It's not every day you get to have a memorable breakfast with your boss. Most people expect a quick morning conversation to happen around the office coffee machine. Last month, though, 97.3 The Fan's Ben Higgins and Steve Woods, along with producer Paul Reindl, gathered for something much different. The long-running San Diego morning show, Ben & Woods, was celebrating Woods' birthday.
The mood was light. It was a typical Friday morning wrapping up MLB All-Star Week and preparing for the second half of the Padres season. Breakfast burritos were on the menu, but so was another surprise. Each member of the show received a new three-year contract extension.
"Anytime you can get extended in media these days is a giant win," says Woods, who called the moment the best birthday gift ever. "We have an audience that's so dedicated to the show and knows where we are. Not just us but taking care of our producer was also a big thing for us. As soon as they did that, that forced the issue for us to do this."
Since 2019, Ben & Woods has become a staple for San Diego sports fans. The show originally launched a year earlier on the former Mighty 1090 before moving to Audacy's 97.3 The Fan after the station shut down. The program was built specifically for San Diego, blending sports, culture, humor and personality. Higgins and Woods have never been afraid to let listeners into their lives, and that same transparency extends to contract negotiations.
"Honestly, I would like to handle things behind the scenes. But compromise is part of a good radio marriage," jokes Higgins. "Woods loves bringing it all out there for our listeners. Which is our strongest quality. In terms of our deal, we were in alignment on a lot. It was just a few things that if they agreed on, we'd be ready to sign. We were just so happy to get it done."
#contract
The mood was light. It was a typical Friday morning wrapping up MLB All-Star Week and preparing for the second half of the Padres season. Breakfast burritos were on the menu, but so was another surprise. Each member of the show received a new three-year contract extension.
"Anytime you can get extended in media these days is a giant win," says Woods, who called the moment the best birthday gift ever. "We have an audience that's so dedicated to the show and knows where we are. Not just us but taking care of our producer was also a big thing for us. As soon as they did that, that forced the issue for us to do this."
Since 2019, Ben & Woods has become a staple for San Diego sports fans. The show originally launched a year earlier on the former Mighty 1090 before moving to Audacy's 97.3 The Fan after the station shut down. The program was built specifically for San Diego, blending sports, culture, humor and personality. Higgins and Woods have never been afraid to let listeners into their lives, and that same transparency extends to contract negotiations.
"Honestly, I would like to handle things behind the scenes. But compromise is part of a good radio marriage," jokes Higgins. "Woods loves bringing it all out there for our listeners. Which is our strongest quality. In terms of our deal, we were in alignment on a lot. It was just a few things that if they agreed on, we'd be ready to sign. We were just so happy to get it done."
#contract
2 months ago
