Yesterday, change began at Boston’s sports radio WEEI as Andy Hart and Nick ‘Fitzy’ Stevens departed their roles in afternoon drive. For almost two years, Hart, Stevens, and former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson attempted to tackle the giant behemoth that is Felger & Mazz on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
The experiment failed, much like its predecessors. Going up against a show on your direct competition that has been together since the summer of 2009 is difficult. Finding an audience and leaping ahead of the Sports Hub for the first time since the spring of 2011 is even more strenuous. Combine that market equity and ratings success, then add in the rights to three of Boston’s four major sports properties. There’s an old saying: that’s a tough hill to climb.
However, the formula for WEEI has been in constant flux over the last several years. The station has made changes to the afternoon drive daypart five separate times since 2018, including yesterday. Now, with an announcement coming Monday morning on The Greg Hill Show, the question isn’t who will be in afternoons. Instead, it’s whether WEEI can ever regain its presence in a space dominated by the Sports Hub.
While speculation is already rampant about who could be the next voices in afternoons, a bigger question faces the team at WEEI. With as much turnover as the station has had in recent years, what defines a win?
98.5 The Sports Hub has morphed into the 1927 New York Yankees. Yes, I’m using that comparison because of the level of domination the Sports Hub has possessed since its launch. While the competition was closer with dynamic personalities like Kirk Minihane and Gerry Callahan, the gap has widened since their departures.
Change Is Constant
The most recent changes should come as no surprise. WEEI afternoons was often the lowest-rated show on the weekday lineup. The show had little momentum against Felger and Mazz, and constant change versus consistency is never a winning formula.
Don’t let a dust-up between Stevens and Johnson last week fool you. If an announcement is already planned for Monday, the changes have been in the works for some time. Boston is not a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants market. Changes are planned, lined up, and timed.
Maybe the writing was on the wall for Hart and Stevens, and that may have played into the exchange between Stevens and Johnson last week.
However, what defines a win when you’re down 17 runs in the first inning? That’s what Audacy management must decide.
Think Differently
It’s not a concession to understand and acknowledge that the ratings battle may already have been won, and decisively. However, where WEEI can chip away at its competitor’s advantage is by creating a program that generates noise, engages on social, and finds new ways to drive revenue through connection and personalization.
It needs something with an it factor that provides lift, not only in ratings but also in prestige, curiosity, and reach. WEEI can’t beat The Sports Hub on legacy talent, but it has the opportunity to dominate in areas where its rival does not.
For instance, when I first began with Barrett Media, one of the first pieces I wrote compared how WEEI and 98.5 The Sports Hub reacted after the Boston Red Sox made a late-night signing of Alex Bregman. I examined how both stations addressed the news when it mattered most: morning drive. WEEI was far ahead of its competition in content, social, and digital engagement.
Those are the types of wins that carry weight moving forward in defining success for sports radio. It’s no longer about capturing an extra quarter hour or meter. It’s about the impact you make where the audience and ad dollars are going.
So, can WEEI find its mojo once again? Of course it can. It just requires thinking differently than it has before. Five changes to the daypart in the last eight years tell the story. The thought process and approach in those instances—chasing the next shiny object—didn’t amount to much in Beantown.
At some point, WEEI has to stop trying to out-‘Felger & Mazz’ Felger & Mazz in afternoons. That game was decided years ago.
The path forward isn’t about catching up—it’s about carving out something different, something that cuts through in ways the competitor doesn’t. Because in 2026, winning isn’t just about ratings books. It’s about relevance, reach, and revenue. When a brand wins on connection, creativity, and consistency, the definition of victory changes.
WEEI doesn’t need to win the old battle. It needs to pick a new one—and commit to it.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
