I was listening ESPN Radio AM-1470 yesterday to "The Killer B's", Bill and Mark, who were talking about how almost all sports fans would quit their jobs to host a daily sports radio program in a top market like Tampa Bay. I listened later in the afternoon to Scot Brantley and The Babe and it got me thinking -- How does this station, which does not have ratings and has a very weak signal, pay four local on-air talents, plus behind-the-scenes employees, etc.? The reason I pose this question is because I heard very few local commercials and I listened through at least 8-10 commercial breaks yesterday. Some breaks had no local advertisers. Does ESPN help pay for these people, or do these on-air hosts work for low pay? True, most sports fans would rather talk about sports on the radio than work most other jobs. However, don't understand how these four talk show hosts make enough money at that station to make a good living. Any insight ???
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Sports Radio
- Thread starter radiofree1
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I'm guessing Brantley and the Babe have outside money and investments, in addtion to getting some bump from whatever spots they can sell.
The other guys probably get a small stipend, but probably have second or third jobs...so..dont know how anyone would quit one job to host sportsradio in tampa..when theyd have to get at least a second, lol....
The other guys probably get a small stipend, but probably have second or third jobs...so..dont know how anyone would quit one job to host sportsradio in tampa..when theyd have to get at least a second, lol....
OK then, objectively, what are everyone's thoughts of sports radio here in Tampa then?
Obviously, 620 has the stick, but as far as actual show content, where do the shows stand?
Personally, the new guys on 1470 during middays are simply horrible. They just sound like amateurs. Kind of like Public Access radio.
Duemig is the only true option in the afternoon. Brantley & The Babe just seem like oil and water. Two totally different styles trying to mesh like a square peg in a round hole. JP was much better middays than he has been in afternoon drive. Just my opinion. I'm not sure what has changed with JP, but something's different.
Ron & Ian......I don't get it, but I hear mixed things about their show. From what I understand, it gets ratings, but is it a sports show, or would it be better suited in a morning show slot where Diaz would feel more at home?
Just curious....I'd be interested to see what everyone's take is.
Obviously, 620 has the stick, but as far as actual show content, where do the shows stand?
Personally, the new guys on 1470 during middays are simply horrible. They just sound like amateurs. Kind of like Public Access radio.
Duemig is the only true option in the afternoon. Brantley & The Babe just seem like oil and water. Two totally different styles trying to mesh like a square peg in a round hole. JP was much better middays than he has been in afternoon drive. Just my opinion. I'm not sure what has changed with JP, but something's different.
Ron & Ian......I don't get it, but I hear mixed things about their show. From what I understand, it gets ratings, but is it a sports show, or would it be better suited in a morning show slot where Diaz would feel more at home?
Just curious....I'd be interested to see what everyone's take is.
and what about the worst sports talk show host in the market - dan silly-o.
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aupro7
Guest
Most of the on air talent have revenue sharing with stations which means they either split 50% on Spots or own all of them and rents time from stations...If the talent goes out and sells it themselves they can really make some money...if not then they make ok money...take your pick at who sells for themselves and who doesn't.
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aupro7
Guest
I heard he recently got in trouble with the brass from steering away from sports too much...so i absolutly agree
As someone who does a sports talk show in this area, I can honestly say that it is one of the greatest jobs you could ask for. For some in the industry, there is also the double reward of making a nice, sometimes extraordinary living doing it. For others, things can be very tough at first moneywise and the guy above who made the joke about waiting tables was actually not terribly far off. It kind of comes down to where you are in your life, and how long you are willing to keep getting after it. I persoanlly love it, and I hope I'm lucky enough to last and make a career out of this or something else in sports media, but it's a little easier for me being a single guy eith no kids. I don't believe I could pull this off if I was married with children. I can get away with it now.
As far as sales goes, it's unfortunate but true, that's how it's trending. Maybe I'm lazy, but I would prefer to focus on making my show as good as it can possibly be on a daily basis and let others sell the show. I don't want to concern myself with all that. I just want to do good radio. But it's getting to the point where you may have to do a little of everything to survive. After all, how good your show is doesn't matter nearly as much as how much revenue it produces for your station and for you, whether through straight ratings or just good sales. Everyone on this board already knows that though.
As far as sales goes, it's unfortunate but true, that's how it's trending. Maybe I'm lazy, but I would prefer to focus on making my show as good as it can possibly be on a daily basis and let others sell the show. I don't want to concern myself with all that. I just want to do good radio. But it's getting to the point where you may have to do a little of everything to survive. After all, how good your show is doesn't matter nearly as much as how much revenue it produces for your station and for you, whether through straight ratings or just good sales. Everyone on this board already knows that though.
What amazes me is the flat out pure sloppiness of WDAE and their "sports attacks". Whitney Johnson is a nightmare to listen to and the other "reporters" seem to almost try and follow his poor example as a leader. Let's face it, these guys have a tremendous advantage over the other options in the market based on signal, broadcast rights, and simply being consistent over the last 10 years... we all know that. But just because you know you're gonna win the sports radio competition doesn't mean you have to coast the format. Most of the lineup is weak (Duemig would be the exception) and could really some better management. If WDAE would drop Sileo and Rome for solid local talent.... tighten up Ron and Ian... and have sports reports you could understand, they would really take the station to the next level.
PS.... A note to the lame brain that was doing reports this morning and was referring to a tennis player that had made the French Open semis.... It's Kaia Kanepi (pronunciation: KEYE-ah ka-NEP-I). Next time at least take 5 seconds and look it up online instead of saying on air "I have no idea how this girl's name is pronounced." That's SMALL MARKET radio and shouldn't be Tampa Bay.
PS.... A note to the lame brain that was doing reports this morning and was referring to a tennis player that had made the French Open semis.... It's Kaia Kanepi (pronunciation: KEYE-ah ka-NEP-I). Next time at least take 5 seconds and look it up online instead of saying on air "I have no idea how this girl's name is pronounced." That's SMALL MARKET radio and shouldn't be Tampa Bay.
I don't like announcers that have too much energy. I'm thinking of the morning Mike and Mike show on the ESPN station and the evening JT "the Brick" guy on the Fox station. It's a faux-hyper style makes me uncomfortable after awhile.
I like local sports talk but wouldn't want a steady diet of it all day and night. There's only so much that can be said about the Rays or Bucs or Lightning. But I particularly enjoy the local guys on 1010 AM in the morning and the Ron and Ian show is pretty good too. I'm normally working the afternoons, but when I hear Brantley and the Babe I think it's pretty good.
When it comes to sports radio, a good mix of local and national perspective is best for me. I pretty much like all the national sports feeds. Outside of Mike and Mike, Espn is pretty good. Outside of JT "the Brick", Fox is pretty good. And except for the Yankees games, 1010 is pretty good with their Sporting News Radio. We're lucky to have three sports radio stations in this market.
I like local sports talk but wouldn't want a steady diet of it all day and night. There's only so much that can be said about the Rays or Bucs or Lightning. But I particularly enjoy the local guys on 1010 AM in the morning and the Ron and Ian show is pretty good too. I'm normally working the afternoons, but when I hear Brantley and the Babe I think it's pretty good.
When it comes to sports radio, a good mix of local and national perspective is best for me. I pretty much like all the national sports feeds. Outside of Mike and Mike, Espn is pretty good. Outside of JT "the Brick", Fox is pretty good. And except for the Yankees games, 1010 is pretty good with their Sporting News Radio. We're lucky to have three sports radio stations in this market.
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aupro7
Guest
TAMPA DAN i actually agree...I work in sports radio here and really feel like there is room for 3...I mean most of the time the slots all truly have something different on at each particular time...so listeners wouldnt really have everything they want.
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aupro7
Guest
You know .... It's all about entertainment...that's it...the whole being informed crap is just that...crap. The age of the internet has completely blown the whole, "get the story first" junk out of the water. But it simply is about people tryring to entertain other people in a sports forum....why don't people get that?
There was a time a couple of years ago that 1470 had outstanding revenue, especially given the station's horribly weak signal and non-existent promotional activity. And at that time, the company had the capability to pay the show hosts a living wage, had the CEO properly valued their efforts. Jeff Lebhar was the sales manager then, and everything fell apart after he left. Let's face it, Jeff Lebhar MADE that station!
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aupro7
Guest
Jeff Lebhar works at CBS now...and let me just say...NO COMMENT!!!!
Clearly 1470 needs to bring back those sales promotion spots that say "For less than the cost of a newspaper ad, that you throw away (wad paper), you could get six weeks here on (station)", and find someone who can imitate Lebhar's falling-anvil delivery and malapropisms. "
Regarding Ron and Ian, I'm a 620 fan -- but find them to be a very tough listen.
Ian acts as if he's doing the listeners a big favor by actually checking out the sportspage before the show or making it down to the Trop for a Rays game every once in a while. In other major markets, this kind of stuff wouldn't fly at all.
As a listener, I always want to think that the hosts know more about a subject than I do and I'll learn something new when I tune in -- that's certainly not the case with Ron and Ian. For example, do you think that either one of them could name half the managers in the American League or football coaches in the Big East?
To their credit, they take a lot of calls, but that's about it. To bottom line it, Ron and Ian don't seem to have a real passion for sports.
Ian acts as if he's doing the listeners a big favor by actually checking out the sportspage before the show or making it down to the Trop for a Rays game every once in a while. In other major markets, this kind of stuff wouldn't fly at all.
As a listener, I always want to think that the hosts know more about a subject than I do and I'll learn something new when I tune in -- that's certainly not the case with Ron and Ian. For example, do you think that either one of them could name half the managers in the American League or football coaches in the Big East?
To their credit, they take a lot of calls, but that's about it. To bottom line it, Ron and Ian don't seem to have a real passion for sports.
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