97.3 The Fan just extended Ben & Woods in morning drive with another three-year extension. Audacy signed Ben Higgins, Steve Woods and producer Paul Reindl to fresh deals announced Friday.
What We Know: The trio has anchored mornings at 97.3 The Fan in San Diego since June 2019. That’s when the show’s original home, The Mighty 1090, shut down. By the deal’s conclusion, Higgins said, the show will have logged more than a decade on the station. In addition, the news was broke during the show on Friday to the surprise of the talents themselves.
What They Said: (all quotes via 97.3 The Fan)
Steve Woods on his three-year extension with 97.3 The Fan in San Diego: “I’m very honored. I’m very humbled and very excited about the next three and a half years. I’m not gonna lie. It’s such a relief. It’s the best birthday.”
Ben Higgins on the new contract extension with 97.3 The Fan in San Diego: “By the end of the new three year deal that we that we just agreed to, we will have been on the air more than a decade on this station. It doesn’t happen. That’s crazy. I’m just humbled and honored that we can spend a decade with you in the mornings. It’s just unbelievable.”
Steve Woods on working with Audacy’s 97.3 The Fan: “I love this job, this company and this place. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to be with these guys and you. The sky’s the limit. I’ve always felt that.”
What Remains Unclear: Financial terms of the extensions is unknown.
What It Means: The deal signals stability for Audacy’s San Diego sports-talk lineup. In addition, it also rewards a show that has become a market staple. For listeners, the arrangement means no shake-up to weekday mornings anytime soon.
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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.