Former New Mexico basketball star and longtime NBA veteran Kenny Thomas has announced he’s joining 610 The Sports Animal in Albuquerque.
The 46-year-old spent 11 seasons in the NBA with the Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Sacramento Kings from 1999 to 2010. He was a first-round selection by the Houston Rockets in the 1999 NBA Draft after playing for four years at New Mexico, where he was a three-time First Team All-WAC performer and an All-American in 1998.
He announced in a video posted to X that he would be joining the station’s morning show — helmed by Jeff Siembieda and JJ Buck — on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9-9:30 AM.
“It’s official, I have my radio segment,” Thomas said. “On The Sports Animal, 610 AM. Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:00 to 9:30 AM. Check us out. I’ll be on there with Jeff and JJ. We’ll talk we’ll be talking about a variety of different sports, NBA, (and) global basketball. Check us out.”
New Mexico fam I got my own radio show on @610KNML every Tuesday and Friday from 9a-9:30a!
The future of New England Patriots head coach and general manager Bill Belichick seems to be in question concurrent with the team’s struggles on the field. Currently holding a 3-10 record, the Patriots are outside of the playoff picture and have utilized various quarterbacks since Tom Brady left the organization to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Belichick has been a significant talking point in the Boston marketplace and beyond, serving as a driving topic throughout Friday’s edition of The Greg Hill Show on WEEI with Greg Hill, Jermaine Wiggins, Courtney Cox and Chris Curtis.
Show hosts, producers, contributors, and callers have all voiced their opinions during the year about Belichick and whether or not he should be fired by the team. Over the weekend, NBC Sports Boston insider Tom E. Curran reported that following the team’s 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany, team owner Robert Kraft had decided to relieve Belichick of his duties at the end of the season.
On the most recent edition of ESPN College GameDay outside of Gillette Stadium, analyst Pat McAfee questioned Kraft about Belichick, to which he gave an ambiguous response related to winning. McAfee then said that he would not want to be in Kraft’s position and that everyone knew what was about to happen. After backlash towards his comments, McAfee clarified what he said on his eponymous program, The Pat McAfee Show, on Monday afternoon. Curran apparently knew this information after the Frankfurt game and did not divulge it to the public until after McAfee’s line of questioning.
Interacting with a caller on the program who began his comments by saying that the WEEI morning show is better than its predecessor, Dennis and Callahan, during its prime, he expressed that he thinks the sentiment of Patriots players is that Belichick is losing his mind. In fact, he went on to say that they could be questioning how he was ever able to win six Super Bowl championships. The caller then asked why Curran ostensibly chose to refrain from reporting information that the football world on which the football world was awaiting clarity.
“Do you honestly think that Curran is not getting this information from a reliable source?,” the caller asked the program.
“That’s not what I said,” replied Curtis. “I said I questioned sitting on the biggest story you’ll ever have, especially when the vultures are all circling the Patriots waiting to get that scoop.”
The caller was not sure if Curran perhaps was working to gain additional information from his source to make sure. Curtis presumed that there is no more information to obtain in this case since it centers around whether or not Belichick is going to be fired from the job. As an example, he brought up how when the Patriots cut quarterback Cam Newton, there was no additional story surrounding it because the roster move itself encompassed the pertinent information.
“If the news is that they’re going to fire Bill Belichick, then they’re going to fire Bill Belichick and Bill Belichick knows about it,” Curtis said. “There’s no way that Robert Kraft told Tom Curran and not Bill Belichick.”
Hosting in sports talk radio, Jermaine Wiggins knows that some of the on-air personalities are privy to information from inside sources; however, they do not choose to publicize all of what they know because of uncertainty regarding its veracity. Jermaine Wiggins expressed that reporters always go with the information when they have their sources and explained his perspective further.
“You know how much stuff I bet all of us have that we heard through the grapevine about certain things and we just sit on it?,” Jermaine Wiggins said. “I’m not talking about from social media; I’m talking about people we know and we’re like, ‘You know what – I’m not going to say that because I’m not 100% sure and let somebody else break it.’”
“For a long time, we sat on the individual who plays professional sports in this city who had an unfortunate breakup with his significant other and then had a party,” co-host Greg Hill added, “and then he served a signature summer drink at that party which was called, ‘Single [Boy] Swag.’”
Every weekday morning around 9 AM ET, The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz broadcasts its local hour, which is live-streamed to the world through a variety of platforms. Before taking the air though, a pre-show montage is played counting down the beginning of the programming.
Set to the song “Caution” by Skrxlla, cast members of the program are featured performing a variety of different activities while Dan “Stugotz” Weiner is stuck in traffic to arrive at the Miami-based studio. He ultimately makes it just on time before the countdown clock hits zero, with an end shot of Lucy Rohden running through a breakaway banner before dissolving into the opening shot of the program that day.
Dan Le Batard took time to start Thursday’s edition of the program to discuss the new introduction and how it has gradually started to grow on him. Throughout his years in radio, song selection is something he has taken a lot of pride in. Various other programs in the audio space have tracks that are identifiable with the show, and it seems as if The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz may have found what it has been looking for this time around.
“I think our show intro song is great,” Le Batard said. “I think that it makes us seem vastly cooler than we are.”
Le Batard asked musician JuJu Gotti, who was in the shipping container to begin the program, his thoughts on the track the show decided to utilize. In response, Gotti revealed that he would and that he enjoys jamming to the track in the mornings. Previous episodes of Le Batard’s program did not open with any introduction, instead fading from the waiting room screen directly to the studios.
Over the years, the program has authored many songs of its own as well, including several surrounding the trials and tribulations of the Miami Dolphins and other local sports teams.
“Now did we make that?,” Chris Cote questioned. “That’s just commercial-free. That’s as cool as you could find [on] that commercial-free website.”
“Have you heard the rest of our commercial-free catalog?,” Le Batard said.
Longtime 620 WTMJ host Jeff Wagner is calling it a career after Friday’s show, and the Good Karma Brands-owned station celebrated Wagner before he said farewell.
A celebration was held Wednesday evening honoring Wagner’s 25-year contribution to the Milwaukee news/talk station.
Wagner was appreciative of the recognition. In a post to X, the longtime host wrote “Thanks to all my teammates and friends who showed up tonight (and said so many nice things) and a sincere thanks to Good Karma Brands for hosting a wonderful retirement party.”
After joining WTMJ as a part-time host in 1998, Jeff Wagner began hosting a full-time show in November of that year.
“No show runs forever, and it has been an honor and a pleasure to host a daily radio talk show in my hometown for a quarter century,” Wagner said in a statement announcing his retirement in October.
“I am extremely grateful to Good Karma Brands, my teammates (past and present), our partners, and most importantly, our fans for all their support over the years. While I’m excited to see what comes next, I will truly miss the daily interaction with listeners about the issues of the day.”
“Jeff is a broadcasting legend whose daily wisdom and dedication to the station was felt by our audience throughout his entire career,” added Greg Scalzo, Market Manager for Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, said at the time. “His retirement marks the end of an era, and we celebrate the legacy he leaves behind.”
Wagner is departing his midday show as one of the best shows in America. Earlier this week, Wagner finished in third place in Barrett News Media’s Top 20 Mid Market Midday Shows of 2023.
It is no secret CNN has been struggling to attract cable news audiences in recent years. That struggle continues, and former network host Keith Olbermann believes it’s just more proof that the medium is on its last legs.
During his Countdown with Keith Olbermann podcast, the former CNN and MSNBC host argued that ratings for the pair of Republican Town Hall events and the new series King Charles — hosted by Charles Barkley and Gayle King — show there’s a waning interest in cable news.
“The total number of viewers in primetime on CNN (for Vivek Ramaswamy’s town hall)?591,000. I mean, television news is dying, but it’s not dying that fast. That’s five episodes of this podcast. Whatever CNN thought it was gaining, putting that paranoid manure salesman I can only guess,” Olbermann said. “Ramaswamy even had 31,000 fewer viewers than Ron DeSantis did on Tuesday. He drew fewer viewers than his lead in Anderson Cooper did. 591,000 viewers. Good God, even Erin Burnett had 659,000!”
He then turned his attention toward King Charles, which has struggled to gain its footing through its first three weekly episodes.
“453,000 viewers for a news show in which Charles Barkley and Gayle King talked about something, and it actually lost a quarter of Vivek Ramaswamy’s invisible audience. And King Charles is somehow down 10% from its disastrous launch ratings.
“This brings us back to Trump, politics, and a culture in which if you don’t like reality, just call it a liar. You want it to be day and it’s night? You can just shout loudly enough that it really is day and you and only you can see the fact that it’s day. Barkley responded to his humiliating failure on the first night of this show by blaming the ratings company. He said the ratings can’t be right. He implied because he doesn’t know anybody with a Nielsen box…Chuck, you’re not good at this. Nobody’s interested in you doing it and you’re not honest about it with yourself or anybody else.”
Earlier this week, NewsNation host Chris Cuomo hosted an interview with popular TikToker Baylen Dupree, who suffers from a severe case of Tourette’s Syndrome. 1210 WPHT host Rich Zeoli was not impressed by the interview.
In the interview, Cuomo pledged not to censor the tics from Dupree, so viewers could see how severe the case is. However, before the interview began, he claimed he thought Dupree was acting before he was set straight.
Chris Cuomo brings on a guest who suffers from Tourette’s Syndrome, supposedly to raise awareness and show support for her
During the interview, Cuomo struggled to control his laughter, which caught the ire of Zeoli. The Philadelphia host called Cuomo a “jackass” for his conduct during the discussion.
“Chris Cuomo had on this woman who’s suffering from Tourette’s Syndrome, and he is getting blasted here for this,” Rich Zeoli said. “Number one, not everybody with Tourette’s acts like this. And number two, it’s just so obvious that ‘The Lesser’ is trying to get a viral moment here…I just think he needs to be called out for this. I mean, this is such a blatant move by him — isn’t it? — to just get attention.”
Zeoli shared he’s always called Chris Cuomo “The Lesser” Cuomo, but joked he would welcome both former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and his younger brother the opportunity to join the program, and the first one to come on The Rich Zeoli Show would relegate the other to “Lesser” status.
Our second annual Barrett News Media Top 20 series wraps up week one with a look at the Top 20 Major Market News/Talk Program Directors for 2023. If you missed our Morning, Midday or Afternoon Show releases or the Top 20 National shows, click here to visit the Top 20 section and access the lists you’re interested in. In the meantime, please bookmark our website, follow BNM on X at @BNMStaff or on Facebook at Barrett News Media or sign up for our daily newsletter, ‘The Rundown‘ by clicking here to stay updated.
This year’s series focuses on six categories; Major and Mid market news/talk radio morning, midday, and afternoon shows, program directors, radio stations, and the format’s best national talk shows. Major Markets represent shows, stations, and PDs operating in markets #1-#20. Mid Markets cover markets #21 and below. Not included are NPR brands and shows. Maybe in the future we’ll change that or add an extra category but for now, mainstream news/talk radio outlets are the main focus.
As you review the results, please remember that they represent the collective opinions of fifty four (54) news/talk radio programmers and executives. We try our best to make sure the top shows, hosts, programmers and brands are listed for voting consideration. Industry decision makers are then asked to vote on categories based on where their stations/shows operate. BNM’s role in the voting process is to gather the feedback, add it up, and present the results.
I want to thank Barrett Media’s Digital Director Alex Reynolds for doing an awesome job on this year’s graphics, as well as each PD and executive who participated in this process. We had representation from fourteen companies and forty different cities, which was even better than last year. For those who didn’t vote and were invited to do so, I hope you’ll change your mind next year. It’s good for the format if you’re involved, and depending on the final votes, it can benefit your staff, sales team, and company, and excite your audience and advertisers.
Moving on to the voting, here are a few things to keep in mind.
#1 – Our executive voters are asked to rank their Top 20 selections for each category based on a few key factors; quality of show (ear test), originality, ability to entertain-inform-connect across multiple platforms, ratings success, clearance (national shows) and industry buzz. Remember, our voters live in different cities, have different tastes, work for different groups, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect system but it’s the best one we’ve come up with to showcase the industry’s top performers. Having done this for eight years with the sports talk format, we’re going to stick with it until a better option arises.
#2 – The executive panel consisted of program directors and corporate executives from a number of top broadcasting companies including Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Hubbard, Cox Media Group, Townsquare Media, Salem Media Group, Radio One, Alpha Media, Bonneville, FOX News Radio, Westwood One, Federated Media, and Zimmer Communications. We involve a large number of people in this process in order to receive feedback from all parts of the country, and to avoid the results heavily favoring one group. Given the variety of people in this process, it means there’s no guarantee that last year’s success will be repeated this year.
#3 – A total of 39 program directors received votes in the Major Market PDs category. These talented men and women help guide America’s top brands, often avoiding the spotlight so their teams can reap the rewards. But whether they like the public attention or not, they’re getting it because their hard work deserves to be recognized.
In order to avoid complaints and confusion, please understand that some folks hold titles such as Vice President of News/Talk, Director of Operations, Brand Manager, etc.. We’re not trying to discredit anyone’s credentials or change anyone’s titles but to keep it simple we’re using the common term ‘Program Director’ since it’s existed for decades and describes how managers are viewed by those inside of programming departments.
And that brings us to this year’s winner. Congratulations goes out once again to Robin Bertolucci of KFI in Los Angeles on becoming a two-time category winner. Under her leadership, KFI has been one of the most successful brands in all of talk radio. One glance at this year or last year’s Top 20 series and you’ll quickly see how well the station and its shows are seen by industry decision makers. We applaud Robin on a job well done, as well as every other brand leader who earned a spot on this year’s list.
Now, here are the full results of “BNM’s Top 20 Major Market News/Talk Program Directors of 2023!”
Additional Notes:
Robin Bertolucci won this category by a slimmer margin this year than in 2022. Nineteen (19) points separated her and Ben Mevorach. She did also received the most first place votes in the category with eight (8).
Spots 21-25 belonged to Greg Stocker, Marcus Brown,Ann Thomas, Dave Tepper and David Darling.
The closest races saw Ken Charles finish in front of Julia Ziegler by two (2) points, and Kristina Koppeser slip by Brad Lane by three (3) points. Bryan Erickson also held off Greg Stocker by three (3) points for the final spot.
Of the 39 programmers to earn votes from our panel, twelve (12) received at least one 1st place vote.
Here is the remaining schedule for the BNM Top 20 of 2022.
Monday December 18 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Stations of 2023
Our second annual Barrett News Media Top 20 series wraps up week one with a look at the Top 20 Mid Market News/Talk Program Directors for 2023. If you missed our Morning, Midday or Afternoon Show releases or the Top 20 National shows, click here to visit the Top 20 section and access the lists you’re interested in. In the meantime, please bookmark our website, follow BNM on X at @BNMStaff or on Facebook at Barrett News Media and sign up for our daily newsletter, ‘The Rundown‘ by clicking here.
This year’s series focuses on six categories; Major and Mid market news/talk radio morning, midday, and afternoon shows, program directors, radio stations, and the format’s best national talk shows. Major Markets represent shows, stations, and PDs operating in markets #1-#20. Mid Markets cover markets #21 and below. Not included are NPR brands and shows. Maybe in the future we’ll change that or add an extra category but for now, mainstream news/talk radio outlets are the main focus.
As you review the results, please remember that they represent the collective opinions of fifty four (54) news/talk radio programmers and executives. We try our best to make sure the top shows, hosts, programmers and brands are listed for voting consideration. Industry decision makers are then asked to vote on categories based on where their stations/shows operate. BNM’s role in the voting process is to gather the feedback, add it up, and present the results.
I want to thank Barrett Media’s Digital Director Alex Reynolds for doing an awesome job on this year’s graphics, as well as each PD and executive who participated in this process. We had representation from fourteen companies and forty different cities, which was even better than last year. For those who didn’t vote and were invited to do so, I hope you’ll change your mind next year. It’s good for the format if you’re involved, and depending on the final votes, it can benefit your staff, sales team, and company, and excite your audience and advertisers.
Moving on to the voting, here are a few things to keep in mind.
#1 – Our executive voters are asked to rank their Top 20 selections for each category based on a few key factors; quality of show (ear test), originality, ability to entertain-inform-connect across multiple platforms, ratings success, clearance (national shows) and industry buzz. Remember, our voters live in different cities, have different tastes, work for different groups, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect system but it’s the best one we’ve come up with to showcase the industry’s top performers. Having done this for eight years with the sports talk format, we’re going to stick with it until a better option arises.
#2 – The executive panel consisted of program directors and corporate executives from a number of top broadcasting companies including Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Hubbard, Cox Media Group, Townsquare Media, Salem Media Group, Radio One, Alpha Media, Bonneville, FOX News Radio, Westwood One, Federated Media, and Zimmer Communications. We involve a large number of people in this process in order to receive feedback from all parts of the country, and to avoid the results heavily favoring one group. Given the variety of people in this process, it means there’s no guarantee that last year’s success will be repeated this year.
#3 – A total of 69 program directors were eligible for votes in the Mid Market PDs category. These talented men and women help guide America’s top brands, often avoiding the spotlight so their teams can reap the rewards. But whether they like the public attention or not, they’re getting it because their hard work deserves to be recognized.
In order to avoid complaints and confusion, please understand that some folks hold titles such as Vice President of News/Talk, Director of Operations, Brand Manager, etc.. We’re not trying to discredit anyone’s credentials or change anyone’s titles but to keep it simple we’re using the common term ‘Program Director’ since it’s existed for decades and describes how managers are viewed by those inside of programming departments.
And that brings us to this year’s winner. Congratulations once again to Scott Reinhart of 700 WLW on becoming a two-time category winner. Under Scott’s guidance, WLW has consistently delivered ratings and revenue success in Cincinnati, cementing its position as one of the top brands in mid markets let alone the entire talk radio format. A quick review of this year and last year’s Top 20 categories and you’ll see how well regarded the station and its weekday shows are by industry decision makers. We tip our cap to Scott on a job well done, as well as every other brand leader who landed on this year’s list.
Now, here are the full results of “BNM’s Top 20 Mid Market News/Talk Program Directors of 2023!”
Additional Notes:
Scott Reinhart won this category by twenty six (26) points ahead of KMOX’s Steve Moore. Scott also received the most first place votes with ten (10).
Spots 21-25 belonged to Sean Casey, Jerry Bott,Levi May, Lee Matthews and McGraw Milhaven.
The tightest races featured Peter Thiele finishing ahead of Jared Hart by two (2) points, Scott Voorhees nipping Blake Taylor by three (3) points, and Alan Furst holding off Kevin LaRue by six (6) points.
Of the 69 programmers listed on ballots, fourteen (14) received at least one 1st place vote.
* Anne Gress made this list but unfortunately was recently let go go by NJ 101.5.
Here is the remaining schedule for the BNM Top 20 of 2023.
Monday December 18 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Stations of 2023
Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension is very telling in a lot of ways to Dan Dakich.
The OutKick host on his show Don’t @ Me on Thursday said it’s clear Green displays cowardice on the basketball court with his antics, and that there’s a lack of coaching, structure, and culture. He said the Warriors had enabled Green, and that the league laying the hammer down with the suspension was doing what Kerr and the organization should’ve done long ago.
Dakich added that it’s evident Draymond continues to do stupid things on the court in an effort to grow his media persona.
“It’s a reflection on Green and him trying to build his brand so that he’s the wild child that moves into the NBA on TNT booth when Barkley leaves,” he said.
“This is what Draymond Green is trying to do. He’s trying to be the next guy,” Dakich continued. “The wild child. The guy that we all think, ‘Wow, I can’t wait to get his opinion.’ That’s what he’s trying to do, and it’s smart. It’s really smart.”
Dan Dakich did point out that it’s foolish to think that this suspension would harm any prospects Green has of being in the NBA media space when he retires.
“He’ll make a lot of money once his NBA career’s over talking about the NBA. He will,” Dakich said. “You can say he won’t, but he will. You can say you don’t like it, but you do. Barkley is funny. Barkley is engaging. Barkley is self-deprecating. Draymond Green is just stupid and a coward. That’s all. No more no less.”
Former Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman has done his best to make amends with the gay community after his use of a homophobic slur was picked up on a hot mic during a 2020 game.
Brennaman was a guest with Dan Dakich on OutKick’s Don’t @ Me, and when asked if he’s been granted forgiveness for what he said by the people that matter the most, people like Outsports co-founder Cyd Zeigler and Oakland A’s senior advisor Billy Beane, Thom said he had.
“I know they do and a number of other gay men in greater Cincinnati that I’ve spent a lot of time with that have gotten to know me,” Brennaman said.
Thom Brennaman talked about meeting with several prominent gay leaders from around the area a few weeks after the incident, and how it was a truly eye-opening experience. While the hope from some in attendance was to educate and give Brennaman a chance to listen, Thom said others clearly just wanted to sound off on him.
“There are a lot of guys there that are letting me have it,” he said. “They think I’m only there to start checking boxes to try to get my career back. And I understand where they’re coming from. I understood it entirely.”
“I think that most of the people that have at least given me a chance to talk to them and to get to know me a little bit better, I feel like – Cyd Ziegler and Billy Beane and many, many others, certainly have forgiven me,” Brennaman added. “But again, you’re not gonna get forgiveness from everybody.”
Thom Brennaman did talk about how the last three years had turned out to be quite a blessing. Suddenly being free of any professional obligations allowed Thom to turn his attention to his family.
Brennaman did admit that it’s been hard finding work, but that all it takes is one person to turn things around. Still, while he wishes he could take back what he said, he knows there’s no undoing the past. He’s just tried to do the best he can to show he’s grown.
“There is no doubt this happened for a reason,” he said. “I really believe it’s part of a bigger plan. I may not like the timing of the plan, and I try to do my best not to think I’m smarter than God above. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, I’m good, totally good. And been totally blessed through this whole thing.”
“I would not change the last three years of my life to have my career back,” he added.
