The changes aren’t done for Denver’s sports radio scene according to local sportscaster Troy Renck. Days after 104.3 The Fan announced its new midday and weeknight shows, afternoon co-host Tom Nalen is reportedly leaving on his own terms.
Nalen joined Darren “DMac” McKee on The Drive in April, after Alfred Williams left The Fan’s afternoon show for News-Talk KOA 850. According to Renck, Nalen’s tenure with The Drive will be short-lived, with plans to leave the program in October, returning to the East Coast for personal reasons. The former Broncos offensive lineman grew up in Foxborough, MA.
Replacing Nalen on The Drive is expected to be two former Broncos, tackle Tyler Polumbus and safety Nick Ferguson. In April, Ferguson began hosting The Fan’s midday show until being replaced by Sandy Clough and Orlando Franklin earlier this week. On Monday, program director Raj Sharan tweeted that Ferguson would remain with The Fan “in a variety of capacities.” Those capacities now appear to include joining the station’s afternoon show.
Polumbus most recently worked as a morning host on iHeart’s Orange and Blue 760 which flipped to news talk earlier this summer. The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, who has also served as a Broncos insider for The Fan, reports Nalen agreed to continue co-hosting The Drive until Polumbus’ noncompete clause with iHeart ends.
Longtime Denver radio host, Darren “DMac” McKee remains the constant on The Drive through the show’s changes in recent months. 104.3 The Fan’s afternoon show broadcasts every weekday from 3 – 7pm.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
Why wouldn’t he leave? D-Mac (rhymes with Douche Bag) knows nothing about sports. He is a former high school soccer player and DJ from KBPI. If you want to debate who is a better rock band between AC/DC or Metallica he would be good. I still remember the time he took on Merrill Hoge of ESPN about the merits of Tim Tebow being a viable NFL quarterback. Tom Nalen is a Ring of Famer and D-Mac is nothing more than a gamer who just moved out of his mother’s basement and has no clue about the NFL and is rude to his listeners.