After the high-profile exit of San Diego sports radio staple John Kentera, 97.3 The Fan has announced Annie Heilbrunn and Craig Elsten as his replacement.
Annie & Elsten will be heard weekdays from 10 AM-2 PM on the Audacy-owned sports station. Kentera previously hosted the timeslot, before claiming he was fired by the station late last month. He posited 97.3 The Fan was seeking a less caller-driven program in the daypart, despite finishing the summer ratings book as the top-rated program in the demographic.
“We’re excited to kick off the next era of our station’s midday programming with the additions of two seasoned broadcasters in Annie and Craig,” said Audacy San Diego Senior Vice President and Market Manager Michael Valenzuela. “We have no doubt their vast knowledge of this city’s sports scene will add extraordinary value to our local content offering, and can’t wait to see them get the ball rolling.”
Heilbrunn joins the station after working as a reporter for Bally Sports San Diego on San Diego Padres broadcasts. Additionally, she has worked at The San Diego Union-Tribune, FOX Sports San Diego, and also as the Manager of Community Relations and Content for the Padres.
Like Heilbrunn, Craig Elsten is a known name to San Diego sports fans. After beginning his broadcasting career in the city in 1996, Elsten went on to spend 27 years in the market in radio, television, and podcasting. Since 2015, Elsten has hosted the Padres Hot Tub podcast — previously known as Make the Padres Great Again. He has also been an accomplished play-by-play voice, working in Major League Baseball, the San Diego Gulls minor league hockey franchise, Time Warner Cable, and has also been the public address announcer for the Poinsettia bowl, Holiday Bowl, and the San Diego Wave FC.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be partnered with someone as talented and respected as Annie,” said Elsten. “To do so on 97.3 The Fan is the perfect pairing. I know we will work hard to make middays a fun place to hang out every day and a great place to talk Padres.”
“I’m so excited for this opportunity and eager to contribute to the impressive lineup already established at 97.3 The Fan,” added Heilbrunn. “San Diego is an amazing city with smart, loyal sports fans, and I look forward to earning a place in their daily routine and connecting over our shared passion for sports and this community. And hopefully, we’ll laugh a lot, too.”
Annie & Elsten will begin on Thursday, January 4th.
And the Padres say they had nothing to do with Coach Kantara being fired. Two prominent people from within the Padres are his replacement. Ride share driver will continue to tell all riders to boycott this station and the Padres.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. Craig has been consistently been putting out the most thoughtful, informed, and relevant padres content, and has helped create one of the most gratifying and immersive padres communities from well outside the padres organization for 8 years and counting. Annie is a gem and deserves way more than she’s been given by the padres organization. To be honest, she should be considered for a booth job next to Don and Mud or mazur and Gwynn, but this will be the next best thing. Why don’t you give PHT a listen before you start telling people to boycott.
There is no way this show won’t suck.