In a news/talk radio world rife with topic ideas, nationally syndicated host Lars Larson questions why industry members spend so much time talking about things that haven’t happened.
In a post to X, Larson noted that the industry spends an inordinate amount of time discussing “fake news.”
“When I started in radio news a long time ago, all the stories I reported involved real things,” he wrote. “These days we do a stunning number of stories about things that don’t exist.”
He went on to list a bevy of items that, he believes, haven’t happened or are being told to the American people have happened when they haven’t or have been lied about by politicians and other media outlets.
FAKE NEWS When I started in radio news a long time ago, all the stories I reported involved REAL things. These days we do a stunning number of stories about things that DON’T exist. Trans women Who aren’t women, Palestinians from a non-existent country, “mostly peaceful”…
— Lars Ultra MAGA Larson (@LarsLarsonShow) April 9, 2024
Larson’s biggest sticking point was the recent comments from President Joe Biden stating that he is working around a Supreme Court decision stating he does not have the unilateral authority to forgive student loan payments.
Fox News received criticism for its encapsulation of the solar eclipse phenomenon, at times shaping its coverage around the immigration issue at the southern border. MSNBC host Jen Psaki said it’s the latest in a long line of fear-mongering from the network.
“A Fox News alert, a rare celestial event collides with a policy failure on the ground. The southern border will be directly in the path of totality today when the moon covers the sun for nearly four minutes,” America’s Newsroom host Dana Perino said while presenting coverage of the eclipse before it hit the United States Monday.
Many took umbrage with the idea that a celestial event could be tied to “policy failure”, but Psaki was unsurprised by the network’s antics.
“The funny thing is, back in 2017 — the last time there was a solar eclipse in the U.S. — no serious person was trying to spin it this way,” said Psaki. “But in the larger context of the language that the right is pushing — seven months out from Election Day, by the way — fearmongering about invading migrants and livable cities and Donald Trump warning about a bloodbath if he is not reelected.
“This is just another example of the fear that they are all too eager to inject into anything and everything under the sun,” Jen Psaki concluded.
As WEEI began its slate of prime-hour programming on Tuesday morning with The Greg Hill Show, co-hosts Jermaine Wiggins and Courtney Cox were seated in the studio ready for the program. Conspicuously absent, however, was Greg Hill, who was nowhere to be found during the first segment of the show in discussing the University of Connecticut taking home its second consecutive NCAA Division I Men’s National Championship. Rather than sitting behind the glass, show producer Chris Curtis took the hosting chair and participated in the discussion with Wiggins and Cox instead.
Following a commercial break, the discussion continued surrounding UConn, specifically discussing their head coach Dan Hurley and whether or not he would remain with the university. In the middle of the conversation, Hill walked into the studio and took his position to explain what happened and why he was late.
“I wish I had a great excuse,” Hill said. “I watched the game, fell asleep, [and] I put my alarm on – I don’t know. Do you go through this when your alarm doesn’t go off; you can’t remember. Like I don’t remember whether I hit ‘Snooze’ or whether I awoke or not.”
In response, Wiggins assumed that Hill had probably hit the snooze button on the alarm. Hill also shared that he watched the National Championship Game between UConn and Purdue, which aired on TBS, TNT and truTV on Tuesday night. The problem expressed by Hill and other viewers on the East Coast, however, pertained to the scheduling of such a matchup.
“It would be helpful if the game started at a reasonable time,” Hill said, citing the 9:20 p.m. EST tip-off time for the National Championship Game. The contest took place from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., which is currently in Mountain Standard Time (MST). Courtney Cox sent a message to Hill this morning and thought upon seeing the text that he had to get up and go to work.
“Well remember, Greg, you have your days,” Wiggins said. “You must have a ton saved up of coming-in-late days that Ken [Laird] gave you.”
The show then moved back to its discussion on UConn and Hill decided to check the Twitch chat and text line. One message he received from a listener castigated him for still needing an alarm to wake up, imploring him to grow up. Hill then revealed that he stayed inside during the total solar eclipse because he did not care about it and stated that people have “real problems” if they drove to see it and found themselves in a traffic jam on the way back home.
“By some reports, there are hundreds of cases of people calling into their medical providers in the hours and moments after the eclipse to talk about how their eyes are killing them; their eyes are burning,” Hill said. “Did those people miss the announcement about not staring directly into the eclipse?”
SportsRadio 610 in Houston hosts Seth Payne and Sean Pendergast talked about a social media exchange Pendergast had with NFL Network host Rich Eisen recently. Eisen was on vacation but replied to a re-post of an X post he put out about the Houston Texans. Payne and Pendergast wanted to let Eisen know they had not forgotten his previous comments about Texans General Manager Nick Caserio.
Pendergast explained, “Rich Eisen, NFL Network, he has his own radio show. We have had some fun with Rich Eisen on this show, based on his reaction to the pick of Davis Mills back in 2021.”
The hosts then played the clip of the actual draft announcement back in 2021 which was the 67th pick. The Texans selected the former Stanford quarterback and Rich Eisen could not believe what he had heard.
“So now what’s up with that,” he said on NFL Network’s draft coverage at the time. “What’s up with the Texans not having any choices in the first and second round and then when they finally get one, they choose a quarterback? “What is up with that? I cannot stress this question enough, ‘what is up with that?’ Hold on, let me go ahead and put another accent on another one of the words. WHAT is up with that?”
As the clip ended, Payne was taken back to that time and said, “It was the way he tripled and quadrupled down on it that annoyed me at the time. Now I remember why I got so annoyed.”
The two hosts discussed what was happening at the time with the Texans and that nobody was sure what would happen with their then quarterback, Deshaun Watson. Reports had surfaced about sexual misconduct allegations and Payne thought Eisen should have been more aware of that and also talked about the way the NFL Network was initially handling that story.
“…The NFL Network, they followed a…strategy of just trying to ignore that the DeShaun Watson situation even existed.”
Back to recent events, Pendergast lays out the post Eisen made where he said last week, “In trading their 1st rounder to Minnesota, moving down only 19 picks to the 2nd round, the Houston Texans also acquired a 2nd rounder in 2025 that they just flipped to get Stefon Diggs,” Eisen wrote. “And they ALSO got two 6s this year and a 5th next year in both trades.”
As Pendergast explains, “So, Rich Eisen…lays it all out in a tweet about how awesome the two trades were together and puts a GIF of a conductor, emphatically, energetically conducting the symphony as if to say this is Nick Caserio now…he has conducted a symphony of an offseason.”
Now, Pendergast gets around to why he had brought this up on the show, which was that Eisen spent time on The Rich Eisen show Monday talking about his post and the reply.
“So, that whole thing happened,” Pendergast said. “Come yesterday he gets back from vacation, Rich Eisen, and what did this whole ordeal yield? A very nice segment about the Houston Texans in which he acknowledged a radio host from Houston.”
“Let me just say something about the Houston Texans,” Eisen began. “I got some crap from a radio host in Houston…another thing I couldn’t resist replying to on vacation. I had forgotten this moment. Draft moments they come and they go for me…All I do is sit there and have natural reactions to what I think the fans are thinking…”
Eisen went on to explain that when he made his comments in 2021, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah explained the situation and that Watson would probably not be the quarterback of the Texans much longer.
Payne added, “I think the majority of Texans fans did say the same thing as Rich Eisen.”
Eisen continued on this show Monday saying he believes the Texans are the favorite to win their division and added people should be talking about the Texans and the Chiefs together with the young talent each team has.
He then ended with, “And Nick Caserio, I’m not wondering what the hell you’re doing anymore or thinking.”
Far cry from the “WHAT ARE THEY DOING?…. WHAT ARE THEEEEYY DOOINGGG??” moment when they drafted Davis Mills, eh? https://t.co/LIfsVNjKUq
Ah yes. Because Davis Mills was such a home run. And no one else was thinking that at that moment. We’ve never met but you’ve appeared to size me up as someone who can’t have differing opinions years apart when appropriate. At least Ive given you years of content! Including now.
NPR has often faced charges of political bias in its coverage, especially since and during the rise of former President Donald Trump. One of its senior editors now admits that he views the outlet as a biased one.
In an op-ed for The Free Press, NPR Senior Business Editor Uri Berliner — who has been at the network for 25 years — shared his belief that the outlet has now shifted to a much more left-leaning perspective than it ever featured before.
“It’s true NPR has always had a liberal bent, but during most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding,” Berliner wrote. “In recent years, however, that has changed. Today, those who listen to NPR or read its coverage online find something different: the distilled worldview of a very small segment of the U.S. population.”
“An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don’t have an audience that reflects America,” he added.
Berliner pointed to three separate stories that, in his view, the network got wrong: the idea that Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia in 2016, the genesis of the COVID-19 virus, and the Hunter Biden laptop story.
He added that the tone of the network changed under the direction of former CEO John Lansing after the death of George Floyd in 2020.
“The message from the top was very different. America’s infestation with systemic racism was declared loud and clear: it was a given. Our mission was to change it,” he alleged.
He shared that he still has faith the outlet can be an objective source of news for everyday Americans.
“For nearly all my career, working at NPR has been a source of great pride. It’s a privilege to work in the newsroom at a crown jewel of American journalism. My colleagues are congenial and hardworking,” he wrote. “For years, I have been persistent. When I believe our coverage has gone off the rails, I have written regular emails to top news leaders, sometimes even having one-on-one sessions with them.
“No one has ever trashed me. That’s not the NPR way. People are polite. But nothing changes. So I’ve become a visible wrong-thinker at a place I love. It’s uncomfortable, sometimes heartbreaking…Despite our missteps at NPR, defunding isn’t the answer. As the country becomes more fractured, there’s still a need for a public institution where stories are told and viewpoints exchanged in good faith. Defunding, as a rebuke from Congress, wouldn’t change the journalism at NPR. That needs to come from within.”
Following the first round of the 2024 National Football League Draft on Thursday, April 25, a special presentation from The Fantasy Footballers will stream exclusively on NFL+. Hosted by Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright, The Fantasy Footballers Draft Special is the first live fantasy reaction show from NFL Media to ever take place on Draft weekend. This year’s draft will emanate from Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit, Mich., and it is expected to feature many young, dynamic and talented players looking to make an impact in the NFL.
Once the first day of the NFL Draft concludes, The Fantasy Footballers Draft Special will commence and bring fans insights and analysis surrounding the selections. NFL+, the league’s direct-to-consumer service, will present this edition of the show in video form for consumers to enjoy after the Day 1 selections are made. The NFL and The Fantasy Footballers Podcast have been in partnership, which includes distributing The Fantasy Footballers Dynasty Podcast on the NFL Podcast Network through iHeartMedia as part of a multi-year deal.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with the NFL on a groundbreaking new experience for NFL+,” Mike ‘The Fantasy Hitman’ Wright said in a statement, “providing live fantasy football draft day analysis and reactions for the first time to an audience excited to see how these new faces fit into the NFL landscape.”
In 2023, The Fantasy Footballers Podcast garnered 70 million downloads and continued to appeal to football fans and those within the fantasy sports space. Over the years, the show has claimed several industry accolades such as the “Best Sports Podcast” award from iHeartMedia in 2019, along with nine victories from PodcastAwards.com.
“We are excited to continue and expand upon our incredible relationship with ‘The Fantasy Footballers’ in providing a show that is first of its kind for the NFL Media group,” Meredith Battin, vice president, head of content planning and programming for the NFL, said in a statement. “The fantasy expertise of the ‘Footballers’ provides a unique angle to our NFL Draft coverage, and we are thrilled to offer it to NFL+ subscribers.”
The first round of the NFL Draft will take place on Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m. EST and include coverage on ESPN, ABC, NFL+, NFL Network and the NFL Channel. Proceedings continue through Saturday, April 27 when the fourth through seventh rounds take place live from Detroit. Top selections in this year’s draft are projected to include collegiate standouts, some of whom include USC quarterback Caleb Williams, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.
Every year, The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) holds the Sports Emmy Awards to honor those within the sports media industry for high achievement and excellent performance. The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 21 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City and includes awards within 46 different categories, including journalism, outstanding studio host and emerging on-air talent among others. James Brown, host of The NFL Today for CBS Sports and special correspondent for CBS News, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award as well.
“This year’s sports broadcasting nominees produced thrilling and captivating television,” Adam Sharp, president and chief executive officer of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming these exceptional professionals to the 45th Annual Sports Emmy Awards in May.”
A full list of categories and nominees can be found below:
Outstanding Live Special
The Masters
CBS
The 105th PGA Championship
CBS
Super Bowl LVIII (Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers)
CBS
Super Bowl LVIII (Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers)
Nickelodeon [Nickelodeon Productions | CBS Sports | NFL Films]
The 119th World Series (Texas Rangers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks)
FOX
Outstanding Live Series
FOX CFB
FOX | FS1
FOX NFL
FOX
Monday Night Football
ABC | ESPN
Monday Night Football with Peyton & Eli
ESPN2 [Omaha Productions]
Sunday Night Football
NBC | Peacock
Outstanding Playoff Coverage
American League Championship Series (Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers)
FOX | FS1
College Football Playoff Semifinals (Rose Bowl; Sugar Bowl)
ESPN
MLB Postseason on TBS
TBS
NFC Championship (Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers)
FOX
NFL Playoffs on NBC
NBC | Peacock
Outstanding Edited Event Coverage
All Access (Davis vs. Garcia: Epilogue)
Showtime
NFL Draft: The Pick Is In
The Roku Channel [NFL Films | Skydance Sports]
NFL Game Day All Access (Super Bowl LVIII)
YouTube [NFL Films]
Road To The Super Bowl
CBS [NFL Films]
2023 Special Olympic World Games
ABC
Outstanding Edited Special
Chasing Greatness: Coach K x LeBron
TNT
Crown
CBS Sports Network
E60 (The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Sports)
ESPN [ESPN Films]
GR8TNESS
ESPN
You Are Looking Live!
CBS [NFL Films]
Outstanding Hosted Edited Series
E60
ESPN
Kickin’ It
Paramount+ | Golazo Network
The Pivot Podcast
YouTube
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
HBO | Max
The Shop UNINTERRUPTED
YouTube [UNINTERRUPTED]
Outstanding Esports Championship Coverage
BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023
BLAST.tv [BLAST]
2023 Call of Duty League Championship Weekend (New York Subliners vs. Toronto Ultra)
SuperTalk 99.7 WTN morning host and Program Director Dan Mandis has reason to celebrate, after hitting his 10th anniversary with the Cumulus-owned Nashville news/talk station.
Mandis recently celebrated a decade with the station, noting that he only realized it was his 10-year anniversary due to social media posts from friends.
“You know what I discovered today? LinkedIn,” Mandis said. “I’ve rediscovered LinkedIn because people are congratulating me on my 10-year anniversary. I knew it was around this time. I got a personal note from the CEO of the company. Not the corner office of this building, the corner office of the company.”
While Dan Mandis joked that the note was clearly a template, he said “I appreciate it nonetheless. Because in radio, 10 years in radio years is like a thousand.”
The host and Program Director joined SuperTalk 99.7 WTN in April 2014 after a stint at iHeartMedia in Denver leading 630 KHOW and 760 KKZN, which at the time was progressive talk.
Other stops include serving as the Program Director of 1190 WOWO in Fort Wayne and 740 KVOR in Colorado Springs.
The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament showcased two Final Four games on Saturday night and featured Ian Eagle, the new lead play-by-play announcer for the coverage. Eagle was joined by analysts Bill Raftery and Grant Hill, reporter Tracy Wolfson and rules analyst Gene Steratore for the two-game slate from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The studio team was live on-site to lead in to the coverage, which featured host Ernie Johnson and analysts Charles Barkley, Clark Kellogg, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Jay Wright.
The game between the Purdue Boilermakers and NC State Wolfpack averaged 11.45 million viewers and a 5.3 share, which was down 10% in viewership year-over-year. Last year’s comparable matchup between San Diego State and Florida Atlantic University averaged 11.90 million viewers and attained a 6.0 share.
The final game of the night between the defending champion UConn Huskies and Alabama Crimson Tide averaged 14.18 million and a 6.7 share. Year-over-year, the game is up 10% in viewership from last year’s comparable matchup between UConn and Miami, along with a 5% boost in ratings. Both contests were televised on TBS, TNT and truTV and were also available to stream live utilizing NCAA March Madness Live and the Max B/R Sports Add-On.
TBS was measured to have attained the largest portion of overall viewership for the games, drawing approximately 50% of average viewership for Purdue-NC State and just over 46% of viewership for UConn-Alabama. Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch shared that the gap between TBS and TNT was the smallest this year since Warner Bros. Discovery-owned networks commenced airing Final Four games in 2014. Additionally, truTV added over 1 million viewers for each of the contests.
As a whole, Final Four viewership averaged 12.84 million viewers across the three networks, up 4% year-over-year, but it experienced a 2% decline in ratings to a 6.0 share. Viewership figures for Monday night’s National Championship Game between UConn and Purdue have yet to be released.
Those that tuned in to WrestleMania 40 already knew it was one of the best presentations of the event in its four-decade history. Now, there is factual proof, as WWE announced viewership was up 41% across both nights versus last year’s record-setting audience.
WrestleMania 40 also became the most socially viewed of all time with over 660 million views consumed over the two days. Meanwhile, WWE’s YouTube channel saw its most-viewed day in channel history on Sunday with more than 67 million views in 24 hours.
The company said the total two-day attendance was 145,298 and stated the gate for WrestleMania was up 78%. With WrestleMania 39 coming in over $18 million, that should put the gate for this year over $30 million.
Viewership has been helped by the return of The Rock as well as the yearlong story of whether or not this would be the year Cody Rhodes would ‘finish the story.’ On night one of WrestleMania, The Rock and Roman Reigns defeated Rhodes and Seth Rollins to set up night two when Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns to become the undisputed WWE universal champion. Reigns had held the title for more than three and a half years.
