BNM Writers
Ramsey Solutions’ Lesson on Legacy
No company walks the legacy-planning journey like Ramsey Solutions, the company led by financial talk-show host Dave Ramsey.
Published
2 years agoon
By
Rick Schultz
Investing in your people is the surest way to ensure your brand’s legacy.
Securing the next generation of leaders is not simply a crucial step for healthy corporate succession in business or media. It is a crucial process for any media company’s long-term growth, stability, and future.
No company walks the legacy-planning journey like Ramsey Solutions, the company led by financial talk-show host Dave Ramsey. In fact, one of Ramsey’s lesser-known yet highly influential books, “The Legacy Journey,” teaches individuals to think financially past today and build something lasting for the future.
And in terms of building a legacy of financial media, Ramsey has always had an eye on the future.
Take, for example, talented host Anthony O’Neal, who for years with Ramsey Solutions helped spearhead the company’s effort to help college students emerge from school without burdensome student loans. With Ramsey’s leadership, O’Neal went into communities to share the truth about the predatory student loan industry, educating and imploring students and families that there are alternatives to the traditional model involving the financial handcuffs of college loans.
O’Neal, a black American, helped Ramsey extend his reach to a more diverse audience, one that was also younger and more rooted in popular culture. For O’Neal, it was a chance to speak to audiences across the country, both in person, through books, and on Ramsey’s nationally-syndicated radio program. A true win-win until O’Neal left Ramsey Solutions late last year to continue building his platform on his own.
Contrary to first thought, however, the change was welcomed and perhaps planned for by both parties. No drama and no hard feelings, at least publicly.
Across the media industry, grooming the next generation of leaders is more difficult than ever before. And it’s not unique to Ramsey and O’Neal. It holds true for on-air talent, to production crews, to the editorial staff, and the corporate boardroom. In all cases, a proactive approach helps develop the next batch of professionals to grow a brand or sprout the branches of a company’s ministry into the future.
“A lot of these pathways into becoming the Program Director or the brand manager just don’t exist anymore,” said Jeff Sottolano of Audacy at the recent Barrett Sports Media Summit in New York City. “The college internship, the Promotions Director, the APD in some instances. We’ve made very specific and intentional investments in restoring some of those positions and making sure we’ve got a pathway inside of our organization to grow and develop the next major-market brand manager, maybe in a secondary role in another market.”
So it becomes a two-part framework – invest into your future stars and, if necessary, help them spread their wings and fly. For O’Neal, the timing of his move was a welcomed one, both for himself and the Ramsey organization.
“Me and Dave recognized that my brand was going in a different direction than what we saw it was going while I was at Ramsey. And so we both just agreed that it’s time for you to just step out on your own,” O’Neal said on the Nicky and Moose YouTube show last month. “It was such a smooth transition to where this guy was so into it. He said we love you; we want to support the route that you’re going when it comes to really serving that market that you want to go after. And it wasn’t like this was a better situation, or this was a bad situation. It was like, hey Anthony, go do your thing. I said yeah, I’m going to go do my thing. It’s so funny, because when people see people separate, they automatically think it’s drama. And I’m like, no, there’s no drama there. That was a season. I’m a Christian man, and God just shifted the season.”
And when it comes to investing in future leaders, Dave Ramsey puts his money where his mouth is, often without much fanfare.
“Because I honor Dave, because I honor that place, I’m going to love that place. Dave was one hundred percent supportive of it,” O’Neal said. “I’m going to be real with you all. He even gave me some money to go out. It was like a church plan; we’re gonna go allow Anthony to do what he was called to do.”
But that’s not to say it’s been all rainbows and lollipops for Ramsey when team members have departed. Over the years, there have been others who, through their actions or the company’s philosophical approach, left under much less amicable circumstances. Sometimes it just isn’t the right fit any longer. Sometimes the investment doesn’t pan out for either side. And sometimes, as Ramsey’s “Entreleadership” hosts have said over the years, the loving and caring thing to do is to push a team member to their next challenge, recognizing that their success is limited, or has ended, in your organization.
Many listeners and industry insiders might be shocked at Ramsey’s approach to help grow and build an on-air personality’s brand, only to help him take off on his own. But that may be one of the true secrets to the company’s success – truly investing in people who will give their all to your brand and spread your message. There is an integrity to the approach, which helps attract the best and help them fulfill their potential, both for your organization and, ultimately, for themself.
But it starts with the right person, with the right attitude. And with Ramsey, O’Neal was the right fit. A person of integrity who had the qualities any successful team would desire.
“First and foremost, you want self-starters. Anybody that sits across my desk talking with me about a job, the first thing I say is, you better believe in you before you ask me to,” said Don Martin of Fox Sports Radio during the Summit, while talking about grooming the next generation of media executives. “I mean, bring the game. If you walk into that room and you don’t have passion for this game, and you don’t have enthusiasm, then don’t come in the door. At the end of the day, it’s not up to us to make them care and make them want. We want hungry people. We need young people, and as society life has changed.”
For Ramsey, O’Neal embodied those attributes – a ceaseless passion that connected with a new, younger, and more diverse audience. O’Neal’s addition brought years of energy to the network, a benefit to both the organization and the talent. Dave Ramsey and his leadership team presumably saw what they lacked and sought out a professional who could fill in a weak spot. Their self-awareness and humility allowed them to chart the path toward company growth, seeing an addition rather than a threat.
“Your team needs to have someone on it that can replace you,” Sottolano said about running a sports media organization. “We’ve got to be more judicious about, when we have those spots, whether it’s the late-night host in terms of talent development, or its in the programming ranks, we’ve got to be invested in people that demonstrate potential. And not be afraid of someone who’s going to challenge us in that seat. I’m not afraid of somebody challenging me in my seat. That makes me better, that makes me better, that makes the organization better.”
And when this is your approach, you cultivate not only strong, talented leaders and talent for your team but also raving fans and advocates of your mission and brand. These people emerged from inside your four walls and can’t wait to share the truth about your wonderful company culture.
“I am so grateful. So grateful to the team behind the camera, to the team in this building, to Dave Ramsey, to the board, the leadership, to every single person who has poured into me and loved me, and truly shaped me into who I am, even as I leave this season and enter the next season,” said fellow Ramsey personality, Christy Wright, who joined the company in 2009, and announced earlier this year that she, too, was stepping out on her own. “The gifts and skills that I’ve cultivated in this place are unbelievable, more than anything that I could ever ask or imagine. I’ve learned from the best of the best.”
That is the power of a brand that does what it preaches. That is the power of legacy.
For Anthony O’Neal, for Christy Wright, and for Dave Ramsey.
And also for media organizations who care enough about their team and their audience to build the next generation of voices and leaders while living their mission today.
Rick Schultz is a former Sports Director for WFUV Radio at Fordham University. He has coached and mentored hundreds of Sports Broadcasting students at the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, Marist College and privately. His media career experiences include working for the Hudson Valley Renegades, Army Sports at West Point, The Norwich Navigators, 1340/1390 ESPN Radio in Poughkeepsie, NY, Time Warner Cable TV, Scorephone NY, Metro Networks, NBC Sports, ABC Sports, Cumulus Media, Pamal Broadcasting and WATR. He has also authored a number of books including “A Renegade Championship Summer” and “Untold Tales From The Bush Leagues”. To get in touch, find him on Twitter @RickSchultzNY.
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BNM Writers
Can News/Talk Radio Find Ways to Keep Revenue Up While Shortening Spot Blocks?
I may be naïve, but if you could cut out a chunk of commercials, and I get my talk time back, everyone’s a winner.
Published
21 hours agoon
April 24, 2024
Things are going pretty well with me. You? Actually, I’m not particularly interested in how you’re doing but thought I’d be polite. You see, I’m feeling my proverbial oats a little bit. A lot of things we’ve been trying to map out with our radio show over the last year are starting to come off the map and move into reality.
We’ve been doing more remotes, throwing a dart at a map, and going to that town to do a whole show. Plus, we finally found a TV partner that seems to “get it” and not only work with us but also let us do things our way.
It’s been fun, validating, and informative.
That information, by the way, is not all good.
From all the interactions over the last month or so, I’ve received a lot of direct feedback. Much of it is the usual: Love the show, hate the show, why did you have GUY A on but not GUY B etc…
I like hearing the good and the bad, truly, but one thing was mentioned to me several times, and it has alarm bells ringing in my head.
“Too many commercials”.
“I was in the car for 10 minutes and heard you for 30 seconds”.
“Too many ads; I changed the channel”.
“I like you guys, but if I hear one more erectile dysfunction ad, I might go hard right off a bridge”.
Don’t worry, he meant it as a metaphor. I think.
After the third or fourth similar mention, I started paying more attention to talk time and the ads.
Conclusion: There is no doubt talk time is tighter than it was even three years ago.
A lot of ads in your radio show can mean a lot of things. It can mean the show is doing well, and a lot of people want to advertise with you. It can also mean that ad rates are lower, and they need to sell more ads to make the same amount of money.
The latter is troubling.
I thought about this quite a bit, and when I went to that sales meeting I talked about last week, I came in with an idea. It’s not a new one, and I think a lot of markets may do this for some segments; but for some reason, we don’t.
And we need to.
Find whole-hour sponsors. Make a bunch of mentions, even a minute read here or there. Whatever they need.
Heck, I could even settle for 30-minute sponsorships, but one full hour would be ideal.
I may be naïve, but if you could cut out a chunk of radio commercials, and I get my talk time back, everyone’s a winner.
I’d be so into the sponsor that my pleas for you to patronize the business would be passionate, authentic, and convincing. I promise!
“I LOVE RotoRooter – not just because they sponsor this hour but also because they unclogged my drain in 20 minutes!”
The ED stuff would be rough, but you know what? If it allows the radio show to breathe and thrive — flow, if you will — even that might be worth it.
If you do this in your market, I want to know about it. If you don’t do it and also are worried about diminished talk time, stay tuned!
The truth is that it’s not about ego. If people tune into your show because they like it – or like you and your team — I promise you they don’t like it enough to sit through four minutes of spots for 30 seconds of you, right into 4 minutes of spots, right into news, weather, and traffic.
That’s just brutal, especially if you are only in the car for 20 minutes or so. It would just feel like wasted time, and I am afraid some people already feel that way.
It might make your radio job easier, but it also makes it way less secure.
Brian Shactman is a weekly columnist for Barrett News Radio. In addition to writing for BNM, Brian can be heard weekday mornings in Hartford, CT on 1080 WTIC hosting the popular morning program ‘Brian & Company’. During his career, Brian has worked for ESPN, CNBC, MSNBC, and local TV channels in Connecticut and Massachusetts. You can find him on Twitter @bshactman.
BNM Writers
Salacious Coverage of Donald Trump Trial Damaging Credibility of Already Suffering News Media
No matter how you split it, Trump and the media have a tumultuous relationship that is negatively impacting and dividing the American public.
Published
21 hours agoon
April 24, 2024
As Newsmax legal analysts claim President Donald Trump committed no crime, MSNBC analysts are looking to throw the book at him.
The media circus has certainly hit the Big Apple and each outlet has brought along their Waldorf and Statler to play word semantics and overanalyze the court case. There are several issues with the media coverage of this case, but we will focus on three.
The first problem with this coverage is also a necessary evil: pool reporters. It is physically impossible to allow every outlet into the courtroom. Who is in the room is key to neutral reporting.
For those outside of NY, pool reporters are typically selected on a rotating basis (not sure if this is the case in other markets because I’ve only ever worked in the #1). This allows every outlet (and even questionable ones) to observe the defendant in court. When the email came across the pool notes chain saying, “Trump is asleep in court,” I immediately questioned it, because of who it came from. Fortunately, I was not the only one.
Another astute reporter (not me) replied to the massive group chain asking for a second reporter to verify this claim. Only the original person responded back saying yes. Rarely do people publicly question the pool reporters and ask for a second person to verify a pool reporter’s claim. Journalism rule number one, you need three sources to verify information. If we can not trust our pool reporters, every outlet’s reporting suffers.
Second, ramifications of the trial: Outlets on the left are trying to let viewers believe POTUS 45 could spend four years on Rikers Island. The facility, which is home to nearly all of New York City’s criminals, is notorious for gang breeding and corruption. Let’s be very clear: the Secret Service would never let anyone under their protection be held in such a place. If found guilty Trump will likely face a fine and maybe be placed under house arrest.
Additionally, the jail facility does not hold prisoners who are sentenced for more than a year. The idea he will be placed in jail is just an ultra-left fantasy.
If convicted, the following is true: Trump will not be eligible to vote for himself this election cycle, his campaign for the Oval Office can continue, and he could join a list of other elected politicians who have been convicted or pleaded guilty of a federal crime. On the national level, in 1789, Rep. Matthew Lyon (D/R-VT) was re-elected to office while serving a four-month jail sentence.
In more recent history, former Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) pleaded guilty while in office for the death of Mary Jo Kopechne for the “Chappaquiddick incident,” he was re-elected several times after the alleged accident.
On the local level, current Bridgeport, CT Mayor Joe Ganim is serving a second stint in office after serving time in federal prison. Mayor Duane Gurule, of Rocky Ford, Colorado, is also serving as the town’s Mayor after being convicted of a federal crime. Other recent former mayors who are convicted felons include, Marion Barry (DC) and Jermaine Wilson (Leavenworth, Kansas).
Additionally, Roy Hebron was elected mayor of Rapides Parish, Louisiana but could not be sworn in because of the state’s constitutional amendment which prevented felons from holding office for five years after they ended their prison sentence. The examples above are a list of Democrats and Republicans. Despite what outlets tell you, people will and have voted for a convicted felon.
While the former President has not been convicted of any felonies, he was convicted for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll (no relation). However, members of the media have wrongly said he was convicted of rape, prompting a defamation lawsuit between President Trump, ABC, and George Stephanopoulos. Some speculate this case will have a similar ending to Trump’s defamation suit against CNN.
This opens up my final point: President Trump’s contentious relationship with the media, before, during, and after his presidency. For years before his Presidency, Donald Trump had several run-ins with the media. This caused many outlets to already have a negative or tabloid-esque attitude toward the real estate mogul pre-presidency.
The national media followed suit pandering to their readers’ views instead of reporting fairly on the then-presidential candidate. Take a look at these headlines from his campaign announcement:
- The Guardian: Donald Trump’s tirade on Mexico’s ‘drugs and rapists’ outrages US Latinos
- New York Daily News: Donald Trump enters 2016 presidential race with bizarre speech insulting Mexican immigrants, lambasting Obama
- LA Times: Donald Trump enters race, and GOP wonders: Presidency or reality TV?
None of these headlines were flattering. Some didn’t even take him seriously. While the mainstream gave good bland headlines of “Donald Trump enters 2016 presidential race,” the articles themselves were laced with bias. CBS claiming the former president’s speech was “also frequently wrong.” CNN’s article dismissed Trump saying, “Many Americans now view him primarily as a reality-TV star.”
Nevertheless, he dominated the headlines in 2016, won, with outlets quickly realizing he makes people click, giving them revenue many had not seen before.
Since leaving office, POTUS 45 still regally made the headlines. It’s not just because of the many court cases. It’s because he creates really good clickbait, and in turn, revenue, for outlets. New York Times: Could Trump Go to Prison? If He Does, the Secret Service Goes, Too
No matter how you split it, Trump and the media have a tumultuous relationship that is negatively impacting and dividing the American public.
Over the last four years, former President Donald Trump has still made consistent headlines more than any other former president. Even Grover Cleveland, who was reelected four years after he left office, made less headlines than Trump while out of office. The media’s obsession on both the left and right has proven to be a great distraction from our current President’s cognitive decline.
Perhaps if the suits (aka C-suite executives) cared more about content and less about ad sales, honest journalists (because there are a few out there) would have to bother less with directives and more on honest journalism.
Let me be clear, yes, this is a historic court case that needs to be covered. However, not with this extent of bias from the left and right sides of the media. We are the fourth estate. We should be serving the American public without corporate or personal bias.
Krystina Alarcon Carroll is a columnist and features writer for Barrett News Media.She currently freelances at WPIX in New York, and has previously worked on live, streamed, and syndicated TV programs. Her prior employers have included NY1, Fox News Digital, Law & Crime Network, and Newsmax. You can find Krystina on X (formerly twitter) @KrystinaAlaCarr.
BNM Writers
Fox News Leads Coverage of Iran/Israel Bombing
Fox News led all cable outlets in extensive breaking news coverage, peaking at the 8-9 p.m. ET hour with 2.488 million viewers.
Published
21 hours agoon
April 24, 2024
Iran launched more than 200 explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday, Apr. 13, which left both network and cable news outlets like Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN scrambling to cover the event. The event was made in retaliation for what Iran called an Israeli strike from Apr. 1 on its consulate in Damascus, the capital of Syria, which killed seven officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two senior commanders.
With the effect of installed defense measures, Iran’s Apr. 13 salvo merely caused light damage to one Israeli military facility. All this with the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war as the backdrop.
Breaking news of Iran’s attack on Israel arrived in the U.S. at 4 p.m. Eastern on Apr. 13.
CBS briefly interrupted third-round coverage of The Masters golf tournament for the special report. Although their initial news brief was not separately tabulated by Nielsen, the network averaged 6.595 million total viewers including 1.892 million within the 25-54 demographic from 3 p.m. to 7:17 p.m. Eastern, marking CBS as the most-watched outlet in announcing this news. Their report following Masters Day 3’s conclusion, at 7:54-8:01 p.m., drew 2.498 million viewers and 499,000 adults 25-54.
The Saturday edition of NBC Nightly News (4.168 million viewers; 415,000 adults 25-54) did better in total viewers over ABC’s World News Tonight (3.684 million viewers; 451,000 adults 25-54) but ABC’s newscast outperformed NBC’s in the key 25-54 demographic. ABC’s extra half-hour special report at 7:30 p.m. Eastern delivered 2.245 million viewers and 331,000 adults 25-54.
On the following morning (Sunday Apr. 14), the first half-hour of CBS’ Face the Nation (2.554 million viewers; 437,000 adults 25-54) was the morning’s top public affairs program, followed by ABC’s This Week (2.258 million viewers; 370,000 adults 25-54). NBC’s Meet the Press (10 AM to 10:49 AM: 2.173 million viewers; 376,000 adults 25-54) and Fox News Sunday (0.984 million viewers; 219,000 adults 25-54).
The second half-hour of Face the Nation, which is lesser distributed to CBS affiliates, drew 2.007 million viewers and 340,000 adults 25-54.
Back to Apr. 13, Fox News led all cable outlets in extensive breaking news coverage, peaking at the 8-9 p.m. ET hour with 2.488 million viewers including 302,000 adults 25-54.
CNN, which also peaked in audience figures within the 8-9 p.m. ET hour (as the hourly breakdowns below indicate), was relatively even with Fox News in the 25-54 demo, averaging 219,000 within the demo from 4-11 p.m. ET (FNC: 221,000).
CNN (981,000) also managed to best MSNBC (723,000) among total viewers.
As for the news netlets, Newsmax’s 6.5 hours of coverage (373,000 viewers; 28,000 adults 25-54) easily outdelivered NewsNation’s four hours (119,000 viewers; 16,000 adults 25-54).
The following are the hourly breakdowns of each cable network on Apr. 13 from 4-11 p.m. ET:
4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Fox News: 1.035 million viewers; 101,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 624,000 viewers; 105,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 583,000 viewers; 66,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax (4:30-11 p.m.): 373,000 viewers; 28,000 adults 25-54
5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
- Fox News: 1.514 million viewers; 165,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 878,000 viewers; 184,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 809,000 viewers; 86,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax (4:30-11 p.m.): 373,000 viewers; 28,000 adults 25-54
6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
- Fox News: 1.702 million viewers; 229,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 985,000 viewers; 235,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 810,000 viewers; 116,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax (4:30-11 p.m.): 373,000 viewers; 28,000 adults 25-54
7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
- Fox News: 2.142 million viewers; 278,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 1.198 million viewers; 262,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC (7-9 p.m.): 846,000 viewers; 118,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax (4:30-11 p.m.): 373,000 viewers; 28,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 161,000 viewers; 26,000 adults 25-54
8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
- Fox News: 2.488 million viewers; 302,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 1.254 million viewers; 264,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC (7-9 p.m.): 846,000 viewers; 118,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax (4:30-11 p.m.): 373,000 viewers; 28,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 116,000 viewers; 15,000 adults 25-54
9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
- Fox News: 2.023 million viewers; 250,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 1.083 million viewers; 266,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 627,000 viewers; 59,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax (4:30-11 p.m.): 373,000 viewers; 28,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 113,000 viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54
10:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
- Fox News: 1.802 million viewers; 279,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 847,000 viewers; 215,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 545,000 viewers; 62,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax (4:30-11 p.m.): 373,000 viewers; 28,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 85,000 viewers; 10,000 adults 25-54
Douglas Pucci is a Bronx native and NYU graduate analyzing news television ratings for Barrett News Media. He did an internship at VH1’s “Pop Up Video” in 1997. After college, Pucci went on to design, build and maintain websites for various non-profit organizations in his hometown of New York City. He has worked alongside media industry observer Marc Berman for over a decade reporting on all things television, first at Cross MediaWorks from 2011-15 then at Programming Insider since 2016. Pucci also contributed to the sports website Awful Announcing. Read more: https://programminginsider.com/author/douglas/
