BSM Podcast
BSM Podcast Episode 13: Ric Bucher – Bleacher Report & Mad Dog Sports Radio
The NAB Show took place in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, and one session which created some industry noise was “Today in Podcasting – A Radio Station’s Guide To Metrics, Reach, Distribution and Monetization.” During the session, it was implied that listening times were longer than what had previously been reported by Bridge Ratings’ Podcasting Best Practices – The Study. So where does that leave radio stations who are trying to determine their best plan of attack with their digital audio strategies? Jason offers his thoughts and suggestions.
This week’s guest needs no introduction. But we’ll give him one anyway.
Ric Bucher has spent twenty five years carving out a highly successful sports media career, including reinventing himself from a writer and beat reporter into a multi-platform sports media personality. He’s enjoyed national stints with ESPN, Bleacher Report and SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, and gained his local sports radio education while working for Jason at 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. In this conversation, Ric reflects on his various career experiences, and offers his advice, insights and opinions on a number of industry related subjects.
TOPICS COVERED WITH RIC BUCHER:
- The early days entering the business and growing as a writer and reporter
- What goes into working a daily beat and what it takes to be successful at it
- How to handle situations when you’re wrong and prevent future incidents
- An introduction to local radio on San Francisco and what it taught him
- The difference in mindset, preparation and execution in AM & PM drive
- Providing PR advice to athletes who are considering entering sports media
- How he’d have advised ESPN to handle their PR crisis of eliminating 100 people
- What he saw in Bleacher Report that convinced him they’d grow & compete big
- Ric takes exception to the lack of coverage for his partner (Nicole) and agent (Debbie)
- How each day’s show on SiriusXM gets assembled given the communication challenges
- Quick Hits – ESPN stint, Best player to cover, Sideline reporting, Today’s best insider
FROM THE GUEST
Ric’s Twitter handle: @RicBucher
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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].
Brady Farkas is a sports radio professional with 5+ years of experience as a Program Director, On-Air Personality, Assistant Program Director and Producer in Burlington, VT and Albany, NY. He’s well versed in content creation, developing ideas to generate ratings and revenue, working in a team environment, and improving and growing digital content thru the use of social media, audio/video, and station websites. His primary goal is to host a daily sports talk program for a company/station that is dedicated to serving sports fans. You can find him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady and reach him by email at [email protected].
Stephen Strom can be heard hosting ‘The Sports Talkers Podcast’ for Barrett Sports Media. In addition to hosting here, Stephen works as a broadcasting assistant for the Miami Heat and color analyst for Nova Southeastern. Additional career experiences include working for SiriusXM, performing analyst duties for Princeton basketball, and hosting shows for TalkNorth.com. You can find him on Twitter @SStrom_.
Brady Farkas is a sports radio professional with 5+ years of experience as a Program Director, On-Air Personality, Assistant Program Director and Producer in Burlington, VT and Albany, NY. He’s well versed in content creation, developing ideas to generate ratings and revenue, working in a team environment, and improving and growing digital content thru the use of social media, audio/video, and station websites. His primary goal is to host a daily sports talk program for a company/station that is dedicated to serving sports fans. You can find him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady and reach him by email at [email protected].
