https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports-med ... ny-parkinsQuote:
Kevin Cassidy has been in charge of Audacy’s six Chicago radio stations for just over 18 months. In that span, one station has required more attention than the others.
The Score is working to move on from a tumultuous time in which hosts have left, switched shows and been fired. But Cassidy thinks the station is positioned to recover.
“The brand is strong enough to absolutely survive and thrive, to be honest with you,” said Cassidy, who was promoted in December 2023 after serving as market manager for Audacy’s New Orleans stations for six years. “People don’t know what they like or what they love until they’re faced with it.”
What they’re faced with is a new midday show with Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris. Only eight and a half months ago, Dan Bernstein and Laurence Holmes were in that spot, with Rahimi joining weekly. Then the Bernstein-Barstool tiff happened, and Holmes switched to afternoons to replace Danny Parkins, who had left for FS1.
Harris joined Bernstein, with Rahimi appearing twice a week, and for Nielsen’s fall and winter ratings books, midday was The Score’s highest-rated day part in the key demographic of men ages 25-54. Then Bernstein showed off a northern pike he caught, went after an X user who questioned his ethics and eventually lost his job. That put Rahimi on the show permanently.
In April, The Score’s first full month without Bernstein, the midday slot drew a 6.3 share in the demo, good for second in the market but down from the 7.7 in the winter book. The afternoon show with Holmes and Matt Spiegel became the station’s highest-rated with a 6.8 that ranked first in the market, though it was down from a 7.2 in the winter that also ranked first.
“It’s a little early, obviously, for Leila and Marshall,” Cassidy said. “I’m excited about what we have. What we have is very different than really anything we’ve done before. The engagement level is very high for them initially, which is great. It’s a different-sounding show, but I like that. If we do the same thing all the time, people would get bored with it.
“I would rather not have change when you’re in the position of success that we’ve had, but it’s part of the reality of our world. That’s why you see us continue to aggressively extend the bench of talent. Leila was on for two days a week with the previous midday show, and now Mark Grote is on two days a week with the current midday show. The three of them sound great together.”
Cassidy grew up in radio. When he was in kindergarten in 1967, his father, Paul, ran WIND. The family lived in Deerfield for a year near the old Sara Lee plant. Then it was off to Los Angeles and San Francisco and Los Angeles again, living the life of what he called “a radio brat.”
“You just went wherever the heck they told you to go,” said Cassidy, who now lives in Rogers Park. “But I love being here. It’s a huge challenge, but our brands are phenomenal. I love the fact that a brand like The Score attracts the attention that it does.”
For a long time, The Score had been battling only ESPN 1000 in the market. But in the last 10 years, platforms such as Barstool Chicago and CHGO have become competitors, not to mention the numerous podcasts that cover local sports. ESPN 1000 no longer subscribes to Nielsen’s ratings, and with content available in so many places, it’s hard to know where everyone ranks overall.
“We’re the dominant sports radio station,” Cassidy said. “We’re No. 1 in pretty much all male demos 25 and older. But I don’t look at it that way. We’re just as competitive with people who might want to listen to or watch ESPN or the NFL Network or FS1 or Marquee or CHSN, because the other part of our business that is continuing to grow is the video portion.”
Indeed, video has become the medium of choice for spoken-word audio. YouTube is the most popular platform for consuming podcasts. The Score and ESPN 1000 appear there live, as well as on Twitch, allowing them to see their audience in real time. Stations also are gaining prevalence via streaming audio, such as on smart speakers and TVs and in connected cars.
Cassidy said there have been several weeks in recent years where The Score’s digital audience has surpassed its broadcast audience, especially with listeners under 40 who are more comfortable with technology.
“Our broadcast audience isn’t what it was 20 years ago,” Cassidy said. “But we are growing our digital assets and continue to engage large audiences through digital assets. There’s a ton of revenue opportunity there, so it’s important that we’re in that space.”
Stations can sell advertising based on digital impressions, which Cassidy said for The Score adds up to a number “that has two commas in it, so it’s significant.” He also said Chicago is one of Audacy’s more successful markets. All six stations — The Score, 93XRT, B96, US99, 104.3 Jams and WBBM Newsradio — are profitable, whereas Audacy emerged from bankruptcy in January.
Meanwhile, The Score looks to emerge from the turbulence — which also included afternoon producer Shane Riordan’s dismissal on the same day as Rahimi’s official start — and find smoother currents.
“I think it’s in an incredibly good position because the engagement level is off the chart,” Cassidy said. “It’s this 24-hour cycle of engagement that exists. In a town with 9 million people and every major sport represented, there’s no shortage of things to talk about.”
I like that Rod Zimmerman's legacy of having to give the Score lots of special attention has continued.
"Different-sounding" is the most charitable euphemism for "out-of-town jamokes can't seem to get anything going and blame the audience" that I've seen. Good work.
Agrest is guilty of some sleight of hand with the ratings talk, because ctrl-F "cubs" = 0/0, and maybe part of the reason the ratings drop hasn't been so bad is all that day baseball the Score paid out the ass to carry. Also, I'm guessing a big part of the increase in online listenership is that MLB doesn't black out radio streams in the home markets anymore, so now you don't have to listen to the Cubs in potato quality to get it for free.
Not sure about this new "extended bench" the Score has. I don't think it's ever been weaker. The hours that fill-ins would get don't exist anymore. Do they consider Bart Winkler their bench?
All six stations had better be profitable! They sound like shit and are so automated that they might all just be operated by one very precocious dog.
_________________
Molly Lambert wrote:
The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
