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Sports Broadcasting Can Be a Family Affair

Andy Masur
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Sports Broadcasting Can Be a Family Affair

It’s Father’s Day this weekend, a time to celebrate and recognize all the dads out there. Growing up it was always my dad taking me and my brother to the park to throw us extra batting practice. He coached our Little League teams and was seemingly always there. It was my dad that took me to my first baseball game. 1972, Wrigley Field, Cubs and Giants. He took me to my first hockey game. 1974, Chicago Stadium, Blackhawks and Bruins. I have special memories of those games and times.

Sports are such a generational activity. Passed on from grandparents to parents and to their kids. Sometimes covering sports is the same. There have been many father/son combinations that have called games, either with the same team or not, either in the same sport or not. It has to be a pretty special thing for all involved, realizing the significance. A few years ago, I featured a few father/sons and in one case grandparent combinations in honor of the day. A lot of those folks are still calling games. Some have moved on to retirement.

The names may have changed in some cases, but the story or stories have not. It can’t be easy to grow up the son of a broadcaster, especially early in life. Parents have to miss birthdays, graduations and a lot of ‘firsts’ that come along with growing up. Strangely enough, what separated them, can bring them together. A better understanding of what dad does for a living. A better understanding of the time away. So, let’s get on to some of these popular combinations. I’m going to highlight some of them, and this time around it’s not limited to only baseball.

Noah and Ian Eagle

Ian Eagle is one of the busiest guys in broadcasting. This past March he called his very first Final Four and NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game. He was excellent in that role, taking over the spot from the legendary Jim Nantz. The elder Eagle also calls NFL on CBS and the NBA on Turner Sports. He is also the television voice of the Brooklyn Nets on the YES Network.

Noah is starting to make a name for himself in the industry. After brief stints at Fox and CBS, he joined NBC last February to become the play-by-play announcer for the newly acquired Big Ten Saturday Night package, as well as the Big Ten Basketball package on Peacock. The younger Eagle was also tabbed to call US Men’s and Women’s basketball games during the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Noah also just debuted as the lead voice for NBC Sports/Peacock at the 2024 French Open tennis championships.

The natural question would be, how tough it is to live up to expectations, considering that his father has reached the pinnacle of the profession.  Noah seems to have a pretty good attitude about things and is trying to be his own person even with the pressure.

“I think it’s there, I think it’s true of any profession if you follow a parent — if you’re in the limelight, if you’re not in the limelight — there are people that are going to be around you within that profession more than anything else that are going to look at you and say, ‘Well you better be successful,” or, “You better do it this way, you better do it that way.’” Eagle told The New York Post in December 2023. “My philosophy has always been I’m going to put in 100 percent effort, maybe even in my thought process, 150 percent, whatever that looks like, maximum effort into my preparation, maximum effort into my relationships that I build, and then just focus on what I can do — which is go out there and perform at a high level.” he added.

“I know it sounds cliché, but to me if you can control what you can control, and that is doing the job at your highest level, whatever that is, then you’ll live up to your own expectations.”

The Eagle’s both succeed in bringing a little personality and humor into their respective broadcasts.

Both have called Brooklyn Nets games.

Marv and Kenny Albert

One of the more versatile duos on the list, Marv and Kenny Albert have called a multitude of sports, sometimes in the span of a single week. They’ve both done radio and television and have styles that are unique to each.

Marv got started at the age of 19. Working his way up, starting as a young ball boy for the Knicks. He managed to strike up a friendship with the legendary New York sportscaster Marty Glickman, who took a liking to Albert and his passion for sports. Albert would get a chance to fill in for Glickman on several Knicks and Rangers games on WCBS Radio before he was 20.

“That was kind of ridiculous, especially when I go back and listen to the tapes.” Albert told the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Marv is best known for his work at NBC, on their NFL and of course NBA coverage.

Kenny is also a multi-sport play-by-play man. The younger Albert does baseball, football, basketball, hockey and the Olympics. He’s seemingly on the air all the time. Albert works for FOX, TNT and used to call hockey on NBC. He also works on the New York Rangers radio network.

Now as far as growing up with one of the most popular sportscasters of his time?  “I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher,” Kenny said of his father. “I tagged along as often as he would allow and I picked up a lot by osmosis.” he writes in his book, A Mic For All Seasons.

“I also received a tape recorder from my parents for my birthday when I was about five or six years old. I would set up my room like a radio or TV studio. I would start calling games into the recorder.”

Harry, Skip, Chip and Chris Caray

The family with the longest lineage, now spanning 4 generations, the Caray’s. Harry started it all. His radio work in St. Louis (with Jack Buck) led him to television stints with the White Sox and Cubs in Chicago. Harry’s son Skip was next to be on the air. Skip joined the Atlanta Braves broadcasts in 1976 and stayed there until his death in 2008. Skip, like Harry, became popular outside his ‘home market’ because the games were broadcast on Superstation WTBS.

Now a second father/son duo has emerged from the Caray family tree. Chip Caray and his son Chris Caray are both major league broadcasters. Chip has been around for a little while, starting with the Cubs in 1998. He was supposed to work with his grandfather, but unfortunately Harry passed away during spring training of that year. Chip has done work for the Atlanta Braves and now is with the St. Louis Cardinals.

This year, Chris was hired by the A’s to do some of their television games. He just so happened to be working a game, when the Cardinals (and Chip) came to Oakland in mid-April. Chip and Chris met on the field before the game and spoke to the Associated Press that night.

“I’m the old guy now and I remember when I was 24 and I got my first chance to do this and my dad was in the other booth on the radio side in Atlanta,” said Chip. “And it’s very different having the torch being passed instead of being passed to you. I’m really excited and humbled and honored that Chris is here. He’s doing a great job already and I’m really excited about where he’s going to take this family business as we call it.”

Only a couple of weeks into his new job, Chris was calling a game with his dad sitting a couple of booths away. “I’m grateful and fortunate enough that they picked this series to be my fourth game. I can’t really even put it into words to tell you the truth.” he told the AP.

The Caray’s “family business” could grow by one soon. Chris’ twin brother Stefan is also calling games. In fact, Chris and Stefan both called games for the Amarillo Sod Poodles the past two years calling the games of the Diamondbacks’ Double-A affiliate.

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, enjoy yourself, you deserve it.

The Lost Radio Art of Building a Community Around Your On-Air Product

Perry Michael Simon
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The Lost Radio Art of Building a Community Around Your On-Air Product

How well do you know your radio audience? Wait, that goes the other way, too: How well does your audience know you? And are they your audience, or something more than that?

It’s something to consider in an era when media has become overcrowded and audiences are scattered among many platforms. Is your constituency passive – they listen, watch, or read, but don’t feel any particular loyalty or fealty to you – or is it a real community with a strong two-way connection to you and your brand?

I’ll defer to Seth Resler, who has been promoting the importance of community for radio, as to specifics on why community is important (and the missing element in radio marketing). It does occur to me that radio used to be able to do this, and do it better than any other medium. Great personalities and stations were able to create bonds with their listeners that today’s media just doesn’t do as well anymore.

From Jean Shepherd’s “Night People” to Howard Stern’s legion of fans, teens picking sides in the Top 40 battles of yore (were you a KHJ Boss Radio listener or a KRLA die-hard? WABC All-Americans or WMCA Good Guys? WLS or Super CFL?)… even in those pre-social media days, there was a connection that was more than just passive or background listening. It’s why there’s (perhaps too much) nostalgia for those days, especially among the Facebook commentators who want radio to be just like that today. Those days are over.

But community building isn’t, and all you need to know is “Swiftie” or “Bey Hive” to understand what a rabid fan base can do for you. Media in general doesn’t get fans like that anymore, but it should be taking cues from how fans behave online. DJs and hosts should be celebrities, not anonymous one-name interchangeable plug-and-play voice trackers.

Events you create should be big deals clearly identified with your brand (look at D.C., where the “HFStival” is returning even though WHFS as a radio station is long gone from the market). Got a newspaper? Create and promote social media accounts and aggressively promote them as the best local forum on every topic, like local restaurants, local politics, local everything. Ideally, you should make your identity synonymous with your audience and your locality. Your name should mean something more than just “a radio station” or “a newspaper” or “a website.” Think big, then think bigger.

Here’s an example of something someone should be doing: Right now, we’ve entered Hurricane Season in these parts, and as I write this, it’s pouring. The local TV stations in West Palm and Miami all compete to be identified as “the weather station,” promoting their meteorologists being “most accurate” and “number one for weather.”

Great, but it just ends there with the marketing. They could have Facebook groups, and Instagram posts, and Zoom open meetings where people can ask questions and get answers, and report conditions in real-time. Some do have hurricane preparation events, but they could be more than just a card table and canopy with brochures and a station employee there to meet and greet. They all have apps, and that helps, but there’s no interactivity.

As a local resident, do I know who to trust most on the weather? Do I feel loyalty to any of the stations? Not really. There’s no community. So I just turn on the TV and whichever channel I happen to land upon first is what I’ll watch for weather updates. They’re basically the same. Radio?

I couldn’t tell you which station is the go-to for anything. A lot of them just simulcast TV news coverage in emergencies anyway. I haven’t met anyone here who’s a real fan of any local radio station, though that may be a function of the number of new arrivals here, mostly from Long Island; they’re all more likely to say they listen(ed) to 1010 WINS for news anyway.

TL;DR: Your media outlet needs to develop a closer bond with your audience and make them (and you) part of a shared community. Turn fans into family. Ask Seth Resler for more. We have too many ex-New Yorkers here. Ranger Suarez for NL Cy Young. Okay, that wasn’t in here, but still.

Steve Cochran Isn’t Looking in the Rear View Mirror After WLS-AM 890 Exit

Garrett Searight
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There’s a longstanding adage in the radio business: “You haven’t really been in radio until you’ve been fired.” Steve Cochran has embodied the mantra 11 times after exiting Chicago news/talk station WLS-AM 890 last Friday.

After a two-year run in mornings on the Cumulus-owned station, the two sides went their separate ways in what Cochran said was an amicable parting.

“I liked those people a lot. They’re good people. We just have a disagreement on what show should be on there,” he said. “The signs aren’t hard to figure out. It was not contentious. I’ve certainly had ugly ones. This was not it. We just simply disagree on how to do the best show in in Chicago. And frankly, I felt like I was doing not just that, but the best show in the country. And the last sane talk show in the country.”

That sentiment — “the last sane talk show in the country” — is something Cochran had shared on the air during his stint with the station.

When asked what that exactly meant to him, Steve Cochran noted that it includes two separate issues. One is the business side of radio which affects companies like iHeartMedia, Audacy, and Cumulus. He believes some of the larger radio operators are solely focused on stock price, which in turn affects the on-air programming.

But maybe more importantly is the political polarization that has enveloped the talk radio space that Cochran has become most disillusioned with.

“This is not a secret: I’ve leaned right most of my life, but I’ve voted right and left depending on the candidate — the way I think everybody ought to,” said Cochran. “Because the far right and the far left, as I’ve said a million times, will kill the country. And I just wanted to drive the middle. I still think you could monetize the middle, but you have to have a company that’s willing to really invest in that.

“They held up their end of the bargain and they didn’t tell me how to do the show. And I held up mine and told him that I would be hard on Trump, but I would also be hard on any Democrats that deserved it. I pound on the mayor of Chicago, who’s a disaster, and the Democratic machine in Chicago, which is also a disaster, over and over again. We got good response from a lot of people that said, ‘Look, you’re fair. I don’t always agree, but I appreciate it.'”

He continued by noting that welcoming each side of the political aisle to talk radio needs to be much more prevalent than it has become, stating “Unless we get back to talking to each other, we’re done and everything in politics now is about not doing that.”

Steve Cochran admitted that he might not have been the best fit for WLS — and vice versa — but was interested in giving the position a test run after more than 15 years at crosstown rival WGN.

He called the relationship “a joint experiment”, before noting that that the proposed mission of the Cumulus-owned outlet to be “the most conservative station in America,” in the words of former colleague John Howell, wasn’t the perfect situation for him at this stage of his career.

After more than 40 years in the industry, and being 63 years old, it’s logical question to wonder what the future holds for Steve Cochran.

And he revealed he has the same thoughts.

“I will miss being on the radio. I don’t know that I’ll ever be on the radio again, and that’s a very weird thing to say after 43 years,” he shared. “I just think radio is still the greatest medium.”

As much as he questions his potential future on the air, Cochran questions if radio entities will be able to shift their focus away from AM radio to a more easily accessible distribution platform for younger audiences.

“The mistake these companies have made in regards to AM talk radio — and I said this to Cumulus — is stop calling it AM. When you say ‘AM,’ it sounds like an antique store. And it’s a natural turnoff to anybody under the age of probably 45.

“So in talk radio, AM should be treated like every other content platform. It’s just another content platform. It should have as much of the same opportunities and revenue streams as well. Cameras in studio, a video guy, social media people to monetize all of that,” he said. “I think the companies who are gonna win this — the remaining companies that may feel like they’re stuck with these big AMs — will figure out a way to treat them like content platforms and not like ‘Grandma’s down on the corner, the light’s on so I guess she’s ok.'”

If his morning show at WLS-AM 890 really was his last radio hurrah, Steve Cochran is content with that.

“When I left (WGN) — that was not my call, or my desire, though I hated the way the company was being run at that point, and still being run, frankly, it’s half the radio station once was. And (WLS) and I were never a natural fit, but I really believed — and I believe they believed — that we could do something and deliver something,” Cochran said. “But it involved a lot of promotion, a lot of focus, and everybody wasn’t rowing the boat the same way.

“So I came back, I had my say, and I think I’m better at this than I’ve ever been. I’d like to be able to do it somewhere, but for the time being, and maybe fully, I’m gonna do it in podcast form.”

His podcast — Live From My Office — has published more than 350 episodes since its launch. In addition to his podcast, Cochran continues to be a stand-up comedian in the Windy City, with a set scheduled for Friday night at the Raue Center for the Arts.

It would be easy for him to view the departure from the venerable Chicago station as a sad note. However, Cochran reiterated that he had no bad things to say about management in Chicago or the company, and noted that they stuck to everything the two sides agreed upon before the “joint experiment.”

“I didn’t get notes or direction or censorship or editing by WLS in Chicago or by Cumulus and I respect that. That was our agreement going in, and they honored it,” Steve Cochran shared. “But I have considerations for sponsors and consideration for the framework of things when I’m working for somebody else. So I don’t have to worry about that stuff anymore. That’s a bit of the freedom, but that’s just a small piece of it ’cause I never felt restricted at WLS.”

How Hunter Biden Talk Should Be Handled By News Media Members

Peter Thiele
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The surviving first son — Hunter Biden — was convicted of 3 felonies over his gun buy after lying that he was not a drug addict. I am not going to joke about addiction. It truly is a horrible infliction affecting people in families all over the world and the First Family. But stick with me here. I have some points that you may not have considered, and this could be useful for your show! 

Hunter Biden was raised by an absent father. Sen. Joe Biden has often told the story about taking Amtrak home every night to be at home for his kids. Do you know what would have been better? Raising the kids in Washington DC. Arriving at midnight on a train is not parenting. It is virtue signaling about a commitment to fatherhood. Fatherhood is about being there for your children.

My old man was often on the road when I was a kid. It was necessary for his career as a Sales Manager. I know that if my dad could have been home for dinner every night, he would have done so. Hunter Biden’s mother was killed in a car wreck. It is a terrible thing. While Joe Biden has told that story often as a ploy for sympathy, Hunter Biden was not a prop. He didn’t choose to be raised by a political family. His lack of connection to his father was obviously a part of his addiction. Many of the addicted are hiding from pain and that pain is often familial.

Hunter learned early that the Biden name made things easier. Hunter went to Georgetown and then to Yale Law. I have no idea what Hunter’s qualifications were, but both of those institutions love bragging that a Senator’s son attended. Hunter graduated and Yale Law ain’t no summer picnic. Obviously, graduating from both institutions is an honor.

Hunter started on the grift immediately to cash in on his father’s name. Took a consulting gig with MDNA bank that had donated over $200k to his father’s campaigns. When I was in school and had started my first radio job, my full-time gig was with a hotel. I did the night audit. My dad called me and suggested that I call his fraternity brother who owned several large hotels. I told my father that I wanted to make it on my own. I didn’t want a job from a friend.

Just as a note, I was close to my parents and still hold them in high esteem. (They are no longer with us.) I decided to make my own way. I have this belief that it is not Republican or Democratic, it is reality. There amazing people are elected to Congress. The problem with Senators and Representatives is that they see the massive amount spent in the District of Columbia.

I believe that nearly all Congress can be corrupted by the cash. Hunter Biden just saw a way to cash in. It was raw greed based purely on connections to his father. There are adult children of elected officials who are cashing in because of connections to their lawmaker parents. It is dirty, it is wrong, and it is totally immoral.

Hunter Biden just joined the party. Sadly, Hunter’s father did not stop it. Joe Biden encouraged it. Nearly every member of the Biden family has cashed in on “The Big Guy.” It is dirty and the person guilty is Joe Biden. Joe Biden, who’s claimed he’s “Blue Collar Joe”, owns three homes. I had a friend point out that Joe had a book deal. My retort? Who purchased the books? My thinking is that lobbyists and big donors were at the center of it.

Joe Biden was greedy. Not because of a product, service, or company that he founded. It was because Joe Biden used his power as a U.S. Senator to become stinking rich. I love Delaware. They have The Waffle House! Imagine a strung-out Hunter Biden ordering the All-Star Special! By the way, the pork chops and eggs are amazing at The Waffle House. This is from personal experience.

Hunter cashed in on daddy. It was a family thing. But President Joe Biden chose public service as his career. Joe Biden could have stopped the Biden family scam at any moment. Why didn’t the President stop it? It was greed.

Hunter Biden and his Uncle James (Jimmy) Biden started a hedge fund that was financed by Allen Stanford. Stanford was convicted of a Ponzi Scheme and will get freedom in 2103. The Biden family made big bucks off this. Google Allen Stanford, Hunter Biden, and James Biden. I’ll tell you two people who didn’t have to return any money. Hunter and James Biden.

Hunter Biden may be the most ethical of the Biden family. He needed crack, booze, hookers to mask his personal pain. Hunter is obviously an adult and can make his own decisions. There are children from very functional families who just implode in life. There are children from impoverished families who have risen above their circumstances.

Hunter Biden is an emotional wreck. His father and stepmother have been enablers. His wives and girlfriends have allowed this behavior. But there was no chance for Hunter. He was wrecked by a dysfunctional family and a greedy dad.

I feel sorry for him. Hunter’s fall has more to do by his father than anything else. Beau Biden was the favored son. Hunter was the Prince Harry of the USA. Hunter deserves sympathy and perhaps some crack.

WFAN to Broadcast ‘Evan & Tiki’ Live from Citi Field for Subway Series, Full Show Simulcast on SNY

BSM Staff
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WFAN to Broadcast ‘Evan & Tiki’ Live from Citi Field for Subway Series, Full Show Simulcast on SNY

The first half of the 2024 edition of the Subway Series is forthcoming with a matchup between the New York Mets and New York Yankees from Citi Field in Queens, N.Y. Baseball fans can look forward to stars including Francisco Lindor, Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso and Juan Soto facing off on the field as the teams try to claim bragging rights within the Big Apple. Preceding the two-game series, consumers will be able to listen to Evan & Tiki on WFAN and watch the program on SportsNet New York (SNY).

The afternoon drive show, however, will not be in the studio, but rather on location from the ballpark in the Cadillac Club at Payson’s, a premium membership space in right field. Co-host Evan Roberts made the show announcement on Wednesday evening where he provided details about the two-day broadcasting setup from the ballpark.

“It’s the Subway Series, and for the first time in a very long time – I honestly can’t tell you the last time this happened – but for the first time in many years, we are bringing the show to Citi Field,” Roberts said. “That’s right – we will be broadcasting live at Citi Field at the magnificent Cadillac Club.”

Roberts recalled that a listener generously gave him tickets to a Mets game in the Cadillac Club and described the space as a “badass speakeasy that’s inside right field.” The WFAN show will broadcast live from the space while also being simulcast on SNY. The regional sports network does not generally simulcast the full four hours of the program, but it will be doing so as part of the two days of broadcasts taking place from Citi Field.

“Thank you very much to Cadillac, thank you very much to Citi Field, thank you very much to SNY,” Roberts said. “It’ll be very cool to be on for a full four hours on both days – June 25 and June 26 – so it’s a big Subway Series show live from Citi Field for the first time in, like, forever. I don’t remember the last time we’ve broadcasted as a station inside of Citi Field, so that’s very, very cool.”

WFAN recently presented a Kickoff to Summer event from D’Jais in Belmar, N.J. featuring programming across its weekday lineup. The Boomer & Gio morning show was live in Las Vegas, Nev. for Super Bowl LVIII and has had additional special live shows from various venues in the New York metropolitan area, frequently selling out the crowd and including special guests. Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata also broadcast their midday show live from MLB Network’s Studio 42 in late-March concurrent with Opening Week of the Major League Baseball season.

Eric Hasseltine and Chris Vernon Remember Jerry West’s Days as General Manager of the Memphis Grizzlies

BSM Staff
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Jerry West, aka “Mr. Clutch,” aka “The Logo,” passed away this morning at the age of 86. West is a 3-time Hall of Fame selection, inducted as a player in 1980, as a member of the 1960 US Olympic Team in 2010 and he will be enshrined again later this year as a contributor. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said West was “one of the greatest executives in sports history.”

West played for, coached, scouted for and was the General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, however in 2002, the first team he worked for other than the Lakers became the Memphis Grizzlies.

At the time West arrived, both Chris Vernon and Eric Hasseltine were a part of Sports 56 WHBQ in Memphis. Hasseltine was the pre-game, halftime and post-game host for the Grizzlies Radio Network and did a daily show. Vernon hosted middays and was also around the team quite a bit, covering games, practices and any other media availability with the team.

These days, Vernon hosts the Chris Vernon Show on Grizzlies-owned Grind City Media and also works as an analyst on the Memphis Grizzlies television pre- and post-game shows. Hasseltine has been the radio play-by-play voice of the team since 2005 and also serves as the team’s Radio Operations Manager.

BSM asked Hasseltine about his first impressions of West when he joined the organization. “The first time you meet him, you’re in awe. He was such a fiery competitor. He was everything you heard about him, he hated to lose.”

Hasseltine said West was very good to him as a member of the radio team and also said, “He was as excited as anybody when the team won, and as angry as anybody when they lost.”

Hasseltine said he remembers vividly when the team started to turn the corner after West had arrived. He said ‘The Logo’ would often ask he and his broadcasting partner at the time, Sean Tuohy, “How much fun are you guys having?”

“Jerry West always wanted to be competing,” Hasseltine added. “He loved basketball, and he loved putting together teams and seeing things in players others didn’t see.” Hasseltine said just his presence made a difference and that if West walked into a practice, “The players played harder, they wanted to prove to him they deserved to be there.”

On the Chris Vernon Show today, Vernon said, “[Jerry West] gave us instant credibility and he ran the show.” He talked about West going out on a limb hiring Hubie Brown and how he was the one ultimately responsible for getting people interested in the team and attendance rising.

Vernon, who actually does his show today from what used to be West’s office, added, “He was always cool to me.”

Vernon shared stories about people seeing West around town, often finding him at a bar with a glass of wine after a Grizzlies game. He said, if the outcome wasn’t good, people would hear West “bitching about the Grizzlies.”

West retired in 2007, although he would later also work for the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers.

NTT IndyCar Series Reportedly Nearing Media Rights Deal with FOX Sports

BSM Staff
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NTT IndyCar Series Reportedly Nearing Media Rights Deal with FOX Sports

The NTT IndyCar Series, which includes the Indianapolis 500 and other races throughout the year, is reportedly closing in on signing a media rights deal with FOX Sports, according to a new report from Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal. The deal is reportedly expected to be announced “within days,” a development that comes after IndyCar expert Tony Donohue reported that FOX Sports offered IndyCar a complete network television package starting with the 2025 season and beyond. Potential occupants for IndyCar Rights are said to have been down to FOX and NBC in recent weeks, the latter of which is in the final year of its three-season contract with the open-wheel car racing league.

Terms of the agreement remain unknown, but it has been reported that IndyCar was looking to have one partner for its full season within its forthcoming media rights cycle. If this ends up being the case, it would presumably end the property’s relationship with NBC following the conclusion of the racing season in September. Penske Entertainment owns the NTT IndyCar Series, which attains a reported $20 million per year in media rights fees from NBC Sports.

News of the reported agreement between IndyCar and FOX Sports comes after the Indianapolis 500 averaged 5.34 million viewers on NBC and Peacock despite a four-hour weather delay. The broadcast marked the largest audience for the Indy 500 in the last three years and was also up 8% year-over-year from the 2023 iteration of the race.

INDYCAR removed the local blackout of the race in Indianapolis, Ind. and secured an 18.15 household rating and 54 share in the locale. The first six races of the 2024 IndyCar season averaged a total audience delivery of 1.95 million viewers, five of which were televised on NBC while the other one was on USA Network.

NASCAR announced new seven-year media rights deals with FOX Sports, NBC Sports, Amazon’s Prime Video and Warner Bros. Discovery beginning in 2025, collectively worth a reported total of $7.7 billion. FOX Sports will no longer air the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend because of how the new NASCAR media rights deal is structured, with the race moving to Prime Video.

Media rights for Formula 1 are currently held by ESPN and expire following the 2025 racing season, and there is reported interest from Apple to bid $2 billion per year for exclusive global rights to the property. FOX Sports previously broadcast Formula 1 races through its SPEED Network for 17 years through the conclusion of the 2012 season.

ESPN Radio is Documenting the NBA Finals Every Step of the Way

Derek Futterman
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ESPN Radio is Documenting the NBA Finals Every Step of the Way

The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks are currently competing in a seven-game series to determine who will hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy as NBA champions. No matter who wins the 2024 NBA Finals, either franchise would be capturing its first championship in more than a decade and overcoming levels of adversity faced in recent years. Stars on both teams such as Jayson Tatum, Luka Dončić, Jaylen Brown and Kyrie Irving have been at the center of discussion, but there has also been additional coverage surrounding key contributors, coaching decisions and more.

ESPN is presenting coverage of the NBA Finals across a variety of platforms under its existing media rights agreement with the NBA with experienced broadcasters delivering information and analysis in real time. ESPN Radio, the national audio network for the company, has been broadcasting NBA Finals games for the last 28 years and is continuing that tradition to conclude the basketball season.

Play-by-play announcer Marc Kestecher, analyst P.J. Carlesimo and reporter Jorge Sedano are on the call for the best-of-seven series, which continues on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. EST. Preparing for a series that oftentimes has sudden twists and turns off which to react, some of which can alter play entirely, requires an indefatigable work ethic and steadfast commitment to the daily grind. The trio has called games throughout the NBA Playoffs, including select matchups during the first two rounds and the entire Eastern Conference Finals. Nonetheless, calling games in the NBA Finals is very much an assignment they do not take for granted.

“[Calling the NBA Finals] is always an honor,” Kestecher said. “It’s the highlight of my year, and we root for close games and great finishes, and we got a few of those, this crew, in the Eastern Conference Finals, so I hope that we get some more of those here in the next couple of [weeks].”

“It’s the best basketball of the year, it’s the highlight of the basketball season,” Carlesimo added. “I’ve done Olympic gold medal games, I’ve done NCAA championships, and there’s nothing like an NBA [Finals].”

Kestecher and Carlesimo have called the NBA Finals together since the 2020 season and encompass the lead broadcast team for ESPN Radio’s coverage of the league during the regular season. Sedano, however, is taking part in his first NBA Finals assignment this year and vividly recollects when Pete Ciccone, ESPN Radio program director of network play-by-play, called to inform him that he had been selected. Throughout the year, Sedano works as a reporter across the NBA on ESPN property, contributing to both radio and television broadcasts while also hosting Sedano and Kap in afternoon drive on ESPN LA 710.

“To get this opportunity for me, it’s just incredible,” Sedano said. “Again, an honor, a pleasure, and I get to work with two of my favorite people in Marc Kestecher and P.J. Carlesimo, two guys who have been so incredible and so kind with me over the years that it’s, again, a dream come true for a guy like me for sure.”

During the NBA Finals, Sedano is situated courtside and makes observations throughout the game, some of which he communicates to live event producer Jon Madani by means of a talkback system. Additionally, he provides reports that do not interfere with the action to grant the listening audience insight into the discussions and real-time adjustments being enacted.

“He’s not going to want to regurgitate pablum – he is going to want to convey to the listener something that they don’t know,” Ciccone said. “He understands the importance of that – he understands the responsibility he has in being the guy to secure that information for the listening audience, and again, he just knows the sport inside and out.”

Kestecher is calling the NBA Finals on ESPN Radio for the eighth time in his career, through which he has experienced a deluge of contests that are determined by the final possessions. Despite the heightened levels of urgency and intensity, Kestecher tries not to get ahead of himself over the course of the game and stays grounded in the moment while accurately depicting the game and its accompanying setting.

“I try not to realize it’s the Finals,” Kestecher said. “You’re always in tune with what game it is – what’s at stake has always been a big thing in our career to make sure you’re pointing that out time and again, and then leaning on P.J. and his wealth of experience, and Jorge has been around for so long, and I’ve got Jon Madani in my ear as well, an extra set of eyes with all the experience he has.”

Carlesimo has comprehensive basketball knowledge and experience that he is able to apply on the broadcast. Calling games on radio rather than television though, Kestecher needs time to call the action and ensure that the listener remains aware of the situation. The arrangement can ostensibly be viewed as a challenge for some analysts, but it is a venture towards which Carlesimo exhibits avidity and takes a conscientious approach.

“That’s the fun of radio,” Carlesimo said. “I always said, ‘If I ever owned a network or was a network chief, I’d make all the TV analysts do radio’ because it teaches you to be silent and get in and get out.”

Those involved with the broadcast need to make decisions in order to safeguard against falling behind on the action, which oftentimes moves at an expeditious pace in these intense matchups. Part of this responsibility falls on Madani, who informs Carlesimo if he needs to stop explaining something or Sedano if they need to omit a report. Everyone within the broadcast evaluates the aggregate performance and tries to make improvements to benefit the consumer. At the same time though, there are added logistical facets within the environment of the NBA Finals that indicate the exigency of these contests.

“The demands from everybody – it’s not just us showing up and calling a game,” Madani explained. “You’ve got all of our ancillary resources. We’ve got talk shows from our network; we’ve got talk shows from other networks who all want to get the perspective of these three intelligent individuals who are going to have the benefit of calling what’s potentially history. Sports has always been the best reality TV – that’s never going to change – so you never know what you’re going to see.”

The ESPN Radio broadcast team consists of professionals with vast experience calling momentous games, and they aspire to accurately portray the action to the listening audience. Whether the series ends in a four-game sweep or results in a pivotal Game 7, they will be there to document the action with comprehensive analysis and reporting pertaining to the competition. Despite their busy schedules and time on the road, the personnel within the NBA Finals broadcast on ESPN Radio remain energized and focused on granting fans a means to connect with the players, coaches and organizations vying to garner an enduring achievement of prestige and excellence.

“Again, we’d like to think that we treat every broadcast as a big game, even a Sunday afternoon in February,” Ciccone said. “‘Why are we here on the network? Because it’s a big deal. This game between these two teams, the star players, it’s a big deal.’ It’s the same approach, and just like the players, they’re coached to stay true to their same approach, that’s what we’re doing on the broadcast side.”

NBC, TNT Sports to Join FOX Sports as Big East Basketball Partners According to Report

BSM Staff
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NBC, TNT Sports to Join FOX Sports as Big East Basketball Partners According to Report

As jockeying continues for any available live sports programming, NBC and TNT Sports are reportedly on the verge of adding coverage of men’s and women’s basketball from the Big East. A report from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic says the two networks are expected to join current Big East partner FOX Sports in airing games starting with the 2025-26 season.

The report says while no agreement has been finalized, it appears FOX Sports will remain the top partner and is expected to continue airing the Big East Tournament, although Marchand says NBC and Peacock could end up with some tournament games. It also notes NBC plans to air most of its Big East games on Peacock.

What is not known yet is how CBS, another current Big East partner, may factor into the deal. According to Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, the few games CBS has carried are sublicensed from FOX Sports.

For Warner Bros. Discovery/TNT Sports, this will be the third sports media rights package it will have secured since reports started to leak out it will most likely have a reduced NBA package or no package at all. Earlier this week, the company announced a 10-year deal for the US rights to the French Open tennis tournament. That followed the announcement in May they had reached a 5-year deal to sublicense College Football Playoff games from ESPN. TNT Sports also carries NASCAR and has a partnership with CBS for NCAA Tournament games.

Dominic Carter to Helm 3 PM Timeslot on 77 WABC

BNM Staff
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Dominic Carter to Helm 3 PM Timeslot on 77 WABC

77 WABC has announced that Dominic Carter will take over the 3-4 PM timeslot previously helmed by Rudy Giuliani in the station’s daily lineup.

Carter will continue to host his late-night program from Midnight to 1 AM on weekdays and 11 PM to midnight on Sundays, in addition to his new 3 PM hour on the New York news/talk station.

“I’m excited about hosting an afternoon slot and grateful for the trust that Mr. Catsimatidis and Chad Lopez have shown in me,” said Carter. “It’s an honor to serve the New York City area listeners, especially on a powerhouse station like WABC Radio, as well as WLIR 107.1, our sister station on Long Island.”

“It is with great pleasure that I announce Dominic as our 3 to 4 pm host,” added Red Apple Media and WABC Radio owner John Catsimatidis. “Dominic is an exceptional broadcast journalist and political commentator, who presents all sides of issues relevant to our listeners. He’s done an excellent job with his overnight programs, and I know he will do the same with the 3pm hour.”

Carter steps into the timeslot previously held by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He departed the station last month after continually dismissing edicts relating to the way WABC would discuss the validity of the 2020 presidential election. Giuliani — who served as an attorney for former President Donald Trump — has continually claimed the election was “stolen” in favor of Joe Biden.

Red Apple Media President Chad Lopez shared he was excited to promote from within to fill the vacancy.

“Dominic brings a lot of energy to his programs, and he is an exceptional interviewer,” Lopez said. “Growing our own from within is always a recipe for success.”

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