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Greg Kelly: ‘I Just Might Have to’ Run For Mayor of New York

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Greg Kelly: ‘I Just Might Have to’ Run For Mayor of New York

New York Mayor Eric Adams is facing criticism for his change in stance on illegal immigrants being housed in the city. The situation led 77 WABC and Newsmax host Greg Kelly to reaffirm his consideration of running for the office.

Kelly played a clip of Adams on his Newsmax program earlier this week, and shared his interest in campaigning for the job.

“I live in New York City. Some people are suggesting that I run for mayor, and I just might have to,” said Kelly. “How did he become mayor? Well, they had the election on the last day of school. He got 289,000 votes. Does that seem impressive? There are 8 million people who live here. 3.1 something percent of the vote. I think he’s beatable. It’s a heavily Democrat town, but maybe.”

It isn’t the first time the host has mentioned considering a bid. In October of last year, Kelly shared with his radio audience that he was “seriously considering” running for the job.

If Kelly were to seek the office, he wouldn’t be the first member of the 77 WABC to do so. Midday host Curtis Sliwa lost Adams by a 67.4% to 27.95 margin. Additionally, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani hosts an afternoon program on the Red Apple Media station.

The next Mayoral election in the Big Apple won’t be held until November 4th, 2025.

Joe Getty: What Was the Point of Tucker Carlson’s Interview with Larry Sinclair?

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Joe Getty: What Was the Point of Tucker Carlson’s Interview with Larry Sinclair?

Earlier this week, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson welcomed Larry Sinclar to his digital program. Sinclair alleged he had a sexual encounter with former President Barack Obama while high on crack cocaine many years ago. Armstrong & Getty host Joe Getty wondered what the purpose of the interview was.

In the interview, Carlson called Sinclair credible due to his willingness to participate in the interview and also a previous lie detector test he took. However, Sinclair failed the lie detector test about his supposed escapades with Obama.

Carlson allies, namely Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy and X owner Elon Musk, have called the claims made by Sinclair “dubious”. Portnoy went as far as to say Sinclair was “top to bottom maybe the least trustworthy human I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’d say his story has 0.0% of being true and that’s generous.”

Both Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty questioned the purpose of the interview.

When one listener told the pair that the interview by Carlson “will only backfire on conservatives”, Getty agreed.

“It’s going to be a backlash. They’re going to be able to portray us as homophobes and silenced the right so anyway, yeah, that’s why we’re not into it,” said Getty.

“I’m definitely not for injecting more candidates’ past sex lives into our elections,” added Armstrong. “I’m more worried about the little kids being sexualized in schools.”

Alex Smith Added to ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown

BSM Staff
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ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown is returning to the air ahead of Week 1’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. Much of the show’s cast will remain the same, including host Sam Ponder, senior NFL insider Adam Schefter and analysts Rex Ryan, Tedy Bruschi and Randy Moss. The program, which is approaching its 40th year on the air, will be adding three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith to the lineup, the latest step in his growing sports media career. Earlier in the week, Smith joined SiriusXM to make a weekly guest appearance on The SiriusXM Blitz, and he has been appearing across ESPN programming since being hired by the “Worldwide Leader” in 2021.

Smith inked a contract extension with ESPN in November 2022 and appeared during select weeks of Monday Night Countdown over the last two seasons. The former No. 1 overall draft pick will continue to appear on a slate of Monday Night Countdown episodes, including the Week 1 edition from MetLife Stadium, and will balance his new role with the network and philanthropy efforts with The Alex Smith Foundation.

The established Sunday morning pregame show will air every week through Super Bowl Sunday, and there will be special editions of the program throughout the playoffs. This venerated property achieved several viewership records last year, recording its best numbers since 2019 and up 7% overall from the last regular season. An average of 1.24 million viewers watched the show last year, with 13% growth among adults 18-24 and a concurrent 8% increase among females.

This season’s premiere will include several exclusive features, including an interview with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Reporters including Jeff Darlington, Kimberley A. Martin and the newly-promoted Lindsey Thiry will be part of the show, reporting from around the country and bringing inside information and insights to the air.

Skip Bayless: Stephen A. Smith ‘Revises History’ About Early Days of First Take

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ESPN featured commentator and executive producer of First Take, Stephen A. Smith, has been hosting his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show, with Audacy’s Cadence13 division for just over a year where he has proffered his views on sports and beyond. Lately, many of the show’s episodes have made mention of the revamped Undisputed on FOX Sports 1 starring his former on-air partner, Skip Bayless. Moreover, Smith has discussed the show’s acquisition of Shannon Sharpe from FOX Sports 1, who is appearing on the show on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the National Football League season.

On a recent episode of the program, Smith spoke about a time when the show was in an uncertain situation following an on-air appearance by Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman that ended in harshly criticizing Bayless. Throughout his remarks, Smith said that the bosses at ESPN knew that Bayless was dependent on talking about quarterback Tim Tebow before he arrived later in the 2011 football season. Bayless seemed to believe that Smith insinuated that the program was in a probationary period because of indignation with his approach.

“The public had accused Skip Bayless of being a caricature of himself,” Smith said, “and even though Skip was very proud of his Tim Tebow coverage, the bosses weren’t necessarily enamored with it.”

On the latest edition of The Skip Bayless Show, Bayless took the time to respond to Smith, calling the statements he had made “baloney.” He remembered that the first time he remembers becoming interested in talking about Tebow was when he and the Florida Gators defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game.

“When he revises history about early First Take, I am going to respond,” Bayless articulated. “When he says that I told the truth about something but not the whole truth, then I am going to tell the utterly complete truth about that something.”

Bayless took umbrage towards being called a caricature of himself, proposing that it may have been random social media users rather than management. The authenticity he presented on the air at First Take was important to him, and he made sure to emphasize that “there was no shtick involved in all those shows.” According to Bayless, everything he said about Tebow was not an act, but rather his beliefs and opinions regarding the quarterback. The reason the show was on probation, the way he tells it, is not because of comments he or Smith made, but rather a remark from Rob Parker pertaining to NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III.

“Rob, as a contributor who occasionally came in to sit with us on First Take, made some remarks that unfortunately got him fired; he was let go,” Bayless said. “I hated it; I was in the middle of it [and] I didn’t know what to do about it, but maybe because of the old un-comfortability with First Take; I don’t know.”

Smith also acknowledged that comments he made regarding Ray Rice’s domestic violence incident that angered many colleagues and viewers, resulting in a suspension from the network. Yet Bayless reminded viewers that it did not happen until March 2013, nearly a year-and-a-half after Parker was fired by ESPN. While perceptions of a rivalry have permeated the sports media landscape between the two morning programs – and Smith sharing articles on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Front Office Sports about First Take viewership – Bayless wants people to know that he appreciates the span they worked together and everything Smith did for First Take.

“I love you, man. I really do – with all my heart and soul,” Bayless said to Smith, “but that is the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.”

Stoney & Jansen Give Mike Tirico Benefit of the Doubt After ‘Asterisk’ Remark

BSM Staff
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On Thursday night, the 2023 National Football League season officially kicked off from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and ended in a surprising upset. Just hours after the Kansas City Chiefs raised their 2022 Super Bowl championship banner, they were defeated by the Detroit Lions 21-20, energizing a fan base and helping the team in its quest to snap a six-year playoff drought. Detroit has a burgeoning young core that fueled the team in winning eight of its final 10 games during the 2022 campaign and looks to build off of that momentum this year. After the contest, however, NBC Sports lead play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico conveyed that the seminal victory had an asterisk next to it for several reasons.

Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce was ruled out before game time nursing a hyperextended knee, leaving quarterback Patrick Mahomes without one of his strongest offensive options. Moreover, defensive tackle Chris Jones watched the game from a suite because of a contract holdout, pressuring the Chiefs to give him a long-term extension. Because of these two key absences, Tirico asserted that the Lions’ win needs to be qualified and perturbed Detroit football fans who had been waiting several years for a triumph of this magnitude. After the statement was made, however, Tirico highlighted how the Lions have turned a corner, and color commentator Cris Collinsworth emphasized that the team received a “thumbs up” for the win.

“I’m not a Collinsworth fan,” show co-host Jon Jansen said Friday morning on 97.1 The Ticket, which was broadcasting live from Las Vegas, Nev. “You only get a thumbs up or a thumbs down – you either get a win or a loss – and at the end of the year, when they add them all up; there’s going to be 17 that they add up, and it’ll tell you [that] you have 11 in the thumbs up and six in the thumbs down.”

As it pertains to Tirico specifically, people are upset with his comments and issuing threats to him and his family on social media. Everyone on the show believes that he did not have an acrimonious intent with his discourse, especially having welcomed him on the air to talk about the team on Thursday.

“He has defended this city and all it sports teams nationally more than anybody else I can think of on a national level,” co-host Mike Stone said.

Stone believes that Tirico trying to expand on the statement by recognizing the stellar play of the Lions could have made people think that he sought to disparage the team. At the same time, the program recognizes that everyone can be overly sensitive to statements about Detroit sports teams which is exhibited as a byproduct of passion and commitment.

Board operator Tom Watson was involved in the discussion from the show’s Southfield, Mich. studios and holds a similar sentiment to Stone and Jansen because of his previous defense of the teams. Tirico has had a long career in the business and consistently exudes professionalism and preparedness, rendering him one of the most well-respected play-by-play announcers in the NFL.

“We like him and we know his credentials,” Watson said, “and there is no one… in sports media as sharp and clean and good as him. But guess what? People say things sometimes, and he probably didn’t mean to say it that way and I don’t think he believes that in his heart, but he said it and we let things breathe in sports radio. This is not an opinion; this isn’t hearsay. It’s fact that he said it.”

St. Louis Blues Ink Five-Year Broadcast Extension with 101 ESPN

BSM Staff
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The St. Louis Blues and Hubbard Interactive have announced that they have come to terms on a five-year broadcast partnership extension, keeping 101 ESPN as the radio home of the team through the 2027-28 season. WXOS-FM (101 ESPN) has been the flagship radio station for the Blues since the 2019-20 preseason and has been the only local, live sports talk radio station on the air in the city since 2009. The partnership will also implement Blues content across other local Hubbard-owned stations broadcasting in different formats, such as 105.7 The Point, 106.5 The Arch, KSHE 95 and New Country WIL 92.3.

“Our partnership with Hubbard over the past four seasons has been a tremendous asset for our organization,” Chris Zimmerman, St. Louis Blues president and chief executive officer of business operations, said in a statement. “This extension will allow us to continue to expand our reach, explore new revenue streams and collaborate across multiple platforms to bring the latest and greatest Blues content to our passionate fan base.”

The Blues will continue to have Chris Kerber and Joey Vitale call the games while also producing ancillary content to enhance its overall coverage. For example, the Last Minute Blues Podcast with Donny Fandango and new Bally Sports Midwest color commentator Jamie Rivers will make its return for a fourth year. Additionally, Blues promotional incentives will be disseminated over the air, including an upcoming Blues & Brews outdoor street party on Friday, Sept. 22.

“Hubbard Broadcasting and 101 ESPN are very excited to extend this new five-year partnership with the St. Louis Blues,” John Kijowski, Hubbard Interactive vice president and market manager, said in a statement. “This relationship brings exciting opportunities for joint initiatives that will captivate fans, engage communities and amplify our shared message of teamwork and determination.”

The Blues open the 2023-24 regular season on the road against the Dallas Stars before hosting the Seattle Kraken for their home opener from Enterprise Center on Saturday, Oct. 14. The team will look to qualify for the postseason for the first time since the 2021-22 season with hopes of capturing another Stanley Cup championship.

CNN Disputes Claim of Town Hall with Vivek Ramaswamy

BNM Staff
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CNN Disputes Claim of Town Hall with Vivek Ramaswamy

Late last week, Vivek Ramaswamy said he’ll participate in a town hall event with CNN next week. The network says that is simply not true.

“Townhall with CNN on Tuesday, Sept 12 in New York City. We can handle the heat. Let’s see if they can too. Buckle up,” Ramaswamy wrote on his personal X, formerly Twitter, account.

However, a report from Semafor’s Max Tani claims Ramaswamy’s campaign got ahead of itself and that the event was never officially confirmed.

A spokesperson said “The information in Mr. Ramaswamy’s post is incorrect and there is not a CNN Town Hall currently planned for September 12th.”

The campaign claims that the network backed out of the event after it was confirmed, reportedly citing the hiring of new CEO Mark Thompson as reason for the cancellation.

“We had reached an agreement for September 12 in New York and even selected a moderator. CNN says they are looking for another date.”

Semafor reports that Ramswamy’s campaign built his upcoming schedule around the town hall event and was “frustrated” by the cancellation. Erin Burnett was reportedly tabbed to serve as the moderator of the event.

LA Clippers Renew Over-The-Air Broadcast Deal

BSM Staff
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In a season where there is considerable uncertainty surrounding the Bally-branded regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, the LA Clippers have renewed an over-the-air television contract. For the second consecutive season, the Clippers will broadcast games on broadcast and cable television in their final season at Crypto.com Arena. The team has plans to move to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. to begin the 2024-25 campaign with championship expectations.

Clippers fans will be able to watch 11 regular season games on KTLA in a two-year partnership renewal, along with all four preseason exhibitions. The KTLA broadcasts will also be shown on several out-of-market affiliate stations in cities such as Santa Barbara, Fresno and San Diego. Bally Sports SoCal will broadcast 63 regular season contests; however, the National Basketball Association is reportedly set to take over regional broadcasts for teams should Diamond Sports Group neglect to pay the media rights fees.

The regional sports network operator, which was created as a subsidiary to Sinclair, Inc. when it acquired 22 FOX-branded RSNs from The Walt Disney Company. This move took place when Disney was required to divest the assets so it could garner antitrust approval in a $71.3 billion deal to acquire 21st Century Fox.

Sinclair purchased the RSNs for $9.6 billion and had the broadcast rights for 42 teams across the NBA, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball. Since Diamond declared Ch. 11 bankruptcy in the spring to eliminate over $8 billion in debt, it has been selectively rejecting existing contracts, threatening to leave teams without a broadcast home. Diamond has until Sept. 30 to submit a reorganization plan to U.S. bankruptcy court and recently sued its parent company for fiscal misconduct.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged that the league needs to “reimagine” its relationship with regional sports networks, something with the potential to influence conversations as the national media rights deal expires after next season. Silver has conveyed that the league is aiming to add more digital components to the package to reach a younger audience that is cutting the cord more hastily than ever before. In fact, the practice has caused a total drop of more than 3.1 million subscribers within the total multichannel audience.

The Clippers are the third NBA team to broadcast their contests on over-the-air television, following a model instantiated by the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz. The Suns in particular faced potential litigation after Diamond blocked its move to Gray Television stations, but ultimately had the lawsuit dropped to air all local contests on Arizona’s Family television stations.

Utah Jazz games are produced through owner Ryan Smith’s production company, SEG Media, and broadcast on KJZZ with a direct-to-consumer streaming service available for purchase. According to Smith, the team would be able to reach 100% of its desired audience within the new arrangement, whereas games were only accessible to 39% of households in the state.

“Making live Clippers games available to all Southern California viewers is a priority for the Clippers,” Gillian Zucker, the team’s president of business operations, said in a statement, “especially as we prepare to move into our new home, Intuit Dome, for the 2024-25 season.”

The broadcasters for the games on both KTLA and Bally Sports SoCal will remain consistent, with Brian Sieman as the play-by-play announcer and Jim Jackson and Mike Fratello as color commentators. Kristina Pink and Jaime Maggio will join on the sidelines for Bally Sports SoCal broadcasts, and KTLA reporter David Pingalore will take the responsibility for the over-the-air games. The studio crew of Jeanne Zelasko, Don MacLean and Corey Maggette will remain consistent regardless of the platform.

LA is scheduled for 22 national broadcasts across The Walt Disney Company (ABC/ESPN) and Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT/NBA TV) platforms. All local games will also be available to stream on ClipperVision, a team-owned direct-to-consumer platform entering its second season.

Digital Political Advertising Expected to Rise 28% in 2024 Cycle

BNM Staff
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Digital Political Advertising Expected to Rise 28% in 2024 Cycle

Political advertising has always been big business. But the medium in which campaigns are expected to spend continues to shift. Digital advertising is expected to see massive growth in the upcoming Presidential election.

According to projections from BIA Advisory Services, political ad spending with digital media will grow 28% from its previous levels in the 2020 Presidential election. In total, more than $2.5 billion will be spent digitally on political campaigns.

“Political digital ad spending in 2024 will increase by one-third over prior years,” BIA says. “Media sellers can address this demand by including this type of ad inventory in their proposals to agencies and campaigns.”

Most political advertising on the digital side will be spent on local search and local video campaigns. 58% of the money is expected to be used on advertisements that are prominently featured on computer screens.

“Buying will lean heavily toward data-driven programmatic ad platforms to reach specific audience segments likely to register and vote,” BIA continues.

The company reports that just over $2 billion was spent on digital advertising in the 2020 election cycle. That figure dipped to less than $2 billion in 2022 before growing to a projected $2.6 billion in 2024.

The news that digital ad spending is expected to grow comes on the heels of a projection by BIA that more than $530 million is expected to be spent on political advertising in total this year. That figure is more than double what was spent in 2019.

Fox News Adds Mark Levin Show to Saturday Primetime Lineup

BNM Staff
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Fox News is expanding its relationship with Mark Levin to include Life, Liberty & Levin in its Saturday primetime lineup.

Levin currently hosts the show on Sundays at 8:00 PM ET. He will now add a version of the program at the same time on Saturdays.

“Since joining the network in 2017, Mark has provided our audience with thought-provoking analysis on America’s core values and their impact on current events,” said Fox News Executive Vice President of Primetime Programming Meade Cooper. “We are looking forward to expanding his popular show to two nights a week.”

The show helmed by the longtime radio host is the highest-rated primetime program on cable news Sundays, averaging nearly 1.5 million viewers. Levin has hosted the show since 2018 and signed a contract extension to remain with Fox News late last year.

Life, Liberty & Levin will replace One Nation, hosted by Brian Kilmeade, in the network’s Saturday lineup. Kilmeade’s show is expected to continue in a yet-to-be-announced timeslot.

The changes in the lineup will begin on Saturday, September 16th. Additional weekend program changes will be announced later this year.

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