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Meet The Market Managers: Michael Spacciapolli, Audacy Pittsburgh

“There’s not a playbook you can use to guarantee success. You’re going to have to work really hard, build relationships, and understand that it’s an all the time job now.”

Jason Barrett

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If you’ve had the good fortune of spending time with Michael Spacciapolli, you’ve learned quickly that he loves what he does professionally. He’s driven to succeed, passionate about his brands and staff, and uninterested in being complacent. If there’s a way to improve even one small area of his product, Spacc as he’s affectionately known by his crew wants to hear about it. If difficult discussions have to be had to ensure progress, he’s ready and willing to have them.

Since earning the promotion to GM in July 2018, Audacy Pittsburgh’s leader has continued looking for ways to innovate. His two talk brands, 93.7 The Fan and Newsradio KDKA, have been consistent revenue and ratings performers, allowing all involved with both brands to place a greater emphasis on digital evolution. It’s all part of taking great radio brands and making them even more accessible and important anywhere consumers enjoy content.

In this discussion presented by our friends at Point to Point Marketing, Spacc and I review his personal progression as a GM, the growth of KDKA and 93.7 The Fan, what he sought when adding two new programmers to guide his sports and news/talk brands, the challenge and opportunities associated with recruiting, and which sales categories he sees future growth opportunities in. I’m sure you’ll enjoy learning more about Spacc, and I invite you to reach out to him by email to learn more about Audacy Pittsburgh.

Jason Barrett: Your 4 year anniversary is just around the corner, July 2018. We’ll dive into the specific items involving both spoken word brands in a minute but before I get into that, I’d like to ask you about your management style and core beliefs. If I asked an employee inside your building to describe how you lead, what would they tell me?

Michael Spacciapolli: I’m sure most would tell you that I am incredibly hands on. I have great leaders who work for me and I empower them to do their jobs, but I stay involved in everything we do. I think the key to running a successful operation is to have good people and good communication. Then it’s about giving your team the tools they need to do their jobs. I know that taking care of and collecting great talent is an ongoing part of maintaining a brand’s success, and we never stop working on those things.

JB: Let’s reflect on the past 4-years for a minute. The pandemic aside, you’ve enjoyed a lot of success. When you look back at the past few years, what are you most proud of, and what have been the toughest challenges and hardest lessons you had to learn?

MS: The brand extensions have been our biggest strengths. From the studio design, to the increase in video, to the growth of our app and streams, I’m pleased with the way we’re becoming more multiplatform focused. A lot of these things come down to attention to detail. It can’t just be what you hear out of the speakers anymore. We have to make our brands bigger and more accessible in multiple locations.

If there’s been one challenge, the FM signal addition for KDKA was great but we’re still trying to make sure the brand remains a viable resource to people. That’s harder to do with so many options available these days. We’re still in a strong position, but like anything, we’re always aiming to be better. On the other hand, 93.7 The Fan’s main challenge is taking a very good station to a dominant level on a consistent basis. We’ve built a product that people know and trust. The challenge is just making it one of the very best consistently.

JB: The two stations under your watch which our readers will have the most interest in are 93.7 The Fan, and News Radio KDKA. Both of these brands are extremely successful in your city, and are recognized as leaders in their respective formats. Starting with KDKA, aside from longevity, what makes the brand so important to the community that it’s remained a part of people’s lives for over a century?

MS: 100 years plus is incredible. Everyone understands the importance of this station in radio but in Pittsburgh, this brand is right there with the identity of our local sports teams. People over 18 know the Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. They’re just as aware of KDKA, and what it means, and the impact it’s had on many people’s lives. It’s where people go when something happens in Pittsburgh. They turn to us for information and know they can count on us to inform them.

Our position in the market remains strong because we have a great team and lengthy track record of serving the Pittsburgh community. We’re committed to doing that. The challenge for us is just making sure that future generations care about us the way others have before them.

JB: 93.7 The Fan on the other hand has been around for just over 12 years. During that time it’s cemented its position as the go to source for sports talk in Pittsburgh. What do you attribute the brand’s success to?

MS: Jay it’s all about the consistent daily delivery of local sports. That’s what’s made The Fan important to people. Whether it’s on-air, on mobile, on digital, they’re always going to be served Pittsburgh sports talk. The Fan controls the dialogue here. We’re fortunate to be in a city where people care deeply about these teams, and we have great talent on the air talking about issues that matter to local sports fans. Because of that local sports passion and the talent we’ve put in place, people know they can come here and be part of a conversation.

JB: The Fan has the play by play rights to the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Steelers are heard elsewhere in the market. Many would say those two teams are important to the local sports conversation, yet you’ve been able to establish a strong identity without them on your airwaves. Taking that into account, does that influence the way you view the importance of play by play?

MS: I still think play by play is important despite our success. We’ve seen success with the Pirates on our own airwaves despite the team not being great the past few years. Being in the sports business, we can own things outside of the play by play hours, and that’s what we focus on. We can own coverage and engagement around the Steelers, Pens and Pirates. We can provide consistent programming without interruptions due to not having games cut into our schedule. But having great play by play still matters. If you don’t have it though you can still find other ways to connect to the local teams and remain vital to an audience.

JB: Over the past twelve years, 93.7 The Fan has been led by a number of accomplished programmers. Terry Foxx launched the station, Ryan Maguire followed him, Jim Graci came next, and now the station is being led by Kraig Riley. Unlike his predecessors, Kraig didn’t have a number of stops around the country before he earned the opportunity to guide the brand, but he has spent more time inside the building than anyone else who had managed it. When you were going through the process and trying to determine who was the right person to lead The Fan forward, what was it about Kraig that gave you confidence that he was ready for the next step?

MS: I never forget that someone took a chance on me once. I’m a big believer that it’s about talent not experience. Kraig was fortunate that I was the GM because I was willing to give him a shot, and he’s making the most of it. I needed energy, talent, and someone who lived and breathed the brand every day. That’s Kraig. Attention to detail and passion are important to the PD role, and Kraig loves this station, and he works his tail off.

The challenge for anyone moving from behind the scenes to becoming the PD is getting your teammates to trust and respect your decision making. That transition takes time. Kraig knew he’d have to earn the staff’s respect to be seen as the PD not a producer, and he’s doing that. If you do the right things, are fair, and treat people good, you’ll be fine. So far, he’s done a tremendous job and I’m confident even better days are ahead.

JB: When The Fan changed direction, so too did KDKA. That was necessary because Jim Graci previously managed both sports and news. You turned to Dave Labrozzi, who’s resume speaks for itself, to lead KDKA forward. What was it about Dave’s style that you felt would put KDKA in position to have even greater success?

MS: As you mentioned Jay, Dave’s accomplishments are well known. He’s managed a number of great brands and has had a lot of success. I was lucky that this was a homecoming for him. He’d worked in Pittsburgh before, loved the area, and the timing was good.

What I can add about Dave is that he’s a great tactician. He digs into the different things that we need to do a better job of including talent coaching and the Nielsen game. Focusing on social is another area he learned a lot about at WABC. That’s something we have to be better at with KDKA. He’s interested in video, digital content creation, and he does his homework. His knowledge and ability is helping us raise the bar for where KDKA can go.

JB: Considering how strong each of these brands are, I’m sure you have expectations for where they should be when it comes to ratings and revenue. With that in mind, what defines a great year for 93.7 The Fan and KDKA?

MS: A great year in my opinion is hitting plan and growing at a substantial rate. How are we diversifying our stations? How are we doing in spot business? If we’re growing in different areas that’s important to me. Are we seeing progress in video sponsorships? Is there growth in the way people are digitally consuming us? These are two strong brands that are going to be here for a long time so we know we should perform well because they matter to people. But that’s why it’s so important to grow beyond the usual metrics. We have to stay focused on those things because the way people consume and where they invest is going to continue changing and we have to be ready for it.

JB: One challenge that every GM has to conquer in order to grow ratings and revenue is retaining and recruiting strong talent. That applies to management, on-air, sales and every other department. Given how many options exist today, and the way good talent are sought after by groups outside of radio, how do you make sure the job, the brands, and the company remain important and attractive to those already working for you or considering joining you?

MS: There’s nothing I enjoy more than recruiting. It allows me to bring in great people. It’s an everyday part of our job. If someone doesn’t believe that I think they’re missing a key part of the job. Having a great culture backs you up when you’re trying to add great people to your organization.

Now when you get great talent in the building at all levels, how you utilize them becomes the second part of recruiting, which is retention. We see a lot coming at our people, and that speaks to their level of talent. If we do the right things and put them in good situations, it gives them a reason to stay. Those applying to work for you may know your reputation but it goes even further if the message they hear is coming from those who’ve been a part of it.

When I was working in DC for WTOP, people would ask about non-competes and I’d say ‘if you want to leave here, we’re not going to stand in your way‘. I felt and many others did that there was no better place to work in that market, which is why most didn’t leave. I’ve always felt that if you build the right culture and give people a chance to make a great living, they’re going to want to stay for a long time. That’s how you continue growing.

JB: Another situation that you have to balance is making sure you’re doing what’s best for local while also helping corporate advance their key initiatives. That can be frustrating for sellers who want more inventory, digital folks who have to promote certain things on the brand’s socials or hosts who hear a podcast being promoted during their show and want to know why. How do you navigate those waters?

MS: We discuss that a lot. It can be frustrating when local folks don’t understand the bigger picture. That comes down to our department heads needing to communicate why we’re doing certain things. If we share information, hopefully we can get them to at least understand. They’re not always going to agree. If the company wins, it helps us, even if sometimes it may not look that way to those inside the building.

The reality is that we work for a great company, and our company is always looking to grow. They invest in a lot of areas and it requires us on the local level to help them promote things. I think we can remain successful doing what we do while still helping the company improve its business.

JB: Pennsylvania is a state where sports betting is legal. This is a space that Audacy is doing a lot of work in between local brands and the BetQL network. For sports radio, the sports betting category has been a key revenue driver the past few years, whereas others such as auto haven’t been as dependable as they’ve been in the past. So much can change in the years to come, but when you look into your crystal ball today to try and figure out which categories will provide the biggest upside for radio revenue in the near future, which ones are you most excited about and why?

MS: The event business is something we see being very important. We’ve been active in that space and have done well in it. I expect that to continue. I have great relationships in the auto industry from growing up in it, and fortunately we’ve done ok in that category even if some others have been down a bit. I think that once we have that inventory right, we’ll see a bounce back in the auto category.

Another category I think will be interesting is recruiting. Going forward, companies are going to have to tell their story more to attract people. As new industries arrive and people’s wants, needs and lifestyles change, that becomes an opportunity for us. I know there has also been some discussion of emerging businesses such as Crypto, and though some may feel differently, I don’t see that being a major play for us in the near future.

JB: Prior to becoming a leader in Pittsburgh, I know you spent time in Washington DC working for WTOP. That’s a brand that many view as the most successful station in the industry. What did you learn about leadership there that you carry with you today?

MS: First Jay, I would argue with anyone who says it isn’t the best brand in the industry. Its results year after year support that opinion. When I was there, I worked for great people. Joel Oxley is an incredible GM and forward thinker. Matt Mills, the DOS is one of the best systems guys I’ve ever been around. They’re smart people.

What I took away first was how important it is to have an incredible product. WTOP has that and it opens a lot of doors to discuss business. The culture and leadership there also matter. Everyone had a role on the team and they knew how to play it. From Joel to Matt to the former PD Jim Farley and everyone else, they all contributed to the culture and mission, which was to win. They also made it a point to look ahead often. That’s something we can do better.

Leaving there was hard. I married a Pittsburgh girl and lucked out joining a great company which has allowed me to grow but being part of WTOP was an important part of my career. A guy like Matt has had multiple opportunities to leave and become a GM and he’s never done it. It’s because he’s in a great situation. It goes back to what I said earlier, if you work somewhere great, and the culture is good, and you’re given the tools to do your job and make a good living, why leave?

JB: If you can offer a piece of advice about managing to anyone currently in management or considering a path in media management, what would it be?

MS: I say two things. There’s not a playbook you can use to guarantee success. You’re going to have to work really hard, build relationships, and understand that it’s an all the time job now. Those who can dedicate themselves to it are the ones who I think will see the best results. Balance is important, and I’m all for that but you have to be completely engaged and constantly thinking about this when you’re at this level.

As far as day to day stuff goes, I think a lot of this is about the people you work with and putting them in good situations. If you care about them, value them, and are fair and honest, you’ll have their trust and respect. You need those things if you expect to create a winning culture.

The last thing I’ll say, which I learned as a DOS, was to be honest and transparent with upper management. If you screwed up, tell them that you did and share what you’re doing to fix it. There’s very few people in the 100% club. Sometimes you’re going to be off. They see the numbers. They know. Don’t try and make it seem as if it’s always good. Give them the facts, be accountable, and have a plan for improving.

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BSM Writers

Day Spent With: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

“What a beautiful gift to have the ability to make something that is about you; your imaginations; your principles and have it reach and imprint someone else.”

Derek Futterman

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Day Spent With – The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

We’ve reached the end of BSM’s ‘Day Spent With‘ series. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these pieces as much as we’ve enjoyed creating them for you. I want to thank all of the brands, companies, and professionals who made time for Derek Futterman during the past two months. None of these projects work without help from a lot of quality people.

Our goal from the start of this series was to shine a light on what a day entails inside each workplace. Whether folks work in radio, digital, television, voiceover/imaging, media buying or management, consistent success can not be achieved if all departments aren’t working in sync. Fortunately, we’ve got a lot of good ones continuing to raise the bar across the sports media industry.

To close things out, we sent Derek to South Beach to spend a full day with The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. My thanks to Dan, and the entire crew for making time for us. I also want to thank Bimal Kapadia for putting the wheels in motion. We don’t travel a lot for projects, but when this idea came up, I thought it’d be a great way to put a bow on an awesome series. I’m sure as you read the piece, you’ll agree that it offers a great peek into life on the pirate ship. I just hope Derek didn’t bring home an eye patch or lose a hand in the process.

Jason Barrett

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A loud bell rings two minutes before the top of the hour, signifying to all those within the facilities that the show is about to begin. This tone, albeit fleeting in its duration, has a resonance that rings true throughout the entirety of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, but it is hardly the catalyst for the natural energy and congeniality exhibited inside the studio walls. There is a calculated verve and mental calmness that permeates the space combined with an inherent awareness of the expectations and commitment to its audience.

Although there are elements of improvisation and joviality within the three-and-a-half hour show, hosts and contributors do not simply enter the studio without a plan. Personnel arrive at the Meadowlark Media studios in Miami in two waves with a cognizance of news across a variety of topics. In an office space with the Port of Miami and Kaseya Center visible in the distance, the cast brainstorms potential talking points and informs those involved in audio and video production of any content they might need. Of course, part of the job is also remaining prepared for a deviation off script depending on the discussion percolating or breaking news off which to react.

Co-hosts Dan Le Batard and Jon “Stugotz” Weiner have been working together for nearly two decades, first at 790 The Ticket in Miami. The local version of the show quickly flourished through its blend of sports and other worldly discussion. There have been several different permutations over the years. Consistent through it all is knowing and accepting their roles, and embracing the sublime to the ridiculous, while enjoying content selection freedom.

“I would say that we’re following our curiosities, so I want the show to have range, but I’m going to say [it is] a sports show in costume; a sports show in disguise,” Le Batard said. “I want it to be about other things and it also has sports, but I don’t want it to be limited as a sports show.”

Le Batard and his team do not hesitate to address divisive issues head on, adopting a direct approach rather than espousing their opinions in a indirect manner. There is both deliberate and indirect self-effacing comedy within the show, which begins with a “Local Hour” broadcast streamed live on YouTube weekday mornings at 9am ET.

Consumers wait for the countdown to commence to showtime, which is set to a pulsating theme song with its wide array of cast members engaging in different activities around the facility. Conversely, Weiner is stuck in Miami traffic trying to arrive at the studio on time and dashes through the door to arrive just on time. Abstaining from the pre-show meeting, however, is usually part of the plan in how he executes his infamous “Stugotz” character that has been cultivated for nearly two decades.

“In terms of what’s going to be thrown at me, I really have no idea, and there are many, many times I don’t know what my response is going to be to some of the topics of the day until it’s actually asked to me by Dan,” Weiner said. “I’d rather just not know where I’m going to go and just go with my gut.”

On this particular version of the program, Weiner is not in the studio and in the midst of taking vacation. Miami Herald sports columnist Greg Cote is live for his weekly appearance on the program in a tradition that has become a favorite among colleagues and listeners. Le Batard opens on a somber note, discussing the sudden collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, disclosing that the program was not going to show the video of the incident.

Cote believed that the video should be shown one time just as it is any calamity, prompting Le Batard to explain his opinion on how the footage will likely be promulgated by the internet. The program then moves on to discuss Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who had his properties raided by authorities as part of a federal investigation pertaining to sexual assault, sex trafficking, firearms and illegal narcotics.

Over the years, industry professionals have frequently associated the word ‘pontificate’ with Le Batard, referring to how he expresses himself and often spans beyond sports. During his time at ESPN, the program had to clear certain creative elements or segment ideas with upper management. Many people began to foresee a split between Le Batard and ESPN approaching, and that resolution was eventually reached. Le Batard thinks critically and objectively about different topics, outlining his opinions about various matters on the air, and he always desired the ability to possess more creative control.

“Our show is just meant as an audio experience in a family-like environment, creating laughter and weirdness and pretending like it doesn’t know a lot of people are watching,” Le Batard said. “That needs to be protected, and we’ve thrown a lot of change at it.”

In the last several years alone, the program has enacted alterations in its process pertaining to the studio, cast members, clock, visual elements and start time. At the same time, Le Batard’s brother, David, was battling brain cancer and later passed away, but he did not want to give his audience the vulnerability associated with the hardship. Le Batard considers the creative process to be sacred and values the intimacy of their communication medium.

“I allow our most passionate fans to have strong opinions that make me reconsider mine,” Le Batard said. “I like a community that has sparks in it even if we get accused of being an echo chamber, but I would say that over the last couple of years, I have found fewer and fewer spaces where the criticism is constructive enough to be heard over all of the poisonous devices [and] rhetoric that is now internet spaces that are covered in acid and fire.”

When radio show producer Chris Cote was included in layoffs at ESPN in November 2020 without Le Batard’s knowledge, Le Batard immediately re-hired him as his assistant and offered to pay his salary. For Cote, the act was unsurprising because of Le Batard’s loyalty to his staff members and something he believed precipitated his exit from ESPN.

“That was an interesting time,” Cote recalled. “I would say I’ve made the joke on the air before that people like to blame me and say I’m the reason we left ESPN. I think what happened with me was the final straw that led to the divorce.”

Cote knew Le Batard from the time he was young since he worked with his father, Greg, at the Miami Herald. During those visits though, he did not realize Le Batard could one day be his boss. He now views it as funny that things ended up unfolding in this manner. Le Batard hosted this edition of the show with Greg Cote, someone he originally wanted as his partner on the air.

“If he and I had chosen to do the show with 20 years of reps, it would have felt like Larry David and the late Richard Lewis,” Le Batard said. “It would have been a chemistry because our friendship is real. It’s not borne of television; it’s not borne of broadcasting.”

“My dad brings that special sauce that Stugotz brings to the show where we’re talking about sports and then he says something, and the next thing we know, we’re spending 10 minutes just making fun of something he said,” Cote added. “My dad is like the gift that never stops giving. He’s just a gold mine for random stuff that has nothing to do with the conversation we’re trying to have, and he’s a content factory.”

The character of ‘Stugotz’ is not as much acting as it is an exaggerated version of who Weiner genuinely is in his life. On the show, he tries to represent how most people consume sports, affirming that Le Batard does it in a different manner. Part of his inspiration came from Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo, longtime radio host at WFAN and SiriusXM. Weiner believes that things clicked when he started to mock him rather than try and successfully facsimile his approach.

Part of the allure and mystique around ‘Stugotz’ is in his absences and fans not knowing when he will be on the show. As time has progressed, the character has appeared on other programs such as the God Bless Football and STUpodity podcasts, but he has long been synonymous as Le Batard’s sidekick who is relatable and intriguing. When he is missing from the program, the show rebrands its graphics to read “The Dan Le Batard Show without Stugotz” and plays off the aura of the personality.

“I wish it was my idea, I’m upset that it wasn’t my idea and this is the first I’m finding out about it,” Weiner said. “You’re telling me they do this every time I’m not there? Well two things – it shows, (a), how much attention I’m paying to the show when I’m not there, which is slightly less than I am when I am there, and No. 2 is my reaction to it. Me laughing is what makes our show our show. I’m pissed that I didn’t come up with the idea; I am proud of them for coming up with that idea and executing it. It’s laugh-out-loud funny.”

Le Batard and Stugotz broadcast their show facing a pane of transparent glass, behind which lies an addendum to the studio space. Chris Cote is part of the group within the “Shipping Container,” a room containing different producers and contributors who operate audio equipment, coordinate guest appearances and frequently contribute to the conversation. Both areas are adorned with artwork and sports memorabilia from the city of Miami. Mike Ryan (Ruiz) has been part of this labyrinth for several years, especially when he served as the show’s executive producer. In the present moment, this role is filled by several different personnel who rotate depending on schedule and show needs.

“The best shows are when there’s a lot of creative energy bouncing off one another [and] a lot of workshopping because this is basically a writers’ room where we trade off ideas and we try to figure out, ‘Who’s the best vessel for this joke?,’” Ryan said. “Sometimes we feed it to one of the talents; sometimes someone else says it here.”

Joining Ryan in the Shipping Container during this show were Billy Gil, JuJu Gotti and Anthony Calatayud. The live-streamed “Local Hour” is packed with topics and news the show discussed beforehand. Every hour of the program averages approximately 40 minutes on the podcast side and contains two breaks, each with a two-minute duration. Once the hour ends, Le Batard and the staff usually take a 15-minute intermission before resuming the show.

“We have a show that is kind of imperceptible when Dan isn’t driving a show,” Ryan said. “It’s this amorphous ensemble, and the trick is to not let anybody really know that there is a perceived leader – that it’s all just a free-flowing conversation – and I think that that’s a delicate balance that comes with time and developing chemistry.”

Gil was responsible for executive producing this edition of the show, running the audio board and coordinating with the television producers. When Le Batard mentioned Alan Thicke, Gil sifted through audio archives to track down something related to the topic. Additionally, he was taking notes to denote different titles and descriptions for segments geared to be released in podcast form.

“A lot of times, we’re trying to come up with jokes for Stugotz,” Gil said. “There’ll be days where naturally just bits will form, so then we’re getting sound for the bits; having voices done for the bits; kind of putting that together so there’s opens [and] closes. If a top-five or something comes up naturally, figuring out the top five. There’s a lot of in-show production and things going on that if you’re listening, we’ve gotten away with people being like, ‘Oh wow, that’s a lot of prep,’ and it’s like, ‘It happened on the fly.’”

Le Batard and former ESPN president John Skipper founded Meadowlark Media in 2021, a content studio with a wide array of programming and partnerships spanning sports and entertainment. The move was liberating to many show members and has been built out through The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and other programs available in both audio and video formats. Le Batard’s show in particular has significantly expanded the staff situated within its Shipping Container with young and dynamic talent.

JuJu Gotti, for example, landed the job as the show’s social media manager through a friendship he forged with Ryan. Gotti gained attention when he revealed to Mike Golic and Trey Wingo that he had a tattoo of Greg Cote and was later featured on the program. Even though he does not live in the area, Gotti travels to the city once every two weeks where he provides his opinions and monitors social media platforms. Later in the day, Gotti participates in several meetings with the Miami-based Meadowlark Media team and continues his other work.

“I look at it like it’s a blessing to wake up every day, so anything beyond that is triple exciting because the people who are in the Shipping Container with me [are] not necessarily bad people at all,” Gotti said. “I enjoy hanging with them and talking to them, so it feels wonderful.”

After working as a video producer for Sports Illustrated, Jessica Smetana joined Meadowlark Media in its early stages and is on the verge of her third year with the company. Growing up as a devoted fan of ESPN and Le Batard’s program, she understands that there are diversified interests and opinions. Smetana does not hesitate to present her perspectives on different matters, such as the demise of Sports Illustrated amid uncertainty towards its future with a change in publishers.

“I don’t want to regret not saying what’s on my mind a month from now when I see a bunch of my friends out of jobs,” Smetana explained, “so I think it just comes from not wanting to hold anything back when some of those topics come up.”

Meadowlark Media and DraftKings agreed to a distribution deal in 2021 where The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, along with programs across the “Le Batard & Friends Network” are disseminated to a variety of different outlets. Ninety minutes of Le Batard’s show airs live on DraftKings Network every day as part of a two-hour programming block, the final 30 minutes of which is a replay of selected material from earlier in the show.

Within the ensuing hours of the show, which includes interviews with journalists Jemele Hill and Tim Kurkjian, Le Batard poses interview questions to his guests surrounding current events and new projects. The show also welcomes Amin Elhassan to the studio, who occasionally fills in as a host while also growing his Oddball podcast.

Le Batard, Cote and Elhassan are in the main studio and speak with those in the “Shipping Container” through the glass. Weiner believes the wide array of voices and perspectives keeps the show young and relevant as he and Le Batard continue to grow older. In watching the show evolve over time, Le Batard evinces that the new cast members coerce the audience to face unpredictability and leads to the show deviating from doing things in the exact same ways as it had previously.

As the newest member of the program, Lucy Rohden splits her time between the Shipping Container and reporting around the country. She was recently in Iowa covering the first round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament, including watching her alma mater Iowa Hawkeyes and star guard Caitlin Clark.

“I found that traveling and creating content on the road is what I enjoy doing most, and so if that means sacrificing time on the show to get to do that, that’s sort of worth it for me,” Rohden said. “But it’s still something I’m balancing and learning how to do, and it’s something that the show is also balancing and learning how to incorporate because they haven’t really had an on-the-road correspondent before, so it’s still a work in progress, but lots of caffeine.”

Smetana and Rohden are the only two women who are in the Shipping Container. They have developed a friendship while working together. When Rohden first joined the show, Smetana helped her assimilate into the program and a new city. Both realized how important it is to include women on the show, especially with the proliferation of women’s sports.

“It’s always disheartening for me when I’m watching a sports show and I’m looking for someone who looks like me or who I relate to,” Rohden said, “and so I think it’s really great for (1), just rounding out the show, and Jess is unbelievably funny and talented, and I believe I do the same.”

“Obviously women’s sports has exploded in the last five years and it continues to explode, and I think there’s still a huge number of really popular sports shows in the U.S. that don’t have any women on them, which I think is crazy,” Smetana added. “But I still think even though I’m on the show now, we obviously could still do better.”

Part of the allure of the program for Weiner is in the unknown of who will be in the Shipping Container on a given day. The show has several contributors and content creators who follow changing schedules, and many of them partake in other projects both related to and outside of Meadowlark Media. Roy Bellamy, for example, started working with the program as an intern at 790 The Ticket and has been involved through various iterations over the years.

During the show, Bellamy focuses on his work and carefully selects when he will speak. A passion for hockey has led him to create a new podcast, titled The Hockey Show, which he recently debuted with co-host David Dwork. While Bellamy reviews metrics and other performance-related information, being able to interact with the fans and hear their opinion on the show is meaningful and keeps him motivated.

“I would say there are a lot of people that come up to us on the street and tell us just how much their lives have been bettered or change or how they got through issues, such as the pandemic, just based on listening to our show,” Bellamy said, “so the impact is there, and the impact is felt and it’s huge.”

Unlike a preponderance of live radio shows, the program does not usually implement callers and instead reviews messages in chat rooms or on social media during the episode. Those in the studio and Shipping Container can communicate with one another through microphone talkback and/or between segments, allowing them to integrate different show components in real time. In Las Vegas, members of the show stayed afterwards for a meet-and-greet session with the audience, providing them a chance to thank their fans. The experience resonated with producer Anthony Calatayud, who recognizes how the show has withstood internal and external changes to realize widespread societal acceptance.

“I think the personal touch in the community that the show has created with people that don’t know each other from all different parts of the globe – that they’re able to sit down and be like, ‘Oh, you get the show? Perfect, I get the show too,’ and have a camaraderie about that is something that can’t be measured with numbers, with money or with anything like that,” Calatayud said. “I think the impact of that is lasting.”

As the show reaches its conclusion within its postgame hour, it continues its ‘March Sadness’ bracket by reviewing entries within the ‘Greg Cote division.’ Preceding this segment was a review of a basketball take from ESPN host Mike Greenberg and another version of ‘Back in My Day’ with Greg Cote.

Once everyone involved in the show emerges from the studio and subsequent control rooms, there are more meetings to be had throughout the day about new content ideas, initiatives and other business matters. Audio and video editors are simultaneously diligently working around the office to deliver the final product en masse. Jeremy Taché is the primary audio editor for the program and also contributes within the Shipping Container a few days per week.

“I have to stay focused on the show every day and plugged in, whether I’m on the air or not,” Taché outlined. “I also write our titles and descriptions for our podcast episodes, so I’m always kind of trying to think, ‘What are the biggest jokes? What are the ones that landed?’”

The Meadowlark Media facility in Miami has an additional production studio that is used to record various podcasts and other audiovisual content. There are days where the studios are packed with shows moving in and out, whereas other afternoons are relatively quiet in terms of new productions.

Meadowlark Media has offices in New York City as well, and signed deals with companies to continue moving into the content space. The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, for example, is available to stream on Max with the B/R Sports Add-On. All The Smoke Productions also agreed to a strategic content partnership with the company for its flagship podcast hosted by former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.

“We all dream-build over here at Meadowlark, and we’re hoping that it can go to really, really impressive places,” Ryan said. “I don’t mean to sound like we haven’t already accomplished some pretty impressive things so far. The company is growing in great ways, and adding All The Smoke, those are two really reputable talents that give us something in our locker that we didn’t really have before – players’ perspective and a real, true name that you can put up in the marquee there next to Dan’s show.”

Weiner believes that his time on the show is finite, asserting that he does not believe he or Le Batard will want to continue in their sixties. Projecting outward, they want to ensure they provide a professional working environment where employees can create and thrive in the job they want. There exists a possibility where they could one day take over the show, which will be moving to a new location in a few years. For now though, everyone involved is trying to enjoy the ride and help precipitate continued growth.

“I’ve always said the key to our show is Dan’s happiness,” Weiner conveyed. “He’s the straw that stirs the drink, and so in an odd way as frustrating as I can be and as frustrated as I make him, he’s a creature of habit, and having me next to him makes him more comfortable, and I think he would probably acknowledge that. Our staff knows how to produce me in a way that they don’t know how to produce anybody because they’ve been doing it for 20 years.”

“What a beautiful gift to have the ability to make something that is about you; your imaginations; your principles and have it reach and imprint someone else,” Le Batard said. “To be able to express yourself freely is something that my parents fled Cuba so that their kids would have the ability to be a writer in one case, and in the case of my late little brother, an artist. Freedom of expression and freedom in general is why I live in this country.”

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‘NHL on TNT’ Gives Hockey Fans the ‘NBA on TNT’ Treatment

Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

John Molori

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NHL on TNT studio

Let’s play a little word association, sports media style. If I say TNT, what is your response? Chances are it will be a three-letter abbreviation of your own, namely, NBA. Over the years, TNT has built a reputation as arguably the premiere network to telecast the National Basketball Association.

The NBA on TNT pregame and halftime shows have become the gold standard with stars like Ernie Johnson, Jr., Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal. Still, it’s not just this quartet of roundball royalty that has fortified TNT’s hoops coverage.

The rep was also built on tremendous play-by-play announcers like Bob Neal and Kevin Harlan, color analysts like Doug Collins and Reggie Miller, and courtside reporters like the late Craig Sager and current sideline star Allie LaForce.

Indeed, TNT and the NBA have become synonymous, but I have some news for you. This network is not just about professional basketball. This past week I went off the grid with TNT looking at their in-game and studio coverage of the NHL.

On March 24, the NHL on TNT provided coverage of the Pittsburgh Penguins at Colorado Avalanche matchup. Kenny Albert did play-by-play with Eddie Olczyk on color. Albert is not as noted as his legendary broadcasting father Marv Albert, but he has certainly staked his claim as one of the best in the business – able to cross over to multiple sports with equal aplomb.

Hockey is a strong suit for Albert. His rat-tat-tat, drama-building style draws viewers in and keeps us on the edge of our seats. Similarly, Olczyk is one of the top four or five NHL game analysts in the business. His style is understated, providing calm and clear analysis of key plays. They work really well together.

Albert eschews any kind of hackneyed and trite catch phrases for his goal calls. An emphatic, “He shoots and scores!” is plenty enough.

Hockey is a different beast when it comes to play-by-play. Unlike basketball, baseball, football, or even soccer and tennis, there is a minimum of breaks in the action. With hockey, a play-by-play announcer has to know the names of the players like he or she knows her kids’ names.

To me, it is the hardest sport for play-by-play and equally difficult for a color analyst. In basketball, after a team scores, the play-by-play announcer will keep silent and give the color analyst time to talk until the play crosses center court. In baseball and football, there is ample room for commentary.

Hockey does not offer such space, but Olczyk gets the most out of the minimal amount of time. Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

Coming back from a break in the game, Albert and Olczyk provided on air commentary and then tossed to ice level reporter Brian Boucher who has grown into a tremendous asset to the TNT broadcasts. Boucher provided real talk about Colorado’s objectives of staying on top of their division and vying for the top seed in the Western Conference.

The Penguins, squarely in a rebuilding year having dumped talent at the NHL trade deadline, surprisingly jumped out to a 2–0 lead in this game, and the TNT between periods studio crew was all over it. The excellent Liam McHugh hosted alongside Colby Armstrong, Anson Carter, and Keith Yandle.

Armstrong was especially entertaining. With Pittsburgh outshooting the Avs 16-4, Armstrong noted that it’s the best he’s seen Pittsburgh play in a long time. His reasoning was that teams get geared up for playing Colorado even if it’s out of fear. Great stuff.

Both teams tallied two goals in the second period giving Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame. When Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon set up Jonathan Drouin for a goal to make it 4-3, Albert and Olczyk showed their strengths.

Albert called the pass from MacKinnon and one-timer goal from Drouin, and immediately noted that MacKinnon now had a point in all 34 of Colorado’s home games this season. On the goal replay, Olczyk showed how the play developed pointing out how McKinnon allowed Pittsburgh’s Evgenii Malkin to come in close before making the past to Drouin.

The TNT production team then showed a graphic displaying that McKinnon is now second all-time in longest home points streaks trailing only Wayne Gretzky. This was a sublime sequence of symmetry between talent and technicians like a songwriter, musician, and singer creating beautiful music.

What was supposed to be a blowout win for Colorado had now become a hockey barn burner, and the TNT crew was up to the task. Every goal and key play was followed up with replays from multiple angles showing the genesis of the action.

TNT has certainly taken to the velocity of the hockey broadcast with movement that challenges directors, graphics professionals, and videographers.

When there were breaks in this non-stop action, Olczyk was at his best. No hockey analyst draws on his experience as a player and explains that experience better to viewers. The TNT broadcast also lets Boucher freewheel and join in the flow of discussion without having to be introduced.

TNT does not merely rely on the traditional wide shot of the entire rink. We see close-up shots of each goaltender after a great save and the sweat of players on the bench or in the penalty box.

When McKinnon tied the game at 4-4 with 4:38 left in the third period, we got a series of tremendous crowd shots showing the Colorado fans going absolutely berserk. The sage Albert and Olczyk wisely remained quiet for several seconds, letting the cheers do the talking.

When Drouin scored the game winner at 4:06 of overtime, Albert exercised controlled enthusiasm, raising his voice on the call of the goal, but not becoming the show and overshadowing the play itself. He is definitely in the mold of Dan Kelly, Gary Thorne, and Sean McDonough, announcers who enhance but do not supersede the game.

Putting a cherry on top of this hockey Sunday, TNT showed a graphic that the Avalanche now led the NHL in comeback wins this season with 25 and that they were riding a 9-game winning streak. In analyzing the goal, Olczyk opined that the altitude of playing in Colorado was prevalent as the Penguins seemed to tire as the game progressed – really interesting insight.

In the postgame show, Anson Carter made a great point that the chemistry between Drouin and MacKinnon stems from the fact that they have been playing together going back to junior hockey. McKinnon joined in from the arena for a postgame interview. The analysts asked solid questions and even did a funny MVP chant together as the interview ended.

The NHL on TNT takes no back seat to its elder NBA sister. The broadcast provides viewers with flash, dash, and serious hockey talk from every angle – in studio, from the broadcast booth, and on the ice.

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How to Help Your Clients with Low Website Conversions

Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

Jeff Caves

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Graphic for how to increase website conversions
Credit: WPDesigner.Biz

Are your clients dealing with low website conversions? Whenever a marketing campaign is run, and the goal is to convert website visitors into leads, the temptation is to blame low traffic, amongst other issues, for low form fills or appointments being generated.  Just spend more money, you may think! Sometimes, you must look at at least four other potential issues to tackle poor conversion rates. Here are some actionable steps using the IT services industry to increase website conversions.

IT Solutions specializes in providing products, services, or solutions related to technology, particularly in areas such as software development, hardware sales, IT consulting, cybersecurity, cloud computing, networking, and digital transformations. They faced challenges with their website conversions. Despite driving substantial traffic through Google Ads and other SEO tactics, they struggled to convert website visitors into form fills for appointment requests. A 2% to 5% conversion rate could be considered reasonable. Of course, conversion rates can vary based on various factors, such as the competitiveness of the local market, the quality of the website (and radio stations help most to fix that) and its user experience, the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and the reputation and offerings of the IT solutions business. Focusing on improving the quality of leads and providing exceptional customer service can be just as crucial as achieving high conversion rates. Don’t blame EVERYTHING on the marketing tactics! 

The Diagnosis

Upon thorough analysis, several critical issues were identified with IT Solutions’ website:

1. High Bounce Rate: Nobody was checking out the business. If 70% or more of website visitors only visit the landing page, that is an issue.  It could be slow loading times, irrelevant content, poor user experience, or unclear calls-to-action that prevent them from wanting to know more about IT Solutions. You can check the bounce rate on the Google Analytics page for the website in the left-hand sidebar, click on “Behavior” to expand the menu, then click on “Site Content,” and finally, click on “Landing Pages.” You’ll see a list of landing pages and their respective bounce rates.

2. Complex Navigation: It was hard to move around the website to find relevant information about IT services, and it was unclear who they were initiating contact with and for what purpose.

3. Unclear Calls-to-Action (CTAs): The website lacked clear and compelling CTAs guiding visitors toward requesting an appointment. Simply stating “click here for an appointment” is like asking for a meeting whenever or without establishing value. Here are 28 CTAs for free.

4. Lengthy Forms: The appointment forms were long, without qualifying information, and requested excessive information upfront, deterring potential leads from completing them.

Action Plan

1. Optimize Landing Pages:

   – Redo high-traffic landing pages with clear messaging and compelling CTAs.

   – Showcase IT Solutions’ services as benefits, making it easier for users to request appointments, thereby increasing user engagement and conversions.

2. Simplify Navigation:

   – Reorganize the menu and add more action-oriented links.

   – Provide additional options for users to access relevant information, such as “Get a free IT Solutions 15-point checkup NOW” and “Take this 5-question survey to diagnose your IT issues,” motivating them to book appointments.

3. Enhance CTAs:

   – Utilize concise and persuasive messaging throughout the website.

   – Encourage visitors to take action, whether requesting a free download about “5 things you can do to solve your IT issues on your own” or “get a free pizza for booking an appointment.”

4. Improve the Form Fill:

   – Add a further line about the number of employees who qualify for incoming leads.

   – Highlight the value of leads based on company size, prioritizing forms with higher potential impact.

Review landing pages, navigation, CTAs, and form experience to address website conversion issues. Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

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