The construction is complete, and 92 KQRS Minneapolis is back with a shift to a younger demo that will include classic Alternative. The station’s website had carried an “Under Construction” message since March 24. (BMM 3/24)
Writing on the station’s website, Director of Content & Programming James Kurdziel said, “This isn’t just a change—it’s a natural progression; time for us to grow again. It’s about renewing the spirit of KQ. Making it more relevant, more electric, and more yours than ever.”
The station will feature music from the mid-80s through the early 2000s. Steve Gorman and Ryder Bue will remain in the mornings, and Paul Fletcher will join them. The new show is branded as “Gorman In The Morning with Fletcher & Ryder.” Fletcher is known for his time with crosstown Modern AC Cities 97.1.
Fletch will also handle middays with Jade in afternoons with Chris Nelson evenings.
Kurdziel’s full statement reads:
We’re changing. Let’s get that said up front. It’s a good thing. Rock music has to evolve and so does KQ. There are things which exist that do not evolve whether by choice or fear, and when they don’t, they wither away. Not us. KQRS belongs to the Twin Cities and we embrace evolution as an entire generation demands we become something for them. Our goal is to focus on your personal soundtrack—one that speaks to Gen-X and beyond.
Why change? Well, because you’ve asked us to change. You deserve to know what we’re doing and why. There’s no head scratching here because we’re coming right out with it. Proudly, as a matter of fact. The truth is you might listen to KQ now and realize it’s not for you (pardon the Pearl Jam pun). That’s ok. This isn’t meant to be for everyone but if you give us a chance and some trust, you’ll fit in perfectly.
We’re led by Steve Gorman in the Morning with the sounds and perspectives by and for Gen-X. You’ve asked for the music that shaped your life. From the power chords of the ‘80s to the raw energy of the ‘90s, into the wide-eyed optimism of the 2000s. We’re delivering the rock that matters most to you. We’ll also give real exposure to the iconic Minnesotans who have built the sounds of our community. All this music has been here and we’re giving it a home. KQ is now a complete rock station.
This isn’t just a change—it’s a natural progression; time for us to grow again. It’s about renewing the spirit of the KQ. Making it more relevant, more electric, and more yours than ever.
Welcome to the next chapter of 92KQRS. Now for an entire generation that grew up screaming Here we are now. Entertain us!
James Kurdziel
Director of Content & Programming, 92KQRS
Barrett Media columnist Mike Stern talked with Kurdziel and will feature 92 KQRS in his Monday column.
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CBS Sports basketball analyst Bill Raftery will be calling his tenth Final Four on the network this coming weekend. For the 81-year-old Raftery, his 30 Final Four broadcasts across radio and television have been one of the greatest blessings of his career, bringing the excitement of March Madness to the masses.
This week, Raftery and his play-by-play partner, Ian Eagle, joined the SI Media Podcast with Jimmy Traina. As the Final Four nears, with all top seeds advancing to San Antonio, the question arises—could this be Raftery’s final call on the broadcast? Moreover, has he thought about retirement?
“It’s somebody else’s hands basically,” said Raftery. “I enjoy it. I think I’m as industrious about getting ready for a game, maybe more so than I was 15 years ago. I think they’ll tell you when it’s time.”
Raftery began his basketball broadcasting journey following stints as a head coach at Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison and Seton Hall. Later, he transitioned into broadcasting, working for ESPN as co-host of College Hoops Tonight in 1980 and calling games for the New Jersey Nets in 1982.
Eventually, his journey led him to CBS Sports in 1983, where he has remained ever since.
“I haven’t thought about it (retirement) at all,” stated Raftery. “If they feel I’m not up to it, then you know it’s time to pack it in.”
Over the years, as college basketball has evolved—especially with the introduction of NIL—Raftery has been open about his thoughts on the sport’s transformation. As one of the most trusted voices in the game, he remains unfazed by the praise and recognition he receives, instead focusing on adapting to the changes in CBS broadcasts.
“The greatest attribute that any of us can have is never coveting somebody’s job,” noted Raftery. “You just put your nose down and do your job and mind your own business. The rest will take care of itself, for better or worse.”
While reflecting on his career, Raftery expressed gratitude for the kindness shown toward him and acknowledged how fortunate he has been to do what he loves.
“I couldn’t play, so I coached,” joked Raftery. “I couldn’t coach, so I got into broadcasting. It’s not a hall of fame track record.”
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ESPN Monday Night Countdown recently completed its 18th season on the air and attained an average of 1.34 million viewers per show, representative of a 5% year-over-year increase. Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce was behind the desk as an analyst alongside Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears and Scott Van Pelt, making his debut as a full-time member of the team upon his retirement from professional football.
In addition to his work with ESPN, which also included a five-episode late-night talk show, Kelce has continued to host the New Heights podcast with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. In fact, the duo signed an advertising sales and representation deal with Amazon’s Wondery, reportedly a three-year pact worth more than $100 million.
During a recent episode of the podcast, the Kelce brothers welcomed Van Pelt on the program where they discussed a variety of topics centering around sports and media. Travis Kelce asked Van Pelt what it was like working with Jason Kelce on television for the first time this past NFL season. In response, Van Pelt explained that he was interested in hearing his perspective since it had been almost a year since he had made the official decision and recalled reaching out to Kelce as he was reportedly being pursued by a variety of media companies.
“There’s a million things about your brother that make him perfect for [TV], but you still, there’s a process of learning the mechanics of TV that it’s not innate,” Van Pelt said. “He’s innately entertaining and engaging and people love him, but learning how to, ‘Okay, when’s it my turn?,’ and what I always try to tell him is, ‘Look man, your mic’s always on. You don’t need me to ask you to go. When you’re ready to go, go.’”
Van Pelt remarked that he had fostered chemistry with Spears and Clark working with them regularly last year and acknowledged that it can be a challenge to have four people trying to figure out where to talk. Nonetheless, he reflected on this past season of the studio program as having been a blast and highlighted the authenticity and consistent improvement of the group. By the end of the year, he could tell that Kelce was more comfortable behind the microphone.
“It was a lot to learn and take in,” said Jason Kelce. “I think it’s so much different – obviously, we have this podcast, Trav – but live TV is so much different. We cut so much of this stuff out and have so much leeway to just say whatever we want. When you’re on live TV, you got to be concise, to the point. You got to make space for people to talk and have a conversation, and part of it is getting to know everybody.”
Kelce expressed that he reached out to Van Pelt early on and went golfing with him as he tried to discern what to expect and how to best prepare. Despite playing in the NFL for 13 years, he professed that he watched more football around the league this past season than ever before. It was a sentiment that Travis Kelce substantiated by communicating how there is a focus on your own team when being in the building.
“It’s like your team and the team you’re playing,” Jason Kelce replied, “and you’re getting really hyper-focused on those, and I still like watching the game in that hyper-focused gameplan-oriented focus. It’s not feasible to do that really in the same way in the same depth when you’re trying to watch all 17 games that happen.”
Van Pelt conveyed that the show had Kelce break things down beyond the tackles and that he was able to help people understand why things work. As the host of the show, his job is to put everyone in the best position to succeed and render the program even better, and he recognized how Monday Night Football feels like a thing unto itself. Kelce surmised that it was the “pinnacle of football” when he was growing up and still a prime time slot that players in the league value.
“It’s really fun looking back and seeing how everything evolved over the course of the year, how much closer everything got, and looking forward to this next year for sure,” Kelce said. “I think it’s going to be awesome.”
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700 WLW in Cincinnati has announced that former FOX Sports and Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman will take over morning drive from the retiring Mike McConnell.
The iHeartMedia Cincinnati news/talk station made the announcement Thursday morning, one day before McConnell’s final show after serving as morning host since 2015.
Brennaman joins 700 WLW after his father, Marty, served as the radio play-by-play voice of the Cincinnati Reds — where WLW serves as the team’s flagship — from 1974 to 2019.
Thom Brennaman has been an accomplished sports broadcaster in his own right. He previously served as a play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports from 1994 through 2020, including coverage of the NFL, Major League Baseball, and college football, among others. He also served as the television voice of the Arizona Diamondbacks (1998-2006) and the Reds (2007-2020).
His tenure with FOX Sports and the Reds ended in 2020 when he was caught using a homophobic slur during a commercial break. His apology subsequently viral. In recent years, he joined The CW as the lead voice of its college football coverage, as well as working with Cincinnati-based Chatterbox Sports since 2022, hosting a daily digital video program.
“We came to Cincinnati when I was 10 years old because of my dad,” Brennaman told The Enquirer. “So I’ve had some family or my own personal connection to WLW for 51 of my 61 years. WLW is a big deal. I hope I can live up to the people who’ve done this job before me.”
“Mike has done an amazing job. So for us to have the opportunity to move on from a legend like Mike McConnell to a polished, professional, seasoned broadcaster like Thom Brennaman was unbelievable for us, and we are thrilled to death,” iHeartMedia Cincinnati Vice President and Market Manager D.J. Hodge told The Enquirer.
“(Brennaman) grew up listening to WLW,” Hodge continued. “He worked doing sports on WLW in the mornings with Jim Scott in the late 1980s, so to be able to bring Thom home into this position and to go from legendary Jim Scott to legendary Mike McConnell to now building that legendary status with Thom Brennaman, we are incredibly excited.”
Thom Brennaman will begin hosting mornings on 700 WLW on Monday, April 7th.
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ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon was critical of the media in a recent interview with OutKick, following a week-long public feud involving Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and fellow ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith. Last week, Wilbon opened up about his disappointment with the public spat between James and Smith. Additionally, he expressed frustration over how the situation had overshadowed other significant NBA storylines.
In a follow-up interview with Waddle & Silvy on ESPN Chicago, the former Washington Post journalist continued his criticism—not only of how the events transpired but also of how his own ESPN network repeatedly forced the conversation around Lakers second-round selection Bronny James.
“My objection is to everybody talking about Bronny all the time for about three months. I found it disgraceful,” said Wilbon. “I found it less than the professional-level standard that I became accustomed to personally at Northwestern, at The Washington Post. Just talking about Bronny James, for what?”
LeBron James has stated that his issue with Smith was not necessarily about the criticism of Bronny’s performance as an NBA player. Instead, he argued that Smith’s remarks crossed the line into what James termed as personal attacks against both his son and his teammate.
The tension escalated when James confronted Smith at the Lakers’ game against the New York Knicks on March 6 during the third quarter. This sparked a week-long public feud between the two, culminating after James’ appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN.
“(LeBron) and Stephen A. are big boys. They’re sort of equals in this,” Wilbon told ESPN Chicago. “I’m not getting involved in their stuff. I don’t care about their stuff. I don’t consume it. I don’t give a damn about their back-and-forth with each other.”
Wilbon further explained to ESPN Chicago that his comments from the OutKick interview did not receive pushback from his superiors at ESPN. He also reaffirmed his stance when he described the media business as being “just s**t some days.” According to Wilbon, his bosses had a clear understanding of where he stood on the Bronny James coverage, which helped ease tensions on that front.
“It was news at one point. It was news when Bronny was coming into the league and was going to be drafted,” Wilbon noted. “It was a newsworthy subject, and then it wasn’t. Once we got to the season, it wasn’t newsworthy anymore, and I said I wasn’t going to talk about it. The whole nepotism thing? I don’t really buy it. Because if I was a father who had the influence to do something like that for his kid, you damn well better believe I would do it.”
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The 2025 BSM Summit presented by Point to Point Marketing is now just 38 days away! We’ve lined up 30+ speakers for this year’s event with today’s announcement of 7 more speakers. There’s more still to come too. Hotel rooms are available for $249.99 per night at the Westin Michigan Avenue. That deal expires after April 9th. If you haven’t secured your room and plan to join us, go here to make sure you’re booked.
The Summit takes place at the MCA in Chicago on May 8-9, 2025. Day 1 will run 9a-5p with the ESPN Radio After Party at the Chicago Sports Museum from 6p-8p. Day 2 is set for 9a-1p with the Premier Networks Awards Ceremony scheduled to close the show. This year’s speakers can be seen here. The full agenda will be released closer to the event.
Bruce Gilbert was announced as our 2025 Jeff Smulyan Award recipient earlier this week.Still to be revealed are the 2025Mark Chernoff Award and 2025Lifetime Achievement Award winners. By the time we reach Chicago, we expect to have 40+ accomplished professionals gracing our stage.
Which brings me to our latest announcement.
I’m thrilled to add Audacy Boston SVP/Market Manager Mike Thomas, Hubbard Radio Minnesota VP/Region Manager Dan Seeman, Lotus Communications Las Vegas General Manager Natalie Marsh, Sportsradio WIP Brand Manager Rod Lakin, McVay Media President Mike McVay, Bleav CEO Bron Heussenstamm, and Nielsen SVP John Snyder to our speaker lineup.
Dan, Mike and Natalie will join our Market Manager’s panel alongside Kevin Cassidy and Keith Williams. Mike McVay will be tasked with guiding the group. Rod Lakin joins one of our day 1 programming panels with Mitch Rosen and Scott Shapiro, led by yours truly.
Bron Heussenstamm will take part in a session alongside Brandon Spano, and David Locke. John Snyder delivers a presentation on Nielsen’s 3-minute switch, sharing insights on how brands can help themselves under the new rules.
A handful of sponsorships remain for the event. If you’re interested in being involved, please email Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com asap. Based on feedback from last year’s event, we’re extending sessions an extra 5-minutes to give folks more time to address key issues. I hope to see you at the MCA, and if you haven’t bought your ticket yet, please do. We appreciate the support!
Meet The Podcasters is a special 9-week series created in partnership with Point to Point Marketing. Our fifth feature is on Head of Original Content with The Volume, Andrew Samson. Follow along with the series, and revisit former conversations by checking out the entire category.
Samson joined The Volume in September of 2020 after a call from FOX Sports Radio’s Colin Cowherd, who was looking to begin his own podcast network. The Volume officially launched in February of the following year, with Samson overseeing the programs on the network while also serving as the Executive Producer of The Colin Cowherd Podcast for the network. Prior to The Volume, Samson was a writer and producer for Cowherd’s program on FS1 before taking a venture with the XFL in 2019. The Volume has in just four years has grown to 14 podcasts on the network, a multi-year partnership with DraftKings, and more than 2.5 million YouTube subscribers across its channels with over 600 million audio downloads.
In this edition of our ‘Meet The Podcasters’ series, we explore Samson’s role with The Volume, the differences in content approaches between Colin Cowherd on radio and on podcast, plus in the age of social what makes for a good clip of a product to gain an engaging reach and a maximum click through.
Andrew Samson spoke with Barrett Media from his home office in Sarasota, Florida.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
John Mamola:Let’s start with what a typical day is like for you as the Head of Original Content for The Volume?
Andrew Samson:There are different avenues to this job every day. First is the daily supervision of all the podcasts. I come from a network background because I worked at FS1 where you have a program in calendar and there you’d have your four main shows per day.
Here at The Volume, that’s not how that works. We have 15 shows and growing. That requires a different type of supervision, and we’re also on so many different platforms. Personally, for me, I’m always looking at our YouTube thumbnails. I’m looking at our titling on podcasts, and on YouTube making sure that everything is optimized the best it can be to reflect what is in that video and that it’s framed in a way that’s going to have the most impact with the most reach.
What I enjoy so much is the process of yes, we make content, but our goal is to make sure that content is seen by as many people as possible. Implementing all the strategies we’ve learned that can make that happen.
John Mamola:I was going to say, you have shows that go live at all times of the day. The Volume has Nightcap with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco which is live at night. Plus with Colin Cowherd trying to fit everything in between his other projects that he’s seemingly doing. I imagine that’s quite difficult to keep up with on a day-to-day basis.
Andrew Samson: For our company, it starts with the hiring process. Finding people who know sports, know how these platforms work, and understand how to optimize the content for the platform. That is where I think we’ve done a tremendous job, because I think all our producers are great. They’re so skilled and they can they basically are one person shops for everything that a podcast needs.
We are a company that’s operating on the frontier of what the podcasting world looks like. Where everyone makes video. Everyone knows how to create the content. Everyone knows how to distribute the content, and it’s very hands-on.
John Mamola: Looking at your background, you were with Colin Cowherd as a producer on the television side at FS1 previously before joining The Volume?
Andrew Samson: I started at Fox Sports One as a producer, and then in 2015 I was added to Colin’s staff. That was a life changer for me because I worked as a producer on The Herd from the TV side for four years. The radio side and the TV side, we worked get together in unison.
Then I moved to Florida, and that’s where after the XFL folded. I then got in touch with Colin, and he said to me that I’m starting this podcast network. Would you like to produce my podcast? At that point the whole world is shifting. The idea that you could produce a podcast in Sarasota Florida for a guy in Los Angeles was still kind of a newfangled thing.
I wound up becoming the producer of his podcast for three years and then became an executive type at the company.
John Mamola: Let’s talk crafting content and content strategy a little bit. Working with Colin on the television/radio product, and working on his staff each and every day.
When you come up with content for a radio or television product, I would imagine that there are some similarities, but also some differences when it comes to the product that you come up for the podcast. Can you speak to how there are some differences, or maybe some more similarities than differences when it comes to curating the content?
Andrew Samson: This is the greatest question, because this has been the story of my life.
The most fascinating thing I’ve witnessed over the past seven or eight years, and I’ve gotten a chance to witness this change from a very unique point of view. When we were working on The Herd, the excitement of that job was the morning meeting with Colin. You sit down at 6 AM, he comes in and has things he wants to talk about. You got to develop a whole show. Flesh out takes with stats and graphics completing everything by that 9 AM Pacific deadline when he goes on the air. At 12 PM, you know you worked straight from 6 AM to 12 PM and the show is over That’s it, and you learn from what went right and what went wrong that day to come back the next day.
When I got to the podcast side, I realize it’s actually the opposite. The linear side is about preproduction. Figuring out what you’re going to do before you go on the air. On this side it was more about postproduction. Colin and I would have a very quick conversation after he’d already have done The Herd, so he knows what he wants to talk about. Then he would get on, do a monologue, talk to a guest and that’s when my job started once the record ended.
Now it’s my job as the producer to propagate that video into the world. Find the social clips. Make sure the podcast is up in time and edited smoothly. Make sure all the sales markers are hit. Everything is in that 24-48-hour window after the record has happened. I realize that the choices that I make in that moment can either help or hurt the reach of that podcast. I need to make sure I’m making all the right choices. It was a long period, but I learned quickly what was working and not working. How to make a right thumbnail. How to find the right title of a video to make sure it gets the most eyeballs.
That is the biggest difference to me. Linear is preproduction, podcast is postproduction.
John Mamola: Would you say in your experience working in both radio and podcast, that the podcast consumer demands some different things than the radio listener when it comes to the product?
Andrew Samson: Yes, and that is a great point.
This is where I watched Colin invent his own podcast, I watched it happen. Colin said to me when he started the idea for the podcast, ‘I want this to be more authentic, raw’ feel. Almost had this idea that he would be drinking a cocktail during the show and it would be different. Then I watched as he delivered his monologue, and how he was in the podcast. This basically became what I started to call Colin Cowherd Unplugged.
Colin basically found a way where he said ‘Yes I’m going to be on the herd. I’m going to be creating that content, but I’m also going to be creating this different type of content.’ It’s going to have its own unique voice, and its own unique look. Even when I had to choose the music, I found a baseline and a drum and that was it. No over-the-top music, no high key melody. Just something very subtle, and over time we built it out into this very different thing. We’re Colin can occupy the space and give his audience something different than he’s giving them on The Herd.
That’s what I think podcasts are. You know, podcast and even podcast production is a very intimate type of format because you’re there with the host and there’s not a lot of bells and whistles. Sometimes there’s not another host.
Nightcap is its own thing where you’re watching a conversation between two NFL legends, and that’s got that comedic energy and it’s unreal. Then there’s the podcast form with Colin where it’s very straightforward and very direct. Just straight, good informative conversation and I think that’s what the magic podcast is. It can be so reflective of the host’s personality. What the host wants to do, and it doesn’t take a lot from a production angle.
In fact, the less you do in terms of all these things, the better it is because it’s more authentic and real. Nick Wright, what I love about that is he’s in his home. He’s recording from there. You get to see the side of Nick that you don’t normally see on the air.
John Mamola: You just referenced Nick Wright, The Volume just brought his podcast over to the platform earlier this year. How involved are you with recruiting talent, or is that more in the lane of Logan Swaim, The Volume’s Chief Content Officer?
Andrew Samson: That’s more in Logan’s lane.
John Mamola: Understood, but I also wanted to ask about the addition of Rory And Mal, which made a splash because that’s more of an entertainment type of podcast as opposed to a sports specific podcast. They tend to dabble for lack of a better term in sports, although they do have fun with their bad takes on sports.
In your opinion, should sports podcasting networks branch out more like The Volume which is sports first and sports centric, but pivots a little more into entertainment content to reach a broader audience?
Andrew Samson: That’s a great question. In my position, Logan (Swaim) will send me a podcast and he’ll say listen to this and just tell me what you think. I get a lot of those requests every week and I love taking the time to listen.
Rory and Mal was the one where I was just like, wow! This is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard in my life, that was like another level. To me, it was like when I first heard Howard Stern for the first time. It was so funny, so honest, and they’re so willing to talk about literally anything. That blew the doors off for me.
I think Logan (Swaim) and I realized, along with Matt Kline our head of digital and Alisa Harrison our head of production that once we had the systems and understanding of how YouTube, podcast, and social platforms work, we didn’t necessarily need to stick to sports. We could use those same strategies to work in other areas.
What we found is they do work. I don’t want to give too much of the secrets sauce away. Once you understand that a successful podcast benefits from being in the moment, talking about what’s happening now just like they do in sports; then you can use those same strategies successfully.
John Mamola: You spoke about finding those clips in the postproduction, and having those to assist in increasing metrics for how a podcast performs.
How successful the clip is on social, and the click through rate listening to the full product is important on several fronts. A lot of talent feel when it comes to podcasting, they just do the podcast and nothing else in postproduction. Where you’re explaining that everybody on The Volume roster knows how to do everything, which is great.
When it comes to finding those clips from the podcast, is there a strategy in aiming for the best three clips, or maybe get one per podcast episode? With social becoming more of a friend to video but not necessarily links, how vital is it to identify those clips to achieve the best engagement possible?
Andrew Samson: We tell our producers not to force it. We don’t want to just put out clips for the sake of putting out clips. We want to make sure that when we put out clips, there’s a reason we took the time to edit that. That we think this deserves to be in front of an audience.
We always say to our team if there’s an hour-long podcast, shoot for three to five clips. But if it’s the greatest podcast of all time, then mine it for all it’s worth.
As far as the editing goes, what so great is that these platforms like TikTok and Instagram have finally taken away that restrictive sixty seconds limit. Now you can be so much more freeform with what you want to do, and what you want to put out there. Especially with shows like Nightcap where there’s extended conversations that are so funny and raw. Just put the conversation out there, and don’t worry about cutting it down so much.
If it’s a Colin or a Draymond (Green) take, this thirty to forty second, if that’s the nut then make that thirty seconds. It doesn’t have to be three minutes, just get it down.
The other thing that we love to do is we really think it’s important to find the elements that help that take resonate. If someone mentions a specific play from a game or player, just going out of your way to put that added context for the viewer so they know what we’re talking about. It makes the clip more engaging and just brings everyone into the conversation and allows them to understand what this is.
The most important thing with social is the rule of having three seconds or five seconds to lock in. It’s figuring out not just what is the clip, but where does that clip start? What is that hook for the viewer? What is going to get them to stay past that three second point? That is something we are always focused on.
I watch a lot of clips from around the whole business, and I’m like that was a great clip if you would just cut off the first ten seconds. If you had just jumped in a little faster, you would’ve gotten that engagement.
John Mamola:There has been a lot of discussion about video versus audio when it comes to podcasting. Obviously playing in every space is important, and The Volume has done a great job of this with every podcast on the platform utilizing a video component. Video is becoming the dominant source for people discovering podcasts as opposed to audio first.
In your opinion, maybe in three to five years down the line, do you see audio podcasting usage fading where video becomes the heavy and dominant way people consume podcasts?
Andrew Samson: No, because I think that people will always want different ways to consume this content. Especially for sports, what makes it so great is that there are different ways to consume it.
I’m someone who grew up on the tradition of you’re in your car listening to sports talk, and that’s what you’re doing on your drive. I don’t think that will ever go away. I think that it is one of the greatest places to listen and catch up on what’s going on. I think it’s great that you wake up in the morning and there’s a podcast you can listen to.
I really believe that when a host sits down in front of that microphone or in front of that camera, that host should be able to make content that can be seen everywhere. There should be no limits on the reach of that content, and that is why the audio side will always be important and the video site has become more important.
We say this to everyone who comes to The Volume. We say that our goal with you. You sit down and you can know your content is going to be distributed as far and wide as possible. To me that is the power of The Volume. I mean, that’s why The Volume is such a great name.
We want to make sure you’re heard loud and clear everywhere.
John Mamola:Not sure you’re aware of this or not. Six years ago, Colin Cowherd joined the BSM Summit and made a lot of headlines with a comment he made about podcasting. Colin said that basically no one gets rich off podcasting. He didn’t believe in it, and podcasting was none of his concern as it related to his focus with The Herd.
Six years later, here we are. You’ve been with Colin for a while now. What makes the evolution of his views on podcasting unique now compared to then, and with that said, can there be The Volume without Colin Cowherd?
Andrew Samson: You’re asking me a question about one of the most influential people in my entire life.
John Mamola: I would love to hear your perspective, as a guy that has worked with Colin for years, on how his mindset has changed about the podcasting space.
Andrew Samson:No one I’ve ever met knows how to evolve better than Colin Cowherd. That’s something he definitely taught me. He always says I am willing to pivot on and off of everything, and he’s never beholden to any kind of way of doing something.
He’s so willing to change, and I watched that on The Herd for those four years.
The show where it started and where it ended up when I left was a much different show. It had evolved. I feel the same way with The Volume too. From where we were in 2020-2021 to where we are now, it’s a totally different, smarter, more efficient, more knowledgeable company.
Alot of that is Colin’s leadership and understanding, and being open to new ideas and new shows. Expanding the business outside of sports, and that for me is what I love about this business. It’s never one thing, it’s always changing and you always have to be looking for new ways to do things. New methods of recording, distribution and so on.
I’m not surprised that Colin came around and changed because and I know that about him. He is very good at reading the tea leaves and seeing which way the wind is blowing. Knowing and understanding the industry and knowing which way it’s headed.
I think that’s why The Volume has been so successful. We all have been willing to change and move off things and reevaluate how we’re doing business. That’s a constant conversation just to make sure we are not getting outmoded and we’re always looking ahead.
John Mamola: But does The Volume survive without Colin Cowherd?
Andrew Samson:I don’t even know how to answer that. I personally can’t survive without Colin Cowherd. If it wasn’t for Colin and being on The Herd, I don’t know where I would be right now. That guy changed my life. I can’t imagine the world without him.
To learn more about Point-To-Point Marketing’s Podcast and Broadcast Audience Development Marketing strategies, contact Tim Bronsil at tim@ptpmarketing.com or 513-702-5072.
Granger Smith hosts Premiere Network’s “After Midnight with Granger Smith.” That, however, barely scratches the surface of what Smith has accomplished in his 45 years.
As a Country music artist, Smith released 11 studio albums, two live albums, and two EPs. In 2016, he reached the top of the Mediabase Chart with “Backroad Song,” which was followed by a top-ten hit, “If The Boot Fits.” And that still doesn’t list all of his accomplishments. He is a minister and philanthropist. He has also performed under his alter ego, Earl Dibbles Jr.
It’s tough to pick a starting point when talking to Smith, but I decided to start in 2016 when he had a number-one song and was touring the country—something that would lead many to believe he had it all.
“At somebody’s birthday party or something. One of the kid’s birthday parties, and I go through my phone, and there are a lot of those tour dates or award shows and ceremonies and the times that we had on the bus, and to be honest, I love those days.”
“I look back now in fondness. I’m not one of these guys who would say those are the dark days. I wish I could forget all those days of sitting in hotel parking lots and sitting in the Mall of America on a day off, just hating my life. I’ve heard musicians speak like that, and honestly, that was never me.”
Smith looks at that time as a building block, and a 2019 tragedy would become what he calls a “hinge” in his life. Smith’s son River died from a drowning accident at his home.
“That was the hinge that my life bends on right now. There’s one side, then there’s the other. For me, there was never going back. I couldn’t even pretend that Granger was the same in early 2019 as in late 2019. I think my life will be like that for a long time, maybe forever.”
Out of the tragedy, Smith felt he had the authority to listen to people and help them through their problems. He realized this during his show’s meet-and-greets.
“I started going to the meet-and-greets, and I started enjoying talking to the people more than I ever had before. I started wanting to hear their stories, and people were opening up to me in a way that they hadn’t before. Suddenly, I had an authority I was given that wasn’t there before. I had the authority to listen to someone going through a major life crisis, and I had the authority to look them in the eye and say, it’s time to get up. It’s time to move forward. How dare I say that before I have that kind of authority?”
“I realized that I’m the guy that’s lost a child. And so if you just lost your mother three years ago and you’re still struggling. I could say let’s go, brother. It’s time to move forward. You don’t have to move on, but it’s time to move forward. You can’t stay stuck like this.”
Smith and his wife found another way to give back and help with the establishment of the River Kelly Fund, named after their son.
“We started the River Kelly fund, and in the beginning, it was raising money for the Children’s Hospital where we lost River. We just saw the amazing nurses and doctors and all the other families that were coming in and out daily. As we speak, it’s happening right now. They’re rotating doors, and there’s some new family that’s rushing into children’s hospitals all over the world right now. They’re rushing in, and their life is shattered and changing. They’re trying to figure out this new mountain I need to climb.”
“People in the Country music industry, actually some big stars, embraced it and bought a shirt or donated a little bit of money. We were able to give the hospital a big check. So, Amber (Smith’s wife) and I thought, okay, this is another avenue.”
“This is another thing we could do that doesn’t have to be necessarily the children’s hospitals. It could be relief funds, or it could be childhood cancer or research. There are endless things that the River Kelly Fund can benefit. In fact, within this last year, we changed it to the River Kelly Foundation.”
So, how did this lead to a nationally syndicated radio show?
“I was creating myself as a brand and needing attention for the brand to succeed. As I started releasing that and instead using that same passion and energy that I exalted myself with to listen now and serve others, I found a greater joy than I had ever had before.”
“I started saying, Okay, God, I don’t know what I’m going to do financially because I’m now giving up my job. I’m giving up the only thing that’s paid the bills for my whole life. I don’t know how I’m going to pay the bills, but I feel like you’re leading me somewhere. “
“And boom, Premiere calls says, would you ever think about radio? You can do it from your house, and I thought there is. I’d never thought about it, but if I had thought about it, there’s no way I could have come up with an idea this good.”
I asked if there was a chance of any new music and what he thought of the state of Country music.
“Maybe there would be some gospel album in my future. I’ve been thinking about that. Then I have planned that every year at least once a year, we can get together and have a festival at our farm called “The Yee Yee Festival,” We’re going to do that May 9 and 10. I am gonna play a concert. That’ll be the first time I get back together with my band and crew since we laid it down.”
“I think that’d be fun and invite the public. This is one chance every year if you want to take your kids to hear us play, then you could do that.
“As far as what’s interesting about the state of Country music is now I’ve been I’ve been off of the radio for myself a little over two years now, and I’m starting to see that there’s now a complete changeover That happens where I’m now.”
“I’m starting not to know personally the new guys coming up. That’s an interesting thing. For at least a decade, I’ve known everyone in Country music on some level, even if it’s vague. Now it’s like a new hit will come out, and I go, I don’t know that guy at all.”
“I will say after that hinge in my life, I never expected to be on this side of radio. I’ve been chasing the other side of the radio for most of my life. To now be on this side, I’m used to hearing myself on the radio and not promoting myself, but promoting other people.”
“I’ve been on this side for almost 1,500 shows. I love this. I hope to do this for the rest of my days on earth. I hope I get to do radio in this capacity.”
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As I embark on being the weekly Rock/Alternative writer for Barrett Media, I’ll start on a positive note by saying Rock is Back. “Rock & Roll” originated in the late ‘40s. While it has never been “gone,” there’s no denying the past 25 years weren’t exactly bursting at the seams with backstage parties and sheer mania like the world witnessed in the psychedelic ‘60s, super ‘70s, hairy ‘80s, or grungy ‘90s.
For simplicity’s sake, let’s use “Rock” as a blanket reference for common music or radio terminology that includes Rock, Alternative, Classic Rock, and other variations. It’s true that the Rock genre has many personalities: Plain Rock, Alternative, Classic, Emo, Grunge, Hard, Soft, Acoustic, Metal, Nu Metal, Doom, Glam/Hair, Corporate, Yacht, Punk, Psychedelic, Indie, Southern, Country, Folk, Pop, Progressive, Blues, Beach, Jazz, Garage, Acid, Pop, Rap, Deep Fried. Okay, I made that last one up, but there are more; I could have used up my allotted word count just trying to itemize them all, but they are all some form of Rock.
And. It’s. Back.
This is not a prediction that we’ll see Kendrick or Taylor shrink in popularity, nor guarantee that Marshall Stacks and Les Pauls will line the stage at next year’s Super Bowl. Although the big game will be held in Santa Clara, home to the 49ers, I’m hoping for (and betting on) Metallica, Green Day, or Journey (and the Broncos). It’s also not rhetoric to justify a weekly Rock/Alt column at Barrett Media. It’s just a matter of fact.
A few things to note:
The 2024 Luminate year-end report shows Rock ranked second in U.S. streaming (234 billion streams), only behind Rap and R&B (342 billion). Pop ranked third (165 billion), followed by Country (118 billion) and Latin (113 billion).
There are (or have been recently) huge tours selling out stadiums and arenas:
AC/DC, Linkin Park, Metallica, GNR, Radiohead, Disturbed, D’Mode, Coldplay, U2, Stones, Green Day, Blink, the Boss, and even ticket demand for nostalgic shows with acts like Creed, Nickelback, and Limp Bizkit are through the roof.
The Zeppelin doc (Becoming Led Zeppelin) and Dylan biopic (A Complete Unknown) both slayed expectations at the box office.
Last month, Imagine Dragons – call them Rock, Alt, Pop Rock, Pop Alt, or whatever you choose – were the first band to ever be broadcast on the Moon.
Mega-bands like Linkin Park, Shinedown, Disturbed, Green Day, and Weezer continue to stay relevant and crank out great new music that is heavily consumed by diehard and new fans.
New-ish U.S. bands like Greta Van Fleet and Rival Sons are legit rock stars overseas, a reliable, historical barometer for what’s to come stateside.
There is a new Minecraft movie featuring lots of rock in the soundtrack, including LA’s own Dirty Honey and an all-star collab with Jack Black, Grohl, and others.
Bands relatively unknown by the masses, like Sleep Token and Ghost, are selling out arenas despite only minimal airplay.
A Technavio report says by 2028, the Guitar market will grow by 1.84 Billion. This trend started during the pandemic when an avalanche of guitar teens started showing up and blowing up by shredding solos on TikTok and IG.
Say what you will about our 47th President, but even his team, sensing what is happening, has jumped into the fray and is selling limited-edition MAGA Guitars.
At radio, we see many Rock, Classic and Alt brands moving tickets, units, driving streams, and standing tall with great ratings.
Rock continues to be a force in advertising and on soundtracks: “Master of Puppets’ rocketed to #1 after its appearance in Stranger Things, and “Whole Lotta Love” entered the digital songs chart after being in a Super Bowl ad this year.
It’s not just me saying “Rock is Back” at Pollstar Live later this month in Los Angeles; I’ll be repping radio on an industry-wide panel with the same theme.
And possibly the most important, but totally not important, date ahead for Rock this year is September 12th, the day Spinal Tap II is released. (I CAN’T believe Rob Reiner and Castle Rock didn’t choose 11.11. (IYKYK).
I could go on, but the KPIs for Rock are solid, and the collective genre is healthier than it’s been since Hip Hop stole its bling back when cell phones were the size of bricks.
Photo YouTube Screen Grab
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I’m back. And here is my premise in this column: 50 years spent in newsrooms — local and national — have taught me there is no better place than an active, energized television news journalism factory. I took 2 years off after posts at ABC News and NBC News as senior national correspondent, senior law and justice correspondent, 20/20 correspondent, and finally White House correspondent.
But I got back in the game last year in a smaller, more connected fashion at KGTV ABC10 San Diego as a Senior Investigative Reporter. I no longer covered the world or the nation; I covered San Diego.,
The transition was surprisingly seamless. I was certainly the oldest and most experienced reporter at the station. And while I was able to mentor several young reporters — helping with writing and reporting tips — I got as much as I gave. I was inspired by the same vigor and idealism in these 20 and 30-something reporters, some in their first TV job, others their second.
They wanted to expose corruption, tell human stories filled with empathy for the homeless, and the thousands of undocumented that pass through San Diego. They filed FOI’s (Freedom of Information requests) to hold local officials accountable and track how taxpayer money was being spent.
And they did this with enthusiasm, despite constantly hearing the refrain “local news is dying.” They kept their heads high and pressed on. And I admire them for that.
Yes, the number of people watching local news is smaller and smaller. Stations across the country are laying off staff, including KGTV, which just cut 20% of the newsroom. It’s hard to get past that as a young reporter, but recently at a party to say goodbye to those of us moving on, I found optimism and determination to keep doing the journalism that counts.
It is up to managers to figure out a way to deliver this necessary and powerful journalism to a new audience. Ways to offer news at any time, on any platform, meeting the audience where they watch. But these young, eager professionals will continue to provide content that enlightens, informs, and yes, entertains.
So when I hear the predictions of the demise of local news, my mind counters with the local newsroom still brimming with ideas and strategies for advancing journalism.
Our business is under increased pressure from falling audiences, lack of trust, and constant attacks by an administration that resents and retaliates when held accountable. The FCC is being weaponized with White House-instigated investigations into CBS for its 60 Minutes story on Kamala Harris. President Trump is accusing the network of editing her interview to make her look better. A claim discounted by nearly every journalism professor or free press lawyer asked. The Associated Press is banned from pool coverage because it won’t change the name of the Gulf of Mexico. It goes on and on.
These are fights that must be had, and carried out with the same idealism and enthusiasm of those young reporters I have met over the last year.
We are fighting for Freedom of the Press. Not only for ourselves, but for those who follow.
In this space going forward, I will be writing about the press, television news, and how it covers politics in these difficult times. With young journalists always on my mind.
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.
