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Quinn Alexander Joins 97OKK Meridian, KS For Mornings

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Quinn Alexander Joins 97OKK Meridian, KS For Mornings

“Quinn Alexander” Holmquist is set to join Mississippi Broadcasters’ Country WOKK Meridian, MS, taking over the morning slot.

Operations Manager Todd Berry has independently hosted the timeslot for the past two years.

Alexander made the announcement on his Facebook profile.

Alexander hosted the morning show for Saga Communications’ Classic Country station WSIG in Harrisonburg, VA, from May 2023 until his departure in October. (BMM 10/15)

Other stops include WCJC “Your Country 99.3” and WZWZ “Z92.5” in Indiana, as well as with Townsquare Media in Texas and Maine.

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Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ Draws Record Viewership With Lions-Packers

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Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ Draws Record Viewership With Lions-Packers

Amazon Prime Video said its Thursday Night Football game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers drew 17.29 million viewers, a record for TNF on Prime Video, according to data from Nielsen.

Viewership for the game, which went down to the wire before the Lions kicked a last-second field goal to win the game, topped Prime’s previous record by more than a million viewers. In addition, it is the most streamed regular-season NFL game ever, topping a Cowboys-Giants game in September.

The game peaked with 18.87 million viewers between 9:15 and 930 p.m. ET.

Before the game, TNF Tonight averaged 2.12 million viewers, also setting an all-time high.

Through 12 games this season, TNF is averaging 13.61 million viewers, pacing +9% ahead of the 2023 season-to-date average, +15% above last year’s full-season average, and +42% over 2022’s inaugural TNF on Prime season average.

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Dave Coombs Moving To Mornings At WKLH Milwaukee

BMM Staff
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Dave Coombs Moving To Mornings At WKLH Milwaukee

With Dave Luczak’s retirement from mornings at Saga Communications’ “Classic Rock 96.5” WKLH Milwaukee set for December 20, the station has confirmed that current midday host Dave Coombs will transition to the morning slot alongside Dorene Michaels and Marcus Allen starting in January.

Coombs has been part of WKLH since December 2020. Throughout much of his time with the station, he worked remotely while hosting the morning show at Saga Rock’s “Lazer 99.3/98.5” WLZX in Springfield, MA, a role he maintained until April of this year.

Coombs said, “When WKLH was assembling a list of candidates to replace Dave Luczak, I was lucky I had the correct first name. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dave Luczak for four of his 40+ years of service, and I wish we could all continue together forever. The new morning show will contain a lot of your favorite elements, along with some new twists. And we’ll be counting on WKLH listeners to add a lot of content as well. Can’t wait to get started with Dorene and Marcus on the next generation of morning radio in Milwaukee.”

WKLH Brand Manager Borna Velic added, “I want to congratulate Dave Luczak on an extraordinary career. He set a gold standard for Milwaukee broadcasting, and I wish him nothing but the best in his well-deserved retirement. I’m thrilled to welcome Dave Coombs to ‘KLH mornings as he brings incredible experience and enthusiasm. I’m confident that he, Dorene, and Marcus will continue to deliver an entertaining morning show our audience expects and deserves.”

Coombs has been a prominent figure in morning radio shows over the past four decades. His career includes notable stints on WCMF’s “Brother Wease Show” in Rochester from 1984 to 1986, followed by WBOS in Boston from 1986 to 1987, and WQBK in Albany, NY from 1988 to 1990.

He spent five years at WAQX in Syracuse from 1990 to 1995 and enjoyed a two-decade tenure at WTKW in Syracuse from 1995 until 2015. Before relocating to Springfield, Coombs was also on the air with AC “Lite 98.7” WLZW in Utica, NY.

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Army-Navy Football Game Staying on CBS Under 10-Year Extension

BSM Staff
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The Army-Navy college football game will remain on CBS Sports under a 10-year rights deal extension announced by the network and the military academies.

Known as “America’s Game,” the annual Army-Navy contest has aired on CBS since 1996. The new deal will be in effect through 2038 and will enable CBS to stream the game on Paramount+.

Financial terms were not disclosed. Insurance company USAA has been the presenting sponsor for the game.  

“CBS Sports is immensely proud of our decades-long association with the Army-Navy football game and our partnerships with the US Military and US Naval Academies,” David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports said in a statement. 

“America’s Game is special and has always been about more than football. We are privileged to document the extraordinary stories of the cadets and midshipmen on and off the field and will continue to celebrate the traditions and history of this great game while highlighting these venerated service academies for years to come,” Berson said.

The agreement gives CBS rights to create shoulder programming on CBS Sports Network, including live coverage of the pregame March On pageantry. CBS Sports Network will also carry archival programming and reruns of the game after it appears on CBS.

In addition, CBS has rights to stream the Army-Navy game worldwide.

“The CBS commitment of supporting the Midshipmen and Cadets is deep rooted and ingrained in our history and fiber of their appreciation for the military,” said Chet Gladchuk, director of athletics at the U.S. Naval Academy. 

. “The CBS production always speaks to more than just a football game, but the many stories of patriotism, our collective pride in duty, honor, freedom, and the strength of our great nation,” Gladchuk said. “Every December, this leading network portrays America’s game as more than just a football contest, but also as an event that exudes a universal respect for the purity of amateurism embedded in the character of our nation’s future leaders. Our immeasurable gratitude for this long-term commitment by CBS to our military community and their enthusiasm for continuing an amazing partnership.”“

“CBS has long been synonymous with the Army-Navy game, and this extension strengthens our partnership with a first-class brand, enhancing America’s game and showcasing the remarkable talent of our cadet-athletes on the national stage,” said Mike Buddie, director of athletics at the U.S. Naval Academy.

]Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Former WGN Radio Vice President/General Manager Dan Fabian Dies

BNM Staff
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Former WGN Radio Vice President/General Manager Dan Fabian Dies

WGN Radio in Chicago is mourning the loss of former Vice President and General Manager Dan Fabian, who died last week.

Dan Fabian served in the role for the venerable news/talk station from 1986 until his retirement in 1996. His career with the station spanned more than three decades, starting with the outlet in 1965.

Credited with helping to shape the modern sound of the station, Fabian was instrumental in bringing big personalities to WGN Radio, including Spike O’Dell. He also shepherded the station through its shift from Wally Phillips to Bob Collins in the morning drive timeslot.

Fabian once told the Chicago Tribune that his philosophy for the station was “back-fence radio.”

“The whole idea was to look out the window and see if the sky is falling,” he shared. “If it is falling, then you’re all over it and you try to figure out what to do about it together. If it’s not falling, then you kick back and say, ‘Well, what is going on? Seen any good movies lately? So how’s the family?’”

Dan Fabian was 81 years old.

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930 WBEN Anchor/Reporter Allan Harris Passes Away

BNM Staff
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930 WBEN Anchor/Reporter Allan Harris Passes Away

Former 930 WBEN and WHAM 1180 host Allan Harris has died after a battle with an unspecified illness.

Harris worked at WHAM 1180 as well as in local television news in Rochester before moving to Buffalo and serving as a traffic reporter and news anchor at 930 WBEN. He served in a similar capacity for other Audacy Buffalo stations, as well. He was fondly remembered in Rochester for his continuing coverage of the 1991 ice storm that slammed the area.

“We greatly appreciate all of the phenomenal work that the doctors, nurses and staff and Buffalo General and Gates Vascular Institute did for him,” Harris’ family wrote in a message on social media announcing his passing. “There are no words to describe the loss we all feel.”

Audacy Buffalo Market Manager Tim Wenger shared similar sentiments, stating “Heavy hearts at WBEN and Audacy as we mourn the loss of Allan Harris. An amazing broadcaster, co-worker, and friend. His voice and presence will be greatly missed.”

Harris was 76 years old.

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Tom Brady: Broadcasting Takes ‘Time and Reps’

BSM Staff
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Tom Brady: Broadcasting Takes ‘Time and Reps’

As FOX Sports continues to gear towards its broadcast of Super Bowl LX from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., viewers are becoming more acclimated with its revamped lead NFL broadcast team. Play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi welcomed new analyst and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady to the booth this season, commencing a 10-year contract reportedly worth $375 million. Ahead of calling a pivotal NFC matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams from SoFi Stadium, Brady joined the network’s NFL pregame shows live from their nearby studios.

While Brady was appearing on FOX NFL Sunday, he reminisced on his time with the New England Patriots and threw a pass to former teammate and studio analyst Rob Gronkowski. As his FOX Sports colleague and former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan played defense, Gronkowski successfully caught the spiral from Brady, leading to laughter from the cast. Earlier in the show, host Curt Menefee asked Brady how he has been doing in his new role.

“It’s been so fun,” Brady said. “The best part is I have the best teammates in the world. Kevin Burkhardt, Erin [Andrews], Tom Rinaldi, my boy [Richie Zyontz], [Rich Russo], so just coming into this has been so much fun. [I have] really enjoyed every part of it.”

Gronkowski replied to Brady’s discourse by saying that he has great teammates, akin to when he was playing professional football. In addition, he stated that no one told them there was homework associated with the job and was curious about the preparation he had been embarking on for a game.

“A lot of listening, a lot of reading, a lot of studying,” Brady explained. “I think for all of us, we just want to deliver for people, so get as much information as you can, and there’s a lot of places to get it from, so just enjoying that part of really staying intact and attuned with something that I love.”

FOX NFL studio analyst and four-time Super Bowl champion Terry Bradshaw replied to Brady by divulging that he does not believe in studying. Moreover, he mentioned how Brady has an avidity for fishing, resulting in him disclosing that he was recently in the Bahamas when the crew did not have a game to call last weekend. Brady was on the call for the Thanksgiving Day game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants that averaged 38.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research and Adobe Analytics, representing the most-watched NFL game of the season.

Since Brady has a minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, he is operating under restrictions that limit his access to team facilities and ability to criticize the officials among other stipulations. These impediments were put in place as Brady’s ownership approval was pending and have remained as such since formally permitted to become a limited partner within the Raiders organization. Later in the interview, Howie Long followed up by asking Brady to discuss the most unexpected thing he has encountered in the booth. Within his answer, he credited Burkhardt for guiding him in the right direction during the broadcast while also discussing the location from which he is viewing the action.

“I think the biggest challenge is I had so many years of playing quarterback where you’re under center and then you’re on the sideline watching your defense and hearing play calls,” Brady said. “I didn’t watch any games from the 50-yard line halfway up the stadium, so just getting your eyes in the right place and things are happening so fast down there, and there’s a lot of things between offense [and] defense.”

Bradshaw subsequently queried if there was any difficulty in viewing all of the different aspects of a given play, such as motions, the line and blitzes. Brady concurred with this assertion and proceeded to emphasize the importance of preparation and repetition. Before he had stepped foot in the broadcast booth, he had called several mock games both in the studio and on site with Burkhardt, building invaluable rapport and an understanding of how to most effectively work with his new colleagues.

“[Y]ou don’t realize that you have TV screens at home that are huge and people can see high-def, and it’s not always like that, even for the monitors we have,” Brady said, “so again, it takes a little time and reps.”

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Former WHAM 1180 Host/Owner Jack Palvino Dies

BNM Staff
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Former WHAM 1180 Host/Owner Jack Palvino Dies

WHAM 1180 in Rochester is mourning the loss of former host and owner Jack Palvino, after he passed away over the weekend.

Palvino hosted a show on the station and also co-owned the cluster in his Lincoln Group alongside Bud Wertheimer and Ed Musicus. The group purchased the station in 1978.

He also owned and worked at WVOR, WHTK, WPXY, and WHRR in Rochester. He also co-owned WBUF in Buffalo, as well as a pair of stations in Ohio.

WHAM 1180 is now owned by iHeartMedia.

A 30-year trustee of the New York State Broadcasters Association, Palvino was elected to the NYSBA Hall of Fame in 2015.

“Of all the stations, this one is the special one,” Palvino said of 1180 WHAM during his Hall of Fame induction speech. “This place has a legacy that is absolutely unique and it’s a wonderful, wonderful memory.”

Jack Palvino was 90 years old.

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ESPN Announces Commentary Assignments for 12-Team College Football Playoff

BSM Staff
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ESPN Announces Commentary Assignments for 12-Team College Football Playoff

As the College Football Playoff embarks on an expanded 12-team bracket for the first time, The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC) and Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT Sports) are slated to broadcast games within its first round. While Disney is currently operating under a 12-year deal with the College Football Playoff for media rights set to expire in two more years, it reached a six-year extension with the invitational tournament reportedly worth $1.3 billion per annum. Earlier in the year, ESPN agreed to sublicense select games within the College Football Playoff to TNT Sports under a five-year deal, beginning with two first-round games per year through 2025. ESPN announced its commentary teams for the opening slate of games, which commence on Friday, Dec. 20 and run through the following day.

The opening game of the College Football Playoff between No. 10 Indiana and No. 7 Notre Dame will take place on Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. EST airing live on ESPN and ABC. Play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough, analyst Greg McElroy and sideline reporter Molly McGrath will be on the call in their second season together as a commentary team. The winner of this game will advance to the Allstate Sugar Bowl against No. 2 Georgia on Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 8:45 p.m. EST, a matchup the trio will also be calling on ESPN.

The lead college football commentary team of play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler, analyst Kirk Herbstreit and sideline reporter Holly Rowe will be calling a game on television during every round of the College Football Playoff. This schedule officially begins on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. EST when No. 9 Tennessee faces No. 8 Ohio State live on ABC and ESPN. The winner of this game goes on to the Rose Bowl for the quarterfinal game against No. 1 Ohio, featuring the same commentary team on Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. EST on ESPN. McGrath will join the broadcast team for the CFP National Championship from Atlanta, Ga. on Monday, Jan. 20 live on ESPN.

TNT Sports will air two first-round games on Saturday, Dec. 21 on the TNT linear television network and Max streaming service. No. 11 SMU faces No. 6 Penn State at 12 p.m. EST with the commentary team of Mark Jones, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich. A few hours later at 4 p.m. EST, Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Taylor McGregor call No. 12 Clemson facing No. 5 Texas. ESPN will televise the first quarterfinal matchup at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. EST with Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick and Kris Budden receiving the assignment.

Commentators for the Capital One Orange Bowl and Goodyear Cotton Bowl within the semifinals are still to be determined; however, the company announced that reporters Laura Rutledge and Katie George will each receive a broadcast assignment at this time. In the preceding round, George will work with Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. EST on ESPN. The company will reveal its MegaCast plans, commentators for ESPN Radio and studio programming surrounding the games at a later date.

ESPN is expanding Inside the College Football Playoff to five episodes and announced that it will premiere on Tuesday, Dec. 17 through the ESPN+ streaming service. The show will feature behind the scenes access, plus contributions and perspectives from ESPN commentators such as Paul Finebaum, Rece Davis, Tim Tebow and Laura Rutledge. This is the sixth season of the ESPN original series, which will conclude on Friday, Jan. 24 with a look at the CFP National Championship Game.

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CNN Anchor Alisyn Camerota Announces Departure

BNM Staff
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CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota has announced she is leaving her post at the cable news network after more than a decade with the company.

On Sunday, Camerota revealed she was making her final appearance on CNN as her contract is set to expire.

“I’ve had such incredible opportunities here these days 10-plus years,” she said on the air as she announced her exit. “I’ve interviewed presidents, and heroes, and extraordinary people – the kind of peak career experiences that I had dreamed of since I was a teenager. I’m always touched when a viewer comes up and tells me that I helped get them through these challenging times.”

Alisyn Camerota joined the network in 2014 after a lengthy tenure at Fox News. She then served as the host of the CNN morning show New Day, before the network reimagined its morning lineup in 2022.

“Alisyn is a rare talent with the ability to interview world leaders and everyday heroes with both strength and empathy,” CNN CEO Mark Thompson said in a statement released on Sunday. “She’s been a wonderful colleague at CNN for more than a decade, and we will be cheering her on in her new pursuits where she will surely find much success.”

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