KSL NewsRadio has announced that it is relaunching Inside Sources in the midday timeslot, with Greg Skordas and Dr. Holly Richardson hosting the show.
The show will run from 9 AM to Noon and begin on Monday, June 9th. Previously, the program was heard from 1-3 PM and was hosted by Boyd Matheson before he exited the station last year. KSL NewsRadio subsequently replaced Inside Sources in its lineup with a new midday show hosted by Maria Shilaos earlier this month.
However, Debbie Dujanovic — who has been paired with Dave Noriega since 2017 — is set to retire during the first week of June. Additionally, Noriega recently departed the outlet, leaving an opening in the 9 AM to Noon window.
Greg Skordas is an attorney and former prosecutor who once ran for Attorney General in Utah. He’ll be joined by Richardson, a former state legislator.
“This reflects our commitment to provide Utahns with smart, solution-oriented news and analysis. Greg and Holly bring a rare depth of expertise, perspective, and connection to our community,” said Bonneville President/CEO Tanya Vea.
“Our evolving lineup reflects what KSL NewsRadio stands for—credible voices, engaging conversations, and a deep connection to the community,” added Program Director Kevin LaRue.
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.
Triton Digital has released its April podcast rankings, and it was another strong showing for The Charlie Kirk Show.
During the month, the podcast from Charlie Kirk finished as the sixth-ranked show in the Top Podcasts By Weekly Average Downloads list.
The only shows topping The Charlie Kirk Show were NPR News Now and Up First from NPR, which remained unchanged as the top two programs, respectively. Stuff You Should Know moved up one position to third, 48 Hours was also up one spot to fourth, and My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark moved up three positions to fifth.
VINCE, the new podcast from Vince Coglianese that replaced The Dan Bongino Show, fell five spots to eighth during the first full month of the former WMAL host helming the program.
Also in the top 10, the Shawn Ryan Show from the Cumulus Podcast Network fell one position to finish 10th. Likewise, The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show fell one position in April, dropping to 14th.
Other news/talk related shows seeing decreases included The Sean Hannity Show (-6 to 20th), Armstrong & Getty on Demand (-3 to 24th), the Mark Levin Podcast (-1 to 25th), Bongino Report Early Edition with Evita (-3 to 38th), Verdict with Ted Cruz (-8 to 39th), The Michael Berry Show (-4 to 76th), and The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson (-2 to 79th).
In the Top Sales Networks By Weekly Average Downloads, iHeart Audience Network remained in the top spot, more than doubling second-place NPR. Audacy Podcast Network was third, beating Audioboom and Cumulus Podcast Network for position in the Triton Digital top five rankings.
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The face of the ACC Network is stepping down from his post with ESPN, as Mark Packer announced late Thursday evening that he has decided to retire. He has served as a host on the ACC Network, owned by ESPN, since the network began in 2019. Additionally, Packer co-hosted the Packer and Durham morning show on the network for nearly three years, ending in July of 2022.
In a social media post, Packer made the announcement of his retirement from ESPN.
“Breaking news. My agent alerted ESPN this morning that I have decided to retire,” Packer posted via X. “Given the difficult challenges of past three years on both a personal and professional level, the timing is right.”
Packer, the son of sportscaster Billy Packer, oversaw the radio and television networks at Clemson University and the University of Maryland following the completion of his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Clemson. Furthermore, he was also a broadcast consultant for LSU before moving to Charlotte, where he formed the sports marketing company Time-Out Sports.
He also hosted several television shows, including a daily sports program on WMYT-TV in Charlotte. Eventually, he found his home on WFNZ in Charlotte, where he hosted PrimeTime with the Packman from 1997–2010. In January of 2011, Packer began hosting College Basketball Today on SiriusXM and was later elevated to hosting several radio programs for the satellite radio outlet.
One of the original hires by ESPN for the ACC Network, Packer transitioned to hosting the launch of ACC PM with Taylor Tannebaum in August of 2022 following the conclusion of Packer and Durham. Then, one year later, ACC PM began traveling to campuses around the ACC on Football Fridays with ACC Huddle, where Packer, alongside EJ Manuel, Eric Mac Lain, and Mark Richt, would look ahead to the weekend of college football in the ACC.
Packer is a native of Winston-Salem, NC, and now looks ahead to enjoying life post-ESPN.
“I can’t wait to travel, write, teach & live again,” Packer posted to X. “Thank you for all the support.”
Breaking News.
My agent alerted ESPN this morning that I have decided to retire.
Given the difficult challenges of past 3 years on both a personal and professional level, the timing is right.
I can't wait to travel, write, teach & live again!
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As media conglomerates place a heightened emphasis on investing resources into creating content accessible on digital platforms and streaming entities, there is an indisputable paradigm shift in the overall return on investment. Whereas radio and television used to garner lucrative quarterly gains, both delivery methods are somewhat endangered because of altered consumption patterns, leading to corporate downsizing, diminished valuations and market consolidation. With a focus on retaining audience interest despite waning attention spans, young professionals are aiming to meet the moment.
While the methods of dissemination for multimedia content are constantly changing, there is an overarching consensus to resonate with the consumer. Yet practitioners need to think outside of the box and discover methodologies to drive value and coexist in a diversified and fragmented environment. Employers also desire versatility, aiming to maximize productivity through economic headwinds and a quest for sustainability.
With projections of more than 90 million people opting to stream a sporting event at least once per month and technology firms entering the fray for live sports rights, the marketplace is enduring a transformation. The NFL, for example, will have games exclusively airing on Amazon’s Prime Video, YouTube and Netflix this season just four years before an opt-out provision that covers a preponderance of its other rights deals.
The NBA is on the precipice of beginning 11-year contracts that will place games on broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. NBCUniversal in particular is able to offer all three, and Noah Eagle will be part of the innovative enterprise with hints of nostalgia.
“This is the only the beginning of what the streamers are going to be doing in sports because they do recognize that as much as a great movie and television show can be a big deal for their business – and if it’s a real hit, it certainly is – live programming is still king,” Eagle said. “You’re still guaranteeing yourself the most viewership from live programming, and that’s why sports are in such a healthy position right now with rights deals.”
Eagle is a graduate of Syracuse University and observed the proliferation of digital content. As the former radio voice of the LA Clippers out of school and possessing vast experience as a play-by-play announcer, he is focusing on appealing to a wide range of demographics through the NBA on NBC and Peacock beginning in the fall. In fact, he harkens back on his experience calling Nickelodeon-themed alternate broadcasts for CBS Sports and considers the global appeal of the league with distinguished superstars such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James.
“We humanize the players so that people take a genuine interest in them, which I think is important,” Eagle said. “That’s something that the NBA really prides themselves on. That’s the one league, at least of the major four leagues, that if there’s someone walking down the street, you’re going to recognize them.”
Growing up around the sports media business with his father, Ian, calling football and basketball games, Eagle is cognizant of the perceptions of nepotism regarding his success in the business. While he has secured opportunities with both traditional media companies and new parties to call momentous games, including Team USA men’s basketball and the NFL on Netflix, he is remaining poised and humble throughout his journey.
“My job is to prove that once maybe a door is opened, that I deserve to walk through it,” Eagle said. “I’m not saying that something hasn’t been cracked open, I’m not saying that I haven’t benefited from who I am. I’m just saying that once I am there, I want to show that my work has been diligent enough and my care factor has been high enough that I’m going to do as great a job as possible and that people eventually just say, ‘You know what? That was pretty good.’”
2. Katie Feeney (Digital Journalist/Social Media Influencer)
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Katie Feeney – Courtesy: Kevork Djansezian, USA TODAY via Imagn Images
Katie Feeney works under brand deals with companies aiming to reach younger audiences and promote their products and services. In addition, Feeney leverages social media platforms to document sports, culture and lifestyle content around the country, attending events such as Super Bowl LIX and the Kentucky Derby. Feeney graduated from Penn State University earlier this month and has more than 7.6 million followers on TikTok alone.
“Because I’ve diversified myself on all platforms, it makes for a great partnership with a brand, and I’ve always overdelivered when I do work with brands,” Feeney said. “I’m looking for long-term partnerships and developing great relationships that are a year long or six months.”
Feeney was on site at Augusta National Golf Club for the Masters Tournament and created a TikTok video demonstrating what patrons could purchase for $10. The video ended up amassing more than 1.5 million views, and subsequent content surrounding the concessions also performed well on the platform. Whereas traditional media frequently uses robust cameras and equipment to capture video footage, Feeney takes a different approach by capturing content with a phone and miniature microphone.
“There’s so many different things that make an event so special outside of the game, so if I can’t get time with a player, instead I’m going to do some interviews with fans or I’m going to go to the tailgate or I’ll go to the student section,” Feeney said. “So kind of just to be open minded, and if there’s too much press around in one area, then I’ll find somewhere else to go.”
A recent analysis by Deloitte conveys that consumers spend an average of six hours on media and entertainment activity per day. Moreover, the firm discovered that 49% of Gen Z respondents are more apt to view television shows and movies if they contained their favorite creators. The statistic diminishes with older generations, but it is nonetheless evident that authenticity and accessibility are resonating with younger audiences seeking to develop their proclivities and build discretionary income.
“The power of social to reach the younger generation, you can’t find that anywhere else,” Feeney said. “In order to grow, you have to change, and the world is changing and you kind of just have to keep up with it.”
Ariel Epstein initially began her career working in local news, but she became burned out by the schedule and found her niche in sports betting. Yet Epstein was always working under contracts with companies evolving in the space, leading to most of her deals not being renewed upon their expiration. After transient stints at SportsGrid, Yahoo and Fanatics, she decided to create Prop Queen Sports, an independent venture focused on the proposition market featuring a daily newsletter and podcast.
“Insanity, I guess the definition of it, is going back to the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,” Epstein said. “That was what I was doing by going back to the same thing over and over again looking for employers to hire me for full-time positions and continuously losing contracts. So I decided, ‘You know what? Let’s take a risk,’ and usually risks end up being rewarding in the long run.”
Epstein remembers her former news director advising her to either adapt or retire. Even though she is not particularly fond of producing, she fulfills the role for her show while also booking guests, editing video, creating graphics, posting on social media and hosting all while compiling the best bets of the day.
“Some of these older executives stick to what they know and what they’ve done, and they’re not ahead of their time,” Epstein said. “They’re almost behind their time, and you’ll see a lot of these TV networks now, they’re doing what digital media did three years ago. It’s almost like Facebook where everyone on Facebook is three years behind what’s on TikTok. That’s kind of what I feel like is going on with these older executives is they’re still on Facebook and they’re not on TikTok.”
4. Carlo Jiménez (Radio Play-By-Play Announcer, LA Clippers)
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Carlo Jiménez – Courtesy: Hawai’i Sports Radio Network on Instagram
While Carlo Jiménez has an important job describing the action for LA Clippers games on the radio, he tries to infuse the job with modern nuances and content creation on TikTok. He creates short-form content accompanying the team showcasing his occupation, the organization and arenas from across the league. For example, Jiménez has invited users to submit words in the comments for him to try and work into a future Clippers broadcast, off which he creates content showcasing their inclusion.
“I have a little more energy just because I’m so excited to be there,” Jiménez said. “I can’t believe this is what I’m doing, and I’ve heard from other people that that comes through, but then at the same time, I think I have an old-school view in terms of the nuts and bolts, making sure [to say the] time and score, ball location, all that stuff.”
A study from Jacobs Media portrays how the sports radio fanbase is an average of just over 60 years old, and those in Gen Z only account for 1% of the total audience. Conversely, about 82% of Gen Z social media users are on TikTok, according to data from Sprout Social, and Jiménez is able to bridge that gap by catalyzing younger users to find the broadcasts and, potentially, gain interest in the medium.
“The biggest way I stand out is all these people who probably didn’t know they could find radio on an app or on your phone, I’m advertising for that,” Jiménez said, “and then I get to also advertise for the different things the Clippers watch for outside of radio.”
5. John Fanta (NCAA Basketball Broadcaster/Reporter, FOX Sports)
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John Fanta – Courtesy: Eric Canha, Imagn Images
John Fanta spent time in Los Angeles interning for FOX Sports gaining tangible experience and building invaluable relationships. Although he nearly took a job working at a news station in Midland, Texas, he seized an opportunity with the Big East Digital Network creating digital content. Fanta currently works as a college basketball broadcaster and reporter at FOX Sports, but he also continues to utilize his social media to stand out.
“I really had trouble standing the idea that I was only going to be a play-by-play guy because my brain went to, ‘Well, Jim Nantz calls the Final Four, and then Ian Eagle now calls the Final Four. I know I’m not going to call the Final Four, so how do I stay relevant during college basketball season?,’” Fanta postulated. “By getting exclusive interviews, unique content, things that are not what you see every day.”
Although Fanta works for a traditional media company, the division is leaning into different types of content and has provided him with assignments across broadcast properties. When he first joined FOX Sports, for example, he did not expect to be covering the Belmont Stakes for its digital and social pages but has embraced the assignment and added to the overall coverage.
“I was brought in as a college guy, but I want to be out there in the NBA world, I want to be out there in the sports world,” Fanta said. “College basketball gave me an opportunity, but I use the passion that I have for all sports in that to become what I’ve become, but I believe that that’s translatable, and now it’s just a matter of when people have asked, ‘Am I willing to do it?’”
6) Mollie Walker (NHL Reporter, New York Post)
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Mollie Walker – Courtesy: Annie Wermeil, New York Post
A study from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University found that fewer than 5,600 newspapers are left in the United States, 80% of which publish once per week. Mollie Walker realizes how the New York Post goes beyond print newspaper articles through its website and social media channels. While she came up with the publication as a general assignment reporter out of college, Walker is now a beat reporter covering the New York Rangers and has written stories with accompanying video and social media components.
“I know the New York Post in particular has made a huge effort this year in particular to push our social channels more and to work on our social channels more and our social content in general,” Walker said. “It’s fun. It’s different types of media to create, different types of content, and it just gives the average reader, average fan more to digest.”
Walker was not taught not to cheer in press boxes, and while she adheres to being unbiased, demonstrating authenticity is something she has thought about in the field. Through her social media page, she interacts with fans and shares photos from different rinks with a dateline tag evoking newspaper styles of yore. Although Walker enjoys traveling to cover the Rangers, she has aspirations to end up in television at some point, viewing the medium as the apex for her position.
“That is on a much grander scale than what I’m doing now,” Walker said. “Your face is in homes across the world at the end of the day. Right now, I have an incredible reach writing for the New York Post, but I think that when you’re on television every day, your reach is exponentially larger. So yeah, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about.”
According to the Infinite Dial report from Edison Research, an estimated 67% of the U.S. population has listened to a podcast, which equates to 192 million Americans. There are a variety of companies focusing their content on podcasting, including the Bleav Network, which is where Cam Rogers has been working since 2018. Rogers, who was the first employee for the company, is a community manager and searches for people willing to devote time and effort to expedite its growth.
“The days of the full-time on-air personality is just not really a reality anymore,” Rogers said. “I wanted it to be a reality for me right out of college and I made it happen, but the money in this industry, I feel like, is really, really top-heavy at this juncture, and so I think it’s going to have to be a hybrid approach for folks out there.”
With businesses trying to harness the most productivity at the lowest possible cost, Rogers encourages aspiring professionals to start building their brands on digital platforms amid these epochal changes taking place. Disintegration between talent and networks is continuing through personalities opting to work independently and partner with other companies through licensing and/or first-look deals.
In addition, media professionals also have to compete with athletes, several of whom have podcasts and forums by which to communicate directly with the public. Even though being versatile and cultivating a brand will likely require more work in the short term, he is optimistic it will pay off down the road.
“[If] you can point to your social media following and say, ‘Hey, I have over 100,000 social media followers,’ that’s something that’s going to be really attractive to folks who are looking to hire,” Rogers said. “So yeah, this is definitely a movement, and it could start for college students right now. Heck, even in high school, you can build a pretty solid social media following.”
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ESPN debuted Around the Horn on November 4, 2002. At the time, Tom Brady had only a single Super Bowl championship under his belt, and the price of gas was $1.36 per gallon. Times have changed, we’ve all grown up, and the final episode of Around the Horn is set to air after 4,953 episodes.
When ESPN announced that the network had decided to cancel Around the Horn back in March, the news was received with mixed reviews. There was love and adoration from those who work in sports media, understanding the importance of a show like Around the Horn, giving a platform to journalists from around the country to debate the hot topics of the day. Others said the program had run its course and hadn’t been the destination it once was, for a litany of reasons.
The show was not cinema. The program was not a Picasso, but it was never meant to be. It’s not that Around the Horn wasn’t a good program—it just wasn’t good enough to keep around for today.
I’ve always considered Around the Horn to be The Sports Reporters with a scoring system that never made sense. When you turn a program featuring journalists into a corny game show, you immediately lose the journalism part of the program. Whose take is better or worse than the other, earning all sorts of ranges of points with the good and negative with the bad, with the ability to mute a panelist with no true reason behind it. Sounds like a madhouse of fun that’s easy to follow.
Plus, isn’t journalism all about speaking or presenting news in the first place without the ability to be ‘muted?’
A New Coat Of Paint On An Old Model Of Debate
The Sports Reporters had no scoring system, no mute button, no game show aspect to it. It was a great program to watch, digest and learn from. It was journalism at it’s best airing for nearly three decades, from 1988 to 2017. The program featured journalists and columnists from around the country debating the sports topics of the week. It aired on Sunday mornings, much like many of its news contemporaries such as Meet the Press or Face the Nation. There was a respect to the time slot, the content, and the personalities of the program.
Around the Horn was a carbon copy of The Sports Reporters on steroids, with a goofy scoring system, all sorts of buttons and sounds with no real format. The added elements turned a sports debate show into a showcase showdown or morning zoo, creating content that was very forgettable and lacked connection with the audience.
The single commonality between Around the Horn and The Sports Reporters is that both programs lasted longer than they probably should have.
What shows like Around the Horn and The Sports Reporters did well was give platforms to many different voices from around the country—using the power of ESPN to showcase people to a new audience and using the program as a recruiting tool to identify the future talent of the ESPN brand. There’s a massive list of talent that ESPN eventually invested in and helped build careers.
While the faces changed and new voices came and went, the reason why Around the Horn was ultimately cut is the same reason why many other programs are removed including The Sports Reporters: they never evolve.
ESPN Has Changed, Around The Horn Hasn’t
2002 was a long time ago. Newspapers, sports radio, and television are no longer the destinations they once were, giving way to blogs, apps, YouTube, and independent creators for news and information. The dawn of podcasting and social media built platforms for so many other voices that Around the Horn would never have considered including on their panels. The consumer shifted away from what was traditionally the destination, forcing the destination to evolve to keep the consumer.
Need an example?
The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network that used to promote sports news and information with journalistic integrity is now licensing out programming on its main channel that causes more headlines for controversy than anything that once fit the ESPN mold. Why? That’s where the consumer is now. Meet the audience where they are—that’s business.
Around the Horn never did that. It played in the same sandbox for nearly a quarter century, and ESPN decided it was time for a change. That’s not harsh or cruel—it’s just a sign of the times.
Shouldn’t it say something to you that Tony Reali found out about the cancellation without any meeting or warning? He said he read about it in the New York Post, then made calls to people “he loved” at ESPN, as he told Dan Patrick earlier this week, only to hear denials and spin about not knowing where that report had come from.
After 25 years, that’s how it goes?
But the ratings! Since the announcement, many in sports media couldn’t make sense of why ESPN would cancel Around the Horn because they claimed it still had great ratings. I’m still waiting for one of those defenders to prove their notion that the ratings are as high as they’ve always been—show the data.
People have been searching for a reason why Around the Horn was canceled since the announcement, attempting to find any explanation from being ‘too woke’ to being ‘toxic.’ The endless banter of turning a sports program cancellation into a political deliberation has been mind-numbing.
For Tony Reali, his understanding of the “why” was not only the simplest but the most correct.
“It’s ending because everything has to end,” Reali said to Barrett Media.
All Good Things Must Come To An End
Father Time is undefeated; everything and everyone ultimately reaches the end of the road. 4,953 episodes is a number to be very proud of—for Tony Reali, ESPN, and everyone who graced the screen of Around the Horn. It launched as a new way of presenting sports debate and experienced a run that many programs on television never come close to achieving. It catapulted fresh faces into stardom and celebrated diversity of opinion, no matter the sex, creed, or color of the orator.
There should be a celebration for its finale because of the platform it created for so many in an industry that, at the time of its inception, needed change.
Its downfall was that the program itself didn’t when it needed to.
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Carrie Danger hosts afternoons for Rubber City Radio Group’s 107.3 Alternative Cleveland. She’s been with the station since 2022, working her way from nights to afternoons last year.
Her show is known for its introduction to new music with the “Danger Zone,” and she is a big Mental Health Advocate, so she devotes a lot of her time to the cause and to her weekly segment, “Mental Health Mondays.”
The Clarksville, TN native began her radio career in 2010 in Lima, OH at Maverick Media. Over the years, she learned everything she possibly could about the business.
Then, in 2017, she took a break from radio to try different avenues, but ultimately returned to her passion in 2019, which led her to where she is today.
To Carrie, the most important thing is to make someone’s day a little better. “I want my listeners to get out of their car with a smile on their face and music in their hearts,” she says. “I truly enjoy all aspects of life, it’s so short. That’s what I want people to get out of my show: the love for the little things. In the past, I’ve been approached and told that I brought a smile to people’s afternoons and that right there is the good stuff!”
“107.3 Alternative Cleveland is all about community,” says Carrie. “We are big Mental Health advocates, not only with ‘Mental Health Monday’ but partnering with NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Health) of Greater Cleveland. We believe in live and local jocks who are able to make a real connection or difference in people’s lives or actually meet in person at concerts and events.”
One of Carrie’s biggest professional accomplishments has been winning Best Radio Host 2024 at the Cleveland Music Awards. “That was HUGE for me,” she says. “
“On a personal level, my biggest accomplishment was that I was able to kiss alcohol goodbye over a year ago and become the woman I was meant to be sober. It’s been the most important accomplishment. Being fully present every single day, not only for my career, but for my personal life as well, has truly changed my destiny.”
“For a long time, I thought it would be amazing to be a jock on Fuse or host TRL, but landing behind the mic has been my true calling. It’s pretty fun to think about our inspirations, and we don’t just have ONE thing. Our experiences shape us and lead us down the path we are meant to go.”
“The movie Good Morning, Vietnam had a big impact on me, believe it or not. Robin Williams’ character was tasked with bringing information and a good attitude to a terrible time.
“It was like magic, that scene where he kicks it off with ‘GOOOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM,’ that is exactly what you can expect to hear when you tune into Carrie Danger. I knew that I was meant to do that for others. I love bringing the good vibes and a smile to the people of Cleveland every weekday afternoon.”
Carrie says she’s been able to work with some amazing mentors over the years. “I am so grateful for the seasoned talent I have worked with,” she says. “What’s really special is that I have worked with a ton of incredible experienced WOMEN specifically.”
“Not only have I learned so much about the business, but I’ve also learned to relax and keep grinding because things work out in the time they are meant to. That doesn’t mean you should not advocate for yourself; if you want something, you have to speak up!”
Carrie has experienced her share of challenges over the years, too. “What I’m about to say is more of a growing pain, something you have to go through to learn about what makes you, you,” she insists. “My ‘challenge’ has been focusing on what I ‘can’ control, in and out of the studio.”
“I was raised by an incredible single mom who also just so happened to be an Army SGT, Robin. As you can imagine, growing up was pretty strict (but very Gilmore Girls fun), and when I lost my mom in 2020, it really cemented that I needed to be in control of things. That’s just not the way things happen sometimes. So, quitting drinking and learning from the women around me has helped me stay focused on what I can control. Do your job and do it well, and things will work out in the time it’s meant to work out. Don’t worry so much.”
“The most important thing I’ve learned over the years, that I wish more people understood, is that on-air talent isn’t just someone talking at you. We are your companions.”
“This is something I’ve known since I was little, listening to my ‘friends on the radio’ in Clarksville, TN. I could turn on Rickey Smiley in the morning and feel like I’m hanging out with a friend. He made a big impact on me in my youth. This is something that becomes more and more clear as I continue on in my career, people don’t just want a voice, they want a connection.”
So what’s missing from the industry right now?
“I see a lot of people coming in and just assuming it’s like a podcast or just like being a comedian. That’s just not the case,” says Carrie. “Don’t get me wrong, podcasts are amazing, and I love that format, but it’s not the same as music/talk radio. I see applicants come in and think ‘oh it’s so easy I can do that,’ but they are missing the passion to care enough to improve, to listen to the guidance they are given from their leaders.”
“There is a certain way to carry yourself when you’re on the radio. If those wanting to break into the industry knew the passion and commitment you have to have to make it, I think that would be a big help for the future of radio entertainment.”
Follow Carrie Danger @Carriedanger on Socials.
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.
It could be argued that Country radio has just as strong a connection. While true Marine platoons might not be playing “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” as they rush into battle, the Country audience is undeniably patriotic.
This sent my thought process down a parallel track to one of my biggest pet peeves. What is your station doing for special imaging for the holiday?
Memorial Day, in particular, allows you to increase that patriotic bond with your listeners. One of the best things I ever did was to solicit the names and photos of area service members who had lost their lives in service to our country.
A produced vignette that aired twice an hour listed names and their branch of the service. Taking it one step further, I hired a mobile digital billboard that rolled around to all the local celebrations, rotating the picture and name, as well as a slide in rotation with the local digital billboard.
What bothers me is that many stations do nothing. And it’s not just Memorial Day. What are you doing with station imaging that allows you to “seize the moment?”
When I was programming in Cleveland, I had the extreme pleasure of working with the late Mark Biviano. Biv, as he was known, was a huge proponent of capturing what was going on in the market, pop culture or sports. So much so that he asked me just one question when I was interviewing for the position. “How do you seize the moment?”
I have had so many people I have worked with or consulted over the years try to tell me, “Nothing happens in my market.” That tells me they are too lazy to look for it or put in the time to create special imaging pieces.
Imaging makes you seem plugged into your market. I live in Las Vegas, and just off the top of my head, here is what comes to mind that local stations could wrap themselves around.
Kenny Chesney is opening a residency at The Sphere. Today is supposed to be the first of many 100-plus degree summer days. Las Vegas schools got out for the summer yesterday. A record number of tourists are expected in the valley this weekend. Gas prices are around $4.45 a gallon.
All allow for imaging that will make stations seem in touch with the community. Programmers complain about the lack of local talent and the chance to localize content.
Your station’s voice is the most heard on the station. Yet few stations use them in a way to make them seem like one of the team and a part of your community.
Successful stations don’t just leave the writing to the program director. Ron Allen at 96.3 JACK-FM in Nashville has a weekly team writing session.
One of the best local pieces I have ever heard came from Marci Braun and US99 in Chicago. She challenged her team to answer this question: “Tell me you’re from Chicago without saying you’re from Chicago.” Deep-dish pizza, Chicago Hot Dogs, DA Bears and many more made a brilliant series.
While no one in their right mind will touch politics, the third rail, there are ways to be in touch without taking sides or pointing blame.
Kincaid said, “Will we reference things like if there’s not a lot of eggs at the grocery store? Absolutely. But we don’t then blame what some may say is the root cause of the issue.”
I have worked with voice actor John Willyard several times throughout my career. John is very good at blending your writing with a personal touch that makes it seem like he is another member of the staff. I never tried to hide who he was. We often referred to “John” on the air, and he had a page on the station website.
Investing in fresh imaging will make you stand out in a crowded fight for ear share. Local imaging is something that SiriusXM or Spotify can’t do.
Engage your staff. Include sales reps. They are out in the market daily, and you might be surprised at what they have seen and heard.
You already put the effort into cause marketing and being visible in the community. Attention to creating local imaging and seizing the moment is a bow on the station package.
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To begin 2025, all of the talk in the cable news world was about the ratings slump CNN and MSNBC had seen after Donald Trump won the presidential election.
During the week of May 12th, CNN averaged 405,000 total viewers in the primetime window. That represents a new low for 2025, which was set in the week before the inauguration of Trump at 448,000.
Furthermore, the most recent week was an 11% decline from the previous week’s primetime ratings of 456,000 total viewers. It also marked the fifth straight week that CNN failed to eclipse more than half-a-million viewers in primetime.
The network had steadied the ship between the quasi-State of the Union address from President Trump in early March through the first week of April, finishing with as many as 716,000 total viewers in the daypart. But since the onset of April, CNN has seen a decline, dropping from 584,000 the week of April 7th to just over 400,000 last week.
The losses for CNN were not contained to the total viewership category. It also set a new low for 2025 in the Adults 25-54 demographic. During the week of May 12th, the network averaged 74,000 viewers in the coveted demo. Its previous low was 81,000 during the week of April 28th.
Since the week of April 14th, CNN has averaged 81,600 viewers in the key demo. In the weeks leading up to April 14th, its average audience in the sector was just over 119,000 viewers.
CNN isn’t alone in the recent slump. MSNBC has seen its ratings decline in recent weeks, too. During the week of March 31st, MSNBC averaged 1.237 million viewers in primetime. Last week, that number had fallen 34%, down to 811,000.
During the final week of Rachel Maddow’s run of hosting nightly shows during the first 100 days of the Trump administration, MSNBC averaged just over 1 million viewers in the daypart. In the first two weeks since she returned to her previous Monday-only schedule, MSNBC has failed to eclipse an average of 1 million viewers in the window, resting at 892,000 total viewers during the week of May 5th and the aforementioned 811,000 viewers last week.
Like CNN, MSNBC has seen a decline in the Adults 25-54 demo. After finishing the week of April 21st with an average audience of 100,000 from the category, it has declined each week from 88,000 (April 28th), to 77,000 (May 5th), and 67,000 last week. The news isn’t as bleak for MSNBC in the demo as CNN, as MSNBC is still above it’s previous lows of 2025, when it saw 55,000 viewers from the key demographic during the first week of the calendar year.
While CNN and MSNBC see declines again, Fox News has bounced back from some previous lulls in its primetime ratings. After nearly bottoming out during the month of April, the network has returned to finishing just shy of 2.5 million viewers in the primetime window. For the week of May 12th, it was up 2% compared to the previous week, finishing at 2.499 million viewers.
Additionally, Fox News saw gains in the key demo compared to the previous week. It was up 10% week-over-week, finishing with an average of 282,000 viewers from the sector.
This Week with George Stephanopoulos Sees Large Reboundto Take Top Sunday Spot
The ratings battle in the Sunday political affairs arena has been a tight one, with Face the Nation (CBS News) and Meet the Press (NBC News) each winning weeks throughout the year. ABC News’ This Week with George Stephanopoulos joined the fray with a big jump to take the top spot during shows on May 18th.
The program finished with 2.480 million viewers on May 18th, besting CBS News (2.443 million) and NBC News (2.244 million) in the Sunday political affairs ratings. That figure for ABC News represented a 19% increase compared to the previous week, when it finished with just under 2.1 million total viewers.
Notably, Sunday’s program wasn’t anchored by Stephanopoulos who was on assignment. Jonathan Karl anchored the program, which featured a discussion with Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, as well as an interview with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).
While ABC News saw the lead in total viewers, Meet the Press — moderated by Kristen Welker for NBC News — earned the top spot in the key adults 25-54 demographic. It featured 409,000 viewers from the sector, compared to 356,000 for ABC News, and 308,000 for CBS News.
Fox News Sunday averaged 969,000 total viewers on Sunday, May 18th. It featured 193,000 viewers from the key demographic.
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I don’t know anyone who listens to The Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify. Or on any platform for that matter.
Now, I fully understand that that’s anecdotal, but I think it does matter because I’m right in the wheelhouse of Rogan’s demo: I’m a 35-year-old white guy. But I also don’t have a spare three or so hours here and there to consume complete episodes of Rogan’s show.
But the data from Spotify shows, overwhelmingly, that The Joe Rogan Experience is the most popular podcast in the United States.
Can it be trusted, though?
Last week, YouTube announced it was going to join the likes of Triton Digital, Podtrac, Edison Research, and others in releasing podcast rankings. Obviously, it would mark a different viewpoint from the audio-only version of the rankings.
And naturally, The Joe Rogan Experience was at the top of the chart. No one was surprised by that fact. If you walked down the street and asked a random person who the most popular podcaster in America was, there’s a decent chance that they’d respond with Rogan. We’ve all been led to believe that he’s the unquestioned leader in the clubhouse and that everyone else is battling for second place.
So consider my surprise when I opened the updated rankings from YouTube to see that, after just one week, he had been toppled by the true crime show Rotten Mango for the top spot in the rankings.
By all accounts, this should be the equivalent of Harry S. Truman winning the 1948 presidential election, Appalachian State beating Michigan, and Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson all rolled into one. Joe Rogan has been, and still is, the top podcaster in the nation. And yet, a true crime show was able to knock The Joe Rogan Experience from the top perch after just one week?
That means, in my opinion, one of three things happened:
Rotten Mango had a once-in-a-generation week, propelling it to the top spot
The Joe Rogan Experience had a once-in-a-generation week on the other end of the spectrum, dropping it down a place
The Joe Rogan Experience isn’t the alpha predator podcast we’ve been led to believe it is
Which one of those seems to be the most likely outcome? It wasn’t as if Rogan had a week of no-names on his show. Comedian Tom Segura, who hosts two popular podcasts himself, appeared on Rogan’s podcast, as did Food Network star — and Mayor of Flavortown™ — Guy Fieri was also on his show.
Meanwhile, Rotten Mango featured an episode about what went on inside the courtroom during the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Now, that’s obviously a hot-button topic, but for it to surpass Rogan’s show feels incorrect.
I guess the other alternative could be that YouTube’s data is flawed. It’s not completely unquestionable, but it also doesn’t have a business interest in the shows like Spotify would have in Rogan’s.
Furthermore, Rogan’s podcast data isn’t featured in other rankings from the likes of Triton Digital or Podtrac, ostensibly because Spotify won’t share the data with those companies. Edison Research data shows that Rogan is the top dog on the block, and I’ll never question them, but video is a whole different animal.
Maybe that’s the answer. Rogan’s show is wildly popular with audio-only audiences but not with those who also consume podcasts via video? That doesn’t feel right, either. It doesn’t feel like the logical step.
According to data quietly released by Spotify last year, Rogan’s podcast had nearly 15 million subscribers on the digital audio platform. That’s — as the kids say — like, a lot. But you know what’s even bigger? Rogan’s subscriber base on YouTube, which sits just shy of 20 million as of this publication.
So make it make sense! How does someone who is the unquestioned podcast champ dethroned on a platform where he has more subscribers than the platform he dominates?
Maybe I’m overreacting. Certainly an option. It isn’t unprecedented for Rogan’s show to not be in the top spot. Last year, Tucker Carlson surpassed the show at one point, and there aren’t really any other rankings show the former Fox News host at the top of the heap, either.
Or maybe, The Joe Rogan Experience isn’t as wildly popular as I’ve been led to believe. That’s not to say that it’s not a favorite of millions. It clearly is. But it also might not be the 10,000-pound gorilla playing King of the Mountain with every other challenger, either. There’s a chance that’s the case, too.
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No disrespect to the likes of Bill Handel, Rush Limbaugh, and Ben Shapiro, but the average syndicated morning host can’t count them as inspiration. Then again, TJ Ritchie isn’t the average radio talent.
The longtime host of The Ace & TJ Show — now the TJ & Riggins Show — is set to begin a news/talk radio career at the legendary WBT in Charlotte, where he’s been based during his run in national syndication.
A conservative talk show might not seem like a natural fit for a longtime music morning man. But TJ Ritchie admitted it’s been on his radar for decades.
“I’ve been a conservative my entire life and I’ve always been interested in politics. I’m from Louisiana and politics can be pretty interesting in Louisiana,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s where I grew up so I started listening to news/talk at the same time that I got into radio … It just clicked with me, listening to Rush Limbaugh mainly. I like the content portion of radio more so than I like the music portion — not to say I don’t like music, ’cause I love it and have been on music stations my whole career — but on my way home from work every day, I’d be tired of listening to music. So I’d start listening to talk radio and just fell in love with it.”
There are many differences between hosting a nationally syndicated music morning show and an evening talk show, with The TJ Ritchie Show set to air from 7-9 PM on WBT beginning on Tuesday, May 27th.
But one you might not have considered?
“I haven’t been on the radio past 10 o’clock in the morning to do a regular show since 1991,” Ritchie said with a smile.
That isn’t the only change, however.
“Going into new situations, I always had somebody there sharing it with me and working through it together. But this time, it is just me. It doesn’t take away from how much I’m looking forward to it, how much I’m ready to go, and I think I’m gonna be able to make an impact. But just that aspect of it is different.”
Ritchie shared that with his current TJ & Riggins Show no longer airing in Charlotte after K104.7 dropped the show amidst the departure of longtime co-host Dave “Ace” Cannon, he was able to look at new opportunities in the Queen City. The opportunity arose when WBT Program Director Mike Schaefer reached out Ritchie’s manager with a “crazy idea”, which the longtime music radio host jumped at the chance.
Despite never meeting, TJ Ritchie said he had known Schaefer for years.
“We had our first conversation and I realize that Mike Schaeffer was on KFI in Los Angeles years ago. I fanboy all over him and I know he at the time he thought I’m faking all of this and I’m not,” Ritchie said. “I was like ‘Oh my God, you’re Schaeffer from The Bill Handel Show.’ And then I started peppering him with questions, because I would always download The Bill Handel show on KFI. That’s how into talk radio I was.”
He shared that he would download the show from the KFI website and then have to physically drag the copy onto his iPod to listen to the Handel’s shows in the early days of on-demand audio.
While TJ Ritchie identifies as a conservative, he says he’s much more interested in hosts who can put on an interesting radio show, pointing to both liberal and conservative hosts alike as inspiration for his move into the news/talk radio genere at WBT.
“I found (Bill Handel) through Handel on the Law, because WBT has Handel on the Law, and I listen to it on my way to church,” he said with a hearty laugh. “Of course, Rush Limbaugh, Neal Boortz out of Atlanta was one of my favorites, and I also like a lot of podcasts, too. I like Matt Walsh and Ben Shapiro. I like Mark Levin. But it has to be entertaining to keep my attention. Because there are a lot of talk show hosts that say things that I believe or could educate me, but if it’s not delivered in an entertaining way, I can’t focus on it. That’s why I was no good in school, because it wasn’t entertaining enough to hold my attention. All those that I just mentioned, I think, are great. I listen to them every day.”
Despite already being a familiar name to Charlotte radio listeners, TJ Ritchie shared that he fully understands the legendary status of WBT and values and appreciates the opportunity in front of him.
“The fact that it is WBT makes it sweeter for me,” Ritchie admitted. “I will never ever — and I’ll explain this on the air when I go on Tuesday night — I’ll never walk in the doors of this building and take it for granted. I won’t take the legendary status of WBT for granted. And I won’t take even one listener’s support for granted. That’s the way I’ve always looked at my career. You can be number one for a decade and then all of a sudden it could go away overnight. It means so much to me if someone decides in their busy lives to say, ‘I’m gonna gonna pull him into my life for a few minutes.'”
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