CNN has announced the addition of Choire Sicha as its new Senior Vice President of Features Editorial, overseeing the features department for the network.
In his new role, Sicha will lead the division and will be tasked with building the content strategy for the network’s global audience. He’ll lead the writers and editors for the network’s travel, style, wellness, and culture verticals.
Sicha joins the television network after previously working at Vox Media, serving as the Editor at Large for New York Magazine. He previously worked at The New York Times, as well as The New York Observer and Gawker Media.
The addition of Sicha comes as the network continues to beef up its digital endeavors under the tutelage of CEO Mark Thompson. CNN is utilizing a similar approach of The New York Times and many other news outlets feature. New CNN CEO Mark Thompson previously worked at that news organization before joining the cable network.
Choire Sicha will begin his duties at CNN on Monday, May 19th. He will be based in the network’s New York bureau.
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The syndicated “Dave & Mahoney Show” has been added to afternoons at all seven Classic Rock stations owned by SummitMedia.
In a joint statement from Dave & Mahoney, they said, “We are beyond excited to bring our show to even more cities and partner with a forward-thinking group like SummitMedia. We’re fired up to entertain new listeners each afternoon with the same energy, weirdness, and fun that our show has come to be known for.”
SummitMedia SVP/Programming John Olsen said, “The Dave & Mahoney Show is a great fit for afternoons on our Classic Rock brands. They have undeniable chemistry and will be a great companion for our listeners in the afternoon.”
The stations include Classic Rock 93.1 Knoxville, Classic Rock 107.7 Louisville, Classic Rock 96.5 Richmond, Classic Rock 106.7 Springfield, MO, Classic Rock 105.9 Omaha, Classic Rock 106.9 Birmingham, and Classic Rock 104.5 Wichita.
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The trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs is set to begin this week, and ABC News Live has announced plans for a daily show centered on the proceedings.
The streaming platform will feature Burden of Proof: The Case Against Diddy will air at 5:30 PM ET and will be seen each weekday following the day’s court happenings.
On Friday, May 9th, the show will debut with a review of what is set to transpire and what the rapper is accused of doing. Then on Monday, May 12th, the trial is set to begin. In addition to airing at 5:30 PM ET, the show is also scheduled to air at 6:30 and 8:30 PM ET through the end of the trial.
The show will be helmed by GMA3 co-anchor and senior national correspondent Eva Pilgrim. She will be joined on the show by legal contributor and attorney Brian Buckmire. He will be inside the courtroom during the trial to share firsthand insights and commentary.
Chief investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky will also be inside the courtroom during the proceedings. Additional guests are slated to provide analysis and insights during the trial.
It isn’t the first Diddy-centric content that ABC News has produced since he was arrested and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. The network produced the Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy podcast. That podcast will produce twice-weekly episodes during the trial, with Buckmire slated to host.
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Good Karma Brands CEO Craig Karmazin detailed his role during a recent Milwaukee Bucks NBA playoff game against the Indiana Pacers, where a Tyrese Haliburton game-winning shot ended the Bucks’ season. Karmazin, who is the founder of Good Karma Brands and co-owner of the Bucks, stopped by the ESPN Milwaukee studios last Friday to talk about his experience from Game 3 of the series, which included an interesting interaction with Haliburton’s father.
Specifically, John Haliburton, who made headlines for confronting Bucks superstar center Giannis Antetokounmpo following the conclusion of the series last Tuesday, was involved in an incident with a fan during Game 3 in Milwaukee. That game, which the Bucks won 117-101, was held at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Consequently, the incident resulted in Karmazin having to step in to separate John from the fan.
“Tyrese’s dad, he was getting into a fight after Game 3 with a fan. I got in between it,” Karmazin said, detailing the engagement on ESPN Milwaukee. “One of our fans was being pretty obnoxious and talking smack to him. He was talking smack and saying, ‘You may beat us in Game 4, but I guarantee you, you won’t win a game in Indiana, so we’re going to win this series.’ And there were expletives going back and forth between a fan.”
Afterward, Karmazin discussed how he had to get in the middle of the two parties during Game 3 in an effort for cooler heads to prevail.
“I kind of grabbed him by the shoulders from behind and I said, ‘Hey, we were in Indianapolis for the All-Star Game with Tyrese and Woj and what he is as a player, as a person, you should just be so proud of him,’” said Karmazin. “I was just there trying to defuse the whole situation, but I clearly was not able to defuse him. It didn’t carry over long-term.”
Since then, John Haliburton has apologized for the altercation following Game 5 with Antetokounmpo, but was unfortunately removed from attending any of the Pacers’ playoff games for the remainder of the season. To his credit, Tyrese Haliburton has said multiple times that he believes his father’s actions were wrong.
Finally, Karmazin noted he is no longer interested in what John Haliburton has to say about the incidents both in Milwaukee and in Indiana regarding the series. However, he was impressed by Tyrese taking ownership for his comments regarding his father’s actions.
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As NBC Sports prepares to resume live game broadcasts of the National Basketball Association under a new 11-year media rights deal reportedly worth $2.45 billion per year, it will be evoking nostalgia through various elements of the broadcast. NBC Sports president Rick Cordella recently revealed that the company will be televising in-arena player introductions akin to when the Chicago Bulls took the floor to “Sirius” and culminated in the announcement of superstar guard Michael Jordan.
On top of that, NBC Sports revealed that it is officially bringing back “Roundball Rock” by John Tesh to serve as the theme song for the property. The company is now going to utilize another iconic voice synonymous with the NBA on NBC, leveraging innovations in technology to make this possibility a reality.
NBC will be using an AI-generated version of Jim Fagan’s voice for title sequences, show opens and promos within its NBA coverage. Fagan, who was synonymous with the previous iteration of the broadcast property, passed away in 2017, but the network has reached a partnership with his family to use AI voice synthesis technology to re-create his voice. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, who first reported the news on Tuesday morning, also stated that NBC is going to be hiring current vocal artists that will complement the presentations as well.
“We’re deeply grateful that NBC Sports had the vision to honor our father’s legacy in such a meaningful way,” Jana Silvia Joyce and Risa Silvia-Koonin, daughters of Jim Fagan, said in a statement. “He took great pride in his work with NBC Sports, especially in helping set the stage for some of the most memorable moments in NBA history. Knowing that his voice will once again be part of the game he loved—and that a new generation of fans will get to experience it—is incredibly special for our family. He would be so thrilled and proud to be a part of this. It’s been a true pleasure working with NBC Sports on this project.”
This will mark the second time in the last year where NBC Sports will be operating within an artificial intelligence partnership to replicate a human voice. Over the summer, the company created an AI version of play-by-play announcer Al Michaels to narrate the “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock” for events surrounding the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“For many basketball fans, Jim’s unique and recognizable voice immediately conjures a deep sense of nostalgia for a special time in NBA history,” Rick Cordella, president of NBC Sports, said in a statement. “His voice perfectly captured the magnitude of the heavyweight matchups and stars that he was introducing. It’s been a joy to work with Jim’s family to recreate his voice and honor his legacy. I’m excited we’re able to introduce his voice to a whole new generation of fans.”
NBC Sports will be airing a variety of NBA games throughout the season on broadcast television and the Peacock OTT streaming service. Along with an Opening Night doubleheader, the company will also televise at least two games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, NBA All-Star Weekend festivities and one of two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years under the deal. The company has announced that Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle will deliver play-by-play for the contests and that it has also hired Jamal Crawford and Reggie Miller as analysts. In addition, former NBA forward and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Carmelo Anthony was recently revealed as a studio analyst.
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Frank Seravalli has announced he will be leaving his post at Daily Faceoff, as his time with the organization is coming to an end. The NHL insider shared the news via his personal account on X, ending a four-year run at the online hockey website.
Posting on social media, Seravalli expressed his thanks to all those who followed his path at the online outlet, where he served as President of Hockey Content and as an insider.
“My time at Daily Faceoff is winding down,” posted Seravalli. “My decision. It’s been an incredible journey building a premier hockey media brand and I’m grateful for every second.”
Since joining in 2021, the 36-year-old hockey insider helped build DailyFaceoff.com into a website offering the latest line combinations, starting goalies, daily fantasy, and wagering information. As of now, there is no word yet on how Daily Faceoff will replace Seravalli, especially since he is considered one of the sport’s top insiders for breaking news and information. Furthermore, he oversaw all content housed on the website.
“Like many in hockey, I’m a free agent on July 1 and can’t wait to dig into my next ventures,” posted Seravalli.
Before his time with Daily Faceoff, Seravalli worked for the Philadelphia Daily News, covering the Philadelphia Flyers beat. Later, he moved to TSN in Canada. There, he took on a more national role—similar to what he has done for Daily Faceoff.
Additionally, Seravalli often appeared on television for TSN, helping to break major hockey news stories alongside some of the top insiders in the industry. However, there is no word from Seravalli on whether his appearances on TSN will continue to decrease based on this announcement.
Finally, it’s worth noting that Bell Media, which owns both TSN and CTV, previously held national broadcast rights with the NHL from 1987 to 1998 and again from 2002 to 2014. It currently holds regional broadcast rights for the Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, and Montreal Canadiens, as well as a portion of games for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Personal news: My time @DailyFaceoff is winding down. My decision. It’s been an incredible journey building a premier hockey media brand and I'm grateful for every second.
Like many in hockey, I’m a free agent on July 1 and can’t wait to dig in on my next ventures. Stay tuned.
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The idea that everyone is born to do something and they are always going to find a way to do that thing has persevered throughout history. Donald Trump insists that West Virginians yearn for the mines. Taylor Swift declared that the players are “gonna play, play, play, play, play.” People define themselves by what they do.
Let’s talk about Bill Belichick.
The former Patriots coach had a hell of a week last week, enduring a series of jabs and jokes at the expense of his relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson. Those came from shows on national platforms or based in New England, where he is still an icon.
I live in North Carolina, and while we all raised an eyebrow at the CBS Sunday Morning interview like the rest of you, we also couldn’t help but notice that the head football coach at the University of North Carolina doesn’t seem to want anything to do with the University of North Carolina. Not wearing team gear in interviews is strange enough behavior for a college football coach, but wearing ANOTHER team’s gear?
That brings me to a question about not just Bill Belichick, but other coaches that left the sidelines, earned praise for their work in the media, and still decided to return to coaching — why?
Look at the deals ESPN, CBS, and FOX are signing NFL analysts to these days! Surely Belichick could have maintained his lifestyle, made something close to his $10 million UNC salary, and enjoyed much more privacy. At the very least, if he and Hudson wanted to live out loud, they would not have invited the added scrutiny that comes with being a state employee and having to comply with open records requests.
Be Bill Cowher, Not Jon Gruden
Since he left the Steelers, think about how many times Bill Cowher’s name has been connected to NFL coaching vacancies. I can’t say how seriously he entertained any one offer, but he always came to the conclusion that he had a pretty good thing going at CBS.
There was a time that Jon Gruden had a really good thing going on Monday Night Football. He was at the top of the ESPN payroll and, for nine years, was the star of the network’s single most important property. He had become such an authoritative voice on football that many forgot that after winning a Super Bowl, he ran the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so deeply into the ground that the team would not be able to come up for air for more than a decade.
Gruden’s name came up for jobs during his entire tenure at ESPN. After resisting a number of overtures, he finally gave in and, in 2018, came back to the league as the head coach of the Oakland (soon to be Las Vegas) Raiders.
It didn’t go great. Not only did the Raiders do very little winning, there was also that cache of homophobic, misogynistic, and just plain vulgar emails that cost him his job. Sure, he eventually landed on his feet at Barstool, but it probably cost him the opportunity to ever work in an official capacity on an NFL sideline or broadcast again.
Cowher saw broadcasting for what it was. He was paid well, it kept him close to the game, and it enhanced his legacy as a great football mind. Gruden came into the job looking at it as a stopover.
Even after nearly a decade in the industry, he still looked at what many consider an inept organization and a bad roster and chose that over being at the center of one of the biggest franchises in TV history.
But, I’m a Legend!
Belichick’s decision to become the coach of the Tar Heels isn’t just baffling because of what has transpired. It also feels like we’ve seen this exact scenario play out before.
Urban Meyer the college football coach and Urban Meyer the broadcaster are both really good at what they do. After a college football career that saw him secure three national titles and two of his players take home Heisman Trophies, Meyer retired and found a home on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff. His pedigree and expertise were put front and center in the network’s new college football identity.
Big NoonKickoff has never overtook ESPN’s College GameDay, but it has made steady gains, and Meyer’s ability to break down plays and explain what he was seeing on film was often cited as a reason for people to make the switch.
Then along came the Jacksonville Jaguars.
They hired Urban Meyer to be their coach, and before a single game was even played in 2020, he was embarrassing the franchise. He is, for my money, the single worst coach in NFL history. Not only was he not good at the job, he seemed to openly despise it.
It’s pure arrogance to think that college success should make NFL success easy — or vice versa. The sport may be the same, but they are two entirely different industries. Belichick doesn’t seem particularly interested in the day-to-day of college football. How will things be any different for him in Chapel Hill than they were for Urban Meyer in Jacksonville?
Meyer, to be fair, learned his lesson pretty quickly. He landed back at FOX, and the next year when Nebraska kicked the tires on him during their coaching search, he politely declined. Maybe Meyer’s name will always be mud to football fans outside of Ohio, but he was savvy enough to recognize that the best way to change that was on television.
Can Belichick’s Mistake Be Undone?
Could Bill Belichick bow out of this thing before we get to UNC’s game against TCU on September 1? Of course! His contract at UNC is structured in such a way that after June 1, his buyout drops to $1 million. That would make it very easy to leave Chapel Hill. Now, to be fair, I always thought this was a hustle designed to get Steve Belichick his first head coaching job. I did not have “Belichick and Jordon Hudson embarrassing the university so frequently that UNC is the one that may choose to cut bait” on my bingo card.
For the sake of argument, let’s say that happens. Could Bill Belichick return to the media? He is a big fish in the very small pond of qualified and desirable candidates for an NFL TV analyst role.
The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. Belichick is a punchline right now, but this is a six-time Super Bowl champion who showed real promise with his very unique professional footprint last year.
Maybe his BFF Nick Saban could grease the wheels for him at ESPN. One GOAT going to bat for another may be the only way for Belichick to fast-forward through this public humiliation, but I would argue that he would have to be in a structured situation. The “we’re just hanging out” shows like Pat McAfee and The Manningcast offer too many opportunities for his colleagues to make him the butt of the joke. He can’t afford that right now.
Bill Belichick is smart. I am sure he could rattle off a long list of names that went from the sideline to the broadcast booth successfully, then decided to return to the sideline and failed. I bet he could also recognize that Jimmy Johnson, Brian Billick, and Tony Dungy all did very well in the media after their championship coaching careers came to an end.
But Bill Belichick is arrogant too. He was convinced that the cautionary tales did not apply to him. He could do this — and do it recklessly. It’s just the ACC and he’s Bill Belichick! How hard could it be?
There are plenty of lessons to be learned here. First, if you’re a legendary football coach in your 70s and you want to date a 24-year-old, find one that isn’t trying to be more famous than you. Second, consider what it is you really want.
If the answer is the respect of your colleagues and to make good money, broadcasting is a damn good life. It keeps you close to the game, and every week you are glorified as an expert in an industry America cannot get enough of.
And if Bill Belichick ever wondered if he could make the same money in the broadcast booth that he could as North Carolina’s football coach, all he ever had to do was pick up the phone and call his old quarterback.
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One of the country’s largest sports radio success stories will be changing its model for success next week. TEGNA’s 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, OH, announced changes to their weekday on-air lineup, impacting three different shows between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Last week, I wrote a column entitled “How Changes at 97.1 The Fan Could Test Fan Loyalty,” where I questioned the moves and the motivation behind them, while explaining why I’m excited to see the results for the growth of the format.
Matt Fishman has been program director of 97.1 The Fan since arriving in September 2023. He is the brainchild behind crafting the changes and how they will be implemented beginning next week. When I reached out to Fishman to talk about the changes, the very first question most certainly was a simple word: Why?
“I think the why is a little bigger than the radio station,” stated Fishman when asked about the thought process behind the changes at 97.1 The Fan. “We got together to figure out, after the football season, where do we want to grow. The number one place is digital.”
Fishman has served in the sports radio format professionally for over three decades, with stops in Chicago, Kansas City, Cleveland, and a ten-year stay with SiriusXM. He arrived in Columbus embracing the prior success of The Fan with a plan to continue to grow both on terrestrial and—especially—digital platforms. The first step for Fishman in his new role was setting time aside for all his staff at The Fan to see where they wanted to grow as well.
“Some of my first conversations with people were, ‘Where do you want to be in two to five years? If you’re working in a certain daypart, are there other dayparts you’re open to?’” Fishman noted.
Those conversations spearheaded the framework for what The Fan will be embarking on officially beginning May 12. Fishman understood that working for TEGNA, the task was to find a way to grow digitally.
“If we don’t embrace digital and we don’t bring what I believe to be a great talent like Bobby Carpenter to a digital-first platform, then we’re just never going to grow it,” said Fishman.
Moving The Morning Juice to YouTube
Bobby Carpenter and Brandon Beam have hosted Morning Juice on The Fan since August 2020. A former Ohio State Buckeyes legend, Carpenter has expanded on his role in morning drive, most recently working with TEGNA partner 10TV covering the College Football Playoff as Ohio State went on to win its first national championship in a decade.
“I think Bobby showed during the College Football Playoff that his presence is bigger than radio,” Fishman complimented.
Carpenter’s new role, beginning on May 12, will be another venture with TEGNA’s television partner as Morning Juice moves to an all-digital platform. The former Buckeye will be joined daily from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. by Jeff “Tito” Thitoff. The two-hour program will air live on The Fan’s YouTube channel and HD3 signal, and then be replayed on the 10TV+ app from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
With Carpenter’s move to a digital morning show, Beam has moved to evenings to host The Buckeye Show.
“For us, The Buckeye Show isn’t just like a night show,” said Fishman. “It’s as important a show as any other major daypart, because of the partnership with Ohio State and Learfield. Having someone that is going to do a good job on that show is really important. That’s the reason why ‘Beamer’ is going there.”
When a Station Change Gets Juicy
When presenting the news to their audience on April 22 about the changes coming to Morning Juice, both Carpenter and Beam made it very clear that the upcoming changes were not their choice.
“I want everybody to know that this is not a Brandon decision. This is not a Bobby decision. This is not a ‘Shark’ (Mark Howell) decision,” said Beam last month. “For whatever reason, they don’t see us as maybe or maybe not a good fit together. This morning show, as you currently know it, is going away. So, our last show together as a group will be May 9.”
Carpenter then added to Beam’s comments, saying that there are “forces here that are behind” the moves that were announced that morning. The former Buckeye has not been shy on his personal social media accounts, engaging with upset listeners about the upcoming changes—referencing Morning Juice’s success in the ratings—even joking when the station went off the air early one morning that “only good things” are happening at the station.
“I trust these guys to do a show. I’m going to trust them to do the announcement,” said Fishman. “I asked these guys to be real, human, and three-dimensional. If the morning show comes on and they’re real, human, and three-dimensional about a change that’s affecting their daily lives, how can I then go, ‘Hey, what are you guys doing?’ I think people appreciate authenticity, and they were being real for their announcement in their own way.”
Competing Against Yourself?
Taking the place of Carpenter and Beam in morning drive on The Fan is another local morning show featuring Jonathan “T-Bone” Smith and former Ohio State Buckeye Tyvis Powell, which will air at the same time as the new all-digital Morning Juice program.
The program will air on the radio station and stream on the station’s YouTube page, where Carpenter and Thitoff’s Morning Juice will also be streamed live.
By providing The Fan listener an option in the morning—albeit one on traditional radio and one online—how could anyone not see this as placing competition against your own brand?
“People think we’re crazy in some sense. Look, we’re going to have two morning shows competing against each other,” explained Fishman. “If we can throw two morning shows at the market and dominate men, some listening to Morning Juice, and some listening to T-Bone & Tyvis, great! I’d rather have more ammunition than less.”
Fishman notes that the reason for choosing Carpenter to host the new Morning Juice on the digital platform was because he has a built-in audience that the former Buckeye could lure to the digital program, creating a larger audience on digital and reaching some people who may not be traditional radio listeners. Fishman noted that he plans to have the shows cross-promote each other in the daypart organically at first, where it feels natural, but believes during football season there will be more of a scheduled routine.
Keeping Afternoon Drive Common
While a lot of the focus has been on the unique setup for the changes coming to morning drive, afternoon drive is also changing as T-Bone departs afternoon drive after 12 years of hosting Common Man & T-Bone with co-host Mike Ricordati. Tim Hall, who has hosted The Buckeye Show in the evenings for over half a decade, will be elevated to co-host afternoons with Ricordati on Common Man and Timmy.
When the changes were announced on Common Man & T-Bone last month, the duo presented the news differently to their audience.
“We’ve been here long enough, and we have enough success and—air quotes—‘pull’ where this type of stuff doesn’t happen unless we give it the okay,” said Ricordati last month. “We both felt like this was a good time to try other things.”
Fishman agreed there was a difference in presenting the news when comparing the two shows but noted that he understood people handle change differently.
“If you know your people well enough, you can kind of expect where things are going to go—positively and negatively,” said Fishman. “The important thing is to share the reasons why we’re making changes. I’ll do that with fans that shout to me. I’ll explain to them the vision and what we’re looking to do. Look, the proof will be in the pudding.”
As Fishman nears completing his second year with 97.1 The Fan, this is his opportunity to place his stamp on a sports radio titan from the Midwest. While he looks forward to the challenge, he is confident that the results will be a positive for all involved.
“We think we’ve got as strong of talent as anyone in the country,” Fishman noted. “We have the right people at the right time to help us grow in radio and also in digital.”
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Rip Wheeler is a lot of things. That dude is super loyal to his boss, has a singular focus on his wild bride, and watches over his men like brothers.
Also, Rip—a fictional character who manages the Dutton Ranch cowhands in the series Yellowstone—is a fixer. Rip fixes ruptured ranch relationships, attends to outside threatening forces, and seals fences – immediately.
Whether those fence holes are from an outside biker gang, a sinister perpetrator forcing outside animals to infiltrate his ranch, or rustlers who thieve livestock in the dead of night.
The first thing Rip orders is to get the fence fixed.
This is one of many reasons we pause and shake our collective heads when we see or hear others create the call to prepare their brands for an upcoming season change.
Their message is well-meaning:
“The end of the year brings a great time to make brand adjustments…”
“Change is voice talent is a great time to rewrite imaging copy…”
(A favorite) “The spring Book is days away – is your station ready…”
Brand issues aren’t isolated to Adult Formats. Contemporary Hits, Classic Rock, Urban, Country – all formats – are susceptible to “holes in the fence.”
We often are too close to the product to ‘hear’ the holes, but the holes are there.
Everywhere.
Music
As tech has evolved, building a music matrix for Adult Contemporary is cake. Last summer, we discussed the ease of building a solid library without research, while managing what you’ve built is easier than ever.
Do you have a music strategy to create interest in your music outside of perfectly planned categories? Having a Secret Weapon strategic play is a smart, proactive music play.
Tracking the efficiency of your planned rotations is a keystroke or two away. Hear a flaw in your music – mend that fence right away.
Imaging
We tend to allow our imaging, especially when promoting evergreen station activities, to age into the background. Track the aging of your imaging and increase rotations of spots that promote a gateway to listening. Your brand app is a great place to start, as we find that more than 70% of listeners are hearing—or trying to hear—your product with the help of digital.
The same flawless software that manages your music is also a tool to track the life of imaging. A few keystrokes will reveal the aging of your imaging—a timing thing that gets away from us all. Timing also includes urgency—do your time-sensitive imaging pieces create progressive energy—“This Friday—Tomorrow—Later Today”?
In adult formats, we tend to shy away from self-promoting imaging. You have successful round-the-calendar events that, most times set fresh annual records, correct? Why not include those wins in your imaging around the calendar?
Talent
Coaching talent is a priority and—as we’ve outlined before—should be at the top of your weekly to-do list. When you establish consistent scheduled talent meetings, course correction is ongoing, most of the time without surprises.
Talent should exude local, even if Duluth is tracked daily out of Detroit. Local connections are easily executed, and sources for them are low-hanging fruit and easily found on the Internet.
Does your talent add something to the lives of the listeners every break? We call it ‘meat-on-the-bone’. Are the words talent has chosen, or the story selected, adding to the listener’s experience? Give the listener meat.
Why wait at the end of a season, the end of an annum, or the start of an industry-induced ratings phase?
You hear that flaw in your presentation.
Fix the obvious holes in your fence.
Today.
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.
Brad Booker Hosts the “Booker, Alex & Audrey” Morning Show at Mix 94.7, KAMX in Austin. I’ve known Booker for over 20 years. Like many of my best friends in the business, we met when we both worked in New Orleans at the Entercom (now Audacy) cluster, home of the legendary B97. There’s something about that city that makes people bond in a way that makes them family forever.
My favorite Booker story (or at least one of them) happened on a return trip to New Orleans after we both left the city for other opportunities. We decided to gather for a little radio family getaway along with our “brother from another mother,” J Love, who also worked with us in New Orleans back in the day.
Of course, we all went out for the traditional Bourbon Street celebration with lots of booze and food. The two of them were planning to do some heavy gambling after, and because that’s not my thing, I decided to call it a night.
First of all, let me say that these two guys are more overprotective of me than my actual three older brothers. Secondly, they always took care of me and made sure I was safe. So, they summoned an Uber to take me back to my hotel.
As we patiently waited in the Vieux Carre for my car to arrive (we were all barely able to stand, much less see straight), a big, beautiful, black Mercedes with two giant football player-looking mofos in it pulled up to the curb on the street.
Booker and J were like, “Here you go!” Booker opened up the car door and shoved me in. About two blocks down the road, to my surprise, the driver asked me where I was going. And I was like, “The Sheraton, next block on Poydras…. How do you not know where I am headed?’
As they looked at each other and laughed at me, I was like… “Wait, are you not my Uber driver?” And they were like “Um…no.” Needless to say, I was MORTIFIED. They did, however, drop me off at the Sheraton.
The next day, and still to this day, Booker and J still get an earful when I bring that story up. Those guys could have been serial killers, or worse, like “Alvin Kamara or some other Saints player. “So much for taking care of me, boys!” But I digress.
So, Booker was hired at Mix in Austin to follow the longtime Mix morning show “JB & Sandy.” Already in-house were Sara Osburn and Alex Franco. “The three of us co-hosted for eight years until Sara left to pursue an opportunity outside of radio,” explains Booker.
“After a nationwide search, we brought in Audrey Allen, a former Kidd Kraddick intern. She was young and green, but incredibly promising. In just two and a half years, she has exceeded our expectations, and I believe she is one of the most dynamic personalities in the country.”
“I’m the quarterback of the show and drive all of the content, but rely heavily on Alex and Audrey,” says Booker. “Both are Texas natives: Alex is from El Paso, Audrey from Dallas. Alex is a lovable bro — simple, straightforward, and a guy’s guy.”
“His wife happens to be a lawyer for the Lieutenant Governor, which adds an unexpected dynamic. Audrey is the sharp, grounded voice of reason. She’s quick-witted, deeply intelligent, and her ongoing (and very real) quest to find love adds both humor and heart to the show.”
“Alex and I each have two kids (not together), roughly the same age. Our sons are even on the same soccer team,” says Booker. “They are our #1 passion projects! Outside of family, I quietly officiate high school football. Friday nights hit differently in Texas, and it’s something I’ve been doing for years and absolutely love.”
“Alex volunteers daily at his kids’ school. Both of his parents were teachers, so he’s especially passionate about supporting kids who may not have help at home. Audrey, who’s been open about her own physical and mental health struggles, has become an advocate for young women facing similar challenges. She also volunteers with animal rescue groups, which is so Austin. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
“The show’s commitment to community comes in many forms,” adds Booker. “Just in the past year we held our Prom Project providing over 3,000 dresses and accessories so every girl could attend prom with confidence, our Pediatric Cancer Fashion Show, partnering with a foundation helping young patients celebrate their strength and individuality, our Literacy & Education commitment: As a board member of a nonprofit, we’ve donated 25,000+ books and renovated elementary libraries with $50,000 in upgrades, and our commitment to Broadcast Mentorship. We welcome high school seniors into our studio to introduce them to radio and inspire future media professionals.”
As a seasoned pro, Booker knows how important it is to be authentic and vulnerable in a city like Austin. “Audrey is the standout here,” he says. “She has a segment where she talks about her week in dating called Thirsty Thursday, and it’s one of the funniest, most captivating masterpieces that you’ll hear on any show or podcast. And it’s 100% real and authentic.”
It doesn’t escape Booker that the team is lucky to be in Austin, “It’s a rapidly growing, relatively young (and single) city that is becoming increasingly more racially and ethnically diverse. It’s still a live music capital, with a booming economy (thanks to Tesla, Dell, and Oracle HQs), and a vibrant, quirky culture that people love.”
As for AI, “It isn’t going anywhere,” says Booker. “So, instead of fearing it, we’re using it as a tool. It’s been exciting to experiment with how AI can enhance content. Our focus stays the same: make the best product possible, use every tool available to improve, and never stop evolving.”
That being said, “That is our focus!” Booker insists. “We are constantly analyzing everything we do to be sure we are putting out ‘Grade A’ content every single day. Good isn’t good enough anymore. If we continue to do that, God will take care of the rest.”
Follow Booker, Alex and Audrey: @bookeralexaudrey, @bradbooker, @alexdfranco @audreyalllen (3 L’s — because two will take you to a porn star)
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