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GBH Layoffs Claim 4% of Work Force

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GBH Layoffs Claim 4% of Work Force

31 employees have been laid off at GBH. Management warned staff about potential job cuts due to a significant budget deficit back in March. The cuts represent 4% of the outlet’s work force. Among the affected are approximately 10% of GBH’s News department.

CEO Susan Goldberg addressed the layoffs in an email to staff, stating “We made these hard choices only after implementing a range of other cost-saving measures and operating efficiencies. The basic reason for these reductions is simple: revenues are flat and the cost of doing business has gone up. A lot.”

GBH, a major producer of public media content, is facing a $7 million budget gap. Goldberg announced that popular local television programs such as Greater Boston, Talking Politics, and Basic Black would no longer be produced for TV due to changing viewer habits and declining viewership. However, the shows will be reimagined as digital-first programming.

13 different departments throughout GBH were impacted by the layoffs according to Goldberg’s email. It is unclear if there will be further cost-cutting measures in the future.

Zoe Mathews, a union steward for the newsroom, expressed surprise and disappointment at the sudden layoffs especially since discussions with the union during recent all-staff meetings held by organization leadership did not occur.

“Over the course of the past few months, when we have had all-staff meetings with organization leadership, we in the newsroom were not unaware of the financial situation at GBH, but I’m shocked that management has decided to make cuts from the newsroom and not explore other options,” said Mathews.

The GBH layoffs come one month after Boston’s other NPR station WBUR announced cuts of up to 14% of its staff. Those moves were said to be necessary due to a steep decline in on-air sponsorships.

Goldberg’s announcement did not mention any changes to flagship programs such as FRONTLINE, NOVA, Antiques Roadshow or Masterpiece. GBH is also known for producing popular children’s programs for public broadcasting. The news comes shortly after the announcement of GBH News’ General Manager Pam Johnston’s resignation at the end of the month.

Rob Manfred: Diamond Sports Group Has ‘No Plan at This Point’

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Rob Manfred: Diamond Sports Group Has ‘No Plan at This Point’

Diamond Sports Group recently reached a deal for carriage renewal with FuboTV, securing distribution of the Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks through the platform. In recent months, Diamond Sports Group has completed carriage renewals with Charter, Cox and DirecTV, but it has still been unable to reach an agreement with Comcast, which is said to provide 80% of the company’s revenue. As Diamond Sports Group seeks to enter Ch. 11 bankruptcy, there has been concern addressed by Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League pertaining to the viability of the company.

The Sinclair subsidiary was approved for $450 million in debtor-in-possession finance as it seeks to actualize a proposed restructuring. The allocation of such remuneration will be $350 million to pay its first-lien debt holders. Additional funds therein will be transferred the remainder to the company balance sheet. Under the terms of the proposed restructuring agreement, Diamond would continue to broadcast regional games while also accepting investment from Amazon, which agreed to pay $115 million in convertible notes upon the conclusion of the bankruptcy. Junior creditors would then assume operations of the subsidiary.

On Thursday, Diamond Sports Group filed a motion with the Houston bankruptcy court overseeing the case to propose a 41-day extension for the confirmation hearing. Although it was not listed in the document, granting such modifications would presumably allow more time for Diamond and Comcast to try and reach terms on an agreement. If the alteration is granted, Diamond’s confirmation hearing would take place on Monday, July 29. The company is also in the process of trying to negotiate deals with the NBA and NHL.

Following the conclusion of an MLB owners’ meeting in New York, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred addressed the ambiguity surrounding the future of Diamond Sports Group. Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks have not been broadcast by Comcast since the end of April, something MLB counsel James Bromley called “devastating” with several teams “facing substantial problems” as a result.

Manfred is not yet sure about the league’s support pertaining to Diamond Sports Group’s reorganization plan, but he still expects the company to carry regional games for the 12 MLB teams for which it has rights through the conclusion of the 2024 season. Major League Baseball continues to produce and disseminate games for the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks as it did last summer, along with the Colorado Rockies after AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain ceased operations at the end of last year.

“It’s hard to comment on whether we’re going to object or not because there is no plan at this point,” Manfred said. “Their whole plan is, you know, ‘We’re going to get deals with distributors…. We’re going to continue with the other leagues.’ They don’t have a deal with the NBA, they don’t have a deal with the NHL, and they don’t have a deal with us.”

MLB looks to develop its own streaming platform and has reportedly had discussions about nationalizing television rights for games. In testimony last year, Manfred recalled a meeting between him and Sinclair Broadcast Group executive chairman David Smith. Smith asked Manfred to grant the company direct-to-consumer broadcast rights to bolster its Bally Sports Plus app, to which Manfred replied that it would not happen, and that people cannot always get what they want. In response, Smith said that he would squeeze clubs to diminish rights fees to make sure he stayed profitable in the RSN business. If they did not agree to that, he explained that he would put Diamond Sports Group into bankruptcy and then selectively reject contracts.

“Right now we’re really focused on the strategic part,” Manfred said. “How is it that we respond to the changes in the local media environment in a way that increases our reach and fan access to our games? We’d like to get into a model where whether you’re a dinosaur cable person like I am or a digital person, there is a frictionless opportunity to watch the game that you want to watch.”

Andy Bunker and Randy McMichael Celebrate 5 Years Together on 92.9 The Game

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Andy Bunker and Randy McMichael Celebrate 5 Years Together on 92.9 The Game

It was a milestone week for Andy Bunker and Randy McMichael, hosts of 92.9 The Game’s The Midday Show with Andy & Randy in Atlanta. It was this week five years ago they permanently took over the midday slot replacing John Michaels and Rick Kamla who had been released earlier that year.

The show celebrated on remote at a party with several listeners, friends and family members and spent time talking about their time together. “People listening right now, thank you, we appreciate that,” said Bunker. “We wouldn’t be doing this if you weren’t listening and if you hadn’t been listening the last five years…Making it five years on a radio show is not normal. I know it seems normal at 92.9 because we are a radio station that has a lot of stability. Dukes and Bell have been on for 10 years. The morning show that’s on right now is doing great, and the show before them was on for a lot of years.”

Bunker later added, “To make it five years, we are proud of it because in the grand scheme of things in radio it is unusual.” McMichael replied, “It has been a fun five years.”

Bunker had been hosting the evening show for three years prior to partnering with McMichael, and had previously been in sports radio in Seattle, Portland and Boston. McMichael had been with the station for about four years at the time, after an 11-year career in the NFL. Prior to that he was a three-year letterman at the University of Georgia.

The show amassed an 8.3 share for the most recent quarter, retaining their fourth place ranking it had in the fall. The show airs from 11a-2p EST.

New Rules to Limit the Reach of State-Affiliated Media Accounts on TikTok

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New Rules to Limit the Reach of State-Affiliated Media Accounts on TikTok

TikTok is taking a stand against state-affiliated media accounts attempting to manipulate global audiences. The social media giant released a statement Thursday, outlining its new rules. They don’t bode well for state-affiliated media accounts.

According to the news rules, reach will be limited, preventing those accounts from appearing on users’ main feeds. TikTok began labeling state-affiliated media accounts two years ago. The new measures build upon that policy, and come in advance of the 2024 U.S. election.

The platform will also no longer allow state-affiliated media accounts to advertise outside of their home country. The decision comes after a study by the Brookings Institution revealed an increase in usage of TikTok by Russian state-affiliated accounts, with a particular focus on spreading messages in English and Spanish.

Other social media platforms have also struggled with foreign propaganda. However, Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, as well as Elon Musk’s X have faced less scrutiny. TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, has raised concerns over national security due to its Chinese ownership. The company has continually denied these claims and is currently suing the federal government over a law that would require it to sever ties with its parent company in order to continue operating in the U.S..

In addition to these measures, TikTok announced it will regularly update its efforts to combat covert influence operations on the platform. The company has disrupted fifteen operations during the first four months of the year. Among them, one that targeted audiences in Indonesia during their presidential elections.

Erin Andrews: Tom Brady Will Be ‘Amazing’ as ‘NFL on FOX’ Broadcaster

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Erin Andrews: Tom Brady Will Be ‘Amazing’ as ‘NFL on FOX’ Broadcaster

Although the start of the National Football League regular season schedule of games is still several months away, there is palpable anticipation and excitement towards the proceedings. The lead broadcast crew for the NFL on FOX broadcast will include seven-time Super Bowl champion and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady as the color commentator alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi. At the same time, Andrews is continuing her podcast, Calm Down with Erin and Charissa, with co-host and FOX Sports colleague Charissa Thompson on the iHeart Podcast Network. Both Andrews and Thompson appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC Thursday night to discuss the podcast and how the idea came about.

Thompson explained that she remembers being nervous working on her first day as a member of the FOX Sports team. As she was walking through the door on campus, she remembers Andrews running out to give her a hug and inform her that she would be there for her for anything she needed. When the pandemic hit, Andrews remembered thinking that everyone had a podcast and that they should try to do it. Since launching the show, it has rapidly grown with candid conversation, celebrity interviews and live events.

“You’re crushing it,” Fallon said. “It’s so great; it’s so fun to listen to you guys. I’ve heard you with, I think Derek Jeter was one of those [guests].”

Fallon wanted to know what Andrews and Thompson thought about having Brady join the FOX Sports broadcast team for the upcoming NFL season, which will culminate with Super Bowl LIX from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. Andrews replied by stating that they have spoken to him in person and then asked Fallon if he had ever been around him, to which he replied that he had. Fallon articulated that Brady is good at everything, bringing up being good looking and his skill in golf as two examples, something that he finds annoying.

“And that’s the biggest thing,” Andrews said. “Everybody’s worried about the commentating. I’m just like, ‘The guy’s skin. I have to deal with this, him being on my crew.’ I know because we talk about it a lot on our podcast.”

Andrews later shared that she believes Brady will be amazing in the broadcast booth for his inaugural season, beginning with his debut on Sunday, Sept. 8 when the Dallas Cowboys face the Cleveland Browns at 4:25 p.m. EST. The schedule for games televised by FOX Sports includes several marquee NFC teams throughout the year, along with a rivalry game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in late December.

“His résumé supports that he’s great at everything he does,” Thompson said, “so why would this be any different?”

Fallon reminisced on attending a basketball game with Brady in the past, recollecting that Brady knew the game was over despite there being time left. It turned out that Brady was correct, being able to decipher the score and probability that the opponent would come back from the deficit. Brady’s adept sports knowledge and ability to discuss the nuances of the game is a sentiment understood and concurred by Andrews and Thompson.

“I’ve sat with him [at] lunch before and he’s been telling stories about his career, and it’s like stuff we just die for,” Andrews said. “Love the inside information, right, and you’re hearing all the stuff you just always wanted to know, and my knee was just bouncing and bouncing and bouncing.”

“And then you get Julian Edelman, who’s on the show I host with him, and Rob Gronkowski,” Thompson added. “You get those three together – the three amigos – hilarity ensues.”

Gregg Giannotti: ‘We’re Going to Move On and Forget About’ TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’

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Since the end of the exclusive 90-day negotiating window between the National Basketball Association and its incumbent media partners, there has been augmented speculation surrounding a new media rights contract to commence in the 2025-26 season. Multiple reports have stated The Walt Disney Company to have exited the period with the framework for an agreement, whereas Warner Bros. Discovery did not reach a deal. Gregg Giannotti has seemingly been following these negotiations and understands the potential implications the end result could have.

A point of concern for basketball fans surrounding these reports has been the future of Inside the NBA, TNT Sports’ heralded studio program featuring Ernie Johnson, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal. Barkley recently commented that he could consider taking the show independent through his production company and licensing it to a network should TNT lose broadcast rights to the NBA.

Barkley, O’Neal and Smith all reportedly have opt-outs in their contracts should the network no longer broadcast NBA games. The quartet all signed 10-year extensions with TNT Sports last October and recently won another Sports Emmy award for the program. WFAN host Gregg Giannotti, however, is growing tired of hearing about the show and ostensibly tried to put things in perspective on Friday morning’s edition of Boomer & Gio.

“They have a great show – it’s entertaining – they do a good job with the studio show,” Giannotti said. “The Beatles aren’t breaking up. This has been going on for two weeks now as if Yoko went in there and blew up the greatest combo of all time.”

Co-host Boomer Esiason, who recently left CBS Sports and The NFL Today after a 22-year run on the studio program, acknowledged before Giannotti provided his opinion that the rights fees have become “too exorbitant” and represents something that Warner Bros. Discovery cannot afford. Later on, he reminded Giannotti that the program has a special place for NBA fans whether or not the show appeals to him.

“I know they do,” Giannotti replied, “but we’re going to move on and forget about it like everything else.”

A new report from Lucas Shaw of Bloomberg divulged that Warner Bros. Discovery president and chief executive officer David Zaslav would not bid higher than $2.1 billion despite the NBA looking for $200 million more for a package of games. Moreover, subsequent reporting suggests that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was irked when Zaslav stated that the company did not need the NBA at a conference two years ago.

While Barkley was on the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday, he explained that the situation has caused low morale and fear about what will happen to people who work on the NBA on TNT property. In addition to using an analogy pertaining to the quality of different wines to illustrate what executives at the company are doing during these negotiations, Barkley also stated that he has watched family members of the crew grow up and that a familial relationship exists. Giannotti, however, believes there has been adequate discussion and coverage pertaining to a potential end to the program.

“It’s like, ‘Alright, enough already. It’s over. So what? Everything in media ends. We’re all walking around with a guillotine over our head every single day, so tough,’” Giannotti said. “These guys made hundreds of millions of dollars throughout their careers, got paid handsomely and now they’re not going to do a show today. Oh, okay. Great. They’re living, they’re healthy and they’re rich. Big deal. We’ll be able to move on without the TNT Inside the NBA show.”

Jim Ross Hospitalized, Will Miss AEW Double or Nothing

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Jim Ross Hospitalized, Will Miss AEW Double or Nothing

Legendary wrestling announcer Jim Ross will miss this weekend’s AEW pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing in Las Vegas as he was hospitalized on Thursday with shortness of breath. Ross said on his X account that he had to make an unexpected visit to the ER. He told Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer he has been dealing with the flu, raised heart enzymes and trouble breathing. Meltzer said Ross expects to be fine within a few days.

Ross, 72, has been making limited appearances for AEW of late and recently has only been appearing on pay-per-views. He recently signed a one-year contract to remain with AEW.

Ross has had a few medical issues over the last few years which have forced him to miss time. In 2021 he was treated for skin cancer and about a year ago a fall led to him stepping away for a bit.

Ross recently had a new book published, Business Is About to Pick Up! which chronicles 50 of his best calls from his 5-decade career in the wrestling business. Ross also hosts a weekly podcast, Grilling JR.

Jimmy Roberts, Mary Carillo and Andrea Joyce Named NBC Olympics Commentators

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Jimmy Roberts, Mary Carillo and Andrea Joyce Named NBC Olympics Commentators

NBC continues to announce commentators for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris. This week they announce longtime Olympics voices Jimmy Roberts, Mary Carillo and Andrea Joyce will be a part of the coverage.

“Mary, Andrea and Jimmy have provided the compelling reporting and storytelling that is a hallmark of our Olympic presentation. We are thrilled to have them back on our team for Paris,” said Rebecca Chatman, Vice President and Coordinating Producer, NBC Olympics Production in a release.

A 13-time Sports Emmy winner, Roberts will be providing coverage for his 20th Olympic games and his 12th for NBC. Roberts worked his first Olympics as a production assistant for the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.

“My career in relation to the Olympics has been one ‘pinch me’ moment after another,” Roberts said. “I’ve been fortunate to have seen things I will never forget, iconic things. For me, though, the lasting memory of the Games is about the many remarkable people I’ve met along the way. Athletes, of course, like Dan Jansen, who gets my vote for the most memorable story I’ve covered. Also, it’s the people I’ve had the privilege of working alongside. Not only Hall of Famers like Jim McKay, Bob Costas, and Mike Tirico, but the hundreds of talented and tireless folks on the other side of the camera with whom you become family. It’s really an amazing dynamic.”

Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Mary Carillo will be working her 16th Olympics and 13th for NBC. She started her Olympics broadcasting career at the 1992 Albertville Olympics as a skiing reporter for CBS.

“When you cover as many Olympics as I have you inevitably come to think you know how to judge every sport,” Carillo said. “Doesn’t matter that you’ve never tried most of them, especially all those crazy winter events. Doesn’t matter that you only watch them for a few days every four years. Does that stop you from declaring that it was the luger’s blunder on turn 27 that cost him the gold? Hell, no. That the forward lean on that last ski jump was premature? That the fall lines in the Nordic combined must be obeyed! Is it any wonder that by the end of it all when you order coffee you find yourself saying, ‘Triple lutz salchow twizzle. With oat milk.’ It sucks you in, the weeks of the Olympic Games. And if you’re as lucky as I am, every morning you text your two great friends, Andrea and Jimmy. You write, ‘Heading down to breakfast.’ And they come. And it’s gold.”

Andrea Joyce, also a member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, will be working her 17th Olympics and 13th with NBC. She started working the Olympics with ESPN in 1988.

“It’s always so incredible to be surrounded by the passion and determination of the athletes…many of whom train their whole lives in relative obscurity for just one moment in the spotlight,” she said. “Beyond that, I love the spirit of generosity at the games. No matter what is going on in the world, the Olympics makes us all feel like we are part of one community…a constant reminder that we are more alike than we are different. To share that with my co-workers is a true gift. Over the years I was incredibly lucky to witness Simone Biles make history countless times. But my favorite wasn’t a gold medal performance. In Tokyo, after withdrawing from the competition, Simone made a remarkable comeback on the last day for the balance beam final. She won the bronze. Seeing her reaction and the emotion from her teammates was a true Olympic moment. After all her historic accomplishments, Simone told me that moment and that bronze medal would always rank among her best memories.”

Dan Le Batard: I Didn’t Give Them ‘Exactly What They Wanted’ in Interview for ‘Up for Debate’ ESPN Docuseries

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Dan Le Batard: I Didn’t Give Them ‘Exactly What They Wanted’ in Interview for ‘Up for Debate’ ESPN Docuseries

Earlier in the week, ESPN, Religion of Sports and Mr. SAS Productions released a new docuseries titled Up for Debate, which chronicles the history of sports debate programming. The three-part venture outlines innovation and adoption of the format in multiple capacities spanning several decades and includes sit-down interviews with various sports media personalities, including Stephen A. Smith. Dan Le Batard, a former ESPN television and radio host who left the network in December 2020 and subsequently launched Meadowlark Media with former ESPN president John Skipper, shares a dissenting viewpoint on what the format has done for sports television and sat for an interview as well.

During a previous episode of South Beach Sessions, Le Batard expressed to Smith that he had ruined sports television because of the imitators that the content has precipitated. Although Le Batard did not watch the documentary at the time of recording Thursday’s edition of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, he perceived that he may have been left out. Le Batard observed that Smith was discussing the project on First Take and was ultimately skeptical as to whether or not he had been included.

“I’m not totally sure,” Le Batard said. “I sat down with their team for about 90 minutes, and I don’t know if I was cut out of it. I don’t know. I haven’t seen it yet. I remember that the interview wasn’t great between me and them where I wasn’t giving them exactly what they wanted. I did not know exactly what they wanted, but I’m an opposing viewpoint on what debate television has done in general, corrosively, to how it is the athlete is covered and how cruel some of the coverage is.”

Le Batard and Smith have discussed their contrasting perspectives on debate television in previous times, and the beginning of the second episode of the docuseries outlines their thoughts on the matter. Not having seen the presentation at the time though, he was unsure if his interview was ultimately left on the cutting room floor. In the description of the documentary as read in studio, Le Batard’s name was not included on the list of people interviewed, rather being grouped into an ‘Others’ category.

“That part is interesting if I can get the insult of just being ‘Others,’” Le Batard said, “but I want to be able to kick and scream about the fact that my viewpoint was simply cut out of a documentary that I spent 90 minutes interviewing on, but I haven’t seen it and don’t know if I can make the accusation.”

Amin Elhassan was in studio co-hosting the program on Thursday and eventually reacted to Jeremy Taché reading the list of names, ostensibly to determine whether their level of celebrity and/or eminence was larger than that of Le Batard. Before that though, he reminisced on the relationship he deciphers between Le Batard and ESPN, and recognized the outcome of the interview may have been indicative of tension.

“I’ll be honest with you Dan,” Elhassan said. “If I were ESPN and I hated you as much as they hate you, I would make you sit down for 90 minutes and then cut you out.”

“It is perfect torture, right?,” Taché replied. “Sit down for 90 minutes, explain this to us.”

“As soon as you walk out, delete that sh**,” added JuJu Gotti.

Carrington Harrison: ‘I Can’t Express How Sad I am About the Potential of Losing ‘Inside the NBA’

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Carrington Harrison: ‘I Can’t Express How Sad I am About the Potential of Losing ‘Inside the NBA’

As sports media continues to react to the news of the NBA being likely to leave TNT in favor of renewing with ESPN and signing new deals with NBA and Amazon’s Prime Video, 610 Sports Kansas City host Carrington Harrison weighed in on The Drive about TNT’s Inside the NBA possibly being lost in the shuffle after next season.

Harrison played an audio clip of Charles Barkley joining The Dan Patrick Show to discuss the latest with the situation. “Morale sucks – plain and simple,” Barkley said. “I just feel so bad for the people I work with, Dan. These people have families, and I just feel really bad for them right now, these people I work with. They screwed this thing up clearly. We don’t have zero idea what’s going to happen. I don’t feel good – I’m not going to lie – especially when they came out yesterday and said, ‘We bought college football.’ I was like, ‘Oh damn, they could have used that money to buy the NBA.’”

As the clip ended, Harrison said, “I can’t express how sad I am about the potential of losing Inside the NBA, I don’t know what’s going to happen. Maybe this show just moves from one network to the next, but Erine [Johnson] has been pretty steadfast on ‘I don’t want to work for another network, I work for Turner and even if they don’t have the NBA I am staying loyal to Turner.’

“They need all of them if the show is going to work. Shaq, Kenny, Ernie, Charles, we need all of you. You are a package deal in all of this. Maybe Amazon comes in and throws a boatload of money. Maybe ESPN, which has been trying to fix its NBA television problem it feels like for 20 years…It makes me so sad.”

Harrison went on to say Inside the NBA belongs on the ‘Mt. Rushmore of Sports Television Shows’ and named College GameDay, SportsCenter and PTI as the other three on his list.

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