I was in the sports radio game for many years, on-air and as a program director. So I have a pretty good idea of what sports radio guys go through in trying to make a station work, and work well. I must confess though that I might now be behind the current industry learning curve, if Detroit’s WDFN-AM is any indication.
In the Motor City, you have two competing sports stations: WXYT and WDFN. XYT carries a lot of play-by-play, so you can guarantee vanilla talk shows as management is afraid of upsetting the teams the station broadcasts. WDFN has only Pistons PBP, so the approach is quite different. Especially on the station’s website.
WDFN’s site is littered with innumberable images of scantily-clad women, which makes you think the station’s sales team has all but given up trying to sell legitimate advertising on it. Though that predicament makes it a major win for web surfers - if all they’re looking for is pix of hot chix (isn’t that why anyone goes to a sports radio site?!).
Witness an area of the site WDFN calls “Stripped Down Sports.” The video is semi-NSFW and features an age verification on Youtube:
Looks like a certain promotions assistant or two might just have the dirty job of combing local strip clubs for sports *reporting* talent.
What you wonder about is why WDFN, which is a venerable sports institution in Detroit (it actually is), would go this route on its website. Obviously it helps with traffic, but what sponsor would want to advertise on a site with that sort of content? Actually, strip clubs would, and they do (see screen grab above). But that’s about it.
My only guess is that station-owner Clear Channel is building traffic on all of its sports stations to try to sell ads packaged as a male-demo network. With that in mind, a media buyer in NYC or LA isn’t going to know about the individual content on the CC sites, so WDFN might still land ads from network buys.
It is ironic though, considering how many sports radio-types still somehow look down their nose at blogs for publishing photos of attractive women.
No brah, I don’t want your press pass to the EMU-Oakland game Friday night.
7:20 pm on October 28th, 2008
With that ac-cent, definitely a Detroit girl.
7:23 pm on October 28th, 2008
How come none of this was going on when I was still in the biz?! Damn!
7:23 pm on October 28th, 2008
At :55, think I saw a nipple. I better keep checking.
7:24 pm on October 28th, 2008
With that face, definitely a Detroit girl.
7:26 pm on October 28th, 2008
Looks even better on 'mute'.
7:28 pm on October 28th, 2008
She'll certainly help keep us abreast of the latest sports news.
7:30 pm on October 28th, 2008
Great camera work there. We have the next Spielberg on our hands!
7:33 pm on October 28th, 2008
WDFN’s site is littered with innumberable images of scantily-clad women, which makes you think the station’s sales team has all but given up trying to sell legitimate advertising on it. Though that predicament makes it a major win for web surfers - if all they’re looking for is pix of hot chix (isn’t that why anyone goes to a sports radio site?!).
Works for me!
7:35 pm on October 28th, 2008
Shame on the cameraman for not following through on this report - all the way into the shower.
7:37 pm on October 28th, 2008
This clip should be sponsored by Land O'Lakes Dairy for that butterface.
7:39 pm on October 28th, 2008
This passes for sexy in Detroit? I suppose.
7:40 pm on October 28th, 2008
Hate to see her leave, but love to see her walk away.
7:42 pm on October 28th, 2008
She looks & sounds just like our local strippers!
7:43 pm on October 28th, 2008
Wouldn't mind sticking around for her post-game show.
7:44 pm on October 28th, 2008
Rod:
Who's looking at her face?
7:46 pm on October 28th, 2008
If she does any West Coast reporting, I'll gladly offer my bedroom as her studio.
And her dressing room.
And her nightly lodging.
7:47 pm on October 28th, 2008
I would say I'm shocked that a radio station would stoop to this just to get an audience, but I'm really not.
7:48 pm on October 28th, 2008
WDFN is following standard procedure for Clear Channel. Their all-sports stations love to do T&A on their websites.
Incidentally, WDFN carries Detroit Pistons play-by-play.
7:50 pm on October 28th, 2008
If I were grading her sports reporting performance, I'd give her a D…cup.
7:52 pm on October 28th, 2008
And I thought the Danyelle Sargent interview clip was titillating.
7:54 pm on October 28th, 2008
Clear Channel, Dirty Minds.
7:56 pm on October 28th, 2008
Next stop - Howard Stern!
7:57 pm on October 28th, 2008
Video lighting could be better.
Er, I mean, nice rack, babe!
7:59 pm on October 28th, 2008
Isn't there already something like this called Naked News? Not that I've ever seen it. (Can't afford the subscription at the moment.)
8:00 pm on October 28th, 2008
I've seen hotter girls. But she does have a pretty nice bod.
8:03 pm on October 28th, 2008
These kind of video offerings should do wonders for WDFN's next membership drive.
8:05 pm on October 28th, 2008
Nice boobs & butt - who could ask for anything more?
8:07 pm on October 28th, 2008
I think Erin's and Danyelle's and Pam's and Suzy's and Holly's and Michele's jobs are still safe for the moment.
8:09 pm on October 28th, 2008
You can't blame the radio station for doing this. Sex sells.
I know I'm going to go check them out more often.
8:12 pm on October 28th, 2008
Wonder where she works during the day. Guess I'll have to investigate all the Spearmint Rhinos and Deja Vus in the southeastern Michigan area.
8:15 pm on October 28th, 2008
Guess it's true when they say there's a lot of boobs working in the radio business.
8:16 pm on October 28th, 2008
When can we see part 2, when she comes out of the shower?
8:18 pm on October 28th, 2008
Can you imaging Chris Berman doing this during NFL Countdown?
8:19 pm on October 28th, 2008
I guess she's attractive. But you can hardly see her in the video.
8:23 pm on October 28th, 2008
Looks like a certain promotions assistant or two might just have the dirty job of combing local strip clubs for sports *reporting* talent.
I'd certainly tune in to that particular episode of "Dirty Jobs".
8:24 pm on October 28th, 2008
Thanks for that mental image, Neil. So much for enjoying any dinner tonight.
8:27 pm on October 28th, 2008
Interesting choice on the Who music. I would have gone with Motley Crue's "Girls, Girls, Girls" or AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long".
8:28 pm on October 28th, 2008
Happy to help, BBB! Who needs Jenny Craig when you've got me.
8:40 pm on October 28th, 2008
Hawaii:
Or AC/DC's "Thunderstuck". After all, ESPN plays it all the damn time now.
8:42 pm on October 28th, 2008
Waiting for this to become the next regular feature on Fox's "Best Damn Sports Show, Period," right after the umpteenth repeat of the Hooters International Pageant.
8:44 pm on October 28th, 2008
Wonder what Mike Francesca thinks of this clip.
8:49 pm on October 28th, 2008
Berman:
I wouldn't be complaining.
8:52 pm on October 28th, 2008
If they want to make this young lady's video reports more relevant, she should be stripping off the jersey of whichever Detroit team she's talking about.
8:56 pm on October 28th, 2008
She's talking about Detroit sports? I wasn't paying attention.
8:59 pm on October 28th, 2008
Canucklehead:
And she should also be wearing bras & panties of the same team underneath.
9:07 pm on October 28th, 2008
This should become a part of more sportscasts. But female anchors only, please.
9:28 pm on October 28th, 2008
If the Lions stinking means she'll keep taking showers, then why should they get any better?
9:57 pm on October 28th, 2008
I declare WDFN a winner! More of this hot, shapely honey, please!
10:06 pm on October 28th, 2008
But…it's radio! You can't see anyone!
2:23 am on October 29th, 2008
Broad on the right is smokin'. Some major fakies, and gotta love the cheesy motel room!
2:56 pm on October 30th, 2008
Guys, you asked for it… we just posted a new video of Rachel taking a bath as she discusses more local sports.
http://www.wdfn.com/pages/stripped_down_sports.html
3:31 pm on October 30th, 2008
Good clean fun!