The Walt Disney Company has taken full ownership of Hulu, reaching a deal with Comcast Corporation to acquire NBCUniversal’s 33% stake in the streaming service for $439 million. Reaching this figure ends a dispute that lasted for a year-and-a-half surrounding the amount, which included Disney averring that it did not owe NBCUniversal any more remittance aside from the $8.6 billion floor price that it had already issued for the stake. Comcast had contended that Disney owned another $5 billion, and a third-party appraiser was implemented to assist in resolving the dispute by finalizing the equity fair value for Hulu.
“We are pleased this is finally resolved,” Bob Iger, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement. “We have had a productive partnership with NBCUniversal, and we wish them the best of luck. Completing the Hulu acquisition paves the way for a deeper and more seamless integration of Hulu’s general entertainment content with Disney+ and, soon, with ESPN’s direct-to-consumer product, providing an unrivaled value proposition for consumers.”
In a recent regulatory filing, Disney divulged that this additional amount will be reported in net income attributable to noncontrolling interests. The amount is also not expected to be included in Disney’s report of adjusted earnings per share wherefore it will not impact previous guidance for the fiscal year in this regard. The acquisition of the NBCUniversal stake in Hulu will close on or before July 24 of this year, coinciding with the fiscal fourth quarter for The Walt Disney Company.
“Hulu was a great start for us in streaming that generated nearly $10 billion in proceeds for Comcast and created an important audience for NBCUniversal’s world-class content,” a Comcast spokesperson said to The Hollywood Reporter. “We wish Disney well with Hulu and appreciate the cooperative way our teams managed the partnership.”
Hulu generated a profit last quarter with earnings of $54.7 million registered in the company’s fiscal second quarter, representing a 2% proliferation compared to the previous year. Users will also be able to bundle Hulu with Disney+ and the Unlimited plan of the new ESPN direct-to-consumer platform at $29.99 per month throughout the first 12 months. The enhanced ESPN app will include new fan experiences and features tailored for users, who will be able to access all ESPN linear networks through the Unlimited option.
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 creator-led content company Jomboy Media has come to an agreement with Major League Baseball in which the league is acquiring a minority stake in the baseball-centered digital media brand. According to Variety, the partnership will see Jomboy Media and MLB collaborate on content activations around annual events in the baseball calendar such as the MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby.
Jomboy Media in return will be allowed access to intellectual property from MLB and individual MLB clubs in order to be integrated across “new apparel, home goods, and more” according to a release.
“Our community is the reason we’ve been able to turn this from ‘just a hobby’ into something bigger than we ever could’ve imagined,” said Jimmy O’Brien, co-founder of Jomboy Media along with Jake Storiale. “Partnering with MLB marks a huge moment for Jomboy Media, and through this partnership, we’ll be able to give back to our community with storytelling that’s deeper than ever before.”
Jomboy Media was founded in 2017 and has grown from what O’Brian and Storiale said was a “hobby” into a digital media giant with near 100 million engagements in 2024. New Jomboy CEO Courtney Hirsch, who joined the company in her role this past March, said the partnership was a result of months of talks between the two properties.
“We’ve always believed that deep storytelling and our unique approach to content and community can grow the game — and now we’re excited to do that alongside the league itself,” said Hirsch via a release.
“MLB has long admired the passionate fandom of Jimmy O’Brien and his unique ability to connect with baseball fans,” said Noah Garden, MLB’s deputy commissioner for business and media. “We are looking forward to bringing baseball fans more entertaining content to help further expand baseball’s online presence and deeper the connection between our sport and its fans.”
Jomboy Media is based in New York City and currently has over 50 employees generating content for all of it’s social media platforms, including the Talkin’ Baseball and Talkin’ Yanks’ podcasts and the Warehouse Games.
Financial terms of the agreement were not released.
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.
ESPN used to have a very defined culture. It was shaped by being located in the middle of nowhere, Connecticut. It was refined by the Walt Disney Company. Some people fit in. Others did not.
The cast of Inside the NBA declared “we coming” as it signed off on its original network for the last time following the Eastern Conference Finals. Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith wanted their fans to know that they are moving, not going away. They wanted the brass at ESPN to know that the show everyone has known for more than three decades is the one they are going to get.
Culture is still important at ESPN, but not as important as connecting with an audience. Inside the NBA may be leaving TNT for ESPN, but make no mistake—in the battle for studio show supremacy, TNT won, and ESPN knows it. This is a classic case of “if you can’t beat ’em, buy ’em.” Keep that in mind anytime you read or hear someone disingenuously bemoaning what the network will do to Inside the NBA once it becomes part of the network’s basketball broadcasts.
The Goal Isn’t To Bring ESPN to Inside the NBA
One common prediction I have heard is that ESPN is going to force some of its most popular personalities onto the program alongside Kenny, Chuck, and Shaq. Predictions include Pat McAfee getting a seat next to Ernie or Stephen A. Smith replacing Ernie entirely.
That won’t happen.
Bill Simmons reflected on his own time on ESPN’s NBA studio show and predicted that ESPN will ruin Inside the NBA by overstuffing it with commercials. That’s what the network does now to its own NBA Countdown, after all.
That won’t happen either.
Jimmy Pitaro and Burke Magnus won’t say it out loud, but they are waving the white flag. They did a deal to license Inside the NBA after TNT lost NBA rights because they saw a chance to replace something that didn’t work with something that worked as well as any show on sports television.
The ESPN model for NBA coverage makes the game broadcast the very top priority. That is where ESPN has excelled. Mike Breen is the very best at what he does.
The studio show was far down the list of priorities. That’s why it’s about pace. Stephen A. Smith, Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose, Michael Wilbon, Mike Greenberg, Magic Johnson, and whoever else you want to mention from the network’s long list of NBA Countdown stars cannot compete with the chemistry and star power of Ernie, Kenny, Chuck, and Shaq. If ESPN wanted to do Inside the NBA without the cast of Inside the NBA, it would always look like the JV team.
Chuck Is Too Valuable to F*** With
Charles Barkley has never been shy about how he feels about ESPN. He has plenty of money. If ESPN wants to change his workload, he can retire knowing he has already accomplished everything he wanted to in broadcasting.
Now, put yourself in Jimmy Pitaro’s shoes. Do you want to piss Chuck off and be responsible for dropping the value of your licensing deal by irreversible multitudes?
Barkley is friendly with McAfee. He has a long relationship with Michael Wilbon and with Scott Van Pelt. He might bust balls with Stephen A. Smith, but the two seem to like each other.
None of that means he wants to do a show with those people. He has his partners on screen. He has his trusted crew working behind the scenes. If that’s who he wants to work with, ESPN is smart enough to make sure those are the only people Charles Barkley is working with.
ESPN did a licensing deal with Pat McAfee because he is a difference maker. It did a similar deal with Inside the NBA for similar reasons. The network broke off more money for Stephen A. Smith than anyone on the network before him, because he makes people tune in to see what he will say. Sports fans know Stephen A. Smith will make headlines. Your grandmother knows who Charles Barkley is and what he does.
Other networks tried to hire Barkley when it became clear that the NBA was leaving TNT. ESPN got creative. Even if it cost him some money, Barkley got what he wanted from ESPN—working the way and with the people he is comfortable. If any change to that arrangement could cost ESPN Barkley’s services, why would they consider making any change?
Inside the NBA Won
It’s really important to stress what happened here. TNT may have lost NBA rights, but Inside the NBA left an impression so deep that its fate was never going to be tied to negotiations led by David Zaslav, who walked in seemingly trying to lose.
ESPN is getting everything that comes along with Inside the NBA. They are getting longer segments. They’re getting a postgame show. They are getting conversations that can sometimes make suits uncomfortable. All of that stuff is why basketball fans love Inside the NBA.
Think of Inside the NBA going to ESPN like Aaron Rodgers going to the Jets. He was never going to be asked to fit in. Rodgers’ culture was always going to be the Jets’ culture.
Obviously, there is a big difference between those two situations—Inside the NBA is still good at its job. All the more reason to believe that it won’t be asked to fit into ESPN culture. When it comes to the NBA, Inside the NBA is ESPN’s new culture.
Things won’t be exactly the same when Inside the NBA moves to ESPN in the 2025–26 season. A lot of it will look the same, but the show won’t be attached to every NBA game ESPN and ABC cover.
Inside the NBA is special. ESPN knows it, and it knows that the show doesn’t need to be improved. It won’t benefit from being tinkered with just to feed the egos of people in Bristol.
Look at the pregame and halftime shows airing right now during the NBA Finals. ESPN may not admit that they are not good, but the network definitely knows that it could be better.
That’s what making a deal with Inside the NBA is supposed to do, and I trust Jimmy Pitaro and his colleagues to let everyone that has made TNT’s show the gold standard in sports television do it.
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.
Warner Bros. Discovery is dropping its cable assets — with channels like CNN, TBS, and TNT — like a sack of potatoes in an effort to put all its eggs in the streaming basket.
The plan announced Monday morning would spin off the cable channels away from the likes of HBO, HBO Max, and the company’s film properties. Which doesn’t make the company unique by any stretch of the imagination, but it does hold what was once a cable crown jewel, CNN, in its portfolio.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that the overwhelming majority of headlines and comments from Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav were about the HBO Max streaming service. That has been the company’s focus for quite some time — even if they had an idiot attack and dropped “HBO” from the name because “People associate HBO with quality”…huh? — and will continue to be the focus going forward.
But CNN is still a valuable property for a variety of reasons. What the future of the network looks like without Warner Bros. Discovery remains a mystery, though.
What should the future of CNN look like? Because everyone likes to talk about what CNN used to be. I think it’s time to talk about what CNN can be in the future.
Despite what I would label as an insanely slow rollout, I think the network is on the right page by attempting to pivot to a more digital-focused model under the tutelage of CEO Mark Thompson. What Thompson did to reinvigorate The New York Times can’t be understated as it is now a digital juggernaut.
Furthermore, I think CNN might be better off as an independent entity, even away from the other cable assets at WBD. For CNN to be at its best, it — in my opinion — needs a non-descript owner. Someone who isn’t going to fuel charges of a political bias or interference one way or another. It needs someone who isn’t going to cause headaches for the on-air talent and product to be hampered by stories of who the owners are shaking hands with, playing golf with, and which campaigns they’re donating to.
Is a return to greatness possible for CNN? I think so. But it’s going to be a long, hard journey that won’t be accomplished overnight. And that’s an issue in a “But what about the value for the shareholders?!” world many media enterprises now exist. Cable news isn’t dead. Far from it, actually. But the cable bundle and cable television as a whole does have a limited shelf life. It’s why brands like Fox News have delved into alternative distribution methods like the FOX Nation streaming platform and are focusing on their digital offerings.
But if there is one thing that has been clear out of the shift to streaming, it’s that those who hop on the saddle first are the winners. It’s why CNN needs to get its streaming strategy down pronto, not tomorrow, not today, but yesterday. Because every day that goes past is another day that news consumers find content elsewhere on digital platforms.
For instance, I went on the CNN website to look for video content from Anderson Cooper 360. In the “latest video” category from the show, the top eight most recent videos included stories about Cooper’s coverage of Hurricane Milton, what 10 and 11-year-olds thought about Donald Trump and Kamala Harris as the election neared, and Cooper trying on special glasses ahead of the solar eclipse.
Notice a trend there? They’re all stories from 2024. And not just 2024, some going back as far as April of last year. We’re working on being halfway done with 2025 and those qualify as “Latest From AC 360”?
Moreover, on YouTube, CNN doesn’t have dedicated playlists to content from its primetime shows featuring Abby Phillip, Cooper, Erin Burnett, Kaitlan Collins, or Laura Coates? Why is it making it a challenge and a chore for users to watch the network’s content? I have legitimately no idea.
But all of that pales in comparison to the questions that await the network going forward after the Warner Bros. Discovery spinoff, which is likely to be completed next year. There’s a pathway for CNN to return to prominence, which I’ve written about before. But the first step has to include getting out of its own way. And right now, that seems like a tall task at times. I’ll remain hopeful, however, that the once venerable brand can see some progress without WBD helping it trip over its own feet.
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.
Every person has a belief they were born to do something great with their life. Some find their calling through happenstance, or by accident, and some identify it and chase their purpose for what they feel they were meant to do. 97.5 The Fanatic host Bill Colarulo, from a very young age, knew his place was doing something related to sports. At first chasing the dream of being a professional athlete—playing football and ice hockey in high school—he accepted that his skill set was not meant for the next level.
Instead, Colarulo passed on his passion to chase a law degree, ultimately graduating from Temple University. After stints at a few law firms following graduation, he opened his own law firm and grew his business. While he was crafting out a successful path following his degree, the burning desire to get back into sports and rediscover his calling was eating him up inside.
“I always had the bug. I wanted to do sports talk,” said Colarulo. “I have a successful firm. I love the culture that we built. I love the people that I work with, but this isn’t what I want to do with my life.”
Colarulo began his journey in search of being a sports talk radio host by starting a podcast surrounding his law firm in 2021. The effort was called The Legal Hands To The Face Podcast, which focused on discussions about the Philadelphia Eagles. Following a short stretch of weekly episodes, Colarulo stepped away from his podcast in 2022, but continued to have a burning desire to “die with memories and not dreams.”
“I want to go all in on sports talk,” recalled Colarulo, having a conversation with his wife in 2022. “I can’t be a lawyer who just happens to do sports talk on the side. If I’m going to do this, I have to go all in. I have to go all in and dedicate all my time and all my energy to do sports talk.”
A Leap Of Faith Is All Colarulo Needed
That decision several years ago led to Colarulo selling his law firm to his partner and embarking on a journey that has led to a giant wave of success through dedication and hard work. Fast forward to last week when 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia named Colarulo to their new afternoon drive program alongside former Philadelphia Phillies player Ricky Bottalico—an opportunity that Colarulo feels he’s well prepared for and focused on delivering quality content on a daily basis.
“What I’m worried about is making sure that every single show we put on is providing value and entertainment to the listener,” said Colarulo. “They will come because they’ll realize that this is a good show. It doesn’t matter if they were WIP people before or not, they’re going to realize it is a good show that they should be listening to.”
The Philadelphia sports market is considered one of the most rabid in the nation. A city built on our founding fathers with a deep desire for success at any cost. Philly is considered one of the more vocal sports markets in the country. A town where hard work is respected, and championships earn glory forever. Colarulo has ascended from trial lawyer to podcaster to afternoon drive host in a timeline shorter than most Philadelphia athletes last in the market, making his success story truly unique—especially in a market so distinct.
“It felt like it’s been a decade. I know it’s only been a short period of time,” said Colarulo. “I don’t want to downplay what other people have been through because I know it’s been a very fast track. It doesn’t feel like this was something that was just handed to me. It does feel like it’s something that I put a lot of work into, and it was the goal when I left a successful law firm. This is what I wanted.”
The Pressures And Benefits Of Afternoons In Philly
🚨Big news: A brand new afternoon show coming to 97.5 the Fanatic & NBC Sports Philadelphia ➡️ “Unfiltered with Ricky Bo & Bill Colarulo” starting Monday June 9th! Every weekday from 2-6pm. Let’s go!!! pic.twitter.com/nkpN7coT7E
Unfiltered with Ricky Bo and Bill Colarulo debuted this past Monday as the new afternoon drive show on The Fanatic. The program followed the dismissal of Tyrone Johnson back in April after Johnson held the daypart as part of The Best Show Ever? since 2022. Bottalico, the last remaining piece of the former Fanatic afternoon drive program, now will be paired with Colarulo, who says that Johnson was gracious when the news broke that he would be joining the afternoon drive daypart in a full-time role.
“He’s (Johnson) such a class act. He reached out to me to congratulate me on the opportunity. He told me he knows it’s going to be great. He’s a really good guy,” said Colarulo.
The lawyer-turned-talk-show-host possesses a unique mindset when it comes to how consumers take in content in an ever more on-demand world than ever. Coming from a podcasting background, Colarulo understands the role and importance of social media and meeting the consumer where they are—all the time. Unfiltered will share a unique quality with its predecessors as the program will be simulcast on NBC Sports Philadelphia—something which Johnson told Barrett Media last month was “a blessing and a curse” because of its effect on traditional radio ratings.
“I don’t look at television as a bad thing. I know that maybe it could hurt you in the ratings slightly because people will watch instead of listen, but I want to be everywhere that people are,” said Colarulo. “If you put on a show that people want to listen to or watch, make it easy for them to find you by being everywhere that they are. That’s why I look at television as a positive. If there are people who are sitting in their house who maybe don’t own a radio anymore, or maybe don’t own a smart speaker, they can turn on the television and watch.”
Moving On From Working With Mike Missanelli
Prior to being named the new co-host of Unfiltered, Colarulo had been serving as the co-host of The Mike Missanelli Show since the veteran talker returned to The Fanatic last August. The two worked together previously on separate programs under the JAKIB Media brand for some time but never grew close. However, during their time as co-hosts on The Fanatic, they grew to become a dynamic team.
“He understands this is a big opportunity for me, and he’s happy for me,” explained Colarulo. “It’s bittersweet because we really enjoyed working together. We really had a great chemistry on air, but this was a good opportunity, and we think it’s a good opportunity for the station.”
As Colarulo moves on from Missanelli, station management at The Fanatic is in search of Colarulo’s replacement on the program. While Colarulo feels Missanelli is talented enough to do anything—including returning to hosting a solo program—he feels having another voice in the room fits the changing landscape of how sports radio is less reliant on reaction and more reliant on personality.
“It’s helpful to have that number two now in addition to Ray (Dunne) because we’re not as reliant on callers, so it allows that back-and-forth more,” said Colarulo. “I think Mike could do it without a co-host, but I think with the way the station and the direction they’re going, it would probably make more sense to put someone there.”
Through giving up his profession and taking a leap of faith head-on, Bill Colarulo has gone from the ground up in record-shattering time, with the challenge of crafting compelling content for a hungry and unforgiving (at times) sports fandom in Philadelphia. He lives with no regrets in chasing his passion for sports and sports talk, as he looks forward to more success in guiding 97.5 The Fanatic into the next generation of success.
“I feel like I am ready for this. I feel like, not to say the cliché, but I was born for this. This is what I’ve wanted to do. This has been a dream of mine,” said Colarulo. “I think as long as we just keep building good show on top of good show, the success will follow. People will come, people will listen, people will watch—just every single day put on the best possible show that you could put on, and I think that success will define itself.”
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.
Micromanagement is a talent killer! It’s one of the fastest ways to stifle creativity, reduce morale, and damage the authenticity of your airstaff.
Successful performance depends heavily on spontaneity, personality, and the ability to form a genuine emotional connection with listeners. Excessive oversight can hinder these elements, leading to flat, uninspired performances.
Instead, Programmers should focus on creating a framework of trust, support, and collaborative improvement to bring out the best in your talent. Below are some suggestions on how to bring out the performance from your talent that you are seeking.
1. Establish Clear Expectations Without Scripted Control
The first step in avoiding micromanagement is to provide clear but flexible expectations. Radio talent needs to understand the station’s tone, target audience, and content boundaries. How they reach those goals should be left largely to them.
Rather than scripting conversations or mandating exact phrasing, focus on general themes and possibly tone guidelines. This can be done through regular, informal meetings. Morning shows this should happen daily.
For all other dayparts, at least once per week. Let your on-air talent contribute to the direction of shows and segments. When they feel a sense of ownership, they’re more likely to be self-motivated and naturally align with the brand.
2. Trust Your Hiring Process
If you’ve hired talented and charismatic individuals, give them the space to do what they do best. Trust your team you built!
If they were not all the pieces you put together, it is even more critical for you to be patient until that no longer works. One thing is for certain: constant monitoring or overcorrection not only undermines their confidence but signals to them that their professional judgment isn’t valued.
Encourage individuality. Listeners connect with authentic voices, not overly polished, producer-driven hosts. When talent is trusted to use their instincts, they tend to become more invested in improving their performance organically.
3. Use Constructive Feedback—Not Daily Critique
Rather than constantly correcting minor missteps or performance issues, in other words, “hot-lining your talent. Schedule regular, constructive feedback sessions. Calling them out mid-show is usually a total recipe for disaster. So, unless they are threatening the license, it is best to wait till they are off the air.
Ideally, these regular sessions should be weekly for Morning shows and bi-weekly for all other talent and focused on improvement, not punishment. Frame discussions around what’s working and how to build on those strengths. Then address areas for growth with specific, actionable suggestions.
Use airchecks as tools for mutual evaluation. Listen together and ask them for their assessment, such as “What did you feel worked well here?” or “How would you handle this moment differently next time?”
4. Encourage Experimentation and Creative Risk-Taking
Radio thrives on fresh ideas and unique voices. If talent is constantly worried about breaking a rule or being reprimanded, they’ll play it safe, which could lead to boring, forgettable radio.
Encourage experimentation, especially during off-peak times. Make it clear that some misfires are acceptable if they come from a place of creativity and risk. When coaching improvement, celebrate efforts even if the results weren’t perfect. Use those moments to fine-tune ideas, rather than shut them down entirely.
5. Provide Coaching, Not Control
Think of your role more as a coach than a boss. Coaches observe, give feedback, and provide leadership with tools for growth. They don’t jump in and play the game. Good coaching is super critical! Also, consider peer coaching, which can often feel less threatening and more collaborative. Helping on-air personalities grow without feeling like they’re being micromanaged.
6. Measure Success with Audience Response, Not Just Compliance
Avoid using compliance with rules as your only performance metric. Instead, look at audience engagement, listener feedback, and show ratings.
Did a segment create a buzz online? Are callers referencing specific hosts or jokes? These are signs that your talent is connecting authentically. While structure is necessary, it should support, not replace, personality. The best radio isn’t safe or sterile; it’s alive, engaging, and occasionally unpredictable.
So, to sum it all up, micromanaging radio talent kills creativity and makes it harder to deliver content that feels real and engaging. By trusting your team, providing thoughtful coaching, and focusing on big-picture goals, you create an environment where talent can thrive and grow.
Effective improvement doesn’t come from constant correction; it comes from support, structure, and the freedom to be authentic on-air. Remember, this is supposed to be FUN! This is entertainment and a SHOW!
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 often approached by partners about Special Programming for Adult Contemporary and other like formats. You know – those shows we think so much of that we place them in dayparts where the available audience is the lowest?
That’s jest. But do know that if you air a special program in a fringe daypart, it’s a marketing branding decision, not a programming advantage. The benefit is having imaging and talent refer to it in prime dayparts for branding purposes.
If you air special programming or are considering a new show, think strategically about placement and tactically about promotion.
Strategic = WHY are we doing the Special Programming
Tactic = HOW do we deploy and promote the program
For Adult Contemporary products, Special Programming options – syndicated – are limited, and we’ll outline a few below. Your market-specific audience measurement system relies on how the Special Program is evaluated for success.
Fast overview:
Nielsen’s Portable People Meter (PPM)
In the top 48 US markets, this passive measurement tool relies on stations being encoded and panelists being exposed to those signals. The PPM does not rely on recall or memory. You know if the Special Program works (or not) by exposure, cume and time exposed.
Nielsen’s Diary System
Total recall tool for panelists who keep a week-long book of stations they remember. Exit interviews with former diary keepers show that panelists often forget or fabricate their listening habits. Special Programming, properly promoted for diary keepers, could aid in memory recall after the show(s).
Eastlan Radio Ratings and Market Research
Serving approximately 90 smaller radio markets, Eastlan primarily relies on telephone-based interviews and increasingly uses online contact to increase response rates. As with Nielsen’s Dairy, this process is also total recall, and if your Special Programming is memorable, this could work to your advantage.
A quick look and listen reveals the most utilized weekend Specialty Programs for Adult Contemporary.
‘80s (or ‘90s) Weekends
Sporadically scheduled and executed weekends that feature a handful of songs each weekend as ‘throwbacks’ for the cume – a minority of brands play the decade for the entire weekend.
Delilah
Possibly the best, longest-running, highly successful nighttime show in America, the “Queen of Sappy” Delilah crafts songs and an atmosphere for each caller’s situation.
Intelligence For Your Life With John Tesh
John Tesh frames his show as “Purpose‑Driven Radio” with a mix of Adult Contemporary music and Tesh’s practical life tips. Stations plant this early on a Saturday and Sunday morning.
The Backtrax USA Countdown with Kid Kelly
Heard on over 400 stations. Former Z100 talent and Sirius XM Programmer Kid Kelly blends gold library titles with today’s hits. Suitable for Adult Contemporary stations in all dayparts. Stations typically air this show on weekend nights.
(Others – AT 40 with Seacrest – The Ellen K Weekend Show – Throwback Nation Weekend with Tony Lorino)
We encourage you to be intentional about adding special programming to your brand and reviewing what you are currently airing.
Strategically – WHY should we air a selected program?
Tactically – HOW will we place and then promote the program?
Tips:
Weekend programs – air mentions only 72 hours in advance, as listeners plan their weekend days often at the last minute.
Appointment listening – create imaging that gives exact times of the program, start, and finish.
Usage mentions – connect the mental picture of what YOUR listener is doing on weekends to when the show airs.
Consider developing or discovering a ‘non-sequester’ program for your brand program to air later in the evening.
The available audience in fringe hours – often service and restaurant personnel – still desire to be entertained.
Audio spoken word is on fire, as reflected by the growing number of podcasts and reels created by talent.
Music Audio Show – Find a podcast that is in your brand wheelhouse, like a show ABOUT the music. Plenty available through syndication services
Psychic Show – Adult Contemporary women are mesmerized by all things in this space, including Astrological Signs
True Crime – passion for this topic is strong, and Adult Contemporary women are streaming True Crime at home. Consider offering it as a late-night option when they are headed to the store or coming home from friends.
Special Programs rarely assist you in growing audience. You may see a large share for the daypart. However, low cume levels in non-prime dayparts prevent you from building substantial Average Quarter Hour Persons.
Properly placed and prompted, Special Programming can enhance your marketing brand message and eventually recall for the ratings services.
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.
Every so often, someone will write a column with ideas about how to get young people interested in a career in radio. If you talk privately to your friends in the business and the topic comes up, most would probably suggest that you steer any young person interested in radio to another field, but if the individual insists, give them all the help you can.
Recently, my friend John Shomby had a nice column in Radio Ink, “Radio’s Next Generation Is Closer Than You Think” where he wrote about the amount of talent out there now on college campuses. He presented the opportunity from the standpoint of bringing new talent to commercial stations. It’s reassuring that so many college students still find radio/audio fun and want to be part of it.
While it may not mean bringing more people into the business long-term, I’m working with an interesting college situation. Earning three degrees meant I spent a lot of time at universities. Being a radio person from the beginning, I spent ten years in college radio in the ‘70s and ‘80s, including one stint as a student general manager and two as a program director.
Like many of you who spent some time at college stations, it was a riot. You made friends, you entertained your fellow students (if you call starting a record on the wrong speed or stumbling over words on-air entertaining), and you even had some responsibility. If you were supposed to do a shift from noon-2 or midnight-2, you showed up and did it.
When I decided to move to beautiful Bowling Green, Kentucky over two years ago, I learned that not only did Western Kentucky University here in town have a Broadcast Communications department, but it also had a student radio station, WWHR-FM. It’s branded as “Revolution 91.7” and runs a bit over 1,000 watts. That signal won’t cover the nine-county metro, but it’s just fine in the biggest county, Warren.
If you read this column regularly, you know that I’ve been taking classes at WKU since arriving here, and as a student, I thought it would be cool to do an airshift, considering my last one was in 1987. Having been a corporate type since then, I understand that the technology in broadcast studios has changed a bit (what…no vinyl or carts?), but I assumed I could learn and adapt.
I heard a live show on the station in August 2023, but since that time, WWHR has been automated. The format is sort of a wide AAA, typical for a college station, but while the station is on the air, that’s all that it is. My assumption is that most students and locals don’t even know it exists.
Fast forward to now, and yours truly is adjunct faculty at WKU in the aforementioned Broadcast Communications department. Thanks to a recent meeting, I will be the faculty advisor to the station, starting this month.
My view of “faculty advisor” uses the football field analogy. I’ll set the “out of bounds” lines meaning what students aren’t allowed to do, but everything “in bounds” is up to them. Need advice? I’m here. Otherwise, you’ll have successes and disasters, but they’re yours and that’s part of learning and growing.
Here’s the problem: most college stations have a steady flow of staff, and when some graduate, others move up. WWHR has been dormant for two full academic years and must start over.
Where to begin? How do you attract a staff from scratch, including student managers? I’m not sure what the budget is for the station, but it does have an on-air studio, a production studio, and another larger room for interviews, podcasts, etc. complete with video capabilities. In other words, the facilities are in pretty good shape.
I understand that students don’t use broadcast radio much, perhaps in their cars. However, we can add apps, better streaming options, etc. But how do you market these options to people who didn’t grow up using the medium?
Despite the hurdles, I’m excited to get started on the quest to resuscitate WWHR. I have a number of ideas in my head, some more practical than others.
Here’s my request to you: I have many friends in the business who will help me out in this endeavor. However, there are plenty of you in the business now or recently retired (or sadly, on the beach) that may have ideas, thoughts, or experiences that will help get the station restarted and give it the best chance for success.
Please reach out to me at doctoredresearch@gmail.com with your thoughts and ideas. No, there’s no money in this, but you’ll be helping a fellow broadcaster and perhaps some aspiring ones.
Let’s meet again next week.
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 just recently returned from Southwest Louisiana, where I got to spend some quality time with my Father before his passing—and got to take part in his Celebration of Life.
While I was there, I got the opportunity to listen to the radio in the area and one of my all-time favorite Morning Shows, “Walton & Johnson.”
This show has been on the air in Texas, Louisiana, and the surrounding areas since 1983. It originally began on Q93, WQUE in New Orleans. The original hosts were Houston natives Steve Johnson and John Walton.
Sadly, in 2019, John Walton passed away from complications of an illness. Steve continues to host the show with longtime producer Ken Webster Jr.
The show’s home base is now Houston’s KPRC AM. It airs on over a dozen stations on the Gulf Coast in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. I grew up listening to these guys, and it’s one of the reasons I wanted to be in radio. They were and (despite their political swing) are still one of my favorite morning shows.
What a lot of people don’t know is that the array of colorful characters on the show are all voiced by Steve Johnson. Yes, all of them. Billy Ed Hatfield: A redneck from Clute, TX, who served in the U.S. Army Special Forces during the Vietnam War. He often shares stories about his family and life in a double-wide trailer.
Mr. Kenneth: A flamboyant, gay hairdresser from Houston’s Montrose district. He owns “The Head Shed” salon. He is known for his witty remarks and unique perspective. Mr. Eaux (Pronounced O):A militant Black man from New Orleans, characterized by his bold opinions and satirical commentary on race and culture. It’s impressive how talented, witty, and quick Steve is on the show.
These voices were used to highlight, and often mock, extreme social and political perspectives. While some listeners found them hilarious and pointed, others saw them as racially and culturally insensitive. That being said, they always stuck to their schtick and remained authentic.
Unlike most music-formatted morning shows, The “Walton & Johnson Show” has no problem talking about politics. They are pretty indicative of the area in which the show airs (The South).
But no matter your politics, if you have a good sense of humor, you can tolerate their right-wing, conservative, “unique perspective” on things. They are truly unfiltered, a strategy which continues to make them #1 with adult men on all of their affiliates and has kept them alive and relevant for all these years.
I can’t begin to explain the amount of talent Steve Johnson has for what he does. Yes! I am a big fan! If we could find and groom young talent today to bring to the table what he does. What he has done for all these years, radio’s future would be solidified.
“Walton & Johnson’s” legacy is that of disruptors. Talk radio hosts whorejected moderation, embraced satire, and created a fiercely loyal community of fans who still follow them today.
They represent an era of radio that wasn’t afraid to challenge cultural taboos,and their continued survival in a changing media landscape is testament to theirunique blend of humor, timing, and fearlessness.
Follow “Walton & Johnson” on Instagram at @waltonandjohnson and www.ilovewj.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.
The human condition lends itself to creating habitual behaviors. Some habits are absolutely fantastic: basic hygiene and being prompt are awesome. Other habits are not so good, like smoking and drinking to excess, while others are innocuous, like making your bed or having OCD behaviors (Yes, we all have some of these). We all have habits in our work life. These can be good or bad things. Some of our habits are behaviors that we have picked up over time. I am certainly guilty of habitual behaviors. What is contained in this article may or may not be helpful to your radio life, but it may help your life and create more freedom.
We all create our own prison cells. There are choices that we make that may seem like the right thing. If you have been in a bad relationship — whether romantic, platonic, professional, or activity-related — many of us have a hard time breaking that bond.
Sometimes, these bad relationships create poison in our lives. I have a friend who has been working for a great station. His relationship with his Market Manager is pure poison. This guy is close to retirement and is trying to stretch out his career for a couple of more years. He is imprisoned. Now, could he quit? Of course, he could walk away today. He is close to paying off his home. He doesn’t want to start over in a different career in his mid-60s, but he is stuck. Is the money worth the professional pain? For this guy, it is.
Many people remain in a bad marriage because children are involved. If both members of the bad marriage are sticking it out, perhaps they can work things out in the relationship if both people are willing to compromise and sometimes change. If you have ever had overwhelming debt, you are imprisoned by paying interest on a lunch at Waffle House three years ago. Some of these prisons are not so severe. You could be surfing social media for five hours a day. We often spend our precious time on things that do not assist us in becoming happier and more productive people.
We all fall into ruts. This could be in your professional or personal life. If it is Taco Tuesday every single week, you need to break it up. I love Tacos as well. That being said, we all know people who have been consuming the same food, drink, and products. They never ever want to try something new. You may know someone who only drives a certain make of car. I am not saying that if you rarely switch things up that you are a bad person. What I am suggesting is that your habits could prevent you from the sensation of wonder.
If you have small children in your sphere, the beauty is that these little humans just look at things with awe. When was the last time that you were just amazed by something? Frequently, these moments of discovery open up your senses. I personally try to eat different things, try new restaurants, and learn new things. I think that this is important for all of us to strive to accomplish. Certain activities bring back fond memories or feelings. This is not a terrible thing, but it is imprisoning if you are unable to create new memories or feelings.
Innocuous habits and behaviors have their drawbacks. Yes, I have them, and you do as well. I realized that I pat my wallet every time I go out. It started innocent enough. I forgot my wallet once after attempting to purchase a cart full of food at the grocery store. I had to run home and get the wallet. And I am sure that we all have done this. Forgetting my wallet once has turned into a habitual and now unconscious behavior.
What is your innocuous habit or behavior? Is it taking up space in your noggin that would be better dedicated to something productive? You may not be aware of these innocuous habits. It is good to analyze these things.
Here is the application to our career: your habits and behaviors from show prep, on-air work, and interpersonal relationships could be holding you from greater success and personal fulfillment. We all have certain sacred cows. Sometimes these cows need to be slain and consumed…or at least rehomed to someone else.
I am not telling you what you need to change. If you are honest with yourself, you know what habits are holding you back. Are your work habits holding you back? Most talk radio hosts have days where they can’t find something great to speak about. These hosts often go to the well on a topic that always works. These topics are habitual fallbacks.
Be the host who pushes through a topic that is not resonating with you. The late, great Norm MacDonald was a comic genius. Norm was willing to fail on stage. He often joked that if he bombed badly, he would be at the exit door thanking the people for coming. When you host a radio show, you don’t see the faces of excited or disappointed listeners.
If you try something new, the pensive feelings are often with the host and shut-ins only. Don’t be too focused on the feedback from the station text line. Reassess your habits for your radio show. Get rid of things that are not contributing to the show. Change up your prep routine. Try new things. Air-check yourself.
Get rid of the bad and focus on the good.
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.
