We all hate those commercials that come on RIGHT when the show is about to get good or your favorite song is about to come on the radio. The same thing happens with sports radio.The Sports Business Journal says that podcasts are actually becoming “advertising vehicles” for major companies and teams.

A negative consequence of relying on private companies and corporate sponsors is the possibility and likelihood of their influence on the message of the show or station. This influence can be good or bad, causing solidarity or division within the audience. One sports radio show can be sponsored by Ford and push products like the Ford F-150 and another the Chevy Tahoe. David Nylund explains in his book, Beer, Babes, and Balls : Masculinity and Sports Talk Radio that Sports teams have and currently sponsored radio stations. A possible consequence of this is the lack of freedom, as I said before, for stations/show hosts to provide their audience with negative opinions of their sponsors’ players or personnel, or any issues that place them in a negative light. This can also lead to agenda setting (outside of pushing to advertise certain products) and forcing the radio show to discuss certain topics that they otherwise would not have. For those who have not heard the term, agenda setting, according to John Vivian, is done by media outlets and their owners, not necessarily how the audience should think about a subject, but what the audience should think/talk about.

What are other ways to pay for radio show/station upkeep? There are subscription packages, like Sirius XM radio for cars or TuneIn radio at $9.99/month or $99/year. According to Radio World,  audio companies like TuneIn threat radio, just like Netflix is said to threaten cable and satellite television; but that’s story for another day.

 

Sources:

Radio World

Beer, Babes, and Balls: Masculinity and Sports Talk Radio by David Nylund

Sports Business Journal

The Media of Mass Communication by John Vivian, 12^thEd.

Sports Marketing 2016-2017. Vol. 17th edition by Richard K. Miller & Associates

 

 

 

 

Once radio became a medium through which sports could be broadcasted, it created what we would call “a new concept of community”. Sports radio brings people together and allows them to imagine participating in the event from home, work, or walking to the next destination.

Speaking of being on the go, advancements in technology have led to the term from John Vivian that used in my last post called “Convergence”, giving people the ability to access multiple outlets and utilize multiple mediums on one device. Convergence has increased people’s ability to access radio, music and video on the go.

In addition to a change in technology, there has been a change or spread in the purpose of sports radio.  It has evolved  in that its more than just facts and stats. Sports radio now has sports talk shows like, The Stephen A Smith Radio Show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, and The Dan Patrick Show. Sports talk podcasts have come about too, such as The First Take with Stephen A Smith and Max Kellerman and Pardon the Interruption by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon.

Show hosts can debate on social issues, fiscal strategy, and more. Thanks to podcasts, some of their favorite shows or topics can also be accessed on demand. Shows are also more interactive now, allowing listeners to call in and give their input.

Both changes are taking place in the spirit of demassification, fragmenting the audience into niches (sports announcing/sports talk & debates and radio/podcast). They also each create new communities inside the circle or community of sports enthusiasts and/or listeners already created. Listeners can now choose whether or not they want to listen to the game or talk about the team.  Whether or not they have the time to tune-in to and participate in the discussion now, or will just download the episode and hear the show hosts’ opinions later places them in a niche.

Here is a video of Stephen A. Smith’s  recording one of the latest podcast episodes on The First Take:

Once again, we see the evolution of sports in this post, but in a different way than before thanks to the Journal of Sport and Social Issues. Technology and its advancements are obvious, but the slow change from only announcing games, to debating about a fight that broke out on the court, and the creation of sports podcasts has yet to be discussed in great detail. Which do you prefer?  Radio or Podcasts?  Announcing or Debating ? Let me know below!

Sources:

Books:

The Media of Mass Communication by John Vivian, 12^thEd.

Journals:

CALL AND RESPONSE: Sports, Talk Radio, and the Death of Democracy

Cool as the Other Side of the Pillow: How ESPN’s SportsCenter Has Changed Television Sports Talk

Podcasts:

The First Take

Pardon the Interruption

Radio Shows:

The Dan Patrick Show

The Herd

The Stephen A Smith Radio Show