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Gray Television Renews All ABC Station Affiliate Agreements

BSM Staff
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Gray Television Renews All ABC Station Affiliate Agreements

Gray Television has reached agreements with The Walt Disney Company that will extend and renew all of its network affiliations for ABC-affiliated television stations in 25 markets through December 31, 2028. The new deal extends the relationship between both companies, maintaining accessibility of ABC network programming, such as sitcoms, sports and news content, along with local programming from Gray. This agreement covers several marketplaces throughout the United States, some of which include Tampa-St. Petersburg, Sioux Falls, Gainesville and Rapid City.

“We are pleased to announce the further extension of our decades-long relationship with Disney for ABC station affiliations,” Pat LaPlatney, president and co-chief executive officer of Gray Television, said in a statement. “These agreements recognize our ABC affiliates’ commitment to public service and will help them continue to serve their communities.”

Gray Television currently serves 113 television markets that reach an approximate 36% of U.S. television households. The company portfolio includes 77 markets with the top-rated television station and also includes various other media properties, including Gray Digital Media, Raycom Sports and PowerNation Studios. Several presentations of Monday Night Football with play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, analyst Troy Aikman and reporter Lisa Salters have been simulcast on ABC stations throughout the 2024 NFL season.

“Disney/ABC is incredibly proud of our long-established partnership with Gray to serve 25 outstanding communities across the country,” Susi D’Ambra-Coplan, senior vice president of affiliate relations at The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement. “With this new agreement, we couldn’t be more pleased to pair our best-in-class network shows, news and sports with their invaluable local programming for many years to come.”

Roxanne Wilder To Exit Q105 Tampa And MJ Morning Show

BMM Staff
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Roxanne Wilder To Exit Q105 Tampa And MJ Morning Show

Roxanne Wilder has announced her exit from Q105 WRBQ Tampa and the “MJ Morning Show.”

In a Facebook post, Wilder wrote, “I won’t be coming back to Q105 after the holidays. Q105, and the listeners will always hold a special place in my heart. For four years, and during both my pregnancies, I worked with radio legend Mason Dixon. Being a part of the morning show with Mason, Bobby, and Andrew was what I can best describe as good for the soul.”

Wilder is also known for her 14 years with FoxSportsFlorida.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.

Seven Mountains Media Stunting In Southern Kentucky

BMM Staff
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Seven Mountains Media Stunting In Southern Kentucky

Seven Mountains Media has launched new programming at its recently acquired 106.3 WOVO in Bowling Green, KY, following a festive stint broadcasting Christmas music as “North Pole Radio.”

The station now features a “Wheel of Formats” stunt, showcasing diverse blocks of music that include Classic Rock, All-Elvis, Classic Country, Television Themes, and “Hippie Nonsense.”

The station is redirecting WOVO’s previous Hot AC audience to its new sister station, Top 40 107.1 WUHU, while introducing new formats for 106.3 and the Country “Beaver 96.7” WBVR-FM.

The “Beaver” brand will transition to 106.3, while 96.7 will undergo a format change to Classic Country, rebranded as “Bigfoot Country Legends,” which aligns with the company’s branding already in use across Pennsylvania.

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.

Scott Van Pelt: Having a Loyal Audience Creates Value

BSM Staff
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Scott Van Pelt: Having a Loyal Audience Creates Value

Over the last several decades at ESPN, Scott Van Pelt has been a familiar face to millions of viewers across different editions of SportsCenter and other franchises. Van Pelt started hosting Monday Night Countdown in addition to his late-night SportsCenter responsibilities last season, and he also hosts a podcast through an ESPN deal with Omaha Productions alongside ‘Stanford Steve’ Coughlin. During the most recent edition of The Varsity podcast, hosted by Puck sports correspondent John Ourand, he described Van Pelt as someone who is on the short list of “needle movers” at ESPN alongside personalities such as Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith.

ESPN licensed 235 episodes per year of McAfee’s eponymous sports talk show in a deal reported to be worth $85 million over a five-year term. On top of that, the network has included McAfee as part of the cast of College GameDay for the last two seasons, recently achieving record regular-season consumption averaging 2.2 million viewers per episode. In the morning timeslot, First Take with featured commentator and executive producer Stephen A. Smith has achieved strong ratings and top finishes. Smith, who also appears on NBA Countdown as an analyst, is reportedly in the midst of negotiations for a new contract at ESPN.

With these developments taking place, Ourand was curious to know what Van Pelt thought about what could be available to him in the landscape as he approaches future negotiations. Ahead of officially joining Monday Night Countdown last year, Van Pelt inked a contract extension that is reportedly for four years and nearly $7 million, as reported by then-New York Post sports columnist Andrew Marchand, who now works for The Athletic. 

“The old school media that existed were Dan [Patrick] and Keith [Olbermann], and Stuart [Scott] and Rich Eisen, maybe Stuart and me for a little bit,” Van Pelt said. “The tag team of SportsCenter was kind of the pinnacle. Well, it’s a very different time now, so daytime talk and being the CEO of your brand and parceling it out to however many different bidders.”

Van Pelt surmised that Smith could take an approach similar to the NFL in which he allows his brand to be disseminated across many different networks. The league is currently airing games under deals with The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC), Comcast (NBC, Peacock), Paramount Global (CBS, Paramount+), FOX Corporation (FOX), Amazon (Prime Video), Netflix and Alphabet Inc. (YouTube) reportedly worth more than $12 billion per season. If Smith is allowed to do this under a new contract with Disney, Van Pelt averred that he would be interested in asking what it would look like for him.

“I’ve always been pleased with what ESPN has allowed me to do,” Van Pelt said. “Like a decade ago, when they gave me or I earned, however you want to frame it, an opportunity to do SportsCenter in a different way, they’d never done that, right? And so that gave me a chance to explore and try different things, and I think largely it’s worked, and it’s helped create and really further establish my relationship with our audience, so much so that I think we have the ability to do the hardest thing now.”

Referencing Dan Le Batard as an example, Van Pelt emphasized that a number of people in the sports media business have established loyal audiences who will follow them no matter the platform through which they broadcast. Possessing a following of this kind is something Van Pelt discerned as valuable, whether that is to those at ESPN or people outside of the company, and being able to monetize that for both parties.

“I root for Stephen A. the same way I rooted for Pat, the same way I root for everybody in our business, to get the absolute most you can,” Van Pelt said, “and so that’ll be the most interesting thing to me. Not the dollars, because they’ll be staggering, but it’ll be, ‘Where are you doing it and where are you allowed to do it?’”

Van Pelt added that he was allowed to move back to Washington, D.C. after stating that Stephen A. Smith and Mike Greenberg were not working from the ESPN studios in Bristol, but rather at the Seaport District in New York City. ESPN accommodated the request, and he now is able to host SportsCenter from a studio in the area instead of studios in Bristol or Los Angeles.

“I got to go home,” Van Pelt said. “There’s value in that, right? So I’m interested, ‘What is it that the future looks like for the quote-unquote ‘needle movers?,’ and I’m not saying that. If my bosses feel like I am, then that’s great. We’ll have to figure out a way to examine what that means when the time to sit at the table comes, right?”

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.

Devan Kaney Named Philadelphia Eagles Sideline Reporter on SportsRadio 94WIP for Remainder of Season

BSM Staff
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Devan Kaney Named Philadelphia Eagles Sideline Reporter on SportsRadio 94WIP for Remainder of Season

Devan Kaney is working as the sideline reporter for radio broadcasts of the Philadelphia Eagles on SportsRadio 94WIP for the remainder of the season, officially completing her first game in the role on Sunday. Kaney will work alongside play-by-play announcer Merrill Reese and color commentator Mike Quick as the Eagles prepare to compete for a Super Bowl championship in the NFL Playoffs. The station revealed the news on its pregame show on Sunday, and Kaney shared on social media that she was “excited and grateful for the opportunity to cover the Eagles sideline” ahead of the opening kickoff.

Kaney, who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and received her master’s degree in broadcast journalism from American University, joined SportsRadio 94WIP two years ago. Throughout her time with Audacy, she has contributed to the morning drive program with Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie while also working as a betting analyst for the BetQL Network. Kaney was on the air last week co-hosting editions of the morning program alongside Tom Kelly

Kaney also works as a weekend sports anchor for FOX 29 News Philadelphia and an in-arena host for the Philadelphia Flyers. She formerly worked as a sideline reporter for NBC Sports, ESPN and the Philadelphia Wings, along with hosting at SuperBook Sports and Newsy. Moreover, Kaney also hosted the Eagles postgame show for JAKIB Media Sports for two seasons.

Kaney steps into the position previously held by Howard Eskin, who departed the station earlier in the month after being unable to resolve “irreconcilable differences.” Eskin helped launch the station’s sports talk format in 1986 and recently concluded a 38-run with the outlet. In an interview with Barrett Media, he expressed disappointment that he would be unable to finish the Eagles season on the sidelines, but he looks back on his days covering the team fondly and hopes to apply the knowledge elsewhere.

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 Best in Sports and News Media in 2024

Jason Barrett
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The Best in Sports and News Media in 2024

Those of you who know me, work with me, and/or enjoy reading me, this column is for you. It’s a long one, but as we bring the year to a close and get ready for Summit announcements, and a month of Top 20 results, I thought I’d share my picks for the best of 2024 since I don’t vote in our Top 20 series. Lists are fun but very subjective so feel free to praise or pick apart my choices. Complaints or compliments can be emailed to Jason@BarrettMedia.com.

Dave Greene and I will create a video later to discuss the rationale behind the sports media selections. I’ll be doing one for the news media crowd tomorrow too with Garrett Searight. Before we get to my picks though, first a look back, and a look ahead. Be advised, we have some news to share in the look ahead section.

Reflecting on 2024

2024 ends with record website traffic and advertising support, and strong newsletter growth. My thanks to every advertising partner, consulting client, and reader for continuing to support us. Our strategic decision to re-brand to Barrett Media and add music radio coverage in July has gone well, but we have more to do to create a larger impact. We enter 2025 with a few new partnerships, and hope to add more after upcoming conversations.

The 2024 BSM Summit in New York City was a homerun once again. Our 2025 show takes place in Chicago on May 8-9, 2025. Tickets are discounted through the end of December here. The 2024 BNM Summit in Washington D.C. was also a hit. We had better attendance at our sports summit, but that’s expected since we’ve done it longer. The speaker lineups at both shows were outstanding. Our news media summit was held inside the best venue we’ve ever performed in. The only downside were higher expenses. As we prepare for 2025, creating better financial balance for events is important.

A challenging area for us this year was social media. Facebook and X have hurt publishers, often making content available to less than 10% of a brand’s following. Both platforms used to be among our top referral sources for traffic. Today, not so much.

It’s easy to say ‘do more video or audio podcasts‘ but sharing clips from other outlets for likes and shares is not our business strategy. Those also don’t generate revenue for us as well as our written work. We are a niche content brand for a targeted audience, many who create and are bombarded by audio and video daily. If social media platforms tomorrow embraced print and killed video, would TV outlets stop doing video to write? This is the challenge we’re faced with, and determined to figure out.

Thankfully, we perform well in Google Search, and started building direct connections to our audience via newsletters two years ago. Those two combined with direct accessing of our website have helped us stay top of mind as social media problems persist. I still love and believe strongly in social media, but Zuck and Elon don’t love promotion of written content.

On the staffing front, I didn’t like parting with some PT writers, but as we grow, FT help becomes more important. Derek, Jeff, Garrett, and Dave are the glue that hold this brand together along with myself. Fortunately, our team cranks out quality content daily to meet the demands of our readers. We also retained Perry, Demetri, Dr. Ed, Kevin, Ron, Krystina, Bob, John, Charese, and Robby so we still have great depth and experience. The goal for 2025 is to continue raising the bar.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Hiring: My first order of business is hiring a Music Radio Writer/Reporter, Social Media Coordinator, and Site Manager. The music and social media roles are self explanatory, but the site manager role is more complex. That position involves overseeing our sports, news, and music divisions. Unfortunately a recent addition to our team didn’t work out, so we’re looking for a well rounded leader. Those interested in learning more can visit our Jobs section, and send resumes and writing samples to Jason@BarrettMedia.com.

Advertising: Existing partnerships continue, and new ones have been formed, which is exciting. Our brand is read daily by thousands, and is well respected and connected. That’s supported by millions of impressions and clicks, and an affluent and influential audience that consumes us through newsletters, and attends/speaks at our conferences. Industry businesses looking to grow should be working with us. Reach out to Stephanie at Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com and she’ll explain how we can help.

Members: The Members section was built to help broadcasters. In addition to being listed on our website, members get promoted in our newsletters, and save money on Summit tickets. One hiring manager hearing or watching your work or learning about you from our newsletters could change your career. I believe in this section, but not enough industry people take advantage of it. At $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year, it’s cheaper than alternatives. Moving into 2025, we’ll promote it more to news/talk and music radio folks, not just sports media professionals.

Top 20 Series: Next month marks our first time delivering a Top 20 series on News/Talk radio, Sports Radio, and Music Radio. Assembling these lists is a massive challenge, and so too is gathering industry voters. The music radio process alone is harder than anything I’ve done previously. I’m considering shaking up our voting process next year. I enjoy including radio industry decision makers, but not everyone has the same extensive knowledge of all markets and shows. Making our voting committee stronger is on my to do list. One additional list planned for 2025 is our first ever Top 20 in sports and news television, and digital/social. That’ll come out in December 2025 and recognize the best of 2025.

Strengthening Music: Our commitment to sports and news media remains unchanged. Music radio on the other hand is a work in progress. We’re 5+ months into covering the space so we’re still learning what does and doesn’t work. Elevating the journalism, and featuring more people across the industry is vital. I’ll also be at more events in 2025 where music radio pros are. Stephanie Eads and I will be at CRS in February. Increasing relationships with music radio folks and record labels, and improving our content strategy for music industry readers is high on my priority list.

Originals: From Derek’s piece on Imus-WFAN to Jeff’s story on Q104.3 and Garrett’s new features ‘The Watch’, ‘The Interview’ and ‘Ratings Roundup’, we’re doing more original content. Daily news is still important but quality storytelling packs a bigger punch. We’re putting less focus on quantity, and more emphasis on quality. Last year’s ‘Social Studies‘ series is returning but with a wider focus across sports, news/talk, and music radio. New projects are planned too highlighting agents, AI, advertising, research, and women in media. Day Spent With, 20 Brands in 20 Days, Meet The Podcasters/Leaders, and Behind The Voices are also returning. Lastly, we’ll be launching a weekly sports media video show by the end of Q1. Additional video shows are also being considered.

10-Year Anniversary: In September 2025 we will celebrate 10 years in business. I never expected that when this journey began, and I’m damn proud that we’ve survived this long and continue to grow. Many who have covered the media industry have not been as lucky. We’ve kept the lights on by investing in people, supporting partners, and by not overleveraging our business. Our love, passion, and knowledge of this industry pours on to our pages daily, and I hope that’s felt by those who read us. Look for some writers from the past to contribute guest pieces in August/September, as we reflect on the past decade. If I can ask one favor, please share the content on social media.

Knowing how lucky we are to do this, we plan to give back in September/October. Barrett Media is planning a 10-year anniversary party in New York City. The event will be invite only. Our plan is to host the event either right before or after the 2025 BNM Summit. Yes, that means our news media summit is coming to the big apple for the first time ever in 2025. More to come on that in the next month or so.

Sports and News Media’s Best of 2024

5 Favorite Columns:

Looking back on a year’s worth of columns and picking favorites isn’t easy. Each is written for a different point in time based on what’s happening in the industry at that moment. If choosing was based on traffic, my column on KNBR was the runaway winner. But I don’t enjoy writing columns like that. I’d prefer exploring business issues, and offering perspectives to help people think and learn. After digging through the archives, these below are the 5 that I enjoyed writing most. Hope you enjoyed them.

5 Songs of 2024

I listen to a lot of different types of music, but at my core, I’m a rock guy. Looking back at 2024, these 5 songs below were my favorites this year. Approvals and disagreements can be sent via email to Jason@BarrettMedia.com.

#1 – Hollywood Undead – Hollywood Forever

#2 – Falling in Reverse w/ Jelly Roll – All My Life

#3 – Snoop Dogg w/ Dr. Dre – Thank You

#4 – Beartooth – ATTN

#5 – Jelly Roll – I Am Not Okay

Honorable Mentions: Bad Omens w/ Poppy – V.A.N. – Bring Me The Horizon – Top 10 Statues That Cried Blood, Taylor Swift – Thank You Aimee, Eminem – Houdini, 3 Days Grace – Mayday, Nothing More – Angel Song, Point North – Bring Me Down, MGK w/ Jelly Roll – Lonely Road, Set It Off – Fake Ass Friends, The Funeral Portrait – Suffocate City, A Day to Remember – Feedback, Breaking Benjamin – Awaken, Black Veil Brides – Bleeders – Baby Metal w/ Electric Call Boy – Ratatata.

The CNN Presidential Debate with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash Leads Barrett Media’s Top 5 News Television Stories of 2024

Garrett Searight
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The CNN Presidential Debate with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash Leads Barrett Media’s Top 5 News Television Stories of 2024

As we’ve reached the end of an insanely interesting 2024 in the news television world, Barrett Media is looking back on TV’s top stories of the calendar year, led by the CNN Presidential Debate helmed by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.

#5 – Eric Bolling Out, Rob Finnerty In as Newsmax adjusts primetime lineup

2024 was a year to remember for Newsmax. The company saw increased ratings in addition to its planned push to take the company public while welcoming investors to the fray. But on the air, the network saw changes in its primetime lineup as Eric Bolling exited the 8 PM ET timeslot in May after originally joining the network in 2021.

Bolling’s final show with the network coincided with the verdict that former President Donald Trump had been found guilty of 34 felony counts in New York. At the time of his monologue, he revealed he was “going off script” and that producers for the show did not know what he was about to say. He announced his departure from Newsmax the following day.

In his stead, the conservative cable outlet founded by Chris Ruddy tapped morning host Rob Finnerty to take over the primetime opening. Finnerty began his show in October, and has already seen a strong ratings pull. The primetime show — simply dubbed Finnerty — has bested CNN challengers in recent weeks.

#4 – Andrea Mitchell Announces She’ll Retire From MSNBC in 2025

Andrea Mitchell has had a legendary television news career dating back to her debut in 1978 with NBC News.

But Mitchell is preparing to scale back in 2025, and in October announced that she’ll end Andrea Mitchell Reports after hosting the daily program since 2008.

“I’ve asked NBC and MSNBC for the opportunity to continue covering those stories, but from a different vantage point, still with NBC News and at MSNBC, still as chief Washington and foreign affairs correspondent, just not on a schedule of a daily show,” Mitchell revealed. “From primaries, debates, elections, and inaugurals here at home, to breaking news around the globe, my goal will continue — as it has always been — to bring you, our viewers, the major newsmakers shaping our country and the world right here on MSNBC.”

Her program is expected to conclude after the inauguration of Donald Trump in January.

#3 – NBC News Hires, Fires Ronna McDaniel

NBC News made shockwaves both inside and outside its organization in March.

The former Republican National Committee chair was pushed out of her position with the party in February before joining the news organization.

NBC News announced McDaniel’s addition to its on-air lineup as a political analyst in the lead-up to the 2024 election. The move was announced on Friday, March 22nd, with the former political chair making her debut on the following Sunday’s episode of Meet the Press.

McDaniel had continually been a vocal proponent of the false claims made by former President Donald Trump that the 2020 election had been “stolen” and “rigged” against him. However, she reversed course during that initial appearance with Meet the Press host Kristen Welker.

That reversal was not enough to win favor with her NBC News colleagues. After strong internal pushback, it was revealed that McDaniel would not be appearing on any MSNBC programs, with Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough claiming he was not consulted about the addition of the former Republican chair but he would have “strongly objected” had he been asked.

By Tuesday, March 26th, NBC News had announced McDaniel would no longer be appearing on any of the network’s platforms, severing ties completely with her. NBC News Chairman Cesar Conde revealed it was his decision to drop McDaniel, who was also let go by her talent agency. The network had reportedly agreed to a contract that paid McDaniel $300,000.

#2 – Norah O’Donnell Announces She’ll Exit CBS Evening News

Network news anchor chairs are hard to come by. But in a move indicative of the shifting nature of the media sphere in 2024, CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell announced in July she would exit the nightly news program in early 2025.

O’Donnell’s exit comes after she signed a contract extension with CBS News to focus more on her role with 60 Minutes and to produce long-form interview specials for the news organization. Her departure also coincides with lagging ratings, as the program continually finishes well behind ABC World News Tonight with David Muir and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.

“I have spent 12 years in the anchor chair here at CBS News, connected to a daily broadcast and the rigors of a relentless news cycle. It’s time to do something different,” O’Donnell wrote in an memo to staffers announce the move. “I see this as an opportunity. I want to thank Wendy McMahon as this new role will also allow me to extend the reach of the work we do to new audiences in new ways. Those interviews and reporting will be shared across the many platforms CBS offers – streaming, digital, primetime, Paramount+, and more. And in fact, we have a big interview coming up that I hope to share more details about very soon.”

CBS News has tabbed Margaret Brennan, John Dickerson, and Maurice DuBois to helm the nightly news program going forward. Additionally, the show will relocate to New York City after O’Donnell’s exit on Friday, January 24th.

#1 – CNN Presidential Debate — Moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash — Sets New Network Ratings High and Also Forces President Joe Biden Out of 2024 Race

The CNN Presidential Debate, moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, might not be the biggest news television story of 2024. It may go down in the history books as the biggest story of 2024, period.

The made-for-TV special pitted Republican challenger Donald Trump against President Joe Biden on Thursday, June 27th. Bash and Tapper were widely criticized — especially by conservatives — for being tabbed to moderate the debate. The pair faced many charges of political bias in the lead-up to the event. However, after the debate, they were widely praised for their questions and the decision by the network not to fact-check either candidate.

The debate was a disaster for Biden. The then 81-year-old looked frail, out of sorts, and failed to coherently answer several questions, with his opponent at one point saying “I don’t know what he just said there, and I don’t think he knows, either.”

Biden’s performance in the debate ultimately led to him exiting the race for the White House, with Vice President Kamala Harris taking over the ticket in a nearly unprecedented move.

For CNN, the event was the high point in a mostly forgettable 2024. According to Nielsen, 47.9 million viewers watched the debate between CNN, MSNBC, Newsmax, Fox News, ABC News, PBS, FOX, Scripps News, and Spectrum News. An additional 30 million viewers watched a simulcast on YouTube.

The event — which drew 9.5 million viewers — was the highest-rated event in CNN history.

The CNN Presidential Debate also marked an interesting shift in the media sphere. A decision was made to simulcast the broadcast across a plethora of networks. CNN partnered with several news organizations to simulcast the event across broadcast and cable television, citing a hope to bring the discussion between the two candidates to as wide an audience as possible. ABC News and CBS News responded similarly to their presidential and vice presidential debates in September and October, respectively.

Honorable Mention:

NewsNation first to call race for Trump

2024 was a foundational year for NewsNation, as the network completed its 24/7 news lineup with the addition of weekend news programming. The high-water mark for the network was it being the first television entity to make the call the former President Donald Trump (R) would make a return to the White House in the late evening hours of Tuesday, November 5th.

Tucker Carlson interview with Putin

Tucker Carlson saw his media empire grow in 2024 with big wins in the video and podcasting space. His biggest moment of 2024 was his high-profile February interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Carlson traveled to Russia to interview the dictator. Potentially most noteworthy, Carlson attempted to persuade Putin to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and allow the former cable news host to return to the United States with the journalist. While he was unsuccessful, Carlson received praise from both sides of the political aisle for the attempt. Ultimately, Gershkovich was released in August.

ABC News, George Stephanopoulos sued by Donald Trump

Donald Trump has proven to be a very litigious individual in his decades in the spotlight. That was on display in 2024 when he launched a lawsuit alleging defamation by ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos after the This Week host alleged Trump had been found civilly liable for rape.

Stephanopoulos made the statement in a high-profile interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). A rape survivor, Mace pledged her support for Trump in the 2024 election, which led Stephanopoulos to ask how she could do such a thing when the candidate was guilty of the crime committed against her.

The Trump camp ultimately sued both Stephanopoulos and ABC News for the quip. Ultimately, the organization settled the suit out of court for $15 million and attorneys fees. George Stephanopoulos was reportedly furious about the settlement, but that did not prohibit him from inking an extension to remain with the organization.

Mehdi Hasan exits MSNBC

In addition to Andrea Mitchell announcing she would depart MSNBC, another high-profile host left the network in 2024. Mehdi Hasan announced his exit and subsequent launch of digital startup Zeteo News in 2024.

A near-constant target of criticism from conservative media members, Hasan had seen his MSNBC program canceled at the end of 2023, before announcing his exit in January.

“Tonight is not just my final episode of The Mehdi Hassan Show, it’s my last day with MSNBC. Yes, I’ve decided to leave,” he announced on his final show. “To be clear I am so proud. So so proud of what we’ve achieved on this show on this network. And I can’t thank you enough for tuning in, for your support, and for your feedback. But as I say, ‘New year, new plans.’”

The Mehdi Hasan Show aired on Sundays at 8 PM ET. Additionally, he hosted a Peacock-exclusive program on Tuesdays.

CNN revamps morning show, replaces Phil Mattingly and Poppy Harlow, Harlow eventually exits

The Chris Licht era will not be fondly remembered at CNN. And its final remnants — a revamped morning window — went by the wayside in 2024 as CNN This Morning was canceled, moving Phil Mattingly and Poppy Harlow out of the timeslot.

Harlow had been a member of the show since its inception alongside Don Lemon and Kaitlan Collins. However, with the changes made to the daypart, Harlow ultimately exited the network completely, with Mattingly being re-assigned inside the organization.

The morning window, which continues to struggle in the cable news morning ratings, is now helmed by Kasie Hunt.

Kim Godwin exits ABC News

In early May, ABC News President Kim Godwin announced her retirement from the network after three-year run leading the network.

The timing wasn’t coincidental, however, as Godwin was in the midst of a performance review as The Walt Disney Company had brought in executive Debra OConnell to oversee its news division, essentially demoting Godwin.

Godwin — who became the first Black woman to serve as a network news President when she took over the network’s top executive role in 2021 — had led the outlet to strong ratings with both Good Morning America and ABC World News Tonight with David Muir.

“It’s both a privilege and a debt to those who chipped away at the ceiling before me to lead a team whose brand is synonymous with trust, integrity, and a dogged determination to be the best in the business,” wrote Godwin. “I leave with my head held high and wish the entire team continued success.” 

Brian Williams makes TV return on Election night special with Amazon Prime Video

Brian Williams has been mostly absent from the television news limelight since he departed MSNBC in 2021. But that changed on Election Night as he hosted a program for Amazon Prime Video that marked the first foray into the political realm for the retail giant’s streaming platform.

For hours, Williams seamlessly navigated the election night coverage as if he hadn’t been away from television news for nearly three years.

Additionally, Amazon Prime Video showcased an interesting and elaborate graphics package that led many to question what the future may look like for the streaming platform in the news arena. It also led to questions about Williams and what could be on the horizon in 2025 and beyond.

Lou Dobbs, Charles Osgood die

Finally, news television lost a pair of longtime stalwarts in 2024.

In January, longtime CBS News host and commenter Charles Osgood died at the age of 91. Osgood hosted CBS News Sunday Morning for 22 years before retiring in 2016. He also hosted a daily radio commentary, The Osgood File, from 1971 until 2017.

Additionally, longtime business television host Lou Dobbs passed away in July at 78.

Dobbs was one of the premier hosts at CNN from 1980 until 1999, and again from 2001 to 2009. He later joined Fox Business network and hosted Lou Dobbs Tonight from 2011 to 2021. He also hosted radio shows for United Stations Radio Networks, iHeartRadio, and Red Apple Audio Networks before his passing.

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.

‘Nightcap with Unc & Ocho’ Featuring Shannon Sharpe and Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson is Instant Offense

Dave Greene
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‘Nightcap with Unc & Ocho’ Featuring Shannon Sharpe and Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson is Instant Offense

Shannon Sharpe is a busy man. The beauty of that, however, is that what Shannon Sharpe does now after his football playing days is talk, and Sharpe has plenty to say. In June of this year, after a year since he departed FS1 after working on Undisputed for 7 years, Sharpe signed with ESPN to make appearances on First Take with Stephen A. Smith, which he adds to his list of commitments such as his Club Shay Shay podcast and the podcast that spun off from that show and the one I eavesdropped in on this week, Nightcap, which he hosts with another former NFL’er Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson.

When the show was announced last September, it was described as, “The new nighttime sports talk destination with legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco Johnson. Hang out with Unc and Ocho as they give their unfiltered takes on the latest headlines from the NFL, NBA, and college football, and give their instant reactions to the biggest games moments after they end.

“Ocho and I have had many debates off-camera throughout the years,” Sharpe said in a release when the show was announced. “We’ve decided to bring those on camera with Nightcap. Looking forward to debating my good friend Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson.”

Johnson said, “When Unc called me about the idea of expanding Club Shay Shay I thought to myself, this is a no-brainer. We just go together like a McDonald’s No. 1 with Coke, no ice. Hits every time. I’m extremely excited to join Club Shay Shay & the Volume on this new venture.”

The YouTube page for the show currently has 1.6 million subscribers and a total of almost 500 million views, with several episodes garnering more than 500,000 views.

This past Saturday, the guys went live after a tripleheader of NFL action which saw the Chargers blow out the Patriots, a crazy overtime win for the Bengals over the Broncos to keep Cincinnati’s playoff hopes alive as well as a last-minute questionable interception to give the Rams a 13-9 win over the Cardinals.

As the episode began, ‘Unc’ was selling. A Draft Kings endorsement ad was followed by several mentions for things you could buy which Sharpe was connected to including alcohol, merchandise and event tickets for a live show with Johnson at the Super Bowl. He also gave a quick mention for the consumers of the podcast to vote for their show in the Best American Football and Best Sports Comedy podcast award categories.

Then it was on to reaction from the games that had just taken place. And that is where the show begins to separate from most other podcasts. This isn’t the day after or a recap of the weekend of games, this was immediate. This was hearing two former star players thoughts about things that just happened, while they’re relaxed and looking to have some fun while giving a lot of opinion and information over a couple of hours on a Saturday night.

They started with the last game first and one that had recently ended in a bit of controversy when Ahkello Witherspoon made a diving interception after a pass was deflected, in the end zone with 37 seconds left to play.

Johnson said he didn’t know what the referee saw when they made the call as he clearly thought the ground helped Witherspoon make the play, but even after it was reviewed, they still stayed with the call. You immediately see or hear how raw the show is, meaning there hasn’t been much time since the last game was played, so it is immediate, natural reactions. And, if you know anything about Sharpe and ‘Ocho’ you know they’re not known for holding back, they are going to say it like it is.

Graphic for the Nightcap with Unc and Ocho podcast with pictures of Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco

A lot of ex-players sometimes have trouble when it comes to critiquing players or saying things could be deemed controversial. Again, if you are looking for middle of the road, boring banter, you’ve come to the wrong place. As the discussion moves to the Rams wide receivers and comparing 23-year-old Puka Nacua and 31-year-old Cooper Kupp, Sharpe says about Nacua, “He’s a younger, more physical Cooper Kupp…He can do everything Cooper Kupp does, but he’s bigger and more physical…and he’s cheaper.”

Next, you really get the insider knowledge from not just two former players, but two guys who played more than a decade in the NFL. They talked about the physical beating a slot receiver like Cooker Kupp has taken throughout his career. They add in that Kupp not only takes punishment on many balls he catches, but also on several he does not catch. Add it up over his eight-year career and it is a lot of hits.

Sharpe leads the way through the conversation and often has the first and last word on a topic. Johnson, who played most of his career for the Cincinnati Bengals, was more hyped than usual for this show as his team had a big win in overtime against the Denver Broncos. Not only did they get the win, but their odds of making the playoffs increased into double-digits after it was less than a 5% chance just a few weeks ago.

Conversely, Sharpe spent a majority of his career playing for the Broncos, so naturally ‘Ocho’ was giving it to ‘Unc’ a little bit. Johnson said about the game, which could have given even a non-interested fan a heart attack, “Games like this don’t have to be so close,” he said. “The decision making, the play calling …c’mon what are we doing?” He would later add about one specific play, “We called a timeout to run a fullback dive?!”

Opinion, check. Insight, check. Facts, check. Hilarity, check.

Nightcap has it all and is a podcast that makes you feel like you are hanging out with the crew and just talking football, sometimes other sports or life as well. Fans can engage with the show as it airs on YouTube and so far this episode has been viewed nearly 250,000 times in less than 24 hours.

Of course, while the Bengals got the win, they still need help to get into the playoffs. Mainly, they need the Broncos to lose at home to the Chiefs in a game where the Chiefs will most likely rest their starters since they have already clinched the No. 1 seed. So, while ‘Ocho’ got his licks in for this week, Sharpe was setting him up to be let down next week.

“I don’t think the Broncos can beat the Chiefs ‘B team’,” Johnson said. Sharpe countered by pointing out how the Broncos seem to always do well against the Chiefs at home.

Sharpe and ‘Ochocinco’ go back and forth on the topic of the NFL MVP this year, making cases for both Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. Both hosts agreed that it just is what it is when it comes to the voters looking at team win-loss records and factoring them into their votes for MVP.

They also hit on Coach of the Year as they talked about the Los Angeles Chargers win and their coach Jim Harbaugh. Sharpe pointed out some of the moves made since Harbaugh took over and said, “This is what he does,” he does. “The Chargers, Stanford, the 49ers, Michigan. Normally this takes him at least a year, it didn’t even take him a year!”

‘Ochocinco’ talks about some specific things Harbaugh fixed, and Sharpe adds, “Just goes to show you how poorly coached they were…Coaching does matter, it does.”

As they go through the main sports topics, they will deviate to real-life talk which generally leads to the two cracking each other up. In this episode, Sharpe talked about the pain in his knees and said they hurt whenever he does anything, and as he described how his knees could feel bad during sex, Johnson was dying laughing. The conversation turned into the pains that come with getting older – something everyone listening can most likely relate to.

After the NFL talk, they moved to college football and their friend Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes losing to BYU, 36-14. Sharpe said flat out, “You gotta have a better effort than this. They were never in the game…It’s Coach Prime’s job to have this team prepared and ready to play better than what they showed…it’s really that simple.”

‘Ocho’ added, “It almost looked like they didn’t belong…it looked like they were the JV playing the varsity.”

Another college football topic was about Miami’s Cam Ward who set the DI career passing touchdown record and then didn’t come back to play in the second half of their bowl game. Sharpe said he thinks Ward shouldn’t have played at all and that stopping midway through is a bad look which NFL people will not like, implying it could have an impact on where he is drafted.

Before finishing with a ‘Q and Ayyy’ segment, the two talked briefly about some other topics such as DeShaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns restructuring his contract, Mike Brown getting fired by the Sacramento Kings and Eric Dickerson not wanting Saquan Barkley to break his single season rushing record. In between, there was a rather interesting discussion about how Johnson chose women he wanted to have children with.

The ‘Q and Ayyy’ rewarded the fans who had participated in the YouTube chat as the show was live. Questions covered a wide range of subjects with some related to topics within the show. Then there was a man nearing 30 who asked for advice on starting a career and family. The two hosts understood the family part but were super concerned about the gentleman wanting advice on starting a career at almost 30 years old.

The questions and the answers showed the wide range of interests of both the hosts and the consumers of Nightcap.

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.

John Ourand is Covering Sports Business in a New Way at ‘Puck’

Derek Futterman
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As John Ourand was exiting a party held by ESPN in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl XXXVI, he remembers Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young being ahead of him and approaching a crowd of fans waiting for the celebrities. Walking behind Ourand was Chris Berman, the longtime SportsCenter anchor who has worked at the company throughout its 45-year history. Ourand was nonplussed to discover that the patrons flocked towards Berman, indicative of a keen realization in the interest and intrigue surrounding the sports media business.

There is much curiosity and fascination surrounding rights deals, mergers and acquisitions, commentary assignments and other transactions in the space, facilitating the development and eminence of the reporting space. Ourand understands that media conglomerates operate in a high-stakes marketplace with fundamental changes to different facets of the business, but he also recognizes the appeal of character development and storytelling. Since joining Puck to build out its sports business vertical, he has sought to provide comprehensive, accurate modicums of reporting and analysis within private emails and podcast episodes.

“People feel that I’m writing right to them, and it invites people to respond to me, and in ways that writing for a magazine and having a byline or even a website and just sort of having a byline doesn’t quite work,” Ourand said. “All you have to do is hit ‘Reply,’ and our style of writing and our way of getting things out makes it very conversational, and that just seems to work really well for us.”

Ourand previously had an 18-year tenure at Sports Business Journal where he denoted possessing autonomy towards what he covered in constructing the overall beat. Yet over the last several years, he began to receive and read content from Puck, the startup company established and operated by veteran journalists spanning a junction of entertainment, politics, technology and finance.

“I got to talking with Jon Kelly, who runs it, and [he] has a vision for Puck and he has a vision for journalism, and I bought into that vision,” Ourand said. “It was very, very hard to leave SBJ, and it took way too long for me to finally sort of make the jump to get over to Puck, but it was really just the idea.”

Part of the appeal in joining Puck was derived through the premise of joining a team of skilled, driven reporters spanning multiple genres. On top of that, there is the ability to collaborate on certain projects and add more background surrounding various stories and developments. As Ourand approaches the completion of his first year with the outlet, he believes the job has exceeded his expectations and has enabled him to reach people outside of the sports business realm.

“There’s very much a startup ethos around Puck that’s intoxicating and really a lot of fun to be a part of,” Ourand said. “If you’ve been doing what I’ve been doing, you’re naturally competitive with pretty much everyone and everything…. It’s a friendly competition, of course, but if I put out something that consistently doesn’t meet the standards that they’ve already set, I start to feel a lot of angst.”

Ourand’s private email and podcast are billed under The Varsity, forums through which he communicates with subscribers and provides original reporting twice per week. Although there are some themes that have stretched over multiple weeks or months, he ensures that his reports are not stating the obvious or boring. Moreover, the engaging and riveting writing style within his biweekly dispatches allows his personality to shine through and deviates from traditional hard news journalism.

“The idea behind Puck is we want to give you a lot of really good information, but we also want to make you laugh at times too,” Ourand said. “We are very serious about it, but you can still laugh at a lot of things as well.”

Describing his job akin to playing a game of telephone where the initial message differs from the final transmission, Ourand is trying to discover the genuine truth of what is taking place. In routinely hearing news and rumors, he investigates what information is correct, what is false and what may be embellished. In addition, he works to foster connections with people at networks and leagues, so he is able to receive and subsequently verify intel.

“If you hear something, you have to be able to cross-reference the information,” Ourand said. “As somebody that covers this business for Puck, that’s essential to make sure that what I’m putting out is not only accurate, but it also has sort of like high-level analysis for why deals get done or how deals get done.”

There have been instances during Ourand’s career in which he has lost scoops because he was unsure if the information he obtained was accurate. In demonstrating restraint and authenticity in his reporting, he has developed a stellar track record and earned the trust of readers. Ourand is not running with any rumors or conjecture he may hear from one person; rather, he is getting multiple perspectives and can then accompany that with relevant context and analysis.

“It just involves talking to as many people as I can that are involved with the story and trying to get it out that way,” Ourand said. “One of the unique things about Puck is that I still prioritize breaking news, and I still love breaking news at Puck, but my private email comes out on Mondays and on Thursdays.”

As Puck is new in covering the sports business, adding an established, credible reporter in Ourand helps the publication in broadening its base of readers and delivering a heightened return on investment. Readers are also able to communicate directly with him by replying to the private email, and he will oftentimes highlight messages in his ‘From the Cheap Seats’ section that concludes the proverbial tip sheet.

“I get a lot of people hitting reply and commenting, and I get a good sense from that of what stories resonate and not,” Ourand explained, “but mainly, it’s about, ‘Hey, this is something that I see going on. This is something that interests me,’ and at some point, you have to trust your own judgment on that.”

Every private email within The Varsity includes ‘The Main Event,’ which is a longer story examining a pertinent issue, divulging new developments or condensed question and answer sessions from the accompanying podcast. One of the first sections in the newsletter is titled ‘The Starting Five’ and provides shorter modules reviewing what is occurring in the sports business. Rather than aiming to own a particular story, he aspires to keep subscribers caught up by essentially opening his notebook and illuminating what he has learned.

“I’ve been doing this for a pretty long time, and I have a pretty good sense of the type of news, the type of information and the analysis that people want to read and that will drive people to subscribe,” Ourand said. “I try to have a very thick skin, and so I listen. When people are bored by a certain story, I have the ability to pivot and go different ways.”

A frequent leitmotif during the inception of The Varsity was the Ch. 11 bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group as the subsidiary sought to enter a restructuring support agreement and emerge solvent. Ourand estimates that the lead story pertained to this situation in every other version early in the year, but he eventually rolled that back and made it one of his items in ‘The Starting Five’ instead.

“Cord cutting is happening,” Ourand said. “The subscriber numbers are declining pretty significantly. The big question that I don’t really have an answer to but I’m studying is, ‘What is zero? Will cable go down to zero? How far will it fall?’”

When Ourand was working with Sports Business Journal, he co-hosted an award-winning podcast with then-New York Post sports media columnist Andrew Marchand. The collaboration between the two companies gained traction and received plaudits from various professionals in the business. Ourand remains friends with Marchand, who moved to The Athletic this past January, and makes one joke about him per newsletter.

“The one week that we kept that Marchand joke out, I had about probably 10 responses from people, which is, for an email like this, a lot, saying, ‘You’re not getting rid of that, are you?’” Ourand said. “I have people that email me, ‘Hey, you should do this one as a joke.’”

Two new episodes of The Varsity podcast come out per week, the Tuesday edition of which is Ourand working to recreate what he had with Marchand by inviting reporters to discuss topical media business issues. The other edition of the show, which is released every Sunday, features interviews with industry executives, commentators and agents.

“Those are good, thorough in-depth discussions just about the business and where the business is going,” Ourand said, “and so if you like that, you get a sense at who I’m talking to, and you get a sense of what is in The Varsity private email twice per week.”

As Ourand continues to build out the sports business vertical at Puck, he will be focused on following pivotal short- and long-term developments, one of which pertains to NFL media rights contracts. Ourand stated that the league will “almost certainly” opt out of most of its deals in 2029, leading to a new stage of negotiations amid a media environment that could look markedly different than the current composition. NFL games accounted for 93 of the 100 most-watched television programs last year, and the league continues to build relationships with streaming platforms such as Amazon’s Prime Video and Netflix.

“The question I have is, ‘Do you find more reach through a streamer like Netflix, or do you still find more reach on a network like FOX?,’” Ourand said. “Right now, I think it’s probably still FOX, but is it changing? How much will it change? How much will that rush to create more reach affect the NFL in its next media deal?’”

Ourand wonders if streamers will become involved with the UFC as its media rights deal with ESPN nears expiration next year, conveying that it could be “a good bellwether to check” regarding streamers becoming involved in sports. ESPN will also drive significant interest as he believes the company will “almost certainly” exercise an out in its MLB deal and launch its Flagship direct-to-consumer product. Ourand will also continue to scrutinize local media rights as MLB could aim to package them as part of national deals in the future. In the end though, he hopes to disseminate quality sports business content and contribute to Puck further augmenting its standing in the multimedia ecosystem.

“What makes a successful day is if I put out an email and I feel like I am breaking news, I’m providing analysis [and] I have things that people don’t know,” Ourand said. “It’s all an internal feel that’s difficult to ascribe. It has little to do with feedback or new subscribers or anything like that. I want my stuff to be read by decision makers, and I want them to learn something.”

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.

What Are Music Radio’s Biggest Wishes For 2025

Jeff Lynn
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What Are Music Radio’s Biggest Wishes For 2025

With 2025 looming, I ask some radio industry leaders about their biggest wishes for the coming year.

Scott Roddy, RVP Audacy Country West, and KSON San Diego PD

In 2025, I hope to see a renewed focus on local and selling how well we activate our audiences. I won’t start the new year with a “measurement” diatribe. Instead, I’ll praise how well GOOD brands activate their audiences and deliver for their advertisers.

When we generate great LOCAL content, I don’t believe any other medium connects as well as radio. This SHOULD make all GOOD brands ratings-proof. We should invest our time in raising the profile of our local talent: interact on the street in EVERY way possible regardless of body count, connect artists with fans, exploit local “white hat” moments, and provide experiences that can’t be bought. I KNOW good brands CAN put butts in seats, generate leads, move product, and make a difference in BOTH of our clients lives. (Listeners AND advertisers.) 

Mike McVay, President McVay Media Consulting

My wish for radio in the new year is a uniform realization that the medium is worth more than we’re presenting it as being worth. If an owner who was confident in the strength of their programming were brave enough to lower their commercial load … we’d see an increase in AQH. Radio has a reach that’s significantly bigger than the DSPs, but we degrade the listening experience by airing too many commercial messages. The vicious cycle is that this contamination drives down the AQH for the station, and that drives down rates. I understand that we are a “for profit” business, but I continue to believe that the erosion of audience is due to self-inflicted wounds.

If AQH is the defining metric in many markets for the value of commercial inventory, then why not focus on improving the product to increase the opportunity to increase sales because of audience growth?

Jimmy Brooks, PD 100.7 The Tiger Baton Rouge

My biggest hope for the radio industry in 2025 is that Country radio stations continue to embrace innovation and find new ways to connect with our P1s. 

At 100.7 The Tiger, we’re seeing great success with our increased digital presence. We’re shifting from being just DJs to becoming true content creators (influencers, if you will), engaging with our listeners on social platforms using Reels, Shorts, and Stories. This not only strengthens our relationships with our listeners and clients but also shows that the voices behind the mics have similar, if not the same, interests as they do. 

I believe that by using digital platforms and social media and continuing to build upon and maintain our strong relationships with record labels and our listeners, we will create a really badass 2025 promotionally! I am also super excited for the talent that we will see and hear next year. There are some really awesome artists that I cannot wait to play on the radio! 

Cheers to a fantastic 2025!

Chad Rufer, Group Director of Programming Bonneville Sacramento

If I had two wishes for 2025, my first wish would be that our industry would recognize the importance of local personalities who can connect with the community. These personalities not only provide entertainment for an audience on-air, but they also provide online and on-demand content that will elevate their brand and that of the station. Once that connection is made, watch the impact that they can have on the community. Their audience will have built trust with those personalities and will support them and what they stand for (community service/endorsements/etc.).

I also wish that our industry can come together to share the story about the impact that radio continues to have on communities and a very large audience. RADIO IS NOT DEAD, but we are allowing our competitors to market this message without fighting back. This is a task that cannot be accomplished without the support of EVERYONE.  While we can all remain competitive in our marketplace, we need to work together to praise the positive impact that radio and our personalities have each day. Remember, rising tides lift all boats.

David Moore, Brand, and Content/OM Hubbard Radio Phoenix

My biggest wish is for lots of revenue and minimal riffs. 

John Lund, Lund Media Group

What is the biggest wish for the radio industry in 2025?  I have three:

The radio business faces several key challenges and opportunities. One of the biggest needs is adapting to the evolving digital landscape. With the rise of streaming services, podcasts, and smart speakers, radio stations must innovate to stay relevant and retain their audience. And all stations need to sell digital aggressively.

Another significant need is increasing advertising revenue. Experts project the industry will experience a 14% increase in marketing budgets, driven by factors like the easing of interest rates and the return-to-office trend, which boosts commuting activity and radio listenership. However, competition from digital platforms remains fierce, and radio stations must find ways to attract and retain advertisers.

Additionally, embracing new technologies and AI is crucial. AI can help radio stations personalize content, improve audience engagement, and streamline operations.

The radio industry must be agile, innovative, and open to change to thrive in 2025.

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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