Salem Media Group has announced the addition of Brad Parscale to serve as the company’s new Chief Strategy Officer.
Parscale joins the company after holding high-ranking roles in the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump in recent years. In 2016, Parscale served as the Digital & Media Director for the campaign, before ascending to the role of Campaign Manager for Trump’s re-election bid in 2020.
“I’m excited to join Salem Media as Chief Strategy Officer and help lead the company into a new era of innovation,” said Parscale. “Salem’s strong foundation in Christian values and commitment to delivering quality content provides a great opportunity to expand into new distribution channels and leverage cutting-edge technology.
“I look forward to enhancing Salem’s ability to create engaging, values-driven content that connects with today’s audiences while exploring new tools and platforms to broaden our reach,” he continued. “I’m eager to join the Salem team to drive growth and ensure the company thrives as a leader in faith-based media.”
Parscale most recently launched a pair of platforms — Campaign Nucleus and EyesOver — that helped streamline campaign operations and enhance voter engagement with real-time analysis.
“I am incredibly excited to have Brad join Salem,” added Salem Media Group CEO David Santrella. “He brings a wealth of digital marketing experience to Salem, tremendous knowledge of and connections within conservative media, and a great passion for Salem’s mission. Brad’s track record in media and politics speaks for itself, and I am confident that Brad will help drive Salem to new levels of success and impact.”
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.
Over the last several months, Netflix has continued its immersion into the live sports space through a variety of media rights deals and ventures. The company recently inked a contract to broadcast the FIFA Women’s World Cup for 2027 and 2031, and it also just commenced a 10-year deal with WWE to present Raw for a reported $5 billion in total.
Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, Netflix worked with Most Valuable Promotions to air a live boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson that secured an average minute audience of 108 million live viewers globally. In addition to several new documentary announcements and premieres, the company engaged in its first live game broadcasts of the NFL on Christmas Day averaging more than 30 million global viewers.
Ted Sarandos, the co-chief executive officer of Netflix, recently attended the Golden Globe Awards where he elaborated on the success of the NFL Christmas Day games in an interview with Kevin Weekes for Sportico. Netflix reached nearly 65 million U.S. viewers for the doubleheader, breaking the record for the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history. Data from Nielsen Media Research indicates that the two games collectively averaged 24.2 million viewers in the United States.
“It was a great day,” Sarandos said. “For us, it was the whole goal at the beginning was to make it a full day of entertainment, including two great NFL football games, the Beyoncé Bowl and just have a great day of coverage that was aware that it was Christmas Day.”
For the NFL presentation specifically, CBS Sports produced the live game broadcasts and NFL Media produced pregame, postgame and studio halftime programming, while EverWonder Studio executive produced Netflix NFL Christmas Day as a whole. According to its latest quarterly earnings report, Netflix has approximately 282.7 million global paid subscribers, and its advertising tier reaches 70 million global users. When Sarandos was asked as to why Netflix was becoming involved in sports, he replied “Why not?” and then further elucidated how the genre plays into the overall business the media company has built.
“I think people, for us, our core business is kind of sports storytelling – the great documentaries, the behind the scenes, everything that raises the passion level for sports – and then eventually, I think they’ll come a time where we’ll do more and more of this, but right now, I think what we’re trying to do is all live events,” Sarandos said. “Some of those are sports – the way that the NFL football games were, or some of them are things like the Tom Brady roast or every week the WWE, which is something in-between.”
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.
We’re up to day three of the Barrett News Media Top 20 of 2024 series presented by JJ Surma Voiceovers. This series is voted on by news/talk radio programmers and executives across the country. To see each day’s results visit the website, follow BM on X or Facebook or sign up for our newsletters here. We appreciate the support.
The six categories featured in this series are news/talk radio’s Major and Mid market morning, midday, and afternoon shows, the top program directors and 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 in our lists are NPR brands and shows. Mainstream talk radio outlets 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. 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 – 46 mid market afternoon shows appeared on ballots turned in by our executive panel. Executives were asked to rank their Top 20 selections for each category based on a few key factors; quality of show (ear test), originality, ability to entertain-inform-connect across multiple platforms, ratings success, clearance (national shows) 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 who the industry considers its best.
#3 – The executive panel includes 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 Afternoon Shows of 2024.
Additional Notes:
Jeff Katz held off Hammer & Nigel by seven (7) points to earn his first category victory. Both shows tied for the most first place wins with three (3).
Spots 21-25 belonged to Mark Blazor, Wisconsin’s Afternoon News, Leland Live, Casey Hendrickson, and Todd Feinburg.
The closest contests saw Dana & Parks and Mark Reardon nip Brian Wilson and Colin Dunlap by one (1) point.
Of the 46 shows to appear on submitted ballots, seven (7) received at least one 1st place vote.
BNM Top 20 of 2024 Remaining Schedule:
Thursday January 9 = BNM Top 20 National N/T Radio Shows of 2024
Friday January 10 = BNM Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Program Directors of 2024
Monday January 13 = BNM Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Stations of 2024
We’re up to day three of the Barrett News Media Top 20 of 2024 series presented by JJ Surma Voiceovers. This series is voted on by news/talk radio programmers and executives across the country. To see each day’s results visit the website, follow BM on X or Facebook or sign up for our newsletters here. We appreciate the support.
The six categories featured in this series are news/talk radio’s Major and Mid market morning, midday, and afternoon shows, the top program directors and 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 in our lists are NPR brands and shows. Mainstream talk radio outlets 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. 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 – 35 major market afternoon shows appeared on ballots turned in by our executive panel. Executives were asked to rank their Top 20 selections for each category based on a few key factors; quality of show (ear test), originality, ability to entertain-inform-connect across multiple platforms, ratings success, clearance (national shows) 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 who the industry considers its best.
#3 – The executive panel includes 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 Afternoon Shows of 2024.
Additional Notes:
Tim Conway Jr. finished in front of The Von Haessler Doctrine again but the gap shrunk from 31 points in 2023 to 16 points in 2024. Conway earned a category best four (4) first place votes.
Spots 21-25 belonged to Afternoon News w/ Michelle Durham, Garrett Lewis, Mike Slater, Dominic Carter, and Jason Rantz.
The closest contest saw James Parker edge Bruce & Gaydos by three points for 16th place.
Of the 35 shows to appear on submitted ballots, ten (10) received at least one 1st place vote.
BNM Top 20 of 2024 Remaining Schedule:
Thursday January 9 = BNM Top 20 National N/T Radio Shows of 2024
Friday January 10 = BNM Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Program Directors of 2024
Monday January 13 = BNM Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Stations of 2024
Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo will be hosting a three-part event from Vice Sports that aims to settle the debate between former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. The series, which is titled Brady vs. Belichick: The Verdict, will air its first episode on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 10 p.m. EST and premiere its remaining two episodes on the following two Tuesday nights. The verdict will ultimately be revealed as part of the series finale on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
“This is the type of authentic, compelling sports programming that only VICE can deliver,” Pete Gaffney, president of VICE TV, said in a statement. “Our lineup of NFL stars and some of the biggest names in sports journalism will answer the debate that has been raging between fans and media for over a decade.”
The series will present arguments from both sides of the debate and feature various former colleagues of Brady and Belichick on the Patriots. Taking part in the event includes former players and current football analysts Rob Gronkowski, Matt Cassel, Devin McCourty, Rodney Harrison and Carl Banks. Experienced media personalities will also present their opinions on the show, including Peter King, Bob Costas, Dan Shaughnessy, Mike Greenberg and Michelle Beadle. The participants will take a side and argue their case separately before converging in the final episode, leading up to Russo revealing the verdict.
“The ultimate coach and quarterback tandem in NFL history?,” Russo said in a statement. “Halas and Luckman? Lombardi and Starr? Walsh and Montana? No doubt it’s Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Two GOATs. But who was more integral to the New England Patriots’ two decades of unparalleled success? That’s the great unanswered question we argue, debate, and resolve on Brady vs. Belichick: The Verdict!”
Russo signed a new three-year agreement with SiriusXM to continue hosting on the Mad Dog Sports Radio channel, and he also continues to make weekly appearances on the ESPN morning show First Take. This past November, Russo hosted the final edition of High Heat on MLB Network alongside Alanna Rizzo.
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 realized a while back that one of the greatest challenges in identifying and recruiting young people for our industry presented itself inside college classrooms. While this is not the case on every campus, the issue is large enough to take note of.
When talking with various universities about the potential careers for students in our industry, many professors and instructors pushed back and had little confidence in commercial radio as a viable option for students. Believe it or not, one of them was actually the college radio station advisor.
In one instance, I had asked for just ten minutes in a classroom to talk about the vast new opportunities available to young people in broadcast media studies. She shut me down and said, “These kids have zero interest in radio, and besides, my class is all about public relations.” Of course, I explained that radio and media opportunities are at the core of public relations! She didn’t even ask what I meant. Needless to say, I didn’t get to address that class of twenty-five students.
That is the precise moment I realized that it wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t the fault of the students who seem less interested in radio and more compelled by podcasting, streaming, and social media marketing and unaware that it is all part of what we offer!
We seemed to fall victim to the narrative created by technology. We all know that mobile phones have radio chips inside for which carriers and manufacturers do not benefit and, therefore, refuse to activate. This negative narrative has painted us into a corner.
Perhaps, though, it is our fault! Perhaps our industry has done a rather lackluster job explaining the evolution of radio and the doors that have opened as a result of the changes we have experienced. Those in the business don’t help by incessantly complaining that nothing is like it used to be. (I addressed this in a previous article, “Fighting the Urge to Throw in the Towel,” August 14, 2024.)
So, what are they teaching about radio in college marketing/media classes today? One of the traps academia can get caught up in is “preparation for the future.” It’s more about, “What can we implement tomorrow, or what has time-proven?”
Less focus is then given to the last 10-20 years as it becomes “outdated” and is used only to show mistakes and wrong moves. Professors spend much of their time researching cutting-edge aspects of their respective fields, which, in their minds, best prepares their students.
The past usually exemplifies what went wrong and how to avoid the same mistakes. This focus on “previous history” and “likely futures” unintentionally bottlenecks the material, resulting in minimizing any current potential.
When professors see erosion or slow growth, their substitutes of the future appear “fresh and relatable” to students, which, in turn, signals that the “traditional” practices will not be as viable when students graduate.
It is little wonder that young people today tend to think of “radio” as the old-school, “traditional” device, available only in cars and with a limited future. When many of us grew up, radio was ubiquitous. It was on our bedside tables, in our kitchens and living rooms, in our stereo systems and home theater equipment, in our cars, and we carried transistor radios and had boom boxes everywhere.
Let’s face it, folks! As an industry, we have not focused our marketing on what the industry provides. We still tend to battle other radio competitors while the true battle must be fought on a larger level.
We have allowed our leading position to be usurped in the minds of some consumers and with the advent of the internet. In the past, we never needed to recruit. Young talent used to flock to our industry. Obviously, that changed, and in today’s world, we need to educate and let this demo know that radio goes far beyond what it was when their dads were young.
To be clear, I am not suggesting that young people as a group don’t listen to the radio. Quite the contrary! They do indeed listen, but as a career, we don’t hold a high enough position as a career path they may consider. While they do listen, the “broadcasting” brand seems somewhat tarnished among students, making it difficult to invite them to our party.
As an industry, we have an opportunity to do better, and we can certainly begin in the classrooms, starting in middle and high schools. We could also really use help from the world of academia. Over the past few years, some indeed have begun to better define “radio” as a local content creation platform and audio provider chock full of custom content created just for them. We have a cornucopia of career opportunities of which they are already very familiar.
So, why the disconnect? What tools can we use to get back on the radar with the youngest demographic? Is it even possible? Well, many companies have found that the word “radio” presents a roadblock for them and have replaced it with “media”.
Frankly, when I spoke with students at several universities, they agreed that the word “media” rather than “radio” may help. They believe that “media” casts a larger net when it comes to career paths and includes those subjects taught in the classrooms, including journalism. There’s great irony here as so many young people get all their news and information exclusively from social media.
Yes, we have certainly changed considerably over the years, but there is a far greater diversity of opportunities than ever before. Perhaps, like many brands have begun doing these days, we can identify our own young brand ambassadors and influencers, those who speak to young people on our behalf and tout the benefits we have to offer as an audio source and career option.
All of us on the local and corporate levels must do all we can to have an impact by visiting local high schools to introduce our career opportunities and the diverse nature of our wonderful, evolving industry. Remember – great marketing requires a loud voice!
Let’s all go out and make some noise and start in the classrooms!
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.
Happy New Year everyone and welcome to our first sales meeting of 2025. Hope your time off was enjoyable and I know most of you sellers on Monday had your head spinning. Last week it was hard to know what day it was, this week it was trying to remember how to do your job!
It is never long enough, but for me it was time to get back to work. I already told you I’m a bit of a scrooge. But I enjoyed the holidays this year and it came at a perfect time as I was starting to lose my mind a bit. The rest and relaxation and the cookies did me some good. Until I ate entirely too many cookies.
When we last met, our topic was the first part of the sales process, the prospecting for the right clients and what you can do to help yourself in that department. There is no foolproof way to know that someone is a perfect candidate, but if you do your homework, you can have a much better batting average than someone who puts no effort into it.
This week we are going to move on to the second step and that is setting an appointment with a decision maker. We used to call this step simply the cold call, but it’s 2025 and we have to use all of the weapons at our disposal. Whatever is needed to get to a face-to-face meeting with the right person or people is what we are looking for here.
We all know the best leads come from referrals where you can site someone’s name who told you to call as they thought what you do would be of service to whomever you’re calling. Generally, we get referrals in our business when we ask for them. Like many things in sales, the answer lies in just doing it. We all know Wayne Gretzky’s saying about missing 100% of the shots we don’t take. Ask for referrals!
The other easiest way for sellers to set an appointment with a decision maker is to get introduced to them in another setting and make the ask yourself. In order to do this, you have to put yourself in situations where decision makers might be. Ask yourself, what boards are you on? What networking groups do you belong to? Do you belong to a social club? Do you go to big events during the year where heavy hitters in the advertising space might be? What are you doing besides emailing people and sending direct messages into the black hole of LinkedIn?
I had a salesperson once who was great at targeting certain prospects and finding a way to meet that person. She would even go as far as posting on her social media things like, ‘Do any of my connections have a connection with (company executive)?’ Often times, she would find a way to get an introduction to that person or find an event they would be at and make sure they met. She worked it and didn’t just rely on reaching out to people cold and hoping for a response.
I know all sellers have heard the dreaded term ‘elevator pitch’ many times in your sales career. Do you have one? If I pulled you in my office right now and said give me the 60-90 second pitch in order to get a meeting with me, what would you say? Do you ever practice that elevator pitch? Fine tune it? Ever asked one of your colleagues to give you their elevator pitch and hear it delivered in a different way?
Elevator pitches are fairly simple, think of it this way – WHAT IS THE BENEFIT FOR THE CLIENT?!?
As we know, many people fail at this step because all they want to talk about is what they have, how great their radio station is or how they are No. 2 in the market with left-handed women from 10a-1p. None of that matters. The only thing that matters is what challenges the business owner you are wanting to talk to has and how you can help solve them. That’s it.
The only other thing sellers can say that will resonate with a business owner is proven results from another, similar, client. If you can’t get a direct referral, use an indirect one. We have talked about this before but have a video you can show from a client about how you and your properties have helped increase their business.
Another key mistake some sellers will make when getting a decision maker on the phone or meeting them in person, is not asking for the meeting. I am sure you have all been through some sort of training on how to put that out there, but however you have learned to do it, make sure you do it. As many details as can be worked out right then and there as possible, what day, what time, where will it take place, who else should or will be there. Don’t make the mistake of having a great initial conversation and then have to fight like heck to get back in touch because you didn’t ask for the meeting.
Unfortunately, there are no magic answers when it comes to how best to book appointments with decision makers for advertising. There is only the reality that unless someone sees the direct benefits to their business, they are not likely to spend their time talking to you.
If you have properly vetted the client in the prospecting stage, and you have made a real effort to connect with the decision maker, using any means possible and not just relying on what is easiest to do.
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 BOB & TOM Show marked a significant milestone earlier this week. The show reached 30 years in syndication and 40 years on flagship station WFBQ, Indianapolis.
Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold started the comedy and talk show, which is now syndicated by Westwood One and heard weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. (ET) on over 80 stations across the US.
I caught up with Tom Griswold and asked him to reflect on 30 years of syndication and how the future looks.
So, let’s start at the beginning.
“The notion of going into a syndication situation was actually pretty funny. We had been voted the most stolen from radio show in America, and that was in one of the trades. And so, the great Frank Wood from Cincinnati, Frank saw that and said, hey, look, why don’t we give this a try? And he was really the guy that decided, yeah, this could work, and we’ll kind of dip our toes into this and see how it goes,” said Griswold.
“And that’s exactly how we got started. We pretty much, with only a couple of minor changes, are using the same clock we used right from the beginning with respect to how much time is allocated to the local stations and how much time we’re spewing, whatever it is that we do.”
Griswold says keeping a local component going with a national show is a balancing act.
“It was kind of a tricky process to keep a local component going and at the same time be generic enough to have a national show. And so we were really lucky, and we kind of figured out a way to do that by having certain segments in which everyone would have an opportunity to be local, including all the affiliates.”
The most significant change to the show over the years was Bob Kevoian’s retirement at the end of 2015.
“We’ve had a couple of other people leave, but at the same time, everything else has kind of changed on the outside of radio. I can remember going back to the eighties when the fax machine was the greatest thing that ever happened to radio stations. Instead of just having to answer the request line and have some guy requesting Ozzy, you’d get a fax from a brain surgeon going, hey, you guys were talking about this aspect of the human brain. I happen to know a lot about it.”
“Then, of course, since then, obviously, the digital revolution has taken hold. We’re dealing with a whole new world of instant communication and the whole world of email and texting, etc. So, it’s in many ways completely different, but in some ways, it’s still the same, which is trying to engage an audience with content,” said Griswold.
So, looking forward, how do you maintain a loyal audience and attract new people?
“That’s a really good question. We’re working on trying to make sure that we don’t sound like antiques on the air. We have a number of younger people working on the show. A couple of them are my sons. One of them is on the air. One of them is off the air doing behind-the-scenes stuff.”
“The cast of the people has actually changed a little bit in that we’ve got some younger minds out there working with us. And at the same time, we’re just trying to stay contemporary.”
I acknowledged that asking Tom to pick one or two highlights from 40 years of shows was probably unfair.
“Yeah, there have been so many. We’ve always had a tremendous list of great comedians that have come through, sometimes very young men and women that end up becoming big stars, sometimes just great club comedians that come through on a regular basis. In general, that’s been a terrific asset to the show.”
“The other component is we’ve had a lot of fun shows in which various artists have come in and played live. We have an ancillary studio that can accommodate them. You get a guy like Peter Frampton who comes in, and he’s such a great guy, and he’s so funny, and he’s willing to play around with us. Those are true highlights when you get great artists in the world of rock that are also just wonderful people.”
So, let’s flip it around. When did something happen that left you scratching your head and wondering what were we thinking? Maybe a promotion that didn’t work out?
“We did a thing where we took a bunch of listeners to Florida. And it was somewhere, I think it was St. Pete or somewhere in that general area. Anyway, the point of the story is we’re all in this big hotel. We were there for a week. With all these listeners.”
It was fun. But we went to check out, and our general manager was losing his mind. What’s the matter? Well, it turns out that one of our winners wasn’t up to speed on how the minibar worked. They had drained their minibar every day. And their bar tab was a couple of thousand bucks. And they did not have the money to pay for it. They just thought that was part of the deal.”
“Every day they would drink three bourbons, three gins; it was like a George Thorogood song.”
“The other one was that whenever we go to the Bahamas, we warn people, hey, look, don’t rent the minibikes, whatever they are, because the driving is really treacherous out there. So, one couple did it. Of course, they got into an accident.”
“The guy described to me later that he went into the clinic, and he says I wouldn’t have let my dog in there. So, they were OK. But I mean, we warned them.”
Knowing I could listen to his stories all day, I asked for a couple more.
“I’m sure some of your readers will remember the days when Disney World and Disneyland would bring down a hundred radio stations. And they would place them all over the theme parks. We couldn’t get down there when they wanted to film an announcement for whatever reason.”
“They said we really want you guys to do this. So, we will fly you down on one of our private planes. The private plane was called Ear Force One, like Mickey Mouse ears.”
“We’re flying, and we’re partway there, and we’re somewhere in Tennessee, and the pilot comes on and says, we can’t tell if our hydraulic system is working. We’re going to try to land right now. So, they say we’re going to go to Nashville.”
“Of course, the plane landed successfully, but it was a little bit scary. After all that, including our near-death experience, had the plane crashed, it would have truly been for naught since they ended up, whatever that was for, they ended up not doing it.”
What does the future look like for The BOB & TOM show?
“I’d like to do it another nine or 10 years. I’m in really good health. I just had my annual physical and passed with flying colors. I feel like I’m getting a little bit wiser, which means I’m now thinking I’m less smart than I used to think. This is a great world of radio. Just every day is different.”
“So many people have jobs that are the same over and over again. We get to go in every morning and see what’s going on, and then we kind of become part of it.”
“It’s a real privilege to have such an interesting job. The trick is going to be just keeping up with all of the changes in formats and delivery of the various types of stuff that we do. I think that the most important part will always be the radio component.”
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.
In possessing a keen understanding of sales and marketing through years of professional experience, Sean Pendergast realizes that the occupation spans beyond typical products and services. Whether it is first impressions, social media interactions or conversations with clientele, he believes that radio personalities need to possess a level of sales acumen.
As a morning drive host on SportsRadio 610 in Houston, Pendergast routinely assesses the marketplace and has found opportunities to augment his brand and strength of the weekday offering. Over the last five years in the daypart working with Seth Payne, the duo has proven to be a formidable presence that looks to exhibit synergy, knowledge and expertise. Through it all, there has existed a commitment to serve consumers and shareholders of the company.
“I treat my sponsors and clients as if I were a salesperson,” Pendergast said. “I have lunches, I make sure to stop at their businesses and say ‘Hello’ to them, I’m in touch with them on game days. A lot of them are Texans fans, so we text back and forth during games. I think they really like that – they’re like, ‘Wow, I’m texting with somebody who’s in the press box,’ that kind of thing.”
Pendergast believes there should be training in sales for all broadcasters. In addition to his ability to keep audiences informed and entertained, he intends to serve his bosses and sponsors by working with others to enact business endeavors and fulfill obligations. Pendergast discerns that radio companies are trying to do more with less, a proposition that leads to individuals having more responsibilities. Having recently completed 11 years with the station, he identifies several factors contributing to his success and longevity in the designated market area.
“I’ve seen so many people in this business who I think are probably better broadcasters than me if I’m being honest, but they don’t stick around because they don’t have any revenue tied to them,” Pendergast said. “It’s so fundamental that once you do get revenue tied to you, just to make sure that relationship is solid and that you’re getting feedback from them. Make sure you know whether or not you’re getting results for them so that if you’re not, you can fix things and get results.”
Pendergast grew up in Connecticut and frequently listened to WFAN, developing a penchant for the sports talk format. Although he participated at the radio station, he focused his studies on finance and business economics and moved to Houston upon graduating where he sold telecommunications equipment. Pendergast was initially confounded that the city did not have a sports talk radio station, but that predicament quickly changed when SportsRadio 610 launched one week into his tenure. The station picked up The Jim Rome Show, and Pendergast became a P1 listener, frequent caller and five-time champion of the Smack-Off competition.
“I got to be very friendly with the people at 610 once I started calling Rome, so some of the hosts there, I became, still to this day, very, very good friends with [them],” Pendergast recalled, “and they would tell me, ‘Hey, you should give this a try,’ based totally on being a caller.”
When United Asset Coverage was sold to Shared Technology in 2007, Pendergast ended up losing his job, prompting him to pack his office and return home. Upon pulling in his driveway, he received a call from Chance McClain, who informed him that he and several others were starting a new radio station in Houston and that they wanted him to host a show. Even though there were complications surrounding the decision, Pendergast recognized the serendipitous manifestation and tangible break to pursue his passion.
“It was like a bolt of lightning when I got that phone call,” Pendergast said. “On literally my lowest day is when I get this opportunity that I’ve been longing for, so it was one of those things like, ‘Man, I almost have to say ‘Yes’ to this just to see how it goes, because if I say ‘No,’ I’ll regret it forever.”
Even though he took an entry-level radio job making 80% less money than his sales role, he enjoyed his formative years in the business hosting local and national programming. While he valued his time with the station, he did not see a pathway to achieving his financial goals and started to position himself to land a role with SportsRadio 610. Over parts of the ensuing five years, Pendergast brought a fastidious approach predicated on attention to detail, adaptability and versatility while leveraging skills developed in sales.
“Getting feedback from people about how I sounded on the air, air checks, all those things that sometimes people take for granted,” Pendergast elucidated, “I went into hyper-detail mode to just get my foot in the door over there.”
Pendergast had interviewed for a morning drive hosting role in 2012, a job that ultimately went to Nick Wright. One year later, he secured a spot in afternoons working with Rich Lord and started the program in the subsequent January. Lord had been at the station since 1995 just after it flipped to the sports format, and Pendergast had listened to him throughout his time in Houston. A few months later, the station added former NFL linebacker Ted Johnson to the program, lending firsthand perspective from the gridiron and forming what became known as The Triple Threat.
“I [wanted] to make sure that when people were listening to me, they knew that I wasn’t some noob to the market or that I’m faking my way through it,” Pendergast said. “All the things that I had been doing that got me that job I had been doing at 1560 already, so I wanted to make sure they knew that.”
As the station made lineup changes in 2019, it let go of two personalities in Lord and morning show co-host Mike Meltser, familiar voices in the marketplace who had resonated with listeners. Pendergast was subsequently paired with Payne in morning drive, forming the duo that Houston sports radio listeners have come to know over the last five years. The duo expeditiously developed chemistry, something that was catalyzed from having known each other previously through Payne’s weekly contributions on 1560 The Game.
“Mornings is the prime spot, but unlike when I was trying to get over to 610, I didn’t openly campaign behind people’s backs about wanting to be in mornings,” Pendergast expressed. “I was really happy to be in the building and be in afternoons with Rich – the show was very successful – but when the opportunity came to go to mornings, I was really excited about it.”
Pendergast describes himself as someone who is informed, organized and entertaining, combining those skills to create a compelling product that blends astute insights with lighthearted revelry. Hosting with Payne, who he affirms is smart while also self aware that he is somewhat unhinged, the duo has fostered intrigue and impact in their discussions surrounding local sports. Part of its appeal has also come in catering to the preferences of listeners in the daypart, refraining from vociferous dissension and overwhelming amounts of information.
“Seth and I don’t scream at each other, but we disagree over a lot of stuff, but we flush it as soon as the break rolls around,” Pendergast said. “We’ll get into disagreements on a show that people think are really contentious, and then during the break, we’re kind of laughing about it. Not that we faked our way through the argument, but if you carry it around, that’s not a healthy way to go do radio or go through life if we’re being honest.”
Aside from broadcasting skill and allure among the audience, generating ratings and revenue oftentimes are inextricably tied to how media professionals are evaluated. Even though the program has secured strong engagement on terrestrial radio and podcasting platforms, he knows that establishing and maintaining client relationships is critical in ensuring stakeholders remain satisfied.
Being situated in a marketplace with three sports radio stations and several other media entities disseminating content over multiple verticals, there are an abundance of domains competing for attention and engagement. Pendergast recognizes the appeal of the Houston Texans and feels that SportsRadio 610 has an advantage in being a flagship station for the team. At the same time, he recognizes the station tagline, “Houston’s Sports Leader,” and delivers for consumers who want to hear about the Rockets, Astros or other sports teams.
“We talk everything,” Pendergast said. “Seth and I had our best ratings as a duo the month that the Astros won the World Series. Our ratings were double the flagship of the Astros’ ratings that month, and that was something we took a great amount of pride in because theoretically, people, you would think, would be going to the flagship for that.”
Pendergast views establishing himself as a brand to be essential, and he has started to monetize some of his social media. There are opportunities in the marketplace to explore broadening reach and revenue, and while he remains aware of potential occurrences, he also wants to ensure that current clients are satisfied. Pendergast measures his performance against financial data both individually and for the company, along with appealing to the listeners and contributing to mental wellbeing and sports expertise.
“You try to put on the best show every day and serve your sponsors the best way that you can, and you hope that, ‘Okay, this is good enough. This is good enough,’ because I want to do this for a long time,” Pendergast said. “I’ve got no end date. There’s zero [of], ‘I’m trying to get to this age or this age or this age or this age.’ I plan on doing this for as long as my health and my bosses will let me do it.”
As Pendergast continues to work in his ideal role, he will explore adding projects, such as potentially starting a podcast series functioning as an anthology that chronicles the biggest Houston sports stories. From the moment he decided to join SportsRadio 610, he set a goal of becoming the morning host and holding what he feels is the best job in the city. With a decade on the station under his belt, he aims to continue the momentum he has established and remain embedded in sports media while continuing to explore the landscape.
“Hopefully as long as they’ll have me, it’s going to be things that get added to being the morning host at SportsRadio 610 because I’m lucky, man,” Pendergast said. “I’m one of the lucky people who set out to go get their dream job, and I’m able to do it every day. It’s awesome.”
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.
There isn’t a faster way to become a hero to conservative media members in 2025 than to play a modern version of the Prodigal Son who has recognized the error of the ways and come home to the right — pun intended — side of any issue. Mark Zuckerberg is the latest figure to experience this phenomenon. And he won’t be the last.
On Tuesday, the Facebook founder announced that the social media network would move away from dedicated fact-checkers and instead have users do the honors, similar to the Community Notes strategy implemented by the X social media platform.
I don’t necessarily have a strong opinion on the decision. Do I think fact-checkers are good? Yeah. Do I understand that fact-checkers — like every other human being — are biased? Also yeah. Would I advise against getting rid of them in favor of the average user? No, but I don’t run a billion-dollar company.
My issue is with the reaction to the decision by conservative media members. Turn on Fox News, your local news/talk station, or a national show in the format on Tuesday and you would believe that Mark Zuckerberg had become an honorary member of The Heritage Foundation.
After years of being near the top of the Public Enemy list from conservative media members, the idea that Mark Zuckerberg deciding that it would be easier to share verifiably false information on the social media platform he owns is what takes him off the list and into the good graces of conservative news/talk radio and television hosts? Seriously?
There’s only one problem with this line of thinking: Mark Zuckerberg didn’t make this decision because he had a change of heart. He didn’t suddenly recognize the error of his ways. This is a business decision. He’s worried about repercussions. That’s it. It isn’t because he now believes in free speech. It isn’t because he had his mind changed by the conservative point of view. It’s because he likes money. The end.
And that’s a perfectly fine thing to like! We all like money! But some of us also like to have character, integrity, and principles.
For the political party, and its media members, to constantly beat the drum about how they are more moral and ethical than the other side, they sure do love making heroes out of unprincipled people.
Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, Russell Brand, and more have all become conservative idols in recent years because they have supposedly seen the error of their ways and have joined the conservative cause. And instead of questioning the motives of these people, that side of the political aisle has simply welcomed them with open arms.
The idea that you could spend years trashing someone — like Mark Zuckerberg — and reverse course over one decision shows how ridiculous the entire news media ecosystem has become.
To be fair, some hosts were able to recognize that it’s a wholly unprincipled decision by Zuckerberg. They deserve to be commended for their stances to their audiences. Because so many hosts now believe they simply need to feed their audience what they want to hear, instead of the opposite.
Conservative media has taken on a collective unity that anyone who agrees with us is correct and deserves praise, and anyone who disagrees with us is the biggest idiot to ever walk the face of the Earth.
In essence, Facebook announced on Tuesday that we’re too damned divided to even agree on what facts are anymore. That isn’t something worth celebrating. It should be shouted down by anyone and everyone.
In the 2004 book “The Seven Basic Plots”, author Christopher Booker shares that every single story falls into — as you might have guessed by the title — seven basic plots. And conservative media members have somehow fallen in love with the “Rebirth” plot. Where they denigrate those on the other side, and then welcome them home to the conservative side of the culture war, political opinion, or us versus them battle that seemingly consumes every single topic.
Instead, judge people by the content of their character. Buck the trend of simply agreeing or disagreeing with someone because of their political beliefs or the letter next to their name.
Mark Zuckerberg isn’t a conservative. The Facebook founder isn’t a free speech champion. He’s an unprincipled businessman who only cares about two things: himself and money. If that makes him someone worthy of praise in conservative media circles, it says as much about that ecosystem as it does about Zuckerberg.
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.
