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Channel: Will Cain – BARRETT SPORTS MEDIA

Fitzsimmons Fills-In At ESPN Radio

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Ian Fitzsimmons will host ESPN Radio’s 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET the week of August 31 – September 4.  Fitzsimmons, host of The Ian Fitzsimmons Show, which airs Sundays at 3 p.m. on ESPN Radio, will be paired with a variety of voices during the week including Will Cain, Trevor Matichand Freddie Coleman.  Cain joined ESPN in March 2015 and is a contributor to several ESPN shows and platforms including E:60, ESPN The Magazine, First Take and His & Hers.  Matich serves as a college football analyst on ESPN Radio’s College GameDay, as well as ESPN television shows including SportsCenter and College Football Live.  Coleman can be heard weekdays from 11 p.m. – 2 a.m. on ESPN Radio’s The Freddie Coleman Show.  Coleman, who has been with ESPN since 2004, also appears on various ESPN television shows including His & Hers and First Take.

Date Pairing
Mon, Aug 31 Ian Fitzsimmons and Will Cain
Tue, Sep 1 Fitzsimmons and Trevor Matich
Wed, Sep 2 Fitzsimmons and Matich
Thu, Sep 3 Fitzsimmons and Matich
Fri, Sep 4 Fitzsimmons and Freddie Coleman

ESPN Radio To Offer New Weekend Programming

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When the football season ends, stations usually add extra weekend programming to make up for the loss of NFL and College Football play by play and shoulder programming. On the network level, the strategy is no different, and this year ESPN Radio is making moves to strengthen its weekend offerings.

The network will team up three of their highest profile female personalities with the debut of “The Trifecta“. The program will be hosted by Sarah Spain, Jane McManus, and Kate Fagan and air on Saturday’s from 12p-3p starting January 9th. Spain has been a contributor on Dan Le Batard’s show and previously hosted a weekend program with Prim Siripipat. McManus is one of espnw’s top NFL reporters and columnists, and Fagan also writes for espnw and has been a refreshing addition to “Around the Horn“.

In addition, the network will launch another new Saturday program. ESPN New York’s Dave Rothenberg will join forces with Mike Golic Jr. and ESPN.com NBA reporter Michael Wallace Saturday evenings from 5p-8p. The trio will also debut on January 9th.

Turning to Sunday, Fagan will add another program when she teams with ESPN contributor Will Cain for a new show titled “Will and Kate“. The show will air from 7a-10a and officially premiere on Valentine’s Day.

NBA talk programming will get ramped up with the pairing of NBA reporters Israel Gutierrez and Amin Elhassan. “Izzy and Amin” will broadcast every Sunday from 10a-12p.

And last but not least, “Booger & Burns“, featuring former NFL Defensive Player and current SEC Network Analyst Anthony “Booger” McFarland and SEC Network Host Peter Burns make their debut on the network also on Valentine’s Day. Their program will air from 10p-12a.

Altogether the network is adding 5 new shows and 12 fresh voices, and that should peak the curiosity of sports radio weekend listeners across the nation.

 

Kate Fagan Signs New Contract At ESPN

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espnW has re-signed versatile writer and commentator Kate Fagan to a new multiyear agreement, which will keep yet another of the brand’s core voices in its ranks. Fagan will continue in her role as a featured reporter and columnist for espnW on multiple ESPN platforms including espnW.com, ESPN TV – including Around the Horn, First Take, His & Hers and others — and she adds two new national ESPN Radio shows to her resume.

Fagan will host the new ESPN Radio show, Will & Kate, with ESPN contributor Will Cain, which will launch Sunday, February 14. The program, airing Sundays from 7 – 10 a.m. ET, will take an intellectual look at topical societal issues in sports by hosts who often find their opinions to be at opposite sides of the spectrum.

She is also the co-host of espnW’s The Trifecta with Spain, Jane and Kate on ESPN Radio, which debuted January 9 (airing noon – 3 p.m.), alongside fellow espnW writers Jane McManus and Sarah Spain. The show capitalizes on the trio’s chemistry as they discuss the key stories in sports and across society with a distinct perspective that only espnW can provide.

Fagan is the third espnW contributor to re-sign, with the business retaining primary voice Julie Foudy and espnW original Jane McManus in 2015. Fagan joined ESPN in 2012 and has been a columnist and feature writer for espnW, and her stories have also appeared on ESPN.com andESPN The Magazine. She is a regular panelist on ESPN’s Around the Horn, contributes to The Sports Reporters, First Take and other shows.

Credit to ESPN Media Zone who originally provided this information

Who Will Replace Skip Bayless on First Take?

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With Skip Bayless expected to join Jamie Horowitz’s burgeoning empire at Fox Sports 1, the focus shifts to ESPN’s replacement options alongside Stephen A. Smith on First Take. Say what you will about Bayless, and First Take’s programming approach, but the program has been ultra successful for the worldwide leader in sports. Ratings have been high, and the pairing of Smith and Bayless created curiosity, and instant reaction.

Whether you loved or hated Skip and Stephen A., you paid attention. So filling the void of Bayless’ departure is not an easy task for ESPN executives. Not only are they challenged to make the second coming of the program better than the original (always tough to do) but they’re also saddled with keeping their one remaining star (Smith) happy, while finding the right partner to pair him with.

Finding an opinionated personality in sports media isn’t difficult, but not every individual can be comfortable, and provide the right chemistry and fit opposite Stephen. Gaining his buy in is critical to making the show work in the future. Which is why some of the considerations mentioned all make sense.

So which options are at ESPN’s disposal? I’m told by multiple sources that there are at least four candidates on a short list of finalists to replace Skip Bayless on First Take. As the process plays out that number could increase, especially now that the position is publicly available. In the interim, here are a few of the names that I’m told have been discussed and involved in dialogue with the network.

Max Kellerman – He’s already under the company umbrella hosting afternoons on 710 ESPN in Los Angeles, and participating on SportsNation with Marcellus Wiley, and Michelle Beadle. While some internally may prefer not to disrupt his current television arrangement, most would agree that First Take takes precedence over SportsNation.

Kellerman and Smith have known each other for a long time, so it wouldn’t be too difficult for them to find their groove together. Max is certainly brash, and unafraid to challenge Stephen A., and he comes across well on camera. He’s also developed a strong television profile over the past decade between his work at Fox, ESPN, and HBO, and he’s shown that he can adapt to the west coast and create a strong pairing with Marcellus Wiley. Those are the reasons why he’s a legitimate consideration.

The one issue that could be problematic is Max’s location. Although he’s a New Yorker and would likely have no objection to relocating to the big apple, by doing so ESPN would have to retool their afternoon radio program in Los Angeles. They’d also have to find another west coast option to fill his shoes on SportsNation, assuming the show continues without him. The likelihood of Smith and First Take being moved to Los Angeles is unlikely. Kellerman is certainly talented enough to replace Bayless. The question is whether or not he’s the right fit.

Chris “Mad Dog” Russo – At first glance this may seem like an odd fit, but given that Russo’s contract is expiring soon with SiriusXM, and he and Stephen A. have formed a relationship over the past two years since Smith joined the radio network, it’s been considered. There’s no doubt that Russo has the personality to stand out. His ability to verbally joust with Smith also won’t be an issue.

If Russo were brought into the fold, the network could strike a deal to have him continue doing his show with SiriusXM as they’ve done with Smith’s program, or they could elect to move him to their own flagship station 98.7FM ESPN New York where his arrival opposite WFAN would create a major local buzz. Russo has demonstrated he has television chops with his regular role on MLB Network, and he’s partnered with the worldwide leader’s “30 For 30” division on a documentary about the history of the “Mike and the Mad Dog” radio program.

Over the span of his career Russo has never been an ESPN guy, so the fit at this point in his life does seem strange. He’s also indicated that he’d like to remain with SiriusXM if possible. There’s also the possibility of a reunion with Mike Francesa. His former partner has gone on the record stating that he won’t continue with WFAN beyond 2017, so a move to ESPN by Russo would likely kill any possibility of the two reuniting for one final swan song. That said, Russo has moved on without Mike before, and an opportunity like First Take might be enough to satisfy his appetite.

Brandon Tierney – BT is another strong consideration who has ties to Stephen A. The duo worked together on 98.7FM ESPN New York and had great chemistry, and brought something fresh and exciting to the New York radio airwaves. During their stint as partners they brought the best out of one another, often raising the volume with their opinions. They share a mutual passion for many of the same teams, and sports, and have a relationship that continues off the air.

Currently, Tierney hosts a national radio program for CBS Sports Radio with Tiki Barber, and appears on the CBS Sports Television Network. He spent nine years on radio and television in New York, and has also worked across the country in San Francisco, Detroit, Las Vegas, so offering a national perspective is something he’s well suited to provide. Couple that with a great on camera presence, the ability to perform on radio and television, and an immediate chemistry with Smith and understanding of how to push his buttons (something the other candidates don’t currently possess), and you can see why ESPN executives have him on their radar.

The one challenge with bringing Tierney on board could be his contractual situation. Kellerman is under company control, and Russo’s agreement is expiring, whereas Tierney is under CBS’ control. However, with CBS CEO Les Moonves acknowledging an interest in selling the company’s radio division or spinning it off as its own entity, it would seem hypocritical to deny Tierney an opportunity to move to First Take when his own situation could potentially be impacted by a CBS sale or realignment.

Will Cain – He’s been a contributor to the network across multiple platforms, and is seen as a rising star in the company. He’s made previous appearances on First Take and His & Hers so he’s familiar with the flow of the program. He’s also extremely sharp and unwavering with his opinions.

Before joining ESPN, Cain worked for CNN, and The Blaze. He’s also appeared on The View, Fox News, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and “Way Too Early”, and HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher”. With First Take seen as a hard hitting debate driven program which follows a strategy similar to that of many News Talk television shows, his prior experiences in television news would seem to serve him well if ESPN elects to toss him into First Take’s rough waters.

The big questions surrounding Cain are whether or not ESPN will want to feature him in one of their most high profile spots when he still remains a relative unknown. Additionally, he and Smith have no prior working relationship so learning on the fly with the whole world watching might not be the best solution. It’s also fair to question if he brings more to the mix with Smith than the other options, even though he’s impressed during his previous appearances.

What Is Happening To The Worldwide Leader In Sports?

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It’s been a tumultuous time for the worldwide leader in sports. In 2015, ESPN lost a number of their best on-air talent, as Bill Simmons, Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock, and Keith Olbermann all vacated Bristol University. The company also shut down Grantland, and eliminated three hundred jobs, painting a gloomy picture for the largest sports media operator in the country.

But then 2016 arrived, and many assumed that the worst for ESPN was in the rear view mirror. Yet aside from the devastation of losing 300 positions, ESPN finds itself in similar territory, dealing with major talent departures once again.

In just four full months of the calendar year, the company has already lost or terminated Skip Bayless, Mike Tirico, Brad Nessler, Robert Smith, Keyshawn Johnson, Curt Schilling, Joe Schad, and Robert Flores. Another talented analyst Trent Dilfer is also expected to depart.

If there’s a media company capable of overcoming these types of losses it’s ESPN. But, when you lose high profile talent consistently, it has a way of coming back to bite you in the ass.

Keep in mind, we don’t know yet if Jeff Van Gundy or Mark Jackson will get scooped up by an NBA team looking for a new head coach. It’s too early to tell how a change in the Monday Night booth will affect Jon Gruden, and making the wrong hire on First Take could create a situation where the show has to be changed or possibly even cancelled down the road.

Even the network’s signature morning show “Mike and Mike“, which has been on the air for more than sixteen years, recently added Molly Qerim and it’s changed parts of its presentation. Depending on who you ask, the reviews are mixed.

Will the morning show continue to undergo future tweaks? Does the show finally move permanently to New York City? Or has the network reached a point where it’s decided it needs a fresh new program to kickstart a new era in mornings on ESPN Radio and Television?

ESPN Executive Vice President of Production and Programming, John Wildhack said “Understandably when there is a high-profile change, the picture might be viewed through a very small lens. Yet the facts are that more than 95 percent of our talent have remained at ESPN and there are a wide range of circumstances surrounding the few who don’t.”

He has a valid point. The company has indeed signed agreements with 200+ talent over the past twelve months. Given their ability to employ a large number of high profile positions, ESPN is well equipped to continue meeting the needs of sports fans across multiple platforms.

Remember that they’ve been stung by departures before. Great talents like Dan Patrick, Rich Eisen, Craig Kilborn, Charley Steiner, and Rick Reilly have all exited, and although they’ve gone on to successful careers, ESPN has remained dominant without them. To write off the most successful sports media company in America, and suggest that it’s on the verge of turning off the lights would be a bit presumptuous.

However, consumers and investors do have a reason to raise their eyebrows. With every talent defection comes larger questions about the company’s future, and its willingness to invest in keeping its best talent. A simple way to eliminate that noise is by locking up the company’s top people, introducing new media stars, and adding new programming that energizes viewers, and gives them confidence that ESPN is healthy and committed to being number one.

It’s rare to see ESPN getting outbid for quality personnel, but with Fox, CBS, and NBC chomping at the bit to take the next step, it’s the four letter network’s responsibility to make sure they protect their turf and retain their best assets. Failing to do so could open the door for others to make deeper inroads, and possibly lead to a larger competitive threat in the future.

Did ESPN Eliminate Curt Schilling’s Game 6 Heroics on Purpose?

Prior to ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball matchup between the Red Sox and Yankees, the network chose to air the 30 For 30 documentary “Four Days in October“. The story covered the Red Sox miraculous upset of the New York Yankees during the 2004 ALCS, except it was missing one critical piece of the story – Curt Schilling’s Game 6 performance where he helped the Sox even up the series while pitching with a bloody sock.

ESPN said the program was edited because it needed to adjust its broadcast time to get back on track due to the Arizona-Oregon softball game running long. They supplied the following statement:

“When a live event runs long, it’s standard procedure to shorten a taped program that follows. In this case, we needed to edit out one of the film’s four segments to account for the extra length of the softball game.”

I recognize that there are times when edits need to be made to fit a schedule, but if you’re going to air a program, you cannot remove one of the most important parts of the story. Any baseball fan who watched that Yankees-Red Sox series will always remember Curt Schilling’s heroic performance in Game 6. It would be like removing the scene in Rocky 4 where Apollo Creed gets killed by Ivan Drago, and fast forwarding to Rocky’s fight at the end of the film. By removing the Game 6 drama, it showed a terrible lapse in editorial judgment, and denied fans the opportunity to understand the whole story.

To make matters worse, the issue occurred during the same week when Schilling went on the record blasting ESPN. It also involved a team which plays in a city (Boston) where ESPN’s image has been tarnished. If the company was looking to get back in the good graces of New England sports fans, they didn’t help their cause with this decision. Why they couldn’t edit out an earlier part of the story, or air a different program, I’m not sure.

Fox Sports Looks To Attack ESPN With Its Own Strategy!

Fox Sports National Networks President Jamie Horowitz has been unafraid to spend big for talent, while aggressively calling out his former employer. At The CAA World Congress of Sports in April, Horowitz touted ESPN’s decline of SportsCenter viewership, and proclaimed he would take a page out of the Fox News playbook and build FS1 around opinionated talk programming and polarizing personalities. He said that the approach would not only stand out more in today’s cluttered sports media environment, but it would cost less than sports programming built around news and documentaries.

That may seem hard to believe when Horowitz is opening the Fox checkbook to pay talents like Cowherd and Bayless. According to reports, Cowherd is making in the neighborhood of six million annually. Bayless is expected to receive more than five million per year. But featured presentations like 30 For 30 cost a pretty penny too.

The reason why Fox has aggressively pursued personalities is because they see their programming future driven by what Horowtiz likes to call ‘opinionists’. Cowherd, Bayless, Jason Whitlock, Katie Nolan, Clay Travis, Nick Wright, and Joy Taylor all fit that description.

But is replicating ESPN’s talk show programming a wise play? Or is it a subtle reminder that Fox is offering a replica, not the original?

Fox confirmed plans this week to launch a new television show with Cowherd and Whitlock titled “Speak For Yourself”. The show is expected to follow a PTI-style format.

Cowherd and Whitlock should make for a great pairing. They’ve forged a nice chemistry thanks in part to Whitlock frequently appearing on Cowherd’s radio show, and are both comfortable at offering hard hitting opinions, and in-depth commentaries. The duo will benefit from Colin’s radio/television simulcast serving as a promotional tool to help drive people to the new show.

Tony Kornheiser, and Michael Wilbon on the other hand are in the midst of their fifteenth year hosting PTI. Quality, consistency, and chemistry are three things they’ve supplied to audiences during their run on ESPN, and beating them at their own game won’t be easy.

Cowherd and Whitlock should be able to present a younger, edgier, and wittier presentation on camera, and the fact that they’re seen as the shiny new toy should help generate some early sampling. Whether or not they can produce an equal or better television show than PTI though remains a big mystery.

Fox is also said to be developing another opinion based program with Bayless. The show is expected to feature a second personality opposite Skip. No word yet on who that might be.

It’s hard to argue with the strategy since it involves well established talent, and a formula which has paid dividends for ESPN. The questions though are “can Fox do it better“, “will Skip’s exit from First Take bring new viewers to FS1” and “is the audience willing to abandon the brand they’ve spent a lifetime with in favor of something new“?

How the audience responds will tell us whether Horowitz has the right gameplan or not. Regardless of the result, you have to commend him for having the chutzpah to challenge one of the world’s most powerful media brands.

Saturday Night Live Eliminating 30% of Commercials

Media groups find themselves in an interesting predicament. On one hand, they’re fighting for every advertising dollar available, trying to hit this month’s budget, and ignoring the future. On the other hand, they find their products being consumed less, because listeners and viewers refuse to sit through long stretches of commercial breaks.

So what do they do?

In Saturday Night Live’s case, they’ve chosen to protect their programming by reducing their ads by 30%. SNL’s creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels said, “As the decades have gone by, commercial time has grown. This change will give time back to the show and make it easier to watch the show live.”

SNL’s skits have performed well when distributed on social media, but ratings for the program on both cable and broadcast television have suffered in recent years. One reason is because younger viewers have fled to on-demand services like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube.

To offset the loss of inventory, NBC will bring in more original sponsored content from advertisers who will partner with the show for branded sketches, something the show is known for. Plans are also in place to add more pre-taped segments, and extend the length of some of the live sketches.

Over the past year, Viacom and Turner have reduced the commercial load on their networks, and Turner, TruTV and TNT have announced intentions to cut their ad inventory by 50%.

This resonated with me because the opposite is happening in sports radio. I see stations adding more inventory than subtracting it, and that’s a pattern that’s going to cause long-term damage to brands if they don’t take steps to address it.

For example, I listened to eight different radio stations last Thursday (the day of the NFL draft). Four of them treated their audiences to twenty minutes of commercials/sales benchmarks during drive time programming. If I include the sports updates that number increases to twenty four or twenty six minutes.

Three stations I observed ran between sixteen and eighteen minutes of spots, not including the updates. The worst sinner of them all aired twenty four minutes of commercials, and benchmarks, plus three updates that were between one and two minutes each. That means that half of their hour was spent running commercials.

If the key to building a connection with the audience includes treating them to entertaining personalities and topical content, how can you do that when you’re not available to be heard 33%-50% of the time each hour?

From a ratings perspective, if you’re required to generate at least five minutes of listening in a quarter hour to gain credit, is that realistic for your radio station when you’re providing only six to seven total minutes of programming? I didn’t even include the use of production opens, or liners which also takes away from your time.

If five major television companies can see where the world is headed, and why it’s critical to adapt before it’s too late, then why is radio consistently late to the party? I don’t care how storied your brand is, if you consistently feature twenty five minutes of interruptions, you’re begging your competitor to crush your business. Do you expect your audience to be loyal to you when you feed them twenty five minutes of spots, and another five to six minutes of generic sports updates each hour?

Once your numbers start to evaporate, don’t dare put that blame on your talent. The failure belongs to the programmer who wasn’t willing to stand up to protect the brand, and the sales manager and market manager who were naive enough to think that they could abuse the audience to enjoy a short-term benefit.

We have shifted towards a world where including advertising in content is normal. How we weave it in may be a work in progress, but it’s what we’ll need to provide to keep revenues high, and commercial time low. You should be thinking about the things you create on a daily basis, and how you can attach your clients to each of those assets. Listeners will endure hearing a sponsor’s name and ten second tag during a quality piece of content. What they won’t accept is a seven or eight minute barrage of commercials and equal or less content time.

If television can get creative, and sacrifice millions of dollars in ad time to help improve their programming, and ratings, then surely radio can figure out a way to do the same.

Under The Radar:

  • Congrats to John Cassio who has earned a promotion to Program Director of 1240/1270 The Fan in Fort Myers/Naples, Florida. He added the PD stripes in early April.
  • Mitch Nelles has gained additional air time on The Big 920 in Milwaukee. His program “The Mitch Nelles Show” added an extra hour, and is now broadcast weekdays from 1p-3p CT.
  • A tip of the cap to Jeff Parles who was named afternoon producer of “The Big Show” and host of the Saturday morning show “The Sports Wire” on KTGR in Columbia. Parles took over for Brandon Kiley who left to produce Kevin Wheeler’s show on 101 ESPN in St. Louis.
  • Paul Jarvis has left Greater Media’s 92.9 in Boston to return home to Burlington, Vermont where he’s taking over as Operations Manager of Vox AM/FM’s four station cluster. As part of his new job, he’ll be overseeing two sports radio brands, 101.3 ESPN, and 960 The Zone.

When Talent Gain Influence In The Hiring Process

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Professional sports are an excellent teacher for understanding how a quest for power can rip apart an organization. When too much control is placed in the wrong hands, good situations turn into nightmares. Just look at the St. Louis Rams, Denver Broncos, and Philadelphia Eagles under Mike Martz, Josh McDaniels, and Chip Kelly.

But for every individual who sends a franchise into a downward spiral, there are leaders like Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, and Pat Riley who remind us that great results can be achieved when power is placed in capable hands.

In the radio business, the person making the final call on key decisions is often the Program Director or General/Market Manager. Some PD’s have strong vision, excellent decision making skills, and are empowered to do their jobs. Everyone inside the organization knows that it’s their way or the highway.

In a few other instances, programmers are hired who are great caretakers, and schedule makers, but not equipped at making important hiring decisions. Some PD’s get hired because they’re willing to concede control to a GM who wishes to decide all key programming decisions.

GM’s can operate very differently. Some put their trust in their programmers, allow them to make decisions, and hold them accountable to their decisions and results. Others are fixated on picking the talent, seeing their names in print, and taking advantage of their power.

It may seem exciting, but when you put your fingerprints on a decision it can be exhausting and extremely stressful. Not everyone is good at it. Even great ones make mistakes. I find that most who have success, do so after they’ve failed once or twice.

In most situations where talent need to be hired, there are plenty of qualified applicants. However, there’s only room for one individual. Making a move that delivers results is all that matters to your employer, advertisers, and the people inside your building. One wrong step, and it’s your ass.

The normal process involves the PD and GM, but when bigger shows and personalities enter the equation, one can make a case that including your top performers is good business. Some staff members may get jealous or annoyed, and listeners may object or get angry when they hear that a key on-air figure has veto power or influence over a big on-air decision, but, you’re not in the popularity business, you’re in the ratings and results business. To involve your best talent, and make sure they’re invested is important, and necessary.

To be clear, not every personality in your company deserves a voice in the decision making process. Just because a show had a good year in the ratings, doesn’t mean they’ve earned the respect of being included in big picture conversations. I’m a big believer in trust, long-term relationships, and track records. If a show has exceeded expectation for a lengthy period of time, beat the competition, generated revenue, developed trust, executed the game plan I’ve asked them to operate, and built a profile as the show of record locally or nationally, I’m more likely to bring them into my inner circle.

Gaining input from shows that have helped you earn a couple of raises and contract extensions is smart. It makes your people feel valued, and respected. It also shows that you share a common goal of making a good decision that will put the show in position to earn future success.

Anyone who has the power to hire or fire an employee, loves the challenge of making the final call. To relinquish that power or allow another individual to influence your opinion might be hard to stomach. But one thing PD’s and GM’s forget, is that nobody has a better read on why a show works than those doing the show on a daily basis. They don’t prep with the show, hang out with the cast outside of work, or understand the highs and lows of the relationship until issues are brought to their attention. If the right ingredients aren’t supplied for the crew to make an award winning meal, everyone starves.

This doesn’t mean your top people will have all of the information that you do, or the vision to see the things that only you can. But, hearing their feedback should matter. As long as they understand that the final call comes from the top, and the goal is to continue winning, they’ll respect, and appreciate you more for hearing them out.

What triggered my interest in this topic was something I read last week.

Having an inside track on sports television news has never been my area of expertise, but when radio people are involved my ears perk up. A few weeks ago, Skip Bayless announced he was leaving “First Take” on ESPN. Fox Sports 1 is expected to become his new home, thanks to a sound relationship with Jamie Horowitz, and a whole lot of Benjamin Franklin’s.

That leaves Stephen A. Smith without a partner once the NBA Finals are over. Which leads to the following question, who will fill Skip’s void?

Mike McCarthy of the Sporting News wrote an excellent piece which gives people an idea of how involved Stephen A. Smith will be in the final decision of who becomes his permanent partner on “First Take”.

Upon hearing that news and tweeting about it, I received a number of emails and social media messages asking “how could ESPN grant executive power to Stephen A.”? I heard the same exact thing when Chris “Mad Dog” Russo left WFAN, and Mike Francesa was given the same respect from CBS New York executives.

In both cases, if I was currently running ESPN, or WFAN when Russo left, I’d do the exact same thing.

You reward performers who bring you big ratings, and bigger revenues over a sustained period of time. Having their full support and buy in is critical. That doesn’t mean you have to hire the person they like most, but if you keep them removed, and put someone into the studio that you like, and they don’t, a future trip to the unemployment office will await you.

Can you imagine if “Mike & Mike” were split up? Or some of the top local sports radio shows in America, such as “Valenti & Foster”, “Toucher & Rich”, “Boomer & Carton”, “The Musers”, and “Waddle & Silvy” were separated? Do you think any of those shows would have a chance at future success, if their station’s excluded the holdovers of each program from the process?

It’s hard enough replicating success when the original version of a program has been altered. The odds fall less in your favor if you place a stop sign in front of your most important talent during critical times. Without their blessing, and complete investment in the future direction of the show, you’re dead man walking.

So why is ESPN giving Stephen A. Smith this type of respect? Here are a few things to consider.

  • Precedent – Before Stephen A. was added permanently to “First Take”, executives sought Skip Bayless’ feedback and support. The show was rotating co-hosts, but reached a point where it needed consistency. Having their key star (Skip) buy into the concept, and sign off on his partner was important. Judging by the decision that Skip and ESPN executives made, it was a good one. Skip earned that respect, and now Stephen A. has too. The goal now is to have the next decision turn out the same way as the last one did.
  • Ratings Success – Whether the show turns your stomach, or soothes your soul, it’s been a ratings hit, and continues to get stronger. The show has been built around Stephen A. and Skip’s personalities, so having the right combination is critical. If Stephen A. doesn’t believe he can find common ground with someone, and create a conversation that is must-watch television, he deserves the right to say so. That should matter when determining who to hire.
  • Loyalty – By no means is Stephen A. Smith hurting financially. ESPN re-signed him last year for a reported 3-3.5 million dollars per year. You may feel he’s overpaid, but that’s the going rate for high profile sports television talent, especially ones who move the needle. If Bayless can warrant close to 6 million annually from Fox Sports 1, don’t you think Smith could get the same? One can argue that he brings more to the table than Bayless. He hosts a national radio show, and appears on SportsCenter, and NFL and NBA programming. Skip is rarely seen outside of “First Take”. Stephen knew there were options out there, but he remained loyal to ESPN. When a big show that he’s involved in experiences adversity, loyalty should be reciprocated.
  • Pressure – With Skip off to FS1, all eyes will be on Stephen A. If the ratings slip, or his on-air relationship with his new partner seems fractured, critics will be out for blood. TV executives can push their own guy or girl, but if the connection isn’t there, the program is doomed. Chemistry, comfortability, passion, and a willingness to engage in heated conversations without things getting personal are all part of the job description. Nobody knows how to execute the show better than the two men who have done it. If Smith feels a connection to someone outside the company is what the show needs to enjoy future success, it’s management’s job to figure out how to make it happen. The main priority should be making sure the show succeeds, not worrying about who they win with.

If “First Take” falls apart in the future, do you think the blame is going to be directed at John Skipper, Norby Williamson, or John Wildhack? Not a chance. The public will point their finger in Smith’s direction.

ESPN may wish to make headlines by signing the biggest name, excite employees by rewarding an internal candidate who’s well liked, or please advertisers by choosing someone they’re comfortable with, but when it’s showtime, nobody will know the fit better than Stephen A. If the conversation isn’t natural, the vibe and chemistry feels forced, or mutual respect isn’t shared, the only thing guaranteed is cancellation.

Which is why ESPN is making a smart decision by involving one of their most high profile stars in the final process. Executives may love the thrill of making the final call, but when this much is on the line, you owe it to yourself, your company, and your best talent to make sure they’re heavily involved.

A few weeks ago I mentioned four candidates for the opening. I later learned of a fifth. Four of the options had radio connections. They were Max Kellerman, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, Brandon Tierney, and Doug Gottlieb. Will Cain was the one television candidate.

I know that trust, chemistry, on-air connection, and a healthy relationship off camera with Stephen will be important, which is why I have a tough time believing Will Cain will be the choice. Will is very talented, and may have support from management, but he doesn’t have history with Stephen A. I can’t picture Stephen placing the fate of the program in Cain’s hands, unless he’s forced into it.

I could be wrong. I’ve never claimed to be nostradamus, especially when it comes to television hires, but, I believe Russo, Tierney, and Kellerman hold the advantage. They’re comfortable debating him, have his respect and prior experience working with him, bring the edge, volume, and style that the show is known for, and share similar interests from living, and/or growing up in the same area.

What will be interesting to see, is whether or not Stephen has the courage to take a risk and bet on someone like Tierney who he has excellent chemistry with, rather than take the safer path with someone like Kellerman. Both are excellent, and offer something fresh, and different than Skip. Max has the internal advantage, and higher profile. BT requires going outside the company, and developing another network star.

The scenario with Russo is also intriguing because Chris is a high profile talent, who’s older than Stephen (so was Skip), and not afraid to mix it up. He’s the one guy best suited for keeping the show similar to where it was previously, although his sound is different, and his knowledge is superior to Skip’s. He’s also earned Stephen’s trust due to hiring him at SiriusXM. The downside is that he’d likely command a higher price tag which probably doesn’t excite ESPN.

The five candidates I’ve listed remain strong options, but there will likely be others who emerge in this process. One of the outside candidates could very well become the choice. The question is, who will Stephen A. love the most?

The only one he should be giving his heart to at this point is ESPN. After all, they’ve given him greater influence behind closed doors than they do on their own airwaves. Now they need to make sure that his decision making skills are in line with Bill Belichick’s not Chip Kelly’s.

Under The Radar:

  • 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland has hired Landry Locker to produce the morning show with Ken Carman and Anthony Lima. Locker previously worked for ESPN 103.3 and Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket in Dallas as an Assistant Program Director, Producer, and Host.
  • Dave “Deuce” Mason, who was recently let go by KHTK in Sacramento, was brought in to do some fill-in work at rival station ESPN 1320. Mason stepped in last Thursday with Whitey Gleason of “The Rise Guys” while co-host Mark Kreidler was off. Whether it will lead to future fill-ins or additional opportunities in unclear at this time.
  • Congratulations is in order for Mike Taylor who recently signed a multi-year extension to continue hosting mornings at The Ticket 760 in San Antonio.

Skipper Remains Bullish on ESPN Talent and ‘SportsCenter’

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ESPN has lost a lot of high profile talent over the past eighteen months, but that hasn’t tempered John Skipper’s enthusiasm. The President of ESPN remains confident that the talent roster offered by the worldwide leader is still the best in sports media.

“I didn’t see any lack of talent on our stage today,” said Skipper following ESPN’s annual Upfront presentation. “We are very happy with the people who work for us, and highly focused on new voices, diverse voices, and changing the way we look to reflect the way the fan looks now. So we are quite happy with our complement of talent.”

When asked for an update on how the search to replace Skip Bayless was progressing, Skipper said a decision had not yet been made. He also declined to comment on speculation that Max Kellerman and Will Cain were the top two contenders for the open chair on “First Take”. Although the focus remains on those two internal options, there are other candidates receiving serious consideration who don’t currently work for ESPN.

Speaking of “First Take”, Stephen A. Smith was also present at the Upfronts presentation. Speaking on-stage to a room full of media buyers, Stephen A. said that he’d miss Bayless, but it was time to move on, and that he was confident the show would be even better in the future. He added “my bosses inform me that it’s MY show now, so you [advertisers] will continue to get what you’ve been getting.” He then joked that Bayless’ departure meant there would no longer be any mentions of Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel, or the Dallas Cowboys.

Prior to departing, Skipper reminded reporters that ESPN presently makes up 54% of the consumption of sports news and information in the United States. He added that if “SportsCenter” operated as its own entity, it would be the sixth-largest cable channel among Men 18-to-34.

McNabb’s Addition Headlines ESPN Radio’s New Schedule

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ESPN Radio are set to roll out a new fall weekend lineup with a heavy focus on the 2016 college football and NFL seasons. The network has announced the addition of two new programs, including a three-hour program titled McNabb & Custer”, featuring former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb and veteran Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Brian Custer. The new show will debut Sunday, September 11th at 10pm ET, or immediately following Sunday Night Baseball. The new weekend lineup will be in place until the end of the football season.

“Without question, the biggest names in sports talking football will be on ESPN Radio all weekend,” said David Roberts, vice president, ESPN Audio network content. “Fans can expect the most comprehensive information, from an array of diverse voices who will always be willing to provide a provocative, informed point of view on America’s number sport. We are looking forward to serving the sports fans anytime and anywhere across the audio platforms this fall.”

Louise Cornetta, ESPN Radio program director II, added: “The Fall means football. The goal is to give our fans the most comprehensive and entertaining coverage for College Football on Saturdays and the NFL on Sundays. The new weekend lineup will provide our listeners with something for everyone to enjoy.”

During the football season, espnW presents: The Trifecta with Spain, Jane & Kate will take a break, however each host – Sarah Spain, Jane McManus and Kate Fagan — will remain involved. A new program Weekend Observations with Stu & Spain, will feature Jon “Stugotz” Weiner and Spain, and will focus on the day’s NFL headlines while injecting playful banter between the two hosts who frequently appear together on The Dan Le Batard Show. McManus will co-host Sunday’s Operation Football alongside Randy Scott and Field Yates, and Fagan will continue hosting Will & Kate with Will Cain.

On Sundays, Domonique Foxworth, a former NFL cornerback and new contributor to The Undefeated, will team up with ESPN Chicago 1000’s Jonathan Hood on NFL Nation, wrapping up the day’s NFL action and featuring ESPN NFL Nation writers who were at the biggest games.

ESPN Radio’s Saturday schedule will focus on college football beginning with:

  • Dari & Mel, a year-round program hosted by SEC Network anchor Dari Nowkhah and ESPN NFL analyst Mel Kiper Jr., kicking off the mornings at 7 a.m. for three hours.
  • Following that, a three-hour simulcast of television’s ESPN’s College GameDay (10 a.m. – Noon) and ESPN Radio’s College GameDay (Noon – 7 p.m.) will provide listeners with previews, news and analysis from around college football and lead into the College Football Game of the Week on most Saturdays. ESPN Radio’s College GameDay returns hosts Doug Kezirian, Brad Edwards and Trevor Matich, with Maria Taylor, Joey Galloway, Andrea Adelson and Heather Dinich as weekly contributors.
  • Capping off the day, Will & Kate – hosted by Will Cain and Kate Fagan – will air 11 p.m. – 1 a.m.
  • Robin Lundberg will continue to host The Robin Lundberg Show on select Saturdays (11 p.m. – 1 a.m.) this fall.

Sundays on ESPN Radio will be NFL-centric, kicking off the day with Weekend Observations with Stu & Spain (7 – 9 a.m.) Additional highlights:

  • Fantasy Focus (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) returns, hosted by ESPN New York 98.7FM’s Dave Rothenberg, Mike Golic Jr. and Fantasy expert Eric Karabell, with weekly contributor Stephania Bell. Focus will offer listeners last-minute lineup suggestions, injury updates and analysis of who is having the best season at each position.
  • Max & The Coach, with Tom Waddle (1 – 4 p.m.), hosted by ESPN studio hosts Max Bretos and Jonathan Coachman with ESPN Chicago 1000 voice and ESPN NFL analyst Tom Waddle will keep listeners up-to-date on all of the early NFL games.
  • Operation Football (4 – 7 p.m.) – returns for its second year, hosted by ESPN anchor Randy Scott, Jane McManus and Field Yates, and will recap the earlier NFL games with live player and coach post-game interviews, updating the current ones and keeping tabs on the fantasy front.

The New Weekend Schedule:

Day Time (ET) Show
Saturdays 6 a.m. The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap
  7 a.m. Dari & Mel
  10 a.m. ESPN College GameDay (TV Simulcast)
  Noon ESPN Radio’s College GameDay
  7 p .m. College Football Game of the Week
  11 p.m. Will & Kate (or The Robin Lundberg Show on select Saturdays)
Sundays 6 a.m. The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap
  7 a.m. Weekend Observations with Stu & Spain
  9 a.m. Fantasy Focus
  1 p.m. Max & The Coach with Tom Waddle
  4 p.m. Operation Football
  7 p.m. NFL Nation with Domonique Foxworth & Jonathan Hood
  10 p.m. McNabb & Custer

ESPN Signs Eduardo Perez & Will Cain To New Deals

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ESPN continues its trend of announcing contract extensions for a number of its on-air performers. This week the news revolves around baseball analyst Eduardo Perez and commentator Will Cain.

For Perez, he’s signed a new multiyear deal to continue providing analysis on ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball (since 2016) and making additional appearances on Wednesday Night Baseball and Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown. The veteran MLB analyst will also deliver commentary on the network’s news and information programs, including SportsCenter.

Pérez joined ESPN in 2006 and was with the company until 2011. He left to pursue opportunities as the Miami Marlins hitting coach and the Houston Astros bench coach. He returned to the worldwide leader in 2014.

The second contract extension involves Cain. As part of his new agreement, Cain will continue offering commentary on programs such as First Take, Outside the Lines and E:60. He’ll also contribute on ESPN Radio, and to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com.

Cain made the jump to ESPN in March 2015 after serving as a political analyst for CNN and The Blaze. He’s also contributed to the National Review, as a guest-host on ABC’s The View and MSNBC’s Way Too Early. He has appeared on Fox News, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.

Stephen A. Smith Headlines ESPN Radio Lineup Changes

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ESPN Radio has announced upcoming lineup changes which will go into effect January 2, 2018. The news confirms the departure of Bomani Jones and Jalen & Jacoby from terrestrial radio to create exclusive digital content. Israel Gutierrez is also replaced alongside Sarah Spain by Jason Fitz.

The biggest news though involves an expanded presence for Stephen A. Smith who takes over weekdays from 1p-3p ET. The move results in Ryen Russillo shifting to afternoons where he’ll now team with up with Will Cain. Smith’s program had been airing locally during those hours in New York and Los Angeles. Industry insiders expected Smith to be a featured attraction on the network last January when he departed from SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Radio but network officials decided to wait on making the move.

All ESPN Radio shows will be available live and as podcasts via ESPNRadio.com and the ESPN app, as well as on SiriusXM Channel 80 (live only), Apple Music, TuneIn and Slacker Radio.

“Top to bottom, ESPN Radio will have the strongest, most experienced and most thought-provoking lineup in sports talk radio,” said Traug Keller, senior vice president, ESPN Audio. “Diverse voices with a variety of perspectives will provide listeners with compelling content all day long.”

Additionally, ESPN will launch a new podcast with Bomani Jones. New episodes will be available 2-3 times per week with each episode expected to run between 45-60 minutes. Jalen Rose and David Jacoby will also provide their original Jalen & Jacoby podcast starting January 2nd. The podcast will be produced 4-5 times per week with a focus on sports and pop culture. Katie Nolan has also been summoned to create a weekly digital program with a start date set for January 10th.

“Podcasting is changing how audio is consumed, since the listener is more in charge than ever, and offering dynamic content is a smart way to grow our business and serve our listeners,” said Keller. “Adding original podcasts with Bomani, David, Jalen and Katie is a key component of the overall strategy to grow our Audio on Demand business,” Keller added.  “These talented voices resonate across platforms and especially with consumers in the digital space.”

Ryen Russillo to Exit ESPN Radio Weekday Lineup

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The problems continue for ESPN, except this time it’s the radio network that’s been affected. One month after announcing lineup changes which would begin in January, a key member involved in those plans has announced he’s not planning to stick around.

Ryen Russillo, who had been with ESPN Radio for over a decade, and who had been hosting weekdays 1p-4p ET and was expected to shift to afternoons 3p-6p ET with Will Cain, has decided not to resign with the company. An official statement has been released regarding the unexpected change.

Russillo said today on his program that he will finish out the week before turning afternoons over to Will Cain. The plan was to initially announce the news on Monday but due to the John Skipper story it was pushed back. Russillo said that he was offered a new deal by ESPN but chose to turn it down citing a change in time slots, a neutral compensation offer and a lack of happiness with his current career direction leading him to question where he was headed at this point in his career.

Additionally, Ryen shared that he’s excited by the idea of moving to California to pursue opportunities as a writer of television shows. He mentioned that he’s gone thru the pitch process before and learned from it and this is a professional itch he’s wanted to scratch for a long period of time and although the decision comes with risk, he’s ready to take the leap and chase a dream.

Contractually Russillo is committed to ESPN thru next August. As a result he will continue to produce a weekly podcast for the company until then. Any plans beyond next summer have yet to be revealed but you can expect a few broadcast companies to come calling when Ryen officially becomes a free agent.

Under The Radar – January 4, 2018

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The new year is here and we’ve got plenty to catch you up on from across the sports media universe. A reminder to my industry friends, I’m happy to help you tell your story if you take the time to pass it along. Whether it’s a major development or something smaller, if it’s relevant to the sports media business and worth informing listeners or advertisers about, I’m here to help. All tips can be relayed via email to JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com.

Now here’s the latest news!

BSM will have a piece coming out on Friday taking a look at the fall ratings for a number of sports stations across the country. Be sure to visit the website or keep an eye out on social media for the column.

2018 began with a number of new shows premiering across the nation. The one though under the largest microscope is WFAN‘s new afternoon show featuring Chris Carlin, Bart Scott and Maggie Gray. The trio officially took over for Mike Francesa on Tuesday January 2nd and have already earned the scorn of the New York Daily News. To read the newspaper’s blistering review of the show click here. Newsday‘s Neil Best provided a less scathing assessment of the show which you can read by clicking here. Best also gave some ink to WFAN‘s new morning show, Boomer & Gio, and the Michael Kay Show which took exception to a caller suggesting the program should have been more complimentary towards Mike Francesa when he signed off at The Fan. NJ.com got in on the action too by crafting an article which explains why Chris Carlin is unfazed by critics.

Speaking of debuts, CBS Sports Radio has turned the morning airwaves over to Marc Malusis and former pro wrestler turned talk show host Taz. With Gregg Giannotti moving over to WFAN to work with Boomer Esiason, Giannotti’s former co-host Brian Jones has left the radio network to focus on his television work. CBS Sports Radio has also begun simulcasting Jim Rome and Boomer and Gio on the CBS Sports Network.

Meanwhile at ESPN Radio, the new year started off with Stephen A. Smith, Will Cain and the team of Sarah Spain and Jason Fitz now entrenched in the weekday lineup. All three shows began airing nationwide this past Tuesday January 2nd. ESPN Radio is also launching a new weekend program, “Game Day“, featuring Laura Rutledge, Myron Medcalf and Doug Kezirian starting Saturday January 6th. The show will air from 12p-4p ET.

Elsewhere, JT The Brick has landed a local 1-hour show in Las Vegas on FOX Sports 98.9 FM/1340AM. The Brick will host from 4p-5p PT prior to taking over the national airwaves on FOX Sports Radio from 5p-8p PT.

Also in Las Vegas, Matt Perrault has moved from evenings to middays on SB Nation Radio. Perrault’s new program, Pushing The Odds, airs weekdays from Noon to 3p ET.

Glad to see WEEI and afternoon host Dale Arnold come to terms on a new deal. Arnold, along with Michael Holley and Rich Keefe, have consistently delivered strong ratings in afternoon drive for the radio station. The combined share of Men 25-54 in Boston listening to sports radio on WEEI and 98.5 The Sports Hub during afternoon drive is consistently between 20-25, making it a highly competitive battle and the envy of many other local markets.

KNBR afternoon host Tom Tolbert is doing better following a series of surgeries. The longtime Bay Area sports talk show host and ex-NBA player was the focus of Bruce Jenkins‘ latest piece in the San Francisco Chronicle. It’s an excellent read. You can enjoy it by clicking here.

Take a few minutes to read Zach McCrite‘s piece on former University of Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich. In the article, McCrite shares how the former AD used his influence to prevent him from hosting afternoons on 790 KRD in 2010. This is an issue which many broadcasters deal with especially when trying to serve as a radio partner to popular teams who are run by influential executives. You can read it by clicking here.

A few content pieces worth listening to.

  • Clay Travis‘ interview with Hugh Freeze on FOX Sports Radio was very good. The former Ole Miss football coach discussed his ugly exit from the school, why social media is bad for college football and much more. You can hear it by clicking here.
  • Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith of the Mighty 1090 in San Diego conducted an emotional interview with NFL on CBS play by play announcer Jim Nantz. The conversation included Nantz sharing a few thoughts on the late Dick Enberg. To hear it click here.
  • Joe Beningo of WFAN eviscerated CBS Sports Radio‘s Damon Amendolara after DA went on SNY and said New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles had performed better than expected this past season. DA then phoned into Beningo’s show and the two exchanged a few passionate views on the Jets head coaching situation. You can hear it by clicking here.

Look for a feature soon on The Athletic’s Chicago platform featuring 670 The Score overnight host Les Grobstein. The Athletic’s Jon Greenberg, who previously worked in Chicago sports radio and television is writing the story.

Sticking with Chicago sports media news, 670 The Score evening host Laurence Holmes says plans are in the works for a future podcast with afternoon host Jason Goff. No word yet on when it will be released.

Like father like son. Ben Rosen, the son of 670 The Score program director Mitch Rosen, has played a prominent role in reviving WMPA, Morgan Park Academy’s radio station. The high school senior is providing play by play and a pregame show for boys basketball games. Familiarize yourself with his story by clicking here.

A tip of the cap to Cumulus San Francisco who utilized the KNBR, KNBR 1050, KGO, 107.7 The Bone, KFOG and KSFO airwaves to help raise $500,000 dollars for North Bay wildfire victims. Cumulus is disbursing the funds to three groups, United Way Bay Area, Redwood Empire Food Bank and American Red Cross’ Northern California Chapter.

Continuing with the theme of making a difference, Sports Radio 1310/96.7 The Ticket in Dallas raised over $540,000 for the Austin Street Center as part of its annual Normathon. Since starting the fundraiser 17 years ago, The Ticket has helped raise $4.7 million dollars. Austin Street Center is an emergency shelter that serves men ages 45 and older and women ages 18 and older, meeting the basic needs of the most vulnerable homeless.

Shifting to Buffalo, great job by WGR‘s Bills beat/sideline reporter Sal Capaccio on capturing video reaction from Bills fans at the airport after the team landed Sunday night. Despite  en route to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. To watch the video click here.

With the University of Georgia set to face Alabama on Monday night in the NCAA College Football Playoff, 680 The Fan is taking advantage of the excitement by broadcasting a special 24-hour pregame show starting Sunday night. The station’s shows will originate from a heated tent in downtown Atlanta with live check ins taking place from local tailgates. The Fan plans to mix up it’s talent combinations and shows to create a special day of programming. ESPN Radio‘s Golic and Wingo will also be in town broadcasting their show at Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Former 92.9 The Game evening host Mitch Evans has landed an opportunity as a sports anchor and writer for iHeart Media and the 24/7 News Network. Evans will continue to be based out of Atlanta.

Dave “Deuce” Mason did an excellent job producing an audio documentary on the career of Sacramento Kings play-by-play man Gary Gerould. It includes interviews with Gerould, Chris Webber, Doug Christie, Marv Albert, Grant Napear and more. You can hear it by clicking here.

Former Minneapolis sports radio host Jeff Dubay has plead guilty to third degree assault. The former KFAN personality will be sentenced on March 22nd and could face up to four months in jail. You can learn more by clicking here.

A few programming promotions to pass along. Jason Rossi has been named the new afternoon producer of Dale and Holley with Keefe at WEEI. Tim Murray will be part of Westwood One‘s Winter Olympics broadcast crew this February serving primarily as the studio host for all hockey broadcasts. Jose Partida has been elevated to full time producer at ESPN 97.5 and SB Nation Radio in Houston. Shane Riordan has increased his behind the scenes duties at 670 The Score, and Matt Castillo has been hired behind the scenes at FOX Sports 1400 in Spartanburg.

Radio Ink recently produced its annual Top Sports Talkers list. To see which hosts and shows were featured in the Top 35 click here.

All the best to longtime ESPN NFL Miami-based reporter James Walker who has left the worldwide leader after spending the past decade with the company. Altogether Walker spent sixteen years in the business. He’s elected to pursue a new opportunity with a CPA firm handling accounts for professional athletes.

In case you missed it, Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated reported that Jeannine Edwards has retired from the sports broadcasting business. Edwards worked the Cotton Bowl as her final assignment for ESPN. She had been with the network since 1995.

2018 begins the same way that 2017 ended in print news, with The Athletic adding more contributors to their staff. The latest to announce his addition to the digital platform is Lars Anderson.

Under The Radar – January 17, 2018

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They may not steal the headlines in the sports media world but news is news. Here are a couple of smaller items you might have missed. A reminder, if you have news to share and would like to have it included in a future column please pass it along via email to JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com. Now here’s the latest.

Michelle Smallmon has announced her exit from ESPN Radio. Her final day at the network was Friday where she helped produce Will Cain‘s afternoon show. During her past few years in Bristol, Smallmon produced Ryen Russillo, Danny Kanell, Jorge Sedano, Cain, and a slew of others. All the best to her as she prepares to write the next chapter of her career.

Speaking of ESPN, former producer Jason Romano has added the title “author” to his resume. Romano’s brand new book Live To Forgive went on sale this week. To pick up your copy and support a member of the sports media fraternity click here.

All the best to 98.5 The Sports Hub‘s Marc Bertrand. The midday host was involved in an accident on Saturday which resulted in his vehicle being totaled and a trip to the hospital. Bertrand says he sustained injuries but has been sent home from the hospital. The police and fire departments in Norwood, MA arrived on the scene of the accident quickly and used the jaws of life to free him from his vehicle.

Barstool Sports‘ kicked off the launch of their 24-hour channel on SiriusXM by welcoming an industry icon to the airwaves. Former WFAN afternoon host Mike Francesa appeared on Barstool Breakfast with Julie Stewart-Binks, Willie Colon and Francis. Francesa acknowledged during the interview that not being behind the microphone in January when the NFL Playoffs take center stage has felt strange. To hear some of the interview click here.

After parting ways with Eric Davis, ESPN LA 710 has confirmed they’re returning their afternoon show to a two-man program. Marcellus Wiley and Sean Farnham will work together in afternoon drive going forward.

Congratulations to Adam Gold of 99.9 The Fan in Raleigh. The Triangle Sports Talk Host is celebrating a milestone of 20 years in sports radio this month. Gold was initially hired by 850 The Buzz, and has been installed in afternoons on The Fan with co-host Joe Ovies since 2010.

Ric Bucher has teamed up with Atlanta producer Shaine Freeman to launch the United We Cast Network. The new platform will include a collection of shows from established names in various parts of the sports and entertainment industry. Among them are comedian/movie actor Gary Owen (GetSome Podcast), actor Isaiah Washington (Isaiah Washington Speaks…Again) and former NBA center Ryan Hollins who will co-host a program (The SwRL) with Bucher. All three podcasts will delve into issues of race and race relations in different areas of the entertainment industry. The network’s goal is to create discussion and share personal experiences on issues and topics which may be considered too risky for other mediums. To learn more click here.

In other podcasting news, San Diego afternoon host Scott Kaplan has launched a solo podcast. The Mighty 1090 personality’s latest episode includes a no holds barred conversation with Kaplan’s former radio partner Sid Rosenberg who now hosts middays on WABC in New York City. One particularly interesting part of the episode includes a detailed discussion between the two men over the way their former show in the big apple was set up for failure. To take a listen click here.

FOX Sports 97.5 FM/1260 AM in Indianapolis has canceled its local morning show which was added to the weekday schedule one year ago. The radio station has dropped “The Flagrant Foul” featuring Don Stuck and Dave “Gunner” Gunn. Taking over the morning time slot is FOX Sports Radio‘s “Outkick The Coverage with Clay Travis“.

If you missed it, Dino Costa has resurfaced. The controversial talk show host who was dropped by 750/102.9 The Game in Portland in August has joined AM 970 The Answer in New York City. Costa now hosts the overnight shift from Midnight to 3am ET.

And in play by play news, Elijah Gonzalez has been hired by the Fort Myers Miracle as the team’s #2 broadcaster.

Michelle Smallmon Returns to 101 ESPN

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Michelle Smallmon is heading home. After recently announcing her departure from ESPN Radio, the former producer for Ryen Russillo, Danny Kanell, Will Cain and Jorge Sedano has been hired by her former employer 101 ESPN in St. Louis to become Bernie Miklasz’s partner in morning drive.

“I’m so thrilled to be reunited with Bernie Miklasz and my 101 ESPN family in this new role” said Smallmon. “Getting the opportunity to work at ESPN in Bristol was a dream come true, and I’m so grateful for my time there and to all the amazing people I met at the network. But St. Louis is my home, and it feels great to be back in the community that means so much to me.”

Prior to moving to Bristol, CT to produce for ESPN Radio, Smallmon spent time producing and contributing to Miklasz’s show. Now after gaining more experience and honing her skills, she’s ready to head back to where it all started and take on a bigger on-air role working with one of St. Louis’ best on-air radio personalities.

“I gave Michelle her first full-time gig in sports-talk radio” noted Miklasz. “I chose her as my producer even though there were more experienced candidates under consideration. But I sincerely believed she had a chance to be special, and she was worthy of the chance. I am so proud of her, watching her develop into a budding star. She is an exceptional talent and person who will only continue to grow and shine. And she will make my show better in so many ways. It really is the perfect fit.”

The radio station confirmed that Miklasz and Smallmon will start working together on a full time basis Monday January 29th. She’s also expected to contribute to 101 ESPN’s digital platforms.

“It’s great to have Michelle come home to 101 ESPN” added PD Chris “Hoss” Neupert. “She will be a great addition to ‘The Bernie Miklasz Show” and we are excited to continue improving our great sports radio station! We are also looking forward to her contributions on www.101sports.com.”

In conjunction with the announcement of Smallmon’s addition, Hubbard St. Louis VP John Kijowski acknowledged that the radio station had also agreed to terms on a lengthy contract extension with Miklasz.

“With all of his accomplishments, awards and honors from his on-the-air show hosting and sports writing- we’re thrilled to extend Bernie’s deal with 101 ESPN” Kijowski commented. “And we could not be more pleased to welcome back Michelle to the 101 ESPN airwaves. She’s proven herself as a sports radio professional on the national level, and we’re excited to have her expertise and skills working with Bernie on ‘The Bernie Miklasz Show” in her new capacity.”

Golic and Wingo Moving to ESPNEWS

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Mike Greenberg’s television endeavor Get Up is set to launch on ESPN April 2nd, which bumps SportsCenter to ESPN2 and leaves his former partner’s radio show, Golic and Wingo, needing a new simulcast home.

ESPN announced in a press release, the Golic and Wingo simulcast will move to ESPNEWS April 2. The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz will move from ESPNU, its home since 2015, to ESPNEWS. The Will Cain Show will remain on ESPNEWS, its TV destination since launching January 2nd of this year.

“We thought it important to bring the ESPN Radio simulcasts together, for one-stop-shopping, as it were, on ESPNEWS,” said Traug Keller, senior vice president, ESPN Audio. “There are benefits in this move for advertisers and viewers alike, and with the other changes to the daily programming on our networks, the time was right.”

ESPNEWS’ weekday schedule will consist of Golic and Wingo from 6a-10a, The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz 10a-1p and The Will Cain Show will continue in its 3p-6p timeslot. The ESPNEWS lineup will almost mirror CBS Sports Network which also has three weekday radio simulcasts, Boomer and Gio from 6a-10a, The Jim Rome Show from noon-3p and Tiki + Tierney from 3p-6p.

When ESPNEWS debuted in 1996, its emphasis was on providing sports news and highlights. 22 years later its new weekday lineup of radio simulcasts depict a different mentality from the network that now tries to be more than just scores and statistics.

Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.


BSM Podcast - Season 3 - Episode 1 - Traug Keller - ESPN Radio

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Season 3 of the BSM Podcast begins with an appearance by ESPN Radio Senior Vice President Traug Keller. The 20+ minute conversation conversation covers a number of key industry items including Traug’s view on the present state of the ESPN Radio lineup, the network’s focus on digital growth, ESPN’s commitment to diversity, how the company will adjust if sports betting is legalized, the proper length of time a new show deserves in order to prove itself, whether ESPN is interested in purchasing more local stations, and much more.

The new season also features the debut of The BSM 180. The new three minute feature examines the importance of programming and sales working together, PD’s taking a stronger interest in their station’s beyond the ratings, and what companies should be doing to involve and excite the leader’s of their operations.

SUBJECTS COVERED WITH TRAUG:

  • The present state of the ESPN Radio lineup
  • How ESPN measures a show’s impact on a national scale
  • Whether the national sports radio space is overcrowded
  • Radio’s ability to sell digital and ESPN’s ability to monetize it
  • If sports betting gets legalized, how will ESPN respond?
  • The Michael Kay’s show recent win in the NY winter ratings book
  • What owning local radio stations means to ESPN’s business
  • Whether ESPN has interest in purchasing additional stations
  • ESPN’s commitment to diversity and why it’s a high priority
  • Bomani Jones, Colin Cowherd and Dan Patrick
  • John Skipper’s unexpected departure from ESPN
  • First impressions of new ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro
  • The rise of media people attacking other media people
  • How long a new show deserves to connect with an audience
  • Quick Hits: State of Audio/Radio, ESPN misconceptions, Future changes, One move

FROM THE GUEST

Traug’s Twitter handle: @TraugK

Hollywood Reporter Sheds Light on ESPN Divide Over SC6

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A new story in the Hollywood Reporter written by Marissa Guthrie sheds some light on the behind the scenes drama that surrounded ESPN’s attempt to report the 6pm SportsCenter with Jemele Hill and Michael Smith. It’s something, she writes, that still has Bristol divided.

Internal discord over the 6 p.m. SportsCenterexperiment co-hosted by Jemele Hill and Michael Smith — and yanked after less than a year despite four-year deals worth $10 million each — still lingers.

The whole piece focuses on ESPN’s obsession with reversing the whole “MSESPN” image that Fox Sports Radio’s Clay Travis helped cement last year in his numerous media appearances and written pieces complaining of the network’s liberal bias. Travis is also the one who dubbed Hill and Smith’s take on SportsCenter as “WokeCenter,” which apparently was a real problem for some ESPN executives, who saw Hill’s exit as a good thing for the brand.

When Hill, who became a lightning rod with critics dubbing the show “WokeCenter,” left in February, Norby Williamson, ESPN’s executive vp and executive editor of studio production, quipped in front of a room full of people: “One down, one to go.” Four ESPN employees tell THR that Dave Roberts, ESPN’s vp content, was heard characterizing the show as “too black.” (Through a spokesperson, Roberts, who is African-American, vehemently denies saying this.)

Still, not everyone shared this opinion of Hill or Smith or their take on SportsCenter.

“It’s not that they were too woke, or too black, the problem was they were too new,” says a veteran senior executive. “They were too unfamiliar to the 6 p.m. audience. From the second they started they were up against internal crap, the traditionalists shitting on them, and they faced harsh criticism externally. It was panic from moment one. And the network didn’t do a good job of defending and supporting them.”

ESPN has attempted to remove any potential controversy from the SportsCenter brand by putting Sage Steele (who may step in some PR hot water from time to time, but those times are never on air) and Kevin Negandhi in the anchor chairs at 6pm. Guthrie also notes that in other areas, ESPN is adding conservative voices, particularly on First Take.

Among its biggest stars is First Take‘s Stephen A. Smith, who has professed support for Donald Trump, though not on every issue. Meanwhile, Will Cain, a conservative who has had stints at The Blaze and CNN and has been an ESPN contributor since 2015, got his own ESPN Radio program in January and is now part of the ESPN TV firmament. And Roberts, say three sources, has suggested replacing First Take moderator Molly Qerim with Cain.

Guthrie’s piece focuses on the factions within ESPN. She posits that there are people who believe a return to the opinion-less highlights-driven content the network was built on is the only way to survive. Others say that ESPN has to experiment to find its groove in a world that is full of more choices for sports fans. That is why Hill and Smith were allowed to try something new with SportsCenter. The same is true of Scott Van Pelt’s midnight show and the company’s investment in digital products like the Snapchat edition of SportsCenter or ESPN+.

“Norby is pushing antiquated SportsCenter stuff wherever he can,” says an on-air personality. “There are good creative people there. I don’t think it’s an accident that if you did a happiness quotient, the farther way from Bristol people are, the happier and the more productive they are.” Or as one source puts it: “It’s a battle for the soul of ESPN.”

You can read the full article here.

 

First Take Two-A-Days Coming to ESPN in July

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While most TV shows are planning vacations the first week of July, ESPN’s First Take will be adding more hours. From July 2-6 viewers will see two different versions of First Take everyday. Guest hosts will handle the usual 10am – noon time slot, while the regular cast of Molly Qerim, Max Kellerman and Stephen A. Smith will host a special NBA themed afternoon edition of the show each day at 4:30.

The morning version of the show will be hosted by former Bachelorette contestant and avid basketball fan Rachel Lindsey, who has appeared as a guest on the show before. Amongst the commentators set to rotate through the morning show will be ESPN Radio’s Will Cain, the Undefeated’s Dominique Foxworth, ESPN Radio’s Jason Fitz, and ESPN NBA analyst Ryan Hollins.

The afternoon edition featuring First Take’s regular panel will be focused on NBA free agency (read as “LeBron James”) as well as storylines out of the NBA Draft. That show will take the afternoon of July 4 off. The morning show will be seen everyday during that week.

Dave Robert, ESPN’s vice president of network content says in a press release that the NBA is a year-round conversation, and this new schedule is designed to take advantage of the interests of the league’s large fanbase. “We are expanding our live programming to reinforce First Take’s commitment to being the first choice for lively debate and entertainment discussion on any major developments throughout the league – mornings and afternoons. With free agency up next, First Take will examine every angle through the two shows.”

 

Will Cain Profiled by Washington Post

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While ESPN has oft been criticized for leaning far to the left and not sticking to sports, Ben Strauss of The Washington Post detailed the rising stardom of conservative political analyst Will Cain at the network.

Many of the most prominent ESPN personalities in recent years held largely liberal viewpoints, such as Jemele Hill, Michael Smith, Tony Kornheiser, Mike Wilbon, Dan Le Batard, Bomani Jones, Keith Olbermann.  Since stepping in as president of the network in March, Jimmy Pitaro has brought more balance to ESPN, “When I look at this topic — the criticism that we’re left-leaning — my job is to bring on people who have different thoughts,” Pitaro said. “Will is a great example. . . . I feel like we’re pretty balanced right now.”

Cain hosts a daily radio show for ESPN and regularly contributes to First Take where his opinions rarely fall in line with Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman.  “We want a potpourri of opinions,” Smith told The Post. “I’m interested in mass appeal for the show.”

Cain doesn’t think like a lot of his ESPN peers and with roots in Texas, the law school graduate also doesn’t sound like many of them.  Prior to joining ESPN, the Texas native, was a political analyst appearing on Fox News, The View and MSNBC among other outlets.  Cain later began filling in on ESPN Radio, working his way up to co-host of The Ryen Russillo Show and taking over as solo host earlier this year.

Cain who joined the network before Trump became president, puts his show’s emphasis on sports.  “I didn’t come here to bring politics to sports,” Cain recently said during his radio program. “I didn’t come here to counterbalance anybody out.”  Although he leans to the right, Cain does not proclaim himself a Trump supporter and avoids the more controversial stylings of Fox Sports conservative sports radio host Clay Travis.

The Will Cain Show which debuted in January, airs weekdays on ESPN Radio from 3 – 6pm ET.

Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.

Will Cain has Opinions Not Hot Takes

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Will Cain is more than a conservative voice for ESPN. While watching Cain on First Take and listening to him weekdays from 3 – 6pm ET on ESPN radio, you’ll quickly learn political ideals do not define Will Cain as a sports personality.

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At a time when many media platforms attempt to talk politics hoping to generate a buzz, Cain, a former political analyst, wants to focus on sports and enjoys doing so.  Cain is passionate about sports, but more than that, he’s passionate about being inventive, offering opinions, debate, and learning from others.

Cain’s time as a political analyst fueled his desire to find mediums which would allow him to offer honest opinions through debate and helped groom him as an entertaining media personality in any format.  After joining ESPN in 2015, his rapid rise at the network now sees him as a regular contributor to First Take, one of ESPN’s most successful television shows, and hosting his own daily national radio show, which launched earlier this year.

Cain’s goal is to make the listener think by engaging in unique, entertaining conversations.  I was able to sit down with Will and have an interesting conversation of our own about his growing role at ESPN.

Brandon Contes: The radio show is about 10 months young now, is it going how you would like it to go?

Will Cain: A radio show is a living breathing thing, every day is different and I can’t hope to achieve perfection every time.  I have lessons to take home at the end of a three hour show and we’re always thinking of ways to get better, but the core of who we are and what we want to do on this show has largely been established.

First and foremost, I want to talk about sports and we do that every day.  We, meaning me and all the guys who work on this show…we love football, basketball, baseball, we love sports and our goal every day is to have conversations that the audience is in on, but in interesting and unique ways.

Second, I do think I have a perspective, maybe a worldview or a way of thinking that’s different than most people in this business, so I hope that I can bring unique angles, frames and thoughts to the radio show.  Essentially, our identity has been established, day in and day out we’re true to ourselves, but have we achieved perfection and do I walk home every night saying another one over the fence?  No.

BC: You said your plan every day is to talk sports, so did you find that transition difficult at all going from your political background to talking sports…not only from your perspective, but the audience’s perspective from a credibility standpoint?

WC: From my perspective, I didn’t find it difficult at all.  I found it refreshing.  One of the interesting things that we’ve experienced is a lot of people in sports, and not just in this company, but the sports industry in general…seem to have a desire to talk politics.  I came from the other direction, I came with a desire to talk sports.

Maybe I got it out of my system, maybe I know what I signed up for, but I don’t find it difficult at all. I find it fun, exciting and refreshing when I wake up every day to think, why is that quarterback doing awesome and that one over there sucking.  I never want to talk about the latest tie-in to the political news cycle that I can find.

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Is it difficult for the audience? Maybe on the surface… I don’t know…honestly, I don’t concern myself with other people’s opinions too often.  I know that sounds like an easy, popular, cool thing to say, but I certainly can’t go about my days worrying what others might think about me because…I would just be a weather vane.

BC: I’ve asked that question to athletes before, because someone like Jalen Rose, the audience knows him because he played basketball.  So if they see him talking football or baseball, a lot of fans look at it and say…what does he know about those sports, he played basketball.  It doesn’t necessarily make sense, but he still needs to earn the trust of listeners. Did you ever find yourself trying to come up with a unique angle or hot take…just to prove you’re all-in on sports?

WC: No, I just don’t do things to try and prove it to other people.  I don’t.

But, you asked about a unique angle. I certainly want to come every day with that, I don’t believe in hot takes.  By the way…will you define hot takes for me?  What does that mean?

BC: An opinion you’re not necessarily all-in on yourself, but know it’s going to generate a reaction from the audience.

WC: Okay, I’ve never done that, not one time.  Not one time, three hours a day, five days a week, I’ve never done that.

BC: I think you do get it a lot in radio, not you personally, but I think plenty of hosts do it.  Probably less often with solo hosts, you’ll hear it more with co-hosts because they feel the need to have a different opinion and argument for the same topic.

WC: I think you’re right by the way, that’s the popular definition of a hot take.  It requires you to know someone else’s motivation and intention.  When you accuse someone of a hot take, you’re not just saying what I am saying on its face is a hot take, you’re saying that I’m doing it to get attention, that I don’t believe it.  I can look you deep in the eye and tell you that I have never once done that on First Take or this radio show…that doesn’t mean I’m not accused of it.  I’m accused of it all the time.

I think what a lot of people yell hot take at are opinions that they’ve never even considered.  If it’s outside of their traditional line of thought or constricted world view, and I’m talking about the person that’s yelling hot take, if it’s outside of those things, then they think it must come from a bad place of motivation.  So I generally hate the term hot take because I think people use it to yell at thoughts that they’ve never even considered.

BC: When you were in the media as a political analyst, did you have a desire to get into sports?  Or did you think you would be doing political shows for the rest of your career.

WC: I probably thought I would be doing political shows.

The true line for what I do in the media, and this sounds generic, but I don’t care…I want to have interesting conversations.  When I first got into this, I was an entrepreneur and created a television pilot that I thought I’d try to sell to CNN or somewhere.  I hadn’t really sent out a resume and tried to get a job in media. The pilot I created had nothing to do with politics, it had to do with ideas. Deeper ideas like what is taxation, or where are we with race in America.  Those are interesting conversations for me.  Politics became the vehicle for a lot of those conversations.

I cared less about who would win the Nevada senatorial race, I cared more about the ideas that dictated those outcomes.  Being naïve drove me to think I could have these honest, deep conversations, but as time went on it became clear there are very few mainstream outlets where that happens.  I think it’s happening more now with podcasts and YouTube shows.

When it came to sports, which I was a fan of since I’ve been six years old, it just became the next vehicle for me to have interesting conversations, and ones that I was already having with my friends.

BC: So how did you get from those political shows to ESPN and what led to the quick rise?  You got here in 2015 and here you are on First Take, one of the most successful TV shows they have and then you’re hosting a daily three hour radio show.

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WC: How did I get here…it’s actually not a very interesting answer because the way I got to ESPN is through relationships, agents and talent evaluators.  I don’t mean that’s not cool, but Rob Savinelli is head of the talent department here and saw me on CNN, he saw something in me he thought would translate across different topics, he’s the main reason I’m at ESPN, but agents also played a big role.

A long time ago, I was brought in to shoot a radio pilot with Tony Reali, which now that I think about it, was probably in this studio.  That was my first relationship with ESPN.

BC: How long ago?

WC: Maybe 12 or 13 years ago?  Then time passed, we both moved on, but in 2014 and 15 the communication started again and still a lot of that is driven by agents and Rob. I met with the president, John Skipper. During that whole time period, I’m proving if I know sports, it’s a pretty mechanical process…

Why the rise?  Because I’m really good at what I do…

And earlier you asked about credibility, the most common feedback I get from this radio show, which I love, is ‘I hated you, but now you’re my favorite at ESPN.’  I think that has to do with the credibility question, because they think of me one way…they think of me as political or conservative, argumentative or just the guy on First Take that’s always debating Stephen A.

The audience comes with these ideas, but if they take some time to listen, maybe it’s the unique way I look at sports or the fact that I can laugh at myself. I take what I say seriously, but not myself seriously…whatever it may be, after they spend some time and I become a human being to them, the credibility comes in what I say.

You also mentioned Jalen and talking about football, I understand somebody at first saying…wait he’s a basketball player talking about football…but if you give him a minute and listen to him, you judge him on what is actually coming out of his mouth.  I get a lot of people to judge me and if they spend a little time, I’m comfortable with where they come down on my credibility and quality of what I do.

BC: You said you’re really good at what you do…what are your goals going forward?  Stephen A. is a superstar on TV and the radio, but he still talks about wanting to move First Take into primetime and possibly trying a late night talk show again, so what would be the next step for you?

WC: First of all, I want to be doing what I’m doing now, I want to have a daily, solo radio show.  I want to build an audience that understands who I am and comes here knowing what this is…it’s a place where your thoughts and ideas will be challenged.  I think that’s really lacking in society.  I think we’re in the process of building walls around our opinions and identities and protecting ourselves from anything that might threaten in anyway.  That’s not what this show is, this show is where you come to have everything you are and everything you believe challenged, including me…and I love radio because that’s where you can do that.

But I do want more.  I think that place in the media is wide open.  I want to create more platforms, I’m not sure what yet, but maybe it’s debate, maybe it’s on TV, but I want to be entrepreneurial in finding ways to have challenging, entertaining, fun, provocative conversations.  I know those are a bunch of generic buzzwords, but I can’t emphasize enough that I feel like everything the media has moved toward is just giving people what they already believe.

BC: Does First Take help fill that wide open space in media for debate and honest conversation where the audience is aware of any preconceived views?

WC: First Take is the best debate show in traditional television. It’s honest, it’s real, and it’s competitive. And it’ll make all the usual suspects insane to hear it, but news media would do well to learn from it.

BC: Is First Take a valuable form of promoting your radio show?

WC: First Take is one of the highest rated shows, and importantly, most relevant shows in all of sports. Athletes, owners, other media members and fans all watch First Take. It sets the agenda for much of sports talk. It’s an incredibly valuable promotional vehicle for my show. But I love First Take and did so before I had the radio show. I like the format, the people, and the concept. I love debate.

BC: Did you ever have a radio show before joining ESPN?

WC: I did a Saturday morning radio show co-hosted with S.E. Cupp for about a year.

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BC: So still very new to the radio industry?

WC: Absolutely.

BC: Being that Max Kellerman and Stephen A. have been so successful in radio and you’re on First Take regularly, do you ever pick their brain about radio?

WC: Max and I are friendly, we enjoy each other’s debate, we haven’t talked a lot about radio.  Stephen A. is someone who has been a sounding board for pretty much everything I do, meaning radio, TV, behind the scenes career stuff, I’m not going to pretend he is necessarily my mentor, but if I have on-air things that I am worried about, he would be the first person I will call.

BC: How involved are you in developing topics for the radio show?

WC: I don’t want to say I’m 100% responsible because it’s a team effort, but it’s definitely all driven around my opinion about whatever is going on.  The night before, we start emailing each other about stories we want to do or think we’re going to do tomorrow.  We have our meeting before the show where we narrow in on the four or five big topics we’re going to do on the show and frame them.

I used to talk to Ryen Russillo about this in terms of radio conversations.  You know the difference between a Jackson Pollock painting and wallpaper?  A frame…one is put into a frame and called art, the other is put on a wall and called wallpaper.  I don’t mean to diminish Jackson Pollock as an artist, but the frame becomes very important.

Think about what your eyes take in on a daily basis vs. a photograph. The difference is the photograph has a frame around it.  Every conversation we have has to be put into a frame. You can’t just take a game from the night before and say let’s talk about the game.  What frame are you putting it in? That’s how you create conversations on the radio.

BC: How about the First Take topics you contribute to? Being that it’s a debate format, the show needs to offer the audience different opinions. If a topic is presented and everyone agrees with it, does it just get thrown out?  Or do you need to take an argumentative stance regardless?

WC: I have a ton of input in developing the topics I contribute to on First Take. I want to say something and be clear about it. A lot of people believe First Take debates are manufactured, fake or we are acting. 100% false…We either have disagreement, or it doesn’t go in the show.  Now, sometimes it takes work to find angles of disagreement, while other times it’s obvious and there is very little discussion ahead of time. In those cases, someone will give their opinion and his opposition will just say, “Put it on the board”. As for me, I send in thoughts and takes by email the night before so they can see what I think and where I’ll fit.

BC: Did you have radio hosts that you listened to that you looked up to?

WC: Well obviously Howard Stern is the greatest of all time.  I was a massive fan of The Ticket in Dallas when growing up and I still listen to them.  The Morning Musers, George Dunham, Craig Miller and Gordon Keith, who I think is a genius at radio.  Later in my life, I’ve started to listen to LeBatard and I think he is really good at what he does.  I take lessons from him even though we’re not doing the same kind of show.

BC: One of the things Howard Stern does better than anyone else, is making the audience feel like they’re part of the show, like a fraternity…do you feel a connection to your audience 10 months in?

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WC: I do, and that’s part of the unfinished process.  You asked me where I am 10 months in and what I want going forward…I want to have an audience that knows why they’re coming to where they are and what they’re going to get.  First of all, we’re talking about the greatest of all time, and second, we’re talking about a guy who has been doing it for decades, but it’s enviable, that should be all of our goals to create something like that.

The callers that call in to tell me I’m wrong and say ‘I disagree with everything you say, but I love hearing you say it…you make me think’…that’s important.  Also Howard’s, and this is harder for me sometimes, but the exposure of his personal life, his vulnerability as a human being.  The incorporation of the people around him and their personal dynamics…that’s all important as well.

BC: Is it ever difficult being in Connecticut?  You’re near the New York and Boston markets where there are great local stations.  The public is talking about Yankees, Red Sox, Jets, Giants, Patriots, but then you’re not on terrestrial radio here, so you might need to be talking about college football.

WC: No, I don’t feel like everyone around here is interested in something that I’m not.

BC: So you’re able to completely separate the community you’re building in radio vs the community you live in.

WC: Yeah, definitely.  My personal life and career have been modeled on being in places where I’m different.  Texas kid who wanted to go to school in California, small town Texas conservative Christian that moved to the upper west side of New York.  You can’t make me be in a more different place and I like that.

BC: Do you have a preference, TV or radio?

WC: I don’t think I should have to choose.

BC: Is one more pressure than the other?

WC: I don’t think so, but I also don’t have my own TV show.  First Take is very near and dear to my heart, and I feel a part of that family, but it’s not my own.

BC: But you’re still on it regularly, you have specific segments you need to debate, it’s more scheduled.  Whereas radio, certainly still has pressure to be successful, but you have more freedom, more of a creative release.

WC: Yep, and more responsibility.  This is my thing.  It’s my name on this, I will ultimately be the person responsible for the success or failure of the radio show.

BC: You would not consider your show a conservative sports show, it is just a sports show, right?

WC: Absolutely! (Will said emphatically)

BC: Is it relevant that some refer to you as a conservative host?

WC: Other people think my politics are more important to me than I do.  They’re just part of who I am, but they’re below my world view.  I do have a world view, so does every radio host and every human being, but my world view isn’t also my political view.  If you put a bunch of conservatives in a room together, they’re still going to disagree on things like parenting, cheating and sports.

This idea that conservative is at the top of the definitions of who I am…other people feel that way, I don’t feel that way. Now…is it a slice of the pie for me? Yeah, I’m a traditionalist to some extent, but I’m also a risk taker. I’ve started companies and all of these things go into the opinions I have on whether or not Odell Beckham Jr. is embodying good leadership…not my politics.

BC: If you were the same person, the same show, same opinions, but you were never on CNN or on shows as a political analyst, I don’t think the conservative narrative would be discussed much.

WC: They would start thinking about things like, where are you from, what’s your family like, how did you grow up, what are your values, and those are all big parts of me.

And by the way, I’m not running from this idea that I’m conservative, because I feel like media fails right out of the gates with this.  What’s our job?  To tell the truth is our number one job and I think 95% of the media stumbles on that by lying to the audience and trying to tell them you don’t have an opinion or bias, that you’re objective in telling it the way it is.  BS…you’re not.  So I try to be honest, this is who I am and this is what I believe.

I’m not running from the idea that I might have some conservative political beliefs, but I want the audience to know that and then if they disagree with me, they can discount that bias by having the full knowledge that it’s there.  I’m not going to stumble out of the gates by lying to them.  Here’s who I am, now you can do with it what you want.

BC: Before joining ESPN, could you have envisioned sports and politics getting intertwined as much as it is now?

WC: I certainly didn’t see any of that coming. I didn’t see politics becoming such an important part of every piece of entertainment.  Would I have thought in 2015 that my world view might have been unique? Yeah, I might have thought that. And that could contribute to some interesting conversations, specifically in places like First Take that’s centered around debate. Stephen A. and I might see something differently.  Not even a big important issue, but little issues – again, is this good leadership by Odell Beckham Jr..  We might see it differently because of our worldviews, but I never thought about that as like… Well, my politics will come in handy here.

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BC: How does a sports host balance politics and sports, knowing that you can be at risk for alienating an audience?

WC: What you’re asking is a judgement call and it’s a judgement call made every day on every topic by every host and my judgement is this: am I doing this for me or am I doing it for the audience?  Is this a topic of interest to the audience that put ESPN on that day for a reason, or am I doing it because I have some things near and dear to my heart that I need to get off my chest? If I’m doing it for those reasons, then I’m not making the right judgment call.  Now if it’s why the audience is here, or maybe even around it in some way, then now we’re talking about something we should entertain.

I think our job is to be able to try and have those conversations in the least partisan way that we can.  I don’t want to do any partisan talk. I do want to talk about issues – I will talk about that when they’re connected to sports and I think the audience is interested in it, but stay away from left, right, Republican, Democrat.

BC: That’s not a question just for your show, I think that’s a question for anybody talking sports right now just because it is intertwined, at times, with social issues.  That balance of how do you navigate talking about those issues and still making sure that your show is giving the audience what they’re tuning into ESPN for is important.

WC: 100% correct…and I would add one more thing to that.  If we do get into areas where we’re talking about those kinds of topics, I think it’s important, and this goes back to the identity of this show, it’s important that it is an open conversation. Here is my point of view – I’ve talked to you about my bias, you’re aware of who I am. I will tell you that I think you’re wrong on this, but I’m not closing you out, I’m not demeaning what you believe.  There’s the phone number, here’s the Twitter feed, you can join the conversation and I will entertain the idea that I’m wrong and I will hear your point of view out. So many shows, channels, mediums, close out and dismiss from the conversation, people who disagree with them, or things they didn’t consider. That’s not what this show is.

BC: I think that’s the beauty of radio.  Even if one listener with a different opinion doesn’t call, someone else will call or you’ll have a guest on that has a different idea, so multiple viewpoints are always represented.

WC: We go out of our way to find people who disagree with us, especially on these kinds of topics.

BC: Which brings it back to being entertaining and prevents a show from alienating an audience – If the opposing point is represented, they’re not going to change the channel, even if it’s not the host’s point.

WC: I think that’s one of the reasons…and maybe this takes us full circle, why I will hear that biggest compliment, ‘I disagree with so much what you say, I used to hate you, but now you’re my favorite.’

Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.

The post Will Cain has Opinions Not Hot Takes appeared first on BARRETT SPORTS MEDIA.

First Take Preparing For Epic Road Trip Next Week

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ESPN is taking First Take on the road all next week. The show is headed West and features stops in Texas, California, and Arizona.

On Monday, November 5 Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman, Molly Qerim Rose, and their crew will be in Arlington, Texas ahead of that night’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Cowboys and Titans. The show will be open to a live studio audience and have a decidedly pro-Cowboys slant. Team legends Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, and Darren Woodson are all scheduled to appear. Regular guest Will Cain, a Texas native, will also participate in debate segments that day.

After Texas, First Take will head to LA for an extended residence at ESPN’s West Coast production base in the heart of LA Live. The show will be in town from the 6th through the 8th. The stop is built around ESPN’s coverage of the Lakers and Timberwolves meeting on the 7th. Guests for those three shows include TNT’s Kenny Anderson and media mogul Steve Harvey live in studio, and Mark Wahlberg joining the show from New York.

The road trip ends in Maricopa County, Arizona. First Take will visit Luke Air Force Base in Glendale to celebrate Veteran’s Day. Military personnel are welcome to join the show as a live audience. Professional wrestling legend Ric Flair is scheduled to be in attendance as well.

First Take’s road trip comes after a strong performance for the show. It carried ESPN to the top of the ratings for all cable networks amongst both men and adults ages 18-34 and 18-49 during the month of October.

The post First Take Preparing For Epic Road Trip Next Week appeared first on BARRETT SPORTS MEDIA.

The BSM Top 20 National Sports Radio Shows of 2018

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On the 4th day of list-a-mania, we turn our attention to sports radio’s national shows. These programs air on some of the most recognized brands in the nation and feature some of the best talent in the format.

Before you scroll down, there are a few things to be aware of. First, the voting for this series is done by fifty one radio executives from thirty cities and thirteen companies. BSM president Jason Barrett does not vote. He simply assembles the panel and presents their collective opinions.

Secondly, we ask our voters to consider the following criteria below when judging programs. That said, each voter has different tastes, which makes this a subjective process. No list will ever satisfy every station, show or city, but what makes the BSM Top 20 series unique is that collective snapshot of the sports format’s best shows is decided on by industry executives.

  • Strong ratings in 2018
  • Important show/brand connection with local listeners
  • Exceptional talent and content provided on a consistent basis
  • Finished 2018 with the station and in the afternoon timeslot
  • Points are given for each spot (EX: 20 for 1st, 1 for 20th)

Moving on to the rankings, at the top of the mountain once again is FOX Sports Radio’s Colin Cowherd. This is Colin’s third time being voted the best national host in America. He gave up that honor last year to The Dan Patrick Show but voters this year came out strongly in support of his work.

Colin’s ability to consistently deliver thought provoking opinions, interesting analogies, bold predictions, funny moments, and insightful conversations with well known sports figures, keep him top of mind with everyone, and one of the national scene’s most important personalities.

Additional Notes:

  • Colin Cowherd reclaimed 1st place with a 31 point advantage over The Dan Patrick Show; Cowherd also gained the most 1st place votes (18)
  • The closest races were Nick Wright over Mike Florio by 4 points, and Barstool Radio edging The Morning Men by 2 points
  • Spain & Fitz finished in 21st place, 22 points behind Scott Ferrall
  • 22-25 belonged to Freddie & Fitz, Ben Maller, Jason Smith and Taz & Moose
  • 51 national shows were eligible for consideration, 6 received at least one (1) 1st place vote

The post The BSM Top 20 National Sports Radio Shows of 2018 appeared first on BARRETT SPORTS MEDIA.






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