BSM Writers
Radio Doesn’t Have To Tolerate Jerks
“While radio, like many industries, has worked to greatly improve the overall atmosphere of their workplaces, many of the toxic aspects remain.”
As many of you know, I’ve had (and continue to have) a romance with the radio industry. We’ve been together for nearly three decades now. Not every moment has been great, but I wouldn’t trade it for all the bitcoin in cyberspace.
However, the industry continues to have a litany of different issues.
Both myself and my colleagues at Barrett Media have done a detailed job going over the challenges that our industry continues to face. There is one major issue that I have yet to see touched.
In my opinion, it’s the biggest one and cuts to the very root of the matter.
Radio has, over the years, enabled some very toxic work environments. These ugly tropes are not uncommon in many corners of corporate America.
Dishonesty.
Misogyny
Homophobia.
Disrespect.
Harassment.
Backbiting.
Execs on power trips.
Lack of accountability.
I’ve either experienced or witnessed all the above at one point of another in my career. If you’re reading this, you likely have as well.
While radio, like many industries, has worked to greatly improve the overall atmosphere of their workplaces, many of the toxic aspects remain.
Why?
It all boils down to one thing: far too many companies have failed to adopt a “no a-hole policy”.
I’ve resisted talking about my current gig with Good Karma Brands as Executive Producer of the ESPN 1000 Chicago White Sox Network for a myriad of reasons. Namely, the obvious potential implication of bias and conflict of interest. But, since I’ve never considered myself a journalist, what the hell?
I can honestly say unequivocally that my current job is the healthiest environment that I’ve ever worked in.
The biggest reason? There is a strict “no a-hole policy”.
This prevailing credo is pushed down by the leaders in the company and (unlike many other places I’ve worked) is not mere lip service.
You must have a certain attitude to work here, no matter HOW talented you might be. If you can’t be a good teammate, you won’t be let in the door.
This was apparent to me VERY early on.
I remember when I got the job. I was both excited and nervous at the same time. On one hand, it felt great to be EMPLOYED again, and working in sports. On the other…well…I was going into what I thought could be a potential hornet’s nest of egos.
Why wouldn’t it be? Three decades of working in radio had CONDITIONED me to think that way.
ESPN 1000, the flagship station, is full of veteran Chicago Market talent. David Kaplan, Jonathan Hood, Carmen DeFalco, Jon Jurkovic, Marc Silverman, and Tom Waddle were (to me) larger than life personalities. Hell, I grew up listening to them. What kind of a challenge would it be to navigate these egos? What “special rules” would I have to follow? My questions were answered within an hour of getting the job.
Once the company-wide e-mail went out announcing my hiring, I got a message from David Kaplan. He wanted to talk. This was unusual as I wouldn’t be directly working with Kap (the station’s morning show host), and he and I had only met at a BSM Conference once before. What was he scheming at? My mind wandered in all different directions.
All my pre-conceived notions evaporated once my phone rang. Kap simply wanted to welcome me to the team. We spent the next hour on the phone getting to know each other. I mentioned all the old shows I used to listen to when he was on WGN, the mutual connections we had in the business, and (most importantly) the best steakhouses in the Windy City.
Once I got to walk into the office at State and Lake in the Central Loop, it got even better.
I quickly found that there wasn’t one person in that building, (talent, sales, or marketing) that I don’t enjoy working with. There wasn’t one person that I would make a point to avoid. To this day, even through several challenges, that has remained true.
That is a career first for me. While I’ve enjoyed many of the people that I’ve worked with, there were always a handful that would fill me with dread if I had to even interact with them.
The people I work with are so enjoyable to be around…you WANT to help them win.
What’s more, my teammates have shown me that you can be talented without being insufferable. A great example of that is someone I work with on a nightly basis.
Len Kasper had just been named the White Sox Radio play-by-play voice a few weeks prior to me getting the job I now have. It was quite the coup for the Sox, as Len had spent the previous 16 seasons on the North side of town calling games for the Cubs and was widely regarded as one of the best announcers in MLB.
Shortly after I got the job, I got Len’s cell phone number and shot him a text. I briefly introduced myself and invited him to contact me at his convenience. I was excited to talk to talk to him, but I also didn’t want to bother him.
Within an hour, my phone rang.
We chatted for quite some time, and I was struck how down-to-earth, yet passionate Len was about his craft. In no time, we dove right in and talked about how we wanted the broadcast to sound. We covered everything: imaging, sellable features, engineering, etc.
Even throughout the grind of the season, Len still has that “whatever you need from me” attitude. There are no “special rules” and no matter what challenges we face; we know we’ll get through it. The same attitudes are shared by Darrin Jackson (our color analyst) and Connor McKnight (our pre- and post-game show host). Both are very talented at what they do, and don’t come with any headaches.
This gig has been refreshing and has made me a happier, more productive individual. Yes, the days and nights get long during the baseball season. I work 10-12 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are no such things as nights, weekends, or holidays off. My spouse lives 90 miles away and I only get to see him 1-2 times a month. Despite all of that, it’s the workplace environment and my teammates that keep me going. I wish everyone could have the same work experience that I’ve been having.
All it took was a “no a-holes” policy.
Ryan Maguire is a columnist for BSM, and a longtime sports and news radio program director. He has managed KIRO-FM in Seattle, WQAM in Miami, 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, 610 Sports in Kansas City, and 105.7/1250 The Fan in Milwaukee. Presently, Ryan serves as the Executive Producer of Chicago White Sox baseball on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. Originally from Michigan, Ryan still holds out hope that the Detroit Lions will one day deliver a Super Bowl title. He can be reached on Twitter @RMaguire1701.
BSM Writers
Julie Stewart-Binks Is Going to Be Everywhere At Once
“The industry has changed so much from when I first started and I was first in journalism school. We were learning right then what Twitter was.”
Oftentimes, personalities around the world of sports media are former athletes themselves – whether or not at the professional level notwithstanding. The lessons one can take away from suiting up on a playing surface and being in a team setting are extensive and can serve as guiding principles in other professions. Having an understanding of this, Julie Stewart-Binks initially pursued working in sports psychology after playing intramural hockey, running varsity track and field and competing in figure skating.
Growing up in Toronto, hockey was naturally imbued into the fabric of her being, and her nascent passion for the game on the ice was evident. At the suggestion of her mother, Georgie Binks, who worked for various radio and television outlets as a reporter and anchor, Stewart-Binks inquired about volunteering at her university’s radio station, but was turned down due to a lack of opportunities. Resolute in trying to foster a career, she took a chance to work in television as a reporter for Queen’s University TV in nearby Kingston and began gaining repetitions in the field.
“I just loved that adrenaline,” Stewart-Binks said. “The preparation to the execution felt a lot like sports. That was sort of the mirroring of my athletic career as well.”
Although Stewart-Binks graduated the university with a dual degree in psychology and drama, she had cultivated opportunities to work in journalism as a student with some of the school’s media outlets. Upon her graduation, she worked as a reporter during summer 2009 at CKWS Newswatch and, with her focus set on building a journalism career, attended graduate school shortly thereafter in London.
“The industry has changed so much from when I first started and I was first in journalism school,” Stewart-Binks said. “We were learning right then what Twitter was. A journalism master’s, if anyone ever still does that, would be completely different from what it would be now.”
From the beginning, much of Stewart-Binks’ career has been predicated on developing and demonstrating widespread versatility across sports media. In her formative years, she worked as a hockey host and reporter on TV Cogeco and a co-host on Sports Night Radio, getting her accustomed with the multiplatform nature of the business. She then worked for TV Cogeco Niagara as a reporter and host on The OHL Tonight, producing and disseminating information about the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs.
Not only was she appearing on the visual medium of television, but she was also working as a sports writer for the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s website and as a program assistant for its signature show: Hockey Night in Canada. Essentially, it was her way of ingratiating herself into the world of hockey, a sport she continues to play recreationally today at Chelsea Piers in New York, N.Y.
“It’s just been in my blood since I was a kid,” Stewart-Binks said. “….Getting to know these guys and watch them grow into NHL stars has been such a cool experience.”
Stewart-Binks had her mother to look to as inspiration in the broadcast industry, and as time went on, she discovered other mentors and role models to supplement her career. Michelle Beadle, who has worked for a variety of outlets in the industry, is someone who in particular stands out to her. In watching her report and simultaneously contend with the misogyny she faces as a woman working in sports media, Stewart-Binks views her as a “guiding light.”
“I think she just is a pillar and a huge role model of being not only authentic,” Stewart-Binks said, “but paving the way for women to straddle so many different avenues of being able to use personality; being able to use analysis; and [to] be serious and be funny, but be professional.”
As a native of Canada, Stewart-Binks moved to the United States and gradually assimilated herself into the culture. On one hand, she worked on losing her Canadian accent by writing words phonetically into teleprompters to ensure she would pronounce them in the American style.
Moreover, she recognized the broad array of sports consumed in the United States, and tailored her reporting to reflect the levels of interest. In exuviating senses of bonafide ethnocentrism, Stewart-Binks found a way to appeal to her audience while covering events both at the local and national level for FOX Sports.
Stewart-Binks regularly reported on regional broadcasts for the Anaheim Ducks, closely following the team throughout its season and reporting on pertinent storylines. Nationally, she contributed to studio and game coverage for baseball, football and soccer, along with being afforded the chance to cover the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.
The amalgamation of countries and cultural diffusion was exhilarating to her– in addition to having the chance to learn the unique stories about the athletes. She believes those stories work to create a formidable connection between Olympians and spectators, communicated and gathered through deft reporting.
“We can all relate to athletes at the Olympics because they’ve all gone through having a dream and getting to celebrate and have this incredible moment,” Stewart-Binks said. “We’ve all kind of had to go through adversity as people. You hear their stories and [how they] go through adversity and they fail, and it relates to every single person on any level of their life.”
Maintaining persistence and confidence in oneself can seem insurmountable to those in any profession, and it is fundamental to eliminate the stigma around prioritizing mental health. In many ways, Stewart-Binks’ career as a journalist better informs people watching that there are a countless number of others enduring challenges and finding ways to overcome obstacles. “Seeing people train for years and years and years to get to that moment and it doesn’t go the way they expect it [is] real life for a lot of people,” Stewart-Binks remarked.
After several years with FOX Sports, Stewart-Binks signed a deal to work as a sideline reporter for Major League Soccer and on games for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team with ESPN. During her time at FOX Sports, she had always had a hand in its soccer coverage, even making her United States national television debut anchoring FOX Soccer Report.
In 2013, she officially moved to Los Angeles to help launch FOX Sports 1 as host of FOX Soccer Daily, a studio-based show featuring news, opinion and analysis from around the sport. Furthermore, she reported from a multitude of on-site events, including the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which took place across various Canadian provinces, giving her increased exposure to an international audience.
In being ubiquitous, however, came a strenuous travel schedule resulting in road trips spanning not days, but rather weeks. It was a continuous cycle of preparing, traveling and executing, often juggling various tasks at once, demanding synergy and collaboration while maintaining a level of understanding about the grind of the soccer season. Reflecting on that time period, Stewart-Binks is in disbelief over what she achieved and ascertained that it would be considerably more difficult to do now considering much of her work has been from home over the last several years.
“The biggest thing is learning how to pack efficiently and keeping yourself physically and mentally sound,” Stewart-Binks said. “Mostly eating right and being on the road is the hardest thing. You’re in different time zones or you’re in hotel rooms and you’re not sleeping right…. [It is] important to just maintain your health and to eat right; to bring supplements; [and] to sort of plan ahead.”
Early in her tenure at ESPN, Stewart-Binks participated in an interview course which assidiously explored the craft and gave reporters insight into how to best elicit compendious answers from their subjects.
Whether it is actively listening; following up; or removing one’s ego from the conversation, she worked to develop comfortability and a distinctive style that relaxes guests and renders them interesting to hear from. To this day, she equips the esoteric knowledge gained from that course and applies it to her roles and responsibilities across different forms of media.
“People are always, in any answer, giving you Easter eggs; little nuggets – they’re dropping hints on something,” Stewart-Binks said. “The interviewer has to be able to pick those things up, see that open door and go through it…. Sideline reporting is different because you only have a certain amount of time, but if a coach or a player says something, you have to be willing to abandon whatever question you have next [and adapt].”
Up until this point, Stewart-Binks had been reporting for traditional media outlets and on typical platforms of dissemination, primarily television but also radio. While she was still working with ESPN, Stewart-Binks began hosting morning radio alongside Willie Colon and Francis Ellis on SiriusXM as part of Barstool Breakfast.
The program, which was under the auspices of Barstool Sports, allowed Stewart-Binks to diversify her digital portfolio and cement herself as a regular voice on matters pertaining to all sports. The job demanded having a passion for the work and fastidiously preparing to establish and meet expectations held by listeners and consumers of the brand at large.
Although she was working with two co-hosts, she was cognizant of the importance of being proficient in many different areas to the degree that she could talk about them by herself if need be. Additionally, possessing an understanding of the audience and how to produce content that keeps them informed, engaged and entertained was critical to allow her to stand out.
“Morning radio is one of the hardest things that you could possibly do and I think one of the biggest challenges for anyone, especially morning sports talk radio,” Stewart-Binks expressed. “I enjoyed it. I was able to show a lot of my personality and bring my insight and background from a lot of different sports.”
Upon her exit from Barstool Sports eight months later, her co-hosts loosely addressed the matter on the air, with Colon calling the company “a unique animal” and Ellis suggesting an ostensible initiation process for its employees. The time period also marked the end of her career at ESPN, signifying the start of something new with an increased emphasis on demonstrating her skills and utilizing her foresight. It brought her to the world of standup comedy.
Akin to appearing on camera in some ways, standup comedy is based on one’s ability to connect with and eloquently speak in front of an audience. Her original impetus in pursuing the endeavor was to accentuate her broadcast skills; however, it ended up leading her to find a unique niche in sports media and a chance to reset her career.
“It was horrifying to do,” Stewart-Binks said of taking a standup comedy class, “but I also really enjoyed getting up there on stage and getting instant feedback which you don’t get in broadcasting. I did that, and I was able to transfer that over; I was bit by that type of bug.”
Following a stint with the Upright Citizens’ Brigade comedy group where she performed improvisation and standup comedy routines, Stewart-Binks gained self-confidence and took on a plethora of new jobs – including with SportsNet New York on its daily show The Thread and as an anchor for CBS Sports HQ broadcasts. Her previous experience, combined with getting out of her comfort zone and exploring new approaches to cut through in the industry, allowed her to find her strong suits and emphasize them as a host.
“It’s about bringing my experience and my background and the perspective I’ve gained over the last 12 years in the industry by being Julie Stewart-Binks and remembering who I am,” she said. “That’s how you take your power back in any situation – knowing who you are.”
With a renewed sense of self-identity and aplomb, Stewart-Binks directly utilized the skills she had learned in becoming her own production team for two late-night shows through fuboTV, named Call It a Night and Drinks with Binks, respectively. Both shows were initially filmed in studios in Manhattan, but once the COVID-19 pandemic struck the country, transitioned to a remote production format. It gave Stewart-Binks the ability to book guests outside of the New York-metropolitan area and continue to communicate with her audience amid an abeyance of daily sports contests.
“I got to talk with so many people, really flex my interview skills, learn a lot, break news and kind of get below the levels and layers that we see on a normal, national scale and just get to know the people behind what they do,” Stewart-Binks said. “That’s what I think is the biggest thing. All these people that we see as athletes or entertainers – they’re actually just like all of us… and have their own fascinating stories or quirks; their highs or lows; and I love learning that and showing that to an audience.”
Now being immersed in the industry for over a decade, Stewart-Binks calls upon key figures and executives to give women opportunities to work and grow in sports media. From her standpoint, developing a culture that encourages women rather than acting aloof towards them will ensure entities continue to flourish and relate to changing demographics. The media ecosystem is dynamic in and of itself, and keeping pace with its shifts necessitates exigently adjusting and innovating to emergent technologies and the next generation of talent without prejudice.
“The more women there are in this industry, the less it is about our gender and the more it is about the work we do and the abilities we have and what we can do to be on the same playing field as men,” Stewart-Binks said. “….Because of sports being so masculine and male-dominated, it kind of leads to sports broadcasting itself being that way. I feel it’s kind of a better time for women to get involved right now, and there’s so many young women I watch doing everything.”
When Stewart-Binks sees women being criticized because of their gender, she has no qualms about speaking up and defending others, refusing to be a bystander in these types of situations. Not everyone thinks this way though, instead navigating the space and tolerating injustice displayed towards their colleagues and competitors.
She ponders how women do not always work in solidarity towards their common goal, instead reclusively focusing on their competition and scheming how to bring each other down. A particular phrase that stuck with her and transcended the bounds of her thought stated: “The greatest gift you can do is give something to someone else that you would want.” Displaying selflessness and a sense of altruism keeps her motivated to strive for more in sports media beyond wholly individualistic gains and hopeful to catalyze congeniality.
“We all can’t do this by ourselves,” Stewart-Binks said. “We all have to help one another. We’ve also been conditioned to sort of fight for that one spot at the table because of the world that’s been created for us by men. We [need to] realize, ‘Hey, we can create our own table,’ or ‘We can create more spots.’”
Today, Stewart-Binks is working in a variety of different freelance roles spanning traditional and digital visual media. She has remained with SportsNet New York as a host and reporter, and also carries out roles with Turner Sports and NBC Sports pertaining to hockey and fantasy football, respectively.
She recently inked a deal with BetRivers to evolve Drinks with Binks and also create a travel-based show with the intent of exposing viewers to different locales around the world of sports. Both are still in development and are projects she has been able to lend her voice and knowledge to ensure they are stellar and augment its content offerings.
“I get to bring my passion, my skills, my credibility and my background to a place that is really working, in real-time, as the next step in sports, which is what everyone is trying to be a part of,” Stewart-Binks said. “Especially with how we look at the economy and how we look at so many different industries, sports gambling and betting is just taking off beyond belief, whereas a lot of other places are cutting or aren’t really sure of their future. It’s really interesting to be a part of it.”
Following the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, states were given regulatory power regarding the legality of sports betting. Regardless of the speed at which different states moved to legalize the practice, the presence of concomitant programming and content simply is too much to ignore.
Various sportsbooks have started to produce their own content rather than outsourcing material, including BetRivers – owned and operated by Rush Street Interactive – which signed Mike Francesa to a multi-year deal to host an exclusive podcast and serve as a brand ambassador. The augmentation of these platforms further impugns traditionalist views of the media, encouraging laggards within the diffusion of innovation to adopt an updated and refined outlook.
“A quote from one of my good friends is, ‘You’re either in or in the way,’” Stewart-Binks said. “You’ve got to be in sports gambling, and if not, you’re kind of going to get left behind. Regardless of where you work right now, that’s where the entire industry is going.”
As her career in the industry continues to evolve, Stewart-Binks looks forward to the challenge of having multiple responsibilities and amassing repetitions on both traditional and digital mediums. She is not afraid to take risks, recognizing that she will be told ‘No’ many more times than ‘Yes’ in her life, but never willing to give up trying and embracing the response of ‘Maybe’ to an inquiry. Sports media is undoubtedly a competitive field, and it genuinely takes an indefatigable, unrelenting work ethic combined with talent and a professional network to build and maintain a formidable career.
No one succeeds in this industry alone, underscoring the importance of developing professional relationships and never burning bridges or slamming doors. From her time as an athlete to this point in her career, Stewart-Binks appreciates the opportunities she has had and will continue to have to express herself on the air to a supportive and engaged audience. As she embarks on the next frontier of her career as a trailblazer, she aims to inspire prospective broadcasters and embolden hopefuls to chase their dreams.
“For you to have success in this industry, you almost have to have a delusional belief in yourself,” Stewart-Binks said. “If you don’t, why would anyone else buy into you if you don’t buy into yourself?’”
Derek Futterman is a features reporter for Barrett Sports Media. In addition, he has worked in a broad array of roles in multimedia production – including on live game broadcasts and audiovisual platforms – and in digital content development and management. He previously interned for Paramount within Showtime Networks, wrote for the Long Island Herald and served as lead sports producer at NY2C. To get in touch, find him on Twitter @derekfutterman.
BSM Writers
Anatomy of an Analyst – Grant Hill
“I mean, think about his credentials, he checks all the boxes. NCAA Champion and Hall of Fame NBA Player. Credibility was never an issue. Fitting in was the only challenge.”
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
BSM Writers
Ken LaVicka Waited For His Elite Eight Moment…Then The Internet Went Out
“It crossed my mind that, after 17 years of doing this, this is the ultimate moment and it’s not even going to happen. It was a stomach churning, awful low point feeling.”
Tyler McComas is a columnist for BSM and a sports radio talk show host in Norman, OK where he hosts afternoon drive for SportsTalk 1400. You can find him on Twitter @Tyler_McComas or you can email him at TylerMcComas08@yahoo.com.