Michael Perman has been named the senior vice president of sports at The CW Network, immediately beginning in this newly-created role overseeing strategy, programming and media rights for the company. Within this position, he will be reporting to Brad Schwartz, the president of The CW Network, as the company continues to maintain a sports portfolio that includes Atlantic Coast Conference and Pac-12 Conference sporting events, WWE NXT, Grand Slam Track, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Inside the NFL and more.
“As our sports programming schedule continues to grow at a breakneck pace, we are excited to bring a consummate pro like Mike Perman to our team of experienced industry executives, producers, and talent who are leading the charge to transform The CW into a must-see destination for live sporting events,” Schwartz said in a statement. “With nearly 400 hours a year of sports content now under Mike’s leadership, including NASCAR, WWE, ACC, Pac12, Grand Slam Track, and Inside The NFL, we are confident he will play a significant role in driving continued success for CW Sports.”
Perman joins the company with more than two decades of experience in the sports media business, most recently serving as senior vice president of global media rights at Aggregate Sports. Before that venture, he was the vice president of programming for NBC Sports Group where he oversaw program planning, acquisitions and scheduling for both NBC and NBC Sports Network. Perman also served as the director of scheduling for the Comcast-owned cable sports channel before the company merged with NBCUniversal in 2011. Prior to his time with NBC Sports, he was the director of international programming for the NBA, granting him oversight towards the daily operations of NBA TV International and scheduling NBA programming worldwide.
“I am thrilled to be able to deliver first-class sports programming across The CW’s ubiquitously available broadcast and digital platforms while fostering strong and enduring relationships within the sports world,” Perman said in a statement. “Together, we will continue to transform the network into a premier destination for fans, offering dynamic live sporting events and engaging programming.”
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Mid-West Family Broadcasting has announced several changes to its leadership structure, including the appointment of Tom Walker as Chairman of the Board.
Walker, a third-generation member of the Mid-West Family Broadcasting organization, will take over the role and be involved in guiding and directing the broadcasting company in its day-to-day operations.
Additionally, the General Manager of the South Bend and Southwest Michigan Operations Dave Doetsch will become the Chief Operating and Chief Revenue Officer for the company. Doetsch has been with Mid-West Family Broadcasting for nearly 30 years. He will also be tasked with recruiting and naming the successor to his current role.
Mike Paterson, who has been with the company since its 2013 acquisition of the Rockford, Illinois cluster, will ascend to the role of Chief Financial Officer for the company. He will oversee all financial, accounting, and growth activities.
The company has also announced the elevation of Kim DiGiovanni from Vice President/Director of Sales to General Manager of its Rockford, Illinois facility.
With the changes, the company has re-aligned its Board of Directors to include Doetsch, Walker, Paterson, Randy Hawke, Brian Jackson, and Jen O’Brien.
The news of changes at Mid-West Family Broadcasting comes as is in the midst of selling its Springfield, Illinois cluster to Woodward Communications. Once that sale is complete, the organization will own and operate 41 stations in Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Madison, Wisconsin; Rockford, Illinois; South Bend, Indiana; St. Joseph/Benton Harbor, Michigan; and Springfield, Missouri.
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Former 107.3 WAAF Boston host Mistress Carrie is joining Lazer 99.3 & 98.5 WLZX Springfield, MA, for mornings starting tomorrow. (2/14)
Carrie was in Boston Radio for 22 years and is the host of “The Mistress Carrie Podcast,” “Cocktails In The War Room,” and “The Mistress Carrie Radio Show.”
“Carrie will be an incredible addition to Lazer and Springfield morning radio. She is one of the most influential voices in rock music in New England and brings a tremendous level of knowledge, experience, and personality to Lazer,” said Program Director Alex Byrne. “We’re thrilled to begin a new era in mornings at Lazer 99.3 & 98.5, and Western Mass rock fans should be excited to wake up with Mistress Carrie each weekday.”
Mistress Carrie said, “I am so grateful to Mike Ekblom and Alex Byrne and the entire staff at Lazer for welcoming me with open arms. Much of this team has been together for years and I’m honored to join their ranks! I can’t wait to reconnect with listeners that may already be familiar with my show, and I look forward to winning over new listeners by making ‘Mornings with Mistress Carrie’ THE place for Everything That Rocks! Springfield… will you be my Valentine?”.
“Mistress Carrie’s reputation precedes her, and we’re very excited to welcome her to Springfield and to the team at Lazer. It’s a perfect fit,” said Mike Ekblom, Vice President and General Manager of the Springfield Rocks Media Group
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SiriusXM today announced that subscribers will get access to live coverage of the 4 Nations Face-Off on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (ch. 91).
The international tournament staged by the NHL and NHLPA will feature NHL Players representing Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States facing off in a total of seven games played from Feb. 12 to 20, 2025. Four games will be played at the Bell Centre in Montreal and three games, including the championship game, at TD Garden in Boston.
SiriusXM will produce exclusive English language national audio broadcasts of each tournament game, bringing listeners every minute of the action on the ice, including pre-game and post-game coverage. The SiriusXM NHL Network Radio team will be live from the broadcast booth for all games in Montreal and Boston. Steve Kouleas will have the play-by-play call, alongside game analysts Anthony Stewart in Montreal, and Andrew Raycroft in Boston. Scott Laughlin will host one-hour pre and post-game shows along with intermission reports.
Players on the 4 Nations Face-Off teams have combined for seven Hart trophies, seven Norris trophies and three Vezina trophies. There are 35 combined Stanley Cup titles and five playoff MVP wins. Some of the US players to watch include goalie Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets who has won two Vezina’s, along with Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski and Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.
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MLB Network will have a new home beginning with the 2028 baseball season. Today, it was announced that the network would be moving its entire operation from its long-standing base in Secaucus, New Jersey, to office space in Elmwood Park, New Jersey.
The new facility will feature a state-of-the-art design across 207,000 square feet, housing all of MLB Network’s production studios, offices, and MLB’s video library.
“This new long-term home for MLB Network is an opportunity for us to transform our operations and deliver a future-proofed workplace that enables our team to produce exceptional content,” said Bill Morningstar, President of MLB Network.
Partnering with Crow Holdings Development, MLB believes the new space will incorporate cutting-edge technology, allowing the network to remain at the forefront of baseball storytelling with production excellence and innovation.
Morningstar emphasized that the move reflects the importance of MLB Network to Major League Baseball and its media partners moving forward.
Photo: MLB Network Communications
Since its inception in 2009, MLB Network has called Secaucus home, delivering year-round baseball programming. The network has earned 42 national Emmy Awards across 15 categories and produces more than 3,000 hours of live programming annually. In the past year alone, MLB Network created over 400,000 pieces of baseball content, including contributions to MLB Local Media, Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+, and Roku’s MLB Sunday Leadoff.
The new location in Elmwood Park carries historical significance. For nine decades, it was home to the Marcal Paper warehouse, a local landmark until it was destroyed by fire in early 2019.
Following the fire, Crow Holdings Development purchased the property and redeveloped it into an industrial building that honors the site’s history. A brick façade and black window mullions, inspired by the original warehouse, combine with large translucent light boxes to blend classic elements with modern design.
“We can’t think of a better match for this special property,” said Clark Machemer, senior managing director at Crow Holdings Development.
As clubs begin reporting to spring training this week, MLB Network is ramping up coverage in anticipation of Opening Day on Thursday, March 27.
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MSG Networks will be celebrating the broadcast career of legendary New York Rangers hockey play-by-play announcer Sam Rosen with a slate of special programming and a pregame ceremony. Tributes will begin to air from current and former Rangers stars during the team’s game against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, March 16 and run throughout the week during games airing on MSG Networks. After the Rangers postgame show concludes on March 16, MSG Networks will premiere a feature titled Sam’s Day in the Life that will give viewers a look into his gameday routine.
“Sam’s distinctive voice, enthusiasm and impeccable sense timing have been the hallmark of Rangers’ hockey on MSG Networks for four decades,” Andrea Greenberg, president and chief executive officer of MSG Networks, said in a statement. “We are thrilled that Rangers fans will be able to celebrate Sam, his exceptional career, and the special memories that he’s provided to hockey fans for all these years.”
Ahead of the March 22 game against the Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers will honor Rosen in a pregame ceremony as he approaches the conclusion of his time in the broadcast booth. Prior to the beginning of the year, Rosen announced that he would be retiring from his role on the broadcasts at the end of the season. Rosen is a four-time New York Emmy award winner for his coverage of Rangers hockey on MSG Networks, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Moreover, he was recently named the recipient of the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States.
Rosen has been working with Joe Micheletti since the 2006-07 season after previously pairing with him as a part of NHL on FOX national coverage. In the preceding years, he had worked with John Davidson, former goaltender for the Rangers, with whom he called the team’s 1994 Stanley Cup championship. As the organization broke a 54-year Stanley Cup drought, Rosen exclaimed the famous words, “And this one will last a lifetime!”
“In 40 seasons as the voice of the Rangers on MSG Network, Sam Rosen has become as synonymous with Rangers hockey as anyone who has put on the uniform,” Chris Drury, president and general manager of the New York Rangers, said in a statement. “Sam’s professionalism and passion for the Rangers has earned him the admiration and love of our fans and a tremendous amount of respect throughout the hockey world, as we have seen in so many places this season. We are excited to celebrate Sam’s remarkable career during this special day at Madison Square Garden.”
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CBS News has announced a promotion for Robert Costa, who will now serve as a national correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning and also as the network’s chief Washington analyst.
Costa had previously served as the chief election & campaign correspondent for CBS News, based in Washington D.C.
“Building on three years of excellent contribution for Sunday Morning, he will join the broadcast’s staff and will cover many issues in the coming years, from in-depth pieces on politics and national affairs to newsmaker profiles to stories on culture and the arts,” a statement announcing the promotion said.
“As chief Washington analyst, Robert will continue to offer his deeply-sourced reporting and respected analysis across CBS News broadcasts and platforms. He will continue to report on all things in the political world including Congress, the Trump administration, President Trump, and potential 2028 candidates,” the statement concluded.
In his first story as a national correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning, Costa will sit down with bestselling author Michael Lewis to discuss his upcoming book “Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service.”
Before joining CBS News in 2022, Robert Costa served as a national political reporter at The Washington Post. He also previously served as the managing editor and moderator of the PBS News program Washington Week from 2017 to 2020. From 2015 to 2020, he worked as a political analyst for NBC News, appearing on many MSNBC programs like Morning Joe and The 11th Hour, in addition to Meet the Press and Today.
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Edison Research has named its list of the top 10 new podcasts for 2024, and the show from Candace Owens earned the second spot on the list.
Owens launched her new podcast in June after her high-profile exit from The Daily Wire in March. Owens clashed with the outlet’s co-founder — Ben Shapiro — over her stance on the Hamas/Israel conflict, ultimately leading to her departure and subsequent back-and-forth shots between the two conservative media personalities.
The performance of Candace was especially notable since the research firm shared that, naturally, podcasts released earlier in the year perform better than those that begin later in the calendar.
The only podcast launched in 2024 that topped the show debuted by Candace Owens was Talk Tuah with Haliey Welch, the viral star that has yet to release a new episode since early December after being accused of a cryptocurrency scam at the end of the year.
Also joining Talk Tuah and Candace in the top 10 were:
So True with Caleb Hearon
Mind the Game with LeBron James and JJ Redick
Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway
Basically Unfiltered with Remi, Alisha, Zane, and Heath
MeSsy with Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler
The Salty Podcast
Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (Sometimes)
Wartime Stories
The selections from Edison Research are “based on the highest average weekly audience throughout their debut year, demonstrating significant listener engagement and impact.”
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Paramount Global and YouTube TV are currently involved in a carriage dispute, leading to customers of the over-the-top streaming service not receiving certain channels. Amid the expiration of its existing contract on Thursday, networks owned by Paramount Global, including CBS, MTV and Nickelodeon, could go dark on the subscription service. In an internal memo shared by Dade Hayes of Deadline on Wednesday night from Paramount co-chief executive officers George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins, leadership conveyed what was taking place and emphasized that Google was “unwilling to agree to reasonable terms consistent with the market.” Conversely, Google said that it was engaging in “good faith negotiations” but had been unable to reach a deal.
YouTube TV recently took part in a price hike, augmenting the cost of its service by 14% to $82.99 per month. The streaming service recently surpassed 8 million subscribers and is also the home of NFL Sunday Ticket. Nielsen Media Research measured YouTube viewing on connected televisions to secure an 11.1% share of total TV usage throughout the month of November. YouTube TV articulated that if it cannot agree to terms with Paramount Global or if the content remains unavailable for an extended period, it will offer subscribers an $8 credit.
“Paramount is an important partner for us and as you can imagine, this is not the outcome that we want,” the YouTube team wrote in a blog post. “We’re still in active conversations with Paramount and are hopeful we can come to an agreement to keep their content available on YouTube TV.”
Paramount Global has a special webpage that emphasizes YouTube TV trying to pressure the company into agreeing “to unfavorable and one-sided terms.” Moreover, the company is stating that it has made “a series of offers to YouTube TV” that are good for its customers. Paramount Global currently has the rights to various programs resonating with the marketplace, including the No. 1 new series, comedy series and news magazine, along with top rankings in daytime and late night. CBS also broadcasts NFL games and recently attained its most-watched regular season slate of games since 1998.
“Paramount has a long track record of successfully and amicably renewing partnerships with every major distributor, including several in recent months,” a Paramount spokesperson said, “and we will continue our efforts to reach a new agreement with YouTube TV.”
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One of the most crucial factors in securing a radio station’s brand identity is being ‘on’ when news breaks. In the competitive world of sports radio, timeliness and engagement are everything. Two of the largest and most successful sports radio brands in the country, 98.5 The Sports Hub and WEEI 93.7FM, both call Boston home and always find themselves going head-to-head in covering major stories.
On Wednesday night, just after 10:30 PM ET, the Boston Red Sox made waves by signing the most sought-after free agent remaining on the market. Infielder Alex Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal with reports indicating that the $40 million annual salary was at least $10 million higher per year than what other MLB teams were willing to offer the nine-year pro, making this a blockbuster move for Boston.
Given the late-night timing of the signing, both stations were broadcasting national syndication at the moment the news broke. This presented an interesting opportunity to evaluate how these powerhouse brands captured the moment on social media and how their respective morning shows handled the news as Boston sports fans woke up to the headline.
Morning Show Breakdown: WEEI vs. The Sports Hub
A direct comparison of the first 30 minutes of the key 7 AM hour on each station provided a clear contrast in coverage approaches. WEEI’s Greg Hill Show dedicated significantly more time to discussing Bregman’s signing than The Sports Hub’s Toucher and Hardy did.
As expected, both stations led off their morning drive hours with sports updates, with Bregman’s signing featured as the lead story. However, the similarities largely ended there. WEEI seamlessly transitioned into a segment called The Lead, during which all four show members reacted to the signing. The discussion extended beyond just the contract details, diving into how this acquisition reshaped the Red Sox’s standing among Boston’s professional teams and their potential path back to championship contention. The energy and engagement made it clear that this was a major moment for Boston sports.
However, the remaining portion of WEEI’s 30-minute window was more varied, touching on online mock drafts about ‘Who Killed President Bradford,’ mentions of the Bruins’ upcoming schedule—even though the NHL is on break until February 22nd—and a feature called They Said It, which focused on Travis Kelce’s comments regarding his NFL future. Even so, WEEI bookended the half-hour with another reference to Bregman, as co-host Courtney Cox’s trending report once again placed the signing at the forefront.
Meanwhile, over on The Sports Hub, the difference in coverage was stark. Outside of a brief mention in the top-of-the-hour update, there was no other discussion of the Bregman signing during the Toucher and Hardy show’s 30-minute span. Instead, the conversation centered around rock-jock Eddie Trunk’s obsession with 1980s hair bands, the latest nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a segment critiquing former Patriots GM Michael Lombardi’s analysis on CBSSports.com. The absence of any substantial discussion on Bregman’s signing was notable, especially considering its impact on Boston sports.
Social Media Engagement: WEEI Takes the Lead
In today’s digital landscape, sports radio stations must not only dominate the airwaves but also establish a strong presence across social media platforms. Here, WEEI once again demonstrated a more proactive approach to engaging with its audience.
Shortly after the news broke, WEEI took to its social media channels—including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook—with original station-branded creative content announcing the signing. By early Thursday morning, the station had already posted two clips from The Greg Hill Show reacting to the signing, ensuring that their audience could engage with the content even if they missed the live broadcast. Additionally, WEEI’s website featured an article on the signing as well as a reaction piece by Red Sox beat reporter Rob Bradford by 8 AM. Both articles were shared across Facebook and X, generating engagement, shares, and discussions among fans.
By contrast, The Sports Hub’s social media presence was noticeably subdued. As of 8 AM Thursday, the station had yet to post anything about Bregman’s signing on Instagram, neither in a standard post nor as a reel or story. On X and Facebook, the station did post the news, but with minimal engagement-driving elements. While a reaction column by Tony Massarotti was available on The Sports Hub’s website, it was not actively promoted on the station’s social media channels, further limiting its reach.
In the constant battle for audience attention, being first to react and providing engaging content when major sports news breaks is a crucial element of sports radio dominance. In this instance, WEEI emerged as the clear winner, delivering a more robust, engaging, and timely response across both its on-air programming and digital platforms.
While The Sports Hub boasts strong overall listenership and an established brand, its lack of immediate engagement with the Alex Bregman signing highlights an opportunity for improvement when it comes to capitalizing on breaking news. Meanwhile, WEEI ensured that its audience not only received the news but also had multiple ways to engage with it as the sun rose on Thursday morning.
As the sports media landscape continues to evolve, it’s these moments that define which brands stay ahead of the curve. In this particular head-to-head showdown, WEEI proved to be Boston’s sports original, capturing the city’s biggest sports story in real time while The Sports Hub chose to lean into pop culture and alternative content the morning after a major news story happened with the local team.
This serves as a case study in how critical it is for sports radio stations to remain agile, reactive, and fully engaged—both on the air and online—when major news drops in their market. Because when it comes to sports radio, the competition isn’t just about having the best hosts or the highest ratings; it’s about being there when your audience needs you most.
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