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Sports Media Celebrates Halloween With Elaborate Costumes, Candy Ranking Lists

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Halloween is a time for sports media members to kick back, have a little fun, and dress up in a costume during the workday. And the industry did just that on Thursday.

Between elaborate costumes, theme costumes for entire shows, random ensembles, and downright scary-how-similar costumes, many in the industry took the opportunity to celebrate the holiday before the doldrums of winter hit by showcasing their outfits on social media.

Even those who didn’t dress up got in on the Halloween fun, giving their rankings for the best candy to eat during the holiday.

GRAMMY Awards Show Makes Surprising Shift To ABC Disney

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In a significant shift within the television awards circuit, the GRAMMY Awards will air on Disney platforms starting in 2027. Under a 10-year agreement that extends through 2036, ABC, Hulu, and Disney+ will simulcast the prestigious music industry awards. This transition positions Disney as the host for two of the most-watched awards shows each year, as the GRAMMYs join the Oscars in their programming lineup.

Additionally, The Recording Academy will create a series of GRAMMY-branded music specials along with new programming that will be available to audiences worldwide on Disney’s platforms.

The GRAMMY Awards add to Disney’s extensive lineup of live event programming, which already includes The Oscars, The CMA Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, as well as offerings from ESPN.

ABC will air the GRAMMY Awards, The Oscars, and Super Bowl LXI starting in 2027, the first year of the agreement.

“As The Walt Disney Company combines forces with The Recording Academy to open this exciting new chapter in the history of the GRAMMYs, we do so with pride and gratitude,” said Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden in a statement. “Live events have never been more important to our culture and industry, and we just acquired one of the crown jewels, adding to our portfolio of world-class programming across all genres.”

“We are completely thrilled to be bringing the GRAMMYs and other new music programming to the Disney ecosystem,” says Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. “We are grateful to our long-standing partners at CBS and now honored to be joining with Disney, an iconic company where creators have always been at the forefront. This partnership represents another important milestone in the Academy’s transformation and growth and strengthens our ability to fulfill our mission of uplifting and serving music people around the world.”

KMOX Adds Daily Digital Sports Show with Bernie Miklasz, Tom Ackerman, Kevin Wheeler and Matt Pauley

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KMOX in St. Louis has announced a new daily digital sports show, The Gashouse Gang. The show will feature station contributor and longtime St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Bernie Miklasz along with Kevin Wheeler, Matt Pauley, and Tom Ackerman from the KMOX Sports team.

According to a station social post, the show will air live each weekday at noon on KMOX Sports’ YouTube, Facebook, and X accounts. The show will also replay at 8pm on KMOX during the baseball offseason. KMOX is the longtime flagship station for St. Louis Cardinals baseball.

Miklasz had been working at KFNS in St. Louis before the station shut down local programming earlier this year. Miklasz had worked at KMOX previously along with 101 ESPN. He recently started his own YouTube channel and posts daily content.

Ackerman co-hosts the KMOX morning block, Total Information AM, and also serves as the station’s Sports Director. Ackerman has also called St. Louis Cardinals games on television for what is now known as FanDuel Sports Network Midwest.

Wheeler has done sports coverage on a local and national level for many years and is part of The Dave Glover Show which airs in afternoon drive on KMOX. Matt Pauly hosts St. Louis Cardinals pre- and post-game shows and hosts Sports Open Line in the evenings when the station is not airing play-by-play.

The station said the show will cover everything from the St. Louis Cardinals and MLB to college football, college basketball, and the NFL.

Front Range Country 103 Denver Automates With Super Hi-Fi AI

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Front Range Country 103 Denver has made headlines as Audacy’s first non-HD or streaming station to implement Super Hi-Fi’s AI-powered services fully.

Beginning today, Audacy has integrated workflows related to the station operation into the Super Hi-Fi platform.

Audacy says this is the first commercial FM station to be “exclusively scheduled and automated with artificial intelligence in the cloud.” The company states that this innovative shift is expected to “dramatically” lower operational costs and simplify the complexities associated with managing the station.

The station will utilize Super Hi-Fi’s AI-powered platform and toolset, including its Program Director Radio Operating System.

The range of advanced tools includes AI-driven production and scheduling, voice track mastering, and audio preparation. The cloud-based Program Director platform also facilitates music curation, content management, advertisement placement, scheduling, voice tracking, and station playout tasks. These resources are accessible from any laptop worldwide.

The voices heard on the station are human and not AI-based.

Audacy Chief Programming Officer Jeff Sottolano said, “As we continue to leverage new technology to enhance our portfolio and content, we’re excited to take this next step in our partnership with Super Hi-Fi and implement their capabilities for Front Range Country 103.1. Together, we’ll optimize human-led programming and production efforts to better serve station listeners and partners.”

Super Hi-FI CEO Zack Zalon commented, “This is an incredibly exciting moment. With this partnership, we are using cutting-edge innovation to help drive the entire industry forward. All with a goal of continuing radio’s legacy as the premier listening experience, just with much less complexity and much more efficiency.”

ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro on Potential of Being Named Disney CEO: ‘My Job is to Keep My Head Down and Deliver for ESPN’

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As Disney makes preparations to replace CEO Bob Iger in 2026, many have questioned if ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro could be in line to take that position. He, however, isn’t focused on that.

In a discussion CNBC Sport author Alex Sherman, Pitaro said his focus remains on stewarding ESPN to the heights the company wants to reach, and not on attaining the top spot in the company.

“Look, we have a pretty robust roadmap, and so my job is to keep my head down and deliver for ESPN, deliver for the sports fan, deliver for the Walt Disney Company,” said Pitaro. “And that’s what I’m doing. I love my job. I’m a huge sports fan. I spent years competing against ESPN, and I spent years sitting at Bob Iger’s table, hearing from ESPN leadership and groups to really like and respect this place and its culture.

“So I wake up every morning and I say, I have to earn this job, and I really mean that. I know how fortunate I am to be in this chair leading ESPN, and I couldn’t be more excited about the roadmap that we have in front of us.”

Pitaro added that he’s cognizant that ESPN is facing headwinds that make the company not as profitable as it once was. But he believes in the company’s business model.

“We’re navigating through a storm. We all know people are cutting the cord at a higher clip than they have in the past. If you look at the past few years, 7-8% fewer households watching television,” Pitaro said. “That’s a great business model. It has been a great business model to ESPN and The Walt Disney Company. And when that business model is in decline, you have to adjust, and that’s what we’re doing right now… We just closed our NBA deal. If that deal delivers for us in terms of growing our ratings, growing our reach, we got flagship rights, if it delivers internationally, we got international rights, we should see an uptick (financially).”

ESPN Digital Finishes First in U.S. Sports Category for 31st Consecutive Month

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For the 31st consecutive month, ESPN Digital was No.1 in the U.S Sports category in the month of September. ESPN data shows they reached 122.3 million unique fans in the month. When ESPN Digital is added to YouTube and the ESPN social platforms, ESPN reached 195.8 million unique fans, which is 70% of all adults in the United States.

The ESPN app was No. 1 in the mobile sports app category with 29.3 million unique fans, which the network reports is more than the next six non-ESPN apps combined in the Mobile Sports App category. 

On the social side, ESPN social topped the sports category for the 39th straight month and generated 686 million fan engagements.

Additionally, the ESPN Fantasy App was No. 1 among all fantasy sports apps in September with 10.8 million unique users.

TuneIn Announces Partnership With New York’s Mega 97.9

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TuneIn, has announced a new partnership with Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. This collaboration will make New York City’s premier Hispanic radio station, Mega 97.9, available to TuneIn subscribers.

Listeners across the United States can now enjoy popular shows from Mega 97.9, such as El Vacilón de la Mañana, featuring DJs Alex Sensation and DJ Carlito, all without interruptions.

According to a Nielsen report, 97% of Hispanics in the United States tune into radio on a monthly basis. This statistic highlights the vital role of Spanish-language radio stations, such as Mega 97.9, within the Hispanic community, which numbers over 63 million individuals in the U.S.

“Mega 97.9 has the pulse on Latin culture, bringing our vibrant community together through music, entertainment, and conversation,” said Raúl Alarcón, chairman and CEO of Spanish Broadcasting System. “TuneIn’s extensive distribution network allows us to reach even more listeners with non-stop music and entertainment.”

Rich Stern, CEO of TuneIn said, “Mega 97.9 is one of the most popular radio stations in the largest radio market. It has consistently ranked among the most listened-to stations across the country with a huge loyal audience. We’re excited to partner with Spanish Broadcasting System to expand our premium offerings and bring listeners uninterrupted access to high-quality audio experiences.”

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) operates radio stations in major Hispanic markets across the United States, including Los Angeles, New York, Puerto Rico, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, Orlando, and Tampa. The stations feature a diverse array of musical formats, such as Tropical, Regional Mexican, Spanish Adult Contemporary, Top 40, and Urbano.

Dr. Phil to Host Election Night Special for Merit TV

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Dr. Phil McGraw is set to host an election night special for his Merit TV channel on Tuesday, November 5th.

Coverage on the channel will begin at 3 PM ET and will be anchored by Dominique Sachse and Fanchon Stinger.

Then beginning at 7 PM ET, the network will expand its coverage its calling Dr. Phil’s Merit TV: America Decides 2024. Dr. Phil will be joined by The News on Merit Street anchors Kris Gutierrez, Loni Coombs, and Lyndsay Keith. The special will also include live reports from the Kamala Harris and Donald Trump campaign headquarters.

The election special will also feature reports from battleground states Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, Arizona, North Carolina, as well as Washington, D.C.

“Stop all of the name-calling,” Dr. Phil said in a promotion for the special event. “Whoever is declared the President will be my President.”

Launched earlier this year, Merit Street Media is now featured in more than 100 million homes between over-the-air, cable/satellite, and streaming options for viewers.

Cumulus Drops Hip Hop Hot 106 Providence Format And Stunts With Halloween Music

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Cumulus Media dropped the Hip Hop “Hot 106” format on 106.3 in Providence, RI, transitioning to a stunting phase that began at midnight Thursday (10/31).

The move was foreshadowed by the dismissal of hosts morning hosts Mike D. DaSilva and Alexus Lee on Wednesday. (BMM 10/30)

The station is stunting with Halloween music which has included Santana “Evil Ways”, Lady Gaga “Bad Romance”, Warren Zevon “Werewolves of London”, Metro Boomin ft. The Weekend & 21 Savage “Creepin” and Thomas Dolby “She Blinded Me With Science”

Imaging includes a sweeper stating, “Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid”

The remaining staff members are expected to exit with the pending format change.

Mike Mayock: At Some Point, Tom Brady Has to Decide if He is a Broadcaster or an NFL Executive

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Former NFL player and executive Mike Mayock was a guest on the Zach Gelb Show on the Infinity Sports Network. Amongst the topics the two talked about was what FOX Sports analyst Tom Brady’s role will be with the Las Vegas Raiders as a minority owner. Mayock was the General Manager for the Raiders from 2019 to 2021.

Gelb asked Mayock about what the Raiders might look for in the next draft and if it is a quarterback they are looking for, how much input will Brady have on a decision like that. “I think Brady’s going to try everything in his power to move up to go get Shedeur [Sanders]. What do you think about that?”

Mayock replied, “I think that if he does have that kind of influence, then he probably needs to give the other job [with FOX] up. You know, there’s already some fine lines there.”

Gelb then followed up with, “Do you think, knowing Mark Davis the way that you do, that he’s going to really rely on Brady to make some of these decisions?

“I don’t know,” Mayock said. “And again, he’s a minority owner, and typically minority owners don’t have a voice in the building. This is a different guy now. So, I think some of the mandates the NFL put on him as far as his broadcasting career were more predicated on him being a silent minority partner. So, the more involved he gets in daily operations, I think the less the networks and the other teams are going to want him involved in television.”

Gelb later added, “…You’ve got the greatest quarterback of all time. It’s like, if you’re picking a quarterback, why wouldn’t you use that as a resource?

Mayock replied, “I think using him as a resource is smart. I think having him pick your guys is a different conversation. You’re paying a general manager and a head coach to make those decisions. So, there’s some real danger in just bringing in a guy and just saying, hey, you’re the guy. You’re going to make all of it. It’s one thing to bring them in. But at a certain point, all I’m saying is I think he’s got to make a decision as to what he’s going to be. Is he going to be a broadcaster or is he going to be an NFL executive? Because the more he has to say, the more they’re going to demand he make a decision.”