The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) continues to award regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, and WBBM Newsradio in Chicago and WWJ Newsradio 950 in Detroit took home honors.
In the Radio | Large Market sector, WWJ Newsradio 950 won two awards. The first for Breaking News Coverage from covering multiple explosions in a Detroit neighborhood. It also earned the top honor best Newscast, for its coverage of the verdict in the Jennifer Crumbley case.
Meanwhile, WBBM Newsradio was a big winner in the large market category. It took home three wins. One for Continuing Coverage of the Democratic National Convention, one for best Digital efforts, and also the top honor for Overall Excellence.
In the small market sector, WHIO Radio in Dayton earned two awards. It earned the honor for Continuing Coverage after a home exploded in the area. It also earned the award for best Newscast for its report on Friday, March 15th.
Every other award in both the large market and small market divisions were won by public radio stations like WBEZ in Chicago, Ideastream Public Media in Cleveland, Michigan Public Radio in Ann Arbor, WOSU in Columbus, WFIU News in Bloomington, and Interlochen Public Radio in Traverse City, among others.
For the RTDNA, Region 7 is comprised of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
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ESPN is bringing SportsCenter on a cross-country tour for the first time in 20 years this summer, traveling throughout the United States for a mixture of live on-site shows and original segments beginning on Friday, June 27. The program will present this content emanating from a different U.S. state for 50 consecutive days, an initiative that will bring the show and its anchors to fans throughout the nation. While the exact schedule has yet to be revealed, the network has divulged that shows will take place from athletic venues, events and other hometown spots. This seven-week venture is also going to create anticipation ahead of ESPN launching its direct-to-consumer platform later in the year.
“SportsCenter isn’t just a studio show – it’s part of the fabric of sports culture across the country,” David Roberts, executive vice president and executive editor of sports news and entertainment at ESPN, said in a statement, “and we can’t wait for our anchors and other ESPN personalities to show up in people’s backyards as we celebrate the passion for sports that we all share.”
Segments from each of the stops on the tour are going to be featured across the ESPN platforms, and there will be multiple SportsCenter editions on the ESPN television channel, the ESPN app and social media. The SportsCenter: 50 States in 50 Days enterprise comes as the network has added anchors to the show over the last year, some of whom include Treavor Scales, Kelsey Riggs and MJ Acosta-Ruiz.
ESPN has also been producing a version of the show, titled SC+, exclusively airing on Disney+ featuring Randy Scott and Gary Striewski. Furthermore, one of the forthcoming enhancements associated with the ESPN direct-to-consumer platform will be an AI-powered personalized version of SportsCenter crafted specifically for the preferences and interests of its users.
ESPN recently aired its final episode of SportsCenter emanating from Los Angeles, Calif. featuring anchors Linda Cohn and Stan Verrett along with a guest appearance by former anchor Neil Everett. In a statement provided to Sports Business Journal this past March, the company conveyed that it was relocating the LA-based edition of the program and soccer studio shows to the Bristol headquarters. ESPN had been airing editions of SportsCenter from the Los Angeles production facility located across the street from Crypto.com Arena for the previous 16 years.
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Nationally syndicated radio host Delilah has surrendered the license for 1030 KDUN in Reedsport, OR.
Delilah purchased the station in 2021 for $60,000. It was there that she was first on the air in 1974.
In a Facebook post, she wrote “It’s been my privilege to bless this community with the great music and companionship on KDUN AM 1030 for the better part of past four years. Thank you for giving this radio station your attention and support. Reedsport is in my heart.”
Adding, “Sadly, we can no longer continue to provide service and have returned the radio station license to the FCC for another broadcaster to provide service in the future.”
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Big Toe Media — founded by Dave Greene and Conrad Thompson — announced the new format of the station that previously featured sports talk programming from FOX Sports Radio on 590 The Fan. The new station will feature talk programming related to current events and local sports, as well as local business, music, food, and entertainment among other topics.
“When we set out to build The Lou Information Station, our goal was simple: to create a home for conversations that reflect the spirit of St. Louis — real, relevant, and local,” said Dave Greene, President and Director of Sales at Big Toe Media, LLC. “We’re blending the best of broadcast and digital to reach people wherever they are — and with voices they know, like and trust.
“Talk content in St. Louis has gone stale,” continued Greene. “The market is long overdue for a fresh approach and our content will feature real conversations people actually want to hear.”
The group has assembled several local contributors for the station, which will also include live and on-demand content on digital platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Announced contributors include:
Earl Austin Jr. – St. Louis American Sports Editor
Angela Sandler & Lisa Litvag – Owners, Xplor Marketing/The Scout Guide St. Louis
Corey Schonhorst – Founder & Creative Director – Punchline Productions
Braden Tewold – Creator, BradENSTL
Ron Zetcher – Retired Coach, Teacher and NCAA Basketball Official
Michael & Kelly Chandler – Creators, ‘Transformed’
Jennifer Bardot – CEO & Founder, G.R.I.T. LLC
Charlie ‘Tuna’ Edwards – 40+ Year St. Louis Broadcaster
Jared Balint & Drew Acree – Creators, ‘2 Many Men on the Mic’
Additionally, the station will air The Ramsey Show as part of its daily lineup. It will also remain the home of University of Illinois football and basketball broadcasts in the market.
The new venture for KLIS will officially launch on Sunday, June 1st.
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The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences held the 46th Annual Sports Emmy Awards from Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City on Tuesday night. The annual awards show honored presentations, personalities and technology that left an indelible impact on the industry. Results for the awards are listed below with the winners marked in green beneath each category.
Additional honors presented throughout the ceremony included the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to former FOX Sports president David Hill and The Coca-Cola Company HBCU Production Grant to Southern University and A&M College for “The Hidden Sport.” Comedian Roy Wood Jr. hosted the program, which also featured presenters such as Kenan Thompson, Elle Duncan, Anson Carter and Greg Olsen.
Outstanding Open/Tease
Fatherhood (The 124th US Open)
NBC | Peacock
Gloves – The Story of Phil Pritchard and the Stanley Cup (NHL on ESPN)
ESPN
Land of Stories (Games of the XXXIII Olympiad)
NBC | Peacock
Meet Team USA x Beyoncé (Games of the XXXIII Olympiad)
NBC | Peacock
UEFA Champions League: A New Era
CBS | UEFA
Outstanding Promotional Announcement
Full Court Press – Presented by State Farm: Inner Baller (Full Court Press)
ESPN
The Heist II (NBA In-Season Tournament on TNT | ESPN)
NBA on TNT YouTube
Jingle Hoops: Regifted (NBA on Christmas Day 2024)
ABC | ESPN | ESPN2 | ESPN+
The Toast (2024 NBA Finals)
Twitch | YouTube | ESPN | ESPN App | Twitter
Usyk Vs Fury Reignited (TNT)
DAZN
Outstanding Public Service Content
Letter to My Father: Zeke Thomas
CBS
NFC Championship (Somebody)
FOX
Notre Dame Football (What Would You Fight For?)
NBC
Super Bowl LIX (Flag 50)
FOX
Youth Flag Football (“Let’s Play”)
NFL Network | NFL Media
Outstanding Personality/Emerging On-Air Talent
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Prime Video
Jason Kelce
ESPN | ESPN2 | ABC
Nick Saban
ESPN
Richard Sherman
Prime Video
Jay Wright
CBS | TNT
Outstanding Personality/Sideline Reporter
Jenny Dell
CBS
Kaylee Hartung
Prime Video | NBC
Tom Rinaldi
FOX | FS1
Holly Rowe
ESPN | ESPN+ | ABC
Lisa Salters
ESPN | ABC
Tracy Wolfson
CBS | TNT
Outstanding Personality/Studio Host
Scott Hanson
NFL Network | Peacock
Ernie Johnson
TNT | TBS
Kate Scott
CBS | CBSSN | Paramount+ | Golazo Network
Mike Tirico
NBC | Peacock
Scott Van Pelt
ESPN | ESPN2 | ABC
Outstanding On-Air Personality in Spanish
Andrés Cantor
Telemundo
Rolando Cantú
Telemundo | Universo | Peacock
Miguel Gurwitz
Telemundo | Universo | Peacock
Mauricio Pedroza
ESPN Deportes | ESPN+
Pilar Pérez
ESPN2 | ESPN Deportes
Outstanding Feature Story in Spanish
Greenland (San Francisco)
ESPN Deportes | ESPN+
Juegos Olímpicos Paris 2024 (Hermanos Limardo: Lazos de Acero)
Telemundo | Universo | Peacock
Juegos Olímpicos Paris 2024 (Momentos Que Marcan)
Telemundo | Universo | Peacock
Juegos Olímpicos Paris 2024 (“El Niño”)
Telemundo | Universo | Peacock
Mundo NFL Originals (Bayron Matos: Orgullo de Los Mina)
Mundo NFL
SportsCenter (SC Reportajes: MI NOMBRE ES DANY GARCIA)
ESPN Deportes | ESPN+
Outstanding Studio Show in Spanish
Fútbol Central
Univision | TUDN
Fuera de Juego
ESPN+
Juegos Olímpicos Paris 2024
Telemundo | Universo
Sunday Night Football
Telemundo | Universo | Peacock
Zona Mixta
Telemundo
Outstanding Playoff Coverage
College Football Playoff
ESPN | TNT
The National League Playoffs
FOX | FS1
NBA Playoff on TNT
TNT
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
CBS | TNT
NFL Playoffs
NBC | Peacock
Outstanding Edited Event Coverage
Hey Rookie: Welcome To The NFL
ESPN
NFL Draft: The Pick is In
The Roku Channel
NFL Game Day All-Access (Super Bowl LIX)
NFL YouTube
NFL Turning Point
ESPN+
Scottie 24
PGA Tour YouTube
Outstanding Esports Championship Coverage
2024 Call of Duty League Championship Weekend (OpTic Texas vs. New York Subliners)
Call of Duty League
DOTA 2 Championships (The International 2024)
DOTA 2
IEM Cologne 2024 (Team Vitality vs. NaVi)
ESL Counter-Strike
LoL Worlds 2024 Grand Final (T1 Esports vs. BiliBili Gaming)
LoL Esports
VCT Champions 2024 Grand Final (Edward Gaming vs. Team Heretics)
Valorant Esports
Outstanding Live Series
College Football on CBS
CBS
FOX NFL
FOX
Monday Night Football
ESPN | ESPN+ | ABC
NFL on CBS
CBS
SEC on ABC
ABC | ESPN+
Sunday Night Football
NBC | Peacock
Outstanding Edited Special
The 2019 Masters: A Sunday Unlike Any Other
CBS
E60 (No Easy Victories: The 1994 New York Rangers)
ESPN | ESPN+
Lap of Legends
AMC Network | Roku | BBC America
SportsCenter (SC Special: The Harbaugh Brothers)
ESPN
UFC Year of the Fighter (Georges St-Pierre)
UFC Fight Pass
Outstanding Hosted Edited Series
Club Shay Shay
The Volume
E60
ESPN
NFL Films Presents
FS1
Olympic Highlights with Kevin Hart & Kenan Thompson
Peacock
The Shop: UNINTERRUPTED
The Shop
Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly
College GameDay
ESPN
FOX MLB
FOX | FS1
FOX NFL Sunday
FOX | FS1
Inside the NBA on TNT
TNT
Thursday Night Football
Prime Video
Outstanding Studio Show – Daily
The Dan Patrick Show
Peacock
Good Morning Football
NFL Network
MLB Central
MLB Network
MLB Tonight
MLB Network
NFL Live
ESPN | ESPN2
Pardon The Interruption
ESPN
Outstanding Studio Show – Limited Run
College GameDay (College Football Playoffs)
ESPN
FOX MLB: The Postseason
FOX | FS1
Inside the NBA Playoffs on TNT
TNT
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on TNT
TNT
Road to the Final Four
CBS | TNT
Outstanding Personality/Play-by-Play
Mike Breen
ABC
Joe Davis
FOX | FS1
Ian Eagle
CBS | TNT | Netflix
Noah Eagle
NBC | Peacock
Mike Tirico
NBC | Peacock
Outstanding Personality/Studio Analyst
Charles Barkley
TNT | TBS
Nate Burleson
CBS
Ryan Clark
ESPN | ESPN2 | ABC
Kirk Herbstreit
ESPN
Daniel Orlovsky
ESPN | ESPN2 | ABC
Outstanding Personality/Event Analyst
Troy Aikman
ABC | ESPN
Peyton Manning
ESPN2
Greg Olsen
FOX
Bill Raftery
CBS | TNT | FOX
John Smoltz
FOX | FS1
Outstanding Journalism
Fighting for Olympic Gold: Ukraine’s Athletes at War (Richard Engel Reports)
NBC
The New York Times Presents: Broken Horses
FX | Hulu
Pat Tillman: Life. Death. Legacy. (E60)
ESPN
Scam Dunk (Uninterrupted’s Real Stories of Basketball)
A&E
Second Wind: The Boomer and Gunnar Esiason Story (E60)
ESPN
Outstanding Short Feature
Caeleb & The Critic (Games of the XXXIII Olympiad)
NBC | Peacock
Father and Sons – The Freddie Freeman Story (FOX MLB: World Series)
FOX
For Trazzy (Golf Central Live From The PGA Championship)
Golf Channel
Uncle Joe (College GameDay)
ESPN
What If (Thursday Night Football)
Prime Video
Outstanding Long Feature
A Bond Beyond Baseball (MLB Tonight)
MLB Network
#FREETEZ (NFL 360)
NFL Network
SC Featured: The 6-Year Plan (SportsCenter)
ESPN
SC Featured: Pete’s Legacy (SportsCenter)
ESPN
Tennis can be my medicine. (Tennis Channel Live)
Tennis Channel
Outstanding Short Documentary
9066: Fear, Football and the Theft of Freedom
NFL Network
Comeback: A March Madness Story
truTV
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (In the Company of Heroes)
NBC | Peacock
Through The Storm
NFL Network
The Turnaround
Netflix
Outstanding Long Documentary
Las Amazonas de Yaxunah
ESPN Deportes
ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chief’s Clothing
Prime Video
Giannis: The Marvelous Journey
Prime Video
The Lionheart
HBO | Max
Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa
Netflix
Outstanding Documentary Series
Charlie Hustle & The Matter of Pete Rose
HBO | Max
The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox
Netflix
Game 7
Prime Video
In the Arena: Serena Williams
ESPN+
Untold
Netflix
Outstanding Documentary Series – Serialized
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
Netflix
Full Court Press
ABC | ESPN+
Hard Knocks (Offseason with the New York Giants)
HBO | Max
Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend
Apple TV+
The Money Game
Prime Video
Outstanding Live Special – Championship Event
The 120th World Series (New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers)
FOX
The 124th US Open
NBC | USA | Peacock
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad
NBC | Peacock
The Masters
CBS
NCAA Women’s Tournament Championship
ABC
Outstanding Live Special – Non-Championship Event
The 66th Daytona 500
FOX
The 108th Indianapolis 500
NBC | Peacock
The 125th Army-Navy Game
CBS
NFL Wild Card Game Live From Bikini Bottom (Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Chargers)
Nickelodeon
Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues
FOX
Outstanding Editing – Short Form
Black Friday Open: The Goat (Thursday Night Football)
Prime Video
Gloves – The Story of Phil Pritchard and the Stanley Cup (NHL on ESPN)
ESPN
Land of Stories (Games of the XXXIII Olympiad)
NBC | Peacock
Sunday Night Football
NBC | Peacock
Walk with the Greats: The Heroes of Daytona (FOX NASCAR: RACEDAY)
NASCAR on FOX YouTube
What If (Thursday Night Football)
Prime Video
Outstanding Editing – Long Form
Fly
National Geographic
#FREETEZ (NFL 360)
NFL Network
Giannis: The Marvelous Journey
Prime Video
The Lionheart
HBO | Max
Rhythm Masters: A Mickey Hart Experience
ESPN | ESPN+
The Dick Schaap Writing Award – Short Form
The 124th US Open (Fatherhood)
NBC | Peacock
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (Closing Essay)
NBC | Peacock
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (Land of Stories)
NBC | Peacock
Kyle Brandt Series
CBS
NBA Playoff on TNT (Up is Where Dreaming Begins)
TNT
Sunday Night Football
NBC | Peacock
Outstanding Writing – Long Form
Evolution of the Black Quarterback
Prime Video
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (In the Company of Heroes)
Noche UFC (UFC 306 at Riyadh Season Noche UFC: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili)
ESPN+ | ESPN | ESPN2 | Fight Pass
Thursday Night Football
Prime Video
Outstanding Graphic Design – Speciality
2024 NFL Draft (2024 NFL Draft Open)
NFL Network
In the Arena: Serena Williams
Disney+ | ESPN+
NBA All-Star on TNT (Borg-Warner Talking Heads)
TNT
NBA on TNT (Unforgettable)
TNT
Noche UFC (For Mexico, For All Time)
ESPN+ | ESPN | ESPN2 | Fight Pass
Super Bowl LIX (Coach Jimmy Johnson)
FOX
Outstanding Studio or Production Design/Art Direction
2024 NHL Draft
ESPN
FOX Soccer (Palace)
FOX | FS1
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad
NBC | Peacock
Noche UFC (UFC 306 at Riyadh Season Noche UFC: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili)
ESPN+ | ESPN | ESPN2 | Fight Pass
Super Bowl LIX (The Huddle)
FOX
Outstanding Music Direction
Evolution of the Black Quarterback
Prime Video
The Lionheart
HBO | Max
Noche UFC: For Mexico, For All Time
ESPN+
Super Bowl LIX (Hold My Hand)
FOX
The Turnaround
Netflix
Outstanding Audio/Sound – Live Event
FOX MLB
FOX | FS1
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad
NBC | Peacock
NHL on ESPN
ABC | ESPN | ESPN2 | ESPN+
NHL Winter Classic on TNT (Chicago)
TNT
Sunday Night Football
NBC | Peacock
Outstanding Audio/Sound – Post-Produced
FOX NFL Sunday
FOX
If You Had The Keys To A Formula 1 Car For A Day…
Red Bull TV
In the Arena: Serena Williams
ESPN | ESPN+
The Lionheart
HBO | Max
Rhythm Masters: A Mickey Hart Experience
ESPN | ESPN+
Outstanding Technical Team Event
2024 US Open
ESPN | ESPN2 | ESPN+ | ABC
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad
NBC | Peacock
The Masters
CBS
Noche UFC (UFC 306 at Riyadh Season: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili)
ESPN+ | ESPN | ESPN2 | Fight Pass
Super Bowl LIX
FOX
Outstanding Technical Team Studio
FOX NFL
FOX
FOX Soccer (Palace)
FOX | FS1
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad
NBC | Peacock
NFL Draft
ESPN | ABC
Thursday Night Football
Prime Video
Outstanding Camera Work – Short Form
The 150th Kentucky Derby
NBC | Peacock
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (Caeleb & The Critic)
NBC | Peacock
NFL Films Presents (The Silent Super Bowl)
FS1
NFL Films Presents (Shots of the Year)
FS1
NFL on ESPN (Divisional Round: In the Air Tonight)
ESPN | ABC
UEFA Champions League: A New Era
CBS | UEFA
Outstanding Camera Work – Long Form
Anytime
Red Bull TV
Giannis: The Marvelous Journey
Prime Video
The Lionheart
HBO | Max
Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa
Netflix
The Turnaround
Netflix
Outstanding Interactive Experience
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad
NBC | Peacock
Invisible Disabilities
ESPN.com
LIV Golf 2024 Season (Any Shot Any Time)
LIV Golf X
Pat Tillman – The Battle Within
ESPN.com
Thursday Night Football (Black Friday Football)
Prime Video
Outstanding Digital Innovation
FOX Sports | COSM (COSM)
FOX | FOX Sports Digital
Lap of Legends
AMC Network | Roku | BBC America
NFL on NBC (Madden NFL Cast)
NBC | Peacock
NHL on ESPN (NHL in ASL)
ESPN+
Noche UFC (Immersive 360 Experience)
ESPN+
Thursday Night Football (TNF Prime Vision: Sky Cam Overlays)
Prime Video
The George Wensel Technical Achievement Award
2024 PGA Tour (Drone AR)
CBS | NBC
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (Immersive Audio at Scale)
NBC | Peacock
NFL Live (StatusPro Visualizer – VR Technology)
ESPN
NHL Big City Greens Classic | Simpson Funday (Modified Character Scaling)
ESPN2 | ESPN+
OptiMotion (OptiMotion)
CBS
Thursday Night Football (AI Feature Latency)
Prime Video
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When Shannon Sharpeannounced he would be taking a temporary leave from his duties with ESPN following a civil lawsuit filed by a woman who claims that the former NFL star sexually assaulted, harassed, and committed battery against her, it remained unclear what that meant for his Nightcap and Club Shay Shay podcasts. Sharpe has not appeared on ESPN since mid-April. However, he has continued to release podcast episodes with Nightcap co-host Chad Ochocinco.
Recently, the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver appeared as a guest on This Past Weekend with Theo Von and discussed the future of the podcast with Sharpe.
“Unc asked me to be a part of Nightcap, and I’m going to ride that wave because he asked me to come on,” said Ochocinco. “I’m not jumping ship because of his personal stuff. You handle whatever you need to handle, I’ll always be here. I’m going to be here. If the ship goes down, b***h I’m going down with it.”
The Nightcap podcast, which debuted in 2023 under Sharpe’s Shay Shay Media group, currently ranks in the top 30 of YouTube’s latest weekly top podcast rankings.
Moreover, Ochocinco remained steadfast in his loyalty to Sharpe. “When the ship was going good, I was right here,” he noted. “Just because it’s f***ing rocky. I ain’t going nowhere. I’m not going nowhere.”
Despite the controversy, Sharpe and Ochocinco have continued to deliver Nightcap content. For example, the duo appeared live in Green Bay, WI on the first night of the NFL Draft, hosting a live edition of the popular podcast the same evening as Sharpe’s public announcement.
So far, the former NFL tight end has not spoken out in detail about the allegations in the lawsuit. Instead, he announced a temporary leave from ESPN to devote more time to his family while addressing what he referred to as the “false and disruptive” accusations. Nevertheless, Ochocinco has been unwavering in his support.
“I’m going to let Unc do what he needs to do. We’re going to keep on filming. Going to keep on trucking. We’ll keep our head down,” Ochocinco says. “He knows what he needs to do on his end, and I’m going to make sure I take care of my end and do what I need to do and show up. That’s it.”
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Sports media doesn’t know how to talk about women’s sports.
We live in an age of bite-sized media in how the sports consumer now follows their favorite teams and players. As a casual observer of the WNBA, the opening weekend was filled with action. Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese to open the season—the league knew exactly what they were doing. Lean into the single biggest narrative that’s driving attention to the league in the very first game of the WNBA season on national television. Good, bad, or indifferent, you have to admit much of sports media knew nothing else to look for in this contest except how Clark and Reese would conduct themselves on the court with the eyes of the nation on them.
Then, the hard foul heard ’round the world happened. Clark fouled Reese! Clark fouled Reese! You could see Ron Burgundy blowing into his conch to alert sports media: assemble! Sports media took to their corners, salivating at the opportunity, and spent the next couple of days discussing nothing else regarding the opening weekend of the WNBA. Sports media doesn’t know how to talk about women’s sports.
At this year’s Barrett Sports Media Summit, ESPN Chicago Bears insider/host Courtney Cronin was asked on a panel featuring four prominent women in sports media how to integrate women’s sports conversation on traditional sports media platforms. It’s an interesting question to ask, with rising television viewership and social media engagement bringing more attention from the viewing public to women’s sports.
Cronin said the first sentence I wrote to open her answer—but as it related to how some in sports media compare it to men’s sports coverage.
“I don’t think we know how to talk about women’s sports because when you regress to the mean, most people have to—because they don’t know any other way to do it—relate it to men’s sports,” said Cronin. “We don’t need to talk about women’s sports in relation to men’s sports, but I still think we’re just shy of being able to view it as its own entity. Within that, people like storylines, but the storyline that shouldn’t be the overall prevailing one is Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark beef.”
Sports Media Ate Up The Low Hanging Fruit….Again
That quote stuck out to me when I spent my day on Monday scouring the internet to see how sports media captured their discussions about the opening weekend of the WNBA.
Was there any conversation about Natasha Cloud’s debut for the New York Liberty? How about the debut of first overall selection Paige Bueckers for the Dallas Wings? A’ja Wilson’s 31-point, 16-rebound performance to begin her MVP award defense?
Nope. Once again, the Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese beef made all the headlines—for all the wrong reasons.
“I know what hatred looks like. Angel Reese HATES Caitlin Clark,” tweeted former ESPN personality Robert Griffin III. “Not some basketball rivalry hate either. Hate.”
“Angel Reese, who actually played okay and looked like she improved her game, made a mockery of her existence,” said Dave Portnoy via X. “She got fouled—totally common foul by Caitlin Clark going for a layup. Falls down, then attacks her, basically. It makes just a joke out of her existence, and why everyone hates Angel Reese.”
“I think Angel Reese truly hates Caitlin Clark,” tweeted Clay Travis, who still opines on sports through OutKick. “Honestly, hate is good for ratings.”
“It’s not about black and white,” said Stephen A. Smith on First Take Monday. “It’s about that white player and that black player. Why? Because of the history they had before they came to the WNBA.”
Among all the noise, I think Emmanuel Acho said it best on The Facility on FS1.
“I got no issue with how Angel Reese reacted, but it’s subjectively clear she did overreact,” said Acho. “I got an issue with everyone overreacting to Angel Reese’s overreaction. I’ll tell you that much. Everybody overreacting to Angel’s overreaction. I got no issue with how Angel reacted, but she overreacted. We know she overreacted because she knows she overreacted.”
That was an actual quote on a national television show. I’m serious!
Did Angel Reese overreact, sure. She admitted as much. But I have a much bigger issue with everyone else’s overreaction to her reaction.
Lost in all the noise of sports media taking their sides are the participants in the moment who attempted to prevent this from happening. Reese saying, “It was a basketball play, and the ref got it right. Move on.” Clark saying, “Let’s not make it something that it’s not.”
Is Drama Bad For Business?
Unfortunately for the WNBA, the prevailing storyline from the opening weekend was the low-hanging fruit once again—Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese once again caught up in a heated moment that drove the conversation about the start of a new league year.
Is it good for business? It depends on who you ask.
Television ratings are high—that’s good for business. Merchandise sales and ticket revenue are all drivers to judge if business is good too. It doesn’t seem like sports media playing to the low-hanging fruit is affecting interest at all in the sport—in fact, it’s potentially bringing new interest to it.
The point being, it doesn’t take watching the actual games to understand the rivalry between Reese and Clark, which is perfect for sports media to take moments like the foul heard ’round the world and add to the growing pains of women’s sports in America.
“I think you need to educate your audiences on how to consume women’s sports,” said Cronin at the BSM Summit earlier this month. “When the Timberwolves played, what were we talking about? The fact that they couldn’t buy a three to save their life. Can we do the same when the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky play again and talk about the actual X’s and O’s? Are we not sports people?”
The Continued Struggle With Sports Media And Women’s Sports
This weekend proved Cronin’s point that she shared at the BSM Summit earlier this month. When the outcome of the game matters less than a moment in it, the game no longer matters. The Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever aren’t title contenders yet, but they’re the focus of the league for all the wrong reasons once again. It’s not their fault for the spectacle that has taken place since the foul heard ’round the world. Sports media is just too busy aiming for drama in a bite-sized economy where clicks matter more than substance, likes are worth more than depth, and social following matters more than audience.
Sports media doesn’t know how to talk about women’s sports—and there may never come a day when they do. Women’s sports, unfortunately, will never rise to the level of interest or discussion their male counterparts already own.
For women’s sports to become its own entity, it will require more buy-in from traditional platforms and better effort from its personalities. How you position the storylines to get people to care about the games on the floor in the first place will determine the path by which women’s sports are more amplified in the daily discussion of sports.
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Here we go again. Donald Trump is back to mocking superstars like Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen.
“Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?” he said on his social media platform Truth Social. Did he mean less beautiful or less buzzworthy? The pundits had a field day with that one.
During the same week, Bruce Springsteen, the bard of the Jersey shore, attacked the president’s leadership at his concert in England, saying the US “is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.”
Trump came out counter-punching.
He called the 75-year-old a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!)” and quipped, “he ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just ‘standard fare’. Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!”
The media ate up both posts. I mean ate them up. Just Google “Trump Swift” and you’ll find most major networks (and what seems like every website on the internet) covering the clashes: CBS, FOX, NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN, and even the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Donald Trump did something more striking the other day –calling to investigate celebrities– but we’ll get to that in a moment.
So why the media blitz around Swift and Springsteen? The answer is, sadly, clickbait and higher ratings. Putting bold-faced names into a headline is guaranteed to boost SEO, search engine optimization, which launches the branded content to the top of the heap for Google and similar outfits.
Here are some of the headlines:
NBC’s Today Show: “Trump Takes Aim at Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift on Social Media”
MSNBC: “Trump Lashes Out at Bruce Springsteen After He Calls President ’Treasonous’”
Fox: “Trump Reignites Feud with Taylor Swift, Says Pop Star ‘No Longer Hot’”
CBS: “Trump Suggests His Opinion of Taylor Swift Made Her Less Popular”
I’m not saying journalists shouldn’t give these spats some brief attention, but do we really need to cover every round of these squabbles as if they were as important as the furor over the president accepting a $400 million jet from Qatar?
For viewers watching this spectacle, it’s like rubbernecking at an accident. You can’t help but gaze at the pile-up. The president of the United States lets no insult stand without a strong rejoinder. And his MAGA base loves it. So do journalists who take delight in the mudslinging among the famous and the infamous. All this provides a welcome respite from covering the intricacies of the House tax bill or the gyrations of the stock market.
Taylor Swift and Donald Trump “had beef,” as my teenager says, since before the election. Trump’s disdain for Swift began in 2018 when she criticized Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), saying she “appalls and terrifies” her. At the time, he told reporters, “Let’s just say I like Taylor’s music about 25% less now, OK?”
In February of 2024, he gave a quote to an author saying, “There’s no way she can endorse crooked Joe Biden…I like her boyfriend Travis even though he may be a Liberal, and probably can’t stand me!”
In August, he created a false AI endorsement of him. And in September, he struck again, a few days after Swift announced on Instagram she planned to vote for VP Kamala Harris. “I was not a Taylor Swift fan. It was just a question of time…she is a very liberal person, she seems to always endorse a Democrat, and she’ll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace.”
Four days later, he posted, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”
All of these jabs were covered in just the same way as we’re seeing now. Breathlessly and endlessly.
Trump’s mocking of Swift is in sharp contrast to 2012, before Trump was even in politics. He tweeted at her, “Thanks for the beautiful picture – you are fantastic!” That same year, Trump congratulated Swift on a major hosting gig with the Recording Academy, saying, “Taylor is terrific!”
Oh, how times have changed.
Springsteen and Trump have been at it for years, like two boxers in a ring who never put down their gloves. After launching his attack, Springsteen, an indefatigable performer, is back in the headlines and relevant to people who aren’t part of his core fan base. Pretty smart.
But just as I was going to conclude that all this amounted to shadow-boxing, the president upped the ante by calling for investigations into more superstars:
“HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT? WHY DID HE ACCEPT THAT MONEY IF HE IS SUCH A FAN OF HERS? ISN’T THAT A MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION? WHAT ABOUT BEYONCÉ? …AND HOW MUCH WENT TO OPRAH, AND BONO??? I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter.”
This is actually a story that should be covered, as he wants to use the resources of the Justice Department. Yet, strangely enough, it has gotten little attention so far.
As for Donald Trump mocking the abilities of Swift and Springsteen, in my humble opinion, both musical celebrities are extremely talented and popular (trust me on this, it took me forever to get tickets to Swift’s Eras Tour in Philadelphia.)
The truth is, covering the quarrels is like catnip for everyone involved. Apparently, including me. Here I am giving the story more legs and playing into their hands. In Taylor’s immortal words, “Look What You Made Me Do.”
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If you haven’t been paying attention, to say things haven’t gone smashingly for CBS News in recent months would be an understatement.
The outlet has seen high-profile talents like Norah O’Donnell step away from its flagship news program, CBS Evening News. The nightly newscast, by the way, has been mired in a ratings slump that has seen it drop below 4 million viewers nightly, being more than doubled at times by ABC World News Tonight.
Additionally, 60 Minutes, one of the most venerable television news programs in history, has seen turmoil as Executive Producer Bill Owens departed the show, citing concerns about editorial control over the content of the program.
Those same concerns were echoed this week as CBS News and Stations President and CEO Wendy McMahon announced she, too, would depart the network over growing concerns about who had the final say on how the outlet operated.
“It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership, and it’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,” McMahon said in a memo to staffers announcing her exit. Ya think?
They say all press is good press, but I don’t know how anyone could look at what has happened at CBS News in recent months and think “Those guys are killing it!”
Many of the concerns shared by CBS News employees are about the network’s potential settlement of a lawsuit brought forth by President Donald Trump over the 60 Minutes interview with his opponent in the 2024 presidential election, Kamala Harris. Trump has called for FCC chair Brendan Carr — who is more of a lackey for the president rather than an FCC commissioner at this point — to impose “maximum fines” on CBS News for negative coverage of him.
Despite experts labeling the lawsuit frivolous and CBS News itself stating that there is “no legal basis” for Trump to sue the outlet, the President launched it anyway, seeking $20 billion in damages.
Most reputable news outlets would view such demands as equivalent to an angered seven-year-old who just went bankrupt during a rousing game of Monopoly. But, Donald Trump isn’t your average angered seven-year-old; he’s the President of the United States who has surrounded himself with the most dedicated sycophants in human history. While it’s a weird flex, it’s a flex nonetheless.
It isn’t hard to connect the dots between President Trump launching a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News while the network’s parent company — Paramount Global — is looking to undergo a merger with Skydance Media that needs approval from…the Trump administration.
So, a settlement is reportedly in the works. Some reports have suggested Paramount Global would be willing to pay — which totally wouldn’t be a bribe, wink wink — up to $50 million to Trump to make the lawsuit go away.
That potential settlement — justifiably — has angered many inside CBS News. When you feel like you’ve done nothing wrong, and the boss is going to sell you down the river to make a few bucks, there’s certainly going to be a part of you that resents that decision.
And that’s the one question I think CBS News — executives, more so than anchors, correspondents, and producers — needs to answer before going down the path of settling the Trump lawsuit: Do you care more about principles than dollars?
Who am I kidding? The answer is undoubtedly dollars. It’s almost always going to be dollars. And that’s a crying shame. Because the message CBS News will send when — not if — it settles this lawsuit is that standing up to a bully, even when you’re right, isn’t worth the effort. And that’s an insanely demoralizing message to send.
Furthermore, the message inside your own walls is that the company doesn’t have your back. I don’t know if you’ve ever worked in an environment where that’s the case, but it’s borderline impossible. Always looking over your shoulder, wondering who the next person to be thrown under the bus would be, questioning if you’re allowed to say what you think or believe, curious if you’ll be reprimanded for angering the wrong person, advertiser, or entity. It’s a terrible position to find yourself in in a professional setting. And, Paramount Global is going to do it anyway, truth be damned.
I would love to say I can’t fault Paramount Global or Shari Redstone, the non-executive chairwoman of the company, for considering settling the lawsuit. But I can. I absolutely can fault each for their decisions. Because it’s not only bad for the business of journalism and television, it’s bad for the country. When someone feels empowered to hold anyone they deem to be an enemy hostage for millions of dollars, it’s a bad thing. And that’s not a Trump thing, that’s an everyone thing.
If Paramount Global — and CBS News, by proxy — doesn’t believe that a merger with Skydance Media will be approved by the Trump administration unless it provides either more favorable coverage or millions from a settlement that’s totally not a bribe, what message does that send to the public?
The best way to deal with a bully is to stand up to them. Not bend the knee. Unless, of course, that bully stands in the way of you making a little bit of money. At that point, you sell out your principles and integrity for the short-term gain. Everyone knows that.
Or maybe, just maybe, that isn’t the right way to operate.
I’d love to end this column with hope and optimism that Paramount Global will do the right thing by CBS News and take a stand. I’d love to, but I can’t. And that might be the worst thing of all. The hope that the parent company of a major news organization would do the right thing for its credibility, its employees, and the public as a whole being so wildly unattainable showcases the sad state of affairs of American journalism and mainstream media today.
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As a corporate vice president of programming, I’ve had the opportunity to hire many program directors over the years. At one point, there were so many stations and so few established PDs available that the interview process felt like checking for a pulse.
While that’s an exaggeration, finding good PDs has never been easy. Reflecting on those times, I realize that part of the challenge was my high expectations for the role.
I remember one instance when I was looking to fill a PD position in a smaller market. I took my time, determined to find the right fit. I’d ask, “What’s taking so long? It’s a small market. Just fill the position.”
My response was simple: even small markets represent significant investments. Whether I’m handing over the keys to a BMW or a Honda, the company paid good money for it. The size of the market doesn’t diminish the value of the station.
Over my career, I’ve only had a handful of PDs myself, but I’ve had plenty of bosses. I’ve come to believe that a good PD shares many qualities with a good boss. However, being a PD is a unique role that requires a mix of creative, strategic, and interpersonal skills.
It’s a job where no two days are alike, and there is no single approach to every situation. It also involves managing diverse personalities, balancing egos, and navigating salary differences, all while managing up to operations directors, market managers, and corporate VPs.
My first PD set the standard for what I consider a good leader. At the time, I was still at the college radio station, eager to learn and absorb as much as possible. Having access to a real-life program director who was not only willing but excited to share his knowledge was invaluable.
He took the time to answer my endless questions, explain the nuances of the industry, and offer constructive critiques. That experience shaped my understanding of what a good PD should be.
Even though I was still discovering my “why” – the deeper motivation that drives my work – my first PD demonstrated the power of having a clear purpose. He understood his “why” and communicated it consistently.
During every aircheck session, every time he let me sit in the studio with him, and every staff meeting. He showed me that a good PD not only has a plan but also a purpose behind that plan.
In contrast, the second and third PDs I worked under rarely, if ever, shared their plans or explained their decisions. It felt more like “do as I say” than a collaborative effort, and that approach just doesn’t work in a creative, ever-changing environment like radio.
A good PD knows that simply handing down orders isn’t enough. Unlike the standardized approach of a hotel or restaurant manager, who trains staff to follow the same script regardless of location, a PD must adapt to the unique culture of their market and station.
The fourth PD really embodied many of the first PD’s attributes. As it had been some time between them and the first PD, I credit them with reigniting my desire for programming.
Ultimately, a good PD has a plan, a strategy, and, most importantly, a clear “why.” That guiding purpose influences everything from music selection to branding, promotions, and even the tone of on-air personalities.
But knowing the “why” is just the beginning. How and how often you communicate that purpose is what truly separates a good PD from just a good boss.
After all, it’s not just about playing the hits – it’s about creating a culture, building a brand, and keeping the pulse of the community you serve.
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