Many in sports radio circles debate the value of the caller. When a listener wants to participate so eagerly in the conversation their favorite sports radio host is discussing, they want to add their two cents in on the matter. Indeed, Paul Finebaum has made a career of taking phones on his widely popular sports radio program since the 1980’s, and has made household names out of the same listeners that enjoy talking sports alongside Finebaum.
One of those callers was Larry Wallace, who was a regular caller to the program for many years just to talk Alabama football on The Paul Finebaum Show.
Yesterday, during his program, Finebaum took time to announce the passing of “Larry from Shelby” in a moving tribute by the sports talk veteran.
“It is virtually impossible for me to begin the final hour with this news which we have just learned about over the last few minutes,” began Finebaum. “One of the truly iconic callers in the history of this show, Larry Wallace, Larry in Shelby, not very far from where we sit has passed away according to several of his friends.”
As expected, Finebaum has a large, devoted regular caller volume during each and every program, and tributes began to pour in both on air and online. Moreover, according to AL.com, several regular callers dialed in with their remembrances of Wallace but were unable to finish their comments, as many broke down in tears on the phone.
“We heard from Larry just last week,” said Finebaum on Monday night. “It was an absolute heart breaking and gut-wrenching call. He was on oxygen on a ventilator at the hospital, but he wanted to call. We felt fairly certain it would be his final call, but we are so appreciative of him and his family for keeping us up to date.”
Additionally, according to AL.com, Larry Wallace was an avid Alabama fan, a Vietnam vet, and spent most of his life in law enforcement, all of which he proudly displayed during his calls to Finebaum’s program.
Remembering one of our favorite callers in Finebaum Show history, Larry in Shelby: pic.twitter.com/sxZohvgJxp
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.
Former ESPN teammates Ryan Clark and Robert Griffin III continue to wage a personal battle via social media, originating from Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese as the Indiana Fever opened up their regular season against the Chicago Sky on Saturday. Following the play in question, Griffin shared his thoughts on the matter, posting to his personal X account that Angel Reese “hates” Caitlin Clark, despite Reese never saying as much.
Meanwhile, Ryan Clark shared his own perspective on Griffin’s use of the word “hate” during an episode of The Pivot with Fred Taylor. The former NFL All-Pro argued that, because of Griffin’s marriage to Estonian heptathlete Grete Griffin, who is white, Griffin doesn’t understand the challenges young Black women face, suggesting he hasn’t educated himself on the matter.
As a result of Clark’s personal dig, the two traded barbs on social media, resulting in a firestorm of personal attacks that strayed far from the heart of the original conversation—Caitlin Clark’s foul on Reese.
Following Clark’s comments regarding Griffin’s marriage to a white woman, Griffin III fired back with a lengthy post on social media.
“There’s a line you don’t cross in life and Ryan Clark sprinted past it,” Griffin tweeted on X. “Ryan Clark didn’t like my take on Angel Reese hating Caitlin Clark. That’s fine. Disagreement is part of the game. But instead of debating my point, he personally attacked me and my family. That shows how low of a person he is.”
Furthermore, Griffin went on to explain the reasoning behind his opinion on the Reese and Clark incident, aiming to have more of a conversation about the foul instead of engaging in personal attacks. However, he continued to defend his marriage and criticize Clark for the direction of his commentary.
“Ryan Clark said I don’t understand the struggles of Black women because I’m married to a white woman. That’s wrong and way out of bounds,” Griffin posted. “There should be no space in Sports Media for personal attacks, and wives and children are always off limits. You attacked me and my family in a public forum on a level that shows how low of a person you are.”
There’s a line you don’t cross in life and Ryan Clark sprinted past it.
Ryan Clark didn’t like my take on Angel Reese hating Caitlin Clark. That’s fine. Disagreement is part of the game. But instead of debating my point, he personally attacked me and my family. That shows how… pic.twitter.com/YDisnkvpMQ
In addition, Griffin continued to say that Clark was “out of bounds” with his comments regarding his wife, her skin color, his family, and the conversations that take place in his home.
Instead of ending the conversation there, Clark responded to Griffin’s claims and delved deeper into their personal and professional relationship from their time at ESPN.
“I saved you the entire season on MNF. I urged people to let you be you. No matter how corny, how bad a teammate you were, I had your back,” Clark posted on X. “What did you do? Invite someone on your show you know I don’t fool with to ask questions about me, and then hit me weeks later to tell me you’re gonna challenge one of my takes! You’re a phony bro. One of the worst teammates I ever had both on the field and in TV.”
Bruh you know what it is with me and you! I saved you the entire season on MNF. I urged people to let you be you. No matter how corny, how bad a teammate you were I had your back. What did you do? Invite someone on your show you know I don’t fool with to ask questions about me,… https://t.co/DVowpagZFk
Clark maintained that he didn’t attack Griffin’s wife in his comments.
“In no way tripping on any of it. Know exactly who I am, what I said, why I said it, & who I said it for,” Clark tweeted later in the evening. “I can live with everything else.”
For context, Clark has worked for ESPN since February of 2015 and collaborated with Griffin on Monday Night Countdown. Griffin signed with ESPN in 2021, but he was cut by the network with two years remaining on his deal in August of last year.
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.
Jimmy Pitaro has worked at ESPN since March 2018 when he was named president of the sports media brand and co-chair of Disney Media Networks. Prior to his time serving as an executive in the media business though, Pitaro practiced law in the state of New York for five years and obtained his Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law. Pitaro returned to his alma mater this past weekend to deliver the commencement address to this year’s graduating class, during which he conveyed several lessons he has learned throughout his time in business. In fact, he reflected on his days playing college football at Cornell University, specifically taking part in the huddle and how the team went about calling plays.
Drawing a parallel to how he operates the business at ESPN, Pitaro articulated his philosophy of “Discuss, debate, decide, align” in leadership meetings. In essence, discussion and debate is encouraged in meetings, and Pitaro explained that it is great if they can decide on something as a team. If they are unable, however, it is up to him to make the final call and then for everyone to accept what was chosen and work together to effectively run the play. Prefacing this point, Pitaro reflected on a documentary he watched about The Eagles and how band founder Glenn Frey decided to step away from lead vocals.
“When asked why, he responded simply, ‘Well, we have Don Henley,’” Pitaro said. “Now that’s a team player. What I miss most about competitive sports is the huddle and that bond that I had with teammates. We just wanted to win and for each other. At ESPN, we say, ‘Act like an offensive lineman.’ They get very little glory, but they work their tails off, all for the greater good.”
Within his speech, Pitaro also mentioned the power of patience, illustrating how it took seven years to move to ESPN even though he thought he would join the company quicker upon being hired by Disney. Pitaro has spoken previously about how he would have yearly performance reviews with chief executive officer Bob Iger, during which he would mention his interest in working at ESPN in the future. Even though it did not happen right away, his persistence and determination paid off following several interviews, and he has helped facilitate rights acquisitions, content endeavors and other business ventures throughout his time leading the company.
“As someone who looks to hire great people at ESPN, I’d also call out the importance of eyes-open optimism,” Pitaro said. “Bob [Iger] says all the time, ‘No one wants to work for a pessimist. Be an energy giver, not an energy taker.’ I’ve also learned to be solution oriented. If I bring a problem to my boss, I also bring a solution.”
Pitaro closed out his speech by imploring the graduates to work hard, be nice to people and ensuring they do not embarrass the family. Regarding his last point, he explained earlier in the speech that his grandmother advised him of such while he was preparing for a job interview, something he acknowledged was indicative of her capturing the “spirit of always doing right.”
Pitaro subsequently explained that while people can make mistakes at Disney, no tolerance exists related to “lapses is integrity,” something he feels is a foundation in order to have a strong career in law. Furthermore, he imparted a maxim in acting, the profession held by his wife, enunciating how there are no small parts but rather small actors, and stated how all of the moments count.
“I worked with Steve Jobs while on the Disney board, and he would say, ‘Everything you do is either a brand deposit or a brand withdrawal,’” Pitaro said. “Again, no matter how small it might seem, it matters. Joe DiMaggio once stretched a late-inning double into a triple when the Yankees were already well ahead in the game. When asked why, he said, ‘There might have been one kid in the stands that had never seen him play before.’ The point is everything you do has an impact, both large and small decisions.”
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.
Planning for the 2025 BNM Summit continues. Our third news/talk media conference is scheduled for September 3-4, 2025 in New York City at the Ailey Theater. Tickets are discounted to $224.99 through June 30th for media professionals. Prices increase to $324.99 on July 1st.
Announced so far are Premiere Networks host and founder of TheBlaze, Glenn Beck, and Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy. Both gentlemen will be featured on Wednesday September 3rd. Newsmax is also serving as the presenting sponsor of this year’s show.
But they’re not the only ones gracing our stage this year.
It’s my pleasure to welcome four news/talk radio heavyweights to the 2025 BNM Summit lineup: Sid Rosenberg, Mike Gallagher, Mark Simone, and Erick Erickson.
Sid Rosenberg has been labeled outrageous and unpredictable, but successful belongs in that same sentence. The host of Sid & Friends In The Morning on 77WABC, he’s built a powerful connection with his audience, advertisers, and A-list guests, including President Donald Trump. His honesty, passion, access, and high energy style have made his show a daily destination for decades. Sid has also been consistently voted one of the top two local news/talk radio morning shows in Barrett Media’s Top 20 series.
Mark Simone is one of the longest running and most entertaining voices on the crowded New York radio dial and one of television’s wittiest talking heads. Heard weekdays from 10am to Noon on WOR, Simone’s show is listened to by millions across radio, television, and podcasts. Industry decision makers hold the program in high regard too, voting it the #1 midday program in news/talk radio in Barrett Media’s Top 20 of 2024.
Mike Gallagher started his radio career in South Carolina in 1989, and has been heard across the nation since 1998. He is a best selling author, actor, and supporter of the law enforcement community. His charitable foundation “Gallagher’s Heroes: Fallen Officers Fund” provides assistance to the families of police officers killed in the line of duty. “The Happy Conservative Warrior” is known for his passionate interactions with listeners and fast-paced, fun delivery, making his program appointment listening for millions of people across the Salem Radio Network.
Erick Erickson is a former elected Republican and lawyer who was mentored and guided into the radio business by Rush Limbaugh. His deep bench of sources and extensive knowledge of politics and campaigns have the Erick Erickson Show connect with audiences across hundreds of stations through its syndication partner Compass Media Networks. Airing weekdays from 12p-3p ET from the studios of Atlanta’s 95.5 WSB, Erick has become one of the preeminent voices in news/talk radio, attracting large crowds and some of the most respected names and voices in politics through his annual event ‘The Gathering‘.
All four men will be part of a talent conversation on Wednesday September 3rd. They’re all masters of delivering ratings and revenue, and enhancing the reputations and relevance of their respective brands. Expect the volume to be raised, the opinions to fly, and some laughs to be had when Sid, Mike, Mark and Erick join us in New York.
Brands interested in supporting the 2025 BNM Summit can learn more by contacting Stephanie Eads at Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com. To reserve a hotel room and stay updated on future announcements, bookmark BNMSummit.com. We look forward to seeing you in New York City!
Last week, I riffed on some comments heard from the stage of the BSM Summit in Chicago, including blasting how impressions are credited in digital media as well as recounting the history of the Nielsen simulcast rules.
If I’m going to bitch and moan, the onus is to offer suggestions as to how to improve the system. Let’s get started.
Over my two years of writing for Barrett Media, I’ve raised the AM issue multiple times, including a recent review of the actual text of the “AM For Every Vehicle Act”. If you’re a regular reader, you know that Nielsen overstates AM listening.
Last week, I mentioned comments at the BSM Summit from Andy Roth of 680 The Fan in Atlanta. He had a simple question as PD of an AM sports talker: how much of my listening comes from the AM signal and how much from the FM translator? The answer is “no one knows,” because Nielsen does not provide separate encoders for translators. Their reasoning makes sense: FCC rules allow a translator to originate no more than 30 seconds of material per hour, so why have a separate encoder?
Here’s a suggestion: Nielsen could supply encoders to a random sample of translators in PPM markets (perhaps 20-30 translators), but we’ll make a randomization exception here and choose Andy’s station as well since it was his question. Let the experiment run for six months and then report the results to the industry.
Next, considering what is acceptable in the digital world, let’s update the arcane PPM simulcast rules. The simplest idea is “anything goes,” and here’s what I mean by that phrase.
Let stations encode everything without worrying about the spots. The only caveat is that the stream code should be used for everything that doesn’t go through the transmitter. For example, if your morning show is live on YouTube, Facebook, or wherever, encode it on the fly. Do you take the best bits of the day and run them on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, etc, for later consumption? Use the digital code.
The plan is to take Nielsen out of the buy/sell process beyond supplying data. Sellers can offer a broadcast estimate, a digital estimate, or a combo. Buyers can buy whatever works best for their objectives.
This change would reduce the workload inside the station (I hope!). The ancient Nielsen simulcast rules require running material online exactly as it was heard on-air, commercials and all. Let’s drop that. If digital can get away with the joke of a measurement standard covered last week as well as the egregious level of fraud, why is radio like Hebrew National “answering to a higher authority”?
Let’s move on to modeling, specifically for streaming. Just about everyone in the radio business gripes about the small PPM sample sizes, and that’s fair. The problem is that the sample costs a bundle and Nielsen lacks any incentive to increase the sample size. No broadcaster will ever say “I’d like to give Nielsen more money”.
Nielsen has a system in place for adding demographics to streaming. Unfortunately for any other company in the space, the Nielsen system is patented (US patent 10,699,286) and if Nielsen is good at nothing else, their legal department excels at going after competing companies for potential patent infringement. Even if the accusations are a stretch, the legal costs and delays chill other entrants.
If we want something better, the industry might as well invite Nielsen back into the streaming business. This is not a knock on Triton, but in my view, the greater need is to have more information around radio’s digital audience. Don’t like modeling? We’ve had it in various forms for years.
One other issue that came up at the BSM was the continuing gripe about the measurement of headphone usage. Nielsen has made the best of a bad situation as PPM was never designed to handle listening through headphones. We remember the clunky “cap” for the old “pager” meter and the crazy additional wires. The watch version can’t handle it.
I remember attending an NAB COLRAM meeting during the Dallas NAB Radio Show in 2019. Dr. Gary Heller from Entercom (now Audacy) and I were chatting, and we agreed that Nielsen should give up and model the headphone listening data using a survey. Nielsen presented the next day with exactly that plan and implemented it. Typically, they do an annual survey of panelists and ex-panelists asking about headphone usage for radio listening. At the BSM, Nielsen’s John Snyder said the company has compared their data to Edison Research’s results and the two are “similar”, whatever that means.
Here’s the rub: Again, we need to count all listening. How about headphone listening to radio segments on other platforms? To the best of my knowledge, the current system doesn’t cover this and while it may be small potatoes, every bit counts. Nielsen should add a couple more questions to the survey or broaden the current questions to add more listening.
We’re in a new era. In the past, the broadcast radio silo could deal with rules set by Arbitron and then Nielsen defining what counted as listening and what did not.
In today’s world, there are so many options for listeners that it’s time to let the marketplace do the work. Nielsen should collect as much data as possible and let buyers and sellers, or in some cases, algorithms and AI, hash it out. Sure, Nielsen needs to maintain some policies, for example, what is measured and reported, but the time to dictate exactly what counts with respect to spots has passed. As one of the insipid slogans on NFL sidelines states “Inspire Change”.
A personal note: I’m shocked to say that this is my 100th column for Barrett Media. When I started, my assumption was that I’d run out of ideas after a couple of months, but two years later, here we are. Thank you so much for being a reader and I hope you’ve learned something and perhaps had a laugh or two. I’ll keep going and I hope you’ll keep reading!
Let’s meet again next week.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Nostalgia is a drug. All it can offer is a temporary high. Rarely does anything memorable result from a desire to make you “remember when…”
Look at Hollywood. This summer, we’ll see remake of Lilo & Stitch, a remake of Superman, and a remake of The Naked Gun. We’ll get the 8th Mission Impossible movie, the 7th Jurassic Park movie, and the 5th John Wick movie. When was the last time you saw a truly original movie that wasn’t a sequel or a reboot of a franchise from your childhood? It’s tough to get people excited about something new and that effort is unnecessary when it’s so easy to just appeal to nostalgia instead.
Reading all of the announcements coming out of NBC’s upfront presentation last week, I couldn’t help but notice how much nostalgia was charting the course for the network’s NBA coverage.
Pro basketball returns to the network next season for the first time since 2002. It was the home of Michael Jordan’s Bulls dynasty, the historic end of Magic Johnson’s playing career, and where most of us saw Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, and so many others in an NBA jersey for the first time.
NBC is going to lean hard into those days and those memories. The iconic NBA on NBC theme “Roundball Rock” is back. Announcer Jim Fagan will return with the help of AI, and the graphics package, while updated, will still echo the glory days of the network’s 90s presentation.
I say this respectfully, because I know the people working on these elements are doing so at the direction of bosses, who are not creative people and are looking at stats about recognition and misinterpreting “do you recognize this” as “do you like this”.
Who gives a s**t?
For years, I think the internet has overestimated the appeal of “Roundball Rock.” It’s not bad. It’s fine, but no one is logging into Spotify to fire up “Roundball Rock.” NBC is about to learn that without Jason Sudekis and Tim Robinson, that song’s impact is pretty minimal.
The entertainment industry is so painfully risk averse now. Recognizable intellectual property is all that matters. It’s not just NBC’s NBA presentation, but we cover the sports media here, so I am going to focus on why their future seems pretty vanilla compared to some of the other sports announcements we saw from upfronts week in New York.
They Fooled You With Michael Jordan
I know what NBC told us. Michael Jordan is going to be “a special contributor” on its NBA broadcasts. I know what they wanted, and they got it. People at home and in our business tooktotheairwavesandinternet to collectively freak out.
We have seen other networks hire their sport’s GOAT. Tom Brady is a game analyst for FOX. Wayne Gretzky is a studio analyst for TNT. They have job titles that tell you exactly what they do and where they are going to be.
NBC is keeping Michael Jordan’s title vague, because I don’t think he’s really going to do much of anything. You aren’t going to see him in studio. You aren’t going to see him at the broadcast table for LeBron James’ final game.
Alex Sherman of CNBC reports that Jordan’s presence will be confined to pre-taped segments. Maybe that role evolves over time, but right now, that is all that is set in stone.
What do you think the reaction to that is going to be? Sports aren’t a zoo. We aren’t just happy to see Michael Jordan. A whole lot of people are going to feel like they were lied to when they find out there will be no real-time Jordan presence on the broadcasts.
They Are Officially Out Of Ideas
There are things NBC announced that I liked. The hire of Carmelo Anthony really stands out. Don’t get me wrong, I like Inside the NBA a lot, but the whole show is about how much Charles, Shaq and Kenny hate the NBA now. It’s a good thing the personalities are so dynamic, because the content never changes.
Anthony will be a welcomed new, dynamic voice that has a real connection to the league today. Unfortunately, most of what else I heard from NBC sounds like the whole network is stuck in neutral.
Mike Tirico is a perfectly fine play-by-play man. He is not the problem. The problem is the network uses him on everything. NBC Sports has turned from a beautiful Thanksgiving spread into the homogenous glob that all of those foods become when they are stored in a single tupperware container in the fridge. The NBA sounds like the NFL sounds like Notre Dame football sounds like horse racing sounds like the Olympics.
Using artificial intelligence to recreate Jim Fagan is another example of NBC spinning its tires to go nowhere.
I don’t think there’s very much nostalgia for voiceover artists. I know people don’t like AI. Like at all. Maybe the application has some real benefits, but right now, when the public hears “AI,” thoughts range from “it has made Google worse” to “it is spying on me”. Find me the positive point in there.
Telling me AI is good is not the same as AI actually being good. Advertising that NBC is going to use the AI generated voice of Jim Fagan doesn’t make me say “Great! They found a way to bring Jim Fagan back!”. It makes me say “Wow, NBC must be having money problems.”
Celebrate Real Innovation
Everything we saw from the NFL last week was the polar opposite of the NBA on NBC. YouTube isn’t just going to put an NFL game exclusively on its platform. The company is going to present that Week 1 game in a way that fits into what YouTube users expect from the company. It won’t look like FOX or CBS or ESPN or NBC.
Roger Goodell and Ted Sarandos also reportedly met away from Netflix’s presentation to talk about how the streaming giant could secure rights to more games. That has the NFL thinking about what it would mean for them. Does the league have to figure out more “events” like the Christmas games are now or like Amazon’s Black Friday game, or does it mean that the league would consider if it’s time to do away with its ridiculous and restrictive broadcasting approach to Sunday afternoons? That is the time slot COO Bela Bajaria has said in the past that she wants on Netflix.
The NFL isn’t being driven by nostalgia and thinking about what would have excited its 40-and-50-something fans when they were kids. The league is thinking about what turns those 40-and-50-something fans’ kids into the kind of fan their mom or dad are.
ESPN is also showing real innovation. Do you think anyone inside of Disney is going to look at this streaming platform as a failure if it doesn’t do the kind of business Disney+ did out of the gate?
No! It’s the first step in a long path to taking ESPN off of linear television and forcing fans to consume it in a way that is more valuable to Disney.
Maybe ESPN is tickling the nostalgia bone in bringing back Rich Eisen and finding more ways to use Chris Berman, but nostalgia is taking a backseat to the future. The future Disney wants for ESPN is something more like YouTube where consumers are constantly feeding it valuable information it can take to advertisers.
Nostalgia feels nice, but that feeling is temporary. Nostalgia is a trap of diminishing returns. You don’t get the same dopamine rush every single time you experience something familiar from your youth. It’s like any drug. After a while, the high just isn’t the same.
We see it with Marvel. We see it with The Walking Dead. When the audience feels like you only have one card to play, they lose interest.
Sports aren’t exactly the same. The games are what matter the most and as long as NBC gets to put charismatic, athletic freaks like Anthony Edwards and Giannis Antetokounmpo on TV each week, the network will be fine, but it is starting from a place full of flash and absolutely devoid of substance. I wouldn’t call that a successful roll out.
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.
Everyone is always in search of opportunity, whether it’s personal or professional. Opportunity doesn’t come around very often, so you must take advantage when a rare moment of opportunity presents itself. That’s what T-Bob Hebert did when an opportunity to leave his home in Louisiana for the big city in Chicago came around with Barstool Sports. Last week, Hebert announced he would be leaving his Off The Bench morning program with Jacob Hester to take an amazing opportunity with the digital content giant.
“I’m 36, my contract is up, and if I’m ever going to go for something, the time is now,” said Hebert. “I would’ve been completely happy to stay in Baton Rouge the rest of my life, but it was kind of this moment. If I’m ever going to take this shot, it’s now, and the worst they can say is no.”
That shot was one that many can only dream of getting in their career—an opportunity to work for one of the largest content brands in the country and a career-defining move. Hebert, the son of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert, worked without an official contract with 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge while he was figuring out his next steps, which led to his opportunity with Barstool Sports.
“That’s one of the great parts about Guaranty Media—it’s not corporately owned,” explained Hebert, saying he continued working under the parameters of his former contract without signing a new agreement. “I was never worried about working without a contract or anything.”
Knowing Your Value And Searching It Out
Since 2017, Hebert grew in morning drive on the radio station, co-hosting with Jordy Culotta, and then in 2021, following Culotta’s exit, collaborating with fellow former LSU Tiger Jacob Hester. Over time, Hebert’s portfolio expanded as the station grew digitally. He hosted several podcasts and streaming video programs for The Volume and Stadium, and in February was announced as the new co-host of Jim Rome’s The After Hour program, airing on Rome’s new FAST channel network.
With all the ventures he was associated with and his contract coming up with Guaranty Media, Hebert decided—with his knowledge and reach online—it could be time to begin looking for other opportunities.
“I felt like I had maybe reached a bit of a ceiling. Not in terms of how much I was enjoying the show or anything like that, but maybe a ceiling about what I could kind of earn here,” noted Hebert. “I was like, I think I’ll explore some opportunities.”
Hebert said he has developed a great relationship with a number of the top talents at Barstool Sports over the years, including Brandon Walker and Dan “Big Cat” Katz. After working briefly for Stadium, which is based in Chicago, Hebert sent a text to Katz pitching the idea of joining Barstool Sports.
“Dan (Katz) got back to me, and that kicked off the process,” Hebert said. “They came down to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, and I did some work with them. I met with Dave (Portnoy), and then they offered me a job. Now me and my family are about to move to Chicago.”
The former LSU offensive lineman is scheduled to start with Barstool Sports in early June in a role that has not yet been fully defined. He envisions his role focusing on college football but is open to any opportunity that Barstool Sports puts in front of him.
“I’m just excited to create. I’ll just get in where I can fit in,” Hebert explained. “I’m also a mega nerd. I’m obsessed with chess, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings. I am a man of many passions, but that’s what I like about the opportunity.”
Every New Beginning Comes From Another Beginning’s End
With the new role at Barstool Sports, Hebert will also have to leave his position with sports talk host Jim Rome on The After Hour—a position he took in February, which he never truly thought of but embraced when the opportunity was presented.
“I reached out to Barstool months ago, and then randomly, before I ever heard back that a job offer (from Barstool) was real, this Jim Rome opportunity just landed in my lap, and it was incredible,” said Hebert. “I feel awful. The timing could not be worse on all of this, because this has been a revelation getting to work with him. He’s one of the ‘OGs’ of the industry.”
Hebert expressed how much he appreciated the opportunity—albeit short—to work with Rome and see how he treats everyone on his program with professionalism.
“This is one of the more overwhelming experiences in my entire life, in that I am feeling completely contradictory emotions all at once in the extreme,” Hebert explained. “I love my radio show here in Louisiana. I love my team here. This is the best team that we’ve had, which is an ironic twist of fate. Right when I feel like we were peaking in terms of the makeup and how we interact with one another, it’s ending.”
As he plans his move to Chicago—a city he says he’s falling in love with the idea of living in—Hebert knows the stakes this opportunity presents and the expectations that come with it. He is motivated to achieve success in whatever role he’s assigned.
“I don’t want to assume anything (about the job),” said Hebert. “I just want to go up there and try to prove the people right who have given me this opportunity and are betting on me by just working my ass off.”
Hebert says he feels “old” watching younger people work with social media but is looking forward to learning from the staff at Barstool Sports about how to adapt to the ever-changing landscape. He credited Guaranty Media for building an excellent team of young video producers who have elevated his radio program and considers himself lucky to have had that support in Louisiana.
Looking Back With The World Looking At Your Future
Reflecting on all he has done in his eight years with 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge, Hebert is not naïve—he knows that a move to Barstool is a career-making step. He admitted he is selfishly excited about the opportunity, but it’s not lost on him that it took the work and support of many people to make this happen.
While growing up the son of a legendary New Orleans NFL quarterback—and successful radio host on WWL in his own right—T-Bob Hebert never felt pressure from “The Cajun Cannon.” He has carved out his own path to success but credits the lessons he learned from his parents and upbringing for molding him into who he is today.
“I love being known as Bobby Hebert’s son. I love that, and that will never change,” noted Hebert. “I’m proud to be Bobby’s son, and I don’t give a damn about my own legacy as it pertains to his. I just want to honor his legacy—because that man, and my mother, because everything is a team—I just want to honor his legacy, because that man gave me everything in life, and he did it by working his ass off and putting his body on the line for decades.”
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.
Some things in Louisville are institutions. Completely synonymous with the city. Louisville Slugger, Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, bourbon, and the Hot Brown Sandwich. 840 WHAS is also on that list, and Nick Coffey is keenly aware of that fact.
It’s why he’s giving up his decade-long sports show to take over Kentuckiana’s Morning News when longtime host Tony Cruise retires at the end of the month.
Late last week, the venerable iHeartMedia Louisville news/talk station revealed that Coffey will step into the chair vacated by Cruise’s retirement beginning at the start of next month. And Coffey wasn’t shy about his excitement to take the reins of the program.
“It’s something that still hasn’t quite hit me just yet and almost almost doesn’t seem real,” Coffey said. “As somebody that is that is from Louisville — born and raised, and I now raise my family here — to be able to be morning drive on Kentuckiana’s Morning News, just saying it out loud, it almost doesn’t seem real. But I’m super excited. I know it’s gonna be a little bit of a different type of gig than what I’ve had for the last roughly 10 years doing sports within our iHeart Louisville market, but it’s really really exciting. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of people who have supported me along the way and really shared my excitement about the news.”
Nick Coffey shared that he hadn’t ever really considered making a move away from sports talk radio until roughly 18 months ago, when he was approached by those inside iHeartMedia wondering if he’d ever be interested in working at 840 WHAS when the time came for Cruise to step away.
But, as time goes on, and Father Time keeps ticking, we find ourselves more interested and invested in things that we hadn’t been previously. And that was true for Coffey, who will turn 37 later this summer.
“I never once thought about it, just because sports has always been my passion. It’s been a big part of my life,” said Coffey. “So, it was really something I’d never given much thought about at all. But then once it was put on my radar that they thought I might be able to bring something to the table as far as just somebody who knows Louisville and has lived in my whole life … I’ve grown up in the last 10 years and you find yourself being more interested in having stronger opinions on things that you didn’t used to really pay much attention to, but you do now as you get older,” he admitted.
“So once they threw it out there in front of me, I started to think about it and I realize ‘Well, clearly just by bringing it up there’s some level of interest on their end that they may think that I would be worthy of that.’ From then on, I just kind of started to think about it more and more, and I realized it would be silly not to fully pursue that opportunity if there’s interest on their end.”
Some making a switch from sports talk radio to news/talk might view the change negatively. A move like that can be made for a variety of reasons, which can be demoralizing. But Nick Coffey said the switch to 840 WHAS is the exact opposite for him.
“I’m energized by making that switch,” he shared. “Sports, of course, will still be talked about to an extent of talking about things that go on in our city, in our state in this country. It won’t be as difficult as I might’ve thought because I do have thoughts about things that maybe don’t typically come up on a sports show. So it was a total shock when it was first put out there, but really since then — probably for at least a little while each day — I’ve kind of dreamed like ‘That would be really special.’ I’m ready for that kind of challenge.”
Coffey said one of the biggest challenges in shifting from afternoon drive on Sports Talk 790 AM to morning drive on 840 WHAS will obviously be the change in lifestyle that comes with working in mornings. Kentuckiana’s Morning News begins at 5 AM, so Coffey will hope to be at the studio no later than 3:30 AM.
But the change in daypart wasn’t a hindering factor for Nick Coffey. Knowing what a station like WHAS means to his hometown made it all worthwhile to tackle the new opportunity.
He did admit, however, that there were times of apprehension.
“I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a couple of moments where I questioned, ‘Do I have the ability to do anything other than sports as far as broadcasting and content?’ Because it’s really all that I’ve ever done and it’s really all that I’ve ever wanted to do, until I grew and realized I’m energized by talking about things that I wouldn’t typically talk about on my daily sport show,” Coffey revealed. “So, I think knowing that the show has already been well established, there’s already things built into it, and knowing that they have believed in me to kinda take the reins and continue the outstanding program that they’ve had in the morning for generations, that energized me and it motivated me that they believe in me to wear that.
“That apprehension kind of went away a little bit, and then I got the opportunity to to fill-in in for Tony Cruise a couple of times during the holidays. And without really knowing it, I suppose that was somewhat of a trial run, and there were nerves there that hadn’t been there for me in a long time to start a broadcast. It’s kind of in a way made me feel alive again.”
Tony Cruise has been at 840 WHAS since 1992. His name — like other Louisville institutions — has become synonymous with the Gateway to the South. And while Nick Coffey knows that he’ll be following in the footsteps of a radio giant in the city, the soon-to-be 37-year-old hopes that his age will help bring in a younger demographic.
“WHAS wants to reach a younger demo than they’ve typically got in years past and I feel like with my age range, I’m now in a good spot where I’m not this young guy fresh out of college that they just assume ‘What does this young kid know?’ I’ve been in the market long enough, I’ve been married 14 years, and I have two children that are young,” said Nick Coffey. “I think when you raise your family in the community that you’re listeners are in, they’ll feel the level of reliability … It’s such a big opportunity that I’m gonna make it work or die trying because that’s how that’s how special it is.”
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Sam Alex hosts the nationally syndicated Chicago-based “The Sam Alex Show.” Alex went out on his own with the show after five and a half years of hosting “Taste of Country Nights” for Townsquare Media.
In addition to the show, Alex is the Founder and Director of Camp Broadcast. He has appeared as himself in an episode of ABC-TV’s “Nashville” and has been a guest announcer at the Grand Ole Opry.
“The Sam Alex Show” is available for any daypart and provides content while allowing affiliates to program their own music.
“I’ve learned over the years that programmers like having control of their playlists,” said Alex. “That’s why the breaks for my show are content-only. I’m not back or front selling the song, just giving good content with Country music news, pop culture news, birthday anniversary, shout outs and messages I get on my verified Instagram page and so on.”
Alex is very hands-on with affiliates and believes that constant communication is essential.
“I get people are busy, but with that said, the stations where we really do well with “The Sam Alex Show” are the ones I’m in constant communication with. They’re giving me local liners or local breaks to talk about. The local events happening, giveaways, the high school football, high school baseball games, basketball games, and then all the new music and having me do local breaks as well.”
Photo Courtesy The Sam Alex Show Credit Abby Collida
During his “Taste of Country Nights” time, Alex was based in Nashville from a Music Row studio. But in the back of his mind, he wanted to move back home to Chicago and make the leap to being his own boss.
“I always knew I wanted to move back home and raise my kids with my family, by my parents, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, and childhood friends. Then, talking with my musician friends, they reminded me that even though they were signed to Warner or Big Loud or whatever record label, they’re not the boss. The musicians are entrepreneurs; they’re their own boss.”
“They reminded me, Sam, you’re in control of your destiny. Eventually, you should start up your own thing so you can call the shots and make your own schedule. Host the show from where you want, from the award shows, festivals and local stations that you want to be active at and so on. I always knew I wanted to do that.”
Alex is pretty much a one-man band when it comes to all aspects of the show.
“I’m not represented by a big company or on the major companies. I’ve always had the attitude of being the underdog. I’ve always loved treating people the same, whether they were a brand-new artist or someone with 29 hits on a major label.”
In addition to all his other responsibilities, Alex is the Founder and Director of Camp Broadcast, which was established during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Camp Broadcast started when COVID happened, because I felt so bad that so many in-person summer camps were canceled for campers and college students to be counselors. I was a camper and a counselor when I was younger. And then markets of all sizes and radio weren’t hiring because of COVID. That’s when I had the idea, and it was like eight one-week classes that first summer, all on Zoom because of COVID.”
“The cool thing was we had students from around the country and the world who were mostly likely recent high school grads majoring in broadcasting or wanted to work in radio or TV. Also, college students and some recent grads, too. Then, the coolest thing was that we had a different celebrity guest every day, and the students got to interview on our virtual red carpets. And every day, they have a different expert guest speaker.”
“It’s kind of like an internship on steroids. The TODAY Show and Good Morning America both have done a six-minute-long feature on the camp, which is amazing. All the media outlets in Chicago, the TV and radio stations, are big-time supporters, and the Illinois Broadcasters Association is one of our title sponsors. It has been very rewarding.”
Camp Broadcast students and alumni produce an annual guitar pull called “Hoosier Country Jam,” which is held every spring in Bloomington, Indiana. Previous artists include Collin Raye, Darryl Worley, Michael Ray, Mason Ramsey, Drew Baldridge & many more. Students get to interview the artists and be the emcees for the concert.
Hosting the show and other high-profile events has led to some bucket list-type events, including guest announcing at The Grand Ole Opry.
“The first time I debuted as a guest announcer on the Opry, I was just hanging backstage. I had my own dressing room and my childhood best friend with me, who doesn’t work in the industry but lives in New York.”
“I’ve been taking him to music festivals, so I’ve converted him. He’s a huge country music fan now, but didn’t know much before. I’d go to the other dressing room with Vince Gill and Trace Adkins and hang out. And then I got to introduce Trace. He was walking on stage, shaking my hand, giving me the wink. That was the second moment in my career where I felt like I made it.”
Alex comes from a family of math teachers, and while he says he is not good with math, teaching was his backup plan, which led to Alex teaching and paying it forward.
“I originally majored in education, in special education, which was always the backup plan. Even though you’re always show-prepping, working 24/7, I was doing mornings and done at noon, I would volunteer at different schools, or I would help out at the after-school programs. I coached middle school wrestling for a couple of years. I was always involved in the schools and just loved paying it forward.”
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How do you know you’re doing ‘The Right Thing’? Sure. As most evolved Adult Contemporary brands, it’s difficult not to have flawless tactics for your brand in our age of computer-generated rules and cross–referencing.
When we discuss strategy vs. tactics, you’d be surprised (or maybe not) that at the highest level, the two get confused.
Simply put, Strategy is ‘Doing The Right Thing’.
Tactics – ‘Doing Things Right’.
As a remedial analogy:
“Should We Play – ‘70s Music” = strategy.
“Should We Play – Abba” = tactic.
Even at the highest level, the two are often confused.
During the Iraq War two decades back, President George Bush labeled the troop surge in Iraq a ‘new strategy’. In fact, it was a new tactic to support the same original strategy.
It’s rare to find strategic thought being taught at any level.
Today, large broadcast groups with seemingly brilliant leaders often launch new formats without regard for the market or their own cluster.
More frightening, finding the correct strategic play for a competitive situation isn’t taught at the highest level of academia.
Where does our new generation—or you (if this is uncharted territory)—get this type of education? This came to mind recently in a client discussion about ‘90s Music: Should we play late ‘90s Music, and how much late ‘90s Music?
If your brand is in that thought pattern, you’re staring straight at a shift in strategy.
As you read this, you’re most likely in a comfort zone with your brand presentation, Music Matrix, solid imaging and disponed air talent.
You know – tactics.
Here’s an exercise for you (using a redacted but real market) and the thought leaders in your broadcast orbit to determine whether your strategy is on track.
Demographics of (Sample) Market – www.data.census.gov.
Population – 785,000 with substantial future growth
Average age 39 years (17% age 65+)
Unemployment rate – 3.89%
Takeaway – Great market to plant or nurture an AC product as employment is robust, great average age, and these people work (at-work listening strong)
Map The (Sample) Market
Create a chart that maps older/younger vertically and men/women appeal horizontally.
Plant a mark where brands appeal land in the market, determining where your brand resides, and the growth potential.
(Sample market) ratings rank – NEWS/TALK and Country dominate, followed by Christian AC, Hot AC, Alt Rock, another Country and (finally) an Adult Contemporary (leaning Hot AC)
Takeaway – Huge opportunity for Adult Contemporary growth. The current AC (which may be yours) is vastly underperforming, perhaps off target strategically.
(Notice lack of Classic Hits/Oldies pressure – opportunity?)
Develop A SMALL (Sample) Target
Be singular in finding your target – that is ONE person you’re after – small target, wide results.
In the case of this sample market, the 39-year-old average is over-targeted – saturated. Strategically, perhaps an increased audience is found moving your target older, where fewer people are fishing.
For the sake of this exercise, let’s say our target is a 49-year-old female.
Takeaway – Everyone covets the heart of the 25-54 demographic. In this case, the opportunity exists to target older adults with greater disposable income and deliver that audience to your clients.
Map Your (Sample) Target
Name your target. What’s that 49-year-old named? Pushback occasionally comes with the singular target concept. Without a target in mind, you’re sure to miss. And what appeals to her?
A 49-year-old graduated from high school in 1994. Musical formative years for young adults typically occur during middle school, high school, and college.
In this (sample) but real-market example, other brands have moved their target position to the Adult Contemporary position.
Takeaway: Mapping your target listener focuses on who exactly your product appeals to.Itcrystallizes your brand appeal for your on-air staff, sellers and company brass.
This abbreviated exercise is clearly for demonstration purposes.
Back to the question prompting this piece:
‘90s Music – Should we play late ‘90s Music – and how much late ‘90s Music?’
You have a clear answer after this exercise.
If you’re an AC that balloons during Christmas, only to suffer audience starvation, looking at your strategic position in the mirror might reveal a four-season ratings growth opportunity.
We discuss the next wave of great minds sprouting from unknown areas and can be taught and armed with solid production techniques, adequate writing skills and workable air presentation.
How will emerging leaders know they are doing the right thing (Strategic), instead of simply doing things right (Tactics)?
It doesn’t take a CEO or a VP to do this – it takes sharp minds and strong fortitude to wage battle.
Do a critical listen to your market this week. You might discover misplaced strategic positioning on your frequency.
And – opportunity.
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.
