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Michael Smith with Andrew Marchand: Journalism Feels Like It’s Going in the Wrong Direction

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Michael Smith with Andrew Marchand: Journalism Feels Like It’s Going in the Wrong Direction

On the latest episode of The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, Andrew Marchand welcomed guest co-host Michael Smith, host of Peacock’s Brother From Another along with Micheal Holley. As the two discussed Marchand’s recent report that ESPN/Disney are in advanced talks with the NFL for an equity stake the league would take in ESPN. The deal would reportedly see ESPN take over all of NFL Media and has advanced to the point where the owners and Player’s Association are involved.

Smith said during his time at ESPN he didn’t feel as if he could not critize the league or cover it objectively. But, speaking about a possible business relationship between ESPN and the league, he said, “I just don’t know, the more the NFL lays claim to ownership in media entities and networks, I don’t know how people are able to truly maintain the level of objectivity and independence.

Smith continued saying, “It just feels like it’s going in the wrong direction for what I came up learning and you came up learning as journalism. There’s business and there’s journalism and they’re in conflict right now.”

Acknowledging this is the direction the business is going, Smith added, “Getting more dollars, does come at, to me, the cost of true journalistic independence. It will be hard for the consumer…to not look at NFL coverage on ESPN and wonder how much of it is more PR than it is journalism.”

Rich Zeoli: National Media Always Creates ‘Reasonable Republican’ Presidential Candidates

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Rich Zeoli: National Media Always Creates ‘Reasonable Republican’ Presidential Candidates

A previously crowded 2024 Republican Presidential field has dwindled down to just three candidates. 1210 WPHT host Rich Zeoli believes the media is attempting to push one particular candidate above the rest.

During The Rich Zeoli Show Tuesday, Zeoli argued that there’s an archetype candidates are generally presented as by network news organizations. He believes in 2024 that candidate is Nikki Haley.

“The networks are doing what they what they always do. They’ve decided on the ‘reasonable Republican’,” Zeoli said. “‘Who is the reasonable Republican? Who can take on Donald Trump?’ They’ve decided that the ‘reasonable Republican’, of course, is Nikki Haley. To be a reasonable Republican means that the media likes you until they don’t like you. They like you until they decide that you are, in fact, actually still Republican. And even though you might be closer to them on a lot of things, and maybe you’re not a culture warrior, they still hate you because you’re not a Democrat. You’re still a Republican.”

Zeoli pointed to past history to make his point, claiming it has continually happened in recent elections.

“They inevitably turn on you. I mean, inevitably, that happened to McCain, it happened with Romney, and it will happen with Haley if she’s the nominee, too. So if you’re going into this — if you’re backing Nikki Haley, because you think that they’re going to be nice to her in the fall — please don’t fall for that scam. Whoever it is — it doesn’t matter who it is — they will still hate that person in the fall, period.”

Presidential Primary Ad Spending Already Topping $300 Million

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According to a report from AdImpact, more than $300 million has already been spent in Presidential Primary ad spending ahead of the 2024 election.

The report claims $318.7 million has been spent on the race. In comparison, in 2019 a total of $400.6 million was spent in the race for the Democratic nomination which ultimately went to President Joe Biden.

Individual campaigns spent $73.7 million, according to Inside Radio, while outside groups have spent an additional $227.8 million on the race.

Former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley spent the most money with $63.7 million backing the candidate through early January. Gov. Ron DeSantis (FL) spent $58.1 million, with the overwhelming majority of his spending coming in Iowa. Finally, former President Donald Trump bought $51.7 million worth of political advertising, with the majority coming in national ad buys compared to the local strategy employed by other candidates.

Naturally, Iowa — home of the first primary system — received the bulk of the political advertising with $119.6 million spent to target caucus voters in the state. Trump secured a commanding victory in the election on Monday.

Megyn Kelly: I’m Amazed MSNBC Has Any Viewers After Meltdown Over Trump’s Iowa Win

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MSNBC continues to receive heat for the way its panel of analysts reacted to the Iowa Caucus victory for Donald Trump on Monday. On Tuesday, Megyn Kelly joined the fray of critical voices.

During The Megyn Kelly Show, the SiriusXM host shared her displeasure of comments made by Joy Reid that claimed Nikki Haley performed poorly in Iowa because she is a dark-skinned woman. Reid also commented that she spoke with a political expert who shared his belief that white people believe they are entitled to inherit America and will pushback against any non-white Christian as a political candidate.

In response, Kelly admitted she was dumbfounded by some of the remarks on the network.

“It’s amazing to me that they have even two viewers left. This is the only thing that they have, that they traffic, and this ‘All bad news for Trump is bad and all good news for Trump is bad’,” Kelly said. “They’ve been saying for weeks in advance of Iowa he’s got to get over 50%. Anything less than 50% is a loss for Trump. Well, he did it. He got over 51%. So was MSNBC gonna say ‘You know what? He did it. He’s stronger than ever.’ Nope.”

Other conservative commentators — like Jason Rantz — had previously pushed back against comments made by Rachel Maddow that lamented Trump’s victory as the beginning of a potentially fascist government restarting.

Chris Mack Joining Y108 FM Pittsburgh, Hosting Afternoon Drive

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Chris Mack Joining Y108 FM Pittsburgh, Hosting Afternoon Drive

Chris Mack is joining Y108 FM in afternoon drive, an Audacy-owned station broadcasting in the country music format. Mack will anchor the afternoon drive daypart from 3 to 7 p.m. EST on the outlet after he had previously hosted in morning drive on 93.7 The Fan alongside Colin Dunlap.

Audacy Pittsburgh senior vice president and market manager Michael Spacciapolli revealed in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that both Mack and Dunlap were transitioning to multimedia roles that would grant them presences across of the company’s platforms in the marketplace. Dorin Dickerson and Adam Corwley have since hosted The Fan Morning Show after joining the program following the retirement of Jim Colony.

“Pittsburgh is at the core of everything we do,” Spacciapolli said in a statement. “Chris Mack is a Pittsburgher who knows this market inside and out, and we are excited to see him connect and entertain every day on every platform with the city.”

Mack has worked a majority of his career in the Pittsburgh marketplace and previously hosted a music show on B94 Pittsburgh Throwbacks. In addition, he has contributed to programming on the BetQL Network as a co-host while also anchoring the Fifth Avenue Faceoff Audacy original podcast centered on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Earlier in his time with KDKA, Mack served as a fill-in host and also hosted pregame and postgame shows surrounding the station’s broadcasts of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball.

Moreover, Mack worked as the midday show co-host and producer at 1250 ESPN and eventually moved to afternoon drive where he remained throughout the majority of 2010. Before that, he was an on-air host and assistant music director at 93.7 K-Rock (WKRZ-FM) in Pittsburgh a few years following his graduation from Penn State University. He will now assume duties in the afternoon daypart that was previously led by Tom Kapsalis, who left the outlet earlier this month after joining the station in July 2022.

“Audacy Pittsburgh is home,” Mack said in a statement, “and the chance to work with the same wonderful group of people while returning to my music radio roots and embracing a new audience is an opportunity I couldn’t be more excited for.”

Joe Giglio After Spike Eskin WIP Return Announcement: ‘My Head is Spinning’

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Joe Giglio After Spike Eskin WIP Return Announcement: ‘My Head is Spinning’

Spike Eskin, who is currently employed by Audacy as the vice president of programming for WFAN and CBS Sports Radio, is leaving his position to return to Philadelphia as co-host of afternoon drive on SportsRadio 94WIP. The announcement was made this morning by the company and revealed live on the air during the midday program with Hugh Douglas and Joe Giglio. Eskin, who previously served as program director of the entity, is officially making the move back to the city and will begin on the program once his business in New York is completed.

To begin the segment revealing the news, the WIP midday show played “Who Can It Be Now?” by Men at Work before discussing what the segment was about. Jon Giglio then explained that he and Douglas learned of the news 40 minutes prior and had no idea about the nature of the announcement. Entrusting the midday show with the news, Giglio relayed the information that Eskin will join Ike Reese and Jack Fritz in afternoon drive at a date to be determined.

“It’s going to be a great show; I can’t wait for it,” Giglio said on Wednesday’s edition of the midday program. “Spike coming back to WIP.”

Eskin previously served as brand manager of the outlet after hosting for several years and starting out as a social media manager. He was the co-host of the Josh Innes Show on WIP for three years and has also had on-air roles at WYSP and Q101 WKQX Chicago. Moreover, Eskin continues to host The Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast centered on the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.

“I’ve had a chance to speak to Spike a few times,” Douglas said. “[I] haven’t really had a chance to work with him. It was funny because when I was telling the boss, [brand manager] Rod Lakin, about my interaction with Spike, he immediately thought it was because I was in trouble or something. No, [I] haven’t been in trouble with Spike; just talking periodically throughout the years and just keeping in touch and things of that nature.”

Eskin moves into the slot following the departure of Jon Marks from the station in December. Marks is interested in working in sports media again upon the expiration of a non-compete clause in his contract, he told Barrett Sports Media in a recent interview. The show is now set to utilize three co-hosts, moving Fritz into the role after he had produced the program for several years.

“It’s kind of just crazy,” Giglio explained. “My head is spinning because part of the reason I’m here is because of Spike. Part of the reason that Jack is here is because of Spike, and I know obviously Ike became what he became at this station during Spike’s time here, so now we get to have Spike back in a different role.”

The WIP lineup has experienced considerable change over the last several years precipitated by the retirement of Angelo Cataldi from morning drive. After stepping aside following the Super Bowl last February, midday hosts Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie were moved into morning drive. Middays were filled by Douglas and Giglio as a result of the change while the afternoon time slot continued with Ike Reese and Jon Marks, the latter of whom left the station in December. Eskin will now make his return to the outlet to join the afternoon show with Reese and new co-host Fritz to bring Philadelphia sports fans a compelling local program centered around their favorite teams.

“I’m excited to see what this becomes,” Giglio said. “I can’t wait to listen to those guys – Ike and Jack and Spike – they will start their show together very soon, [and I] cannot wait for it.”

Bill O’Reilly: No One at NewsNation Has Ever Told Me What I Can Talk About

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Bill O’Reilly has served as a contributor at NewsNation, mostly appearing with on the primetime program hosted by Chris Cuomo. He says the experience has been a good one, and has been given free rein to talk about whatever he’d like.

“I think it’s got a lot of potential,” O’Reilly said while appearing on 710 WOR with Mark Simone. “It’s not in business to indoctrinate people, who seem to be honest. I never have any problem with this. They let me say what I want to say, while the others are just going more totalitarian every day. You watch these pundits on them and you know they’re saying what they’re told to say. I don’t think that happens at NewsNation.”

Bill O’Reilly then turned his attention to recent comments made by Joy Reid on MSNBC, where she claimed prospective 2024 Republican Presidential candidate Nikki Haley didn’t perform well in the Iowa Caucus because she is a dark-skinned woman.

“This is NBC News. I was thinking about that the other day. I worked for CBS and ABC News and it was hard to get those jobs. There is a lot of competition for them. It was very prestigious, and they were hard,” said O’Reilly. “NBC was right up there and it was an operation that people respected. And now…I feel sorry for Lester Holt. My conservative friends mock me, but I worked with Lester at Channel 2. And he’s a very honest guy. NBC News is so far left they make CBS and ABC look moderate. It’s crazy.”

Diamond Reaches Settlement with Sinclair, Junior Creditors Expected to Assume Subsidiary Operations

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Diamond Reaches Settlement with Sinclair, Junior Creditors Expected to Assume Subsidiary Operations

Diamond Sports Group has entered into a restructuring support agreement (RSA) with various members of its largest creditor groups in order to emerge from Ch. 11 bankruptcy that it has been in since last March. This RSA, which will include $450 million of junior secured superpriority debtor-in-possession financing from certain debt holders, will be used to remunerate $350 million of existing first lien indebtedness. These funds will help catalyze the restructuring process, which has been agreed on with over 85% of the company’s first lien debt holders, over 50% of the company’s second lien debt holders and more than 66% of unsecured bond holders.

As part of the deal, Amazon will infuse the company with a $100 million investment that will render it a minority owner of the subsidiary with a 15% share. The regional sports network operator has broadcast rights to several teams in the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League and had reached agreements with both leagues about operating paths going forward. Those pacts would be nullified if the RSA were to be approved since the cooperation agreement that would have implemented them had never been accepted by the court. As a result, NBA and NHL rights would continue for the full lengths of the contracts held by each of the 26 teams across those two leagues.

No agreement, however, had been reached between Diamond and Major League Baseball, and the tentative plan was to have the business shut down following the 2024 regular season and return the rights to the teams. While a resolution is not clear, nor approved by the bankruptcy court at the moment, sources told the New York Post that Bally’s will forgo the naming rights to the Diamond broadcasts after the MLB season concludes.

Amazon’s Prime Video streaming platform will serve as the company’s partner where customers will be able to purchase direct-to-consumer (DTC) access to watch certain channels. All teams that Diamond has rights for will be available through this portal, although it only has streaming rights for five of the 11 MLB teams it broadcasts.

MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. testified in court last year that Diamond used the threat of bankruptcy as a negotiating tactic to attain the rest of the league’s direct-to-consumer broadcast rights. Last season, the league broadcast San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks games after the company selectively rejected contracts, a means of termination permitted under the form of bankruptcy. The league had created and bolstered a local media department prepared for such a scenario ahead of the season, and it also paid a minimum of 80% of the rights fees owed to those teams afflicted.

Sports Business Journal reported that Diamond Sports Group would pay the full rights fees to all MLB teams in its portfolio for the upcoming season except the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers. The Twins are the only one of those three teams on an expiring contract, and it has yet to determine its primary television home for the new season. A lawyer for Diamond Sports Group said in Wednesday’s hearing that the company will definitely broadcast nine of the teams for which it currently holds rights in 2024.

The agreement comes a week after a postponed hearing pursuant to the original case that Major League Baseball wanted to receive clarity regarding the situation ahead of the upcoming season. MLB had reportedly offered a deal to Diamond that would reduce the media rights fees it pays for three of 11 teams in 2024 in exchange for receiving digital rights to the teams under contract with Diamond in 2025.

The hearing had been rescheduled to this Friday, Jan. 19 as talks were reportedly continuing with Amazon and Diamond creditors towards a potential resolution. It has now been postponed indefinitely under these new developments. A lawyer for MLB stated that the league was operating under the assumption that they were meditating and nearing a conclusion regarding the disputation. The news of the RSA “came as a surprise” to the league and did not know anything about it.

Within the bankruptcy proceedings, Diamond Sports Group sued Sinclair, its parent company, alleging that it had illicitly obtained $1.5 billion through a variety of methods. Some of the actions alleged include the “fraudulent transfers of assets, unlawful distributions and payments, breaches of contracts, unjust enrichment and breaches of fiduciary duties.”

Concurrent with the minority investment with Amazon, Diamond has announced that it has an agreement in principle with Sinclair to settle this pending litigation. The presumed settlement is supported by creditors that are parties to the restructuring support agreement. If approved, Sinclair would pay Diamond $495 million in cash and supply continuing management and transition services to support the company’s reorganization. Diamond would eventually separate from Sinclair’s operations, and the proceeds therein would support this reorganization plan and fund distributions to certain creditors.

Junior creditors are reportedly expected to pay off nearly all of the $650 million owed to senior lenders from the settlement with Sinclair and minority investment from Amazon if approved, according to sources cited by the New York Post. The outlet also reported that Sinclair believes it is going to end up ultimately losing between $250 million and $350 million on this settlement. Sinclair will garner a fee in the transition agreement that will reduce the overall losses as well.

Senior lenders had reportedly hoped that the company would cease operations after the 2024 MLB season and sell profitable media contracts to other networks. With a restructuring support agreement nearing review ahead of approval – which is reportedly expected – the junior creditors would ultimately assume operations of the business. There is a chance that Diamond could be sold to Amazon down the road as well, according to an insider cited in the New York Post article.

“We are thrilled to have reached a comprehensive restructuring agreement that provides a detailed framework for a reorganization plan and substantial new financing that will enable Diamond to operate and thrive beyond 2024,” David Preschlack, chief executive officer of Diamond Sports Group, said in a statement. “We are grateful for the support from Amazon and a group of our largest creditors who clearly believe in the value-creating potential of this business. Diamond’s near-term focus will be on implementing the RSA and emerging from bankruptcy as a going concern for the benefit of our investors, our employees, our team, league and distribution partners, and the millions of fans who will continue to enjoy our broadcasts.”

These potential outcomes were presented to the bankruptcy court on Wednesday and the deal is expected to be approved, according to New York Post sources. Pricing and availability for Diamond Sports Group content on Prime Video is still to be determined. Diamond will also continue to partner with its existing multichannel video programming distribution (MVPD) partners to broadcast MLB, NBA and NHL content.

Spike Eskin Leaving WFAN to Co-Host Afternoon Drive on WIP

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Audacy has announced Spike Eskin will return to SportsRadio 94WIP in Philadelphia as afternoon drive co-host. Eskin will depart his current position as Vice President of Programming for WFAN in New York and CBS Sports Radio, which he has held since July, 2021.

Eskin will join co-hosts Ike Reese and Jack Fritz and be heard weekdays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. He will return to the WIP airwaves once his successor at WFAN and CBS Sports Radio has been found. A nationwide search is currently underway. 

“We’re very excited to bring Spike home to Philadelphia and SportsRadio 94WIP,” said David Yadgaroff, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Philadelphia. “This is a unique opportunity to add a great talent with a long history in our marketplace to one of our most popular dayparts, and we’re looking forward to having Spike reunite with his longtime friend and colleague Ike Reese and Jack Fritz to shape the future of afternoon drive at WIP.”

“I am thrilled to be able to work with Ike and Jack in afternoons at 94WIP,” said Eskin. “It’s now the third job of a lifetime I’ve had the opportunity to do. Leaving WFAN and CBS Sports Radio is an incredibly difficult decision. I’m surrounded by talented, great people, and it’s been an amazing experience. I’d like to thank David Yadgaroff, Jeff Sottolano and Rod Lakin for this opportunity, and Chris Oliviero for my time in New York.”

Eskin later posted on X saying, “No two people I’d rather do a show with. It’ll be great to come home.”

Before becoming Vice President of Programming for WFAN and CBS Sports Radio in 2021, Eskin served as Brand Manager of SportsRadio 94WIP for seven years. He also co-hosted in afternoons at WIP with Josh Innes and Hollis Thomas from 2015-2016, and has remained involved talking Philadelphia sports on the Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast. In addition, he will soon become a key part of the Philadelphia drive time conversation, something his father Howard Eskin made famous at WIP for twenty five years.

In an internal email to his team, Audacy New York Market President Chris Oliviero said, “In the two & a half years that Spike Eskin has been here, I’ve learned about designer t-shirts, tattoos and witty work emails. I’ve also learned that he is the rare “player-coach,” someone who is as comfortable and skilled in front of the microphone as he is behind it. The equilibrium between the two were at a steady state, until one very special opportunity, with deep family significance, came along to tilt the scales.”

Oliviero added, “So with a bittersweet tone, we are saying goodbye to our coach and hello & congratulations to the new co-host of afternoon drive at Audacy’s WIP-FM Philadelphia, Spike “Brett” Eskin.”

Amazon to Invest $100M in Bankrupt Diamond Sports Group as Part of Restructuring

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Amazon to Invest $100M in Bankrupt Diamond Sports Group as Part of Restructuring

Amazon will pay $100M to partner with Diamond Sports Group as the largest owner of regional sports networks looks to emerge from bankruptcy. Diamond Sports Group has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the Southern District of Texas since filing for protection last March.

Diamond Sports announced the terms of the agreement today and will await approval from the bankruptcy court in Houston.

It is also expected, according to the New York Post, Diamond Sports will receive $500M after finalizing a settlement with parent company Sinclair.

Under the Bally Sports banner, Diamond owns 18 networks and has rights to 37 professional teams across MLB, the NBA and the NHL.

If approved, the agreement will allow Diamond Sports to continue operations and avoid the leagues or teams having to take over production and distribution as baseball had to do with the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks last season.

The agreement is said to include all broadcasts of five MLB teams – the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays.

The agreement will have Amazon providing access to Diamond Sports’ content via Prime Video. Prime already carries some games, produced by the YES Network, for the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets.

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