Pablo Torre started the latest episode of his Meadowlark Media digital show by recollecting when he attended a holiday party hosted by Kevin Wildes in December 2023. Taking place in New York City, he remembers meeting Nick Wright, co-host of First Things First on FS1, who purportedly told him that he was the second-smartest person in sports media.
Wright, who was a guest on the episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out with FOX Sports colleague Kevin Wildes, did not recall referring to Torre as second, presuming that he could have perhaps been ranked third. From there, he wondered whether or not he had himself or Bomani Jones in first place. Torre explained that he had waited over a year to follow up on this question and wanted to know Wright’s rankings of the smartest people working in sports media.
“Well, do I think I am the smartest guy in sports media?,” Wright questioned. “Obviously I think that, and I would think anyone that is in the lane I’m in, if they think there’s someone smarter than them, I would lose respect for them.”
Torre wondered if the lane Wright was operating in was ‘breathing person,’ leading him to reply that he did not believe himself to be the smartest person in the world. Yet he also remarked that there are different perspectives regarding how he looks at the situation being embedded within the sports media business.
“But I’m in an industry where the barrier for entry of intelligence is not exactly high,” Wright remarked, “and the lane I have is the annoyingly accurate smart guy.”
Wildes contributed to this claim by stating that Wright has been correct about the Chiefs before. Torre also admitted that there is one-third of his characterization as an “annoyingly accurate smart guy” to be true. In thinking about how he built a career in sports media, Wright rhetorically queried the audience what factors to which his success could potentially be ascribed.
“My look? No,” Wright said. “I got a great voice? No. Connections? No. Athleticism? No. Likability? Pretty clearly not. It’s like, ‘God damnit, that guy really irritates me, but he’s smart. I learned something, and he’s right a lot.’”
Wright contrasted this with Wildes, to whom he attributes success related to his being handsome, funny and likable. Moreover, he added that if he had all of those things plus was the smartest guy in the room, he believes that he would be president. Wright then remarked that it said a lot about Torre that he had been thinking about their interaction for 14 months and that he must be operating under the same assumption as him.
“See why this guy is my rival?,” Wright said. “Do you see? Do you get it?”
During an appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz last year, Wright had described a rivals list that he keeps and explained that he wanted to vanquish Torre. Within his discourse, he had elucidated that he looks at people who are within two years of his age or younger and feels the need to be more successful than them. After reviewing the video clip, Torre responded to Wright using expletives on an earlier edition of his digital show.
“I don’t think that it is unique in any industry to look at the other high achievers that are around your age and measure yourself against them,” Wright said. “So everyone that was around my age, even though we’re not young anymore, they’re all rivals.”
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Collective Heads, a new consulting venture, has been launched by Tim Richards, Jimmy Steal, and Heidi McIvor-Allen.
Collective Heads will offer consulting services for Influencers on air, Podcast Curating and coaching, Creative Talent Coaching, and Digital Advertising.
Richards, a talent coach and programmer who has worked with major talents like Mojo in the Morning and Johnjay & Rich, said, “At Collective Heads, we amplify attention, optimize impact, and use words like ‘synergy’ with a straight face… But seriously, we’re all about collaboration,” says Richards, while probably holding a smoothie he insists is better than yours.
Steal, most recently VP of Brand & Content for 101.9 The Mix and Throwback 100.3 Chicago, added, “No one wins without great talent… and no one coaches talent better than me.”
A digital marketing, SEO, and social media ads specialist said, “We’re not just grabbing attention; we’re creating meaningful moments. And maybe a few memes.”
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As the Washington Commanders organization secured its first playoff victory in 19 years with a game-winning field goal, radio announcers Bram Weinstein and London Fletcher were exuberant and celebrated on the air. A field goal from Zane Gonzalez bounced off the upright and in as time was expiring to give the team a thrilling 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yet listening back to the radio call on Monday morning, Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti offered some criticism of how the momentous play was depicted.
The field goal opportunity took place after a sequence of events that favored the Commanders, starting with a fumble by Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. After a Washington touchdown, the team stopped Tampa Bay on second-and-1 and third-and-1 opportunities, leading the Buccaneers to kick a field goal to tie the game. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels then led the Commanders down the gridiron into field-goal range to set up the kick to send the team to the next round to face the Detroit Lions.
“Snap good, hold down, kick on its way,” Weinstein said. “It is good! The cardiac Commanders are the clutch Commanders! They do it again – we’ll see you in Detroit!”
“Teddy Gonzalez kicks in the door, and kicks us into the second round of the playoffs!,” Fletcher added.
Video taken from the Commanders radio booth showcases jubilation from Weinstein and Fletcher as the commentators documented a historic moment for the organization. Once the replay of the sound concluded on Monday’s edition of Boomer & Gio, Esiason offered his thoughts on the situation as conveyed on the airwaves.
“Oh man, I’ll tell you what,” Esiason said. “Those guys are out of their minds. But why didn’t they describe the kick as it hitting the right upright?”
“I know, I did think the same thing,” Giannotti said. “I mean, listen. They’re very excited, they were waiting to see if it was good, but if you’re doing the game on the radio, you really got to put that in there as part of the call.”
The television broadcast of the Wild Card game, which was on NBC and Peacock with Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark, delineated that the ball went off the right upright and in. Tirico exclaimed that the Commanders had doinked their way to the next round of the NFL playoffs. Esiason added that it was essential to say that the ball hit inside the upright and went through to result in the Commanders victory.
“Well, they win 23-20,” concluded anchor Jerry Recco. “That was Washington radio with the call.”
The Commanders will face the Detroit Lions in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs on Saturday, Jan. 18 from Ford Field at 8 p.m. EST. The game will be televised by FOX, while the Commanders local radio call will be available on WBIG-FM, the flagship radio home of the team.
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Chuck Todd has been a fixture on political coverage at NBC News for decades. That could end in 2025, a new report suggests, as Todd plans his exit from the network.
According to Semafor, Todd has been meeting with other outlets, telling them he plans to depart NBC News later this year when his contract expires.
The report coincides with Todd seeing a diminished presence with the network in recent months. After hosting its flagship political affairs show Meet the Press for nine years, Todd stepped away from the show in 2023 and was replaced by Kristen Welker. He also hosted a daily version of the program on MSNBC before the network shuffled its dayside lineup.
The report from Semafor says Todd is meeting with both broadcast and digital media companies about a Washington D.C.-based role when his contract with NBC News ends.
In total, Chuck Todd has spent the past 27 years working for NBC.
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The final day of Barrett News Media’s Top 20 of 2024 has arrived. My thanks to JJ Surma Voiceovers for supporting the news/talk radio industry, and this year’s series. For the full results, visit the website. Following us on X or Facebook and signing up for our newsletters here is also recommended. Your support is appreciated.
The six categories featured in this year’s series were News/Talk radio’s Major and Mid market morning, midday, and afternoon shows, program directors, radio stations, and the format’s best national talk shows. Major Markets represent shows, stations, and PDs in markets #1-#20. Mid Markets are for markets #21 and below. Not included are NPR brands/shows or podcasts. Mainstream news/talk radio outlets and shows are our main focus.
As you review the results, please remember that they represent the collective opinions of our radio industry executive panel. Decision makers receive lists and are asked to vote on talent, shows, brands, and leaders. We don’t participate in the voting process, we simply add up and present the results.
3 Things To Be Aware Of
#1 – We try to be thorough with the spelling of names, shows, cities, and the use of photos and logos. However, we’re creating 200+ images to highlight an entire format, so mistakes happen sometimes. If you see an error, please email Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we can fix it. Additionally, we ask voters to send in photos and logos in advance to avoid headaches. Once the series is presented, there are no changes unless it involves a mistake. Thanks in advance for understanding.
#2 – 83 radio stations appeared on ballots turned in by our executive panel. Executives were asked to rank their Top 20 using a few key factors; quality of shows (ear test), originality, ability to entertain-inform-connect across multiple platforms, ratings success, and industry buzz. 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 the best we’ve come up with to showcase the industry’s view of its best.
#3 – Our executive panel included programmers, consultants and corporate executives from radio’s top companies including Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Hubbard, Cox Media Group, Townsquare Media, Salem Media Group, Bonneville, FOX News Radio, Westwood One, and Radio One. Our total number of voters this year was forty six (46). Most vote on six categories, but some only vote on national shows and/or program directors. We involve people from different groups and cities in order to provide a balanced view of the format.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for doing a great job with this year’s graphics. I’d also like to thank all who took part in the voting process. Now without further delay, here are the Top 20 Mid Market Radio Stations in News/Talk radio for 2024.
Additional Notes:
700 WLW won this category with an impressive thirty one (31) point advantage over WIBC 93.1 in Indianapolis. WLW, WIBC and WBT all tied for the most first-place votes with three (3).
Spots 21-25 belonged to WRVA, NJ 101.5,1130 WISN, WOWO, and 1080 WTIC.
The closest contests were for spots 18-20. KFAB, WWNC and The Mighty 990 were all separated by one (1) point.
Of the 83 radio stations to appear on submitted ballots, seven (7) received at least one 1st place vote.
BNM Top 20 Reminder:
Jason Barrett and Garrett Searight will review the Top 20 results on video. Look for it on the Barrett Media YouTube page on Tuesday. The full results from 2024, 2023, 2022 and prior years in both news/talk and sports radio can be accessed here.
The final day of Barrett News Media’s Top 20 of 2024 has arrived. A big thank you to JJ Surma Voiceovers for supporting the news/talk radio industry, and this year’s series. For the full results, visit the website. Following us on X or Facebook and signing up for our newsletters here is also recommended. We appreciate the support.
The six categories featured in this year’s series were News/Talk radio’s Major and Mid market morning, midday, and afternoon shows, program directors, radio stations, and the format’s best national talk shows. Major Markets represent shows, stations, and PDs in markets #1-#20. Mid Markets are for markets #21 and below. Not included are NPR brands/shows or podcasts. Mainstream news/talk radio outlets and shows are our main focus.
As you review the results, please remember that they represent the collective opinions of our radio industry executive panel. Decision makers receive lists and are asked to vote on talent, shows, brands, and leaders. We don’t participate in the voting process, we simply add up and present the results.
3 Things To Be Aware Of
#1 – We try to be thorough with the spelling of names, shows, cities, and the use of photos and logos. However, we’re creating 200+ images to highlight an entire format, so mistakes happen sometimes. If you see an error, please email Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we can fix it. Additionally, we ask voters to send in photos and logos in advance to avoid headaches. Once the series is presented, there are no changes unless it involves a mistake. Thanks in advance for understanding.
#2 – 53 radio stations appeared on ballots turned in by our executive panel. Executives were asked to rank their Top 20 using a few key factors; quality of shows (ear test), originality, ability to entertain-inform-connect across multiple platforms, ratings success, and industry buzz. 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 the best we’ve come up with to showcase the industry’s view of its best.
#3 – Our executive panel included programmers, consultants and corporate executives from radio’s top companies including Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Hubbard, Cox Media Group, Townsquare Media, Salem Media Group, Bonneville, FOX News Radio, Westwood One, and Radio One. Our total number of voters this year was forty six (46). Most vote on six categories, but some only vote on national shows and/or program directors. We involve people from different groups and cities in order to provide a balanced view of the format.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for doing a great job with this year’s graphics. I’d also like to thank all who took part in the voting process. Now without further delay, here are the Top 20 Major Market Radio Stations in News/Talk radio for 2024.
Additional Notes:
WTOP won this category for the first time. The Washington DC news outlet finished twenty one (21) points ahead of KFI 640 in Los Angeles. Both stations tied for the most first-place votes in the category with five (5).
Spots 21-25 belonged to WLS 890, WRKO 680, WCCO, 790 KABC, and 610 WIOD.
The closest contest saw KTRH in Houston edge KOA in Denver by one (1) point.
Of the 53 radio stations on the list, twelve (12) received at least one 1st place vote.
BNM Top 20 Reminder:
Jason Barrett and Garrett Searight will review the Top 20 results on video. Look for it on the Barrett Media YouTube page on Tuesday. The full results from 2024, 2023, 2022 and prior years in both news/talk and sports radio can be accessed here.
Beasley Media has made a change that effects two of its brands, 102.9 WMGK in Philadelphia, and 105.7 WROR in Boston. Eric Johnson’s position has been eliminated. As a result, his run as WMGK’s program director, and WROR’s midday host comes to an end.
Johnson shared the news earlier this morning on Facebook. This marks the end of his second run with the company. Johnson left Townsquare Media’s New Jersey operation in 2017 to run 95.7 The Fanatic before being let go in 2019. Beasley Media then rehired him in June 2020 as PD/Host at MIX 99.5 WJBR in Wilmington, Delaware before having him return to Philadelphia in September 2023.
This is the second high-profile change at WMGK in recent months. Popular afternoon personality Andre Gardner was let go in October.
In his Facebook post, Johnson shared that he was proud of WMGK’s ratings success across various demos. He was also ranked by Radio Ink as one of radio’s Top 10 programmers. The news was so fresh that as of this posting, Johnson’s profile remains active on WMGK’s website.
Beasley has not yet announced their plans for leading WMGK moving forward or who will step in at WROR in middays. As more information becomes available, we will pass it along.
For those interested in talking to Eric Johnson about future opportunities, you can email him here.
Southern California wildfires. We’re familiar with the annual routine of the burns, but the recent Los Angeles area fires have branded the names of Palisades and Eaton in our memories for a long time.
Radio and broadcasters shine in these moments of natural disaster and public panic. We know the power of News/Talk and News brands during these times. But what is the responsibility of music stations when the community is hurting?
When the fires were exploding last week and dominating news and social media, I grabbed my smartphone and started listening to KNX on the Audacy app and KFI on the iHeart app. The information was all fires, all the time, as it should’ve been.
After an hour of bouncing back and forth between those News and Information icons, I asked, “What are the music stations doing?” So, I bounced around the apps for a while.
Note: I wasn’t analyzing each station’s approach. I could’ve recorded these stations and evaluated the entire hour to observe the strategy. But I wanted to listen as a person jumping around the dial. What impression would I get when I landed on the station? If the station was playing a song, I listened to the song until the next human break.
My first music format stop was World Famous Rock, KROQ-FM, 106.7. I heard the Klein/Ally show in the middle of a break, promoting updates on their sister station, KNX. They played a Blink-182 song, set up the new 8 am hour, and played the bumper for the daily bit “A.D.D. News.” However, the content was all fire updates and comments about the fires from the hosts.
Because I was on the Audacy app, I searched for KROQ’s sister station 94.7 The Wave. A Leon Bridges song was playing, and I continued to listen until host Liz Henandez back-announced the song and talked about the fires. She did a good job describing the scene and the realities of what was happening. At this point, the fire departments had 0% fire containment.
The iHeart app was my next stop, and 102.7 KIIS-FM was my first thought. Ryan Seacrest back-announced a Chapell Roan song, teased an upcoming content bit, and played “APT.” by Rose & Bruno Mars. Seacrest back announced the song and talked about it being played throughout Times Square when he was there for the NYE Countdown. The conversation moved to a discussion about a new phone scam, followed by a tease to win Justin Timberlake tickets that morning. He said it was “Wednesday,” but I didn’t hear an acknowledgment about the fires during those two songs.
Approaching the bottom of the 8 am hour, I clicked on Salem’s 95.9 The Fish. I caught the final minute of a song followed by a traffic report that didn’t mention the fires. Scott & Sam played Cody Carnes’s “Take You At His Word,” followed by a break about garbage seen in parking lots and the general increase in human hopelessness. There was no mention of the fires before playing MercyMe.
The next stop was Radio Free 102.3 KJLH, with The Steve Harvey Morning Show. I connected during a stop set when the local host, Adai Lamar, was talking about the fires and the latest updates. It was followed by a stop set, then back to Junior and Sports Talk. The show teased the next bit, followed by a song.
I went back to two iHeart stalwarts, starting with 104.3 MyFM at 8:55 am. Valentine In The Morning was in the middle of an entertainment news break with Jill. They were laughing when Valentine mentioned the need for laughs today. He acknowledged MyFM would have fire updates throughout the day.
At 9:00 am, Ellen K, morning host of 103.5 KOST, came out of a Cyndi Lauper song and quickly started sharing fire information with a well-executed update on the situation, complete with sound bites and a live legal ID.
The app listening tour continued with The Heidi and Frank Show on 95.5 KLOS. They talked about the fires for a while. Frank revealed the fires looked like they were moving close to where he lives. This became a frequent mention for several days across the dial when other broadcasters opened up about the possibility of the disaster affecting them.
At the end of the Heidi and Frank segment, Frank teased they had Toto concert tickets to giveaway during the hour. Sarcastic laughter was next because they knew a concert ticket contest was low on the list of listener priorities that day. But Frank was in the moment and said, “Hey, it’s about balance right now.”
The final stop happened in the afternoon on K-EARTH 101.1 KRTH. I tuned in during a stop set. It was followed by a produced fire update, and the reporter ended it by promoting continuous updates on sister station KNX. The station went back to music and played “Major Tom” by Peter Schilling. The next song was Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin,” and midday host Lara Scott promoted a money contest starting Monday. She tied it all together and created an in-the-moment break over that iconic song intro when she said, “We’re all looking forward to brighter days ahead.”
Later in the day, I heard K-EARTH’s Greg Simms come out of The Eagles’ “Take It Easy” and segue into “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears for Fears. Greg gave fire updates, including new information about the evacuation line being extended to Hollywood Hills, all over the song intro.
Music radio has the unique challenge of balancing the expectations of the format with the information needs of the moment. These brands are primarily used by an audience attracted to specific genres of music. The presentation by the talent and everything else that comes “between the records” is the art of producing a radio brand that goes beyond the music.
When your market is on fire, boarding up for hurricanes, or finding interior walls during tornado warnings, where do you call audibles and change the plays without violating the expectations of the brands? Here are three considerations based on my fragmented listening experience last week:
BE IN THE MOMENT:
Radio isn’t on-demand, but it is in the moment. If we want to be different from generic streaming services, then empower the talent to connect with the audience during these times. Change your imaging if it violates the mood of the community or makes you sound out of touch.
Celebrate the edited jock and the power of the sentence fragment. One of the best moments I heard was Greg Simms giving an updated fire line evacuation break over a song intro. He didn’t violate the flow of the formatics, and he created a visualization moment for his audience. Ignoring the moment creates a disconnect between the brand and the listener.
MATCH THE MOMENT:
Most of my listening was in the morning so there’s a higher percentage of bits and features. The Klein/Ally Show didn’t drop the A.D.D. feature, but they changed the content because the fire updates were a bigger attraction than the whacky content typically delivered in that bit. Valentine continued with the entertainment report, but he didn’t want me to think he wasn’t aware of what was going on in my world, so he said something like, “We could use the laughs today.”
ACKNOWLEDGE THE OBVIOUS:
A station’s talent may be 100% imported from outside the marketplace. No live jocks in the studio. Or, you may have syndicated shows on your station. Find ways to get updated lines from the voice-tracked talent, even if it’s one an hour.
If your cluster doesn’t have a spoken word outlet to supply your station with updates, then network with a local TV affiliate to supply the breaks. It is easier than ever to get access to audio and quickly upload it to your scheduling software.
Music radio has an important role in connecting with the audience and disseminating important information during times of crises and disasters because most of radio’s audience is listening to these music-based brands.
Update your playbook for 2025 so you’ll be ready to serve the community when the moment arrives.
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.
I appeared last week on Sid Rosenberg’s radio show on 77WABC in New York, and am visiting with Bill Cunningham on 700 WLW in Cincinnati today. Both are very successful in their respective cities, which is supported by their high rankings in the BNM Top 20 of 2024. If you haven’t seen the results, click here.
During my conversation with Sid, he asked a question at the end of our discussion which we could have spent hours on. Sid said he didn’t think radio was launching new stars and shows the way it once did. He shared how Tim McCarthy agreed, and wanted to know if I did too, and if I was concerned.
The easy answer is that digital content creation and interaction appeals more to younger folks than radio. Every executive in the radio industry should be concerned about that. I’m not sure they are though. Radio relies heavily on established voices to win the current quarter and year. Digital brands meanwhile prioritize the long game while also competing in the current climate. Having the benefit of speaking to young people at various schools, they often express greater interest in podcasting, social media, and TV than they do radio.
In ten years, where are you going to find better sports audio and video content? Radio or Digital? TV or Digital? You could argue digital content is already better. The dashboard is the one thing radio still owns but once it starts to resemble your iPhone or the inside of a Tesla, it’s going to be an uphill climb for radio. It’s why apps, smart speakers, cameras, and even brand names are being changed across the industry.
Though changes in technology are forcing operators to meet the audience where they’re at, that’s not the only thing happening. I see three key problems facing the radio business, which aren’t given the attention they require.
Finding and Investing in New Voices
Radio groups are hesitant to invest in young talent the way others do. Major market stars like Boomer & Gio, Mike Valenti, Felger & Mazz are paid well but those are proven voices. What about the next crop of stars? Do brands expect to develop and retain great personalities by investing less than one hundred thousand dollars in them? A solid host can make that themselves on YouTube, and if they have enough of a following, they’ll earn interest and better compensation from digital outlets.
In the past five years alone, sports radio hosts like Danny Parkins, Nick Wright, Joy Taylor, Joe Fortenbaugh, Amber Wilson, and John Middlekauff just to name a few, have moved away from local sports radio. These are the voices who should be featured in cities across the medium for the next decade or two. Instead, they’re leading the charge for TV and digital brands.
Barstool Sports has done as good of a job launching new talent as any brand in the game. The easy hires to highlight are Big Cat, KFC, and PFT Commenter, but Will Compton, Taylor Llewan, Brandon Walker, Frank The Tank, Ben Mintz, Kayce Smith and many others have also become players in sports media while working for the outlet. The reason they’ve done well, they were talented, and given shows, and promotion to cut through.
Watch this video below of Dave Portnoy talking about the financial structure he created for Grace O’Malley. O’Malley recently left Barstool Sports and told Theo Von that she didn’t have a great deal at Barstool. She’s another great example of a homegrown talent who Barstool built up. The company’s approach reminds me of what professional sports teams do with young stars who they hope to build around for years to come.
Grace went on Theo Von podcast and sort of insinuated like we didn’t pay her fairly so I figured I’d just say what she made here so people can decide for themselves. She was in the last year of a 3 year deal.
Once a talent blossoms, they’re going to want more. Pat McAfee, Alex Cooper, Caleb Presley, Jared Carrabis, and others did the same leaving Barstool, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, few will agree that Barstool doesn’t pay young talent well. Knowing what I know of sports media deals, especially for new talent without proven track records and established followings, Grace was compensated well. Radio executives won’t like the Barstool structure because it shows a stark difference in the way they value young talent.
Marketing Our Product
Over the weekend, I saw this post below from Danny Parkins. FS1 recently had Mark Schlereth, Craig Carton, and Parkins take part in a photo shoot in NYC for billboards to promote their show ‘Breakfast Ball’, and Parkins’ performance as the top picker for the 2024 football season.
Danny pointed out that during his entire time in radio, he never had a billboard promote his program. Keep in mind, Parkins led a top rated show in Chicago at The Score, and in Kansas City at 610 Sports. Why is it that FS1 sees value in marketing its new morning show, but local sports radio brands don’t?
By the way, this isn’t just a sports radio issue either. This applies to all radio formats. Ginny Morris, Curtis LeGeyt, and Tim McCarthy have all told me before that radio needs to market itself better, but where is David Field, Bob Pittman, Mary Berner, and every other radio executive on this issue? If we want people to consume radio, work in radio, and most importantly, advertise on radio, we have to show that we put our money where our mouth is. It’s hypocritical to ask advertisers to buy commercials on our airwaves, promising it will grow their businesses, but not being willing to make the same investment ourselves in our own.
Identifying a ‘Hit’ and ‘Star’
Lack of opportunity, and marketing are two real issues, but so is creating GREAT programming. How many programmers today are hunting for new talent, and creating content that can’t be missed? Are you bold enough to make decisions that put a bullseye on your back? More importantly, can you identify what a ‘hit’ or ‘future star’ is? Hiring people is one of the benefits of being a programmer. However, not everyone is good at it. Some are also too stubborn to admit they need help.
The funny thing about hiring talent is that when corporate gets involved they chase resumes. They want what’s safe and easy for sales rather than betting on something that could be big. It’s why the Frank The Tank’s of the world aren’t launching today in sports radio. Many are more concerned about job security, and handling the flood of responsibilities they’ve been given. They’re also hesitant to challenge bosses for more resources due to the instability with radio’s larger companies. They’re essentially doing the best they can with what they have, and trying to stay under the radar.
The problem with that is that other mediums are getting better while sports radio becomes stagnant. Who believes that sports radio is stronger in 2025 than it was in 2015? How about in 2005? This format used to launch the biggest and best shows in the business. From ‘Mike and the Mad Dog’ to ‘Felger & Mazz’ to the ‘Razor and Mr. T’, ‘2 Live Stews’, etc., originality, new voices, and powerful hosts dominated the airwaves. Many made fortunes off of it. Now, how many ‘hit’ shows exist featuring talent under 35 years old?
Guys like Mark Chernoff, Andy Roth, Spike Eskin, Mike Thomas, Mitch Rosen, and Ryan Maguire did excellent work identifying, developing, and building hit shows around new voices. It was a strength of mine as well. When I hired Joe Fortenbaugh and John Middlekauff in San Francisco despite never having hosted radio shows full time, both were under 35. Others like Guy Haberman, Sean O’Connell, Zach McCrite, Daryle ‘Guru’ Johnson, Brandon Tierney, John Lund, Bob Stelton, Chris Duncan, and Damon Bruce were either under 35 or just above it. Bruce Gilbert preached at ESPN Radio to program to the 32-year old, and it just made sense that if you hoped to reach the middle of the demo, you needed people who related to them, and could grow with them.
The Long Game
I listen to a lot of sports radio across the country, certainly more than most people. As a consultant, I’ve helped hire or develop talent and shows in Charlotte, Houston, Denver, Jacksonville, and other cities that needed time to grow, but are now established and doing well. It’s what makes the work rewarding. You’ve got to protect the present while building for the future. If you ignore the outside noise and internal bullshit, trust your gut, and focus on the long game, more times than not things turn out OK if you’ve done your homework. A personality can have all the tools to succeed, but they still need a leader who’s willing to bet on them.
If you swing and miss on a decision, is your life going to end? No. Is your family going to disown you or label you a failure? No. So what exactly is there to be afraid of? Losing a job? Those can be replaced. Making decisions on behalf of an audience requires bold leadership not a yes man or woman.
Many look at what could go wrong, rather than what could go right when hiring people. But to create special content and memorable shows, you need unique, emerging talent, and a leader willing to roll the dice. That requires scouting, and trusting your eyes and ears. A brand leader has to find original voices, feature them, promote them, coach them, and work with the sales team to sell them. Anyone can fill out a lineup card. Not everyone can find the right leadoff and cleanup hitter, and win the game.
If radio hopes to compete against the best sports content brands in the media industry (not just radio), finding new stars, and providing opportunities will be critical. With 7-days per week and 24-hours per day of air time available, not to mention social media platforms, websites, and podcasting channels, showcasing new voices should be simple. For the past 5-10 years, GM’s and corporate bosses have been giving program directors less budget and time to find and develop new programming. If you’re not investing in your future, you’re just existing, and waiting to be replaced.
I hear a lot of fine, solid, and good programming, but not enough great, memorable, appointment level content. Especially from talent under 35. Many I talk to across the industry feel similar. Maybe we’re all old, and out of touch, but I think there’s a real concern here. Building hit shows and creating must-listen content is a brand leader’s most important responsibility. Without it, your monetization opportunities decrease. Few remember the programmer who scheduled clocks great, analyzed ratings sheets or turned in everyone’s paperwork on time. They never forget the hit makers.
If history has taught us anything, if we don’t create opportunities, invest in talent, and market our programming, others will, and they’ll beat us at our own game. Maybe then we’ll take these threats more seriously.
When it comes to sports in Chicago, there are always certain names that pop in your head immediately. Names like Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Ryne Sandberg, Jeremy Roenick and Phil Jackson. For sports radio listeners in Chicago, the names Marc Silverman and Tom Waddle from ESPN Chicago are just as synonymous with Chicago sports.
The two hosts are the longest running sports talk duo in Chicago, having started together in 2007. These days, the pair start their on-air shift with a thirty-minute Crosstalk segment with the midday show, Carmen and Jurko and hosts Carmen DeFalco and John Jurkovic. From 3 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., the airwaves belong to the show I eavesdropped in on this week, Waddle & Silvy.
The thirty-minutes from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. is a change that was put in place early last year, extending the midday show an additional hour, while keeping Silverman and Waddle on for four total hours.
‘Silvy’ has been a sports radio personality for the last three decades, with his first daytime hosting role coming as a sidekick to Jay Mariotti in 2004. Tom Waddle was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent wide receiver in 1989 and played for the team his entire six-year NFL career. He started his media career after his playing days were over and after being in the space for a decade, he found himself paired with Silverman.
As they get set to celebrate 18 years together later this year, you know the duo has to be doing something right. Most shows and/or partnerships don’t last this long. However, as you tune into the show, you quickly realize these are two guys who love to talk sports together, and more specifically, love to talk football together.
I chose this show for this week because I am genuinely interested in what the Bears will do with their head coach opening as I think it will make for great content. Either Bears ownership will completely change their standard practices and compete for one of the top names available, or they stick to what they are known for and the fans and media in Chicago respond accordingly.
Following Crosstalk, the beginning of the show starts with talk about Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and whether or not he should be who the Bears target. Here, you learn very quickly that even though the station is the home of the Bears, you are going to get conversation that is presented from all sides.
After talking about why the team might want to target Freeman, Waddle asks, “If you’re Marcus Freeman, why would you want the chaos of this franchise? … Maybe the Notre Dame job, from his perspective, is a better job at the moment than the Bears job.”
The show is a true ‘voice of the fan’ and unlike a lot of shows these days, the fans are welcome to take part in the show via the phone lines. After Silverman and Waddle talk thoroughly about the Bears head coaching search and flush out the idea of Freeman as a candidate, they engage with the listeners and get some of their opinions.
Later, another former Bears player and current Bears analyst Tom Thayer would jump in for a sponsored visit. In addition to talking Bears, the interview is timely because Thayer played at Notre Dame, although he admitted he is much more wrapped up in what is happening in the NFL.
A technical difficulty occurred when Thayer got disconnected from his Comrex unit, but ‘Silvy’ is a pro and after having some fun with it and then realizing it might take a few minutes to get him back, he threw it to sound from Paul Finebaum talking about the Notre Dame job and how things have changed since Freeman took over. By the time the audio had played, Thayer was back, and they went right into his thoughts on whether or not Freeman had made Notre Dame more likeable.
Thayer was an excellent guest and had some great thoughts on what the next Bears head coach needs to be. Silverman asked him, “What is your priority as far as the next head coach?” Thayer talked about accountability and said, “That’s what I need to see out of every member of the football team that goes into that locker room every day.”
With the Bears coaching search being what most sports fans are talking (worrying) about in Chicago, the visit from Thayer was perfect. It was what the hosts had talked about and now the guest was brought in to give their take on the topic. And, noticeably, neither Silverman or Waddle felt the need to show off how much they know and not ask questions, they brought up the topics they had been discussing and let Thayer have the floor to respond.
‘Silvy’ would later ask Thayer about the prospect of hiring someone like Ben Johnson, the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator who is high on a lot of lists as the top coordinator candidate for head coaching vacancies. He asked how you know someone like that can be what you need them to be when they have no history as a head coach. Thayer talked about that being up to the people in the room during the interview process to judge if they see a leader or just someone selling themselves to get the job.
Later in the show, Doug Kezerian, the Chief Content Officer and Senior Betting Analyst for Only Players comes on in another sponsored segment and talks wagering. The guys do a good job of making the segment as relatable as possible, in this case talking about former Bears quarterback Justin Fields and some wagers related to his Pittsburgh Steelers in their playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.
I always like to point out how shows execute picks segments. In this case, the segment was filled with great information a football fan might want even if they don’t ever plan to place a bet. This is much better than just throwing out games and having picks without context or explanation.
Later on, there was a sponsored segment called ‘Waddle’s World’ where Waddle throws out various topics that might be trending in sports or entertainment, other items of interest or odd news that comes up. In this episode there was talk about Zion Williamson, the NBA becoming a league of ‘Dunk n Chill’, the new owner of Michael Jordan’s Chicago home selling shares of his investment in it, the ‘Costco Guys’ and other social influencers, $.25 cent burgers at Wendys, and more.
Robert Mays who covers the Bears for The Athletic joined as a guest for even more opinion on the Bears coaching search. Mays likes Ben Johnson but points out he may get better offers with better offensive situations. He also said he is surprised Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen is not someone the Bears have shown interest in. He backs that up by mentioning Coen having worked under Sean McVay and names others who have also been part of McVay’s ‘Coaching Tree’ including the Bengals’ Zac Taylor, the Packers’ Matt LaFleur and the Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell list.
In a rather heartwarming moment at the end of the Bears talk, Silverman brought up Mays having lost a longtime pet recently which led to several sharing similar losses in the past. It was one of those things that can happen in a show, unexpectedly, which has a lasting impression on the audience, as it shows the human side of the hosts in a relatable topic to almost everyone.
A second picks segment came later on, which is cleverly named ‘Like it, Love it, Just a Taste of It.’ You’ll be surprised to hear it was a sponsored segment and it was the hosts along with producers Jeff Meller and Tyler Aki competing in a challenge where each one picks an upcoming wager they like, one they love and one they might be interested in putting just a little taste on. It was also well done for a picks segment, although with all of the various picks being made there was less time for support of the picks being made. The segment did, however, give us a great line from ‘Silvy’ who said he loved the Eagles at -5 over Green Bay simply because, “I think the Eagles are good and the Packers are not.”
As the show started to wrap up, they recommended some television shows, series and movies for people to watch over the weekend in a ‘What to Watch For’ segment which did in fact have a sponsor attached to it. Then, after talking about friend of the show Barstool Big Cat’s confession that he did not grow up in Chicago, it was Aki who finished out the week with a segment called ‘Aki’s A-List.’
Chicago sports fans know exactly what they’ll get when they tune into ESPN Chicago in afternoon drive. They know Marc ‘Silvy’ Silverman and Tom Waddle will have segments that will keep them informed and give them lots of strong opinion on the topics they care most about. They know they’ll have segments where they’ll laugh and be entertained.
And they know all of those segments will be sponsored (kudos to the ESPN Chicago sales team!).
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