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How Not To Land a Job in Sports Radio

Jason Barrett

Published

4 years ago

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It’s happening right now. In fact, it happens every day. But nobody is there to stop you from hitting the send button before damage is done.

In some US city every day, a radio professional or aspiring broadcaster flocks to the internet searching for their dream job or next career opportunity. They’ll browse listings on Indeed, All Access, BSM or the careers sections on various radio company corporate sites, and once they see something that captures their interest, they begin their pursuit. They’ll spellcheck their resume, look for the contact person involved with the station, if pursuing an on-air role include a sample of their hosting style, and write an introduction note they hope will help them stand out from the rest.

Once they’ve produced their email, double checked it, and attached their materials, they press send. They then anxiously await a response, hoping it will open the door to further conversations about filling the opening. If after a few days an email or phone call hasn’t been received, they might follow up with a second note, or in some cases, even pick up the phone to call. It doesn’t matter if the instructions said not to, the lack of response calls for a new plan of attack because no way is it possible that they didn’t fit what the hiring executive was searching for.

In each situation, the hiring manager has different tastes and rules. Some want an hour worth of unedited material, some want less than 5 minutes. Some will say not to call, others don’t mind if you pick up the phone to initiate a chat. Competition for these openings is intense, and those who possess the skills to fill the position, while clicking best with the hiring manager stand the best chance of getting the call.

What you don’t know entering the process is whether or not you’re going to check the boxes of the hiring manager. You have no idea who else is competing for the opening, and whether the position is a real call for help or a mandatory requirement from HR even though the job has already been promised to an internal candidate. Regardless, it’s important to make a favorable impression because it could lead to a future opportunity either with the station you’ve applied to work at or for someone else in the industry who has a need at a later time.

Speaking for myself, I rarely relied on HR to help fill an opening. I always worked ahead and listened, met, observed, and asked industry folks about certain people who may or may not be worth consideration should I one day have a vacancy. My philosophy was ‘if you want the best talent, you go out and find them, not wait for them to appear in your inbox’.

During my hiring experiences as a programmer, I saw a lot of bad decisions made by job seekers. My awareness for these situations has increased even more during the past three years while running BSM. Sports radio may be a big business but it has a small community feel. If you make a bad impression on one executive, it could affect your standing with others. Stand out in a positive way and you may be recommended to someone else when they have a future need.

I was having a discussion recently with an industry friend about some of the blunders people make when openings come up, and I thought I’d pass along eight examples of bad ideas to help you avoid putting yourself in a situation where you’re frozen out in the future.

  • It’s never a good idea to tell a programmer that they’ll be the dumbest f**k on the planet if they pass over your resume. I don’t care how good you are, most people aren’t going to want to bring someone into their operation who they consider to be a dick before they even have a conversation. You can have an ego, and believe you’re better than anyone else who speaks into a microphone, but if you can’t work with others, it’s going to be hard to convince people to trust you with an important role.
  • Suggesting a programmer ‘can’t live without you’ and should pony up whatever it takes to get you probably won’t help you land the role you desire either. A good programmer wants talented people on their airwaves, and they’ll battle for their people to earn a healthy wage, but they won’t fight for someone who doesn’t respect and value them too. An old quote I used to love sharing was ‘graveyards are full of irreplaceable men.’ Secondly, if you come across the wrong programmer, they’ll take your arrogance as a challenge to prove they can do it without you, and more times than not, they will. As a former host who learned from a poor initial approach once said to me, ‘even Michael Jordan needed Phil Jackson’. If you produce like MJ, Phil will find a way to make sure you get what you need. You’ll also discover you’re better off together than apart.
  • Applying for a job you don’t want just to get yourself in the door doesn’t often end well. If you’re a host with no desire to produce but apply for a producer opening, eventually it’s going to become a problem for the PD and Host you’re working with. That leads to people not being in your corner to push your development. Eventually you’ll exit the station once the issues reach the point of no return. It’s better to be up front about your short-term and long-term goals, and tackle the opportunity in front of you while making it clear you have other things you’d like to accomplish professionally. Most broadcast executives will give you chances to grow if you’re determined and have skill, but they won’t champion your cause if you don’t execute the role you were initially hired to do.
  • Copying a programmer’s CEO, corporate executive, and market manager on the email you sent in expressing interest in an opening creates immediate tension. Would you give 110% support to someone who was forced on you? Do you think a programmer who’s trusted to lead a brand is going to go with the flow and take a deeper liking to you when the perception is you’re trying to override them before even establishing contact? Most corporate people give their PD’s the ability to make hiring decisions in tandem with their market manager. If the room is divided on you, you’re usually going to be voted out.
  • Pretending to know the ins and outs of a company based on media reports is another foolish idea. For example, if you applied to work for a company which just underwent layoffs, it’s not a wise move to say something like ‘I’m glad you survived the cut….your company clearly recognizes talent and made a wise move dumping the others.’ Do you know if the individual you’ve applied with is thrilled to remain on the job? What if their best friend was let go? Better yet, what credibility have you gained with the hiring manager to earn that conversation? Unless you’ve worked there and have firsthand knowledge of the inner workings, and a relationship with the individual you’re communicating with, it’s better to avoid that discussion before sticking your foot in your mouth.
  • Be real, not a phony. For example, if you’re from Texas, and applying for a job in Philadelphia, don’t put in your introductory email how much you love cheese steaks, Rocky Balboa and the Eagles since the days of Reggie White, especially if you’ve never set foot in the city. Nothing is worse than the applicant who pretends to know local landmarks, sports history, and a city’s way of life based on reading Wikipedia and stuff they’ve seen on TV or social media. It’s the same crap when the east coast guy applies for a gig on the west coast or the west coast guy reaches out for the east coast opening claiming they’re in the wrong location and better suited for that particular market’s style. In some cases, candidates have applied to multiple markets, modifying their letters for each city, and PD’s have chatted and discovered it. Guess what that does? It guarantees not landing either opening.
  • Admitting to someone in a cover letter that you were an internal problem for your previous employer or you didn’t work hard at your last job is going to raise an immediate red flag to anyone reading your note. You may think you’re being honest and trying to get out in front of any blemishes on your resume but some stuff is better left to face to face conversation. If you’re putting those type of remarks in an email and the hiring manager is looking at 100 people for one opening, why would they hold on to yours versus the others with less baggage? It’s OK to go thru the interview process and admit you’ve made mistakes and want to learn from them, giving an employer an opportunity to reap the rewards for giving you a chance. But save it for later in the process. Telling someone you don’t know that you gave less than your best or created an issue that resulted in problems inside of an office isn’t likely to earn you a call.
  • Conduct yourself on social media in a way that doesn’t make a hiring manager think twice about hiring you. If you approach the space the way you do the airwaves, you’ll have less to worry about. If though this is where you bombard folks with your political views, instigate fights with trolls, share content that is offensive, and swear like a sailor, it may make someone who’s a fan of your work think twice. They have to consider how your social identity is going to affect listeners, advertisers, and fellow employees. If they feel there are too many risks, they’ll choose a safer path. The other thing I’d recommend not doing, buying followers. If you’re an aspiring host or producer with limited experience carrying 50,000 followers, it doesn’t take much work to scroll thru your posts and see what type of engagement you create. If nobody ever responds, chances are you don’t produce impact, just a false image.
  • BONUS: As a consultant who works with brands and PD’s, it’s smart to introduce yourself, provide audio, share your goals, and develop a relationship. If you only reach out when jobs are listed, it doesn’t keep you top of mind when gigs aren’t publicly displayed. Furthermore, if the only time you initiate contact is when something is posted, that’s a case of asking for a favor, not building a relationship. Why would a consultant do you a favor if they have no history with you?
  • BONUS #2: Its also important to remember, a consultant’s job is to help the station and hiring manager strengthen their department to have the best chance at future success. We direct people to folks who we feel fit what they’ve told us they’re looking for. If you don’t get a gig, it isn’t personal, nor is it because we’re determined to make sure you never work in the industry. On the other hand, blaming the consultant for your inability to find work is a convenient way of ignoring the truth that you may be doing a few things to make yourself unattractive to hiring managers.

If you possess talent, a good work ethic, conduct yourself in a professional manner, have solid industry references, and bring something to the table that’s unique, compelling, and entertaining, chances are you’ll earn a chance to discuss an opportunity. Then it comes down to whether or not you and the hiring manager connect, and if you and the brand mutually benefit one another. It’s easy for broadcasters to get blinded by the opportunity, and look past whether or not a situation is right for them. So much of developing a prosperous career comes down to both sides being fully invested in one another, which is why it’s OK if certain things don’t work out sometimes.

I’m sure if I scoured the nation and asked more folks in programming departments, I’d find plenty of other bad approaches. The goal of this piece though is to arm you with information to avoid making mistakes so you don’t become that example the next program director refers to when explaining how not to pursue a job. Instead, use it to your benefit to make sure you place yourself in a good position to land a great opportunity that helps both you and your next employer.

Good luck!

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Rachel Nichols and Baron Davis Headline Final Speaker Announcements For the 2023 BSM Summit

“I’m sure Baron and Rachel will have all eyes and ears focused on them when they take the stage together next Tuesday at 2:45pm PT.”
Jason Barrett

Published

3 days ago

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March 16, 2023

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The 2023 BSM Summit schedule is set. After months of planning and talking to everyone across the industry, I’m ecstatic to roll out next week’s agenda including making one final announcement involving seven great additions to our conference.

For starters, it is a pleasure to welcome Showtime’s Rachel Nichols to the BSM Summit. I’ve admired her work on television for years, and am thrilled to have her guiding a session which I think many in the room are going to really enjoy.

Rachel’s guest will be former NBA star Baron Davis. Baron runs his own company, Baron Davis Enterprises, and he has been active in investing in media brands, and exploring ways to evolve the industry. Among his areas of passion, athletes taking more control of their brands, and the media industry needing to improve its track record with diversity. I’m sure Baron and Rachel will have all eyes and ears focused on them when they take the stage together next Tuesday at 2:45pm PT.

Also joining the Summit are a few longtime industry friends. For starters, VSiN’s program director Jon Goulet is someone who I’ve known and worked with, and he understands the sports betting audio space extremely well. Jon and BetQL VP of Programming Mitch Rosen will spend time with another industry friend, Bryan Curtis of The Ringer. Collectively they’ll examine the state of sports betting audio on Tuesday March 21st from 3:35p-4:10p, and what they look for when it comes to sports betting talent, and how they determine what is and isn’t success in the sports gambling content world.

With Mitch taking part in the sports betting panel, Jeff Rickard of WFNZ in Charlotte steps into The Programmer’s Panel alongside Jimmy Powers, John Mamola and Raj Sharan. The session is scheduled for Wednesday March 22nd from 9:10a-9:45a PT. Ironically, all four of these programmers work for different companies, so it’ll be interesting to hear how they differ and where they align while navigating through a few sports radio programming topics.

Next, I’m excited to introduce a social media session with Karlo Sy Su of ESPN Los Angeles and Matthew Demeke of AM 570 LA Sports. If you look at the performance of their brands on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook, they’ve each delivered strong audiences and engagement. I’m looking forward to hosting this one and learning about their processes, how they decide which platforms to focus on most, what they consider a social media win when analyzing social statistics, and how they develop their content process. Given our location, we’re calling the session ‘Social Media Goes Hollywood‘. It’s scheduled for Wednesday March 22nd from 3:35-4:10 PT.

I realize you’re not going to remember all of these session speakers and times off the top of your head, so to make it easier, log on to BSMSummit.com and scroll down past our speakers. That’s where you’ll find our detailed list of sessions/times and activities planned each day. We have eighteen sessions, two awards ceremonies, and two parties. Our kickoff party is presented by the WWE and takes place Monday March 20th from 7p-9p at the 1880 Founders Room. The ESPN Radio After Party takes place Tuesday March 21st from 6p-8p at the Lab Gastropub. Both party locations are in walking distance of the USC Hotel and our conference venue.

As an added bonus, thanks to the generosity of our friends at WWE, we will be giving away a pair of tickets to the first night of WrestleMania, and a WWE title at our kickoff party. WrestleMania takes place this year in Los Angeles at Sofi Stadium on March 25-26. You must be present at the kickoff party to win either prize.

We’ll have more to share next week including providing an ongoing blog with session news and notes for our readers. We’ll also have a ton of content available on our social media channels so if you’re not following @BSMStaff on Twitter, @BarrettSportsMedia on Facebook or @BarrettMedia on LinkedIn, what are you waiting for?

The focus now shifts to finishing our creative for next week’s show, sending information to our speakers for their sessions, and finalizing our attendees list. For those who are attending, we’ll be sending out an email on Friday or Saturday with a complete list of names of who’s coming so you can plan meetings in advance.

If you forgot to buy your ticket after seeing months of promotion about the event and meant to do so, you can still do that, but it costs more. Students on the other hand can take advantage of a low rate established for college kids at https://bsmsummit.com/registration.

Putting this event together isn’t easy, but I’m extremely pleased with how it’s come together. We have a lot of smart, talented, and accomplished people making time to be part of this, and I appreciate each and every one of them for doing so. Now, it’s all about the execution. Hope to see you next week in LA.

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Sports Broadcasting Icon Al Michaels To Be Honored at the 2023 BSM Summit

“This is a man who has spent more than five decades on your television screen calling the biggest games, and producing some of the most iconic moments sports has to offer.”
Jason Barrett

Published

1 week ago

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March 10, 2023

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If you work in the sports media industry you’ve likely heard someone along the way utter the phrase “don’t bury the lead“. I’m usually good about following that advice but I didn’t do that at our 2022 BSM Summit.

We introduced the greatest tandem in sports radio history, Mike Francesa and Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo and it was a special half hour. Mike and the Mad Dog were reunited after seven years apart and every individual at the event knew they were witnessing something magical on stage. I created a Mike and the Mad Dog Award for the event, which went to Felger and Mazz, who were the absolute right choice to win it. Even Chris remarked ‘that’s the right call‘.

But I learned quickly that although the intention was right in honoring the industry’s current top performing show, when you have legends in the room and they’re in their element, the last thing you want to do is overcrowd them. The connection Mike and Chris had on the air became the gold standard by which we measure successful sports talk shows, and they didn’t need an award created to deliver a special moment, just two mics and 20-30 minutes of stage time.

As I began thinking about the 2023 BSM Summit, I knew there was an opportunity to build on what we started last year with Mike and Chris, and after talking to a few people who I trust and respect, the decision of who we would recognize became crystal clear. I believe it’s important to honor the greats in our business because those who leave a permanent mark on our industry deserve it. The man we’ve selected has spent more than five decades on your television screen calling the biggest games, and producing some of the most iconic moments sports has to offer. He’s worked with the best of the best inside the booth, has helped elevate the presentation and execution of in-game content for ABC, NBC and Amazon, and his call of the Miracle on Ice, the US Olympic hockey team’s 1980 gold medal win over Russia remains one of the best calls in the history of sports.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am honored and privileged to share that Al Michaels will join us on Wednesday March 22nd at the 2023 BSM Summit for our awards presentation, where we will present him with BSM’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Michaels is one of America’s most respected sports broadcasting voices, known for his exceptional work on Monday Night Football (1986-2005), Sunday Night Football (2006-2022) and Thursday Night Football (2022-Present). He’s called the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, Hagler-Hearns, the Olympics, the Indy 500, Horse Racing’s Triple Crown races, College Football and Basketball games, Golf, and more. He’s even held roles as the voice of the University of Hawaii, the Cincinnati Reds, and the San Francisco Giants, and was in the booth in 1989 when an earthquake rocked the Bay Area during Game 3 of the A’s-Giants world series.

The Brooklyn native turned Los Angeles resident has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and owns a ton of hardware including five sports Emmy’s, three NSMA Sportscaster of the Year honors, the 2013 Pete Rozelle Radio & Television Award distributed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the 2021 Ford C. Frick Award given out by the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Though his trophy case may be full, we’re excited to add another to his collection to show our appreciation and respect for the impact he’s made on the sports media business.

A quick reminder, the BSM Summit takes place on Tuesday March 21st and Wednesday March 22nd at the Founders Club at the University of Southern California. Tickets are on-sale at BSMSummit.com.

Be advised, we have started adding sessions and times on the website. As always, the schedule is subject to change. Our final agenda will be posted by the end of next week. In addition, attendees will receive an email by next Friday with details of who will be in attendance. We hope to see you there.

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Rob Parker, Brian Long, Sean Thompson and Matt Fishman Join The BSM Summit Speaker Lineup

“I’m excited to welcome a few folks who have enjoyed success in different parts of the country, and in different areas of the business.”
Jason Barrett

Published

2 weeks ago

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March 3, 2023

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As we gear up for our 5th annual BSM Summit on March 21-22, 2023, I’m starting to get a better feel for how the final puzzle may look. When this process starts I have no idea how it’s going to turn out because so much depends on who says yes and no. Many who’ve attended over the years have complimented our lineups, and I appreciate it because I put a lot of time and effort into featuring a strong mix of professionals from different areas of the industry. Though I’m proud of the work we do and the schedule we deliver, there are so many things pursued leading up to the event that I can’t help but wonder ‘what if this or that had worked out?’

One thing that some folks don’t understand if they haven’t been to the show before is that this is not a talent conference. It’s a sports media business conference. That means we feature radio, TV and digital executives, programmers, researchers, sales professionals, and yes, talent. I believe on-air performers are vital to the industry’s success and I want the best of the best sharing their wisdom with everyone in the room, but we’re also not going to do two full days of on-air conversations. Being successful in sports media requires understanding the on-air side and the business side, and we do our best to offer a blend of both.

For today’s announcement, I’m excited to welcome a few sports media pros who have enjoyed success in different parts of the country, and in different areas of the business.

First, Rob Parker is someone who has made a name for himself as a radio host, writer, TV commentator, and teacher. He’s currently heard weeknights on FOX Sports Radio, teaches students at USC Annenberg, writes for Deadspin, and is helping MLBBro gain awareness and a bigger mainstream media presence covering Major League Baseball. He’s experienced, smart, and never short on opinion. I’m looking forward to having him join Mitch Rosen of 670 The Score/BetQL, and Scott Shapiro of FOX Sports Radio for a session titled “Aircheck On Campus“. They’ll take the stage together on Wednesday March 22nd from 2:10-2:45.

My next three speakers, all come from the sports radio programming department.

Matt Fishman is the Director of Content for ESPN 850 Cleveland. Fishman has been with the brand since January 2020 following stints at SiriusXM, 610 Sports in Kansas City, and 670 The Score in Chicago. He even wrote for BSM for a few years.

Sean Thompson is responsible for programming decisions at Arizona Sports and ESPN 620 AM. He joined the well respected Phoenix brand after more than a decade in Atlanta at 92.9 The Game. Sean has also worked in affiliate relations for Westwood One, and on the air and as a programmer in music radio for Good Karma Brands in Madison, WI.

Brian Long is the program director of both San Diego Sports 760 and KOGO 600 in San Diego. In addition to guiding two of the top talk brands in his market, he has also managed Seattle Sports 710, and served as the Assistant Program Director for ESPN LA 710.

Matt, Sean, and Brian will be part of one of our final sessions on day two of the Summit. The Last Call which yours truly is hosting, will explore unique revenue opportunities created by local brands, and examine a few new ideas and missed opportunities that brands and managers may want to take advantage of in the future.

As of today, the Summit has more than forty accomplished professionals taking the stage at the Founders Club at USC’s Galen Center on March 21-22, 2023. I’ve got a few others still to announce as well, including a few cool giveaways planned for the WWE’s Kickoff party.

If you haven’t bought a ticket and wish to be in the room, visit BSMSummit.com. The last day for ticket sales will be Monday March 13th. I’m hoping to release our final schedule of sessions on Tuesday March 14th. Hopefully I’ll see you in the city of angels.

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