Barrett Blogs
Leaving California
Many of us in this business have heard the phrase “the bigger the risk, the bigger reward“. In theory it sounds good but when push comes to shove, most people prefer a sure thing over the unknown. I don’t blame them. The unknown is scary and unpredictable.
Well, anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows that I don’t fear taking risks. It may not always be popular or look good at first glance, but that approach has put me in position to run four radio stations in three top-20 markets over the past nine years and thanks to working with some great people it’s led to a lot of success.
Today is bittersweet for me because while I’m staying true to that approach, it’s for a very different reason. I’ve spent the last nine years making choices based on what was best for my career. Today, I’m making a decision based on what’s best for me and my family rather than worrying about how it might look or impact my career.
To the surprise of many, I’ve informed my friends and family at Entercom that I will be leaving San Francisco and my position as Program Director of 95.7 The Game at the end of my contract when it expires this June!
Before the rumor mill swirls with all sorts of created controversies and half truths, let me state that this has zero to do with being unhappy with my staff or company. It has zero to do with wanting more money or power and it has zero to do with my company’s faith in me. Truth be told, I’ve loved this place from the moment I arrived in June 2011, Entercom has treated me and my family incredibly well and if they had their preference, I’d be staying here.
Saying goodbye to people who I’ve grown close to and care about is not easy but I didn’t arrive at this decision overnight. This is something I’ve contemplated for a long time and while it may catch some people off guard, I know in my heart that it’s time.
So the natural question is, why am I leaving?
I wish I had some complex answer but it’s really simple. I’ve reached a point in my life where returning home to New York and being there for my son as he enters his teenage years is critical for me. My parents are also starting to slow down in their later years and I want to be there to help them as much as I can. As much as I love radio, building brands and coaching and motivating people, I love my son and family more and it’s time to put my focus on them in a much stronger way.
For some who know me, that might be hard to digest given how much passion and effort I put into this line of work. Sure I’ve balanced things pretty well over the years but I never drew up a plan to have my son and I separated by thousands of miles. I was dealt those cards and had to adjust to make it work. On the surface it may seem like I found the solution to juggle it but you haven’t seen me every other Friday morning and Sunday evening in New York when I’ve been fighting to stay awake and be available in conversation or fight back emotions as I say goodbye to my son and head to the airport to catch another flight.
For nine years, my schedule every 2-3 weeks has consisted of flying on a plane to/from NY, renting a car and driving two hours upstate to share a bedroom with my son in my parents house for three days. It’s physically and emotionally exhausting and I can’t do it anymore.
I’ve been lucky to have great support from my son and parents and I know they’d be in my corner no matter what I decided. At some point in life, we all have to look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we’re ok with the decisions we’ve made and I won’t look back regretting the fact that I was absent from my son’s life during his entire childhood. These next 5 years of his life are critical and will heavily influence what type of man he becomes and I won’t miss the opportunity to help lead him down the right path as he inches closer towards chasing his own hopes and dreams one day.
I recognize some cynical people will suggest this is corporate spin or that there’s more to the story that I’m not sharing. I can’t control other people’s thoughts and actions, only my own. I wouldn’t exit a situation without a guarantee elsewhere unless it had a bigger meaning to me and I wouldn’t be sticking around for a few more months to help with a transition if I wasn’t still wanted here.
Before I discuss my future, I’d like to thank some people who have been a huge part of this journey the past four years. Without their trust, support, respect and friendship we would not have had great success at 95.7 The Game.
First, my former GM Dwight Walker and Entercom’s President of Programming Pat Paxton were the ones who hired me in San Francisco. They believed in me and my vision for 95.7 The Game and supported me every step of the way. I will be forever grateful to each of them for having trust in me to shape the radio station the way I saw fit. Did I get it all right? No. But we enjoyed a lot of success and they had my back every step of the way and were great professional colleagues who I respect tremendously.
Secondly, my entire team at 95.7 The Game has been special and afforded me four of the best years of my professional career. From our initial lineup of the Rise Guys, Chris Townsend, The Wheelhouse w/ Lund, Papa, Urban & Steinmetz & The Drive with Brandon Tierney & Eric Davis to our current crew of Flight 957, Papa & Lund, Haberman & Middlekauff, Damon Bruce and Towny & Zakariah, we’ve created great radio together and I’ve enjoyed being a part of the ride with you.
While I’m intense, driven and a pain in the ass at times, I hope those who’ve worked with me in San Francisco realize that my goals were to make people better and grow the radio station. If you took 2-3 things away from me and used them to improve as a broadcaster, then I’ve done my job. Numerous people have left situations in other cities and companies to be part of this and words can’t express how much it’s meant to me that you took the leap to come here.
We launched in August 2011 in 25th place with Men 25-54 M-F 6a-7p. In December 2014, we were in 8th and we’ve peaked as high as 6th in June 2014. That’s great progress in a top five market in a little more than three years. And to think, this team haven’t even hit its peak yet. I suspect bigger books are just around the corner.
To say I’m extremely proud of the progress we made as a team would be a massive understatement. I have no doubt that the person who takes the controls of this radio station next will take the product to an even higher level because it’s a building full of smart, hard working people who care about creating great radio for local listeners and the talent level is too strong to not continue doing big things. The station also has great corporate support from Entercom. As a PD that’s half the battle. Whoever earns this opportunity in the future is walking into a winning situation.
Third, I want to thank current Entercom San Francisco GM Steve DiNardo and Entercom CEO David Field. Steve got thrown into the fire last January and had never dealt with the chaos of overseeing a sports format. Rather than come in and try to put his prints all over it and act off of emotion, he stepped back, observed, let his people do what they do best and allowed me to lead the way I was comfortable. He also maintained a great demeanor during difficult times and has done a really nice job bringing our building together. I’ve enjoyed being a part of his team.
David on the other hand has been as cool of a CEO as you can hope to work for. He’s extremely passionate about sports, believes in the format strongly, supports it by allowing you as a leader to make moves to grow the product and most importantly, he’s willing to engage in spirited discussion and allow you to disagree with him without it feeling like you’ll pay the price for not being a yes man. That kind of candor and passion is what makes working for him a thrill. It’s a big reason why Entercom is one of the best broadcast companies around. I’ve enjoyed my numerous conversations with him over the years and they’ve helped me grow as a leader.
I’d also like to thank Dwight, Pat, Steve and David for their patience and support in allowing me to get back and forth to NY to see my son over the past four years. Not every company offers the flexibility to be out of the office every other Friday to stay active in your child’s life but Entercom afforded me that just as Bonneville St. Louis did and that speaks volumes about what they stand for as companies and people.
Fourth, I want to thank current Assistant Program Director Jeremiah Crowe and our Imaging Director Jeff Schmidt. Crowe has endured a ton being the middle man, much of which can be very uncomfortable when dealing with a dominant presence like myself. Through it all he’s kept growing and finding ways to make us better. I have no doubt he’s ready to run his own radio station. Making a suggestion vs. the final decision is very different but you can’t show what you’re capable of unless you’re thrown into the fire. I’m rooting for him as he goes through this process.
As for Jeff, it’s his twisted brain and creative genius that allowed 95.7 The Game to establish the identity we hoped to create when we launched the station. His commitment to doing killer production is what keeps the station sounding fresh and while he can be a pain in the ass like myself, and make you question your own decisions, I value that because I want honesty and conviction out of people. If you don’t believe in what you’re doing 150% and have the confidence to stand by it, defend it and sell your team on it, you’ll get trampled in a room full of alpha males. Jeff has no problem speaking his mind and challenging the status quo to help a brand strive for greatness. His imaging work is second to none.
Fifth, I want to thank our consultant Rick Scott. Not only is he the best in the business at what he does but he’s a dear friend and someone who’s friendship, trust and respect I appreciate deeply. He was instrumental in helping me build 101 ESPN in St. Louis into a strong local and nationally recognized brand and he has done the same thing here in San Francisco helping us establish 95.7 The Game. To have the benefit of swapping ideas and getting into the weeds of some tough situations with him on a weekly basis is a big reason why 95.7 The Game has taken steps in the right direction. I’m sure he and I will remain collaborating in the future and spend countless hours continuing to talk about the sports radio format and how to make it better.
Last but not least, I want to thank our listeners. Growing up as an East Coast guy I was clueless to how passionate people on the west coast were about their teams. I constantly heard how New York, Boston and Philadelphia sports fans were great and how fans on the west coast were too casual, passive and disinterested. Having lived it for 4 years now, I know that couldn’t be further from the truth.
This audience is as engaged, informed and passionate as anyone and just because they don’t scream and yell with every phone call doesn’t mean they don’t care. From seeing how people responded to our Lucky Break auditions, Gridiron Gala parties, AM/FM campaigns and sharing their views on our shows/radio station on social media, I learned that people wanted to root for us yet also express their opinions about our brand. For that I’m extremely appreciative.
You may not have always agreed with the decisions I’ve made and you’ll always have preferences for things that matter most to you as an individual but through it all, you rooted, supported and connected with us and that’s what makes sports radio fun. Thank you for allowing me, our staff and our radio station a chance to be part of your lives the past four years. I trust you’ll continue connecting with 95.7 The Game because there are some very talented personalities on these airwaves and they won’t stop working hard to gain your time, trust and feedback.
I could spend all day listing individuals who I’m grateful to but the list is endless and I’ll likely forget someone plus I don’t want to put readers through a column which takes three hours to finish. If I didn’t list you specifically, don’t think for a second that you didn’t play an important part in what we did here together. The past four years don’t happen without every single person making a contribution to help us build a great radio station.
So the next obvious question is “JB where are you going to work“? As of today, I know one thing, I’ll be located in New York. Professionally I have some possibilities that I’m entertaining and I have my agent Craig Fenech exploring those discussions to see what makes the best sense for my future. It remains possible that I’ll stay with Entercom in some capacity but we’ll have to see how things unfold.
When I have further details to share I’ll make everyone aware but right now this isn’t about my future, it’s about the final chapter of my time in San Francisco. All I’m thinking about right now is my upcoming six day vacation to Hawaii on Wednesday and returning to work next Tuesday to make sure 95.7 The Game is set up in strong fashion for my team and the next PD of this radio station to have future success.
On a personal level, I’ve not been a free agent contractually in over six years so it’s nice to be able to step back, relax and take a look at the possibilities that exist while also getting a better sense of how my peers and colleagues in this industry view my work. Rest assured, my days in the industry are not over and I haven’t lost the passion or drive to do this. I’ll just be doing it from a different address. After living in eight different towns over the past nine years, I’m excited about re-establishing my roots, having my family near me and calling someplace home for a change.
While the future may appear cloudy today, I’ve never been afraid to embrace change and take chances and in doing so, it’s helped me build a very strong eighteen year career in this industry. I’ve learned that you rarely know what’s being planned inside each company and the availability of talented people often dictates whether or not other situations can be created. I was told a long time ago to always trust my gut and that approach has never let me down. It won’t this time either.
As I prepare to exit San Francisco, I want to make sure people are in good situations here just as I did when I left 101 ESPN in St. Louis a few years ago. I’ve often used the quote “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish” and I’ll be leading by example and finishing up strong.
While the face of station leadership may change, the success of the staff and company will only get stronger. This was my baby and I’ve helped raise it and I’m very proud of what it has become. Even long after I’m gone, a part of me will always be inside this building and I’m grateful for that. But it’s time now to give the keys to the radio station to someone else and give my own TLC to the one who deserves it most, my son.
Hey Dylan, dad is coming home!
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Jason Barrett is the owner and operator of Barrett Sports Media. Prior to launching BSM he served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He has also produced national shows for ESPN Radio including GameNight and the Dan Patrick Show. You can find him on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or reach him by email at [email protected].
Barrett Blogs
Barrett Media Names Dave Greene Chief Media Officer, Adds Perry Simon, And Reveals 2024 Plans
“I’ve spent most of the past 8 years reinvesting in content, staff, events, etc. and with Dave Greene on board, I’m confident we’ll take bigger steps in the right direction.”
Apologies in advance for the length of this column. Today is both exciting and important for yours truly. I’ve spent months analyzing every part of our business, interviewing candidates, and I’m anxious to share with our partners and readers what’s on the horizon for BSM and BNM as we get ready to enter 2024 and look ahead to 2025.
When I wrote my eight year anniversary column in September, I alluded to 2023 being a tough year. Business wise we’ve been strong but managing staff, content, and workload has been harder. Just yesterday I had to deal with a writer bolting without notice. It’s a pain in the ass. Creating and installing a content plan is easy, but if the algorithms change and your team isn’t passionate about the work or in the right roles, growth stalls. You either make changes or accept not being able to reach your goals. For me, the latter is not an option. I’m far too driven, invested and excited by what I do to accept the status quo. I expect us to grow, work hard, make a difference, and enjoy it. If it means having to rattle a few cages to get to where we need to be, then that’s what I’ll do.
The hardest part of 2023 has been knowing we had to move through the present to get to the future. I’ve had to be more protective of my time this year, saving it for clients, partners, staff, Summit planning, content analysis, creating advertising packages, and meeting with potential partners, attending business functions, recruiting staff, and taking a greater role in day-to-day content management. I’ve missed out on calls with friends who wanted to chat about the business, and reduced my writing and podcast involvement because it was necessary. BSM and BNM are both healthy, and as others vacated the space or slowed down, we’ve ramped up and continue to invest in strengthening our coverage.
Before I get into the specifics of what lies ahead, I want to recognize Garrett Searight, Alex Reynolds, Andy Drake, and Stephanie Eads for helping to keep the brand on track during the past few months. I also want to thank all of our writers for continuing to create great content. After the BNM Summit concluded in Nashville, there was so much to do and not enough time. Though it forced many of us to take on more than we wanted to, we got through it, and grew our traffic and impact. That’s a credit to our team, and the trust we’ve built with our audience.
Having set the table now, let me share what’s on the horizon, what’s ending, and where we’re hoping to go in 2024.
Chief Media Officer: I’ve gone through a long, extensive process to identify the right leader to help us grow Barrett Media. The conversations started in May and ran through November, and I had a chance to meet a lot of smart, talented people, and learn a lot about the way our brands are viewed by professional candidates. To everyone I had a chance to interact with along the way, thank you for the interest. It was a pleasure connecting with all of you.
But in the end, there was only one job to offer, and I’m excited to announce that we found exactly what we were looking for. It is my great pleasure to introduce Dave Greene as Barrett Media’s new Chief Media Officer.
The experience Dave brings with him to this position is extensive. He’s been an integral part of building the Podcast Heat Network alongside talented pro wrestling podcaster Conrad Thompson. The company has created, distributed, and monetized podcasts featuring star talents such as Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, Eric Bischoff, Jim Ross, Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett and others. Before joining the Podcast Heat Network with Conrad, Dave spent two decades in the radio business, working as a VP/GM, GSM, PD, Owner, and and On-Air talent. He has worked for Audacy, Townsquare Media, Cumulus Media, and Flinn Broadcasting. Among the sports and news brands he’s had the pleasure of helping include KMOX and 590 The Fan in St. Louis, 610 Sports in Kansas City, The Ump and WVNN in Huntsville, and KHMO in Quincy. He’s also served as co-owner and publisher of St. Louis Sports magazine, and was one of our first weekly columnists when we started adding writers in 2017.
When I made the decision to add someone to help me manage the content and grow the company, I knew I’d be looking for a unicorn. I initially sought an Executive Editor but as this process moved along, I realized I needed a leader who provided more than just writing and broadcasting skills. They needed to be adept at content and sales, have a passion and ability to write, connected across the industry, experienced in event creation, and equally as important, they had to know our brands and see growth potential in our business the way that I do.
I took my time with this hire because it was too important to make a rushed or bad choice. Since launching BSM in 2015 and BNM in 2020, I’ve seen other comparable media outlets earn seven to eight figure valuations. We’re not at that level and may never be but I believe we’re on the right track to larger success. Though I have zero interest in selling BSM and BNM, and plan on running this company for 15 more years, it only makes sense to make our brands the best they can be, and elevate our value with each passing year. I’ve spent most of the past eight years reinvesting in content, staff, events, etc. and with Dave on board, I’m confident we’ll take bigger steps in the right direction.
Dave’s immediate focus will be to learn the staff, manage the day-to-day workflow, find and write news stories, add a weekly column, contribute on special projects, and execute our editorial calendar. Additionally he’ll work with Stephanie to improve our sales operation, and collaborate with me on new ways to grow events, traffic, newsletters, and audience data. After previously competing against each other in St. Louis, I’m looking forward to being on the side and working together to maximize the full potential of Barrett Media.
Internal Promotions: In addition to strengthening our team with Dave’s addition, I am equally excited to announce three internal promotions. First, I’m thrilled to elevate Alex Reynolds to the role of Digital Director of Barrett Media. Alex has served as our social media coordinator since August 2022, playing a key role in executing our social media strategy. Moving forward, he will continue overseeing our social media plan, while getting further involved in affiliate marketing, website/content partnerships, newsletter creation, podcast/video production, data analysis, and audience growth strategies for our social channels and newsletters. He will also write a brand new original series, ‘Social Studies‘, which debuts in January on BSM.
The second internal promotion I’m pleased to share involves Derek Futterman. Derek is being officially promoted to the role of Sports Media Reporter. Since joining BSM in May 2021, Derek has learned a ton as a Contributing Editor and News Writer. He started by occasionally writing stories, got further involved with daily news, and in the past few months, has taken on the challenge of writing features on executives and broadcasters. He’s covered industry events, the BSM Summit, established relationships, and continues to grow. I’m eager to help him take another step by having him produce three features per week, contribute to special projects, involving him as our backstage interviewer at the BSM Summit, and having him contribute to daily news, while additionally managing BSM’s Jobs section.
The final internal promotion involves Garrett Searight. Garrett joined us in August 2022 as an Editor, and worked his tail off but learned quickly, this is different from working inside of a radio station. Over the past few months he’s raised his game, and I’m pleased to promote him to Managing Editor of BNM starting January 1st. Garrett will report to myself and our Chief Media Officer while writing daily news, and two weekly features for BNM. He’ll also become the point person for our BNM columnists and features writers. We’ve seen BNM make major strides over the past year despite not having a dedicated leader. I can only imagine how much better the brand will be with Garrett fully focused on it. One thing that isn’t changing, he’ll continue to write his weekly sports media column for BSM, and manage BNM’s Jobs section.
Website Redesigns: You’ve likely noticed that BSM and BNM look different today. We have modified both websites to make it easier to find content. Our main pages are often filled with news stories, making it hard to find things. These new layouts allow us to feature six stories in the main sections, and nine in each of the key lower sections, sports/news radio, sports/news TV, and sports digital/media business. The site will also display better on mobile, and we’ve added a sports betting bar on BSM, conference calendars to the lower right of articles on both sites, and we’ve retained the media stock ticker on BNM. All are available for sponsorship. We’re also turning on the comments to allow readers to chime in on our stories.
BSM Writers: To help us elevate BSM in 2024, we’re adding a few new writers, adjusting roles of a few of our contributors, and saying goodbye to a few of our teammates.
Starting with the additions, I’m excited to welcome Moses Massena as a weekly columnist. Moses is a sports television veteran, who spent 14 years at MLB Network, working as a researcher, segment producer, and producer, winning 7 Sports Emmys for his contributions to “MLB Tonight”. He has also worked a producer at MSG Network, and served as a researcher for FOX & ESPN. His professional television career began with SNY from 2007-2009.
Next, I’m pleased to welcome Jeff Kotuby to BSM as a daily sports television writer. Jeff has written content for many broadcasting and pop culture sites, including The Streamable, eBaum’s World, Twin Galaxies, and more. He has already begun diving in on BSM, and I’m looking forward to our readers becoming more familiar with his contributions in the future.
Moving to the internal adjustments, starting in January, Jordan Bondurant will take on a more defined role writing news stories each night on sports digital matters. Garrett Searight will add local and national sports radio content until Dave has a handle on the daily content, and Peter Schwartz and Demetri Ravanos will continue writing weekly features and helping with original projects. Peter will also add a new monthly feature, ‘Where Are They Now?’, which will run the last week of each month starting in January.
Though most of the news is good, we do have to unfortunately share some bad. Brian Noe and Ricky Keeler will be leaving us at the end of December. Both have been with BSM for a long time and have done a great job for us. In Brian’s case, he was one of the first writers to join BSM in August 2017. We wish both of them well, and appreciate all of the contributions they’ve made to our coverage along the way.
I am still looking to add another weekly sports media columnist to BSM. The ideal candidate will have industry experience, a track record of success, and a passion to write about the business. If you or someone you know fits the bill, send a resume and writing sample to [email protected].
BNM Writers: BSM has earned a strong reputation in sports media circles, and we’re determined to make sure BNM is highly regarded as well. To help us continue making progress, we’re excited to announce a few additions. First, please join me in welcoming Perry Michael Simon to BNM as a weekly columnist. Perry’s column will be published every Thursday on the site starting on December 7th.
Perry served as VP and Editor/News-Talk-Sports/Podcast for AllAccess.com after previously working as a Program Director and Operations Manager for KLSX and KLYY in Los Angeles and New Jersey 101.5 in Trenton. His contributions to All Access were excellent, and his knowledge of the industry, and his willingness to challenge it helped many broadcasters learn, adjust, defend, and grow to appreciate his point of view. After a well deserved break following the shutdown of All Access, Perry is refreshed, refocused, and ready to offer his smart, snarky, and strong opinions on the media business. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for our readers.
In addition, BNM is pleased to announce the arrival of Krystina Alarcon Carroll. Krystina joins us in a hybrid role, writing two weekly features and adding a weekly column. She freelances currently for WPIX in New York and previously worked on live, streamed, and syndicated TV programs at NY1, Fox News Digital, Law & Crime Network, and Newsmax. We’re excited to add her to our team, and you can read her first story today on BNM.
As our readers recently learned, we’ve unfortunately had to say goodbye to Jim Avila. Jim did an excellent job for BNM but a great television opportunity came his way, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward. Ryan Hedrick has also exited. I’m accepting resumes and writing samples from industry pros who have a passion to write daily news TV stories and weekly features. If interested, click here. We have more evaluations to make in the next month to make sure we’re built for success entering 2024. One thing for certain, we are going to keep building BNM and make sure news/talk media professionals have a daily destination to visit and enjoy reading about their format and business.
Two New Newsletters: Another exciting addition coming in 2024 will be the introduction of two new daily newsletters, the BSM Press Pass, and the BNM Wrap Up. We will distribute both starting on January 2nd. The BSM Press Pass will be delivered daily at 5pm ET. The BNM Wrap Up will go out at 6pm ET. We’ll have a different look and approach for both, which I think media folks will enjoy and find useful at the end of the work day.
With the arrival of the Press Pass and Wrap Up, we will continue sending out the BSM 8@8 at 8am ET. The BNM Rundown though will move to an earlier time, going out each morning at 9am ET. The same look, structure and valuable content will be available in both. If you haven’t signed up for BSM’s newsletters, go here. If you wish to receive BNM’s newsletters, go here.
Editorial Calendar: When BSM was born, I wrote and created a lot of features and original stories. From 5 Podcasts in 5 Days to the Sports Radio Draft, the Greatest SportsCenter Anchor Tournament, and a full-day spent with Mad Dog Sports Radio, creative pieces performed well for us. But as day-to-day news grew and our staff expanded, we got away from some of that. We’ve still done things like Meet The Podcasters and Countdown to Coverage, and they too have been well received, so in 2024, we’re going to put more focus on original projects on both BSM and BNM. We have an editorial calendar ready for 2024, and will begin reviewing plans on Tuesday during a zoom call with some of our staff. We’ve got some great things planned for BSM and BNM, so keep an eye out for it.
Member Directory: Since April 2020, we’ve featured the BSM Member Directory to help industry professionals and aspiring broadcasters display their work to PDs, agents, executives, etc.. All members receive jobs listings by email a few times per month, get featured in the BSM 8@8 newsletter, are promoted in content when they have career news to share, and our annual subscribers get a 20% discount on BSM Summit tickets. Memberships are $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year. For 2024, we’re going to explore new ways to deliver more value and grow our member base. Dave, Alex and I will be brainstorming ideas this month in hopes of introducing new benefits to existing and future members during Q1.
Jobs Listings: We’re often asked to post Jobs for companies due to our ability to reach the right people. Knowing how hard it is to find good help, and having used LinkedIn, Indeed and other sites myself, I know it’s not cheap. Other trades charge a few hundred dollars per month to promote openings, and starting today, we’re going to do the same except we’re keeping costs low. For $99 per month companies can now promote open positions through our websites. If you click on the Jobs tab on BSM or BNM, you’ll see the latest listings. If you use the dropdown menu and select ‘Place An Ad on BSM/BNM‘ it allows you to submit an ad and get it posted on the site within 24-hours. I’m hoping it’s helpful.
Ratings Reports: I know the ratings matter to PDs, hosts, and executives. Yet many get upset with the ups and downs of measurement. Maybe it’s not perfect, but this is your report card, and whenever we highlight the industry, it benefits broadcasters, advertisers and listeners. We’re going to write quarterly ratings reports next year for both sports and news/talk radio. We will not do monthlies. All I ask is that we receive the PPM Data reports for each quarter so we can be fair and accurate to all. We write these reports to showcase the strength of two valuable formats, and to recognize all who contributed to each brand’s success. Nielsen is still the king when it comes to measurement, and our stations don’t benefit if they don’t promote their wins to the rest of the business world. My thanks to Harker Bos Group for supporting these stories. I look forward to digging into the data to highlight those who are making an impact in 2024.
JB Column and Podcast: I acknowledged earlier that writing columns and hosting podcasts became harder in 2023. That said, I realize I have a voice that matters. Starting in January, I will begin writing a weekly column on BSM. I will also be bringing back The Jason Barrett Podcast for 26 episodes next year. Half of those episodes will focus on sports media. The other half will explore the news/talk space. We will also video the shows and make them available through the Barrett Media YouTube page. If I was going to do the podcast, I wanted to add a new layer to it. I think this will help us do that and I look forward to hosting it in April 2024. It’s possible that we’ll add other podcasts and video shows in the future, but for now, we’re going to take it one show at a time.
Return of Guest Columns: BSM and BNM have featured guest columns before from Craig Carton, Erick Erickson, Dan Zampillo, Mo Egger, and Bo Thompson just to name a few. I’d like see more media people use our platforms to highlight issues or causes that are important to them. Whether you’re an owner, executive, PD, salesperson, media buyer, host, agent, imager, producer, podcaster or social media director, if you have knowledge to share, and interest in writing a one-time guest piece for BSM or BNM, email [email protected].
BNM Top 20/BSM Top 20: Our two biggest traffic drivers of the year, the BSM Top 20 and the BNM Top 20 will continue to serve the sports and news/talk radio industries. A huge thanks to Steve Stone Voiceovers for signing on as the exclusive sponsor of the BSM Top 20, and JJ Surma Voiceovers for coming on board as the exclusive partner of the BNM Top 20. The BNM Top 20 of 2023 drops December 11-15 and December 18. Voting for industry executives expires later today. The BSM Top 20 of 2023 will be released February 5-9 and February 12. Voting for that series will start in late December, early January. We’re also looking at a few additional projects to recognize the best in the industry. More to come on that in 2024.
BSM/BNM Summits: The BSM Summit returns to NYC on March 13-14, 2024. We’ll be live at the Ailey Theater both days, and have announced 16 top speakers so far and have more still to come. You can purchase tickets to the show here. For those in the news/talk world, we’re going to host our second BNM Summit in September 2024. We’ve chosen the host city and venue and hope to announce our plans after wrapping up this year’s BNM Top 20. Running our next show two months before the election is going to be excited. Stay tuned!
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For eight years, we’ve grown traffic, influence, events, consulting clients, and our writing team by following a simple philosophy, focus on serving the right audience, not the largest. When you commit to quality over quantity and refuse to chase clicks at the expense of relationships, you land in a much better spot. We are where we are today because of our consulting clients, advertising partners, and earned trust and respect with our readers and industry professionals.
That said, while we have proven our value to top talent, executives, agents, and media buyers, some marketing folks have been harder to reach. Stephanie Eads and I have attended many zoom calls and in-person meetings to share our story, and we’ve created packages large and small to accommodate all budgets. I’m hoping that as we enter 2024, those who have been slow to respond or who have stuck to doing the same things repeatedly, take a chance to discover why BSM or BNM should be part of their media mix.
In closing, I am ecstatic about adding Dave Greene to help us grow BSM and BNM. We have a lot of work ahead of us but I’m confident progress will be made. I appreciate everyone who visits our websites, receives our newsletters, attends our Summits, follows and shares our content on social media, and let’s others know about of our existence. Most importantly, I’m grateful to our consulting clients and advertising partners who give us the support we need to be able to continue doing this. We can’t raise the bar without you, and I’m fortunate to be in this position serving an industry I love, respect, believe in, and root for.
Here’s to Barrett Media’s future. 2024 is going to be awesome, and I’m glad to have you along for the ride!
Jason Barrett is the owner and operator of Barrett Sports Media. Prior to launching BSM he served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He has also produced national shows for ESPN Radio including GameNight and the Dan Patrick Show. You can find him on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or reach him by email at [email protected].
Barrett Blogs
Nick Wright, Danny Parkins, Andrew Fillipponi and Omar Raja Join The 2024 BSM Summit Lineup
All four of these men are extremely talented and accomplished, and I’m grateful to each of them for making time to be with us.
Jason Barrett is the owner and operator of Barrett Sports Media. Prior to launching BSM he served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He has also produced national shows for ESPN Radio including GameNight and the Dan Patrick Show. You can find him on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or reach him by email at [email protected].
Barrett Blogs
6 Speakers Added To The 2024 BSM Summit Lineup
“Two of these individuals have built successful careers as on-air talent. Four remain involved in management and programming roles.”
Jason Barrett is the owner and operator of Barrett Sports Media. Prior to launching BSM he served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He has also produced national shows for ESPN Radio including GameNight and the Dan Patrick Show. You can find him on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or reach him by email at [email protected].
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