SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio in the past few months has "been giving itself a serious face-lift," according to John Paul Newport of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The satellite radio company "doesn't need to frantically chase ratings to sell ad time and doesn't provide listener numbers for individual channels" because of its subscription-based model. However, SiriusXM "can't afford to embarrass itself." PGA Tour Radio's problem is "filling out the parts of its schedules when tournament coverage isn't on the air." The channel since December has "added more than a dozen new shows or simulcasts." They include "weekly call-in instruction programs" with Hank Haney, David Leadbetter and Jim McLean; talk shows hosted by Golf HOFer Ben Crenshaw and golfers Henrik Stenson and Ian Poulter, as well as other former and current PGA Tour pros; and "live audio pickups" of popular Golf Channel shows such as "Morning Drive," "Golf Central" and "Feherty." Just as TV "discovered that watching the little ball sail through the air for several long seconds, to land who-knows-where, was inherently suspenseful," radio announcers "have figured out how to milk the tension, too." If you "must be in your car, it's an appealing alternative to watching on a screen." Newport: "Of the new talk shows, my personal favorite is 'Ben Crenshaw on Golf.'" Crenshaw said the offer to host a show "came out of the blue." Crenshaw's style is "conversational," as he is "self-effacing, deeply knowledgeable and likes to tell stories." Radio "suits Crenshaw perfectly," and "if you have ever wondered what it would be like to sit in the 19th-hole grill room with a table of golf legends shooting the breeze, this is your chance to find out" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/1).
