FuboTV and DAZN have announced a multi-year partnership to distribute their respective owned-and-operated linear channels across each other’s platforms in the United States. The agreement marks the beginning of a broader collaboration between the two companies, with further initiatives expected in the future.
As part of the first phase of the deal, Fubo has launched a new linear channel, DAZN1, featuring DAZN’s exclusive boxing and MMA events. This includes access to premium live fights and on-demand content. For the first time, Fubo subscribers can purchase DAZN1 either as a stand-alone subscription or as an add-on to Fubo’s virtual multichannel video programming distributor service.
“Fubo and DAZN’s partnership delivers more premium sports to fans, wherever they choose to watch,” said David Gandler, co-founder and CEO of Fubo.
In return, DAZN will begin offering Fubo Sports, Fubo’s free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel. The channel delivers over 400 live sporting events annually, along with sports documentaries and films. Initially launched by Fubo in 2019, Fubo Sports showcases exclusive UEFA soccer matches, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), Peak Fighting, and Ultimate Strongman competitions. The channel is currently available on Fubo and nearly a dozen other free streaming platforms, with select content also featured on YouTube.
“Adding DAZN’s unmatched fight content enhances our sports entertainment lineup while offering customers greater flexibility,” added Gandler. ”We’re also excited to expand our FAST channel, Fubo Sports, through DAZN and explore further opportunities with Shay and his team.”
Additionally, the new partnership allows Fubo to carry DAZN’s live Pay-Per-View events, further enhancing its combat sports offerings.
Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group, echoed the enthusiasm. “Our deal with Fubo enables DAZN to increase access to top-tier sports content for fans in the U.S. and Canada, as we continue to provide the ultimate sports entertainment experience,” he said. “Fubo’s viewers can now watch the world’s leading fight talent compete in unmissable events as part of a new DAZN premium fight package. Meanwhile, the launch of Fubo Sports on the DAZN platform will be an exciting addition to our ever-expanding portfolio of premium sports content.”
The strategic alliance underscores both companies’ commitment to expanding sports access and flexibility for viewers through innovative distribution models.
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Gregg Giannotti lit off a firestorm of reaction following his opinion on Monday about New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns calling him a “loser.” The WFAN co-host on Boomer and Giowent off about how he feels Towns’ losing mentality leads to people having an opinion of him as a soft and losing basketball player.
What can be considered a typical rant following a playoff exit, former WFAN host Carl Banks took to social media to retort to the posted clip by WFAN. In response, Banks remarked how he felt the opinion of Giannotti’s was “pathetic” and that he should try to be a “better human instead of broadcasting this ignorant s**t.”
Shortly after, Giannotti responded to Banks’ comments with his own on social media last night, saying Banks still owes him 500 bucks from an appearance he did in 2010. Furthermore, the WFAN morning host continued with his retort of Banks’ comments on Tuesday morning.
“I wasn’t making it personal about Karl-Anthony Towns. He assumed I did, but then he made it personal about me,” said Giannotti. “The same way that Carl Banks feels about us, meaning talk show hosts who didn’t play (professional sports). How you guys can’t evaluate sports because you didn’t play, is the way I feel about Carl Banks when he starts chiming in on stuff like this. Leave this stuff up to us.”
Banks, a former WFAN contributor, resigned from the station in November of 2023 following a heated argument with WFAN’s midday show with Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata.
Moreover, Giannotti continued, “The way you don’t respect our opinions on sports. I don’t respect your opinions on media, because he’s not very good at it,” said Giannotti. “He doesn’t understand. His comprehension was terrible yesterday, and he spent years on this radio station putting people to sleep.”
Importantly, Giannotti insisted his comments were not directed at Towns personally; instead, they were more about his style and approach to the game of basketball. He did acknowledge that some took his comments at face value instead of looking into the full context.
“It’s like a chess checker situation here,” noted Giannotti. “This is what we’re supposed to do, we’re supposed to give opinions that you react to. Here’s when we stink, when no one’s talking about us, when no one’s paying attention to us. When the things that come out of my mouth don’t end up in the newspaper, that’s when WFAN stinks. So, everybody who thinks that this was a WFAN gone down the drain moment. No, this is WFAN, we’re still here. You still care. You still pay attention. You pay attention more than you want to, so go screw.”
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Success in the sports media business has always been measured in quantity. How many eyeballs and earholes receive your message? Naturally, then, most programmers have developed strategies designed to deliver the largest audience possible.
That seems to be changing. Sports media—particularly television—has been focused on identifying the right audiences and catering to them. Forget everybody. The new model is catering to people who are somebody!
Is this shift about a desire to deliver quality over quantity? It could be. Is it just about focusing on the best way to survive as distribution options come and go and new generations of consumers present new, distinct patterns of media consumption? It could be that too.
There’s no wrong answer. Whatever the motivation, it is happening. The evidence isn’t new, but in the last week or so, we have been bombarded with it.
NASCAR Is Playing the Long Game
NASCAR’s stereotypical fan has always been described with words meant to avoid saying “poor, white, and conservative,” but that’s what they meant. While that element definitely exists in their audience, NASCAR leaders were willing to try something that might not be popular with that stereotypical audience. The deal it signed in November of 2023 included traditional partners FOX, NBC, and TNT, but it carved out five races that could only be seen on Amazon Prime.
Prime aired its first race on May 24. The results were exactly what you would expect from Amazon. The action looked incredible. The audience got younger, which is good, but it was also smaller—so the people that had quotas to fill and needed something to write about last week decided it was bad.
NASCAR made a choice. Choices do have immediate impacts, but a decision about something as big as broadcast rights is not made solely with the immediate payoff in mind. Why even waste the time and effort to evaluate it that way?
There are so many options for entertainment now. NASCAR isn’t just competing every Sunday with what else is on TV. It’s competing with disposable content on social media, with video games that look like movies, and with anything else that could be loosely defined as “entertainment.” The NFL is the only entity in sports and pop culture whose ratings have not been affected by this—and even it has made deals to put big games behind paywalls. Why wouldn’t something as niche as NASCAR do the same?
Any good leader sets priorities. NASCAR is setting its priorities based on evidence. People complained about the NFL making a playoff game a streaming exclusive. Then what happened? A lot of those same fans complaining that there was no way for them to watch without paying for another subscription decided to pay for another subscription so they could watch.
NASCAR not only enjoys the NFL’s national appeal. It also has the advantage of focus. There is one race every week. If fans want to watch NASCAR, they all have to tune into the same thing. Plus, we’re talking about streaming exclusives making up just five weeks of a 36-race season. There’s room to do some things to take advantage of the sport’s most devoted fans while building an audience ready to embrace where it is that media is headed.
ESPN Is Sticking to Its Plan
Jimmy Pitaro has not been shy about his vision for ESPN. It’s where the biggest stars in sports are. The network will carry the biggest games and also be where you see the most popular commentators.
I don’t think we have to do a whole lot of mental gymnastics here to connect that vision to the fate of Around the Horn. There was a time when the show was really valuable. The network needed to create new stars, and the show’s large, rotating cast presented a great vehicle for that.
Now? ESPN doesn’t need to create new stars as often. We don’t have to suggest that the network was afraid of Around the Hornbeing too woke, or that the show was in fact so woke that ESPN needed to get rid of it to save its audience. Those are trash theories, and I think the people throwing them around know it—or at least they would if they took two seconds to consider all of the evidence in front of them.
ESPN’s business is pretty simple now: games and stars. Around the Horn was neither, so it didn’t fit the business anymore. Eventually, every show on the network is going to be evaluated the same way, including SportsCenter.
If you need more evidence of this, look at Pat McAfee’s last week. The Pacers asked him to address the crowd during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and Pat McAfee did Pat McAfee things.
That didn’t sit well with John Mellencamp. It confused Ben Stiller. It was a good reminder that in the sports world, Pat McAfee is a celebrity—but the majority of people that follow sports do so casually. Pat McAfee isn’t really all that famous outside the confines of ESPN.
That does not matter to ESPN. They know that McAfee fans ride hard for their guy. He is a cult of personality, and ESPN has figured out plenty of ways to capitalize on that—and it will figure out plenty more in the future. Why does it need to be concerned with making McAfee more famous when it can just get more engagement out of his already devoted audience?
It’s the Disney Way
Pitaro isn’t Mickey Mouse’s only employee who is clear about his business strategy. His boss, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger, has mentioned that his vision for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and the company’s other theme parks is not a sort of “rite of passage” for American children. The idea that every family at some point drives down to Orlando so their kid can ride Space Mountain is a thing of the past.
Disney doesn’t need more people in its theme parks. It needs the people in its parks spending more money. The family that had to save for three years to afford to visit is still welcome. It’s just that now they may have to save for five years, and if they want the very best experience, they may have to save for six or seven years.
The family that comes, stays at a cheap hotel off-property, and eats all of its meals at the park’s cheapest food stands just to be able to make a three- or four-day visit make financial sense are second-class citizens now. The company wants families that will pay exorbitant rates to stay at a resort on the Magic Kingdom’s monorail loop, pay a premium to skip the lines at some of the most popular rides, buy every single piece of plastic that social media has deemed “collectible,” and eat at the most expensive places with the most Instagrammable plates!
Capitalism is petering out, the middle class is disappearing, and the gap between the haves and have-nots is getting bigger and bigger. Disney has recognized that its theme parks will succeed not by pleasing everyone, but by giving its most devoted audience everything it wants at the highest possible price it can justify.
The wording may be grim, but the message is pretty clear. The days of mass appeal are over. We’re doing quality over quantity now. That means priorities will change, and decisions will be made differently.
It’s what a world filled with technological evolution and economic uncertainty demands. Everyone is deciding, reacting, learning, and then deciding again to best position themselves for the future.
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The excitement that follows the release of the NFL schedule is unlike anything else in sports. The race to find out who your favorite team will be playing, when they’ll be playing, and what record sports fans project they’ll have at the end of the 17-game slate is thrilling. For Tennessee Titans fans, May 15 brought an added sense of excitement in knowing when number one overall selection Cam Ward would take his first snaps as the quarterback for the hometown Titans. The morning of May 15, unfortunately, was not a celebration for everyone in Nashville. For Kayla Anderson, it marked the end of her time at the radio home of the Tennessee Titans on 104.5 The Zone.
“Unexpected on my end, but maybe not on their end,” said Anderson. “I was brought into a meeting on a Thursday since I was leaving for vacation the next day. I was told that they were not going to renew my contract, and so that was pretty much it.”
Anderson was a key member of The Zone’s highly successful Ramon, Kayla, and Will program since she joined the station in 2022. After leaving a television position with local WKRN-TV in Nashville—where she spent six years as a sports anchor, reporter, and digital contributor—Anderson was ready for the challenge of hosting morning radio in an NFL market.
“I never had a conversation that was negative about anything in terms of my work ethic there (The Zone). I’m a really hard worker,” noted Anderson. “I attended Titans practices every week on my own. I’d go all week just to help the listeners relate more to what I could bring to the show. That was all on my own time, but it was because I wanted to add as much as I could to the station. I never at any point felt like I wasn’t doing my job correctly there.”
She signed a two-year contract with an option year that was picked up by The Zone in 2024, and felt the show was performing well ratings-wise, with no indications otherwise from station management or peers.
“It came as a surprise to me,” said Anderson. “I’ve been in a spot like this before where there’s not a lot of explanation. I have to, as a professional, take it for what it is, and I’ve got to move forward.”
Working Through the Emotions of the Moment
While hosting mornings on The Zone, Kayla developed a deep connection with the listening audience as she was there to greet them every weekday morning. Following news of her dismissal from the morning program, reaction flooded into the station and Anderson’s personal social accounts with words of encouragement—but also in search of an answer as to why. This has proven difficult over the past weeks, as Anderson has made an effort to connect with as many loyal supporters as possible, without any knowledge as to the answers her following is in search of.
“It is sad, and I would be lying if I were to say I wasn’t sad that it ended like that—so abruptly,” stated Anderson. “It’s hard answering to a lot of people that are reaching out to me. I’ve got loads of people who listen to the show that want an explanation, and I don’t have that to really give.”
The amount of reaction that Anderson has received over the past couple of weeks has served as comfort and assistance through a tough time for her professionally and personally. Messages of positivity and appreciation for her efforts Anderson says, were needed—and not expected.
“It has been extremely difficult,” said Anderson. “To have listeners and people in the media reach out—not only here but from across the country—that have worked with me or come across me in whatever market; the strength that it’s given me over the last couple of weeks is helping to just stay positive. To know what I’m doing is making a difference and that I am good at what I do. Sometimes when you lose your job like this, you’re questioning your talent and your ability. This is what I put my heart and soul into for 20-plus years. That’s been really nice to have that amount of feedback. I did not expect that at all.”
🚨‼️A little update friends…
Thank you so much to those who have already reached out ❤️
— Kayla Anderson ✨ (@KaylaAndersonTV) May 15, 2025
Growing With Ramon, Kayla & Will
Reflecting on her working relationships with co-hosts Ramon Foster and Will Boling, Anderson says she felt privileged to be part of a three-person morning show. Understanding that having three voices on one show in sports radio is rare, she felt the combination allowed them to dive into amazing conversations with different perspectives. With the former-player perspective of Foster mixed with Boling’s experience as a radio lifer, she says her reporting background was a key ingredient to what made the radio show perform so well for so long. The opportunity also allowed Anderson to begin to find her own voice—sharing opinions with confidence, leaving the audience wanting more.
“What I learned is it’s okay to have your own opinion, and it’s okay to have your own perspective,” said Anderson. “What I’ve been hearing a lot in the feedback I’ve gotten after I lost my job is people really loving my perspective. I’m glad that came through that way, because at first, I think I was a little scared to be the different one—or to be the one that you didn’t agree with all the time.”
Utilizing that feedback and a growing confidence in the skill set she gained with her time at The Zone, Anderson is excited to see where her next steps may lie. With her exit from Ramon, Kayla, and Will, she will also no longer be working as part of the Tennessee Titans Radio Network this coming fall. However, although her time at The Zone ended as abruptly as it did, it won’t dissuade her from chasing another position in sports radio moving forward.
“I’m now more motivated than ever because now I’ve got radio and TV. I’m like, ‘Alright, what do y’all want me to do? I can do it for you,’” explained Anderson. “It strengthens my overall resume. In times like this, when there are not a lot of jobs, people are looking at what you can do for them in all capacities.”
Searching for the Next Steps With an Open Mind
Anderson understands the demands in an ever-changing sports media landscape, where fewer people are asked to do more. She stated that the experience she shared on Ramon, Kayla, and Will at The Zone along with her work with the Titans can only benefit her moving into her broadcasting future.
“I’m open for everything,” said Anderson. “I am so glad that I took this challenge on in my life and made the risk of getting out of local news and going into radio. I think it was still a great decision, even though it didn’t end great.”
A native of Spokane, Washington, Anderson noted it’s been a long time away from her home in the Pacific Northwest. Although she says she is “more active now than before” in considering heading back west, she’s very open to staying in Nashville. If the right opportunity were to come along, she would highly consider it. In the meantime, Kayla is staying active—covering the journey of Vanderbilt baseball and offseason workouts for the Titans—while in search of her next steps.
“It’s kind of a journey where you’re betting on yourself,” said Anderson about her search. “I feel like I have enough experience, and I’ve done enough good things in this business that somebody will eventually give me a shot somewhere.”
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If you look throughout the country, successful Adult Contemporary brands seem to have one thing in common.
Consistency.
Examples aren’t hard to find – in markets of all sizes.
Pull up ratings for Chicago’s 93.9 WLIT in America’s third-largest market and you’ll see year-round dominance.
93.9 WLIT has presented the same consistent talent lineup for decades, led in mornings by Melissa Forman, followed by market midday legend Robin Rock and their programmer of 10+ years, Mick Lee, in PM Drive.
While not the flagship for the syndicated smash Delilah, 93.9 WLIT might as well be, as this frequency was an early adopter, and the night show has been in place for nearly three decades.
Often posting Christmas People Meter records, 93.9 WLIT avoids the ratings letdown and leads Chicago throughout the calendar year.
In the Crossroads of America, Radio One’s 105.7 WYXB is a portrait of Indianapolis domination and a cume monster.
Morning storyteller Sean Copland has anchored AM Drive for a decade and a half, and is also the programming leader of the brand.
Midday market staple Ann Richards has been on Indy air for three decades and is a familiar, consistent voice.
Built on research and discipline by Emmis Communications, Radio One continues to hold the #1 cume dominance in a market that also features long-time Classic Rock leader Q-95 WFBQ and cume magnet Classic Hits 104.5 WJJK.
Opinions on the future of radio wildly vary. As also goes the future of Adult Contemporary radio.
A month back, we called to enlist the opinions – and predictions – of a couple of successful broadcasters who collectively have been in and around Adult Contemporary for nearly three quarters of a century – Randi West and Chuck Knight.
This week, we recruited the thoughts from Midwest Communications long-time programmer Shane Cox, asking the same three questions.
1. What is the state of Adult Contemporary?
“I think the format has really contemporized over the last 10+ years and embraced songs and artists that once would not have been in consideration. “Here I Go Again” from Whitesnake and ”Pour Some Sugar on Me” from Def Leppard would never have been played on AC radio 10 years ago.”
“These songs were big hits for what is now AC’s core audience, and they’re now part of many AC radio libraries as the format follows the listener’s lifestyle. Rock softens with time. Today, new artists like Benson Boone and Teddy Swims have brought in new sounds along with AC favorites Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran and Miley Cyrus.”
“Musically, I think we’re in a better place right now than we have been in a long time. AC personalities have also followed along and grown with the audience. They share the same lifestyle now and can relate on a much higher level by just being themselves and sharing their life.
2. Where do you see AC in the next five years?
“I think the format will continue to embrace new songs and artists that will allow it to grow into new musical territory. AC has to grow where the current music cycle takes it. At the same time, maintaining a familiar library of music that matches the audience’s lifestyle. We have to embrace new audio platforms and be present there with compelling content.”
“I love how this format has matured and I’m excited to see where it GROWS. The big question is with the 25-54 demo. Do you follow the upper end and go beyond 54, or reset to focus on the younger end? If 70 is the new 60 and 60 is the new 50, as a marketer, you have to wonder what the 35-64 is going to be worth.”
3. How do we get there?
We get there by controlling the things we can control. Don’t chase the ratings. Consultant John Lund calls it the 3 M’s – music, mornings and marketing. Those are things we can control. Do the music research to be sure you’re playing the right songs for your audience.”
“If you don’t have a budget for a music test, go to your database and survey your P1s with a select number of songs. At least create a panel of successful AC stations and study their playlist.”
“Work with the morning show to create relevant content that’s on target for your brand. It’s easiest to bring the audience into the morning show and then work on keeping them for the rest of the workday. When the product is right, market it and keep in mind the number of new people who move to new cities and communities every year. That’s new cume/growth that needs to know about your brand.”
“In addition to the 3 M’s, there’s also the 3 F’s for AC – fun, family and familiarity. Be aware of your station’s tempo. Keep it up. Keep it fun. Be the escape plan when a busy mom says, “It’s time for me.”’
“I think the line for family content has shifted for AC radio over the last ten years to a point where we don’t have to be squeaky clean, but AC is still a family-friendly product. Finally, there’s the familiar aspect. Keep it comfortable and easy to listen to. The audience has to know what they’re going to get when they select your preset.
Shane Cox is a 40-year radio veteran who has been on the air and programming in Knoxville, Tennessee, for more than 35 years. He’s programmed AOR, Classic Rock, Active Rock, Alternative, AAA, and AC. He has been the Brand Manager for Midwest Communications’ B97.5 (WJXB) since 2014. And also been an audio editor for HGTV and The Food Network. If you’re in Knoxville, check the listings for the WIMZ GarageBand, a sister station’s Classic Rock cover band. You can find them on the stage at local festivals and opening for national acts. Shane is on the sax and percussion.
Shane Cox – Photo B97.5 Website
Patience isn’t a word associated with radio growth in this decade.
Patience (I.E., consistency) is exactly what is required in growing a monster Adult Contemporary audience.
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Today, more than ever in the world of radio, attention to detail is not just a beneficial quality; it is a necessity. Whether it’s striving for a flawless on-air show (and it is a show, not a shift), ensuring accurate scheduling, or managing advertising contracts. The success of a Hot AC radio station, or any format, really hinges on the precision and thoroughness of its operations.
A lack of attention to detail can result in lost listeners, ad revenue, and credibility. On the other hand, being meticulous builds trust and helps maintain a consistent brand image. Behind all that is the reality that with today’s reduced staff and budgets, the goal of being on top of all details can be harder to achieve.
Recently, while listening to a station that I will not call out here, I heard the beginning of the hour station ID, which promoted the morning show giving away money on Monday morning. The issue was that it was Memorial Day weekend. The show was NOT going to be on the air on Monday!
A radio station’s credibility is directly tied to its accuracy and consistency. Talent and producers must cross-check information and be sure they are fully prepared before going live.
Another area where I witness stations sometimes falling short is with the readout displays that appear on car radios. Have a consistent style guide for the information you wish to display.
If it is the artist and title, make sure that the spelling is correct. If your talent’s name or show name gets displayed, be sure it won’t get truncated due to character limits on the display.
When your station is voice-tracked at certain times and that talent gives out a phone number for engagement, is there a voicemail box for listeners to comment on? Is it checked regularly?
Technical quality is another critical component that demands careful attention. Audio clarity, signal strength, and timing are all elements that require constant monitoring and adjustment. Radio stations often juggle a mix of live shows, recorded segments, news updates, and advertisements.
Each element must be timed accurately to avoid overlaps and potential dead air. Inaccurate timing can throw off the entire day’s programming. Attention to detail ensures that shows start and end on time, commercials are played as scheduled, and listeners receive the experience you want them to receive!
Attention to detail is equally vital in managing advertising and sponsorships. Advertisers pay for specific time slots, demographic reach, and messaging. Any mistake can damage client relationships and result in lost revenues.
Taking care of the details fosters trust with business partners. How about your public-facing webpage, social media apps, and the station app? Is the consistency for the brand there across all platforms? All of these should be checked at least monthly, if not more often.
Radio stations are often deeply integrated into their communities. You host events, interview local figures, and serve as a source of information during emergencies. Being laser-focused on details helps ensure that all public-facing efforts, from social media posts to live remotes, are accurate and professionally executed.
Internally, attention to detail promotes a culture of excellence and accountability. Staff who double-check their work, follow procedures carefully, and communicate clearly contribute to smoother workflows and fewer costly mistakes.
Finally, listener loyalty is often built on the small things: remembering regular callers’ names, playing requested songs at the right time, or keeping weather and traffic updates accurate and timely.
These details may seem minor, but they contribute significantly to the listener experience and reflect the station’s commitment to quality.
In conclusion, attention to detail for your Hot AC radio station is not optional; it is foundational! It impacts every aspect of a station’s operations. You must get it right to win consistently and build your brand to the highest level!
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A news/talk radio station’s imaging voice is not just a big-voiced genius who makes your station sound impressive and huge. The individual that you use is more than that, or should be. That human is your station’s narrator. It is an extension of your station’s brand and mission.
I am going to give you my tips on this most important role at your radio station.
JJ Surma, Jim Cutler, Jeff Davis, Victor Lisle, Matt Anthony, Issa Lopez, Steve Stone, Dan Levy, Anne Vyndra, John Driscoll, and others who are professionals in this craft are essential for winning. In my career, I have used three of these voices twice!
I generally don’t preach changing the station voice on a whim. I know that Jim Cutler and Jeff Davis have been the signature voices on several legendary stations. Every radio brand has its own personality. I have stated my mystical thoughts on each radio station. I believe that each brand has its own feeling. In fact, I have found that feeling to be a unique experience to each station.
I have programmed a few stations in my career, and each one has been a little different. A Program Director’s job is to unify the presentation of the station from every avenue that it is presented. I am someone who sometimes weighs any change with a certain amount of anguish. Very likely, you have built a personal relationship with your station’s imaging voice. I consider several of these individuals to be close friends. It is almost more important to have the right imaging voice-over artist than almost anything else on the station.
News/talk radio professionals, I would never discount your contribution to the station. But, the table has to be set. Your station’s voice is the place setting at a fancy dinner. The utensils, plates, napkins, and glasses need to be in their proper places. Your station’s presentation must be correct. It is not an easy thing to accomplish.
When do you know that it is time to change your station’s imaging voice? In many ways for a news/talk radio station, changing voices is like getting divorced and remarried at the same time. This is a huge decision.
So, let’s start with why you may need to change your station’s imaging voice. Is that person delivering your vision? This is certainly subjective. I, personally, like for the copy to speak on its own merit. Unless I direct my talent, I like a deadpan read. It allows me to write sometimes outrageous things.
If the read is deadpan, it is actually funnier than accentuating a funny or outrageous sequence of words in the promo or liner. I worked with a very good voice guy, who just couldn’t help himself if I tossed in a line that could be construed as something funny. Even though I knew that this imaging voice could not help himself, I would instruct him with an email and phone call to read it plainly. This talent would always get a requested re-read. By the way, I hate asking for a line to be voiced again. I want it right the first time. A lot of my stuff can be timely, but a day or two later is a bad thing.
Replacing a station’s imaging voice on a news/talk radio station is not like a music station. Technically, on a music station, you can launch with a station legal ID, some stagers, and 12 liners. The last time that I changed a station voice on a news/talk station, I needed 40 pieces at launch. That was a bare minimum. It was a three-week project to make the switch.
That is why it is like a divorce and remarriage in one day. You must remove all the old stuff and add the new stuff in a matter of an hour. After you make the change, it must replicate your vision. If it is just the same stuff with a different voice, you are probably just rearranging deck chairs on a cruise ship. There will not be a substantial change to how your station sounds or is perceived by your audience.
Before you contemplate the change, here are some questions to ask yourself:
Is it the writing?
Writing is 8/10ths of the rule here. I was speaking with a major imaging talent and he was telling me about the horrific writing that he sees on the regular. Being totally transparent, I have written stuff that is just plain horrific. At the time that I wrote it, I thought that I was a genius. I am sure that you have felt those feelings as well.
Could it be the station’s voice?
If your voice does not clearly differentiate your station’s brand, you may need to make the change.
Is your station’s imaging person easy to work with?
This can be a bigger difference than most people realize. The station consultant recommended working with a particular imaging talent. The individual was extremely volatile. I would receive his files with cursing and screaming at me over petty things. I knew that I had to change. If you don’t have a good relationship with your station’s voice, it will likely be unworkable.
Does the station voice present your image of the brand as instructed?
If the person is following directions well, you really need to assess your personal vision for the imaging voice. This could be you.
Our industry is often about following feelings. It is an inexact science. At the end of the day, you must be happy with the way that your station is being presented. If you are not getting what you need, it may be time to move on. Always consider your vision and how it has been shared with your station’s voice.
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This is an organization formed in the same year the originalStar Trek launched. The last few years have proven, emphatically, that in the digital era, the MRC’s useful life has come to an end. The only accreditation that really matters now is the one you give, based on the trust your partners earn and the credibility they can prove.
Again, his comment was in the context of the MRC’s accreditation of Nielsen’s new Big Data + Panel measurement for video. His point was to welcome Nielsen into the 21st century. Evan rarely says much about radio/audio, so he didn’t mention that Nielsen Audio is still firmly planted in the 20th century with no apparent plans to move forward in time.
If you read last week’s column, you now know more about how the MRC operates than most people in the business, but fully understanding the workings of that organization would require multiple pages, and the term “TMI” would come to your mind well before you would finish reading the piece. Nonetheless, the combination of researchers and auditors, while deadly if you were planning an invitation list for a party, is essential and especially so for radio and audio.
The industry needs a watchdog, preferably one that is grounded in a set of broad standards that, like the US Constitution, are subject to interpretation and can be considered in the light of the research world as it stands today.
When MRC began as the BRC in 1964, television in most markets consisted of three network affiliates and an “educational” station (PBS didn’t start until 1967). Some big markets had an independent station struggling on the UHF band because most TVs couldn’t receive it (the All Channel Receiver Act was passed by Congress in 1962). For radio, most markets had a bunch of AM stations that were serious competitors, while FM was this new band that your car radio or transistor radio didn’t receive.
Also, people weren’t surveyed constantly. If Nielsen or Arbitron picked your household to be part of a survey (all diaries for radio but some meters along with diaries for TV), it was an honor. Response rates were high as were the usage numbers. A network TV show typically needed a 20 rating to survive…that’s 20 percent of US TV households watching it. In 2025, only the Super Bowl can beat a 20 rating.
Today’s media landscape is incredibly complex. Just consider your own media usage, and if you think that’s messy, your kids are probably far worse. As a result, many audience measurement systems have multiple sources (Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel, for one) and require modeling.
Most users follow the advice from 1939 in The Wizard of Oz: “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain”. If there are estimates, sellers sell and buyers buy, or in other cases, media offer up advertising opportunities for auction and an algorithm buys them. But do we have any idea of what the individual behind the curtain is doing?
Further, how many media people, even researchers, have the credentials to understand what is going on behind the curtain? There is intellectual property behind that curtain so any service can only say so much. Any time you hear the word “transparent”, ask for all of that company’s intellectual property. They’ll say “no” and you can then ask for their definition of “transparency”. What they meant was “open”.
Yours truly has worked for stations, groups, a trade association, as well as two different rating services and I’m not unique in that respect. If you put your intellectual property out there for all to see, someone may use it elsewhere. Except for Nielsen, do you want to be involved in a lawsuit?
That’s where the MRC process comes in. The audit firms can look at the intellectual property without giving it away. The audit reports can tell in a general sense if the system being used works as it’s designed and if it meets the MRC Minimum Standards. The MRC staff’s job is to work with services and they have a level of expertise that no individual company can match. Sure, a subscribing company could hire a consultant with the right skills to review the systems, but the vendor is likely to say no. Besides, could you get a consultant who is that good for less than the cost of an annual MRC membership? No way.
For radio, it’s not so much the audit report as the PPM and diary systems have hardly changed in years and the new three-minute rule doesn’t count. But the value is that Nielsen must meet with the MRC Radio Subcommittee as requested by the MRC staff, giving members the opportunity to grill them on the results of the audit as well as future plans, and to do so in a private setting. I’ve harangued Arbitron and Nielsen multiple times in private MRC meetings as well as occasionally supporting their stances. Having worked for the company, I’ve also been the “ haranguee”.
It’s been over five years since I last attended an MRC meeting. If I called George Ivie today and asked him to update me on private MRC Radio subcommittee discussions for this column, he’d (correctly) say no and would probably tell me that I should know better.
Evan’s a provocateur, and suggesting that the MRC fold is provocative. But “trust” and “credibility” are tough when the systems are so complicated and so many dollars are at stake. I think the more appropriate approach is the Reagan Doctrine, “Trust but verify”. Without verification, it’s hard to have “trust” and “credibility”.
Let’s meet again next week.
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Bobby Tatum has been named Area President for iHeartMedia’s newly created South Carolina-Georgia Area. He will report to Division President Shosh Abromovich. The new region is made up of 67 stations. Markets include Charleston, Columbia, Myrtle Beach, Florence, SC, and Brunswick, Auburn, Savannah, Augusta, Columbus, Albany, and Macon, GA.
Abromovich said of the appointment, “With 18 years of dedication to iHeartMedia, Bobby brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of our markets. Bobby has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and vision. We’re excited for what’s ahead under his guidance.”
Tatum said, “I’m thrilled to work directly with the South Carolina team again. Combining the Georgia and South Carolina markets creates a powerful opportunity to continue to build momentum and even bigger successes. With the incredible talent and strong leadership in these markets, this is going to be an amazing next chapter for all of us.”
Tatum started with iHeartMedia in 2007. His stops include Greensboro, South Carolina, Columbia, SC, as well as Area President for Savannah, Brunswick, Augusta, Macon, Columbus, Albany, and Auburn, GA.
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This past weekend, Top 40 95 Triple X in Burlington, VT, temporarily rebranded as Sophie 95-5. The move was to support a St. Albans resident battling ocular melanoma, a rare form of eye cancer.
The station focused on raising funds to help Sophie’s family cover mounting medical expenses while bringing awareness of ocular melanoma.
Kwame Dankwa, Program Director of 95 Triple X, said, “When DJ Vince One (Vince Allo) brought Sophie’s story to our attention, we knew we had to do something meaningful. By becoming Sophie 95-5, even temporarily, we’re putting the full power of our platform behind supporting one of our community members.”
During the weekend, audiences were engaged with Sophie’s story. While gaining insights into ocular melanoma, and exploring various avenues for supporting the fundraising initiative.
“This is about more than just raising money. It’s about showing Sophie and her family that they’re not alone in this fight,” added Mel B., 95 Triple X Midday Host. “Our community is strongest when we come together to support each other.”
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