Anytime a family member faces a personal illness, the heart and mind can feel heavy. Coping with those emotions can lead to a loss of focus. It’s what makes us human and a challenge everyone faces at some point in life. For Derek Papa, the past year has involved navigating the peaks and valleys of his father Greg Papa’s battle with leukemia. He hasn’t faced those challenges in silence, but in the public arena.
As Derek Papa approaches the end of his second year as lead producer and co-host of Dirty Work on KNBR alongside Adam Copeland, the events of the past several months have added a new layer of complexity. While his father continued to battle health issues, Cumulus Media went through another round of layoffs that included Greg Papa and his midday co-host, Greg Silver.
“It’s been tough. Not a lot of radio hosts have to talk about their father’s illness or termination from their job. I had to talk about it a lot,” said Papa. “I’m not a woe is me type of guy. My father’s going through his illness, and I’m not. It’s been a lot and very public, and I’ve dealt with it the best I can.”
While his father built a legacy in Bay Area sports radio over several decades, Derek Papa is just beginning to establish his own. In 2024, Papa moved from executive producer to afternoon drive co-host after Cumulus Media layoffs led to the departures of Tom Tolbert and John Lund from San Francisco’s sports radio leader.
Peaks & Valleys
Since taking on the role, Papa has acknowledged that balancing his first full-time hosting position with his executive producer responsibilities requires more structure. His father’s health challenges and subsequent termination added unexpected difficulties that also affected his ability to do his job on Dirty Work.
“I don’t know how people thought I should have handled it,” Papa said. “Obviously, a lot of people knew about my father’s situation. I’m grateful for the job I have now, but I had a lot of mixed emotions. When we would reach out to guests for the show, and they would tell us they’re not coming on because of the way the station handled things with Greg Papa. Well, how do you think I feel? I’m his son.”
Following a nationwide reaction to Greg Papa’s termination as he continued battling health issues, he and Cumulus Media eventually reached a new agreement. A month later, the company announced that Papa would return to KNBR for a weekday, hour-long segment with John Lund, who had replaced Papa and Silver in middays the previous month.
Derek Papa said the reaction to his father’s termination wasn’t surprising. However, even after KNBR announced his father’s return, the circumstances surrounding the news left him with mixed emotions.
“When we announced my dad was returning, simultaneously he’s in the hospital that day. We didn’t say that on the radio, but I was feeling weird about it. We were announcing that he was coming back and everyone was excited. But at the same time, he was supposed to come on and talk about it but he wasn’t able to because he was sick,” Papa explained. “I respect everyone that deals with things in their personal life and then have to do a job. It’s easier to do when you don’t have to go live on the radio.”
Papa acknowledged that not every day has been his best. Thoughts and emotions surrounding his father’s health battle weigh on him daily, making it difficult to find the escape that Dirty Work aims to provide its audience. Although he looks forward to his father’s return to the airwaves, his greatest wish is to see him healthy again.
“When my dad gets healthy, he has a spot on that show with John Lund and spots on the other shows. I’m not sure it will happen this year with my father’s illness right now,” Papa said. “I appreciate everyone reaching out. But it’s very weird and uncomfortable to me how public this is.”
Doin’ The Dirty Work
Papa isn’t a traditional KNBR host. Although he carries his father’s name, he didn’t enter sports radio immediately. Instead, he developed a love for comedy and the art of making people laugh. However, when his father teamed up with John Lund, Papa became drawn to the balance of sports and humor the program offered.
That interest eventually led him to sports radio in San Francisco. He first developed his skills as a producer with Audacy’s 95.7 The Game and Compass Media Networks. After spending three years as a production assistant with NFL Network, Papa returned to sports radio to produce Tom Tolbert’s afternoon program on KNBR.
Little did Papa know that just over two years later, station management would choose him to replace Tolbert.
“Immense pressure. The reason I came to KNBR was because it was an opportunity to work with Tom Tolbert. He’s a legend among some of the greatest personalities in Bay Area sport history,” Papa said. “I’ll never replace him, because he’s simply too big of a personality to replace.”
Following Tolbert’s departure, Papa had to weigh whether he was ready to take over the afternoon show.
“I was very in my own head when I first started. What are people going to think. It’s just Greg Papa’s son on the radio,” Papa noted. “It was intimidating. No doubt about it. Tom has insight in sports that I’ll never have. The biggest compliment I can receive today is someone telling me they didn’t like me at first, but now they do. I’ll never fill Tom’s shoes, but at the same time I’m going to do my own thing.”
Balancing his dual roles as producer and host continues to present challenges. To this day, Papa considers himself a better producer than host. He often catches himself critiquing his own thoughts mid-segment while trying to focus on the conversation. Although the arrangement isn’t ideal for an afternoon show in a top-five radio market, Papa isn’t one to complain.
“My bosses want me to host and produce at the same time. But I can’t stop a segment and scream what the hell are we doing here. It’s hard to do, and an impossible task. But that’s the industry these days,” Papa said. “I plan the show for others more than myself most of the time… Do I love it? No. I wish I had more guidance from a producer. I was that guy for a lot of talent, but I wish I had that for me to be honest.”
Despite Dirty Work approaching its second anniversary, Papa believes the show’s biggest weakness remains its inexperience. With his producer’s mindset, he feels the program is still figuring out what it wants to be. He also acknowledges that the show isn’t for everyone, nor is it intended to be.
“We don’t sound like a typical KNBR show if you’re a traditional KNBR listener. We can be a little unsettling at times, because we’re different,” Papa said. “What I like most about our show is the mentality of not giving a fuck. Honestly. We call the show Dirty Work, because we’re following a tough act to follow in Tom Tolbert… We don’t know how long we’ll have to do this show. So, we’re going to have fun doing it.”
Seize The Opportunity While You Can
Papa also believes the radio industry is dying a slow death as podcasting continues to grow as a preferred medium for audio content. The departure of prominent talent from the San Francisco market over the past several years has only reinforced that belief.
From Damon Bruce, Ray Ratto, Paulie Mac, John Lund and Tom Tolbert to his own father, Papa believes the industry’s treatment of its talent demonstrates that, regardless of the success or legacy someone achieves, nothing is guaranteed.
“I like doing a renegade show. We’re going to do it till the wheels fall off. Then we’ll see where the industry is at,” Papa said. “The radio industry is dying, but it’s not going to die tomorrow. I’m going to have fun doing Dirty Work. I hope I’m wrong, and that radio lasts a long time. But I’ve seen the writing on the wall, and what’s happened with my own station where you have to plan for the future.”
Recognizing that Dirty Work could be on “borrowed time,” Papa approaches each program with authenticity. He blends humor with sports, aiming to entertain listeners and generate a laugh or two along the way. He also refuses to shy away from difficult topics while recognizing that he doesn’t need to have an opinion on everything.
Each day, however, presents a new opportunity for growth. Papa continues to produce his podcast, Just Your Opinion, Man, while navigating the daily demands of his dual role on Dirty Work. As he prepares to enter his third year in afternoon drive, structure has become his primary focus.
“Our show needs to have a little more structure. I like how we’re off the wall, crazy, and fun. But there’s also days where I’m sure the audience feels it’s all over the place,” Papa said. “Copes [Adam Copeland] and Danny [Dunn – Producer] do a fantastic job. But for me, I need to find more balance with producing and hosting. It’s difficult to do both jobs at once. But I need to be more equal parts host and producer.”
As Derek Papa prepares to enter his third year hosting Dirty Work, the challenges of the past year have reminded him that some things matter far more than what happens on the air.
Papa remains focused on improving the show, embracing the opportunity he’s been given and making the most of the time he has with his father. He knows the future remains uncertain, but as long as he has a microphone and an audience willing to listen, he intends to do things his own way.
And if Dirty Work is going to follow a legend, Papa is determined to build a legacy of his own.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
