How We Draw the Line
Sports and age appropriate content do not always go fittingly hand-in-hand. Sports are controversial by nature and are followed worldwide with extreme passion, often resulting with heated disputes in which tempers flare. Not to mention, athletes are in the public eye and kids may put them on a pedestal, but in reality, they are only human, making morally questionable decisions as often, if not more, than the general population. It’s well documented the amount of pressure and problems money and fame can bring. As a result, some of the year’s biggest sports stories may contain inappropriate content, but will certainly get its fair share of radio airtime regardless of who’s behind the microphone. For example, in early 2010, it was hard to find a radio show that failed to highlight promiscuity of Tiger Woods, and ignoring the topic all together would be both nave and journalistically irresponsible.Instead of critiquing subject matter addressed, we try to evaluate the levelheadedness, professionalism and sensitivity with which sports radio personalities address the issues at hand. With special mind paid to regular segments and features, we also look for aspects of the show that are inclusive to younger audiences, as short attention spans can breed discontent. All ratings are based on an age at which we believe, in our collective experience as a parent, we would let our kids listen to the show in question. If a show is tagged with an “11 and over,” it follows that the day-to-day content on this show is suitable for any child with the maturity level of an 11-year old. Some children may be more or less mature than others, leaving final discretion up to parents.With that said, a lot of radio is done live, meaning there is no way to predict whether a certain host with an otherwise upstanding reputation will slip up on air. The guidelines we give are based on what has come to be expected over a considerable body of work (an average if you will), and may be slightly more or slightly less appropriate on any given day.