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Glen Macnow is Ready to Call it a Career at SportsRadio 94WIP

Peter Schwartz
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Glen Macnow is Ready to Call it a Career at SportsRadio 94WIP

Glen Macnow began his career in sports at the age of 21 starting out as a newspaper writer before entering the world of sports radio. 31 years after it all started, the Philadelphia legend is ready to call it a career.

The 69-year-old Macnow recently announced his retirement from WIP and his final show will be on July 13th.

“I’ve reached the point of life where time is a more important currency than money,” said Macnow. “I have other things I want to do, places to visit and goals to achieve. It seemed like in order to move to the next step I had to leave this great part of my life behind.”

While Macnow is retiring, he’s not closing the door on continuing to dabble in sports radio. WIP has asked him to come on occasionally but whether that’s as a guest or as a guest host has yet to be determined.

There have been some sports radio hosts who have turned to podcasts after they’ve retired, but don’t expect to see Macnow in that arena.

“I don’t think I want to do a podcast,” said Macnow. “Having the opportunity to do radio, “I don’t really feel that a podcast is something I need to dabble in next.” 

What is next for him, as far as dipping his toes in the sports radio waters, is something that he’ll look at somewhere down the road.

“That’s probably a question that you ask me a year from now,” said Macnow. “Right now, I’m looking forward to doing nothing.” 

What Macnow is also looking forward to is being a fan. He’s eager to watch a game and not have to worry about how he’s going to talk about it the next day on the radio. There is a difference to watching a sporting event as a fan as opposed to watching it as a sports radio host.

“When you’re in the business, you can be a fan but it’s obviously very different,” said Macnow. “You have to watch it differently. You have to watch it from a different angle. Now, I’m just ready to sit back and enjoy sports without it being my business.”

While Macnow is looking forward to beginning the next chapter of his life, there is a part of the business that he’s going to miss and that’s talking sports with some of the greatest fans in the United States. Doing sports radio in Philadelphia certainly has its challenges depending on how the teams are doing, but each day he talked to fans who were very passionate about their teams.

And that made the job fun.

“I’m lucky enough to work in what is arguably the most enthusiastic sports city in the country,” said Macnow. “This is a city that cares about all four teams that has strongly rooted franchises and great fans. I know its cliché to say Philadelphia is passionate about sports but it really is true.” 

During his career, Macnow did do solo shows but he relishes the time that spent with some great partners including Ray Didinger for 21 years and his current weekend partners Mike Sielski and Jody McDonald who helped Macnow break into sports radio many years ago.

He’s going to miss working with them.

“I love these guys,” said Macnow. “Going to work has never felt like work. It’s always felt like an opportunity to hang out with people who I enjoy.”

Macnow has seen the sports radio industry evolve over the years.

WFAN in New York was the first all-sports radio station in the country and then came WIP in Philadelphia. WFAN decided to do a nationwide search for hosts when it first went on the air and would eventually change course by bringing in Don Imus to do mornings while establishing a local sports roster for the rest of the dayparts.

When WIP launched, their late Program Director Tom Bigby brought in radio pros like Jody McDonald, Steve Fredericks and Bill Campbell but he also brought in newspaper writers like Angelo Cataldi, Al Morganti and Macnow.

Bringing in writers, as it turns out, was a smart move because it was the writers who were in the trenches covering games and establishing relationships with players, coaches/managers and front office executives. 

And they brought that insight to sports radio.

“In the beginning, there was more storytelling because that’s what newspaper guys knew how to do,” said Macnow. “We were older. We weren’t a bunch of 25-year-old guys. We were all guys into our late 30’s and 40’s and that’s what built the station. Now, it’s a younger crew. We got older so the station needs to recognize that it needs to stay young and keep interest in people who are young. I recognize that it has to evolve and I recognize that I’m the outlier.” 

Another big change to sports radio has been the addition of legal sports gambling in terms of content and advertising. It has become a big part of the industry and one that has allowed radio stations to generate a huge amount of revenue. While that has been important to the bottom line, sports gambling is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Macnow respects that people like legal sports gambling, but he’s not interested in it and has some concerns.

“I am not against legal sports gambling,” said Macnow. “I think people should have the right to do what they want. For me, it’s just not very interesting to listen to. It’s taking over everything. It used to be that we talk all the time about whether or not the Phillies would win. Now, there’s a lot of talk about whether a parlay of Trey Turner and Nick Castellanos hitting home runs will come true and that’s something that doesn’t interest me at all.”

As his sports radio career winds down, Macnow will continue to spend some time with other activities including acting. He has appeared in a few movies and is currently in a play “The Diary of Anne Frank” at the Players Club of Swarthmore that runs through May 4th.

“I’m excited to get into the acting more and more,” said Macnow. “I’m getting a little bit older so there’s not a ton of roles for men of a certain age but I really do enjoy it. I’m in a play now and I just love that. It’s a challenge. I’m not as good at it as I want to be but I think I’m getting better.”

Macnow will also continue to host “What’s Brewing”, a beer show on NBC Sports Philadelphia, at least through the end of this year. He’s hoping that there will be funding to keep the show going beyond that. 

“We’re actually up for a state grant for next year,” said Macnow. “If we get the state grant, I’m certainly going to do the show. If not, we’ll see how that plays out.”

And back to that question of what else is next for Macnow after his final show on July 13th? He certainly has some boxes to check off and things on his to-do list. 

“I’m looking forward to traveling with my lovely wife to many many places, countries and states that I haven’t gone to,” said Macnow. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll take that hot yoga course one of these days.”

It’s been quite the career for Glen Macnow. Whether it’s a cameo here and there on WIP, more acting opportunities or the beer show, it sounds like you haven’t heard or seen the last of him.

Where Will News/Talk Radio Find The Next Crop of Stars?

Garrett Searight
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Many questions keep radio leaders — especially those in the news/talk format — up at night. Plenty of things are important in the day-to-day operations of major brands, like hitting ratings and revenue goals.

But one question that persists when opportunity arises to think about the future: Where will news/talk radio find the next crop of stars?

Many view podcasting as a natural proving ground for potential talk radio stardom. However, 95.5 WSB Director of Content Ken Charles doesn’t believe that pathway is a slam dunk.

“Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, well, we’ve got to find our next generation in podcasting.’ Podcasting is really different than broadcasting. Podcasting is like cable, this is like network TV. We have a much bigger, much broader audience versus podcasting,” said Charles. “Most of them — not all of them, but most of them — are very niche and very specific in what they do.

“Erick Erickson is going to talk about a thousand different things, and if something breaks in the middle of his show, he needs to be ready to pivot on a dime and talk about it in an informed, intelligent way. That’s a unique talent. And that’s a skill that’s very different from most podcasts, which are prepared, which are one topic, and are very focused on one specific niche. Are podcasts an opportunity? Just because you can do an excellent podcast, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to be an excellent talk show host. It’s a place to look, but it’s not the panacea that I’ve heard people say that that’s where our next generation is going to come from.”

Veteran programmer Dave LaBrozzi — who recently retired from the venerable KDKA in Pittsburgh — shared many of the same sentiments as Charles, stating that it isn’t as easy of a shift from the digital realm to live talk as one might expect.

“I’ve watched as some haven’t been able to make as smooth of a transition as they thought they would from podcasting to talk show host on the radio,” said LaBrozzi. “With podcasting, you can do whatever you want. With radio, there’s formatics involved, and there’s some disciplines involved in radio with appointment setting and teasing and all that kind of stuff that you don’t necessarily have to do in podcasting. So, I think it’s a good first step, but it doesn’t always translate.”

LaBrozzi added that he believes that viewing a potential host by their talent, rather than their previous distribution method, is the best way to identify a potential fit.

700 WLW midday host Bill Cunningham has been entertaining audiences in Cincinnati for decades. He, like many, believes podcasting can be an entryway into the format, but thinks there are some hurdles in the way.

“iHeartMedia believes that podcasts are the future to find talent. And I can’t disagree with them. But the problem is, it’s one thing to do a podcast once a week or four per month. How about doing six days a week? I’m on Monday through Friday, plus I’m on Sunday night. Now that’s different,” said Cunningham. “‘He had a really great podcast.; Well, do it again tomorrow for three hours. Now do another one on Wednesday for three hours. And then do it on Thursday. So, that’s the challenge.”

Terry Foxx — who serves as the Director of Spoken Word Programming for iHeartMedia in Austin and San Antonio, including 1200 WOAI — believes the onus isn’t on the talent to prepare themselves for talk radio stardom as much as it is for programmers and executives to make the time to identify the future stars before anyone else.

“We have to stop like we used to and take the time to listen to someone who might not be a household name. All of us started not being a household name,” he said. “So, as programmers, we still have to stop what we’re doing, and if I’m going to a radio convention or conference, I’m going to take time and talk to the kid from someplace I’ve never heard of and see, maybe this is the person that’s going to be the next big thing, the next Ryan Seacrest, the next Bobby Bones.

“There are people out there, but you have to take the time. And that’s on us. And I’m not even using the term managers here, but as programmers, we have to be able to take time to find out who’s next. And I’ve always learned that when I’m around people,I don’t just hire someone for the job I’m hiring them for. I look for what they’re going to be in the future. And I think that’s what’s very important.”

When asked, specifically, on if any industries prepared potential hosts for a role in talk radio, responses varied from stand-up comedians, to lawyers, and teachers.

Each walk of life — like the nationally syndicated Stephanie Miller (stand-up comedy), KFI-AM 640’s Bill Handel or 700 WLW’s Bill Cunningham (lawyers), or 1210 WPHT’s Dom Giordano (teacher) — are represented as some of the biggest hosts in the industry. Proving, maybe once and for all, that the potential stars of tomorrow could continue to come from a variety of industries and backgrounds, and not simply the podcasting space.

The key driver, most programmers and hosts agreed, to a future in news/talk radio, was the ability to entertain, which remains a tentpole of the industry.

Report: NBC Could Steal NBA Rights from TNT to the Tune of Around $2.5 Billion Per Year

BSM Staff
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Report: NBC Could Steal NBA Rights from TNT to the Tune of Around $2.5 Billion Per Year

A report from the Wall Street Journal says NBC is making an offer around $2.5 billion per year to obtain part of the NBA media rights package. Joel Flint, Amol Sharma and Isabella Simonetti all contributed to the story which says Warner Bros. Discovery is making a “last-ditch effort” for TNT to continue as an NBA partner.

The TNT portion of the current agreement, which expires after next season, is an average of $1.2 billion. ESPN had been paying $1.5 billion and that is expected to increase over $1 billion annually.

Last week, reports surfaced from Puck’s John Ourand that ESPN was nearing completion of their portion of the package and that it would include the NBA Finals staying on ABC. All indications had been there would be more than two partners in the next deal and that it would include a streaming network. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic also reported last week that Amazon Prime Video and the league “have the framework of a deal” and that it would include “significant regular season and postseason games, perhaps even conference finals.”

The WSJ report says NBC’s discussions with the NBA have been about carrying two prime-time games a week. This is important as WBD has matching rights in their current agreement. However, they do not own a broadcast network and therefore could not offer something similar to NBC.

Multiple reports have said any new agreements will be for a period of ten years.

Andrew Feldman to Lead ESPN Digital Sports Betting and Fantasy Group

BSM Staff
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Andrew Feldman to Lead ESPN Digital Sports Betting and Fantasy Group

Andrew Feldman, who is coming up on 20 years at ESPN, today announced he is moving from combat sports to betting and fantasy. Feldman was the Senior Editor for ESPN Fantasy, Gaming, WWE, Boxing and MMA before taking over just the ESPN Digital Combat Sports Team. Today, he said he is headed “back home, ready to lead ESPN Digital’s Sports Betting and Fantasy Sports group.”

“I’ve worked with an incredible team across ESPN to take our MMA, Boxing and Wrestling coverage to the next level,” Feldman also posted on X as he thanked several of his colleagues.

According to his LinkedIn account, Feldman started with ESPN in June, 2004.

Feldman used to be the editor and manager for the ESPN poker product since its inception in 2005 and he co-hosted ESPN Inside Deal and hosted ESPN’s Poker Edge Podcast.

NFL Draft Night One Averages Over 12 Million Viewers, Best in Three Years

BSM Staff
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NFL Draft Night One Averages Over 12 Million Viewers, Best in Three Years

On Thursday, the NFL kicked off night one of the NFL Draft live from Detroit. A record 275,000 people attended, and it had its best viewing audience in three years.

According to numbers posted by Sports Business Journal’s Austin Karp, ESPN had 5.6 million viewers, while ABC had 4.5 million and the NFL Network and other digital streaming had 1.6 million. Add those numbers to what ESPN Deportes did and it comes out to around 12.1 million. The NFL and Nielsen said that 34.3 million viewers tuned in at some point to watch the first round.

The figure for 2024 is up 6% over last year’s draft and is the highest since 2021’s 12.5 million. The record for the most-watched NFL Draft came during the pandemic in 2020 and hit 15.3 million.

According to Karp, ABC had the largest increase as it featured the College GameDay crew including the newest member, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

Paramount CFO: ‘Sports Continued to Overdeliver’ in Q1

BSM Staff
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Paramount CFO: ‘Sports Continued to Overdeliver’ in Q1

As the company is on the verge of potentially agreeing to a merger, Paramount Global is moving on from chief executive officer Bob Bakish. Various reports have indicated that Bakish has lost the trust of Paramount Global controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, who owns National Amusements and is looking to sell her stake in the company. The company has established an Office of the CEO that will include George Cheeks, president and chief executive officer of CBS; Chris McCarthy, president and chief executive officer of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks; and Brian Robbins, president and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon.

Skydance Media has reportedly made Paramount its last and final offer for a merger that would include a $3 billion cash injection to pay down debt and re-purchase stock. Additionally, Skydance has reportedly offered a premium for a percentage of non-voting shareholder Class B shares, which could presumably help the company following its debt being downgraded to BB+ status by S&P Global last month. Earlier in April, The Wall Street Journal reported that four members of the Paramount board of directors stepped down from their roles.

The company has been trying to diminish its linear television losses and adapt to the changing media environment predicated on innovations in the digital and streaming spaces. Just after attaining record average viewership of 123.7 million viewers for its broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII, the company laid off 3% of its workforce with the intent to “grow revenue, while reducing costs.” During the company’s Q1 earnings call, Paramount executive vice president and chief financial officer Naveen Chopra stated that “sports continued to overdeliver,” which included the NFL Playoffs (average of 45.6 million viewers), Super Bowl LVIII and NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.

In the fiscal first quarter, the company attained $7.7 billion in revenue, which is up 6% from Q1 2023. Television advertising revenue had a 23-percentage point benefit from the Super Bowl that led to a 14% overall increase in the category. Continued subscriber declines in television media resulted in a 3% drop in affiliate and subscription revenue. Adjusted OIBDA in the quarter equated to $1.4 billion, an 11% increase that was partially driven from the Super Bowl LVIII broadcast.

“The game broke records across CBS, Paramount+ and Nickelodeon, a great example of the power of our multiplatform offering,” Naveen Chopra, Paramount executive vice president and chief financial officer, said on the company’s earnings call.

During last year’s fiscal fourth quarter, Paramount garnered $7.6 billion in revenue and $404 million in operating income, the latter of which was up 122% year-over-year. Additionally, Paramount+ revenue grew by 69% through the net addition of 4.1 subscribers in the quarter. The platform added 3.7 million subscribers in Q1 2024, coming to a total of 71.2 subscribers worldwide. Average revenue per user (ARPU) also expanded by 31% year-over-year as advertising revenue rose by 14% on the year as well.

As CBS Sports serves as one driver of Paramount+ subscriptions through live game broadcasts and other sports content, the sports division recently endured a change of its own with the retirement of chairman Sean McManus and advertising chief John Bogusz stepping down from his role. Earlier on Monday, the company announced that former NFL quarterbacks and longtime analysts for The NFL Today, Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason, would not be returning to the studio show. Former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan will be joining the studio show next season, along with host James Brown and analysts Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson and J.J. Watt.

Harris Faulkner: Being Unique Key to Outnumbered Lasting a Decade at Fox News

BNM Staff
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Fox News host Harris Faulkner is celebrating a milestone as the midday show she has anchored — Outnumbered — has been on the air for 10 years.

Faulkner is the only original host of the program still seen on a daily basis. When it debuted in April 2014, she was joined alongside Jedediah Bila, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Sandra Smith. The show has also featured Andrea Tantaros, Meghan McCain, and Melissa Francis. Outnumbered now sees Faulkner paired with Emily Compagno and Kayleigh McEnany.

In an interview with TVNewser detailing her decade on set, Faulkner said the program features qualities rarely seen in television news.

“We are nimble and unique. Outnumbered is the only daytime talk show that can handle the network’s breaking news coverage live and toggle to unscripted talk about culture, politics—everything. We have all perspectives, politically and culturally, and are welcome to join the conversation,” said Faulkner.

“Sometimes having a different opinion means that you’re outnumbered and our viewers love that. The man in the middle seat changes every day, and we began calling him the ‘one lucky guy’ from day one because he was fortunate to be surrounded by powerful women.

While the program celebrates its 10th anniversary, Harris Faulkner has been at Fox News since 2005, and hosts The Faulkner Focus in addition to the decade-long program.

SuperTalk 99.7 WTN Delivers Big Drive Time Numbers in Nashville Winter Ratings Book

BNM Staff
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SuperTalk 99.7 WTN Delivers Big Drive Time Numbers in Nashville Winter Ratings Book

Nashville is a burgeoning talk radio market, with two local brands offering very different approaches to weekday programming. On Talk Radio 98.3 WLAC, the station features several nationally syndicated shows. Among them are The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Michael Berry, and The Ramsey Show. The station’s morning program, Your Morning Show with Michael DelGiorno is the exception, emanating from Music City. Meanwhile, the locally focused SuperTalk 99.7 WTN rolls out four local programs between the hours of 5a-7p, saving syndicated shows for the evening hours.

In the latest Winter ratings book, SuperTalk 99.7 benefitted the most for the quarter. The station tied for fourth in the weekday prime category (M-F, 6a-7p) with Persons 35-64 with a 7.2 share. The brand tied for ninth with a 4.6 share in the Persons 25-54 demo. WLAC on the other hand delivered a 2.8 share with Persons 35-64, and an 0.8 share with Persons 25-54.

For the full week (M-Su, 6a-12a), SuperTalk 99.7 WTN scored a 5.6 share (T-7th) with Persons 35-64 and a 3.3 (T-12) in Persons 25-54. Meanwhile, Talk Radio 98.3 finished with a 2.2 share (Persons 35-64) and a 0.7 (Persons 25-54).

Among the weekday shows, SuperTalk 99.7 WTN received its highest numbers in morning drive (5a-9a). Nashville’s Morning News hosted by Dan Mandis from 5a-9a earned a 9.7 share, good for first overall with Persons 35-64. The show ranked seventh with a 6.0 share among Persons 25-54. For Talk Radio 98.3, the daypart (6a-10a) featured Michael DelGiorno — who departed WTN last year and launched his new show in November 2023 — and the first two hours of The Glenn Beck Program. The two shows combined for an 0.3 share (Persons 25-54) and an 0.7 share (Persons 35-64).

Middays was the strongest daypart for the iHeartMedia-owned WLAC. From 10a-3p, the station featured the final hour of Beck’s show, The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, and the first hour of The Sean Hannity Show. Collectively, the station saw a 4.2 share in the Persons 35-64 demo, good for 9th, while finishing with a 1.3 share among Persons 25-54. Cumulus-owned WTN aired The Chris Hand Show and The Matt Murphy Show between 9a-3p. Those two programs earned a tie for fifth in the Persons 35-64 demo with a 6.0 share. They also secured a 10th place finish in the Persons 25-54 demo with a 3.7 share.

Afternoons at SuperTalk 99.7 WTN are helmed by The Drive with Brian Wilson, which spans the duration of the 3p-7p timeslot. The former Fox News anchor and correspondent saw an 8.7 share in the Persons 35-64 demo, good for second place during the quarter. Wilson finished eighth in the Persons 25-54 category with a 5.6 share. The final two hours of Hannity’s show, and The Michael Berry Show occupied the afternoon daypart (3p-7p) for Talk Radio 98.3. The timeslot produced a 2.7 share with Persons 35-64, and a 0.3 share in the Persons 25-54 demo.

Ratings reports and analysis are written by BNM and sponsored by Crowd React Media, a division of Harker Bos Group. Learn more about the different ways media research can benefit your station and cut through the noise by clicking here.

Nick Kayal: ‘Howard Stern Doesn’t Have the Relevance He Used to Have’

BNM Staff
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Last week, SiriusXM host Howard Stern welcomed President Joe Biden to his program. The interview was much maligned, including strong criticism from 1210 WPHT host Nick Kayal.

On Monday, Kayal argued that Stern’s stature in the media landscape has been greatly diminished in recent years, and has himself to blame for that lack of cachet.

“First of all, Howard Stern doesn’t have the audience that he used to have. He really only works kind of part-time, if you think about his schedule. Secondly, you have to pay to get his show. Some of the satellite programming comes free with vehicles for a period of time, but much like an elevated tier or package with cable TV, you need to pay for his channel,” said Kayal.

“Howard Stern doesn’t have the badass relevance that he used to have. He’s a pawn and a puppet for the establishment. He’s lost his backbone. The far left, and today’s woke culture love him. But the audience that used to love him probably doesn’t have the same passion for his content today.”

Kayal continued by noting that the only time Howard Stern — who used to dominate the headlines with his program — is when he enters the political realm with opinions that anger conservative media members and outlets.

“The only time Stern’s name is brought up in media today is when he utters some sort of political belief,” Kayal argued, stating that while the program doesn’t hold a grip on the American audience as it once did, it still features “major name recognition” for political candidates.

Sid Rosenberg: Groups Are Asking Me to Run for Mayor of New York

BNM Staff
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Sid Rosenberg: Groups Are Asking Me to Run for Mayor of New York

Could 77 WABC morning host Sid Rosenberg be the next mayor of New York? If a group of wealthy benefactors got their way, yes.

During Sid and Friends in the Morning Monday, the New York news/talk host revealed he was approached by a group at the Met Gala Friday evening about a potential run in the Republican primary in the city.

“A bunch of folks — I’m not exaggerating, I’m not making it up, they were dead serious — who came up to me approached me and said, ‘We’ve got money. We’ve got friends. I know you’re friends with Curtis. You’re the mayor. You need to be mayor.'”

After stating he was not interested in running for political office, Rosenberg said he would support his colleague Curtis Sliwa, who said he would welcome an opponent in the primary.

“I need a primary. I really do. And now that all these people are pumped up on you, let’s do it. Let’s take it to Studio 77 right down the alley,” Sliwa joked. “I’ll tell you why you got a good shot at beating me, because I’ve done the analytics.”

Sliwa continued by noting that Sid Rosenberg would have higher polling numbers with various minority groups in the city than he would.

Rosenberg would not be the first 77 WABC personality to run — or tease a run — for mayor of the Big Apple. Curtis Sliwa lost the mayoral race in 2021 to current Mayor Eric Adams (D). Station owner John Catsimatidis unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2013, and afternoon host Greg Kelly has continually teased a run as a Republican in 2025. Additionally, the station employs former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani as a host during the 3-4 PM timeslot.

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