That was the quote that came out of the great Joe Benigno’s mouth as he was being interviewed by Kim Jones and Adam “The Bull” last Wednesday. I heard this during my two plus hour ride to Trenton last Wednesday, where I covered the AA Eastern League All Star Game, and have been thinking about it ever since. That day I decided to turn on Kim and Adam to listen to some sports talk. Benigno jumps on and steals the show, only as he could, and starts to talk about how he doesn’t “write anything down”. Why you ask? Because then “radio would become work and he hasn’t worked in 15 years”. There you have it folks, the crux of the radio industry’s problem in simple statement. Who would have thought the woes of radio could be summed up by Joe Benigno?

When I made my new media vs. traditional media commentary a month ago I ruffled some feathers. The term “lazy” was used and a member of the New York beat took exception to my “stereotyping” traditional media. I felt bad, because I respect said journalist, but I stand by my comment, just with a small clarification. The backbone of the traditional sports media, in my opinion, are the writers. They show up to the park way before the game, deal with petulant PR gurus, and don’t get home till most of us are on our second dream. If not for their work the independent media (i.e. me), would not be able to provide passionate opinions. I believe both mediums work together to give the sports fan all this great content. Unfortunately, this doesn’t include radio which has become a wasteland of uneducated bloviating, shut in callers, and narcissistic hosts. That was what I was thinking about when bringing up the “laziness” of traditional media.

When I started my new media venture I delved into it with a plan. I have to balance work, family, and the ability to provide good content. My philosophy is that every time someone comes to my site, or listens to a show, I am taking up their precious time. A dishonest effort from me is equivalent to that telemarketer calling the house during dinner. That is why you see me attempting to develop contacts, study opposing views, watch the game, and open my product to criticism. It’s no different than any other job. Am I perfect? Far from it. This site and show has miles to go, but I am proud of what has been accomplished without the same time, budget, or brand name of a major station like WFAN.

Think about your job. You wake up, go to work, and try to perform at a high level. If you don’t you are either demoted, fired, or see the guy next to you get the prize. 99% of the time you are a hamster on a wheel, exerting a lot of energy, but going nowhere fast. There are tons of these people in the front and back of the media landscape. Should we not expect those that are at the forefront of New York sports radio to put in the same effort, albeit in a different manner, that would be expected of us? Is developing sources, going to Trenton to watch some of the top prospects, or showing up once in a while to the Mets or Yankees clubhouse too much to ask? Shouldn’t research and study be a job requirement? Would you read a beat writer that put in the same effort of a Mike Francesa, Joe Benigno, Richard Neer, or Tony Paige? Craig Carton is the hardest working member at that station (no joke), but he uses it to feed his narcissistic personality.

If I ran WFAN it would be a brave new world. Even Mike Francesa, the sports pope, would be putting in some serious after hours at the ballpark. Do you know that a Chris Russo makes $250,000 a month from Sirius? That is an exact number, not pulled out of air (I have my radio sources as well). You have to think Francesa is up in that financial stratosphere. Is “five hours a day and out” worth that kind of dough? Should he be allowed to take sabbaticals? Last I looked sports, unlike school, doesn’t take the summer off.

Traditional print journalists have their issues, but theirs sometimes is more a result of corporate incompetence. Mainstream never much liked change because the status quo keeps their power and control. In radio the issues are far different – it’s pure laziness. The Joe B comment is proof positive of that.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

Mike Silva

View all posts by Mike Silva
Mikes website

Tags: Adam The Bull, Craig Carton, Joe Benigno, Kim Jones, Mike Francesa, WFAN