company has built a much larger business spanning social media, digital video, and podcasts—garnering over 93 million social engagements in 2024 earning investments from some of the biggest names in sports and digital media.
Will MLB Have Say in Creator-Led Content?
While some creator-led digital media companies try to bring in talent to cater to all audiences in different sports, Jomboy Media’s content has always stayed true to baseball. Storiale says the focus for content will remain on what Jomboy Media has always done best, but isn’t closing the door on seeking out creators who are passionate about other sports.
“We had some conversations with the NHL in previous years, and I think a little bit with the NFL,” said Storiale. “I don’t know if there was a way to become a creator hub of sorts and work together with the [other] leagues. We’d be very open to that. It starts to get a little complicated and tricky. We just want good creators at Jomboy Media.”
With the new investment from Major League Baseball, Jomboy Media receives access to league and team IP, participate in merchandise and sponsorship collaborations, and have a presence for some of its content on league platforms. Storiale noted that he and O’Brien were very involved in the discussions with MLB leading to the partnership, showing how much they share a passion for the sport.
“One of the first things that MLB said was we’re not going to control you guys. You guys are good at what you do,” explained Storiale. “Our intention throughout was we want to do the stuff we’re currently doing and do it better, and have MLB promoting us and rowing the same direction. We have that now. We didn’t even daydream a lot of the next steps yet because we didn’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves.”
The First Collaboration at the MLB All Star Game
As part of the new partnership with Major League Baseball, Jomboy Media will have added access to create more unique creator-led content. With the MLB All-Star Game approaching in a few weeks, the creative ideas have already begun to flow through the halls of Jomboy Media on how to capture the annual event heading to Atlanta, GA.
“Before [MLB All-Star] was something that MLB owned. For us not being on the same team, it was like, ‘we’re going to be around All-Star weekend and do our own thing.’ Now it’s can we get on the field for batting practice before the Home Run Derby?” noted Storiale. “It’s very refreshing instead of us almost planning around All-Star weekend. It’s kind of cool that we have the avenue open to talk to some people at MLB and say, ‘hey, we want to do this.’ The early conversations have been awesome.”
With the Midsummer Classic as the first MLB event where the newfound partnership will begin to see the collaboration between the two entities, Storiale said he’s looking to dig into the nuts and bolts of creating alongside MLB—utilizing the added access to allow a more in-depth and entertaining look at the All-Star festivities and capitalizing on any opportunity.
“We want to have some talks with the whole MLB content team, the [MLB] Network, socials, and everything they’re doing,” said Storiale. “When we hear, ‘hey, you guys want to be involved in this?’ We look around the room and me and Jimmy’s eyes light up like, ‘yeah, we can crush that.’ That’s what we’re going to go for.”
Storiale says every conversation with Major League Baseball has been a “10 out of 10,” but they are still working through exactly how baseball will be promoting the Jomboy Media content—and vice versa. He notes that he’d personally love to see Jomboy Media podcasts such as Talkin’ Baseball broadcast at Major League Baseball ballparks around the country during pre-game warmups as fans enter the stadium. With the partnership just weeks old, Storiale says he’s excited to see the natural growth within the Jomboy Media creator-led community alongside MLB.
“We believe in creators. That’s what [Jomboy Media] is built on,” noted Storiale. “It’s believing in the right creator. If you have some stomach for baseball, that probably helps our current state of our company. If we have a creator that fits our work ethic and our vibe, they can get involved in Warehouse Games, socials, or baseball. We’ve never told a creator no on something. It’s got to be something that they’re passionate [about].”
Company Expansion Into More MLB Markets
Major League Baseball has teams located in 30 markets across the United States and Canada, with Jomboy Media headquarters located near New York City. Talkin’ Yanks was the podcast that launched the company from the start. Now, nearly a decade later and a worldwide audience to cater to, Storiale said even with the new partnership with MLB, there are no plans to expand outside of their home market.
“Trevor Plouffe and Chris Rose are always poking us about getting some more feet on the ground in Los Angeles because that’s where they live,” joked Storiale. “We like our setup where we’re comfortable size-wise. I think we’re near a 60-person company now, and we feel good in that spot. Even in this current size, we’ve had some organic growth, which has felt good. We currently don’t have anything out there like ‘Chicago 2028,’ and we’re going to be 300 employees. That formula doesn’t really work for us. Our formula is: where is the next win?”
When the agreement was finalized between MLB and Jomboy Media, following the announcement, there was much celebration in the hallways of the digital media outlet. One unnamed investor sent a pricey bottle of champagne to the offices, while Storiale recalled enjoying a very nice dinner to celebrate. However, in true Jomboy Media style, the highlight that sticks out to Storiale following the announcement was a special visit from a legend of baseball lore.
“Something that’ll always be a part of the memory, and it’s just the coincidence of it all,” recalled Storiale. “The day we announced, Bartolo Colon came to our office to visit. That’s always going to be a part of the lasting memory for me. We partnered with MLB, and we had ‘Bart’ in the office.”
As Major League Baseball continues to seek out its next evolution, the hope for Storiale and O’Brien is the continued growth of a passion project—named after an early autocorrect on an iPhone—that will connect fans from all over the world through the national pastime.
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Summer is the perfect time for news/talk radio programmers, producers, hosts, and stations to try something new.
The stakes are lowered. The audience is a little lower as vacations become more and more prevalent throughout the summer. But the vacations become more frequent for on-air hosts, too.
Plus, generally (but things sure are becoming more unique these days), the news cycle slows down in the summer as Congress undergoes its traditional recess and the nice weather is enjoyed by most.
So, as I said, it’s a perfect time to do some experimenting.
Here are three ideas you should consider giving a go this summer when it’s ok to try something and it might not be a smashing success.
Switch Up Your Hosts
If you have more than one local daypart, which isn’t a guaranteed these days, try swapping your hosts around.
Put your afternoon host in morning drive on a Friday. Tell them you’re doing it so they can get out of the office early so they can enjoy one of those summer Fridays. Or don’t. Just tell them it’s fun to tinker. You know your people better than I do.
But, someday, you’ll likely be in a position to make some changes in your lineup. And I’m here to tell you that it’s much easier to make those changes with people already on the staff when you know what they sound like on the air.
Plus, by doing a show swap, it allows your hosts to get an appreciation for what their colleagues do. Additionally, it potentially exposes different audiences to different hosts. That’s undeniably a good thing. Your audience generally has a routine. If you can introduce a new host that they need to pay attention to, but could do it on-demand is a great opportunity.
Open the Phones…Or Close Them
Using callers in the news/talk radio world is a divisive topic. It’s the “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” of talk radio. It is a sandwich, by the way. And if you disagree, email me and we’ll have the argument of a lifetime.
But switch it up. If you’re a station that has open phone lines, close ’em. Make your hosts and producers rely on topics and compelling content instead of using the phones. Make them excercize those content muscles that might have gotten a little weak by their reliance on listener calls.
On the flip side, if you’re a station or show that doesn’t ever do callers, open up the phone lines. Turn it into a promotion. Make it clear that you’re looking for their input. Best case scenario, you get some great calls from listeners that restore your faith in humanity a little bit. Also, callers are a great place to get locally-focused audio for promos, as well as a place to find a potential weekend or fill-in host down the line.
If things don’t go well, you just go back to how it was before, and no one likely noticed that you changed your philosophy for a short time. Everyone wins.
Get Your Program Director On the Air
Former 105.7 The Fan Program Director Chuck Sapienza likely didn’t invent this, but he’s the first person I ever saw do it, so he gets the credit.
But one time per year, when things in Baltimore hit a lull during the summer, Sapienza would hop on the air during the midday timeslot for a pre-determined set of time to take calls from listeners.
It makes a ton of sense. The people listening, especially in midday, are your P1s. They are invested in your brand. It is their station, and they aren’t afraid to tell everyone that they have a favorite brand.
Why not super-serve that audience? They probably have a ton of questions to ask you about a wide variety of topics.
Truth be told, I like being challenged. My thought process has been that I can’t be at my best if I’m not firmly entrenched in my stance. But it’s really easy to hold unchallenged beliefs. If you have a radio programming philosophy on a topic and a listener says “Hey, why do you do XYZ?” and has a different viewpoint, either you’re right in your stance and can explain it, or they’ve made you question why you feel the way you do or why you’ve decided what you have.
But that transparency helps in the tribe building of your brand. It allows the biggest fans of your radio station to feel like they have inside access. And I know that some might believe that interacting with the public is the worst part of the job. I get it. I’ve been there.
But allowing that access to your biggest fans only reinforces that you’re live, local, and accessible. Who doesn’t want to exude those qualities?
If you’re a program director who doesn’t want to be on the air, you should still schedule a time to talk with listeners on the air. Why? Because it’s the old “spare tire” theory. Nobody ever gets a flat tire when their trunk is completely empty. It always happens when you’re completely bogged down. So, if you don’t want to be on the air, set up a time and promote the hell out of it. That means there will be some breaking news situation that will require you to cancel, but will give you content to capitalize on in the coming days.
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CNN has responded to criticism from President Donald Trump over reporting from correspondent Natasha Bertrand, which resulted in Trump calling for her firing.
On his Truth Social account, President Donald Trump called for Bertrand’s firing after saying she lied in her reporting about the U.S.’s bombing of nuclear sites in Iran.
“Natasha Bertrand should be FIRED from CNN! I watched her for three days doing Fake News,” Trump wrote. “She should be IMMEDIATELY reprimanded, and then thrown out ‘like a dog.’ She lied on the Laptop from Hell Story, and now she lied on the Nuclear Sites Story, attempting to destroy our Patriot Pilots by making them look bad when, in fact, they did a GREAT job and hit ‘pay dirt’ — TOTAL OBLITERATION!”
Trump came after Natasha Bertrand after she reported that a Defense Intelligence Agency file says that the bombing in Iran only set the company back by a few months, rather than the “completely obliterated” status that President Trump had previously declared. The network pointed out in its reporting that it was preliminary report. Subsequent outlets shared the network’s reporting.
After Trump’s comments went viral, the network responded by backing their correspondent.
“We stand 100% behind Natasha Bertrand’s journalism and specifically her and her colleagues’ reporting of the early intelligence assessment of the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities,” a statement from the network said. “CNN’s reporting made clear that this was an initial finding that could change with additional intelligence. We have extensively covered President Trump’s own deep skepticism about it.
“However, we do not believe it is reasonable to criticize CNN reporters for accurately reporting on the existence of the assessment and accurately characterizing its findings, which are in the public interest.”
Natasha Bertrand reports on the Pentagon and National Security for CNN. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the existence of the report from the DIA on Wednesday.
Trump also shared his displeasure with CNN during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. He mocked Kaitlan Collins and argued that CNN doesn’t appreciate the efforts of U.S. troops.
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The Country Radio Seminar (CRS) has posted its latest in the CRS360 webinar series. “Are We Okay? Accessing Country’s Year So Far” looks at the current state of the format and outlook for the remainder of the year.
Available here, the session is moderated by Country Aircheck’s Chuck Aly. The panel includes Audacy Houston’s Sarah Frazier, Leo33’s Katie Dean and Collective Heads’ Jimmy Steal.
All the panelists are CRS Agenda Committee members and offer a look at some of the early planning for CRS 2026.
RJ Curtis, CRB Executive Director, said, “The Country music genre continues to explode, dominating radio programming and consumption numbers. This group of industry experts who are working day-to-day in the trenches from all aspects in our industry has a lot to say about how we’re doing so far in 2025, ways to sustain success, and insights on what the short-term future may look like. It’s a fascinating conversation.”
The webinar presents expert insights into the trends, challenges, and opportunities facing Country radio this year and beyond.
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PopCrush Nights is offering a commercial-free music special for stations this Fourth of July weekend.
The PopCrush Nights 4th of July Special is a five-hour program that is free to both affiliates and non-affiliates. Hosted by Donny Meacham and Lauryn Snapp, the show features music, pop culture and patriotism.
In offering the special syndicator Compass Networks, the release said, “No strings. No commercials. Just great content. Whether you’re a PopCrush Nights affiliate or not, you’re invited to air this special and bring a national-quality show to your local listeners.”
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JVC Broadcasting has purchased the Florida stations from Magic Broadcasting in Panama City.
Pending FCC approval, the purchase includes Top 40 Island 106, Classic Country Wild Willie 100.1, Active Rock 97X and Talk WYOO.
John Griffo, Market Manager of JVC’s Ft Walton Beach operations, who will also oversee the new stations, said, “This is an exciting new chapter for JVC and for radio in Northwest Florida. We don’t see it as just expanding. We see it as an opportunity to continue what we have already been doing in the Panhandle. Focusing on the local listener being the true client by bringing high-quality, engaging and fresh programming ideas to Panama City. I can’t wait to get started.”
Matt Stone, JVC Director of Programming, added, “We’ve been doing it differently and local in Fort Walton, and now we’re bringing that same vibe to Panama City. We’re out to make radio fun again. Live, local, and actually about the people who live here in PCB. Not just noise. Get ready for something that hits home.”
President & CEO of JVC Broadcasting John Caracciolo said, “This isn’t a corporate merger. This is a local broadcaster investing in local communities. We believe in radio that serves the neighborhoods we live in, not just the bottom line.”
JVC currently operates Ft Walton Beach stations, Adult Hits 102.1 The Wave, Country Highway 98.1 and Talk 103.1 Florida Man Radio.
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