Living This Moment In History As A PD

It’s funny to hear the expression “in times like these,” this week.  The simple, hard truth is that the phrase doesn’t apply.  There’s no experience anyone living can draw on that applies directly to a time like this.  An invisible threat has suspended our culture – indefinitely.  

We may not be able to see COVID-19, but we can feel the wave of anxiety it produces in it’s wake.  In an understandable attempt to calm themselves – people are searching for some sort of “normal.”  For so many sports fans, that outlet has been and continues to be their local sports radio station.  So what about the PDs charged with maintaining “normal,” when everything around them seems to be crumbling?  

I spoke with two men charged with that task – Phil Mackey of SKOR North in Minneapolis and Matt Fishman of ESPN Cleveland.

Jack Ferris: What’s a bigger challenge right now – content or working-from-home logistics?  (Assuming you have talent working from home)

Phil Mackey: Logistics are the bigger challenge – especially for us, as we try to produce as much video content as we can as well. We’ve had to lean on some new tools.

Matt Fishman: Content is really not an issue right now. The Browns free agency and getting ready for the draft are huge stories here. Plus, we have a very talented team that can talk about anything. We have five daily hosts working from home and two from the studio. The working from home logistics aren’t a huge challenge. We prepared for it and tested everything in advance.

JF: As far as content is concerned – do you have a policy in place in regard to how much you talk about the virus day to day?  Obviously it has to be addressed, but do you try to have a certain amount of time devoted to COVID-free segments?

PM: I actually ran a poll on my Twitter account when coronavirus started to really make an impact — asking followers about the things they want to listen to on sports radio. Only 10% wanted to hear coronavirus updates and news. So, that’s our ratio. We sprinkle important updates in, but we mostly fulfill our role as entertainers for people looking for a reprieve. 

MF: No hard and fast policy. Just a couple of important guidelines. 1. We are not medical experts. 2. Don’t downplay the threat. It’s really an off-shoot of #1 but we keep people informed and show empathy to what everyday Clevelanders are going through.

PF: How crucial is communication at a time like this?  I’m referring to daily contact with management, sales, talent, etc.

PM: We have daily communication between all departments, and a daily round-up email from our general manager. Over-communication is important when everyone is working from different locations. 

MF: Extremely important. We are using Microsoft Teams to video conference most of our communications since people are out of the office. Also, our leadership team is meeting at least once a day.

PF: Is there an overall message you try to convey to your team – a rallying cry or philosophy to get everyone through this?

PM: We view these next several weeks and months as an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with listeners and followers. That applies to sales as well. Let’s be creative, let’s innovate, and let’s set ourselves up to ACCELERATE through this crazy period.

MF: I support and reinforce what is already a team atmosphere. People from Cleveland have been through a lot throughout the years and they know if they stick together they’ll make it through.

PF: Do you see a silver lining in all of this?

PM: Yes. It will be a tough road in the short-term, but ultimately sports will come back. Fans want to be entertained. And advertisers will want and need to connect with those fans. 

MF: The silver lining in all of this is learning how to deal with the unexpected. Some of our less experienced teammates weren’t working during the financial crisis of 2008 or on 9/11, so they’ve never experienced a major national emergency like this.