“The Country Top 40 with Fitz” is marked five years since Fitz took on the role of host, previously held by the legendary Bob Kingsley. Fitz has honored Kingsley’s legacy by infusing his energy into the Top 40 countdown.
The program showcases Country music’s biggest superstars and hit songs and spotlights the genre’s most promising emerging artists.
“It is an absolute dream every single weekend when I get to play the hits,” said Fitz. “When I walk into Bob’s studio, it feels like Christmas. We are just getting started, and I am so thankful for my partners at Hubbard Radio and Skyview Networks. Here’s to many more years – may the hits be with you!”
“Country Top 40 with Fitz continues to honor the rich legacy of the program while highlighting the best offerings in country radio,” stated Andrew Kalb, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Communication at Skyview Networks. “Fitz’s authentic delivery and genuine enthusiasm foster a strong connection with listeners across the nation every week on CT40.”
The Country Top 40 with Fitz continued this year the long-standing tradition of presenting Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley at CRS. Rhett Akins presented a plaque marking the anniversary. Fitz hosted Tyler Hubbard, Akins, and Old Dominion.
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ESPN and Major League Baseball reached a mutual agreement to opt out of their national television contract following the conclusion of the 2025 season. Within an internal memo sent to owners around the league, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred explained that the league was not pleased “with the minimal coverage” that it has received on ESPN platforms through the past several years outside of live game broadcasts themselves. Sean Pendergast and Seth Payne mentioned this news during the Friday edition of Payne and Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 in Houston, in which he summarized the situation to listeners.
ESPN will continue to broadcast Sunday Night Baseball, along with the Home Run Derby and wild-card round playoff games this season. If the two sides are unable to reach a new deal, this would mark the final year of a partnership that has existed since 1990. Pendergast expressed that the sides were not doing anything illegal, simply exercising their right to opt out ahead of the March 1 contractual deadline. Furthermore, he articulated that ESPN did not want to continue paying the reported $550 million annual rights fee for the next three years, with a report from The Athletic stating that the network had deemed it “way above the current market value.”
“And he said it, ‘On a shrinking platform,’” Payne added, referencing a metric conveyed in the internal memo. Manfred divulged that ESPN was available in 53.6 million homes as of last December, which is down from the 69 million metric when it came to terms on the existing deal in 2021. The figure, however, does not align with Nielsen Media Research monthly estimates, according to John Ourand of Puck, who wrote that the figure is “in the mid- to upper-60 million range.”
ESPN reported January as being its most-watched month in a decade, attaining an average minute audience of 1.6 million viewers on the cable network. Moreover, ESPN networks that are rated by Nielsen accounted for 42% of all sports viewership in the month as the platforms continued to air live game broadcasts in football, basketball and hockey, along with popular studio programming and other content.
“They already do business, baseball does, with Apple and Roku on limited packages of games, and Manfred made some decent points in his letter to baseball,” Pendergast said. “I just wonder the thing that popped the headlines was the lack of coverage that baseball’s getting on ESPN, which is 100% true. If you watch shows like First Take and Get Up, there’s no baseball coverage on there.”
Payne replied by averring that the most ESPN discusses baseball is when Stephen A. Smith discusses Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani. In fact, the duo opined that there would be no baseball coverage on ESPN if it were not for Ohtani and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. The program also referenced when ESPN decided to cut in on live college football games in progress as Judge chased the American League single-season home run record in the stretch of the 2022 regular-season schedule
“Yeah, Tulsa and East Carolina game gets interrupted by an Aaron Judge at bat,” Pendergast recalled. “Nevertheless, I wonder what outlet is going to have for Manfred what he wants. The next logical one is, ‘Alright, well let’s just throw some more at FOX or FS1 or all of those.’ None of those shows talk about baseball either. They’re all football and basketball-oriented [sports talk] shows.”
MLB conveyed that there has been “significant interest” coming from traditional media companies and streaming services about garnering rights to live game broadcasts. A new agreement would begin in 2026, although it is not known if any deal would span beyond three seasons. Manfred has emphasized interest in local rights being available when the league does national renewals, looking to create packages and selling as many packages as possible nationally while planning to deal with what ends up being left over. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has divulged that the company wants “to be part of the solution” surrounding local sports rights as well.
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It’s been over three months since Tom Tolbert and John Lund were both let go as part of Cumulus Media’s cuts at KNBR in San Francisco. Both were fixtures of the Bay Area sports radio scene for decades, with Tolbert being part of the KNBR brand since 1996 following a seven-year career in the NBA.
Since being shown the door at KNBR, Lund started his own podcast in January, entitled John Lund Unleashed: A Bay Area Sports Podcast. The podcast airs new episodes daily at 8 a.m. Pacific on YouTube, featuring Lund’s takes on the world of sports and exclusive interviews with prominent figures in the San Francisco sports scene.
Lund was joined on his podcast Friday morning by Tolbert, who sat down for an extensive interview and spoke about his dismissal from KNBR back in November.
“I knew something was going on that day when (Mike) Hohler’s hair looked halfway decent and he wasn’t wearing a hat,” joked Tolbert about his sighting of KNBR’s program director that afternoon. “I went, ‘We’re probably screwed.’ And, oh God, he’s wearing a collared shirt too? Oh man, we’re toast.”
Tolbert and Lund were part of nationwide cuts by Cumulus that also included Creative Director Tony Rhein who had been with the station for more than 15 years among many other names around the country.
Beginning Monday, Tolbert will be launching his own podcast on YouTube, which he stated will contain discussions about sports and entertainment. He said there will be some focus on San Francisco-based teams, but only if “it’s worth it.”
“We’re not in the sports talk business. We’re in the entertainment business. We’re entertaining people,” said Tolbert on what listeners can expect from his podcast. “That’s what I’m hoping I can do with the guests we’re going to have on. I’m hoping to have a lot of the same guests that I had on throughout the course of my years at KNBR—maybe once a week, we’ll try to do an interview—but we’re not going to stick to that.”
Tolbert later spoke about his appreciation for the remaining staff at the San Francisco-based station and why he wouldn’t have ventured into the podcast space if he were still part of the KNBR roster.
“This is something that I wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t been shown the door at KNBR, because I probably would have stuck there. I liked the people that I worked with,” Tolbert stated. “I loved working with Copes (Adam Copeland) and Tim (Webb) and Derek (Papa). They’re just really cool guys—fun to work with, fun to be around. And that’s probably the part of the job I’ll remember the most—the people.”
During his tenure at KNBR, Tolbert hosted with Ralph Barbieri, Ray Ratto, Rod Brooks, Larry Krueger, and John Lund, in addition to Copeland. Tolbert also spent time with ESPN, working on NBA coverage from 2002 to 2006.
Tolbert’s new podcast launches Monday and will produce episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with clips shared on his social media platforms.
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Sean Hannity sat down with President Donald Trump and Elon Musk for his Fox News primetime program earlier this week, and it was ratings winner for the show.
According to figures from Nielsen, 5.4 million viewers tuned into the discussion recorded in the White House. That figure represents a 52% increase in the overall 2025 audience thus far. Outside of Inauguration Day, the program on Tuesday evening was Hannity’s highest rated show.
In the Adults 25-54 demographic, the program earned 733,000 viewers. That represents a 58% increase compared to the average audience for Sean Hannity’s primetime show in 2025.
In total, Fox News commanded 70% of the cable news audience in the 9 PM ET timeslot during the interview conducted by Sean Hannity.
An additional 20.5 million video views between YouTube, TikTok, X, Instagram, and Facebook were featured from the conversation, according to figures from Emplifi and YouTube analytics.
The conversation marked the first time both Donald Trump and Elon Musk sat down for a televised interview.
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Infinity Networks Kate Neal, host of the syndicated “Katie & Company,” has been named permanent guest host for “Lon Helton’s Country Countdown USA.”
In making the announcement, Helton said, “’CCUSA’ has been on the air for 33 years. Whenever I’ve been out, we’ve always asked an artist to join our artist co-host. But the time has come to for one of today’s top broadcast talents to fill in for me when needed. Katie’s rapport and respect for Country artists, stellar interviewing skills, and warm, conversational style make her the perfect person for this new role.”
Neal added, “If Lon had asked me to water his plants when he goes on vacation, I would have been honored. To be entrusted with the role of guest host on ‘CCUSA’ for my friend and mentor is so far beyond that. I’m looking forward to counting down the biggest Country hits in the USA with our favorite stars in a way both Lon and the fans will love.”
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The revamped CBS Evening News is going back to its former fast-paced news presentation just weeks into a change that has seen the venerable newscast slip in the ratings.
As the program transitioned away from previous anchor Norah O’Donnell, it had adopted a format similar to that of 60 Minutes, featuring fewer stories with longer run times and more in-depth reporting.
However, ratings have continued to slide since the new format debuted in late January. For the three weeks preceding the anchor change with the CBS News program, it had averaged 5.1 million total viewers. During the week of January 27th, when the show began being helmed by John Dickerson, Maurice DuBois, and Margaret Brennan, CBS Evening Newsaveraged 4.8 million viewers. That figure was down slightly compared to the previous week, which saw an average audience of 4.9 million viewers.
The ratings have continued to slide in the weeks following the change from O’Donnell to the new format. In its third week with the news magazine style, CBS Evening News had fallen to an average of 4.5 million nightly viewers.
Ratings challenges for the heritage news brand aren’t a new problem. When it was anchored by O’Donnell, the CBS News show continually finished in third place behind ABC World News Tonight with David Muir and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.
Beginning this week, CBS News has returned the nightly newscast to a higher story count with shorter run times, shifting it away from the 60 Minutes-like presentation. The network had tasked 60 Minutes Executive Producer Bill Owens with also overseeing the newscast after the exit of O’Donnell.
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Coming off a thrilling 4 Nations Face-Off break, hockey is now set to resume its regular season starting tomorrow. For St. Louis Blues fans, there’s even more excitement beyond Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington’s standout performance for Team USA. Notably, the first game as the regular season continues will be available over-the-air in the Kansas City market.
In a major announcement today, KCTV5 revealed that Saturday’s game between the Blues and the Winnipeg Jets will be the first of three games aired locally on over-the-air television. The contest will also be shown along with various Gray Media affiliate stations across the Midwest. Furthermore, the partnership between KCTV and the St. Louis Blues will feature Saturday’s game against Winnipeg, as well as the March 8 matchup against the Los Angeles Kings and the March 25 game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Saturday’s broadcast between the Blues and Jets marks a historic moment—it will be the first time in fifteen years that a Blues game will be presented for free on local television.
Commenting on the partnership, Blues President and CEO of Business Operations, Chris Zimmerman, emphasized the significance of the collaboration. “Considering our long-standing relationship with Gray Media and their presence across the Midwest, they are a perfect partner to help us explore our broadcasting options as part of our ongoing efforts to grow our reach among existing and future Blues fans,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman added, “The opportunity to deliver a package of local Blues broadcasts through over-the-air television was a valuable addition to our latest broadcast agreement.”
Echoing this sentiment, KCTV5 vice president and general manager Curtis Miles expressed his enthusiasm for bringing more hockey coverage to Kansas City sports fans.
“We know how much people love sports in Kansas City,” said Miles. “Broadcasting these Blues games is another great way for us to give local viewers what they want.”
KCTV5 and KSMO-TV are thrilled to announce the return of over-the-air NHL hockey broadcasts to the Kansas City market! https://t.co/utvAfmsjAG
The NHL 4 Nations Face-Off which concluded Thursday night saw the biggest stars of the NHL compete in a world cup-style tournament that shattered viewership records for the league. Building off the momentum, the broadcasts on KCTV5 will maintain the same high production quality, featuring the FanDuel Sports Network talent and crew, including play-by-play announcer John Kelly, analyst Jamie Rivers, and reporter Andy Strickland.
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Connor McDavid scored a game-winning overtime goal for Canada as the team secured a victory in the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off tournament over the United States. The 3-2 victory marked a seminal moment in Canadian hockey history as the team prepares to challenge other programs from around the world next year as NHL players return to the Olympic Games being held in Milan and Cortina. Joe Rose, morning show host on WQAM in Miami, Fla., was watching the game on ESPN as several Florida Panthers competed in the matchup, and he discussed the penchant he has for viewing sports even if it coincides with days off.
Rose explained that his wife has stated that she does not understand why he watches sports when off, and it led producer Danny “Hollywood” Rabinowitz to expound on the sentiment. Rabinowitz articulated that it ultimately comes down to sports being drama and thus keeping the audience enthralled in the action. The hype surrounding the game also affected the interest from Rose’s perspective, expressing that it was “great” and that there is a reason why boxing and wrestling are promoted in such a manner.
“There are a lot of events that we watch year round, whether they mean anything in your favorite league or, ‘Are there playoffs?,’ and you’re going, ‘Eeh, it’s okay. It’s a best-of-seven, it doesn’t matter about tonight,’” Rose outlined. “I haven’t had that feeling that I had last night since obviously the Stanley Cup, but that doesn’t happen a lot where you get that [with] what you got last night for watching.”
Within his discourse, Rose divulged that he was effectively consumed into watching the game and enjoyed the action, spending several segments on the morning show talking about the action and potential residual effects. While the final viewership number for the championship has not yet been released, the six previous games within the tournament averaged 1.8 million viewers across TNT Sports and ESPN platforms. Moreover, the first game between the United States and Canada collected 10.1 million viewers across the continent, which is up 203% from the last matchup between the two teams at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
“That thing was incredible,” Rabinowitz said. “It’ll probably be only outdone by the Olympics in one year.”
“One year from now,” Rose replied, “and that thing’s going to be huge, and that gold medal means a lot to whoever’s going to win, and I’m guessing Canada’s going to go in as the favorite.”
Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk was playing on Team USA during the tournament, but he suffered an injury in the first game between the two teams on Saturday and played part of the championship matchup. Yet he did not return to action following a shift near the end of the second period, eliciting concern among hockey fans regarding the severity of his ailment. Rose explained that while he enjoyed the tournament, he understands that Tkachuk is among the best players on the Panthers. In fact, he told listeners that if it ends up being a while before Tkachuk is able to return, callers can tell him that he was wrong.
“You don’t have to change the way you feel about it,” Rabinowitz concluded. “You don’t have to be a fraud because that tournament was awesome, and it clearly meant the world to those guys, so it is what it is.”
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NBC Sports is beginning to build its talent roster as the network is set to begin the first season of an 11-year media rights deal with the NBA next season. Just days after adding Reggie Miller to the roster as a lead analyst for broadcasts and Jamal Crawford earlier in the month, former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas mentioned on his YouTube stream last night that he’s in talks with the network as well.
“I had a meeting with NBC,” said Arenas on a live stream earlier this week. “They’re still auditioning and interviewing other guests that could be a part of the show. So I had my meeting, and the perspective that they’re coming from is crazy.”
Arenas has been a fixture in NBA media since retiring from the league in 2012. The former NBA guard owns his own No Chill Productions podcast, titled No Chill Podcast, and in 2023 launched another highly successful podcast called Gil’s Arena in partnership with Underdog Fantasy Sports, which he hosts with Josiah Johnson, Brandon Jennings, Rashad McCants, Lexie Brown, and Kenyon Martin.
He continued to reveal his personal concerns about joining the NBC broadcast team while balancing his own brand’s schedule. Arenas notes he’s appreciative of the conversation and looks forward to seeing if he’ll be selected.
“It’s a good crazy that people want me, and I’m very thankful for just the opportunities that I put myself back in position to be wanted,” said Arenas. “Even if I don’t get the job, the fact that I’m even in the running—somebody brought me up to the point where they’re sitting down having 8 o’clock meetings. I’m really grateful for that.”
NBC has reportedly been looking to add former NBA forward Carmelo Anthony to the roster as a studio analyst in recent weeks. It has already been announced that Mike Tirico will serve as the lead play-by-play voice of the property, and Frank DiGraci has been named the coordinating producer for the coverage as well.
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