FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer announced today he’s rebranding his podcast. In a release from podcast producer iHeartPodcasts they note, “Unbreakable with Jay Glazer: A MentalHealth Podcast” will be renamed “Unbreakable with Jay Glazer: A Mental WEALTH Podcast” to better reflect the message of the program.
“When we launched the podcast, it was really important to give words to what many of us are experiencing with our mental health,” said Jay Glazer. “We led that charge, and after more than a year of conversations with leaders and champions in every field, we’re shifting to a focus on sharing personal stories of overcoming adversity, the tools people use to incur MENTAL WEALTH, and paths to success so we can help motivate, uplift and inspire even more people and help set them up to win.”
This week on “Unbreakable,” Glazer welcomes San Francisco 49ers General Manager John Lynch for a two-part conversation following the team’s conference championship win against the Detroit Lions.
“Unbreakable with Jay Glazer” was launched in September 2022. In each episode, Glazer shares his personal mental health journey with the audience, including the tools and techniques he’s developed to “live in the gray” – his term for living and thriving with anxiety, depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
KMOX in St. Louis has added Red Apple Audio Network’s overnight show The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano to its daily lineup.
Originating from 77 WABC in New York, the overnight program broadcasts from 1-5 AM ET on nearly 20 stations. The program will air each weekday on the Audacy-owned St. Louis news/talk station.
“We are excited to air The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano. We were looking for a live, informative, interactive, and entertaining show that will rekindle the joy of overnight radio,” said KMOX Brand Manager Steve Moore.
“I’m excited to join the KMOX line-up and bring live programming to overnights in St. Louis,” added Morano. “St. Louis is a terrific market and KMOX is a legendary talk station, with an incredible audience and history that goes back nearly a century. I’m looking forward to being a big part of their history when the chapter on their next century is written. We’re going to have a blast.”
John McClain posted on X today he has been laid off by Sports Radio 610 in Houston. McClain, who retired from the Houston Chronicle after 47 years in March, 2022, said he will make his final appearance on the station Friday at 4 p.m. local time on The Drive with Clint Stoerner and Ron Hughley.
McClain said this will be the first time in 39 years he will not be doing radio in Houston, having started at KTRH in 1985. He did say he will be continuing to do radio appearances in other markets such as Nashville, Las Vegas and San Antonio and that he plans “to keep doing them as long as they’ll have me talking about the Texans and the NFL.”
McClain posted several times on X thanking those who hired him and also the talent he has been working with on Sports Radio 610. He finished with, “And, finally, thanks very, very much to all the listeners and readers who’ve listened and read me through the decades at the Chronicle, KTRH and 610. I appreciate it very much. I don’t plan to disappear. I just have one fewer station to appear on every week. THANK YOU!”
1) This will take a few tweets, so please bear with me. For the first time in 24 years, I won't be appearing on @SportsRadio610 because I've been laid off. Friday is my last day. I'd been making 6 appearances, writing 4 columns and doing 3 Houtopia Football Podcasts each week.
A clip from OAN host Alison Steinberg went viral earlier this week as she railed against the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, as well as professional sports as a whole as a “psyop”. 1210 WPHT host Dom Giordano believes the clip — and frankly, the entire network — is deranged.
During The Dom Giordano Program Tuesday, the Philadelphia host mentioned the clip from Steinberg, and argued that it showcases just how off the rails the network truly is.
“We have a deranged person on One America Network (sic) that went off attacking pro football. This woman, even for one One America Network (sic), my god. First, you’ve got Fox News. Then you’ve got AAA, Newsmax. And then you have some kids kicking around a softball on a field in the rain, and that’s One America Network (sic). It’s deranged.”
During her commentary, Steinberg claimed “This is bread and circuses on steroids. Major league sports in and of itself is nothing but a psyop,” adding that games are “public indoctrination camps”.
“Just imagine for a moment if people were as dedicated to Jesus as they are professional sports. I think the country might look pretty different if that were the case. But sadly, as we know, it’s not,” Steinberg said. “And perhaps that’s why we’re witnessing the crumbling and degradation of our once great nation. Instead, all we seem to care about are the celebrities and athletes propped up by the Hollywood elites in this ongoing theater. This fake, carefully crafted show that the masses have been hypnotized by and can’t seem to turn off.
“The question is, with the wide open border and millions of illegals pouring in daily, the stealing at the ballot boxes and censoring conservative news, and Republican incumbents being removed from the ballot and financing Nikki Haley and so on, why do the powers that be need this dynamic duo to sway the vote? Don’t they have enough dirty tricks up their sleeves as it is? Think about it,” continued Steinberg, “If Taylor Swift is really owned by (George) Soros, we might actually have a rare chance to unite against him. Using Taylor Swift as the Trojan horse instead of pushing the Alphabet Mafia and murdering of babies to her fans, she should be warning about the dangers of the corrupt elites.”
“It’s one thing to say Taylor Swift is a menace…and I’m critical of the NFL, it’s un-American to me…but this over the top,” Dom Giordano said. “What do you think about bringing her on? This would be a festival,” Giordano joked. “What the hell is she talking about? The NFL just wants to make money. There’s no indoctrination here. People love football. It’s inescapable. It’s everpresent. Advertisers love it. It’s America.”
Former 97.5 The Fanatic host Anthony Gargano and his current employer, BSN Media, have reached a settlement in the lawsuit brought on by Beasley Media Group according to Inside Radio. The former WPEN host was sued on September 18, for breach of contract and breach of duty of loyalty while BSN Media was accused of tortuous interference with Gargano’s contract.
BSN Media operates PHLY Sports, a site dedicated to all things Philadelphia sports. They launched in early September with a video which announced their new lineup. In the video, Gargano’s image and name were used along with the words “coming soon.” Upon its release, Gargano was suspended from The Fanatic. The suit alleged Gargano was under contract with Beasley through Oct. 7, 2024.
Beasley had previously received a preliminary injunction against Gargano and BSN Media which ended his employment at WPEN and kept him from providing any services to PHLY Sports or creating content for six months from the date of the temporary injunction, which was granted on Oct. 10.
Terms of the settlement agreement have not been publicly disclosed.
Byron Allen — owner of Allen Media Group, which includes The Weather Channel — has submitted a bid of $30 billion to Paramount Global in an effort to completely purchase the company.
A report from Bloomberg claims Allen’s offer includes paying for the debt and equity of the company.
Allen Media Group confirmed reporting from both Bloomberg and Deadline that an offer was submitted to the TV giant.
“Mr. Byron Allen did submit a bid on behalf of Allen Media Group and its strategic partners to purchase all of Paramount Global’s outstanding shares,” the statement read. “We believe this $30 billion offer, which includes debt and equity, is the best solution for all of the Paramount Global shareholders, and the bid should be taken seriously and pursued.”
The Bloomberg report claimed Allen would sell the Paramount film studio, real estate, and IP. He would then keep the linear television networks and Paramount+.
The report added that $14.3 billion of Allen’s offer is for the outstanding shares of the company, which would price them at $28.58 per share. As of this publication, Paramount Global is trading at $15.37, up $1.69 since the news of Allen’s offer was unveiled.
It isn’t the first time Byron Allen has made a play for linear television networks. Late last year, he explored a potential purchase of ABC. However, he later revealed Disney CEO Bob Iger was “not ready” to pursue a sale of the channel.
The former programmer in me always looks forward to this time of year. I get to make phone calls and inform folks that they’re being recognized for their contributions at our BSM Summit. So many do this line of work not seeking accolades, but when standing on stage in front of peers, friends, competitors and others, it’s a rewarding feeling knowing that what you do for the industry is both recognized and appreciated.
I can’t thank Premiere Networks enough for seeing the big picture and helping me make it possible. The awards ceremonies during the Summit are always a hit. March will be our 5th time doing it together. Premiere and I share a belief that recognizing those doing outstanding work in the sports format is important, and the awards ceremonies are the place where those special contributions get highlighted.
We announced last week that Angelo Cataldi has been named our 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Steve Cohen was selected as this year’s Jeff Smulyan Award recipient. Which means we have two awards left. Today, we reveal one of them, the 2024 Mark Chernoff Award winner.
This award is special because it’s voted on by sixteen high-ranking industry executives. These folks run radio companies and networks, and know who’s exceptional at their job. When they vote, it means something to those being honored.
If you’ve followed sports radio for decades, then you’re likely aware of Mark Chernoff’s success. He was a consistent winner at WFAN and influenced, managed, and shaped many successful broadcasting careers. Mark was never interested in attention. He preferred his talent enjoy the spotlight while he handled his work. Though he likes keeping a low profile, he put his name on our PD award and got behind it because he understood the goal was to recognize those who are making the format better and leading it forward.
And that brings us to this year’s winner.
I am honored to share that the 2024 recipient of the Mark Chernoff Award is 106.7 The Fan brand manager, Chris Kinard.
Ten programmers were eligible for this award. Chris earned the most votes from our executive committee to receive this year’s top honor. He follows Jimmy Powers of 97.1 The Ticket, Rick Radzik of 98.5 The Sports Hub, and Mitch Rosen of 670 The Score as award winners. CK will receive his award during our ceremony on Thursday March 14th. He will also be part of a programming panel at the show.
“It’s truly a special honor to receive this award, especially since it is named after Mark Chernoff, a friend and mentor and someone I hold in the highest esteem,” shared Chris Kinard. “I’m proud to be in this industry and am so lucky to have worked with such a talented and hard-working team for the last 17 years. This recognition is just as much a reflection of their accomplishments as anything.”
Legendary sports radio programmer Mark Chernoff added, “I’m thrilled to present Chris with this year’s award. I’ve worked with CK for years. He not only manages two sports stations in our nation’s capital (The FAN and the Team) but also handles the Classic Hits station 94.7 The Drive in his “spare time” along with projects for BetQL. His ability to bring out the best in his talented air staffs with diverse personalities is an important leadership quality. Chris understands what’s important on a day-to-day basis and has become a well-rounded, well-respected PD by working well with management, local teams and handling long-term planning have made him a well-rounded, well-respected PD. He’s very deserving of this honor.”
Tickets for the 2024 BSM Summit are on-sale at BSMSummit.com. You can also purchase them through the BSM Store. Full details of this year’s final agenda will be posted online at the end of February.
Barstool Radio is no more at Barstool Sports for the foreseeable future as founder Dave Portnoy figures out a path forward for the office gossip show.
But one thing Dave does know is that if it came down to him and Barstool host Kirk Minihane taking the reins of Barstool Radio, it wouldn’t end well.
On Barstool Rundown, Portnoy told Dan “Big Cat” Katz and Kevin “KFC” Clancy that Minihane appears to be the only Barstool host capable of properly hosting the program.
“There may only be one guy who can host that show, and it ain’t The Dawg,” Portnoy said. “It may be that lunatic we have in Boston. I don’t want to go that route.”
Dave explained that he was asked about the idea of them hosting together, and he felt like their personalities would clash too hard.
“I said, ’cause that will be the end of our relationship,” Portnoy said. “At some point, we will want to kill each other, and it’s like, do I want to go down that? So I don’t know.”
As Carmen DeFalco received the news that his midday show was going to be extended by another hour, he was exalted to continue his work in the daypart. After all, he believes most midday programs should last for at least three hours in order to consummate an effective and comprehensive program. Both DeFalco and co-host John Jurkovic were hoping that the show would be extended to three hours, and while they received their desired outcome, it came with a unique twist.
A growing number of radio outlets utilize transitional segments in which hosts of the concluding program combine with those in the forthcoming show to have a discussion and seamlessly retain the flow of content. DeFalco and Jurkovic will be joined by Marc Silverman and Tom Waddle, hosts of the afternoon program, but rather than their appearance being more transient, they will be on the air for a longer stretch. The new paradigm for this crosstalk segment from middays to afternoon drive will be a half-hour long, granting hosts and listeners time to delve into topics that penetrate beyond superficial exchanges and mere previews.
“I think our fans love crosstalk as much, if not more than anything,” DeFalco said. “It always seems to generate the most interest. I think it’s the most fun – we hear from fans constantly about how much they enjoy crosstalk amongst the shows – so I think it’s another added bonus [that] we get to add a little bit more crosstalk between the shows.”
Fans have been clamoring for DeFalco and Jurkovic to return to a three-hour show after their program was reduced to two hours in a preceding lineup change. Although the format is changing because of the expanded crosstalk, they will still be present to offer their compelling opinions and entertaining banter to the audience. Leading up to a typical show, the hosts focus on reacting to the news of the day, reminiscing on the prior night’s slate of sports games and looking at what is ahead.
The midday slot in particular has proved to be an ideal place for this multifaceted structure since it takes place at a time of day when both topics remain especially relevant for listeners. As a radio veteran who has had some level of tangible experience in virtually every daypart, DeFalco understands how unique it is to be in this segment of weekday prime hour programming. Nonetheless, he does not want to define his role as being solely reactionary or prognosticative, instead embracing the totality of the responsibility.
“You’re still trying to get an emotion or a reaction out of people [and] you’re still providing content, so I don’t think it’s too much different,” DeFalco said. “Sometimes maybe just a little bit in the immediacy of what’s happening. You might be sort of talking about different things or talking about different angles, but ultimately whatever daypart you’re in, your objective and your goal is pretty much the same.”
While studying at Columbia College, DeFalco knew that he wanted to work in sports media, but he had not had experience since his high school did not have its own outlet. During his junior year in school, he landed an internship at WLS-AM as an associate producer for the Don Wade and Roma Show. While there, he learned about the importance of adaptability and ingenuity fostered through quantitative and qualitative means.
“It was my first real hands-on experience in the business, and I did soak up as much as I could from those two, especially from Don, who was a really, really [interesting] and talented talk show host,” DeFalco said. “While the format was pretty different and it was much more serious and it was hard news, I still kind of learned the ins and outs of how to do a talk show.”
From there, he earned a part-time weekend overnight shift in the incipient days of ESPN Chicago delivering SportsCenter updates. At the time, the station had three updates per hour, and DeFalco focused on cultivating his voice and refining his craft. Conversations with personalities at the radio station and around the industry proved to be helpful for him, and he appreciated how accommodating everyone was throughout his targeted self-actualization.
“I think just by going back and listening and taking advice from older people and more experienced people in the business, [I learned] about how to – I wouldn’t say sound more professional – but just how to streamline things; how to find the right information to give to people [and] how to set up stories,” DeFalco said. “….I worked pretty hard at that.”
As he continued to accrue experience, DeFalco began covering the Chicago Bulls and hosting the outlet’s pregame, halftime and postgame shows on gamedays. It was during that time where he met former Bulls guard Norman Van Lier, whom he worked alongside on several Bulls and basketball-focused shows. Through these varied endeavors, he was selected to work alongside Marc Silverman on a weekend program. Silverman had been paired with a variety of co-hosts in the slot before DeFalco was added on a permanent basis, and they were quickly able to cultivate synergy.
“Silvy and I always, from the day we really met and started working together, we just kind of hit it off as friends,” DeFalco said. “Yeah, there’s a little bit of an age gap between us, but not crazy; we’re about five years apart. He just was always very willing to sort of take me under his wing and teach me some things, and I appreciated that. A working, professional relationship very quickly just turned into a personal friendship.”
DeFalco and Silverman proved to be a compelling draw and eventually had their show moved to weeknights, airing regularly towards the back half of programming. Upon Dan McNeil’s departure from the station and the end of the popular Mac, Jurko and Harry program, it was added to middays.
Since DeFalco had filled in for McNeil several times in the past, he was granted the position as the new co-host of the show. Through these invaluable experiences hosting sports talk radio on a daily basis, DeFalco began to genuinely find his voice and develop how he views a given program.
“I kind of have a measured approach to the things I say, which maybe is not always the best thing when you’re doing talk radio, but I don’t find myself ever really getting too hot-takey,” DeFalco said. “I don’t mean to disrespect that pejorative term. It’s just not the way I’ve sort of done things and the way I see, I guess, sports.”
DeFalco’s on-air style is rooted in passion and blends subjectivity and objectivity utilizing analytics and internal perceptions. Since he has never left the metropolis, he is ingrained in the teams themselves and feels the triumphs and tribulations. These teams have been part of his life from his childhood, and he aims to bring that knowledge and fervor to the air every time he steps into the studio.
“I’ve got a lot of passion and sometimes a fair amount of fire and anger about some of the things that happen with our sports franchises,” DeFalco said, “but I kind of have a measured, analytic approach to the way I view things most of the time.”
From working with Jurkovic since 2009, the hosts have been able to build chemistry and cognizance of their proclivities on the air. It is evident to DeFalco that Jurkovic takes revelry in repartee and brings a contrarian disposition to the show, something that ultimately broadens the horizons of its range. Despite their contrasting personas, sports serve as a common thread and quickly engendered genuine compatibility and affability.
“I think because we’re a little bit different, we’ve always made a good duo and a good tandem,” DeFalco said. “That’s probably the thing that makes us thrive more than anything else. I know when to kind of rein him in a little if I have to or take the opposite side of things.”
In growing up in the Chicago media marketplace, DeFalco is aware of the rich history and dedication garnered by its sports teams. Fans of the local teams often make their voices heard on a variety of platforms, including as callers on the radio station and users on social media. There are numerous ways in which the Carmen and Jurko show seek to implement listeners and elicit their reactions, such as through phone calls and the live chatrooms online.
Although there have been some questions about the effectiveness of callers over the years, DeFalco finds that there is still palpable interest in this mode of engagement. ESPN Chicago introduced a halftime show during Chicago Bears games hosted by Silverman that is largely caller-driven. The station as a whole has focused on bolstering its digital offerings, effectuated through its app and external outlets.
“We still have what we do on the air, but it’s not like we’re just a talk show or a radio show or a group of radio shows anymore or a radio station,” DeFalco explained. “We’re an audio company; we’re a content company [and] we’re an entertainment company. That’s the business which we’re in at this point.”
With this evolving outlook on the place of ESPN Chicago in the sports media industry as a whole, its competition spans beyond other sports radio outlets such as 670 The Score. The station is working to add more video content to its portfolio, driving people to its YouTube page to see other creative forms of content to appeal to the audience. Thinking about the scope of the sports media ecosystem as a whole though, DeFalco tries to remain focused on what is in he and the station’s control.
“We’re our competition,” DeFalco said. “We can’t get too wrapped up or involved in what anybody else [or] what any other audio company is doing. I think we have to care about what we’re doing; we have to care about the content we create.”
The Good Karma Brands-owned radio station came to terms on a multi-year contract to become the new flagship home of the Chicago Bears. By moving to a sports talk-formatted outlet after more than two decades affiliated with WBBM NewsRadio 780 and 105.9 FM, the team is aware of the purview hosts have over their content.
DeFalco affirms that those at the station are not coerced to appease to rightsholders – which also includes the Chicago White Sox – and have autonomy to remain candid and forthright with their audience. Even so, he has to face criticism from a deluge of other sources, perpetuated through the augmentation of social media.
“When things get really nasty and personal, it probably affected me more when I was younger and it just doesn’t now,” DeFalco said. “Why should I be affected or triggered by someone who may or may not like me – but certainly doesn’t know me?…. I’ve just learned to mostly block it out.”
The key for DeFalco on his show is to make sure it is appealing to fans and partners, and he cherishes the conversations he has with both entities. There are times when the show engages in remote broadcasts, giving them an opportunity to meet the listening audeince. Most of the time, there are people who approach him and Jurkovic to thank them for their contributions to the media landscape and acknowledge how much they enjoy listening.
These interactions, while they may be fleeting, leave a lasting impact on DeFalco and reminds him of who they are serving. Moreover, he finds it humbling to receive these plaudits, and it is something he considers indicative of a successful show.
“There’s such a great demand and appetite for sports talk because people are so passionate in a place like this about their teams,” DeFalco said. “I think that’s what makes it special. Our sports teams are so much ingrained and incorporated in the way we live our lives and the way our social calendars are structured sometimes.”
Although there has been discourse surrounding the demise of traditional radio and audio as a whole, DeFalco underscores the sustained growth and popularity of talk shows as evidence towards the contrary. In fact, he hosts a podcast at the station about sports betting and an external podcast related to bourbon. Radio stations continue to evaluate their standing in the media domain, remaining ready and willing to make changes should it be necessitated.
“It’s not going anywhere,” DeFalco said of the sports talk format. “There’s no threat to it. There’s a lot of content out there [and] there’s a lot for people to consume, but we can adjust. We can provide the things that other content creators are giving to fans and to consumers – we can do those things [and] we are doing those things.”
The realization has set in that Tom Brady is in fact going to be taking over as the number one NFL analyst role at FOX in 2024, and Dan Dakich is trying to understand why people are so upset for Greg Olsen.
Olsen had occupied the number one analyst role the last two seasons alongside Kevin Burkhardt, even calling last year’s Super Bowl. Dan Dakich knows Olsen is very popular, but he hasn’t been super blown away by Greg’s skills announcing games.
“Now, people like Greg Olsen. People think Greg Olsen’s a good guy. I’m personally just OK,” Dakich said. “Like I’m OK with Greg. I think he’s fine. Like yeah, he’s fine. He seems like a really nice guy. Kevin Burkhardt same thing. I think they’re good. I’m not gonna take Tom Brady and say well you can’t replace Greg Olsen cause Greg Olsen is too good. I’m not doing that.”
Dakich felt like maybe the odds are stacked against Brady coming into the broadcasting world.
“Tom Brady will not be able to do right by the media,” he said. “The media is all in on Greg Olsen. All in, and no matter how Tom Brady does as an analyst, the media will give him no props. Just telling you. Remember this.”
“There’s an underdog thing going on with Olsen,” Dakich added. “Olsen’s fine. He’s good. He’s gonna be fine. He’ll be the number two guy until Brady says after a year, ‘Yeah I ain’t doing this.’ But the fact of the matter is you watch. You watch. You remember I said this. Tom Brady will never get his props as an announcer because of the whole David and Goliath underdog thing. Book it!”
Will Brady bring a fresh perspective to the broadcast booth? Maybe. But Dakich knows Brady being on the call won’t make whatever game he’s working appointment viewing.
“He may be the greatest announcer ever. I don’t see it, but he may be,” Dakich said. “Looking forward it’s not like I’m gonna watch a game and go, ‘Hey, Brady’s announcing!'”
