Connect with us
Jim Cutler Demos

BSM Writers

Meet The Market Managers: Vinny DiMarco, Good Karma Brands New York

“I think radio is still the great medium that it’s always been. You know, there’s a lot more challenges now as there are a lot more competitors, not just from the radio side of things, but we’re dealing with really any medium.”

Demetri Ravanos

Published

on

If you read these columns regularly, it is hard not to notice how happy and bought in everyone that works for Good Karma Brands seems. Vinny DiMarco certainly noticed. That is why when he had the chance to lead the company’s recent acquisition in New York, he jumped at it.

ESPN New York has one of the toughest jobs in the country. The station has to serve the hard-core New York sports fan and also giving clearance to ESPN Radio’s top shows in the biggest media market in the country. Threading that needle perfectly and turning into revenue isn’t a task you can just step into.

That is why Vinny DiMarco is uniquely qualified for the position. Before overseeing national sales for ESPN Radio, he was the GSM at ESPN New York. Back then it was owned and operated by Disney. He says that has given the building a real advantage in the culture department.

In the final Meet the Market Managers column of the season, Vinny and I talk about media coverage, recruiting people at the low end of the business in a time when rents and inflation are at record levels and so much more.

Enjoy this conversation courtesy of Point-to-Point Marketing.


Demetri Ravanos: After years of selling the ESPN Radio product nationally, what appealed to you about making the move back to local radio and leading a major market station? 

Vinny DiMarco: You know, it kind of put me back to my roots, Demetri. I started out my career, after a short stint at the national rep firm, I moved into local radio years ago at 1010 WINS and spent a number of years working for CBS, a little bit of time working for Cox Radio before I came to ESPN. So local radio was really in my roots. It felt pretty natural to make the transition back. 

DR: Good Karma has a great relationship with ESPN Radio and has for years. So what did you know about the company and about what their goals were for the New York station when you first started discussing this job with Craig Karmazin and his team? 

VD: I’ve had a long history with Good Karma in my previous role on the network side. I was developing business for our affiliate stations across multiple markets, including the Good Karma stations.               

One of the hats that I was wearing for about the last six or seven years at ESPN and Disney is that I was the liaison for Good Karma Brands inside of ESPN and Disney for the digital side of their business.               

I had exposure to these guys for a number of years and got to know them pretty well prior to accepting this role and moving into this role. So I had a lot of experience with them and knew what kind of company it was and knew what the people were all about and the culture. So it was really a pretty easy decision for me to move over when they acquired New York. 

DR: Are there moments where you are still leaning on some of the guys that have been in the culture for a while to understand the way things are done or had you had so much exposure that it was literally like walking from one door into the next one for you? 

VD: Oh, well, I had experience with the culture and the people from the outside. Certainly now I’m completely entrenched in it. So I certainly lean on some of the veterans inside the company, from Craig Karmazin to Steve Politziner to Steve Wexler and Sam Pines and Keith Williams and some of the senior leadership, including my boss now Debbie Brown. That really helped transition this New York team who have all been ESPN and Disney employees for the last number of years into the GKB culture. 

DR: So you mentioned the fact that all of these folks used to be direct employees of ESPN. You were that yourself when you were the general sales manager of the same station until 2011. I wonder as you come back into the building, what are some things that you’ve realized are very different, both about going from sales manager to market manager and also just about how much local radio has changed in the last decade-plus. 

VD: Yeah, well, great to come back to so many of the same people that I hired or worked alongside when I was here that long ago. They are still here. So it’s kind of returning to some of my friends and colleagues in the building and, you know, certainly making a coming back.    

I was a general sales manager and coming back as the market manager, you know, you have to take a little bit more holistic approach. Actually, forget that. You have to have a much more holistic approach to the business overall.                  

Sales managers, for the most part, care about one thing which is driving sales. All decisions are made based on getting to a number. As a market manager, you have to be more cognizant of what’s happening on the content side of the business as well as on the marketing side and in the community. It’s been a great transition for me quite honestly.                        

As for what’s changed in the business, I think radio is still the great medium that it’s always been. You know, there’s a lot more challenges now as there are a lot more competitors, not just from the radio side of things, but we’re dealing with really any medium. Everyone’s fighting for the same piece of the pie, and you know what’s interesting also, Demetri, is when I was here as the GSM, the New York market was a $750 million a year market. It’s probably less than half of that now. So it really has become more competitive. Dollars are shifting around. That’s why it’s so critical that GKB has been able to expand and really become a leader in the digital marketing space and really be able to take advantage of the shift in investment from our partners. 

DR: So speaking of that, I was thinking a lot before we jumped on today about that sort of, I guess, razor’s edge feeling that there is when it comes to gambling money in New York right now. On the outside we hear a lot about sportsbooks rethinking how they advertise, how much they are going to advertise, given the tax commitments there. What are you actually seeing on the ground? 

VD: At this point, we still continue to drive some great results for our sportsbook partners. We know that their strategy moving forward is probably going to have to change and shift. What we have to stay focused on is driving results for them, and we feel confident that will continue to be a part of their media investment.               

We’ll see where that industry kind of goes as we move towards the future. I think it’s going to change. You know, that customer acquisition period is no longer in the honeymoon stage. Their business starts to change and morph and we just have to be creative and work alongside them as partners to make sure that we’re helping them with their new strategy and continue to drive results for them. 

DR: So New York is one of the great ratings battles in all of sports media. Certainly, it’s one of the markets where sports radio gets the most attention. Whether it is Andrew Marchand, Neil Best, or whoever, you’ve got a lot of guys writing about what Michael Kay is doing versus Carton & Roberts each book. I wonder, just as an observer, how much do you think the listeners actually care about that? Is the amount of coverage justified? 

VD: I think that the average listener knows what they like and they know where to find great content and when to seek out that content. I think that the media likes to make more out of that ratings battle because it helps them sell papers, quite frankly. From time to time, there’s some misinformation as it relates to audience numbers that gets reported.                     

What I go back to, Demetri, is that we continue with our shows, to drive results for our advertising partners and serve our sports fans.               

Competition is good and healthy. Most big markets have, you know, two sports stations. I do think that the media likes to make more than it is because, again, it helps them sell papers. 

DR: So, Dave and Rick in the mornings and obviously Michael and his crew in the afternoons are  the local identity of the station. Then there is a lot of network commitment on 98.7. I can go to any of those same people I talked about and hear all about the disadvantages of that. But what have been the advantages inside the building? What have been the advantages of not only the national identity on air, but also the close association in that way with ESPN? 

VD: Look, we are ESPN. We’re the local arm in New York of ESPN. Those four letters come along with some tremendous credibility and resources and access. We’re able to get a perspective. I think most fans, while they certainly want to hear about their local teams, they also want to hear what’s happening right now. You know, people want to hear about what happens in the NBA Draft. It’s a big story, right? We also have a Stanley Cup Final going on.    

People want to hear about national sports stories and the coverage from ESPN is second to none and that translates across the radio side.                     

So again, we are the ESPN local arm and it’s been tremendous. There are some really talented hosts on the network side. Again, going back to what you asked before about fans, when a fan is listening to our station, they don’t know where that talent sits or where it originates from. They just know if it’s good content, they’ll find it. 

DR: Right now, as you look at where not only radio, but the media itself stands and all the diversification and all the different options out there, what is your sales pitch when you are recruiting non-air talent, whether it’s sellers, promotions, whatever? What is the sales pitch for coming to join Good Karma Brands and ESPN New York right now? 

VD: Look, it starts with the culture. Good Karma has an incredible track record of attracting great people and retaining them. That’s because of the culture and the people that are the foundation of the company.           

It’s a people-first company. They really do care about all their teammates and care that people have an opportunity to exceed expectations and grow their careers. It’s something that you can talk about and you can write about, but until you’re actually in the company and you’re actually feeling that and seeing it first-hand, it’s kind of hard to process because it’s a little bit different.                

We actually have the best of both worlds here with ESPN and Disney influence on our culture for the last couple of decades. Now we’re merging it with an incredible Good Karma culture. For people that we recruit, those are the things that we talk about that we want them to see, that we care about our people. We care about seeing them succeed and grow. And we prove that when we bring people on board because good karma has very little turnover. It is such a wonderful place to work. 

DR: Have you had to think about or change your approach to bringing in people at the lower end of the industry? I mean, the cost of living has always been very high in New York, but now we’re dealing with some record inflation. Does it concern you at all, as someone that’s over an entire building, that those people that will one day be your leaders are driven away before they even start just because of the nature of where we are right now? 

VD: Look, I don’t think that’s a problem that’s specific to sports media or any business in particular right now. I think it’s it’s just a fact of life right now.               

What we try to do is be competitive, especially with entry-level positions, and offer people the opportunity, as I just said, to grow their careers. I think if you show people who are coming in that there’s an opportunity for them to advance and grow their incomes and get to the next level, then I’m not concerned about it. This is really on top of it being a business where you can do pretty well in your career. It’s also a fun business to be in.                  

There’s a lot of other businesses that you can be in where you may have the same challenges with cost of living and things like that, but you’re not having as much fun, right? So it’s not always about the money, but certainly, money is a factor and you need money to live. But, you know, people want to feel good about what they’re doing. They want to like the people that they work with and again, have the opportunity to grow. That’s what we’ve been able to show people here. I’m really not concerned about the inflation and cost of living. It Is just a factor no matter what business you work in. 

DR: Compare the two sides of the business a little bit for me. For programing talent, New York City is like a beacon, right? Everybody wants to be able to prove that they belong in the biggest market. What about for sellers? Do you get interest from sellers that want to climb the ladder in market size the way hosts do. 

VD: We have seen that. In fact, we’ve seen interest from people across Good Karma who have expressed interest in coming to work here now that Good Karma is operational in New York City.               

It really depends on people’s situations. Younger people tend to be more able to relocate. Their roots aren’t so deep yet in the markets they’re in.               

But, you know, you can be really successful in this business without being in New York City or any major market. It’s really about the person.                

But we welcome that interest. If people are successful in one market, they can be successful in any market. You know, a good salesperson is going to be good no matter where you put them. 

Sign up for the BSM 8@8

The Top 8 Sports Media Stories of the Day, sent directly to your inbox, every morning at 8am ET.

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.

BSM Writers

Kim Mulkey Now Has Everyone Anticipating Washington Post Story

I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it.

Avatar photo

Published

on

photo of LSU women's college basketball coach Kim Mulkey
Credit: Dailymail.co.uk

The Washington Post, you might’ve heard, has a story coming out about controversial LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey. The reason you might’ve heard is because Kim Mulkey told you. The Tigers coach read a fiery prepared statement just before her team started the Women’s NCAA Tournament. In the statement, Mulkey threatened to sue The Post for defamation before the first word was even published.

Now, I’ve never run a public relations firm but that did not seem like a good idea. The Washington Post story on Mulkey is one of the bigger stories in sports right now and nobody even knows what’s in it. The reason the story, apparently unflattering to Mulkey, is even on anyone’s radar screen is Mulkey herself.

It all started with an innocuous social media post by Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde right in the middle of the most anticipated two days in sports, the NCAA Tournament Round of 64. On his X account, Forde posted: “Hearing some buzz about a big Washington Post story in the works on LSU women’s hoops coach Kim Mulkey, potentially next week. Wagons being circled, etc.”

You know what generally will go unnoticed at 4:00 on the first Friday of the NCAA Tournament? A post on X about a women’s basketball coach. But don’t tell Mulkey, she saw Forde’s post and decided to fight fire with nuclear weaponry. The result: the average person like me now is really interested in what has Mulkey so incensed. By “average person like me” I mean that I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it. Maybe:

“LSU Women’s Coach Discovers Ark of the Covenant”

Or:

“Mulkey Reveals True JFK Assassin(s)”

Perhaps:

“Famed Women’s Basketball Coach Reveals the Mystery Behind Slow Drivers in the Left Lane”

Literally any of those catch my attention more than whatever will likely be the Washington Post headline about Mulkey. But now Mulkey is “Mad as Hell and is not going to take this anymore” so I now have an interest I would never before have had in this story. It has been fascinating to watch the online speculation about the subject of the article and all we really know, as of now, is that it will be written by Kent Babb. This is a dream come true for Babb; he writes an article that is, presumably, not flattering about Kim Mulkey and, before it is even published, she gives the article the greatest commercial anyone could give it. Babb couldn’t have entered into a business agreement with Mulkey and had this turn out better for him.

For those who don’t follow Babb, he is a former NFL reporter who now is an award-winning writer for the Washington Post. In his 14 years with The Post, he has written sports features and authored a couple of books. One of those sports features stories was a deep dive into what he viewed as a large inequity in the level of pay for LSU head football coach Brian Kelly and his LSU players. It is this piece Mulkey described as a “hit piece” and, based on that piece, referred to Babb as a “sleazy reporter.” Babb, and many others, resented the fact his story was labeled as a hit piece. In fact, Babb essentially confirmed he was the author Mulkey was referencing when he shared the original article on X with the comment: “Hit piece?”

Whether a printed piece or a recorded interview, I can’t imagine a better promotion for it than the subject of the interview threatening a libel/slander lawsuit, especially before it is even released. That simply screams “This piece is salacious!!” Also, libel and slander suits get settled all the time, right? Of course they don’t, they seem to never even get filed. That little thing called discovery is a scary thing for most public figures.

The NCAA Tournament has been very entertaining, and I think the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight will be terrific. For only the fifth time ever, the top two seeds have advanced to the third round which sets up for a remarkable weekend. For me, I guess it will now include a Washington Post article, not a sentence I’d normally say.

Sign up for the BSM 8@8

The Top 8 Sports Media Stories of the Day, sent directly to your inbox, every morning at 8am ET.

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Continue Reading

BSM Writers

Ian Eagle Crushing It for CBS As Replacement for Jim Nantz

Eagle continues to be a shining example of what a network play-by-play announcer should be.

Avatar photo

Published

on

Photo of Ian Eagle and the CBS Sports logo

I’ll admit, it’s been a little strange not hearing Jim Nantz during this year’s NCAA Tournament. Nantz stepped aside to concentrate on golf and the NFL after a long run covering the Final Four. Change is sometimes hard to accept, we are all creatures of habit, and I’m sure it’s a little weird for Nantz himself this time of year. But change doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. When it comes to Ian Eagle, not that I’m surprised, so far, so good.

Eagle is no stranger to CBS viewers. He’s been with the network since 1998 calling college basketball games and the NFL through the years. That certainly made the transition a little easier for everyone involved. CBS, the viewers and Eagle himself. Familiarity in these cases doesn’t breed content, it breeds a more comfortable broadcast and an easier handle on the change itself.

For Eagle, one of the other benefits for him was working with familiar folks, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson. Eagle estimates that he and Raftery have called 600 basketball games together, because they were longtime partners on the NBA’s Nets broadcasts. Eagle has also previously worked with Hill in college basketball, the same for Wolfson.

“To do this with Bill, Grant, and Tracy, it really is going to feel very seamless. In many ways, it will feel like we’ve been doing it together for many years,” says Eagle on a conference call before the Big Dance.

It sounds seamless too. It’s not underrated to have a good rapport with the folks that you’re working with. Everyone is trying to get used to a new voice and the idiosyncrasies of a new announcer. It’s much less of a chore, when you know and have worked with your co-workers and partners before.  You know what to expect from them, and they know what to expect from you. That’s good.

I think Eagle is killing it in his new role. You could even tell during the Big Ten Tournament that led up to the “Big Dance” that he was not only ready, he was ready to roll. It’s easy to hear how much he loves doing what he’s doing. That’s the case in all of the sports he calls.

Eagle continues to be a shining example of what a network play-by-play announcer should be. He has the ability to combine his talent with some personality, but never at the expense of the action he’s calling. His broadcasts always hit the mark, as he rises to the occasion when the moment calls for it.

What do I mean by personality? He manages to make us laugh, even in some tense moments of a game. He also manages to articulate our thoughts in some situations, like this example from the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. 

Sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson had a report during the UConn/Northwestern game about the superstitions of Huskies’ coach Dan Hurley. He wears the same red dragon underwear and suit as he did last year. Wolfson said Hurley’s wife travels with a portable washing machine to make sure his clothes stay clean. Leading Eagle to ask the question on all our minds:

“Who has a portable washing machine?! I didn’t even know that existed!”

Also in that game, Eagle had a couple of other great moments. UConn big man Donovan Clingan had a couple of swats on one play.

“Denied! Clingan! Denied! Two for the price of one!” Quick thinking and entertaining at the same time. Later when a ball got pinned between the basket and the backboard, Eagle said, “Oooh! A Brooklyn wedgie!”

Great stuff. None of his ‘ad-libs’ sound like they are forced. It’s within the flow of the action and just seem to come to him. It’s pretty amazing to be that quick on your feet, when you’re trying to make sure to get the call correct above all else. I’m sure we’re all in for many more treats like that along the way from Eagle.

In general, when fans are watching a tournament game, they probably aren’t thinking about the preparation that goes into a broadcast. Especially for a play-by-play announcer. The first weekend network announcers calling a couple of games in the same day. There’s also only a day in between the first and second rounds to prep for teams that you may or may not have seen during the college season.  The turnaround is quick and demanding.  

“It feels like an information avalanche in many ways,” Eagle said recently on 670 The Score. “The fact that I’ve done it for so long would make you think, ‘oh, he’s got it down, he has the system, he found the secret sauce.’ No, it feels the same way every year.”

Eagle says even veteran announcers like himself have to manage stress levels and work efficiently once they know which games they’ll call. “The two or three days leading up to the tournament, I must admit, are probably the most angst-riddled of the year because it’s a little bit out of your control.” Eagle told 670 The Score.

Yes, the stress level is great on the broadcasters, but how about what Clark Kellogg continues to do at the NCAA Tournament and the Final Four? For the 8th year, he’ll join Kevin Kugler and Jim Jackson on Westwood One’s broadcast of the Final Four and Championship Game on radio. At the same time, Kellogg will be a studio analyst for the television coverage. How does he pull it off? Following the pregame show broadcast on TV, Kellogg will make his way courtside to the radio broadcast position to join Kugler and Jackson. Then, he will rejoin TV for halftime before repeating the process in the second half and postgame. 

Working this tournament isn’t easy for these broadcasters. It’s a big stage for sure, but as you’ve read, there’s big pressure that goes along with it. The audience is usually huge, and announcers are constantly put under the microscope. Fans want to make sure that you know their team, pronunciations and all. Stories. Bios. All of it. Cut these folks a little slack, information gathering with little time to do it, isn’t exactly simple. They do a damn good job.

Eagle himself, is doing a tremendous job. The 3-man booth works so well because of his ability to keep it all together. He can set up either Raftery or Hill with a serious basketball question, or deliver a great ‘straight line’ to bring out their personalities. It’s a gift. Eagle has that knack for knowing when to go ‘rogue’ and go for that entertaining line, that seems to fit in perfectly. Speaking of fitting fine, those rather large shoes he had to fill, they’re becoming the perfect size.

Sign up for the BSM 8@8

The Top 8 Sports Media Stories of the Day, sent directly to your inbox, every morning at 8am ET.

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Continue Reading

BSM Writers

Andrew Salciunas Aims to Thrive in Morning Drive on 97.5 The Fanatic

“We are two radio guys that kind of know what we’re doing.”

Derek Futterman

Published

on

Andrew Salciunas
Courtesy: Beasley Media Group

When 97.5 The Fanatic midday host Anthony Gargano agreed to a deal to contribute to PHLY Sports, a local digital venture within ALLCITY Network, he was promptly suspended by Beasley Media Group and subsequently sued for breach of contract. Although the two sides eventually reached a settlement and officially parted ways, the future of the daypart was still in question. In the interim time period, the station granted Andrew Salciunas the opportunity to lead a four-hour solo program with producer Ray Dunne. Salciunas had served as Gargano’s producer in the midday slot and still has a strong relationship with the sports media personality today despite no longer working together.

The onerous aspect of the situation, however, was in recognizing that Salciunas was being afforded a chance to prove himself as a host in the marketplace. In the past, he had filled in when Gargano took vacations, but it was not for an extended period of time. Although he was familiar with the flow of a midday program, achieving a successful, yet sudden assimilation into a regular timeslot without a partner was an invigorating circumstance.

“I knew that it was going to be a learning experience because it’s one thing to host a show on Saturday or it’s one thing to host a weekly podcast and you have a week’s worth of content at your disposal,” Salciunas said. “It’s another thing to [be] hosting every single day and needing to come up with new ideas and new angles and new twists on things, so it was a challenge knowing that I was going to have to do that for however long the process was going to be.”

Salciunas received help from program director Scott Masteller, a sports radio veteran who has helped elevate brands and nurture budding talent. Several months later, Masteller asked Salciunas how he would feel about working with morning program host John Kincade. Salciunas replied by saying that it was something he would be interested in doing, and he later added that he already wakes up early and could easily work in morning drive. Salciunas was somewhat nonplussed when he discovered that Masteller’s intention was to have him anchor the program rather than Kincade, who has been hosting in the daypart since January 2021.

In the weeks and months ensuing, Salciunas and Kincade were involved in meetings to plan the new program, which officially made its debut on 97.5 The Fanatic last week and is titled Kincade & Salciunas. Both hosts knew about the program for roughly two months, and Salciunas is surprised that it was kept a secret for as long as it was. Outside of their scheduled meetings, Salciunas was able to speak with Kincade between their shows since they occurred after the other as well. From the onset, he wanted to make his thoughts about the program clear to ensure a smooth transition amid a quest to inform and entertain the audience.

“The first thing I told John when they told us that this was the plan moving forward was that, ‘This is going to be our show,’” Salciunas recalled. “Yes, I might be the guy running the ins and outs out of commercial breaks. I’m the guy that brings on the guests; I’m the guy that brings on the callers, but this is our show. We both have ideas, we’re both passionate about Philadelphia sports teams, we’re both high-energy people, we’re both opinionated and we’re also respectful of each other.”

While there is natural disagreement between Salciunas and Kincade on a variety of sports topics, they make sure not to fabricate their discussions and engender debate for the sake of the show. Instead of feigning their contrarian discourse, there is a legitimate willingness to be genuine with their audience while continuing to put radio first. Salciunas, Kincade and show producer Connor Thomas all contribute ideas for the program to appeal to the audience and continue building the show as a whole. Thomas also had familiarity in working with Kincade since he served as an associate producer on his previous morning program.

“I’m not a former journalist; he’s not a former professional athlete,” Salciunas said. “We are two radio guys that kind of know what we’re doing. Even though our opinions might differ on sports-related stuff, we see doing radio in a similar way.”

Upon Kincade officially joining 97.5 The Fanatic, he demonstrated his magnanimity and commitment to his colleagues by offering to take all of them out to lunch individually to learn more about them. It was a gesture that surprised Salciunas and something that stuck with him, ultimately helping familiarize themselves with one another and subsequently creating a viable on-air product.

“He’s one of those guys who likes getting to know people, and I think that’s helped a lot,” Salciunas said. “We already had that sort of knowledge of one another [and] we already had that relationship, and because we’re just both so bought in and both so hungry, that’s made it so much easier that we’re willing to do whatever it takes to make the show work.”

Before arriving at 97.5 The Fanatic, Kincade had worked at sports radio both at the local and national levels while also hosting a podcast with Hall of Fame center and Inside the NBA studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal. Bringing him back to his home marketplace and realizing success in the morning daypart was valuable as the sports media ecosystem underwent stretches of change. Transitioning to the new morning show iteration without colleagues Bob Cooney and Pat Egan presented its challenges, but Salciunas has had no qualms that Kincade was invested to win. As a result, the transition has been relatively simple in terms of building palpable chemistry among the on-air team.

“He believes in anybody that he works with,” Salciunas said of Kincade, “and knowing that somebody has worked that long as long as he has in sports radio that he values the young person’s opinion, not just in sports but in terms of radio, that goes a long way.”

There is constant communication between the morning show team leading up to a program outside of typical pre-show meetings and twice-weekly conversations with their boss. Salciunas arrives at the station well before the start of the program and compiles ideas from the previous day into a document, along with ideas from others that come during their commutes. Additionally, they continuously monitor the news cycle and determine what to address on the air while also interviewing special guests throughout the week.

Effectuating a fully prepared show rundown by 6 a.m. EST has been marginally difficult, along with the fact that it can be difficult to book guests on short notice before sunrise. Because of this, the program frequently outlines its guests early in the week and makes adjustments as necessary while maintaining fealty towards conveying their true, authentic personalities.

“I’m a little bit more energetic on the radio because I understand the entertainment portion of doing what we do and having to properly express myself,” Salciunas said. “I’m probably not going to scream at a bar, but when I converse with callers; when I converse with John [or] producers… that’s who I am as a person. There’s just a microphone in front of me.”

When he first started working at 97.5 The Fanatic as an intern, Salciunas did not have a goal of eventually becoming an on-air talent. He was content with his role as a producer, which was borne out of an internship where he worked with Jon Marks and Steve Vassalotti. Both station members served as mentors that he utilized to gain information and advice, a fortuitous outcome after Salciunas impetuously applied for the opening.

While Salciunas was matriculating at Temple University, he needed at least three internship credits in order to qualify for graduation. Reflecting back on his education days, he does not regard himself as the best student and recognized that he needed to intern with the radio station to set himself apart. Honing his focus in sports media took time since he had varied interests in areas such as reporting, podcasting and play-by-play announcing, but he ultimately gravitated towards the sports radio format during his time in Philadelphia.

Salciunas made a favorable impression on those with 97.5 The Fanatic and ended up being hired as an associate producer where he learned more about the format and its programming. Eric Camille, a former executive producer at the station, is someone Salciunas regards as seminal to his professional development.

“He was the guy that hired me out of my internship, and then once I started working, he really helped me,” Salciunas said. “He kind of took me under his wing and helped me out a lot.”

Once Salciunas was hired as a full-time producer, he began to work with Mike Missanelli on his midday program, providing an invaluable learning experience to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the sports media industry. As a veteran host who has captivated Philadelphia sports fans and media consumers at large, Salciunas noticed that collaborating on Missanelli’s program was a different experience than the other shows he had done. Whereas a morning drive show is oftentimes one of the first points of reaction on a given day, Missanelli knew that he would need to approach his daypart differently and adopted a paradigmatic style implementing second-level topics.

“It’s not just going on the air and reacting to an Eagles loss,” Salciunas explained. “It’s reacting to a storyline within an Eagles loss or reacting to a storyline within an Eagles win that may generate conversation. Trying to figure out topics that generate conversation but are not just the, ‘Oh wow, I’m angry they lost today,’ and give out the phone number. It’s [trying] to find topics that make people think and make yourself think and make the audience think.”

When Missanelli left the station, Salciunas began his stint working with Anthony Gargano where he began occasionally hosting select programs. The rationale behind his decision to go behind the microphone was that when the Eagles won a Super Bowl championship, the station needed someone to host from 2 to 5 a.m. Salciunas decided to volunteer for the program, presuming that it sounded fun. From that shift on, he continued his work as a producer while also refining his craft behind the microphone in a major market. It deviated from a philosophy perpetuated by former program director Matt Nahigian of limiting the amount of time producers were on the air, assuming that consumers listened to hear the hosts.

“Now you have to be a producer,” Salciunas affirmed. “You look at both radio stations in Philadelphia – a lot of the hosts now were former producers, and so you learn so much of the craft and then you figure out your own role. You figure out how you handle yourself as a host, so I think producing first before becoming a talk show host should be the way to go moving forward.”

Beasley Media Group’s 97.5 The Fanatic shares the Philadelphia marketplace with Audacy-owned SportsRadio 94WIP, and both stations have had intense battles in the ratings over the years. Salciunas shared that most people between the two stations have worked with their competitors at some point in their careers, and there is an evident respect that exists between the two entities. With both outlets introducing new morning shows within the last two years though, Salciunas understands there is a chance to gain ground on the WIP Morning Show, which finished ahead in the four Nielsen XTrends quarterly ratings books last year.

“Clearly if somebody’s behind a microphone in Philadelphia, everybody’s talented, and we’re going to do whatever we can to try to bridge that gap a little bit, and we’re seeing some good strides already,” Salciunas said. “I think having a new show is a big part of that trying to grab that initial audience, but then it’s holding on to that initial audience.”

Being able to achieve this outcome, however, requires a commitment to showcasing talent and different personalities. Salciunas referenced how there was a point in John Kincade’s stint hosting mornings in the daypart’s previous iteration where he gained ground on his crosstown competitor Angelo Cataldi with WIP. Kincade, of course, used to work with Cataldi’s show as a contributor and received a chance to take the air while with the outlet.

“I’ve seen the turn of tides of ratings over the years for every show [and] every time slot, so there’s always an opportunity, but that means we always have to be on our game; that means we always have to be doing the best show possible,” Salciunas said. “We can’t go in the next day and say, ‘Wow, that show was really good yesterday. Let’s have some fun today; let’s make this a lighthearted show.’ No, we always have to be thinking about, ‘Alright, what can we do next to put on another great entertaining four-hour radio show?’”

Over the last several years, there have been several leadership changes at 97.5 The Fanatic responsible for overseeing the slate of programming and station operations. Scott Masteller currently leads the outlet, someone in whom Salciunas has confidence that he can continue to elevate the standing of the station. In his earlier years working with 97.5 The Fanatic, Salciunas had an innovative spirit but was discouraged from taking steps to align with the multimedia evolution. For example, when he offered to do a podcast several years ago, someone at the station questioned his judgment and the reasoning behind the idea.

“I was told by someone, ‘What’s the point in doing that? We’re a radio station,’ and I knew back then that that was a mistake to say,” Salciunas explained. “You shouldn’t say, ‘We’re a radio station;’ that was years ago, so seeing that bosses and market managers and hosts and producers all realizing, ‘Alright, we have to adapt,’ that excites me.”

Possessing the background as a producer lends shrewd and calculated judgment on how to include members of the audience into the program. While there are still open phone lines for callers to chime in, the program has introduced a text line and also engages with the audience through the live chat functionality of YouTube. Having Thomas as a producer of the show has helped in this area as well, with Salciunas sharing that he has a strong understanding of how to create and optimize content for various platforms of dissemination.

“We have a great YouTube audience where they basically have their own community all of a sudden,” Salciunas said. “They’re constantly talking about the show, and sometimes we grab what they’re saying on that YouTube feed because that’s another area of today’s new media where you have another avenue to communicate with people.”

As Salciunas grows accustomed to the early start on 97.5 The Fanatic and his new colleagues in morning drive, he is filled with enthusiasm and the prospect of possibility. The radio station has been the only outlet by which he has been employed since the start of his media career, and he hopes to work there for as long as possible. National radio and television intrigue him going forward, but his priority centers on thriving in the new role.

“I want to try to get 97.5 The Fanatic – because it starts in the morning – back up in the map; back in the top five of the ratings books – and that’s going to take some time,” Salciunas said. “We’re a new show – we’re going to have to figure each other out.”

Salciunas expressed that the last year-and-a-half has been “hectic” in the midday daypart, but there has also been excitement surrounding the ephemerality as well. Taking the microphone in a major market with a dedicated sports fanbase such as Philadelphia is a privilege he does not take for granted, and he aspires to continue excelling in the marketplace for years to come.

“I just started, so I’m not thinking about the next step just yet,” Salciunas said. “I want this to last for a long time – for a very long time. If I never have to leave, that would be great.”

Sign up for the BSM 8@8

The Top 8 Sports Media Stories of the Day, sent directly to your inbox, every morning at 8am ET.

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Advertisement

Upcoming Events

Barrett Media Writers

Copyright © 2024 Barrett Media.