Is scandal Good For sports radIo?

AL
PETERSON
Issue 17
News • Talk • Sports Weekly
Is Scandal Good For Sports Radio?
It used to be that when sports fans wanted to read about their
favorite teams and players, they had to dig through the newspaper
to find the sports section. But today, fans are more likely to read
about some of the biggest names in the game on the front page,
where stories of cheating, lying and thug-like behavior by athletes
are chronicled almost daily.
While stories of scandal aren't really new in sports — think
Mike Tyson, Pete Rose, the Chicago "Black" Sox and Wilt
"I've slept with 20,000 women" Chamberlain, to name just a
few — the sheer number of them in professional sports today
seems unprecedented. In recent weeks nearly every major sport
has been rocked by some sort of scandal, including Major League
Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball
Association, NASCAR and even professional wrestling!
Conventional wisdom suggests that all these scandals may
be bad for the individuals involved, although not necessarily
bad for the sports media industry. Most of us already know that
controversy fuels political Talk radio. But is that also true for
Sports radio, where listeners are more used to debating "who's
better/who's best" than "who's guilty/who's not?" It's a question
I asked several Sports radio veterans to comment on this week,
and found that all seemed to think that, in the end, scandal breeds
great conversation and good ratings.
Beyond X’s And O’s
FOX Sports Radio VP/GM Andrew Ashwood believes the
Sports radio audience is not only interested in the stories of
scandal among pro athletes, they're also actually hungry for them.
September 7, 2007
"I think we have learned with this art form that
in order for us to provide compelling, entertaining, and informative content we have to go
beyond the X's and O's," he says. "Obviously,
we have to own that dialogue. But the reality is
that if we aren't covering all the angles and the
actors in these soap operas, we are not fulfilling the expectations of core listeners or even
Andrew
the occasional listener who comes to us to find
Ashwood
out more about the off-field exploits of Barry
Bonds, Michael Vick and others as these dramas unfold."
Asked what it is about these incidents and issues that attract
fans, even while making them angry, Ashwood continued, "Fans
want to react to these sorts of stories, especially the ones that deal
with an individual's or organization's character. Whether they actually call in — and we know the vast majority do not — they'll
still participate vicariously by either talking back to the radio or
continuing the dialogue with friends. In the end, this is great for
what we do because stories like these serve as yet another way to
engage both regular and potential listeners."
At ESPN Radio, Senior Director Scott Masteller thinks the
network's job isn't to judge scandals, it's simply to report on news
from the Sports world, whatever that news may be. "Part of the
ESPN mission is to report the news, whether it's good or bad," he
says. "Our challenge is to give ESPN fans different perspectives
on the major stories of the day, and part of that challenge is
knowing when it is the right time to move on to something different. Some stories evolve as new information is gathered, while
others lose their interest in time. We are constantly evaluating the
overall content of the stories we cover so that we can make smart
decisions about all content for our listeners."
(continued on page 3)
©200 7 News • Ta lk • S p o r t s Airc h ec k ™ — Al l r i g hts re s e r ve d. To s u bs c r i be v i s i t www.ntsaircheck.com
News • Talk • Sports Weekly
September 7, 2007
Page 2
Airchecklets
Satcaster News
Condolences to the family and friends of former WOWO/Ft.
Wayne morning man Bob "Mr. Wo-Wo" Sievers, who died last
week at the age of 90. Sievers spent more than a half-century on
the air at WOWO, starting his career there while in high school.
He retired in 1987 ... Former WAXY/Miami host Joe Rose
segues to crosstown Sports/Talker WQAM ... John McMullen,
most recently PD at Sirius' OutQ channel, is named PD at Morris
Communications’ Palm Springs, CA cluster including News/
Talk KNWZ, Sports/Talkers KXPS and KNWH, and ESPN
Deportes outlet KFUT ... KLAC/Los Angeles debuts its expanded interactive sports and social multimedia website, "KLAC
All Access." Check it out here ... Pat McMahon is the new
Director/Public Affairs at KTAR-AM&FM/Phoenix ... KOGO/
San Diego debuted its new morning show this week, hosted by
former WBAL/Baltimore host Chip Franklin ... After an eightyear run, Steve Sheldon exits as Assistant Director/Marketing
and Advertising at KABC/Los Angeles for a gig outside of radio
... WPEN/Philadelphia inks Philadelphia Eagles safety Brian
Dawkins to host a Monday night show during the NFL season.
Another interest group is voicing its opposition to the proposed
merger between XM and Sirius Satellite Radio: the United States
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which claims to represent
over two million Hispanic-owned businesses nationwide. CEO
Michael Barrera fired off a letter to FCC Chairman Kevin
Martin and DOJ Assistant Attorney General Thomas Barnett,
saying the pending deal would have "an expensive and negative
effect on the Hispanic business community." Conversely, former
FCC Chairman Mark Fowler came down in favor of the merger
this week, saying, "If the two satellite radio companies, each
only several years old, need to combine to be more effective
competitors in an audio entertainment marketplace teeming with
technological change and innovation, the government should
not stand in the way." A decision on the merger by the U.S.
Department of Justice is expected in the next 30-60 days, with
final approval by the FCC still needed after that, should the DOJ
sign off on the marriage.
Network/Syndication Aircheck
KABC/Los Angeles is seeking an Assistant Director/Marketing
and Advertising with three-plus years experience. Send resume
to Shelley Wagner, 3321 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
90016 ...Veteran PD and manager Steve Nicholl is seeking his
next opportunity. Most recently PD at KPAM/Portland, Nicholl
has both News/Talk and music radio experience. Reach him at
[email protected].
WSMB/Memphis flips from progressive Talk to FOX Sports
Radio ... Envision Radio Networks' Family Matters Live inks
KSIS/Sedalia, MO... InStore Broadcasting Network signs on
with Arbitron's PPM to measure IBN’s in-store audio network
at 200 Walgreens stores in Houston and Galveston ... Westwood
One's The Radio Factor with FOX News host Bill O'Reilly returns to DC later this month on WWWT/Washington. The show
previously aired on crosstown FM Talker WJFK ...... Syndicated
Solutions will syndicate a new noon-3pm (ET) weekend show
hosted by KOGO/San Diego-based talker Roger Hedgecock,
beginning in November. A Monday-Friday show hosted by
Hedgecock is slated to debut in 2008 ... FOX News Radio's Brian
And The Judge signs up WAMT/Orlando as the daily show's latest affiliate ... WWI syndicated yakker and KXL/Portland host
Lars Larson debuts a newly revamped website. Check it out
here ... BusinesstTalkRadio.net, Inc. closes on its acquisition of
WLFP/Pittsburgh from Inner City Broadcasting. Gig Alerts
Live From New Orleans
WOR Radio Network afternoon
co-hosts Ellis Henican and Lynne
White spent the recent second
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
touring the city's devastated Ninth
Ward, broadcasting live to raise
both awareness and funds to help
long-displaced Big Easy residents
rebuild their homes.
©20 07 News • Ta lk • S p o r t s Airc h ec k ™ — Al l r i g hts re s e r ve d. S e n d n e ws to [email protected]
September 7, 2007
(continued from page 1)
News • Talk • Sports Weekly
Polarity Breeds Ratings
Longtime broadcast veteran and current
Red Zebra Radio CEO Bruce Gilbert is
no stranger to controversial Sports radio
content, thanks to his years on the front
lines at pioneering Sports/Talker KTCK (The
Ticket)/Dallas and a successful run as VP/
GM at ESPN Radio. "What makes Sports
such a great format to begin with is the
built-in element of winning and losing," he Bruce Gilbert
says. "The competitive nature of the battles
on the field easily translates to the battles in the courtroom and
provides for great Sports/Talk topics. Polarity breeds ratings.
Scandals highlight polarity, question popularity and provide for
unique and compelling discussions and debates. Anybody that
thinks this is bad news doesn’t understand how to effectively put
these events in context and use the medium to generate ratings
and buzz."
Veteran sports media consultant Rick Scott sums up the discussion nicely, saying, "The old cliché is that
sports is a microcosm of life. As it happens
in life, you hit a stretch where there seems
to be a number of bad things happening at
the same time. With sports, it can sometimes
take a higher profile. The athletes are put on
a pedestal and revered because of their ability
to play the game and entertain us. That said,
Rick Scott
things such as the Michael Vick incident can
and do have a negative impact on fans. But, like anything else,
time heals. You can bet that Falcons fans will still be passionate
and cheering for their team this weekend when the season opens.
They will be sad and disappointed when they think about Vick,
but that won't stop them from being a fan."
Register today for Talk radio's new "must attend" meeting,
Al Peterson's Talk Media Conference, February 20-22, 2008 at the
Scottsdale Plaza Resort in Phoenix. Get more details and save on
early-bird registration now at www.TalkMediaConference.com.
Contact NTS Aircheck
NTS Aircheck
1102 17th Ave. South Suite 205
Nashville, TN 37212
Al Peterson: 858-486-7559
Brooke Trissel: 512-218-8228
[email protected]
©20 07 News • Ta lk • S p o r t s Airc h ec k ™ — Al l r i g hts re s e r ve d. S e n d n e ws to [email protected]
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