Home Blog Page 1969

ESPN Commentator Pairings for 2023 MLB Wild Card Series Revealed

BSM Staff
-
0
ESPN Commentator Pairings for 2023 MLB Wild Card Series Revealed

ESPN will broadcast the Major League Baseball Wild Card Series for the second consecutive year and is bringing fans a lineup of experienced, versatile commentators in the booth. While the specific series that they will be calling has yet to be announced because of the ongoing Wild Card battles, the “Worldwide Leader” will bring comprehensive coverage to matchups with heavy implications.

The lead Sunday Night Baseball announcing team of Karl Ravech, David Cone and Eduardo Pérez will remain together for one of the Wild Card series with Buster Olney reporting. Sunday Night Baseball has attained viewership milestones throughout the 2023 regular season, and the team has also had the chance to call tentpole events such as the MLB Little League Classic and the Home Run Derby.

Michael Kay and Álex Rodríguez move from the studio to the broadcast booth to call a Wild Card Round series together for the second consecutive season. The duo recently wrapped up the second year of Sunday Night Baseball with KayRod, which reports have indicated could be its final year on the air. Rodríguez is reportedly set to agree to a new broadcast contract with FOX Sports that would grant the network exclusivity over his on-air rights. Joining Kay and Rodríguez as a reporter is Alden González, who has been with ESPN since 2016 where he started as the Los Angeles Rams team reporter for ESPN’s NFL Nation.

Jon “Boog” Sciambi, the television voice of the Chicago Cubs on Marquee Sports Network and ESPN Radio voice of Sunday Night Baseball, will deliver the play-by-play of another one of the league’s four Wild Card series. He will be joined by radio partner and nine-year MLB veteran outfielder Doug Glanville, with Jesse Rogers featured as a reporter.

The commentator lineup is rounded out by Sean McDonough as the play-by-play announcer, ending his year calling baseball as the National Hockey League prepares to begin its third season on ESPN. McDonough is expected to call his second Stanley Cup Final for the network at the end of the season alongside analyst Ray Ferraro and reporter Emily Kaplan. Working alongside McDonough for the Wild Card Series will be Jessica Mendoza and Tim Kurkjian, with Coley Harvey as the reporter.

The MLB Wild Card Series begins on Tuesday, Oct. 3 with matchups for all four best-of-three series. The higher-seeded club retains home-field advantage throughout play, and the first team to win two games will advance to the divisional series round. Coverage of the MLB Wild Card Series is exclusively on The Walt Disney Company’s family of networks – ABC; ESPN and ESPN2, and will be available to stream on ESPN+.

Red Apple Audio Networks Signs Lou Dobbs for Syndication and Ad Sales

BNM Staff
-
0

Former FOX Business Network host Lou Dobbs has signed an exclusive deal for network syndication and advertising sales with Red Apple Audio Networks.

The Lou Dobbs Business Reports are delivered twice daily Monday through Friday, featuring two-minute reports about the opening and closing markets. The feature currently airs on Red Apple Media’s 77 WABC with the addition of more stations to be announced in the coming days.

“I’m excited about partnering with the Red Apple Audio Networks,” said Dobbs. “Their contacts and reputation for customer service will increase our affiliate base across America.”

“Lou has a remarkable understanding of market trends and fluctuations,” said John Catsimatidis, Owner of Red Apple Media and Red Apple Audio Networks. “He has the rare ability to be able to cut through the data and present insightful analysis in a concise manner. He’s a terrific addition to our line-up of big-name personalities.”

Dobbs joined WABC programming in July of last year. However, his syndicated reports were dropped by G Audio Networks in April of this year. Previously, the daily vignettes were syndicated by Salem Radio Network.

New York Public Radio Cutting 12% of Workforce

BNM Staff
-
0
New York Public Radio Cutting 12% of Workforce

New York Public Radio and station WNYC are undergoing a reduction in force that will eliminate 12% of its workforce.

According to a report from The New York Times, the company has about 340 full-time employees, with the reduction affecting staffers next week.

A “free fall in the advertising market” has led to the decision according to New York Public Radio President/CEO LaFontaine Oliver.

“I know this news is hard to hear, and knowing macroeconomic factors have led to this moment doesn’t soften the blow when national trends land on your own doorstep,” Oliver said in a memo to employees.

The decision to begin staff reductions for the outlet comes on the heels of similar decisions made by NPR as a whole. Earlier this year, the national outlet eliminated more than 100 jobs and ended four podcasts. That came after a long hiring freeze was decided upon.

Oliver did not specify which areas of New York Public Radio will be specifically targeted for reductions, only noting that the organization would preserve its news/talk journalism and classic music efforts.

Pat McAfee: We Had ‘No Idea’ How Lou Holtz Would React to Interview Bit

BSM Staff
-
0
Pat McAfee: We Had ‘No Idea’ How Lou Holtz Would React to Interview Bit

Pat McAfee will be the first one to tell you that he never expected the interview with Lou Holtz from his show in South Bend last week to get the legs that it did. The interview was referenced by Ohio State coach Ryan Day after the Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame as motivation for the win.

The interview featured producer Ty Schmitt in Notre Dame garb and a prosthetic Holtz mask interviewing Lou Holtz as Lou Holtz.

While the college football world has talked a lot about Holtz saying that Ohio State is not a tough team and Day’s response to that, McAfee admitted on his show Wednesday that he had no idea how it would go.

“Ty’s been doing this impersonation for his whole life, on this particular program the last couple of years,” he told guest Bobby Carpenter. “Then Lou Holtz, his foundation, started following us, and we’re like, very thankful that they took it positively, but you never know until he’s sitting there.”

Carpenter said that he is surprised it went as well as it did, because Holtz had to be uncomfortable, at least for a moment.

“Anybody that can sit there with an impersonator of them in a chair, I have an immense respect for, because that’s hard, man, when you dive into your deepest insecurities. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but like Stephen A. Smith, Lou Holtz, guys that get impersonated, Gruden, that’s a tough deal.”

Earlier this week, McAfee said it was “so dumb” that a bit from his show was at the center of a controversy in college football. That doesn’t mean he isn’t happy that is the case.

“It was phenomenal. I appreciate, though, that Ryan Day utilized that to motivate the boys.”

Toucher & Rich Rip Tiki Barber Over Fight With Joe Benigno

BSM Staff
-
0
Toucher & Rich Rip Tiki Barber Over Fight With Joe Benigno

Drama at other stations in other markets always get hosts in our business talking. For Toucher & Rich, it is content. 

On 98.5 The Sports Hub Tuesday morning, the duo dissected the on air argument between WFAN’s Tiki Barber and Joe Benigno that ended with Barber turning off his mic and yelling “that’s bullshit!” before walking out of the studio. 

Toucher used multiple TV references to help the audience understand who Benigno is, comparing him first to Carl Brutananadilewski from the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force and then to a 2020 episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm where a friend of Larry David’s kills himself because he cannot take the Jets losing anymore. 

Both Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb came to the same conclusion about the argument. Tiki Barber looks worse between the two. In fact, Shertenlieb said that it did not make sense for Barber to get defensive when Benigno accused the former Giants running back of rooting for the Jets to lose every game.

“Why can’t Tiki Barber just go ‘yeah, I root for them to lose. I was a Giant. What, are you crazy?’” he asked.

Toucher joked that you cannot tell the listeners that you root against their team. Toucher has had nothing but success in Boston, despite letting it be known regularly that he roots for the Jets.

Shertenlieb asked if it was possible that Barber was attempting to be funny. Perhaps storming out of the studio was meant to be a bit and the joke just fell flat.

“No, he’s a p***y,” Toucher said. “He was pissed, he got up and he left. Oh no. I just made Barrett Sports Media! ‘Fred says Tiki’s a p***y’.”

Fred Toucher knows this site well.

Shertenlieb added that the smart thing to do to make for better radio would have been to egg Benigno on. 

“He looks feral,” he said describing Benigno in the video.

Toucher agreed, noting that the Toucher & Rich crew often take advantage of him when he I angry about something because it is funny to them.

Maggie Gray, Andrew Perloff Moving to Morning Drive on CBS Sports Radio

BSM Staff
-
0
Maggie Gray, Andrew Perloff Moving to Morning Drive on CBS Sports Radio

Audacy is making a lineup change to CBS Sports Radio, moving hosts Maggie Gray and Andrew Perloff to morning drive starting on Monday, Oct. 2. The Maggie and Perloff show will be on the air from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. EST and bring listeners the latest news and opinion interspersed with several entertaining elements. The program will lead in to Reiter Than You with Bill Reiter, which is followed by Jim Rome at noon EST. An announcement has yet to be made regarding who will take over Gray and Perloff’s existing afternoon drive slot from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. EST.

“Maggie and Perloff are going to be awesome in the morning,” Spike Eskin, sports format vice president for Audacy and brand manager for CBS Sports Radio and WFAN, said in a statement. “The way the show has grown and evolved over the last couple of years is so exciting, and we’re really looking forward to bringing their special mix of opinions, interviews and fun to the morning.”

Gray has been with Audacy for nearly a decade, working in various capacities both at the local level on WFAN and nationally with CBS Sports Radio. She officially made her return to the national outlet in 2021 after three years on WFAN. Prior to her time with Audacy, Gray worked with Sports Illustrated as the host of the daily digital talk show SI NOW, and also served in a variety of roles for NBA TV, MSG Networks and MLB.com.

“We are so honored to be taking over this prestigious time slot,” Gray said. “I truly believe the connection with listeners in the morning is the deepest. We’re excited to be part of their morning routine, and getting the day off to a great start!”

Perloff came to Audacy last year after working with The Dan Patrick Show as one of the “Danettes” since 2009, where he was known by the nickname “McLovin.” Before he was on Patrick’s program, Perloff also worked for Sports Illustrated as a contributing writer and editor and was the outlet where he met Gray for the first time.

“One of the keys to our show is that we fundamentally disagree on major sports topics and still have fun,” Perloff said. “Maggie and I have been friends since we were colleagues at Sports Illustrated and nothing is going to change that – unless her Buffalo Bills beat my Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. Then she’s dead to me.”

Gray and Perloff will be broadcasting on over 100 stations across the United States in the mornings beginning on Oct. 2, commencing a new era in the mornings. The show replaces Damon Amendolara’s slot in the mornings, who announced Wednesday morning that he is headed to SiriusXM to host a new morning program with Mike Babchik starting on the same day.

KMJ Raises More Than $600,000 For Central California Food Bank

BNM Staff
-
0
KMJ Raises More Than $600,000 For Central California Food Bank

During its 10th annual Feeding Families Fund Drive, KMJ raised $620,000 for the Central California Food Bank.

On Friday, the station held its annual one-day drive to address the food insecurity in the Central Valley region.

“Bringing our community together for the greater good is truly inspiring,” said KMJ Program Director Blake Taylor. “Feeding so many families in need as we head into the holidays is the best feeling, and we couldn’t do it without our generous listeners and sponsors.”

“Every year this event gets bigger, and every year KMJ listeners respond with jaw-dropping generosity. Our very special thanks to the Musson family at Gar Bennett for their always unbelievable support and 50% match, which puts this drive over the top every year,” added Cumulus Fresno Regional Vice President and Market Manager Patty Hixson.

In total, the station has raised more than $4.4 million during its 10-year run, with donations still being accepted through the conclusion of the month.

Howie Carr: No One Cares About Debates Without Donald Trump

BNM Staff
-
0
Howie Carr: No One Cares About Debates Without Donald Trump

The second 2024 Republican Presidential debate is scheduled for this evening. The event will be broadcast on FOX Business Network and Univision. Conservative radio host Howie Carr believes the audience will be minuscule.

During an appearance on The Mark Simone Show, Carr joked that Fox News — which has faced charges of propping up candidates to compete with former President Donald Trump for the nomination — has given up that strategy.

“I think even Fox has thrown in the towel about stopping Trump. When they put him on live yesterday afternoon during his speech in South Carolina, that was an indication to me that they’re waving the white flag,” said Carr. “One day they’re promoting Nikki Haley the next day they’re promoting DeSantis again, and then they’re promoting Glenn Younkin. I think they’ve given up.”

Trump has insisted he will not participate in any of the primary debates due to his status as the frontrunner in the race.

Carr believes that a Trump-less debate doesn’t move the needle for an average television viewer.

“I don’t think anybody’s watching. I think the only plus side that Fox Business Channel has is there’s no NFL game,” Howie Carr concluded. “That’s the only possible reason anyone would go over there.”

Damon Amendolara to Join Mike Babchik for New Morning Show on SiriusXM

BSM Staff
-
0

Damon Amendolara is done at CBS Sports Radio. SiriusXM announced on Wednesday that it had lured him away to join Mike Babchik in morning drive on Mad Dog Sports Radio.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to join SiriusXM and Mad Dog Sports Radio,” said Amendolara. “This is such an incredibly talented team to be part of. I can’t wait for the ‘D.A.-liens’ and Mad Dog listeners to unite as I join Babs in the mornings. Let’s get the laughs and energy rolling!” 

Amendolara replaces Evan Cohen, who left the channel’s morning show last month to join ESPN Radio. Prior to the launch of Unsportsmanlike on that network, Cohen had been a part of Mad Dog Sports Radio’s morning show for 12 years.

“D.A. is one of the brightest stars in sports radio today,” Eric Spitz, SiriusXM’s Vice President of Sports Programming, said in a press release. “He delivers a terrific blend of informative and thoughtful sports talk with creative, entertaining humor, which is what our listeners are looking for as they start their day. He and Babs will make a dynamic team as they lead off our programming each morning.”

The new show will be called The DA Show with Babchik. It will run weekdays from 6 until 9 am on the East Coast.

Amendolara is the second big addition to Mad Dog Sports Radio in just over a month. Beadle & Decker with Michelle Beadle and Cody Decker launched on August 22.

The DA Show with Babchik will debut on October 2. Starting that day, the lineup for Mad Dog Sports Radio will look like this:

6 – 9 am ET: The D.A. Show with Babchik with Damon Amendolara and Mike Babchik
9 – noon ET: Schein on Sports with Adam Schein
Noon – 3 pm ET: Beadle & Decker with Michelle Beadle and Cody Decker
3 – 6 pm ET: Mad Dog Unleashed with Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo
6 – 7 pm ET: Mad Dog Daily with Steve Torre
7 – 10 pm ET: Mad Dog Sports Radio Tonight
10 pm – 1 am ET: Night Cap with George Wrighster

105.7 The Fan Hosts Pay Tribute to Late Brooks Robinson

BSM Staff
-
0

Every Baltimore sports fan and baseball fans across the country are mourning the loss of Brooks Robinson. The Hall of Fame Orioles third basement died Tuesday at the age of 86.

Playing in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox mean you are often smothered with stories of legendary names like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams. In Baltimore, those players were respected, but could not hold a candle to the admiration felt for Robinson.

Audacy’s 105.7 The Fan announced that it would be dedicating most of its programming on Wednesday to honoring Robinson.

Members of the air staff, many of whom are Maryland natives, could not wait that long. They took to X (formerly Twitter) immediately to pay tribute to their hero.

Fan hosts and others from around the sports world shared video of Jim Palmer on MASN. The Hall of Fame and three time Cy Young winner talked about his friend and former teammate during the pregame show ahead of the Orioles’ 1-0 win over the Washington Nationals.

The love for Brooks Robinson was not confined to Baltimore. Plenty of Maryland natives that now work on national platforms took to social media to share their memories and love for him.

Robinson played for the Orioles for 23 seasons, retiring in 1977. During that time, he won two World Series with the team, including in 1970 when he was also named the series MVP. 

He was a sixteen-time Gold Glove winner an eighteen-time All-Star, and the American League MVP in 1964.

1...1,9681,9691,970...2,883Page 1,969 of 2,883