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Chris Russo: MLB Makes Sure ‘FOX Gets Taken Care Of’ in Prime Time

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Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo has had enough of MLB scheduling postseason games based on results around the league. Appearing for his weekly spot on ESPN’s First Take, the longtime sports media personality chided the league for changing the time of the Minnesota Twins matchup against the Houston Astros based on the result of Tuesday night’s game between the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers. The Orioles ended up being eliminated from the playoffs by the Rangers, who will face the winner of the Twins-Astros series.

Russo outlined a hypothetical scenario of an 8-year-old child being told by his father that he would be able to miss school and attend Game 4 of the American League Division Series (ALDS), which was slated to begin at 2 p.m. ET. When the child presumably awoke on Wednesday morning, he would be informed that the game time was changed to 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST, and that he was now unable to attend because of an impending algebra quiz.

“How does baseball – five hours; 10 hours – before the next playoff game tell the Minnesota fan, ‘Hey, by the way guys, I know it was supposed to be at 1. We’re going to make it to 6 because we’ve got to make sure FOX gets taken care of with the prime-time game?’” Russo said. “I understand a couple of days – you give them a little [notice] – you did it the night before at midnight once Texas won. That drove me nuts!”

Featured commentator and executive producer Stephen A. Smith replied to Russo by insinuating that the Orioles were more to blame than anyone else because of being swept. The team dropped two games from Oriole Park at Camden Yards before traveling to Arlington, Texas and finding itself in a 6-0 deficit by the end of the second inning.

“You’ve got to have a prime-time game,” Smith stated. “You can’t put the game on in the afternoon and have nothing available [in] prime time. That’s not good for the sport.”

Russo acknowledged Smith’s complaint and came back with a clear-cut way that he affirms would have solved the problem. Rather than having the Twins and Astros play an afternoon game on Tuesday, he believes the Orioles and Rangers should have been placed in that slot. Based off the result of the matchup, the league could then make an informed decision about Game 4, which was guaranteed to occur by that point, and whether or not they deemed it necessary to move into prime time.

“They could have had the Twins play yesterday at night; have the Orioles play at 4,” Russo explained, “and if the Orioles won, they play at 2 the next day and if they lose, you’ve still got the Twins at 7, and they didn’t do that, damnit!”

“You’re right,” show host Molly Qerim replied, concluding the weekly “What Are You Mad About?” segment on the program.

Tyler Bischoff: ESPN’s NHL Tripleheader a ‘Nightmare’ for Vegas Fans

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The Vegas Golden Knights celebrated its first Stanley Cup Championship ahead of puck drop in the season opener against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night. By the time the pregame festivities had concluded and it was time for puck drop, it was 11:16 PM ET/8:16 p.m. PT, nearly a half hour after the conclusion of the preceding game.

The game was the final of an opening night tripleheader on ESPN, which pushed puck-drop back from its originally intended 10:30 PM ET/8:30 PM PT start.

“They didn’t even need that because at least on the ESPN/ESPN+ stream, they didn’t even start that until 8:05,” co-host Danny Smyth said on The Press Box Wednesday morning on ESPN Las Vegas. “They could have kept the 7:30 start time and it would have dropped at 7:45.”

In the end, the Golden Knights matchup was delayed, and it is unknown if the start time would have been altered had the preceding game entered overtime. The Blackhawks-Penguins showdown marked the highly anticipated NHL debut of No. 1 overall draft pick, Chicago forward Connor Bedard.

“It would have been fine with how late they pushed everything back,” co-host Tyler Bischoff explained. “What a nightmare – we’re complaining about not getting enough sleep. I’m just glad Ed’s here.”

“It was fortunate I was able to get up,” co-host Ed Graney shared. “6:13 I get out – it’s every morning at 6:13 – I’m up way before that, but 6:13, and then this morning, I looked and it was 6:16 and I started to panic. I said, ‘Oh no.’”

The Walt Disney Company is in the third season of a seven-year broadcast pact with the National Hockey League worth a reported $400 million annually. ABC and ESPN platforms will serve as the broadcast home of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the second such occurrence under the broadcast agreement.

Warren Jenson Elevated to President at Nielsen

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Warren Jenson Elevated to President at Nielsen

Less than a month after naming a new CEO, Nielsen has a new President, moving Warren Jenson to the role.

Jenson joined the company five months ago to serve as Chief Financial Officer, a role in which he’ll remain. However, with his new duties, he’ll be tasked with modernizing the organization, especially in its video metrics division.

“I am humbled to take on the additional role as President of Nielsen and lead the company’s vision and transformation, particularly during Nielsen’s centennial anniversary year,” said Jenson. “Since joining Nielsen just five months ago, I am encouraged by Nielsen’s commitment to innovation and shaping the media measurement ecosystem around the globe. I look forward to working closely with our CEO Karthik Rao to help power a better media future for the next 100 years.”

Jenson has more the three decades of experience in the executive suit, serving as the CFO for several Fortune 500 companies, including Delta Airlines and Amazon, among others.

94.5 The Answer Ceasing Operations in Greenville Later This Month

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94.5 The Answer Ceasing Operations in Greenville Later This Month

It should come as no surprise, but Salem Media Group’s 94.5 The Answer will cease operations later this month.

Salem sold the station — as well as sister stations 95.5/103.3 Earth FM — to Educational Media Foundation in late August for nearly $7 million.

However, the new ownership group — which features a Christian music format — will not continue the conservative news/talk format featured currently on 94.5 The Answer, meaning the station will cease to exist on Saturday, October 28th.

“The new owners have no plans of continuing our programming or content,” Salem Media Group told staffers in an internal memo. “They are going to program formats unique to them and will not continue with the formats we have been presenting. So, as of Midnight 10/28/23, all of Salem Media Group’s Greenville-Spartanburg stations will cease operation.”

The conservative news outlet featured one local show, The Morning Answer, which was hosted by Joey Hudson.

“We have enjoyed our years in the Greenville-Spartanburg market but have made the strategic decision to divest our interests there,” said Salem Media Group CEO David Santrella at the time of the sale. “As we do, we are grateful to be able to place these signals in the hands of Educational Media Foundation (EMF) who share a like-minded mission with Salem through their music programming. We are also thankful to our Greenville-Spartanburg staff for their many years of service.”

94.5 The Answer’s demise leaves Audacy-owned 98.9 WORD as the lone news/talk outlet in the market.

Rob Long Asks Therapists to Call 105.7 The Fan After Orioles’ Loss

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As the Baltimore Orioles storybook season came to a screeching halt at the hands of the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series (ALDS), a sense of ambiguity seems to have swept over its fanbase. Rob Long, Big Bad Morning Show co-host on 105.7 The Fan, had become infatuated by this year’s team, and was having difficulty processing the team’s postseason exit.

“Am I the only one that doesn’t know what emotions I feel right now when we talk about my baseball team?,” Long said. “I don’t know what I’m feeling right now – I don’t know if it’s sad because it’s over [or] proud because of what they accomplished. I don’t know whether it’s disappointment.”

Consulting his co-host Ed Norris, Long concurred that the steps forward the team had taken during the year rendered watching the team an appointment-based viewing experience. Attaining the No. 1 playoff seed and receiving a bye to the ALDS raised the standard. The sudden elimination and cessation of a postseason run, however, has caused a disquietude of emotions.

“I’m not lying to you – is there a therapist listening to the show right now that could call up for me and Ed?,” Long said. “….I really don’t know what I’m feeling right now – seriously. Resentment; jealousy; anger; disappointment; [happiness] – it’s just the whole – I’m running through them right now.”

When the season began, Long was hopeful that the Orioles could compete for the third Wild Card Spot, and he would have been content with the team being eliminated during the Wild Card Series. If that scenario had played out, he would have given them “a golf clap” and encouraged the group to take further strides next season. By June, he was having off-the-air conversations with Norris pertaining to how special the team looked and that they were poised to exceed what they once thought was possible.

“I don’t even remember what I felt when I hear those expectations,” Rob Long said, referring to his pre-Opening Day prediction. “Now they grew, so now we’re getting swept in the first round, [and] for a team that hadn’t gotten swept in over 90 series, [that] is not acceptable to me.”

Shan Shariff: I Hate FOX’s Camera View For MLB Postseason

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Shan Shariff: I Hate FOX’s Camera View For MLB Postseason

On Tuesday night, the Texas Rangers completed a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles. Due to the lopsided nature of the contest, 105.3 The Fan co-host Shan Shariff asked co-host RJ Choppy — who was in attendance — if fans in the stadium had opted to rise from their seats on two-strike counts.

In response, Choppy articulated that the crowd was on its feet when there were two outs and two strikes.

One of these moments came in the top of the eighth inning when Orioles outfielder Aaron Hicks was at the plate with the bases loaded when the score was 7-1 in favor of Texas. Shariff, who was not at the ballpark, expressed his dismay towards FOX Sports’ presentation of the matchup, specifically because he was unable to get a genuine, unimpeded feel for the environment.

“I hated the camera view on TV because it only showed that lower dugout portion of seating, and you can’t see anything up top,” Shariff said. “I hate that – it felt like they were going way out of the way to show [the] first base line; outfield; third base line for the fans.”

While Shariff and many other Rangers fans have a staunch inclination to root against the New York Yankees, he shared how watching games at the previous iteration of Yankee Stadium was ideal for television because the center field camera view encompassed a large portion of seats behind home plate.

Globe Life Field, however, has an assortment of field suites situated beneath the playing surface, submerged into the ground, and always on camera.

“I could not tell unless they went to a special, separate shot if the crowd stood up,” Shan Shariff said. “I will say in the shots that they showed, the crowd was up 95% of the time, which they’re only going to show when they are standing up.”

Bill Handel: CNN Didn’t Cover Anything But Israel for 4 Full Days

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The Hamas attacks in Israel have dominated news coverage since beginning last weekend. However, KFI-AM 640 morning host Bill Handel believes CNN still has room to cover something else.

During his “Handel on the News” segment, the Los Angeles-based host noted that he hadn’t seen much diversity in coverage from the cable outlet.

“This morning, I was watching CNN. I wake up in the morning pretty early,” Handel said. “I had my coffee and my English muffin, and I’m watching. For the first time in four days, it was a story on CNN that was not Israel. It had to do with the Republican conference meeting to choose a new speaker.”

CNN was one of the first outlets covering the events unfolding with boots on the ground in Israel. Many observers have noted the network is at its best during breaking news coverage, including the reporting of correspondent Clarissa Ward that went viral after she had to take cover moments before a live report.

Mark Simone: Why Won’t MSNBC Hosts Call Hamas Terrorists?

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Mark Simone: Why Won’t MSNBC Hosts Call Hamas Terrorists?

MSNBC has taken criticism for its coverage of the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel over the weekend. 710 WOR midday host Mark Simone joined the fray Tuesday.

During The Mark Simone Show, the host questioned why hosts like Ali Velshi and Mehdi Hasan had yet to refer to Hamas as terrorists. He claimed liberal outlets like MSNBC had an ulterior motive.

“This is where the anti-Semitism comes out at places like The New York Times. The way they write about Israel, the way they blame Israel for everything. This is where you see the anti-Semitism on MSNBC, even Dan Abrams, going after the naming certain anchors who refuse to call Hamas terrorists,” Simone said.

Abrams noticeably took Velshi and Hasan to task during his NewsNation program Monday for their coverage. He argued that the pair asked for “nuance” and “context” surrounding coverage of the attacks, but claimed they rarely offer the same to the other side of the political aisle during American government coverage.

Meanwhile, Simone continued his attack on MSNBC, pointing to questions from the leaders of the Anti-Defamation League as a case in point.

“And the Anti-Defamation League, the head of the ADL, now wants to know if Hamas is writing the MSNBC scripts. The left-wing, kooky MSNBC network won’t call the Hamas savages ‘terrorists’. They call them fighters.”

Anthony Gargano Out at 97.5 The Fanatic

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Anthony Gargano Out at 97.5 The Fanatic

97.5 The Fanatic midday host Anthony Gargano has departed the station after his contract dispute with Beasley Media Group over his role at new ALLCITY startup PHLY Sports.

As part of an injunction agreement between the host and Beasley Media Group, Gargano departs from the station effective immediately. He also agreed to not produce, promote, or distribute any sports media content in the Philadelphia market for six months.

He can, however, continue to host a sports betting podcast and a national NFL podcast with co-host Brian Baldinger, but ALLCITY cannot promote them.

Additionally, Gargano cannot solicit any Beasley customers, advertisers, or employees for 18 months. He can provide written articles, but they cannot be specifically about Philadelphia sports, and must be published on other ALLCITY publications.

While the two sides have come to an agreement on employment, Beasley Media Group is continuing its lawsuit against Anthony Gargano for damages on the breach of contract claims. The legal document filed as part of the agreement reads “The parties reserve all other rights related to their claims and defenses, including as to arguments for and against claimed damages and permanent injunctive relief,” according to Crossing Broad, meaning an out-of-court settlement remains possible.

According to the original lawsuit filed by the company, Gargano was under contract with 97.5 The Fanatic until October 2024. He had been with the station since 2015, originally hired to host mornings until shifting to middays in 2018.

The midday timeslot on the station has been helmed by Gargano’s former producer, Andrew Salciunas.

Dick Vitale: ‘I Have Not Spoken Since June’ Due to Cancer Treatments

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Beloved ESPN college basketball commentator Dick Vitale is hoping to get some good news this week as his battle against vocal cord cancer continues.

Vitale, 84, took to Twitter on Tuesday to share an update on how things are going, saying that doctors will figure out if the radiation treatment he received was successful.

“I have not spoken since June ,” Vitale wrote. “This week will play a big role as to my vocal cord cancer status.”

Vitale completed radiation treatment for the vocal cord cancer over the summer. He underwent 35 rounds of treatment.

The prognosis on Vitale regaining his voice is good, but it’s uncertain as to the quality of his voice once is does come back.

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