Home Blog Page 1571

Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms Reunite on WFAN

0

Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason were back together again this morning as Simms was a guest on Boomer & Gio on WFAN. Simms called in to talk with Esiason and his morning partner Greg Giannotti about the New York Giants ‘A Night with Legends’ event tomorrow night to celebrate 100 seasons of New York Giants football.

The interview was mostly a couple of buddies making fun of one another and having some good laughs. It got off to a rather hilarious start when Giannotti read off what would be happening at the Giants event. He transitioned from that read to the introduction of Simms by saying, “…there will also be artifacts from the Pro Football Fall of Fame and one of those artifacts is on the line with us right now, Phil Simms.”

Prior to Simms coming on, Esiason was told who the next guest was and quipped, “Can my day get any worse?”

Simms then started the interview by saying, “Boomer, you want to make your day worse, just look in the mirror that will get you going.”

Simms and Esiason of course worked together for many years on the set of The NFL Today on CBS. Simms spent 26 years with the network and Esiason was a part of it for 22 years, starting in 2001. However, both will not be retained by CBS as they decided to bring in fresh blood and hired Matt Ryan to be the voice of the quarterback on the show.

Hearing the two back together even for a short time on the radio, brought back memories of the back and forth they would share on Sunday mornings.

“I watch your show sometimes with you in the morning, it’s terrible,” Simms said about catching Boomer & Gio on CBS Sports Network. “I don’t know what else to say. You sit there with like a blank stare.”

“I sat with you all those years and all I had to listen to was Giants story here, Giants story there, this guy here, Parcells, Belichick, Lawrence Taylor, it goes on and on and on,” Esiason replied.

“You’re so full of it,” Simms countered. “You’re still the same. Nobody talks about themselves more than you, so I don’t want to hear it.”

As part of the 100 years of New York Giants football, the team will be releasing a list of “Top 100 Players” beginning in July and going throughout the summer. The conversation moved to where Simms might fall on that list and Esiason told Simms, “I think you are one of the most underrated players who has ever played.”

“That must have been like vinegar in your mouth,” Simms replied.

Simms told a good Bill Parcells story about a game where he threw three interceptions and after the third, he was expecting to get chewed out when he came to the sidelines. Parcells instead calmly asked Simms if he was watching the same game that Parcells and the offensive coordinator were watching.

Then, as the interview started to wrap up, Simms said, “I only got another minute or so because I gotta go down and start painting the garage and finish it up because that is what my life is now about.”

Jake Marsh Leaving Barstool Sports to Pursue Play-by-Play Opportunities

0

After five years with Barstool Sports, Jake Marsh announced that today was his last episode on Pardon My Take. Marsh said that now is the right time to pursue his dream of being a national network play-by-play broadcaster.

“I’m here to make an announcement,” Marsh said to Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz and PFT Commenter. “It’s an announcement that was inevitable at some point. After talking with you guys, now makes the most sense. The fact of the matter is this is going to be my last episode on Pardon My Take.”

Big Cat and PFT Commenter said this is something they have been talking about for four or five months, not something Marsh just decided on a whim. “We love having you on the show Jake, you’re a big part of the Pardon My Take story,” PFT Commenter said. “We are very glad you are a part of the story. Me and Big Cat have always said, one day you’re going to go try to do live broadcasts and we are going to wish you the best and we are going to be firmly in your corner. And that is very, very true to this day. I wish you the best career possible. I hope one day you are calling a Super Bowl that we are watching and losing bets on…and then blaming you for losing the bets.”

Marsh explained the reasoning behind his departure. “One of the biggest dominos for this happening right now is the direction Barstool is going in, live broadcasting rights are no longer a priority for this company,” he said. “…And obviously that was my bread and butter here. That’s where I thrive the most. I am so fortunate I got to call multiple bowl games on national television, college basketball, hockey, professional golf.”

Marsh, hired as an intern five years ago, added, “I never thought any of that was remotely possible.”

Marsh said when he started, somebody at Barstool asked him where he sees himself in five to ten years. “Without hesitation I said, ‘I want to be a national network play-by-play broadcaster.’ That brings us to now and that is what I am going all in on.”

Marsh said he is proud of what he has accomplished in his five years with the company. “I have accomplished a lot, thanks to you guys.”

Marsh posted a message to the Barstool community on the website and said, “I’m looking for someone to give me a chance in this business in the booth, just like Pardon My Take gave me a shot five years ago. And I know the first step to making that happen is showing my full availability and flexibility to call games.” 

ABC News Joins PBS as Simulcast Partner for CNN Presidential Debate

0

CNN will host the first presidential debate on Thursday, June 27th. ABC News was scheduled to broadcast the second debate. Now, it will have access to both.

The network will simulcast the 90-minute debate next week, joining PBS as a partner to make the event more accessible.

In addition to airing the entire debate live, ABC News will feature a one-hour pre-debate special at 8 PM ET led by ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir. The network will also provide a post-debate analysis show hosted by Muir and Linsey Davis — the two moderators for its September debate. The network will also have analysis from democrat strategist Donna Brazile and republican strategist Reince Priebus in its post-debate coverage.

Mary Bruce, Martha Raddatz, Jonathan Karl, Pierre Thomas, Matt Gutman, Rebecca Jarvis, Rachel Scott, Terry Moran, James Longman, Mireya Villarreal, and Rick Klein will all also contribute to coverage of the debate featuring former President Donald Trump (R) and President Joe Biden (D).

The announcement that ABC News would serve as a simulcast partner for the debate comes on the heels of a similar announcement by PBS. PBS NewsHour anchors Geoff Bennett and Amna Nawaz will be on-location in the CNN studios to host coverage. 

Stephen A. Smith: Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson ‘Were Truly an A-Team’

0

Jeff Van Gundy, former NBA head coach and television analyst for ESPN, has agreed to a deal to become the lead assistant coach for the LA Clippers, according to a report by ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Van Gundy worked as a consultant for the Boston Celtics this past season, which recently culminated in the 18th title in the history of the organization.

Prior to that time, he worked alongside play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and analyst Mark Jackson as part of the lead broadcasting team for the NBA on ESPN, forming a trio that called 15 NBA Finals together. Stephen A. Smith, the featured commentator and executive producer of First Take and analyst on NBA Countdown, recently discussed the reports of Van Gundy joining the Clippers’ coaching staff on his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show.

Smith conveyed that he thought Van Gundy may receive an interview for the head coaching role with the Los Angeles Lakers, but that changed upon the report of him joining the Clippers. Van Gundy was laid off by ESPN as a part of cost-cutting measures at the network, and Jackson was let go by the network one month later. In a statement last year, ESPN expressed that these decisions were difficult and “based more on overall efficiency than merit,” but would help the company meet its “financial targets and ensure future growth.”

Smith spoke on his relationship with his former colleagues and prefaced his remarks by saying he was not throwing any shade on Mike Breen, Doris Burke and JJ Redick, the new lead broadcasting team for the network that recently called the 2024 NBA Finals.

“This is not about anything like that,” Smith said. “This is about the fact that Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson were truly an A-team. They were exceptional at their jobs, they were riveting in a lot of ways. They were an illustrious tag team that the basketball world enjoyed for more than a decade.”

During his remarks, Smith expressed that Van Gundy and his brother Stan were good people and also sent his heartfelt condolences to the family upon learning that Stan Van Gundy’s wife passed away as a result of suicide. Stan Van Gundy recently spoke about the loss on an episode of South Beach Sessions with Meadowlark Media co-founder and host Dan Le Batard. Smith then continued to speak on Jeff Van Gundy by expressing that he deserves to do what he wants in the game of basketball.

“I respect the hell out of Jeff and I’m very fond of him, but there’s one thing that we all have to understand, and nobody speaks about this because everybody talks about stuff as unfair and, ‘He got let go,’” Smith explained. “In the world of business, when cuts take place, cuts take place. There’s hundreds of people who lost their jobs, and it wasn’t just at ESPN or at Disney. Have you seen what happened at Meta? Have you seen what has happened in places like Apple and Amazon and other places?”

Although Smith expressed that he is not saying job cuts are right and instead called them “downright cruel,” he questioned when the world of business has been known to be anything otherwise. Smith was sad to see Van Gundy and Jackson leave the network, but he shared that he is not concerned about them recovering because of their reputations and the opportunities that will come in their direction. Moreover, he expressed that it would not be as easy for other people, articulating that it would be more daunting for them to find their footing if they were to lose their roles.

“I work with special people with my day job at ESPN, but nothing’s guaranteed,” Smith said. “Nobody is safe. That includes me, and I’m speaking from experience. Remember, I got fired in 2009. Take nothing for granted in the world of business ladies and gentlemen. No one’s ever safe in this day and age. Numbers make calls, not just people. Numbers dictate a lot.”

Salem Radio Network Plots Debate Coverage Featuring Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher, Sebastian Gorka

0

On Thursday, June 27th, CNN will air a 90-minute debate between former President Donald Trump (R) and President Joe Biden (D). Salem Radio Network will have extensive coverage surrounding the event, including appearances by Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher, and Sebastian Gorka.

A two-hour pre-debate special will feature Salem hosts previewing the debate live from Atlanta from 7-9 PM ET. Hewitt, Gallagher, and Gorka will be joined by the company’s White House correspondent Greg Clugston, who will be on-site at the CNN studios.

The debate takes place from 9-10:30 PM ET. CNN has not allowed the radio network to broadcast the debate, so Salem will return to regularly scheduled programming. After the debate ends at 10:30, it will be followed by a 30-minute wrap-up show hosted by Gallagher.

In addition to airing on the Salem Radio Network, all coverage will also be simulcast on the Salem News Channel.

Scott Kaplan Signs Multi-Year Extension with ESPN Los Angeles

0

It has been a week of announcements so far for ESPN LA. Earlier this week the station announced it would be the flagship station for USC Trojans football and men’s and women’s basketball games. Yesterday, the station announced a new contract extension for afternoon drive co-host Scott Kaplan.

If you listen to or know about the programming at ESPN LA, you can imagine they have had some fun with these announcements. Kaplan’s contract situation coinciding with the Lakers searching for a new head coach allowed for some crossover conversation and a tongue-in-cheek announcement quote that read, “I have decided NOT to take the Lakers head coaching job, and keep my talents at ESPN LA.”

Chris Morales did the honors on the air after teasing the big announcement.

“It is an honor and a privilege to say that Scott Kaplan has finally done what is right,” he said. “And we open up the major announcement case and we say…Congratulations Scott Kaplan on a multi-year deal that will keep you on the LA Afternoon Drive Takeover…and at 710 ESPN for years to come.”

A standing ovation and hugs followed.

BSM spoke with Kaplan, and he said, “More than anything, I am just happy to be part of this team. ESPN LA and Good Karma Brands do things right, it’s a great partnership. I love what we have and will continue to do build.”

Kaplan, who had a 19-year run at the Mighty 1090 in San Diego that ended in April 2019, has been with ESPN LA since August 2020. Kaplan also previously worked at WQAM in Miami and WNEW in New York and also has done work with CBS Sports and Westwood One.

Baseball Legend Willie Mays Dies at 93, 680 The Fan to Air Interview Wednesday

0

Willie Mays, regarded by many sports fans as the one of the greatest baseball players to ever take the field, passed away peacefully at the age of 93 on Tuesday. The San Francisco Giants organization announced the news on behalf of the Mays family and released a statement in addition to Mays’ son, Michael. Mays began his professional career in the Negro Leagues with the Birmingham Black Barons, playing games at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala. Major League Baseball is preparing to play a game at the ballpark for the first time this Thursday featuring the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals.

“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” Michael Mays said in a statement. “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been his life’s blood.”

“Today we have lost a true legend”, Greg Johnson, chairman of the San Francisco Giants, said in a statement. “In the pantheon of baseball greats, Willie Mays’ combination of tremendous talent, keen intellect, showmanship, and boundless joy set him apart. A 24-time All-Star, the Say Hey Kid is the ultimate Forever Giant. He had a profound influence not only on the game of baseball, but on the fabric of America. He was an inspiration and a hero who will be forever remembered and deeply missed.”

Chris Dimino, radio host at 680 The Fan in Atlanta, Ga., had the opportunity to interview Mays about his career and baseball a few years ago. The station will air several portions of the interview throughout Wednesday morning, and following the Braves game this afternoon, the conversation in its entirety. The interview aired two weeks ago as part of the Saturday morning baseball show, Hardball, in which Dimino speaks with legends of the game and chronicles their careers.

Mays, who was known as the “Say Hey Kid” throughout his career in baseball, won the 1951 National League Rookie of the Year award as a member of the New York Giants. During his 23 seasons playing professional baseball, he showcased his skills as a five-tool player with his abilities to hit, field and run. His 24 All-Star selections are tied for the most all-time, and he helped lead the Giants to the 1954 World Series championship by hitting .345 with 41 home runs and 110 runs batted in. After 21 years with the Giants organization, Mays played the final two seasons of his career with the New York Mets and ultimately had his No. 24 retired by both franchises.

“All of Major League Baseball is in mourning today as we are gathered at the very ballpark where a career and a legacy like no other began,” Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Willie Mays took his all-around brilliance from the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League to the historic Giants franchise. From coast to coast in New York and San Francisco, Willie inspired generations of players and fans as the game grew and truly earned its place as our National Pastime.”

Libsyn Completes Integration With YouTube API Features for Podcast Publishers

0

Libsyn has announced it has successfully integrated with YouTube and its new Podcast API features, making publishing to YouTube Music an easier process for its customers.

“Our mission at Libsyn is to be the premier destination for anyone at any stage of their podcasting journey to distribute their podcast, grow their audience, and monetize their content,” said CEO John Gibbons. “We’ve evolved from a singular hosting provider to a suite of services for creators and advertisers through our investments in platform innovations and expanded partnerships.

“By integrating YouTube directly into our platform, we’re empowering creators to expand their reach and engage with a broader audience while simplifying their workflow.”

Podcast publishers with Libsyn can now directly upload their episodes to YouTube Music. The new integration can also convert audio files to MP4 video files.

Streamlining the process to upload to YouTube Music as two studies in 2023 showed YouTube is the most used podcast platform in the United States.

WGAU Morning Host Tim Bryant Departs

0

Longtime WGAU morning shot host Tim Bryant has exited the Athens, Georgia news/talk outlet.

Bryant hosted Classic City Today from 6-10 AM as the only local weekday programming on the Cox Media Group station. He also served as the station’s news director and was a reporter for sister station 95.5 WSB in Atlanta.

In a post to social media, Bryant alluded to his departure, stating “I covet your prayers as my circumstances change.”

WGAU featured a re-air of yesterday’s edition of The Erick Erickson Show in morning drive Wednesday.

A report from RadioInsight alleges Bryant is the first public name in a round of layoffs affecting Cox Media Group. As of publication, no other names have been revealed as departing the Atlanta-based radio group.

Barrett Media Hires Jeff Lynn to Spearhead Music Radio Coverage

0

Barrett Media is expanding its content focus starting on Monday July 15, 2024. I announced these plans on May 6, 2024. Since then, I’ve had many conversations to identify the right person to bring our vision to life. Music radio will be our first addition. Coverage of tech and podcasting will come next.

Making sure we’ve got our finger on the pulse of the music radio business is the first step. With over 11,000 stations nationwide playing music, and entertaining listeners, there’s no shortage of stories to tell. I maintain that coverage of the music radio industry isn’t sufficient. We’re not going to solve every problem and nail every story but we’re going to work our tails off to try and make things better.

So, how can you help us? Email Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we’re aware of your success, career related news, and how to reach you for future feature stories. Sharing our content on social media and telling folks about the website once it’s live is another easy way to offer support.

To avoid any confusion, we will not be writing daily news on artists and record label activity. It’s why I’ve continued to mention ‘music radio’ each time I promote this expansion. We’re looking to focus our coverage on broadcasters, brands, companies, ratings, content, etc.. Artists and music labels may become part of our coverage down the road, but that’s not our immediate focus.

Which leads me to today’s announcement regarding our Editor. I spoke with a lot of smart, talented people for this role. Adding someone with management experience, who has a passion to write, a can-do attitude, a love for the industry, and relationships across formats is very important. I’ve found that person, and hope you’ll join me in welcoming Jeff Lynn as Barrett Media’s first ever Music Radio Editor.

Jeff’s experience in the music radio business spans nearly 25 years. He’s been a program director for iHeart, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Rubber City Radio Group. Those opportunities led him to Milwaukee/Madison, WI, Cleveland/Akron, OH, Des Moines/Quad Cities, IA and Omaha, NE. All Access then hired him in 2022 to leave the programing world and serve as a Country Format Editor, and manager of the outlet’s Nashville Record promotions. He remained in that role until August 2023 when the outlet shut down.

“I am honored to join the team at Barrett Media to guide the brand’s Music Radio coverage”, said Jeff Lynn. “Radio has been a lifelong passion and pursuit of mine. To be able to tell stories of the great work being done by radio pros and broadcast groups is very exciting. They are stories that need to be told. I can’t wait to get started.”

Jeff Lynn with Jelly Roll

I added Ron Harrell, Robby Bridges, and Kevin Robinson as columnists two weeks ago. Bob Lawrence and Keith Berman then joined us this past Monday. We’re quickly assembling a talented stable of writers, and with Jeff on board as our Editor, we’re almost ready for prime time. The only thing left to do is hire a few features reporters. I’m planning to finalize those decisions next week.

Building this brand and making it a daily destination for music radio professionals will take time. It starts with adding talented people, covering the news, and creating interesting content consistently. If we do things right, I’m confident the industry’s support will follow. Time will tell if my instincts are right or wrong.

Jeff begins his new role with Barrett Media on July 1st. Adding him to our editorial team to spearhead our music radio coverage is important for both building brand identity and trust across the industry. I’m eager to work with him, and hope you’ll take a moment to say hello and offer your congratulations. He can be reached by email at Jeff.Lynn@gmail.com.