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Kay Adams Has Made ‘Up & Adams’ on FanDuel TV a Hangout Destination For Athletes and Coaches

John Molori
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Kay Adams Has Made ‘Up & Adams’ on FanDuel TV a Hangout Destination For Athletes and Coaches

The Monday after the final week of the NFL regular season is always interesting with coaching changes, playoff matchups, predictions, and reflections. There is an infinite number of questions and seemingly the same number of football television programs with purported answers. For my Monday viewing, I choose to check out FanDuel’s Up & Adams hosted by Kay Adams. The show features a cold open with Adams seated behind her laptop. She jumped right into the fray joyously holding up a printed sheet of paper with the playoff pairings for the upcoming Wild Card weekend.

Truth be told, I was impressed with Adams before she even spoke. Her background set features, among other things, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album and Dolly Parton’s Just Because I’m a Woman album. How can you not like that?

Beyond props however, Adams has a uniquely smooth and understated style cultivated over her years at NBC Sports Boston, as host of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, and now with her own show on FanDuel. Moreover, she is an excellent reporter and interviewer. Her enthusiastic intro to the show touched on potential coaching changes and looked back at the Minnesota Vikings’ dismal performance in a Week 18 division and number one seed clinching game against the Detroit Lions.

She said that this past weekend might’ve been the best final weekend of the NFL season ever, cracking a sly smile as if she was recognizing her own little bit of hyperbole. A graphic then showed this upcoming weekend’s Wild Card matchups while Adams analyzed some odds for the various games on the slate.

There is a palpable excitement in Adams’ voice as she talks about football. This is where the fan in her emerges vividly. Her voice inflection and tone changes as she moves from game to game. This authenticity is a key part of her ability to draw in viewers and keep them interested. Sports fans can spot a phony from a mile away. Adams is the real deal.

Speaking of fans, viewers can send in questions and comments via YouTube live while watching Up & Adams. In fact, watching the show is kind of like a fun social media scroll. Adams pitched to a Twitter/X clip of Dan Campbell’s locker room speech following the big win over the Vikings. Since the bulk of the show is simply Adams in a one shot, it’s great to have these breakaways to bring variety.

Adams also does a nice job of providing information and opinion over highlights. During video of the Vikings-Lions game she didn’t just narrate the plays, she gave her viewpoints and some solid analysis.

Up & Adams is largely host-driven which can be a challenge, but Adams often looks into the camera and talks directly to viewers almost as if the watcher is a co-host. She is not alone in this endeavor, however. On this edition, Up & Adams went to a two shot and welcomed reporter/producer Matt Hamilton to analyze some NFL games and headlines.

This is FanDuel, so many of the commercials and show graphics center on wagering and betting odds. One such graphic showed the current FanDuel Sportsbook odds for the Super Bowl LIX winner with Detroit topping the list at +300. Adams added to the numbers game stating that number one seeds in the NFL playoffs make it to the Super Bowl 53% of the time while number five seeds make it to the big game just 3.3% of the time. This stat hit home the importance of that Minnesota-Detroit game with the Lions gaining the top seed and Vikings now sitting at five.

One of the best parts of Adams’ TV game is her on-air introspection and angst. She expressed exasperation over those who are writing off the Vikings after a 14 win season, but also said that the pressure of a winner take all game might impact QB Sam Darnold and head coach Kevin O’Connell.

As she looked at the AFC playoff picture, she mentioned that the Cincinnati Bengals were out, and then made a choking sound. Adams is direct yet jovial in her criticisms. It’s like getting hit by a brick with a nice ribbon tied around it. With eyes wide, a smirk, or full on head in hands disgust, Adams’ rifts are like football therapy with all the emotional ups and downs that fans feel in the week to week soap opera that is the NFL.

In talking about the resurgent Denver Broncos, Adams harkened back to when her show was at Broncos’ training camp and a conversation with wide receiver Courtland Sutton. She then ran a clip of Sutton  predicting that his team would make the playoffs. This added some thickness and depth to the program.

Adams is an established NFL media star, and her next guest is well on his way to that status. ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak is direct, passionate, and entertaining. He and Adams talked about the Giants retaining both head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen. Solak said he was fine with that as long as you don’t mind setting the team up for failure.

The pair then hit on the Patriots firing Jerod Mayo after just one season as head coach. Adams admitted that she was shocked at the move, while Solak said that Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson would be the perfect fit as head coach in New England citing the team’s $130 million in cap space and terrific young quarterback Drake Maye. Adams counterpointed saying that the fact that New England canned Mayo after just one season could make them an unattractive landing spot for a prospective new coach.

In addition to Solak, Adams also welcomed Hall of Fame class of 2025 finalist Jared Allen to the program. The former Minnesota Viking star talked about Minnesota’s postseason chances and opined that the team needs to run the ball more in the playoffs.

He and Adams also discussed the Rams’ Wild Card game defensive strategy against Justin Jefferson and the possible retirement of Aaron Rodgers, who was a rival of Allen’s when he played with the Packers. I enjoyed the back-and-forth.

Just as the show had a cold open, it also has sort of a cold close ending right after the Allen interview with no traditional sign off or goodbye, just Adams shutting her laptop.

There is a coolness to Adams on air demeanor reminiscent of the late Barbara Walters. Like Walters in news and entertainment, NFL players, coaches, and media people want to talk with Adams. She makes guests feel comfortable while also asking pertinent questions and gaining insightful answers. In this light, Up & Adams is truly a mirror image of Adams herself – linear, organic, free-flowing, and simultaneously hard-hitting and soft-spoken.

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.

Who Will You Be When Your Media Career Is Over?

Robby Bridges
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Who Will You Be When Your Media Career Is Over?

Our publisher Jason Barrett, wrote a great piece earlier this week inspired by his recent watching of a documentary on Aaron Rodgers.

Jason’s wheels got turning on his own path, work ethic, and sense of self, and how that translated to his leadership style, work with others, and how broadcasters (particularly once they hit the beach as Aaron is contemplating) see themselves.

Good questions. I was having similar thoughts this week. I found more conclusive life advice in a new GQ interview with David Letterman (a massive influence on me and a professional hero of mine).

Dave discussed life during and after hosting his daily show, his drive, and who he thinks he is, and it surely resonated with me. The interviewer pointed out that Letterman is often described as “miserable” and “reclusive” in the press during his many years of broadcasting while, more recently, being more open and lighter-hearted.

Letterman cackled with delight at this and shared he hates “show business and show business culture” and yet had a burning desire to pursue it. While doing so he was so completely consumed he hardly considered other facets of life, let alone enjoyed them to the point that even the professional highs left him empty and seeking a greater one.

He described this as a form of addiction similar to his former alcoholism and shared that he, not only since coming off the air, feels he has time and bandwidth to appreciate and enjoy people and activities outside of what his routine once was. He describes the “real me” as a guy excited to cook dinner and eat it with his wife adding “I suppose that’s who I’ve always been really.”

Whether working, retired, sidelined for the moment, or attempting to break in, it’s worthwhile to attempt to keep it all in perspective.

Letterman and Aaron Rodgers describe the ferocious tenacity to consume oneself in the pursuit of greatness. Jason, our publisher, shared that he, too, knows it well. I do, too, but not as much as I once did.

I find myself a little less consumed, a little less obsessed, and a bit happier with family or out to dinner than I once was in the studio. As a matter of fact, I think I’m a more well-rounded broadcaster in that I’m not quite as obsessed with it as I once was.

I’m still obsessed with an unhealthy and crazed point, but just a little less to try to keep all in perspective and not take myself or radio too seriously.

I let my radio career define me for a long time, and whatever legacy as a human I’ll leave. I don’t think of myself in terms of my career first as I once did or use it as an emotional crutch “ah no setback here I’ll make it to Hollywood one day I will.” After all, as one of my good friends in this business, super jock Dave Fuller always says, “Radio, it’s a sickness.”

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.

Anatomy of a Broadcaster: Noah Eagle

Andy Masur
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Anatomy of a Broadcaster: Noah Eagle

Before Noah Eagle began to show an interest in following in his father’s footsteps, he had something else in mind. Something that showed a bit of imagination.

“When people asked what I wanted to do, the answer was very simple: I wanted to be a TV dentist, which is not a real thing,” Noah told GQ last summer. With the great example right in front of him, the career goals became a little more real as a teenager. A pivot in his outlook began after watching his dad’s passion for his own work as a CBS announcer.

Smart choice by Noah, who is one of the brightest up and coming (some may argue he’s already there) broadcasters in the country. Not bad for a kid from New Jersey, who grew up a big basketball fan. He would shadow his father when Ian called NBA games. Following through on his intentions to get into broadcasting, Noah ended up going to Syracuse, and graduating in 2019. There he showed promise when given the opportunity to call Orange basketball, football and lacrosse games.

Just a few years later, he had already burst on the national scene, joining his dad as a network broadcaster. 

ROAD TO NBC

Eagle didn’t take long after his graduation to get into the game. In April 2019, he tried out, unsuccessfully for the LA Clippers television play-by-play job. He was impressive enough for management to offer him the radio job. He took it and started in October of that year.

The busy Eagle worked in his off-season of 2021 on the play-by-play of 3×3 basketball for NBC Sports’ coverage of the pandemic delayed 2020 Olympics. It was the first time the sport was played.

Later that year Eagle joined CBS Sports as the play-by-play broadcaster for their #2 broadcasting team for college football. Eagle called games during the SEC on CBS doubleheaders calling select CBS Sports Network games. 

He has also called special NFL broadcasts for CBS’ sister network Nickelodeon since 2021, teaming with CBS sportscaster Nate Burleson and Nickelodeon star Gabrielle Neveah Green on coverage of two Wild Card playoff games and a Christmas Day contest.

In 2022, Eagle was paired with his dad’s former announcing partner Dan Fouts for Los Angeles Chargers preseason games airing on KCBS-TV. Eagle also moved over to Fox Sports that year, working as a play-by-play announcer for their college basketball coverage and later their college football coverage.  2022 was also the year for Eagle’s first chance to call an NFL game on network television. He called a Week 6 game between the 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons on Fox.

In February 2023, Eagle left for NBC to become their play-by-play broadcaster for their recently acquired Big Ten Saturday Night package, as well as their Big Ten basketball package on Peacock.

In September of 2023 Eagle joined the YES Network as an alternate play-by-play announcer behind his father, Ian, and Ryan Ruocco. He left his role with the Clippers as a result.

NBC had more plans for Eagle in 2024, announcing that he would take on the play-by-play duties for the United States men’s and women’s basketball teams at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Also last year, he was the lead play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports/Peacock at the 2024 French Open tennis championships and for a Netflix NFL game on Christmas Day.

Quite a five-year span for a young broadcaster.

WHY IS HE GOOD?

His voice is mature beyond his years. He sounds poised, confident, authoritative and much older than he is. There’s a polished quality to his broadcasts that you normally hear from seasoned veteran broadcasters. His voice is smooth, yet commanding, another element to a broadcast usually reserved for those with much more experience. It’s rare that young broadcasters possess more than one of these traits, but that’s the case with Eagle.

The one thing that comes shining through in every broadcast is how well-prepared Eagle is for each of them. It is so important for any broadcaster to be ready to go every time he/she cracks the mic.

“If I’m prepared, then I feel confident that I can go in and do my job,” Eagle told The Athletic. “But it’s all about preparation. It’s what you do leading up to the broadcast that makes the broadcast good.”

Most younger broadcasters are singularly focused on sounding great. So much so, that it can sound robotic and mechanical. Not in Eagle’s case. He infuses the proper balance of command and confidence to unlock his personality. He is technically solid, but I love the way he can poke a little fun at himself along the way. Self-deprecation makes you sound human and much more relatable to your audience. I enjoy the mix of it all in Eagle’s broadcasts.

You can tell he is Ian’s son. I don’t mean that he is copying his dad at all. The style he employs takes a little from dad. Meaning, the information is great, the pop-culture references are on point and yes, there must be some humor along the way. Broadcasts need humor, in moderation of course. Professional sports offer long, and sometimes tough, seasons. The announcer needs to consider how he/she will continue to ‘entertain’ as well as ‘inform’ during the season.

Eagle picks the right time to showcase his ability to entertain. Take for example on a Nets broadcast, during the “Ask The Announcers” segment, Eagle and broadcast partner Sarah Kustok took advantage of a question from a fan and ran with it.

“What does an argument between Noah and Ian Eagle sound like? So, I’ve already done it. But I will do it live in person so you can hear it,” said Eagle, reading the question provided.

“You’ve already had an argument?” asked Kustok.

“No, I’ve already simulated what an argument was when I was growing up,” replied Eagle. “Which is I would get home and he would go ‘Clean your room!’ And I would go ‘Not today!’ And he would say ‘Breakfast denied!’ And I would say ‘I want some eggs!’ And then he would say, ‘Broken ankles and yolks!’ And I would say ‘I’m not hungry!’ And I would get grounded. That’s usually how it would go.”

All in all, Noah Eagle is a talented individual. I can’t wait to see how much better he gets as he gets even more experience. Yes, he’ll get even better, which may be hard to believe.

DAD

Ian Eagle is a very accomplished broadcaster. Now with his son in the business as well there are bound to be comparisons and claims about how Noah got in it.

“I was nothing but encouraging, but I also knew the reality of the business,” the veteran (Ian) sportscaster told GQ. “The reality is, if you don’t have the talent to do it, it’s probably not going to work out for you.”

Of course, the word nepotism comes up often. The younger Eagle, responded to whether he’s bothered by that word or not in a conversation with The New York Post.

“No, because, listen: I understand that there is still something that comes with having a father who’s done this at the level that he’s done this. And even just having a father in the industry’s one thing, but one with such notoriety comes with anything, and I accept that, right?”, he told the Post.

“If I was offended by it and if I knew I was going to be offended by it, I wouldn’t have gone into the business, just plain and simple. So, knowing that I enjoy the job, knowing that I wake up excited to do the job, that drives me more than anything, and I understand where people are coming from, from that side of it, because yeah, there were doors that probably were opened, but then it was up to me to kick the door down, and that’s how I’ve always looked at it.”

A very healthy attitude toward the inevitable line of questioning.

DID YOU KNOW?

In May 2024, Noah won a Sports Emmy. He was named “Outstanding personality/emerging on air” for his play-by-play on the inaugural season of Big Ten Saturday Night on NBC and Peacock.

Performing is in the Eagle DNA. Noah’s grandfather, Jack, was a successful standup comedian and actor. His mother, Monica, was a singer. It was almost inevitable Noah would follow in the family tradition.

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.

Promo Meeting: Ideas, Concepts And Thought Starters For Music Radio

Jeff Lynn
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Promo Meeting: Ideas, Concepts And Thought Starters For Music Radio

Big Game

I went to the Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders game this past Sunday.

Having never been to Allegiant Stadium, I arrived early to take in everything inside and out.

When walking through the tailgating lots, I was reminded of a simple but easy-to-execute promotion that I used to do at Milwaukee Brewers games when I was programming 97.3 The Brew.

Send your promo team through the lot with a camera. People imbibing are generally willing to have their picture taken. Then, hand them a business card-sized piece of paper telling them they can download their picture from your station website.

But wait, there’s more. On the paper, tell them that if their picture is one of the 50 or whatever number you choose with the station logo, they will win tickets to a future game or some other significant prize.

Easy to execute.

First Big Game

Another version is to create a sign or banner with your station’s logo and the words “First Game.” I must admit that I stopped by one of those signs at the Raiders game because who doesn’t want to brag about their first game on social media? You might as well have your logo on it when they do.

Let It Snow

When I worked twice in the Great Lakes Lake Effect snow belts in Milwaukee and Cleveland each year, we gave away a snowblower, and there was moderate interest.

The year we twisted it to free snow plowing for the season, interest shot through the roof.

You must write your rules to ensure you are not doing commercial properties. The best part was that we were able to trade it with a plowing company looking to gain a foothold in the market.

It Really Is “Your Station”

Recently, Barrett Media contributor Kevin Robinson has twice proposed getting young people involved in radio by giving them, with supervision, a couple of Sunday morning or evening hours when listening is typically low to learn the craft.

I used to give a Sunday evening shift to a listener. We helped them curate their special playlist, and of course, the shift had to be voice-tracked with my staff’s help.

The beauty of it was they would get the word out. I once saw an email sent through an entire major city employer (Harley Davidson) telling everyone that their colleague would have his own radio show that weekend.

Make some special logo frames, and ensure they get a nice photo taken in the studio.

When we discovered that some were hosting listening parties, we invited ourselves and showed up with treats.

Let Barrett Media showcase you best. Email me here, jeff@barrettmedia.com

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.

610 WIOD Host Manny Munoz Relishes His Chance to Thrive at His Hometown Radio Station

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
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610 WIOD Host Manny Munoz Relishes His Chance to Thrive at His Hometown Radio Station

Some of the best talk radio hosts were originally on the other side of the phone calling in to their favorite station. 610 WIOD host Manny Munoz is one of the lucky ones working at the very station he called into as a kid.

“I was always a news junkie,” said Munoz. “I loved listening to some of the political talk shows down here.”

The native South Floridian recalled, “I used to call some of the talk shows so often one of the producers talked me into taking a semester off [from college] to go to a [radio broadcast] technical school. I never even went back to finish getting my degree.”

Munoz went on to be a successful news producer, editor, and later, was an executive producer for the Miami Dolphins Radio Network and the Miami Hurricanes Radio Network.

He bounced between WINZ and 610 WIOD before becoming the operations manager and program director for what a startup sports talk radio. “It lasted about a year and a half before it went under because of funding and financial problems with the ownership, stuff like that. But then I came back to WIOD Working News in 2001.”

Later, Manny Munoz was producing and co-hosting the morning show before being given his own slot from 9 AM to Noon, recently expanding after the station added The Ryan Gorman Show to morning drive.

“We talked about the vision for the show. It would be live and local and not necessarily focused on local issues, but stuff that would be important to South Florida,” Munoz said. “I said, ‘As long as I can take calls, I want to be able to talk to the listeners.’ To me, more than anything, that’s what makes it live and local and I think that’s what makes a radio special.”

A large part of what Munoz is doing with his show is giving everyone one a voice, not just one political side. Making the show less about him and more about you the listener because the last thing this veteran wanted to do is cash-in on what he calls the ‘Outrage economy.’ “What they do on cable news, just highlighting the differences and focusing on that and the fighting and setting it up, this faux outrage. I think it’s so bad. It has hurt me to see what’s happened in the country.”

While he doesn’t perpetuate the bad behaviors of political extremes, it doesn’t mean he’s immune to the attacks from political extremists. “It’s funny because if somebody is calling me a MAGA apologist and then [someone else calls me] a closet liberal, I think I’m doing a pretty good job being who I am,” Munoz noted of the critics.

The long-time producer turned host has now given life to a program allowing people to have a form to disagree respectfully. A sentiment even his critics appreciate. One of his ‘hate-followers’ even noted, “I don’t like almost anything that [Manny Munoz] says, but I love that he gives me a forum to talk to him about it.”

Of the guest’s respect for each other and their host, Munoz noted, “Rarely has it gotten ugly with anybody. That was the one thing I wanted to do by taking the calls is be able to have those disagreements politically, culturally, whatever the issue might be, to have the disagreements respectfully and maybe have some fun with it because it’s just it’s gotten so ugly, the rhetoric in our country so heated.”

Manny Munoz said there is a difference between the way callers react to each other versus  on social media, “Doing it on the phone, it’s a little bit different and doing it specifically to someone who’s interacting back with you that’s different so you see a little bit of a different tone [than you do on social media].”

The 36-year radio veteran saw the early rise of social media, “It’s different for an anonymous person on their phone to just post some crap on social media and attack somebody. Social media has given people the authority to throw out civility and common courtesy.”

It’s more than just the way people interact with each other, over his career Munoz has seen a change in the way news is gathered. “Sometimes a story will come across and only one person will be reporting it, or it will only be on social media, and we all have to stop and wonder, is that real? Especially in this day and age, because you just don’t know. It might come from a legitimate source. But you never know these days whether stories are real. Because I think everybody because it’s so easy to get news out there.”

It’s not all bad Munoz believes it’s giving an opportunity to connect with people who wouldn’t normally call in. “Not everybody likes calling into a talk show. Right? And so I’ve I learned to be able to use that as a different way to interact with the lovers and the haters.”

Over the air and on social, the message he’s putting out there is simple and important for those who get wrapped up in politics to remember. “The tornado of of us vs. them and the enemy of the people is absolute garbage. We might disagree or believe differently about issues, but because you have a different political view than I do doesn’t make you any less of an American. It doesn’t make you my enemy.”

For those callers looking to jump behind the mic, Manny Munoz’s advice is simple, “Give a crap. Take pride in what you do, especially in radio. It’s always been said, ‘Get your foot in the door.’ Something that I’ve always found important and has allowed me to progress in my career is no matter who the boss has been, no matter what station I’ve been at, is to never say ‘That’s not my job.’”

One additional piece of advice the 610 WIOD host shared? “Always be willing to learn, and I hope that you learn something new every day. But like I said, you can teach the technical stuff. You can’t teach somebody to give a crap. Just take pride in what you do no matter what it is.”

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.

The Watch: Cuomo on NewsNation

Garrett Searight
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The Watch: Cuomo on NewsNation

NewsNation can’t be like everyone else in the cable news space. And that couldn’t be more on display than what the network does at 8 PM ET with Cuomo.

And the strategy makes sense. Channels like Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and even Newsmax are more established than NewsNation. If you’re going to do the same thing as everyone else, what makes you think those viewers will leave those pillars of cable news for your network?

So, NewsNation pushes the Cuomo format to be different.

Yes, Chris Cuomo opens his show with an opening monologue like every other cable news show. Yes, Cuomo features the same basic format of four segments and commercial breaks in the one-hour timeslot. And yes, the NewsNation program features probably too many motion graphics in an effort to keep a viewer’s attention span.

But the content is different from many other shows.

Cuomo exudes opinions. On everything. On Tuesday, he shared a blistering takedown of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for the social media platform’s decision to remove third-party fact-checkers. With his criticism of the mega-billionaire, he spent several minutes of his opening segment blasting the decision and arguing that Zuckerberg was attempting to rival X owner Elon Musk for who can get the closest proximity to Donald Trump’s…well, I let your imagination fill in the rest.

Chris Cuomo’s criticism bites a little harder than others. There’s an authenticity to it that isn’t as present in other primetime cable news shows. He mentioned that he recently inked a contract extension with NewsNation due to its “insurgent” attitude. I believe him. Because Chris Cuomo fits well with an outlet with an “insurgent” attitude. Part calculated, part naivety, and part unafraid, Cuomo isn’t afraid to blast whoever needs blasting. He doesn’t worry about the repercussions of his comments. He doesn’t concern himself with questions about whether or not sharing his opinion will limit his access to party power players or the biggest newsmakers of the day.

Cuomo operates on opinion. Unadulterated takes on the topics of the day. Love him or hate him. And he isn’t afraid to share the stage with others like him.

Frequent guests on the show include ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith and cable news legend Bill O’Reilly. They are both guests who have created their media legacies by — like Cuomo — having strong takes with the ability to, if I can borrow a phrase from my junior high math teacher, “show their work.” You might not like each and every opinion, but they all come with an expressed thought process, which is surprisingly rare.

And those high-profile guests are a rarity. Not that other cable news shows don’t bring on big names, but they rarely compete in the same space as the host. At the end of the day, Chris Cuomo, Stephen A. Smith, and Bill O’Reilly are pundits. They all do the same job. So for them to all appear on Cuomo, sometimes together, makes for something you just don’t see all that often.

When he also has guests on to provide deeper context on a story rather than share opinions, Chris Cuomo doesn’t ask questions that lead the subject to begin their answer with “That’s right, Chris,” or some other statement of affirmation. In fact, the first question he asked his first guest on Tuesday evening, the answer was an immediate disagreement with the host.

There are just things that you don’t often see on cable news happening on the NewsNation show. In the past, I know Cuomo has taken callers on a regular basis from listeners. The back-and-forth between the host, producers, and the viewers was something you only see on the program. While it didn’t happen in the episode I watched, it just further goes to show that Chris Cuomo and NewsNation — the upstart outlet that didn’t complete its 24/7 cable news lineup until 2024 — do things differently and aren’t afraid to experiment.

The counterargument is “It isn’t working. The ratings for the network stink, with only 100,000 viewers on average in primetime.” My rebuttal would be: That might be true. But if you had to choose between someone bucking the norm or just going along with what everyone else is doing, which would you pick?

I’d pick what Chris Cuomo is doing on NewsNation over most everything else from other cable news competitors.

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.

Norby Williamson to Join Main Street Sports Group Starting January 13 as President of Production and Programming

BSM Staff
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Norby Williamson is officially joining Main Street Sports Group as the company’s president of production and programming, effective on January 13. Williamson will be responsible for overseeing live production for live game broadcasts and original programming on FanDuel Sports Network-branded regional sports networks. Some of these responsibilities will pertain to pregame, live game and postgame strategy and innovation, in addition to purview towards operations and content on linear and digital platforms. Williamson will report to David Preshlack, the chief executive officer of Main Street Sports Group.

“Adding an esteemed producer of Norby’s caliber strengthens our ability to seize on the opportunities ahead as we begin this transformative new chapter for Main Street Sports,” Preschlack said in a statement. “With decades of experience and a stellar track record overseeing live sports events and iconic studio programs, Norby’s expertise and vision will be key to innovating our production capabilities and delivering exceptional experiences for fans. Having worked alongside Norby for 20 years at ESPN, I am confident that he will enhance our ability to drive success and push the boundaries of what Main Street Sports can achieve.”

Williamson previously worked at ESPN for 39 years before he was let go last April, a few months before a reorganization of the company’s content structure. Under his role with ESPN, he was responsible for editorial direction, strategy and multiplatform newsgathering, along with managing studio and event production for major sporting events airing on ESPN and ABC.

“I could not be more excited to join FanDuel Sports Network,” Williamson said in a statement. “The platform’s unique combination of valuable local sports rights with powerful, forward-looking content and distribution partnerships provides an incredible foundation that I am eager to build on. I look forward to collaborating with the talented Main Street Sports team to drive excellence in our productions and find new ways to deliver high quality content that resonates with fans across platforms.”

The regional sports network operator, formerly known as Diamond Sports Group, recently emerged from Ch. 11 bankruptcy after being in proceedings for parts of 20 months. Under its reorganization plan, the company has reduced its approximately $9 billion in pre-petition debt to $200 million. Moreover, its restructuring support agreement included a multi-year deal with Amazon’s Prime Video that grants users the ability to access the RSNs as an add-on subscription for consumers living in designated geographic areas. Main Street Sports Group currently has local broadcasting rights for eight MLB teams, 13 NBA teams and eight NHL teams within its broadcast portfolio of 16 regional sports networks.

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.

Dan Le Batard Feels Badly About Criticizing Miami Heat President Pat Riley When Others Say to ‘Breathe Fire’

BSM Staff
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Dan Le Batard Feels Badly About Criticizing Miami Heat President Pat Riley When Others Say to ‘Breathe Fire’

During his career as a writer for the Miami Herald, Dan Le Batard frequently covered the Miami Heat and holds the organization in high regard. On the Wednesday edition of the Meadowlark media sports talk program, The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, he expressed that he feels bad about criticizing Pat Riley, the president of the organization, and added that the run of success set a new standard in the city of Miami. These comments came after Le Batard expressed that Riley had “botched” a situation involving superstar forward Jimmy Butler, who he said the team would not trade in a statement last month.

Butler was suspended for seven games last week because of conduct detrimental to the team. This suspension followed Butler making public comments about his future with the organization, and the Heat said that his actions and statements conveyed that “he no longer wants to be a part of this team.” The Heat added that Butler and his representative indicated that he wishes to be traded and would thus listen to offers for the six-time All-Star player.

After Le Batard gave plaudits to the Heat in how the organization does business, co-host Jon ‘Stugotz’ Weiner remarked that he must have received a call. Le Batard denied that presumption, but he understood why Weiner may have reached that opinion and disclosed the truth surrounding the situation.

“The crime syndicate across the street is run by a mafia boss we’ve been calling ‘The Godfather’ for 15 years,” Le Batard said of the Heat organization and Riley, “and the people who have gotten here recently, loose lips with their criticism, are awfully comfortable telling Pat Riley he doesn’t know what he’s doing in his job as the head of the crime family, ‘The Godfather,’ and I don’t think it’s wise for me to be doing that.”

Le Batard said that one of the great honors in his journalism life was to go on The OGs podcast with former Heat players Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller. After the show ended, Haslem remarked that he really liked the episode, something that meant a lot to him since Le Batard thought of Haslem as “the muscle” for the Heat. Le Batard also explained that Riley has been there for him throughout his life in grieving moments encouraging him to be better, and that he has also helped Riley through difficult moments.

“That’s what a friend does for another friend, Dan,” Weiner articulated. “Riley did it for you, you’re doing it for Riley. You can criticize, it’s okay. He can take it.”

“More than that, because they listen to this show across the street,” Le Batard replied, referring to the Heat. “The crime family run by ‘The Godfather’ listens to this show across the street. They’re listening to it live now; it plays in their building.”

Le Batard acknowledged that he does not know where the correct line is of him being fair and critical while also realizing that those on the show would defer to Riley and his five decades of basketball expertise. The matter is more complicated, he conveyed, with Tim Donovan, the Heat vice president of sports media relations, whom he characterized as someone “who has served at Pat Riley’s knee” and “the maximum soldier.” The quandary for Le Batard is that he respects the people at the Heat and what they have done, making it more difficult to criticize them in this moment.

“The way Riley wishes for this to end with Spo in charge or whatever, they deserve that,” Le Batard said. “This is a tribute for running a business well in a very difficult market for 30 or 40 years. I’m assigning that grace – that doesn’t have a critic’s heart in it though. The critic will tell you, ‘Breathe fire. Oh, you’ll get all the clicks for just saying, ‘Oh, even Le Batard says Riley’s washed,’’ when I’m not saying that, and I would never say that.”

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Pop Up Station ‘TJ 98.7’ New York Is Coming To An End

BMM Staff
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Pop Up Station ‘TJ 98.7’ New York Is Coming To An End

Hot AC station “TJ 98.7” WEPN-FM New York will conclude its 4+ month run on Friday, January 10.

On August 31, a temporary “Pop-Up Radio Station” was launched on the Emmis-owned signal through a collaboration between United Stations and consultant Mike McVay. This initiative aimed to promote the syndicated program “The TJ Show,” hosted by TJ Taormina. The station was intended to be a short-term solution, while Emmis sought a long-term operator and a potential buyer.

The TJ Show is broadcast during both morning and afternoon slots, with the station depending on various vendor services. These services include the automation platform Radio.cloud and imaging voice talent Steve Kamer, highlighted through promotional messages aired on the network.

McVay programmed the music with his daughter Jai Kershner, former co-host of “Good Day Show with Doug Stephan & Jai Kershner,” taking on the role of midday host and secondary imaging voice.

The station has announced the conclusion of the TJ pop-up brand, set for this Friday at 6:00 PM. Listeners are encouraged to “stay tuned to hear what’s next.”

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.

Fox News Contributor Raymond Arroyo to Launch Show with iHeartPodcasts

BNM Staff
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Fox News Contributor Raymond Arroyo to Launch Show with iHeartPodcasts

Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo has announced the launch of a new show with iHeartPodcasts set to premiere later this month.

Arroyo Grande with Raymond Arroyo will debut on Wednesday, January 15th, with the best-selling author , producer, and music artist creating a show discussing culture, lifestyle trends, and other varied topics.

“I have long wanted to do a show that makes sense of the culture around us – putting it in context with a side of fun,” Raymond Arroyo said. “Along the way, Arroyo Grande will feature conversations with some of the most inspiring and creative people on the planet. That title, by the way, does not refer to ‘Big Raymond,’ but to the ‘big streaming waters of life’ that the show will immerse listeners in. I’m thrilled and excited to dive into this streaming adventure with Premiere Networks and iHeartPodcasts at my side.”

Those already scheduled to appear on the podcast include Mel Gibson, John Rich, Frankie Avalon, and Gary Sinise, among others.

“Raymond has the unique ability to connect with audiences across multiple platforms,” said Premiere Networks President Julie Talbott. “We’re delighted to partner with him on this new podcast that will guide listeners on a journey through the cultural landscape with inspiring, empowering, and fun conversations that will help transform their lives for the better.”

In addition to his new show with iHeartPodcasts and his role with Fox News, Raymond Arroyo also hosts a television show with Catholic broadcaster EWTN. He also previously worked as a contributor at CNN.

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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