Frost Advisory #388 – A Programming Lesson From Mike And Mike

What were you doing 18 years ago?

You weren’t on Facebook because Mark Zuckerberg was only 15 years old.  You could have been watching The Simpsons, Beverly Hills 90210, or The X-Files on your non-HD TV.

18 years ago Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic began their first morning sports show on ESPN from the backyard of one of their houses.  And Friday was their last.

“Through all of it we have sat here, we have done our best and tried to make people a little bit less miserable in their mornings,” Mike Greenberg said during the last segment.  “If we have succeeded in that, then we accomplished everything we needed to.”

Celebrity goodbyes ranged from Tiger Woods to Bill Clinton, Dick Vitale to Jack Nicklaus.  None of them spoke of Mike and Mike’s expertise of analysis, their understanding of the underpinnings of the sports they covered.  No; excellence is always assumed.  Instead they trumpeted their friendship and camaraderie, their sense of humor, and the shared experience of starting the morning with friends.

#MMSayThanks on Twitter had thousands thanking them for their 18 years, but Mike and Mike immediately turned that around to convey their thanks to their fans and co-workers.

What if this Friday was your last show?

Would your switchboard light up with people thanking you for your jingles and sweepers?   Would Twitter be full of fans talking about your 30 minute music sweeps and “This Day in History” feature?

Here’s my challenge…

What if this Friday was your last show?  

What would you cull from the archives that demonstrates the impact and purpose of your show?  If you can’t think of moments significant enough to immortalize, you may have some work to do.

But here’s the good news.

You can start creating moments on Monday that are worth remembering on Friday.


John Frost

John has been a successful major market DJ and Program Director for such companies as CBS, Gannett, Cap Cities, Westinghouse, Multimedia, and Sandusky and publishes the Frost Advisory.

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