Twenty-five years is a long time for any sports radio personality to command the airwaves in a single market. When it happens with a duo, it defines a legacy. Earlier this summer, 680 The Fan announced that changes were coming to afternoon drive and the Chuck & Chernoff show. After twenty-five years together, including the last eighteen on The Fan, Matt Chernoff and Chuck Oliver would be ending their radio program together.
“To do it in my hometown is what meant the most to me,” said Chernoff about closing the chapter on Chuck & Chernoff. “Chuck and I both being born here, that’s what separated us from everyone else. We spoke the language of everyone listening. The run is important, but to do it in your hometown makes it extra special.”
The Secret Sauce
Chuck & Chernoff first worked together in the early 2000s at AM 790 The Zone before moving to 680 The Fan in 2008. It was there that Chuck and Chernoff established themselves as a top sports talk show in Atlanta in the afternoon drive timeslot, where they resided for much of their tenure.
However, a week after signing multi-year extensions to remain with the radio station, change was in the air. Chuck Oliver announced he would depart the program but continue to host his evening program on the radio station. The response from loyal listeners was immediate.
“It was a little overwhelming to realize that at one point our show touched them at some point over the years. That was the coolest thing ever,” explained Chernoff. “It wasn’t adding up in my head. Because when you’re doing the show, it’s like any other line of work. Then the years just add up. Then you get to the end, and you realize the generations that just wanted to hang out. That’s the greatest compliment ever.”
Chernoff says the chemistry clicked early between himself and Oliver. They quickly learned each other’s tells, delivery and personalities. Chernoff said he never felt like he had to fight for microphone time, instead comparing their execution to a dance.
A month after Oliver’s announcement, the program bid its final farewell. The show featured some of Atlanta’s top sports icons and frequent guests, keeping the focus on honoring the program’s legacy while also enjoying a laugh along the way.
“We have a line. Our show was football and funny. Football ninety percent of the time, and hopefully the other ten percent was funny and gave people a laugh,” said Chernoff. “We’re lucky we had a chance to close up shop like we did. That doesn’t happen too often in this business. I’m so proud of the show. It wasn’t perfect, but it was something you could step back and see how rare it was.”
A Familiar Face Returns
At the end of August, Chernoff welcomed a new voice to afternoons on The Fan, but an all-too-familiar face to the radio station. John Kincade rejoined the station six years after departing for an opportunity in mornings at 97.5 The Fanatic in his hometown of Philadelphia. The pairing was “super comfortable” for Chernoff as he entered his second act in afternoon drive.
“John and I have known each other for a million years. When we knew that was going to be the decision, John and I jumped on the phone. He’s so easy to work with,” said Chernoff. “As soon as it was presented to me, I knew this would be great. He’s never shy with an opinion and as pro as it gets.”
Chernoff didn’t have any reservations about the decision, which he admitted was stunning to some when the news became public in early August. However, he now had a co-host who could focus solely on growing the afternoon program instead of attempting to balance two shows, as Oliver had successfully done for so many years.
“Nothing against Chuck [Oliver] at all. I couldn’t do two shows as successfully as he did for that long,” noted Chernoff. “When we first started talking about the show, he said he was going to follow my lead. To me, that meant a lot. When presented on his end, he had a lot of trust in me to guide things until he got back into it. It didn’t take long to get comfortable.”
Change is never easy. After twenty-five years of a proven product, it’s not just the talent adjusting to a new environment. It’s also the longtime listeners of 680 The Fan adjusting to new expectations after Chuck & Chernoff delivered a familiar afternoon routine for so many years.
For Chernoff, the program with Kincade represents a fresh beginning. He can build on the foundation established through his work with Chuck Oliver while adding a fresh coat of paint with a new yet familiar voice in afternoons.
“We don’t do well with change in general. There’s going to be people who are hesitant because Chuck & Chernoff was part of their routine. But I sincerely hope that they give it a chance if they’re on the fence,” said Chernoff. “I’ve always taken pride in the fact that I can work with different people. I don’t want this show to sound like Chuck & Chernoff because that chapter is closed. I don’t want to do the same kind of show working with a different partner.”
A Second Act
A second chapter is a rarity in sports radio. Chernoff says he understands the unique opportunity he’s been given when so many of his peers across the country aren’t allowed to try. That’s the driving force behind his motivation to build Kincade & Chernoff and reach the heights of his previous program.
“I’m fortunate to build a second show. I talk to so many people and they ask how long I want to do this. As long as I can because I love doing this,” explained Chernoff. “If it works like I think it could work for a second time, that would be the biggest feather in the cap to do it a second time around.”
That opportunity requires trust and investment from the executives who oversee 680 The Fan. Dickey Broadcasting, which owns 680 The Fan, has been based in Atlanta for nearly 35 years, operating three radio stations and three regional sports networks.
Chernoff considers the opportunity to work for Dickey Broadcasting a blessing. He says the company’s continued investment is the biggest key to navigating future success in an evolving content ecosystem.
“Anyone who works in this industry knows what is going on. Working for this company, there’s still such an investment in radio. Nothing makes me more proud than that. We invest the way we do as an independent radio station in an era of downsizing or shifting to some sort of AI to avoid costs,” said Chernoff. “That’s what separates us in the industry. There’s an obvious mission to make sure radio has its proper place and investing to back it up.”
For twenty-five years, Matt Chernoff and Chuck Oliver gave Atlanta sports fans a place to spend their afternoons. The voices may have changed, but the connection to the audience is what Chernoff believes matters most.
The end of Chuck & Chernoff closed one of the longest-running chapters in Atlanta sports radio. Now, Chernoff has the opportunity to write another one.
There are no guarantees that Kincade & Chernoff will reach the same heights. Building that kind of chemistry takes time, and no second act can simply recreate what made the first one special. Chernoff understands that. He also understands that the opportunity itself is rare.
After a quarter-century behind the microphone, he could have looked back at what he and Oliver accomplished and considered the story complete. Instead, he chose to look forward.
For Chernoff, the goal isn’t to replace Chuck & Chernoff. It’s to create something that eventually stands on its own.
And if the first twenty-five years taught him anything, it’s that the best radio relationships aren’t built overnight. They’re built one conversation, one laugh and one listener at a time.
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