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Keyshawn Johnson: ‘You See Things a Little Bit Different Than It Was at ESPN’ With FS1

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After being at ESPN for 17 years, Keyshawn Johnson has been one of the co-hosts on UNDISPUTED on FS1 since late August. Even though many people in his life told him that might not be the best move, Johnson decided to take matters into his own hands.

On the STUPodity podcast this week, Johnson said that when people first heard he was going to work with Skip Bayless, people didn’t think that was going to be the best decision for him because of what happened with Bayless and Shannon Sharpe. However, he said he has had no issue with Bayless since joining the show.

“When I first was rumored to work with Skip, many people was coming up to me saying I didn’t want to do that, I didn’t want to do that based on his relationship that he may have had with Shannon Sharpe. I don’t have anything to do with that. That ain’t got nothing to do with me. I’m my own man. Let me judge the individual myself…I go there and work with him, I have no issues. It’s fun, I’m enjoying it. He’s cool.”

One thing that Keyshawn Johnson enjoys the most about working with Bayless is that he actually watches the games when forming a take, which is something he can not say about everyone he has worked with in the past.

“He’s just a guy who is passionate about what he does. He’s extremely smart and the great thing about it is he actually watches the games. I’ve worked with people before in the past that did not watch the games.”

“He’s a super nice guy. The thing is he really believes what he believes. Nothing is an act. Everything is legit and you’ve got to respect the person for that.”

With Keyshawn Johnson now at a new network, the former wide receiver mentioned that he has had a good time at FS1 and he has enjoyed getting to see things a little bit differently compared to when he was at ESPN.

“It’s fun. I had a great 17-year run at ESPN from the top of the top shows to creating shows to taking over for iconic people like Mike & Mike to being 10 years on Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown to creating C’Mon Man. I had a blast with all those people that’s over there. As they say, sometimes you’ve to change and you’ve got to see other things in life before you truly know what’s out there.”

“For me, having the opportunity to be at FS1 now, you just see things a little bit different than it was at ESPN.”

Dave Williams Retiring From KLIF

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KLIF morning host Dave Williams has announced he’s stepping away from the Dallas news/talk station after an illustrious radio career.

In a post to Facebook, Williams noted he suffered a seizure earlier this year. While recuperating, he was told he did not suffer a heart attack and did not have a brain tumor. Doctors were unable to pinpoint the cause of his seizure, but the radio host simply decided the timing was right to step aside.

“I’ve been cleared to return to work but have decided to call it a career. I’m 72, I’ve been in radio for 54 years, and for the past 42 years, I’ve been getting out of bed in the middle of the night to go to work. I just discovered I like sleeping in a bit,” Williams wrote.

“I will miss the daily enjoyment of the job and especially the people with whom I worked,” he continued. “And, thanks most of all to those of you who listened each morning and found some informational and entertainment value mornings on KLIF.”

Williams was joined by Amy Chodroff while hosting DFW Morning News together for the past 12 years on KLIF. Chodroff exited the station in September.

Fred Toucher: NHL Was ‘Desperate to Get on ESPN’

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Fred Toucher: NHL Was ‘Desperate to Get on ESPN’

This week, ESPN presented two exclusive NHL games, the latter of which was broadcast on its streaming service, ESPN+, and Hulu. 98.5 The Sports Hub hosts Rich Shertenlieb and Fred Toucher believe the network have some work to do when it comes to its presentation of the NHL.

While fans in the Boston marketplace and beyond are excited regarding the success of their team after a record-setting regular season last year, some had trouble finding the game. On Friday morning’s edition of Toucher & Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub, co-host Rich Shertenlieb expressed how the Original Six matchup was not prominently displayed on the front screen of the Hulu app, contrasting from how other streaming services market sports properties.

“It’s the opposite of what you do when you’re watching Thursday Night Football,” Shertenlieb said. “Amazon is like, ‘We spent money on this product. Damnit, you’re going to watch it.’ I don’t even think you need to press play when you turn on Amazon. It’s right there.”

In order to find the game on Hulu, Shertenlieb had to type ‘Bruins’ into the search bar, something that Toucher feels is taking away from the growth of the sport. While there is a large slate of programming on Hulu across various genres, prominently featuring the NHL on nights with exclusive games could prompt people to click on it just to see what is going on, and then perhaps become interested in the game later on.

“I didn’t see it on the [Hulu] front page, so I went to ESPN and it was the first thing for me on ESPN,” Toucher said. “I have the ESPN app, but if you are going to have something on Hulu, I understand, and I now think anybody they want watching the games probably has streaming service. They’re not overly interested in you – I apologize if you’re this age – but if you’re in your 60s or 70s or 80s, they’re not overly interested in you; they’re just not.”

In his remarks, Toucher likened the lack of promotion surrounding the property to a “J.V. operation,” claiming that the NHL is missing an opportunity for fans outside of markets with an emphasis on hockey. There have been times when he has become interested in recommended shows because of the algorithm within the streaming service, and pushing the NHL and other live sports in a similar regard could help grow the audience and elicit a greater return on investment.

“At any given point, how many live sporting events are running on Hulu at night? It’s not many, right?,” Shertenlieb presumed. “Let’s say there’s three – wouldn’t you think that [if] you were somebody who ran Hulu, you would have, on the front screen, a portion of it that said, ‘Live sports right now,’ that you could click on?”

Toucher assumed that Hulu does not value the NHL and does not care to advertise it or put significant marketing spend. He also opined that the league should insist on having a banner advertisement and that if no one clicks on it, it will still be good for purposes of exposure.

“They were desperate to get on ESPN is what happened, and they got on ESPN,” Toucher said. “….Disney owns ESPN, ABC, Hulu – all that stuff – and they were so desperate to get on ESPN that they agreed to do this crap. By the way, of all the games, that’s a national showcase game.”

620 WTMJ’s Sandy Maxx Exits Middays, Launches New Evening Program

BNM Staff
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620 WTMJ is adding a new evening program hosted by former midday show co-host Sandy Maxx.

Maxx made the announcement on the station’s website, promoting her new program that will air at 6:00 PM called What’s On Tap?.

“I’m pleased to announce that I will be back on the air with my new show called ‘What’s On Tap?’ This hourlong show is set to air on most weeknights at 6:00 pm barring conflicts with Bucks & Brewers games, featuring culture and creativity in Wisconsin and around the world,” said Maxx.

The announcement coincides with her departure from WTMJ N.O.W., which is hosted by Steve Scaffidi. Sandy Maxx originally joined the station last December as co-anchor of Wisconsin’s Afternoon News. In July, she was partnered with Scaffidi for middays on the Good Karma Brands-owned station.

The new evening program from Maxx debuted on Thursday.

First Things First Sees Large Viewership Gains for FS1

BSM Staff
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First Things First Sees Large Viewership Gains for FS1

FS1 has reported viewership data for the month of October and highlighted gains across the board, including First Things First.

The afternoon program featuring Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes reported its 14th consecutive month of double-digit YoY growth. The program moved from mornings to afternoons and just attained its second most-watched month ever, up 97% year-over-year.

The ratings data, all of which emanates from Nielsen Media Research, outlined that four of the show’s top 10 most-watched telecasts ever aired throughout the month of October.

The Herd with Colin Cowherd saw October viewership that was up 24% year-over-year (YoY). The gain accounts for the 11th consecutive month of YoY viewership growth and is proof of the program’s strong multiplatform presence.

Jason McIntyre, the creator of The Big Lead, joined Cowherd regularly on the program last year and has been part of the gains across the board.

Following First Things First in the weekday programming lineup is Speak, which features Joy Taylor, Emmanuel Acho, and LeSean McCoy. Last month marked its most-watched October ever, up 70% overall YoY, and its most-watched month overall in almost four years, a feat it attained in November of 2019.

October was the 12th consecutive month of YoY viewership growth and tied for its fourth most-watched month ever. The program relaunched last September after it was previously known as Speak for Yourself and included different co-hosts. These gains across the board continue a trend for FS1, which has reported strong growth in the afternoons since its new programming slate became official last September.

Mike Gallagher: I Can’t Believe I Have to Talk About Ron DeSantis’ Boots

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Mike Gallagher: I Can’t Believe I Have to Talk About Ron DeSantis’ Boots

A viral theory claiming 2024 Republican Presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (FL) is wearing platform lifts to appear taller made it all the way to Politico this week. Radio host Mike Gallagher can’t believe it is even a topic of discussion.

During The Mike Gallagher Show Thursday, the Salem Radio Network host shared his disbelief that the topic would be one news/talk radio listeners would be interested in.

“It’s everywhere. Nikki Haley got in on it. Nikki Haley compared DeSantis, his cowboy boots, to her high heels. I mean, I cannot believe I’m asking you about the DeSantis cowboy boots,” Mike Gallagher said. “But I’ve gotten a ton — a ton — of people writing me saying, ‘He’s done. It’s over.’ And I’m thinking surely whether or not he wears lifts in his cowboy boots or whatever, isn’t going to be the determining factor as to whether he’s the nominee in 2024.”

In a series of viral videos published mostly to TikTok, DeSantis is seen either walking awkwardly or sitting with the vamp and toe box of his signature cowboy boots looking vacant.

Mike Gallagher continued that he believes his role as a radio talk show host includes discussing what the average person is discussing, which, in this instance, includes talking about a political candidate’s footwear.

“But I mean, honestly, do you really think this is a campaign issue? That we’re voting on boots? But it does sort of reflect the frustrating way we don’t care about policy, or the frustrating way we worry about the cult of personality,” continued Gallagher. “What do you look like? What do you what do you sound like? Is there a problem with your tweets? Who cares? Can you get the job done?…We’re not going to spend a whole lot of time on the boots. But listen, this show reflects what people are talking about, and whether we like it or not, people are talking about this.”

2023 World Series Least-Watched on Record

BSM Staff
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2023 World Series Least-Watched on Record

The World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks has officially concluded as the least-watched “Fall Classic” on record. Game 5 of the matchup averaged 11.45 million viewers on FOX (11.6 million viewers across FOX platforms) and attained a 6.0 rating, the highest throughout the series.

The game was down 10% in viewership (12.77 million) and 13% in rating (6.9) year-over-year from the Houston Astros’ Game 5 matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies.

While the game came down to the wire and ended in a 3-2 Astros win, the matchup took place on a Thursday, thus airing at the same time as Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video.

When taking all five games into account, the World Series had an average of 9.11 million viewers, a 23% decline year-over-year. It attained a 4.7 rating overall as well, contributing to the trend of the last four World Series matchups being the least-watched on record. Viewership data is courtesy of Nielsen Media Research and Sports Media Watch.

Game 2 broke the record for the least-watched World Series game on record with an average of 8.15 million viewers, and two nights later, Game 3 claimed the spot (8.13 million). Outside of the third game, which aired opposite Monday Night Football on ESPN and ABC, none of the World Series matchups competed with a National Football League prime-time game in the slot.

For the MLB postseason, ratings were down by 8% across FOX Sports, ESPN and TBS, averaging 4.45 million viewers. This occurred despite rule changes that led to record attendance, augmented offensive output and a hastened pace of play. Even so, audiences for the World Series were responsible for the largest draws on television on four of the five nights, with the third game being the exception.

As it pertains to individual marketplaces, Dallas-Fort Worth led designated market areas with a 20.3 rating and 51 share. The Phoenix locale finished second with a 16.0 rating and 43 share, followed by Austin and San Antonio in Texas. The World Series concluded with the Texas Rangers earning the first championship in the history of the organization, which will be celebrated in Arlington, Texas on Friday with a parade and ceremony.

Adrienne Broaddus Departs CNN for NBC News

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Adrienne Broaddus Departs CNN for NBC News

Adrienne Broaddus has joined the growing list of those departing CNN for NBC News, as she was announced as a new Chicago-based correspondent for the network.

Broaddus had worked at CNN since 2020, and covered several mass shootings for the network, in her Chicago-based role. Prior to joining CNN, she was a local TV reporter, most notably at KARE 11 in Minneapolis.

In a memo to employees announcing the move, NBC News Global Newsgathering Chief David Verdi praised Adrienne Broaddus for her past work at CNN.

“Adrienne comes to us from CNN, where she spent several years reporting on breaking news throughout the country, including the Covid-19 pandemic and mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, Oxford, Michigan, and Highland Park, Illinois. She also extensively covered policing in America, including the trials of former Minnesota Police officers Derek Chauvin and Kim Potter.”

Earlier this week, longtime CNN anchor Christine Romans joined NBC News, becoming the sixth either on-air talent or executive to join the network from the cable news giant in the past 13 months.

Lachlan Murdoch: Rupert is Still Very Much Involved and Will Be For Years to Come

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Earlier this year, FOX Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch made the surprising announcement that he was stepping aside from his duties and passing the reins to his son, Lachlan Murdoch. The heir to the FOX throne revealed that his father is still a major player in the organization despite his retired status.

During the company’s earnings call Thursday, Lachlan Murdoch assured investors that Rupert Murdoch was still an active player in the company’s dealings.

“I can assure you that he is still very much involved and will continue to be for years to come,” Murdoch said of his 92-year-old father.

The statement aligns with what Rupert Murdoch said while announcing his retirement in September. At the time, he claimed that while the “time is right for me to take on different roles”, the 92-year-old would still be “involved every day in the contest of ideas.”

Lachlan Murdoch also addressed the volatile advertising market, saying the company is well-insulated from its ups and downs.

“We hear, and understand, that the advertising market appears to be mixed, or unsettled. However, we are not seeing that to the same extent due to our focus on sports and news,” admitted Murdoch. “With sports, we’re seeing high demand around our NFL and college football schedule.”

Mark Schlereth: I’m Not Sorry For What I Said About Philly Fans

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FOX NFL analyst and Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan host Mark Schlereth knows he ruffled the feathers of Philadelphia sports fans earlier this week, and he’s not taking back any of what he said.

Schlereth on The Stinkin’ Truth Podcast earlier this week mentioned he had received plenty of criticism from Eagles fans during this past Sunday’s game in Washington against the Commanders. In response, Mark essentially called fans fickle saying they always try to find some kind of negative to harp on with a team that’s still got the best record in the NFL entering Week 9.

On Thursday he was asked by co-host Mike Evans if he was feeling the effects of his week-long battle with Philly sports supporters. Schlereth said he wasn’t fazed by any criticism, and that he’s embracing the label from fans as a hater.

“I played enough against Philadelphia. I’ve been around Philadelphia enough,” he said. “I’ve done enough stuff over the years both with ESPN and now with FOX with Philadelphia fans. So no, I am not at all rattled. As a matter of fact, I like the hate.”

“I do this to entertain myself. You know that, right, that’s the only reason I do this business,” Mark Schlereth added. “To entertain myself and to draw a paycheck.”

He continued that a wise man once told him when he first broke into sports media that the goal is to have 50% of the audience loving him and the other 50% hating him.

“And if you do that, if you have that ratio, you’re doing a good job. So I love the hate. I love it when people throw things at me.

Schlereth then responded to criticism he faced from within the sports media space from WIP hosts Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie, without mentioning them by name. The duo said Monday on their show that Schlereth was a bad announcer and extremely biased.

“If what you say to me is ‘The broadcast was horrendous. You’re awful. It’s too X’s and O’s. Plus you were so biased,’ you didn’t hear the game you wanted to hear,” he said. “I don’t get paid to talk about the game you want to hear. I get paid to cover the game in front of me.”

“And if you’re throwing at me, especially a media member, that I was biased in my broadcast then you’re a candy-ass bitch, and you know exactly who I’m talking about,” Schlereth continued. “That’s exactly what you are.”

He finished by saying Philly fans and sports media folks alike need to take off their rose-colored glasses.

“I can’t help you if you didn’t get to hear the game that you wanted to hear,” Mark said. “Sorry, I’m not sorry.”

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