Last summer, Greg Papa took to the airwaves on 95.7 The Game to confirm he would no longer be the radio voice of the Oakland Raiders. For the first time in over two decades, the legendary play by play announcer went thru an NFL season not calling Bay Area football games.
But the disappointment Papa experienced in 2018 has quickly been replaced by joy in 2019. The year began with the San Francisco 49ers naming him their new radio play by play voice, and now just two and a half months before the NFL regular season kicks off, Papa is changing radio stations too.
After nearly eight years with 95.7 The Game, Papa is leaving the station to join KNBR. The new voice of the 49ers has inked a multi-year deal with the station which will reunite him with former on-air partner John Lund. The new program, Papa & Lund, will be featured weekddays from 10a-2p PT.
KNBR Program Director Jeremiah Crowe said: “Greg brings unrivaled knowledge and top-notch entertainment value to every broadcast he leads. His connection with the Bay Area sports fan runs deep on many levels through his history in the local market, and we are proud to reunite him with John Lund in mid-days on The Sports Leader.”
“I am thrilled to be returning to the powerful airwaves of The Sports leader,” said Papa. “Being reunited with John Lund on the flagship station of the 49ers is the perfect combination.”
In addition to adding Papa and Lund to middays, KNBR will introduce a powerful new afternoon show. Larry Krueger and Rod Brooks will leave their midday slots to move into drive time, joining Tom Tolbert as part of the newly formed Tolbert, Krueger and Brooks. The three men have been a part of KNBR for a combined total of 67 years. Their new show will air weekdays from 2p-6p PT, giving an extra hour to evening host Mark Willard who will now host weeknights from 6p-10p PT.
As a result of the changes, KNBR and longtime personality Gary Radnich will go their separate ways. Radnich had been with the station since 1992. He tweeted out on Friday that he had planned to retire at the end of the year but with his 70th birthday approaching it made more sense to exit now. Radnich will host his final show on the station this week.
“From the time Gary Radnich started at KNBR he was a pioneer in the sports-talk format” said Doug Harvill, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus San Francisco. “He built a close relationship with listeners through his entertaining and intriguing perspective on sports and life. I cannot express how appreciative all of us at KNBR are for the opportunity to have partnered with him on his KNBR journey.”
Also vacating the station will be longtime midday host Bob Fitzgerald who had been with the station as a host since 1990. The television voice of the Warriors on NBC Sports Bay Area, Fitzgerald said “I’d like to thank everyone that I had the great fortune of working with at KNBR, from my co-hosts, in particular Rod Brooks, to our tremendous producers and staff I have encountered over the great many years. For three decades it has been my great privilege to entertain the incredible sports fans of the Bay Area. KNBR will always have a special place in my heart and I wish everyone at the station all the best moving forward.”
The loss of Papa is a blow to 95.7 The Game. He spent 8 years with the station, delivering strong ratings in middays with Bonta Hill, and previously with Lund before he exited to join KNBR in 2016.
According to a report in The Athletic, The Game is expected to adjust to Papa’s departure by relying on 3 shows in their weekday lineup instead of 4. Joe, Lo and Dibs will remain in mornings, Matt Steinmetz and ‘The Guru’ Daryle Johnson will add Hill to their midday show, expanding to 10a-2p, followed by Damon Bruce in afternoon drive.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
