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Why Social Media Feedback Is Far Too Valuable For Any Sports Brand To Ignore

John Mamola
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Why Social Media Feedback Is Far Too Valuable For Any Sports Brand To Ignore

Social media has its allies and detractors. Some find value in the community feel it provides. Others use the platform to spread slander, negativity and worse. Twitter — yes, that’s what I’m calling it — remains the focal point of the debate over the benefits, worth and perils of social media.

Whatever you think of social media and its importance to your brand, it’s the most immediate tool a manager can use to gauge how a product performs. But you can’t have it both ways. You can’t celebrate the positive while dismissing the negative as unimportant. Either way, it’s feedback on your product.

WWE President Nick Khan isn’t a fan of catering to social media feedback. In an interview this week with John Ourand, he compared Twitter to an old-school comment or complaint card on steroids. Instead of offering options for exceptional service or suggestions for improvement, Khan believes Twitter was created primarily for complaints and complaints only.

While I disagree with his premise, Twitter certainly isn’t a haven for positivity most days.

Human Connection To Your Brand

However, any manager worth their salt must remain open to customer feedback, no matter the platform or method. Feedback is the cornerstone of understanding what the data says versus what the customer experiences.

Was your steak undercooked? How was your shopping experience today? Every restaurant you visit would welcome a Yelp review. That isn’t data from a third party a business or brand pays for. It’s feedback from a human being who experienced your product.

Sports are no different. Although scripted, WWE is a performance-based form of entertainment with more than half a century of history behind it. Like sports teams and players, WWE receives plenty of feedback on its performance. Good, bad and indifferent.

Yet Khan believes brands that listen to Twitter feedback never come out better for it.

“Companies that read it and believe it and react to it. It never ever works,” Khan said about companies reacting to and catering to social media feedback.

Wasn’t this the same WWE that pivoted from a storyline involving The Rock and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL following social media feedback? Isn’t this also the same WWE that prioritizes clips of streamers reacting to storylines in promos and sizzle reels?

Maybe I’m falling into the wrestling storyline wormhole, but isn’t the point of professional wrestling to get a reaction from the audience? That’s why you have good guys and bad guys. Good guys generate cheers, while bad guys earn boos. Either way, the goal is an emotional reaction. It doesn’t matter whether that reaction comes in person, from afar or on social media.

So why would a business built on generating emotional reactions dismiss the feedback that follows? That simply doesn’t make sense.

Silence Is Never Beneficial

Make no mistake: WWE is a social media titan, with 13 million and counting on Twitter, 35 million on Instagram, 102 million on Facebook, 40 million on TikTok and more than 114 million YouTube subscribers.

I’m sure WWE gets plenty of feedback on plenty of things, probably with more negative than positive responses.

But social media feedback should be read, considered and, when appropriate, acted upon because it’s real, timely and just as important as a call, email or conversation outside the arena.

Ignoring it means ignoring the audience you serve as an entertainment company. When actors receive bad reviews, they make adjustments. When teams aren’t performing to expectations and fan apathy rises, they make changes. That’s feedback, no different from what appears on social media.

If you ignore feedback about your product for too long, the silence that follows can be even more damaging.

Maybe the lesson here isn’t whether Twitter is right or wrong. It’s whether a business is willing to listen to the people consuming its product.

Be Responsible With It

No manager should blindly react to every social media comment. But no manager should fully dismiss social media feedback simply because it comes from a platform where negativity can thrive. The same audience that tells you what it hates can also tell you what it loves, what it wants more of and, most importantly, when it’s losing interest.

That makes social media feedback no different from any other form of customer feedback. It’s another data point. Another perspective. Another opportunity to understand your audience.

The smartest businesses don’t listen only when the feedback makes them feel good. They listen because the feedback — good, bad or indifferent — tells them something about the health of their product.

That’s where WWE’s position becomes difficult to reconcile. You can’t build a business around provoking an emotional reaction from your audience and then dismiss that audience when it gives you one.

You don’t have to obey every tweet, change every storyline or let the loudest voices dictate your decisions. But you should listen, just as every other business or brand should.

The reaction is part of the product. Ignoring the reaction means ignoring the very audience you’re trying to entertain.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Why 93 WIBC Dedicated a Full Day to Remembering Matt Bair

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
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Why 93 WIBC Dedicated a Full Day to Remembering Matt Bair

As professionals in media, we are all expected to be prepared for any breaking news. However, the team at 93 WIBC could never have prepared for losing their beloved traffic reporter, Matt Bair, last month at just 48-years-young.

“Matt was just such a unique individual. I mean, he was, he’s a really humble, kind, extremely talented guy that never, never believed he was as talented as he was and cared deeply about people and took his job really seriously,” the station’s Program Director, David Wood, said.

Matt Bair spent 17 years at WIBC, the last eight of which were on-air. Before making it to the mic, Matt had produced several shows for the station, including The Tony Katz Show, Hammer and Nigel, and the Chicks on the Right.

A 17-Year Career at WIBC

According to Wood, Matt Bair was a good producer, but he truly shined once he moved into the traffic slot.

“He didn’t just do the job,” Wood reminisced. “It became what he was passionate about. And, I mean, he was a true traffic reporter. He always treated it like his beat. He wrote stories for us. He did wraps for us. He managed the traffic social media account for us. And just everything he did was over and above expectations.”

Bair’s unexpected passing in August not only left an empty mic, but also a hole in the hearts of his co-workers and listeners. After announcing his passing, 93 WIBC dedicated a significant amount of airtime to not only remember Matt but also go through the emotions of a sudden loss.

Remembering Matt On the Air

“We had to share what was going on with the audience because Matt was an important member of the WIBC team. And we announced it that afternoon with [Jason] Hammer and Nigel [Laskowski], and Tony [Katz],” Wood said.

“You can make the argument, ‘boy, how long do you want to spend on this?’ Well, we spent all day on it. And you know what? We went back to it throughout the week,” he added, “Everybody had stories that they wanted to share about Matt.”

For Wood, it was not an argument about making good radio; instead, he focused on what our people needed — they needed to be able to talk about it and to share with the audience. “Then the audience obviously had a lot of stuff to share back, and it was some pretty emotional stuff,” Wood recalled of the coverage.

It was a bold move for the Program Director, especially in an industry that isn’t always known for taking care of its people. “Radio One did a phenomenal job through all of this,” Wood said, holding back tears. “Sorry, I get emotional about it. They had counseling there the very next morning. They just were really great.”

The “Supporting Sobriety” Podcast

In addition to his traffic reporting, Matt also had a podcast with WIBC Morning Show anchor Ryan Hedrick called Supporting Sobriety.

“When Ryan came to Anchor Mornings, he was very open about his recovery, and I was like, ‘I want to connect you with Matt.’ The two of them became fast friends, and then came to me with the idea of doing a podcast to help people in recovery,” Wood recalled.

“Matt was so open about his struggles and tried — I mean, it’s like, hey, no one’s perfect. And when there are relapses, those are pause buttons on recovery, not the end of recovery. That was what he would do. He’d begin again, and he really, really worked hard at it. Part of the reason for wanting to do the podcast was that, for both Ryan and Matt, it was the giving back that they felt like they needed to do.”

After some refinement, the pair came up with the mission to not only help people struggling with addiction but also their families. It’s another place where Bair was able to touch the lives of so many people. “We got a lot of feedback, emails, phone calls, and so forth, about how much [Matt] helped people [with the podcast]. Whether it was an addict that heard it and thought about how they had affected their family, or if it was a family that was looking for help to deal with a loved one with addiction, this gave them practical things that they could use.” They’re a finalist for a Marconi for podcast of the year. According to Wood, Ryan will continue the podcast and honor the legacy of his friend.

A Beloved Personality and Hard Worker

Matt Bair’s lasting legacy is more than just being a traffic reporter or podcaster. “He was a true personality. People remember just how funny he could be,” Wood went on to recall.

“We’ve done so many fun videos with him. And he just had such great comedic chops, but at the same time, so humble. And he was a big deal who didn’t seem to know he was a big deal. And I think that made him a bigger deal, because he was just so unaware of how loved he was.”

Bair’s legacy is more than just comedic genius paired with a humble demeanor; he was also a hard worker. “Matt was just always there. We started at about the same time. He started a few months before I did [and he was just] always there.”

His energy filled the studio with life on and off mic, and now the station and the Bair family are planning a celebration of Matt and his life for not only his colleagues, but also Matt’s listeners who loved him dearly.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Radio Programming Strategy: Chris Shebel’s Format Blueprint

David Hill
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Radio Programming Strategy: Chris Shebel’s Format Blueprint

Chris Shebel built little radio towers out of Lincoln Logs as a kid, then cobbled together a crystal transmitter to broadcast across his Wisconsin neighborhood. When he heard his own voice travel half a block through the air, he knew. “It always was,” he says of his calling to radio. That childhood certainty—tested across four decades and some of the industry’s biggest markets—finally crystallized at KGAY in Palm Springs, where Shebel is program director. He architected something unique in American broadcast radio: the only commercial terrestrial FM station explicitly targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

The path from those Lincoln Logs to KGAY wasn’t straight. Shebel’s career reads like an encyclopedia of radio history. He started in Portage, Wisconsin, at WPDR, where he was16 and working two six-hour shifts a week while in high school. The format was loose—”here’s a bunch of albums in the library, and we kind of play stuff off of them”—but on Monday nights, Shebel booked 45s from Hayes Music Store and spun what he called the WPDR Rock Show. The experiment didn’t last. Hayes Music Store, it turned out, didn’t want his inventory resold. However, that early exit taught Shebel something more valuable than format mechanics: when students petitioned to bring the show back and the gym teacher spotted the complaints on the gymnasium walls, the station manager called Shebel into the office. “Because you’re a stupid kid, I’m not going to fire you,” the manager told him. “But what you should learn right away is don’t go against your station in public.” It was the kind of lesson you don’t forget.

He progressed methodically through radio’s rungs. College in Stevens Point led to his first full-time gig at WSPT, also in Stevens Point. From there came Columbus—WCOL and 92X, where he worked mornings briefly—then the leap to WLS in Chicago. “That was just an amazing experience,” Shebel recalls of seeing Larry Lujack, the legendary morning man, every day. Indeed, each move built his expertise and deepened his understanding of programming at scale.

Finding His Voice: Phoenix, Programming, and Pivots

Phoenix came next: KDKB, where Shebel moved into morning shows. It was also at KDKB where his on-air career effectively ended, though not by choice. A competitor outed him with shock-radio jokes on the air. Shebel’s general manager—married to the sales manager—panicked about business impact. They negotiated an exit. “I just said, I’m done with trying to be a morning guy,” Shebel explains. “I want to live my life.”

That decision redirected his career into programming—a lane where his appetite for building something strategic could flourish. It took him to La Crosse, Wisconsin, thenLouisville, Providence, Pittsburgh, back to Chicago for , 92Kiss-FM then to the FM dance format he’d eventually master Energy 92-7 & 5. Subsequently, Shebel worked inWest Palm, San Francisco, Raleigh,  Portland, and eventually Palm Springs, consulting stations and refining his approach to dance radio programming.

The Move to Palm Springs and KGAY

Shebel moved to Palm Springs from Portland deliberately. For older LGBTQ+ people, most gay communities felt unsustainable. “In the gay community, it’s always been a culture driven by consumerism and driven by looks,” Shebel says. “When you reach a certain age, they kind of don’t even want you in their bars anymore.” Palm Springs, by contrast, welcomed older gay people. “If you’re like 65, you can still go to the bar for happy hour. They hire people over the age of 60 for jobs here.” It was, he thought, a rare thing.

KGAY—call letters grabbed when they became available—became his vehicle for serving a population that commercial radio had largely ignored. The station operates as “profit for purpose, or purpose before profit,” Shebel explains. Moreover, it succeeds in a market that major broadcasters had written off. “We’re the only, as far as I know, over-the-air terrestrial commercial radio station in the U.S. targeting the LGBTQ+ community,” Shebel notes with obvious pride.

A Unique Format Built for a Real Audience

The format is a deliberate construct refined across years. Shebel calls it “dance hits”—a term he’s refined across San Francisco, Phoenix, and Chicago. “It is not like just constant thumpa thump of that you get at a club,” he emphasizes. “It’s heavy on gold.” That’s crucial because Palm Springs’ radio audience is predominantly 50 and older. The music serves them, not some mythical club demographic. Additionally, songs that endure in the cultural memory—disco classics, dance records that meant something in the ’80s and ’90s—frame the format. Morning host John Taylor handles the flow, and between the music comes conversation about what matters: local politics, community safety, LGBTQ+ issues, and the relentless political currents affecting his audience.

Woven Into Community Life

Woven Into Community LifeIntegration into Palm Springs’ fabric didn’t happen accidentally. It’s baked into the station’s operating philosophy. “We’re very involved with our local community,” Shebel says. “We participate in all the major events and many of the minor ones.” During season—winter, when snowbirds and tourists arrive—the station is everywhere. Every major charity fundraiser, dozens of community events every week. John Taylor, the morning host, maintains a strong social media presence and is active in the community. He’s interviewed the police chief and other local figures on air.

That last detail—the community genuinely liking the police—struck Shebel as extraordinary. “I’ve never lived in a city where the gay population really liked the police,” he says. “But here, our police chief and his wife have just become institutions in the LGBTQ+ community.”

Some radio veterans would object to Taylor spending eight minutes on a single interview instead of moving through rapid-fire segments. But that’s not who Shebel is anymore. “You know that’s what we do,” he says. “We play a lot of music, but we also want to make sure that we talk about things that are relevant. Obviously, with the current political administrations, we have material every day.”

The Payoff

After decades in some of radio’s finest markets and most storied stations, Shebel says KGAY is his favorite job. Not because it’s the biggest or the flashiest or the most culturally dominant the way WLS or 92 Kiss were in their day. Rather, it matters differently. “I’ve never worked at a radio station that was as important to a community as this one,” Shebel says. “It’s very satisfying to be a radio guy working at a radio station that people really consider part of their lives.”

That’s the thread running through his whole career: radio at its best wasn’t a broadcast medium. It was a relationship. Some stations—like the morning show in Raleigh where the host “ruled the town”—managed it. Most don’t. KGAY does, deliberately and completely. The kid who built radio towers from Lincoln Logs and heard his own voice travel half a block through the Wisconsin air finally built something that stays with people. It serves a community nobody else was serving and does it with authenticity and care.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Inside Chase Daniel’s Growing Digital Network While Expanding His ESPN Profile

John Mamola
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Inside Chase Daniel’s Growing Digital Network While Expanding His ESPN Profile

There are very few former professional athletes who make the transition to sports media. Even fewer climb the ranks in the manner Chase Daniel has since retiring from the NFL in September 2023. Now, three years later, the career NFL backup is becoming one of ESPN’s most versatile prime-time players in college and NFL coverage.

Since stepping away from the game, Daniel has built a digital following, called UFL and college football games, and signed a new multiyear extension with ESPN after joining the network just last year. However, his latest venture adds a new wrinkle to his growing digital content footprint.

Beginning Sunday, Daniel will team up with the Bussin’ with the Boys platform for a new Sunday evening show called The First Read.

“I like the name a lot. We’re trying to be the first ones out there reacting to the Sunday slate of games. Because we’ve seen a lot of growth on Sunday nights because people want content right away,” said Daniel. “It’s a pillar that I’m going to have in their [Bussin’ with the Boys] ecosystem.”

The new project will be the first partnership between Daniel and Bussin’ with the Boys co-hosts Will Compton and Taylor Lewan. The First Read will be a tape-to-air presentation. The show will tape episodes between the late-afternoon Sunday NFL slate and the Sunday night football matchup.

The project is another addition for Lewan and Compton following a successful first season as contributors with ESPN. They also earned a new weekly program on the network alongside Josh Pate every Friday during this college football season.

Daniel has marveled at the growth of the Bussin’ product from afar for years. So much so, it led to him texting Compton in February to ask for advice on how to grow his platforms in the same manner as Bussin’.

“I’m always trying to seek out experts in the digital content and podcasting sphere. They’re growing like wildfire and touching all sorts of things. One thing led to another. We got on a call right away and talked for 45 minutes,” said Daniel. “He asked me to join them. I said OK, but it’s not that simple. We then had our suits [Dave Maryles & Rubicon Talent Agency] figure it out, and they’ve been unbelievable and supportive throughout the process.”

Expanding Footprint At ESPN

The First Read is just the latest venture in a summer filled with raised expectations and added opportunities for Daniel. In July, he announced a multiyear contract extension with ESPN and his addition to a revamped SEC Nation program. The role comes on top of his continued work calling Thursday Night Football games. Also while balancing responsibilities as both a college and NFL analyst across the company.

“I have had such a great experience so far with ESPN. From the support staff to coaching, it’s been really top-notch. That really played into it when we had an extension offer this spring. There were definitely other people [interested], but this was such a great opportunity to stay with ESPN,” said Daniel.

As part of the new contract, ESPN offered Daniel a role on the SEC Network’s flagship gameday program as part of the negotiations. Daniel leapt at the opportunity, calling joining SEC Nation a “no-brainer.”

“Other than College GameDay, you look at how much as a company ESPN invests in SEC Nation. It’s a massive property for them. To be added to that show with an expanded hour and all the other cool things we’re doing. That told me how much they wanted me. I want to repay that by being great,” explained Daniel.

Finding Mentorship In Media

A second act in media following his NFL playing career was something Daniel admits was never a thought. Despite serving as a backup for much of his career, he continued pursuing a starting quarterback role with every franchise he joined. As his career wound down into its final seasons, teams began using Daniel in fun and creative ways to generate viral content on social platforms.

Success from those experiences led to a heightened interest in attempting the leap into media. That journey began during his playing days in 2022 with an opportunity at NFL Network.

“I remember after the first show feeling that I loved it. The first show was fun because it sort of showed I can react to things immediately,” explained Daniel. “After the second or third show, I really got the urge to put in the time and get better at it.”

Daniel then began reaching out to those within the industry to help guide and coach him through further growth and improvement.

“One of the main people that helped me from the get-go. Even still to this day is Kirk Herbstreit,” says Daniel. “When I went to try out calling games and analyst work, I remember going to Kirk and talking about the fears I had with it. He spent a ton of time with me and walked me through a lot of different elements. Gerry Matalon also was a giant help, especially with calling games and techniques.”

Calling The Audible

Following his tenure with NFL Network, Daniel signed his first network media agreement with FOX Sports in 2024. While there, Daniel was featured as a panelist on the weekday studio show The Facility while also calling UFL games for FOX Sports. Less than a year later, Daniel found himself out at FOX Sports following sweeping changes to the programming lineup on FS1.

With the changes happening in mid-July, the timing of the news ahead of another football season wasn’t ideal.

“Everybody in big media already had all their spots filled ahead of football season. They’ve been filled since April. So, when The Facility got canceled, first of all, wow. But what’s next? I told my agents I can’t sit still this season. Let’s figure something out,” explained Daniel. “Literally a week later, ESPN began talking with us, wanting me to call college games for the network with some added time on studio shows. That was amazing. I don’t know how in the world it all came together.”

In his approach with ESPN, Daniel is a rare commodity, one who excels in both the NFL and college football lanes of coverage. He considers himself a “half-and-half guy” who viewed himself more in the NFL spotlight until he began calling college football games.

Because of that approach and versatility, Daniel has become a swiss army knife for the network. He has shown the ability to adjust to studio work early in the week for NFL and college coverage, then hit the road for booth work on Thursdays and SEC Nation on Saturdays.

“NFL is one, college football is two. Being on NFL Live, I’m sure I’ll be on Get Up and a big part of their Super Bowl coverage. To me, I never want to lose that. The versatility that I bring is something that everyone enjoyed, but I just want to be a good teammate,” said Daniel. “If you ask me to do something, let’s do it. I don’t want to do something just to do it. I want to be great at it.”

Future Aspirations

For a player who spent much of his NFL career waiting for his next opportunity, Chase Daniel has taken a very different approach to his second act.

He isn’t waiting for one role to define him. He’s embracing every opportunity that comes his way — from the NFL and college football to studio shows and now digital content with Bussin’ with the Boys. The result is a career in sports media that has grown faster and broader than even Daniel could have envisioned when he first stepped away from football.

Three years into that journey, Daniel is no longer simply a former quarterback trying to find his place in the media landscape. He has become a trusted, versatile presence for ESPN while also getting the opportunity to build something of his own digitally.

And if his playing career taught him anything, it’s that being ready when the opportunity comes matters.

“I think ultimately what I’m drawn to is replacing Kirk Herbstreit whenever he decides to walk away. I really enjoy calling games. It’s the closest thing to playing,” said Daniel. “The A booth is the premiere thing in college, but I don’t want to stop doing NFL stuff. I want to keep being a good teammate. If I’m doing this and spending time away from my family, there’s a reason. I want to call the best games possible and be in the best situation to talk ball and have fun with it.”

Daniel spent years preparing to be a starting quarterback. In media, he’s taking that same approach. Preparing to do whatever is asked of him and then trying to be great at it.

For Daniel, the second act was never part of the plan. But now that it’s here, he has no intention of sitting still.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

AudioGraph Changes Radio Attribution Game Entirely

David Hill
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AudioGraph Changes Radio Attribution Game Entirely

Last week, I published a column here at Barrett Media about ROAS — return on ad spend — and why attribution has become the metric that matters most to modern advertisers. The feedback came fast. Program directors, sales leaders, and agency buyers all reached out with the same reaction: We know this is the problem. What’s the solution? That question sent me digging. And what I found was encouraging: there are real solutions emerging. Several of them. AudioGraph, from iHeartMedia, is one of the most significant.

For decades, radio has been the medium that asked a lot of faith. Planners threw money at it because the reach was undeniable. Buyers trusted it because personalities had built relationships with listeners over years — sometimes decades. But trust was also a crutch. When an advertiser asked how many customers walked into the store as a result of a radio spot, the answer came back in estimates, modeled data, and reach projections. Nobody had the receipts. Nobody could prove it.

The question now is whether that era is actually ending — or just entering a new phase where the promises of attribution get tested against reality.

What AudioGraph Claims to Do

In June, iHeartMedia introduced AudioGraph — a technology platform claiming to bring digital-level attribution to broadcast radio at scale for the first time. The numbers they’re citing matter: early proof-of-concept testing showed campaigns planned and measured using AudioGraph delivered 75% higher KPI outcomes than traditional demographic-based buys. But here’s where the investigation starts. Those are controlled tests. The question is whether those results hold when AudioGraph scales across different markets, different station clusters, and different advertiser categories.

Here’s what AudioGraph does on paper: it connects listener identity data to broadcast campaigns using privacy-safe methods. Specifically, it uses TransUnion audience data and proprietary listening models. It integrates with measurement partners like Magellan AI, PlaceIQ, and GroundTruth to track real-world outcomes — foot traffic, in-store visits, conversions, website activity. It plugs into demand-side platforms so buyers can theoretically treat radio inventory the same way they treat digital. And it’s built on an open ecosystem, which means advertisers wouldn’t be locked into a proprietary reporting stack.

But questions linger. Can radio actually answer the question advertisers have been asking for years? Did your spot drive a customer to my business? That’s what AudioGraph promises. Whether it delivers consistently is still being written.

The Potential Shift

Here’s the competitive dynamic that could change if AudioGraph actually works at scale. For the last decade, radio’s sales conversation has been defensive. Buyers gravitated toward digital because digital had attribution. Social media could prove conversions. Programmatic display could track impressions and clicks. Search knew exactly which user clicked on which ad. Radio? Radio had reach. Radio had trust. Radio had personality. These are real assets, but they’re not in the language that modern media planners speak.

If AudioGraph can reliably translate radio’s strengths into that language, the conversation shifts. The vast majority of audio consumption — 64% — still comes from broadcast radio. iHeartMedia alone reaches 278 million consumers monthly. That scale hasn’t changed. The question is whether the new measurement infrastructure can prove it’s driving results without making false promises.

If it works, radio’s position in a media plan changes. It’s no longer automatically upper-funnel awareness fill-in. It’s not automatically the channel you buy when you’ve exhausted digital options. Instead, it becomes a performance channel that competes directly with digital on efficiency and proof. But that’s conditional. The proof has to hold up.

The Measurement Problem Was Also a Selling Problem

For years, the measurement gap wasn’t just a technical problem — it was a sales problem. Agency media planners couldn’t justify radio spend to their finance teams the way they could justify digital spend. A programmatic buy came with dashboards, daily performance data, and real-time optimization. Radio came with monthly reach reports and Nielsen numbers that didn’t speak the language of conversions and ROI.

AudioGraph solves that friction. When a buyer can drop radio into the same workflow as digital audio and podcasts, adoption follows. The measurement framework aligns. The reporting timeline matches. Ease of buying drives adoption. And adoption drives growth.

What Remains to Be Proven

AudioGraph is launching on iHeartMedia’s inventory first, with expansion across the broader broadcast landscape planned for 2027. That timeline matters. For the platform to truly reshape radio’s competitive position, it needs to scale beyond one company’s footprint. It needs to work on competitor stations, across different owner groups, in different markets with different audience compositions.

The early 75% KPI lift is compelling. But those are proof-of-concept tests, typically run on a limited set of campaigns with optimal conditions. Real-world performance in scaled deployments will matter enormously. Advertisers are optimistic, though. Hershey, a major national brand, is already seeing AudioGraph as an opportunity to “align more closely with digital buying and measurement standards.”

The Larger Narrative

Here’s what’s actually happening: radio is finally getting the infrastructure it should have had five years ago. This isn’t innovation in the sense of creating something new. This is fixing something broken — or more accurately, acknowledging that the measurement infrastructure of radio was never built to survive digital’s accountability revolution.

The industry’s job now is to make AudioGraph standard, not exceptional. One company proving attribution works at scale is a milestone. It’s not a market transformation. But it’s the beginning of one.

And that changes the conversation going forward. Radio doesn’t ask advertisers to trust it anymore. Radio shows them.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Why News/Talk Radio Hosts Need to Rethink the ‘Expert Guest’ Obsession

Peter Thiele
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Why News/Talk Radio Hosts Need to Rethink the ‘Expert Guest’ Obsession

Do you know an expert? I have had this question posed to me by news/talk radio hosts, news anchors, producers, and program directors. Many hosts want an expert to expound on the topic of the day — perhaps just to keep up with current events, like an expert in psychosis elaborating on the Lindsay Clancy case.

It is seen as a good get to find a great academic to give more color to the event. But do your listeners actually care? Does your show really need the granular examination of the topic?

There was a time when the expert was everything. Whatever the subject, there was an author who wrote this amazing best-selling book. There were a lot of parents who were raising a new generation in the 1960s and ’70s who followed the dictates of Dr. Benjamin Spock.

People changed the way children were raised because of one book. Apparently, we used to beat children. I have been to the grocery store; there are some children who need a swat on the keister. But Spock’s theory was that children should be respected and given affection, and many parents started to be too permissive and tried to develop friendships with their tots instead of setting firm boundaries for their kids. Spock’s theories have morphed over time to justify poorly behaved kids. This man wrote a book, and many parents tossed out everything they experienced growing up from their own family structure. To be fair, there is no such thing as a perfect household or parent — everyone makes mistakes.

So, the theories of one expert changed how parents did their job. These were very different days, when information was a rarity and it took real effort to educate yourself. Today, the expert class is so diluted because anyone can start a YouTube channel or a website.

The experts are everywhere, and most of the information is incomplete, wrong, or just opinion. What can people do now?

When the Algorithm Replaced the Expert

Segmentation is the name of the game, and the algorithm is the mechanism to focus our attention and interest. There are over 60 million channels on YouTube covering a wide variety of interests, hobbies, and information.

Many people use these channels for projects around the house. Some of the information is quite good. There is bad information as well. How do you figure out the difference?

Now, that is a good question.

There are thousands of so-called experts, and it’s a real challenge for consumers to know who to trust.

The News/Talk Radio Expert Problem

OK, let’s get to news/talk radio or TV news. Following the experts has been part of what we do. We feel like they can address things that we cannot. There is a certain amount of reasoning to it. What if your audience doesn’t care? What if the information was wrong? There was this guy named Anthony Fauci.

When COVID popped up and there was a worldwide pandemic, Fauci was the expert. Tony was on TV constantly giving advice, and a lot of it was just guesses. To be fair, Fauci was in the Kobayashi Maru. The federal government was trying to keep Americans safe. Washing your hands? Good advice. The COVID vaccine stopping the spread? Not so much.

Here is what occurred: the expert class was essentially neutered by COVID. We also had people who were working from home researching on their own — hey, we should all try to learn new things.

But some people fail to realize this truth: there is terrible advice online.

Sharpen Your Questions, Not Your Guest List

So, your great guest may not mean anything at all to your listeners. It is a security blanket for the host in many cases.

Your fans are coming to your radio station or show not for detailed explanations of tax policy or the war on drugs. They come for the observations, opinions, and feelings of their favorite host. It is really that simple.

Information is everywhere, instantly. Artificial intelligence is available to anyone — but are people good with their prompts and at evaluating the actual result? Yes, artificial intelligence should be cross-checked. AI is not usually making the error; it is set by the prompts from the human initiator.

If your show is guest-heavy, how are your questions? Are the questions short and probing? If the guest makes a provocative or loony claim, how are the follow-up questions?

The Guest Booking Trade-Off

My stations are Fox News Radio affiliates. One of the news reporters available to us is Tonya J. Powers. She is awesome. We have her on as the need dictates. Tonya and my Wake Up Missouri team have conversations about one of the biggest news stories of the day. All the information is shared, but Tonya feels comfortable with my show’s team. It is always a great segment.

Now, most guests are there to pimp their sh*t alone and rarely help create compelling moments. It is a trade-off: the guest gives their expertise, they give their pitch for a website or book, and their publicist gets paid. I have a big suggestion for my hosts or news anchors: don’t use a publicist to book a guest you can book yourself.

Use a publicist if it is a tough-to-get guest. I used a publicist to book Michael Ian Black — that is a guest I could not have booked otherwise. Perfect. I have yet to find a host who thinks they are booking bad guests. Every host I have ever worked with loves every guest they have on their show. Evaluate the segments.

Your listeners come to your station or show because they feel a connection. The power of opinion, observation, and feeling is the hook. Any robot can ask a lame guest questions, but that robot cannot make a personal connection with the listener. Your listeners remember what you say.

No radio listener remembers a dull interview with the mayor about the next city council meeting. No listener will stop you at the hardware store to compliment you on that great question about the new traffic circle. Make connections by sharing what makes you tick.

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Former ESPN NHL Analyst Barry Melrose Passes Away At Age 70

John Mamola
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Former ESPN NHL Analyst Barry Melrose Passes Away At Age 70

Barry Melrose has died. The longtime ESPN hockey analyst and former NHL coach was 70.

What We Know: According to a statement by ESPN, Melrose died Wednesday. His wife, Cindy, shared the news with ESPN’s Steve Levy. Melrose first joined ESPN in 1996 and remained there until Parkinson’s disease forced his retirement in 2023. In between, he briefly left to coach the Tampa Bay Lightning for 16 games in 2008. He also led the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final and finished with an 84-108-29 coaching record.

What’s At Stake: Melrose’s voice and character defined much of the NHL coverage on ESPN. A standout talent that brought experience both in the playing and coaching ranks, Melrose elevated the level of insight and analysis that made ESPN a hockey destination for American audiences for generations.

What Remains Unclear: Funeral or memorial arrangements have not yet been announced. Meanwhile, ESPN has not detailed how it plans to honor Melrose on-air. Additionally, specifics about his health in the years following his 2023 diagnosis remain private.

What It Means: Melrose’s death closes a defining chapter for ESPN’s hockey coverage, where his mullet, goatee and flashy suits became fan favorites. Alongside Levy, Linda Cohn and John Buccigross, he helped shape the network’s playoff and All-Star Game coverage for over two decades. Consequently, his absence leaves a distinct personality void heading into this season’s NHL coverage. His legacy, however, spans far beyond the desk — from Medicine Hat’s 1987 Memorial Cup title to Adirondack’s 1991 Calder Cup.

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Connoisseur Media Shakes Up Bay Area Radio Cluster

David Hill
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Connoisseur Media Shakes Up Bay Area Radio Cluster

Connoisseur Media announced a series of programming moves across its Bay Area cluster on September 10. The company elevated four key players into expanded roles designed to strengthen its competitive position.

What We Know Effective immediately, Big Reid transitions to mornings on 102.9 KBLX, joining Freska and replacing Rudy Ortiz. Meanwhile, Morris Knight adds middays on 101.7 KKIQ while keeping his current afternoon slot on 96.5 KOIT. Ileana Matzorkis expands her duties to Regional Production Director, overseeing production collaboration across the cluster. Additionally, Richie Brown assumes Music Director responsibilities for KOIT and Mix 106.5 (KEZR).

What’s at Stake These moves signal Connoisseur’s commitment to deepening talent development and competitive differentiation in one of radio’s most competitive markets. Knight’s Pleasanton residency positions him to strengthen KKIQ’s East Bay and Tri-Valley reach. Matzorkis’s expanded role suggests the company is prioritizing cluster-wide audio production as a competitive advantage. Richie Brown’s dual-format music director experience directly supports programming momentum at two key revenue stations.

What Remains Unclear Connoisseur has not yet announced replacements for Rudy Ortiz on afternoons, Freska’s vacancy on KBLX, or who fills Reid’s night slot on 99.7 NOW. The company promised to reveal those plans at a later date. Meanwhile, specific details about Matzorkis’s regional production mandate remain undefined. Also unknown: whether these moves precede additional cluster restructuring.

What It Means Connoisseur’s betting on internal talent instead of outside hires. That’s smart. You’re seeing this across radio now—companies keeping good people in-house, investing in production quality, taking real format risks. These promotions say they actually believe in their roster.

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Keyshawn Johnson Joins VSiN For Thursday Night Football BetCast Program

John Mamola
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Keyshawn Johnson Joins VSiN For Thursday Night Football BetCast Program

VSiN is expanding its live coverage during Thursday Night Football. Keyshawn Johnson joins the network as a new betting analyst for a new live BetCast program alongside host Patrick Meagher.

What We Know: Thursday Night Betcast debuts September 10 at 8 p.m. ET on VSiN. Johnson, a Super Bowl champion and three-time Pro Bowl receiver, co-hosts alongside VSiN’s host Patrick Meagher. Johnson previously worked as a broadcaster for both in radio and television following his NFL career. The three-hour show also simulcasts on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio and Best Bets TV. This live betting show plans to deliver real-time odds and analysis followed by previews and predictions for the upcoming schedule of college and pro football games.

What They Said: Keyshawn Johnson: “VSiN is the gold standard for sports betting content, so joining this roster was a no-brainer for me. Patrick’s wagering expertise is among the best in the business and I’m so excited to bring the perspective of someone who’s been in a huddle to that context. Together, we’re looking to find some real value for the VSiN audience while the game clock is running.”

Steve Cohen, EVP of Talent and Programming at VSiN: “Our audience is the most discerning in the business. We continue to be committed to delivering more of the quality programming they want and need to inform their wagering and fantasy decisions. Our addition of the Thursday Night Betcast continues to cement VSiN’s position as the destination for the most credible sports information, analysis and insights you can find anywhere.”

What Remains Unclear: VSiN hasn’t detailed how Johnson’s role might expand beyond Thursdays. It’s also unclear whether he’ll appear on additional network programming or platforms going forward.

What It Means: VSiN continues betting on star power to reach bettors. Johnson’s playing pedigree, paired with his broadcasting resume, gives the show instant credibility. Also, a live co-viewing option for football fans in real time is always a plus. Considering the success of altcasts driving additional viewership. For VSiN, it’s another step toward reenforcing itself as sports betting’s go-to network.

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Sean Gibbons Promoted to SiriusXM Chief Product Officer

David Hill
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Sean Gibbons Promoted to SiriusXM Chief Product Officer

Sean Gibbons becomes SiriusXM’s new Chief Product and Technology Officer. The longtime leader now joins the company’s Executive Leadership Team.

What We Know: After 26 years at Sirius, Gibbons earned this significant promotion from within. He reports directly to CEO Jennifer Witz, overseeing product and technology across both SiriusXM and Pandora. His responsibilities include the 360L in-car experience, satellite and streaming platforms, AI integration, and advertising technology. Clearly, SiriusXM views him as essential to advancing its next-generation strategy.

What They Said: “SiriusXM has a unique set of assets,” Gibbons explained. “We can pair the reach and reliability of satellite with the flexibility of streaming and the intelligence of AI.” He stressed making it easier for listeners to discover content. Moreover, he wants to deepen participation in moments that matter to audiences.

What Remains Unclear: The company hasn’t detailed specific timelines for AI implementation across platforms. Additionally, rollout schedules for next-generation in-car experiences remain somewhat vague. Furthermore, SiriusXM hasn’t clarified how it will operationally integrate the consolidated product organization between its platforms. Finally, the company hasn’t disclosed specific metrics for measuring success in these new areas.

What It Means: This appointment signals SiriusXM’s commitment to becoming a hybrid satellite-streaming-AI company. By elevating a 26-year veteran, the company demonstrates confidence in its connected vehicle strategy. Importantly, this reflects broader industry momentum toward AI-driven personalization. Therefore, expect significant product innovation across SiriusXM’s platforms in the coming quarters.

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