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Wendi Nix Out at ESPN

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Wendi Nix Out at ESPN

Wendi Nix is out at ESPN. She has been replaced by Kelsey Riggs as the host of College Football Live, leaving her out of a role at the network.

She confirmed the news earlier this week via Instagram.

Nix was the host of NFL Live until 2020 when she was replaced on that show by Laura Rutledge. That is the same year she took over as host of College Football Live. 

Prior to joining ESPN, Nix had stops in Greenville/Spartanburg market in South Carolina as well as multiple stations in the Boston area, including NESN and FOX Sports Net New England. She arrived in Bristol in 2006.

Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica Hosting New Podcast with FOX Sports

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Chris “The Bear” Fallica will be launching a new digital gambling show and podcast series for FOX Sports, Barrett Sports Media has learned, continuing his indomitable presence on the podcast airwaves. The new property, titled Bear Bets: A FOX Sports Gambling Podcast, will release two episodes per week centered on college football and the National Football League, respectively. Fallica will bring his pristine college football intel to listeners in his new project following his collaboration with “Stanford” Steve Coughlin on their podcast. Coughlin was recently added to College GameDay on ESPN, while Fallica is now a member of Big Noon Kickoff for FOX Sports.

“We had a very successful [podcast] with ESPN and I think the biggest question I’ve gotten in the offseason is, ‘Are you still going to have a pod with FOX,’” Fallica said. “I’m looking forward to doing it a little bit differently here [and] in a viewable, digital fashion as well. I think that could certainly only help the viewer and the listener.”

“We’re excited to provide ‘Bear’ the space to share gambling insights and real-life, actual bets with fans,” Michael Bucklin, senior vice president of digital content at FOX Sports, added in a statement. “To us, that’s what makes ‘Bear’ so interesting – this isn’t for picks’ sake and this isn’t all chalk, but this is high-value bets ‘The Bear’ and his real-life gambling group chat friends are actually making.”

Fallica chose to leave ESPN at the end of last year, ending his time on College GameDay, on which he worked as a research producer. He had been with the program for over two decades and the network for 27 years, starting as a production assistant and tape operator on its radio operations. For the 2023 season and beyond, he will be competing with the heralded mainstay from the “Worldwide Leader.” The maneuver came together very quickly and cultivated a new chapter of his career as a waging insider for FOX Sports.

“Everything that has happened since I made the decision to leave has reaffirmed that I made the right decision,” Fallica said. “….Everybody at FOX has been fantastic – they’ve treated me like someone who has been there forever. I think one of the things that I noticed in the transition is that FOX Sports is smaller-scale and there aren’t as many employees, so you kind of do get to know everybody on a little bit more of a personal level.”

The show will include contributions from co-host Geoff Schwartz and sports betting analyst Sam Panayotovich, engaging in debates about the upcoming games through the betting lens. Aside from Thursday episodes, presented by Big Noon Kickoff, and Friday editions of the show, special versions will air surrounding other championship events.

After keeping statistics for a New York Knicks game on WFAN, Fallica landed an internship at WFAN where he acclimatized himself with the radio landscape. He was added to the ESPN roster as a researcher in 1996 following working in a similar role for the NCAA Tournament, and ultimately made it on College GameDay as a talent in 2013.

Since then, Fallica has been promulgating and disseminating his insight and expertise on college football and sports betting at large through various outlets, including his popular podcast with ESPN. Now with FOX Sports, he will continue that endeavor, albeit in a new form, and appear on Big Noon Kickoff.

“It kind of goes together,” Fallica said. “The prep for the pod is essentially the prep for the column that will be released each week and Big Noon.”

Through his time with FOX Sports thus far, Fallica has contributed to coverage of horse racing, including the Belmont Stakes, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. In this new chapter of his career, he looks forward to contributing to coverage outside of solely college football, although that will still be his primary focus. Fallica genuinely places all of the bets he shares with consumers and is fully invested in the action, recognizing the growing niche of the industry.

“I think the ability for people to know, ‘Hey, I’m actually betting these games myself,’ is a big deal,” Fallica said. “….I think the thing that I was most proud of on College GameDay was we were way ahead of the curve on this.”

The new program will make its debut on Thursday, Aug. 31 and commence its twice weekly format next week, aligning with the start of the NFL regular season. Fans can follow the digital venture on social media platforms @BearBetsPodcast, watch new episodes of the show on YouTube and listen on Apple and Spotify.

Ryan Clark Named New Host of Inside the NFL

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Shortly after being added to the Monday Night Countdown cast, ESPN analyst Ryan Clark has been named the new host of Inside the NFL. The show is making the move to The CW Network for 2023 and will make its premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST and also feature a new group of analysts on the set.

“I dreamed of being a host, but not even in my wildest dreams did I think it would be the host of Inside the NFL,” Clark said. “I played against all the analysts who will be with me on Tuesday nights and always admired the way they approached the game of football. I’m excited to see that same passion poured into the new Inside the NFL now that we are all on the same team.”

Blue Wire podcast host and former defensive end Chris Long will be part of the team of analysts scheduled to appear on the one-hour show. He will be joined by Jay Cutler, Chad Johnson and WQAM afternoon drive co-host Channing Crowder.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ryan, Channing, Jay, Chad and Chris to The CW family as we prepare Inside the NFL for its broadcast television debut,” Dennis Miller, president of The CW Network, said in a statement. “Not only do they all possess a deep understanding, knowledge and passion for the game, but they also bring a unique sense of humor and fun to the table. Plus, they are not afraid to voice their opinions on any topic. This season of Inside the NFL will be a must-watch for all football fans.”

“We are so proud that Inside the NFL has been loved and consumed by football fans for an incredible 47 years,” Ross Ketover, senior executive at NFL Films, added in a statement. “Now having this show on broadcast television for the first time, with our new partners at The CW, everyone at NFL Films is unbelievably excited to refresh and reinvent this tentpole franchise.”

Charlie Kirk: MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan Should Go ‘Back to the Country He Came From’

BNM Staff
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Comments made about MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan caught the ire of conservative radio host Charlie Kirk Tuesday.

Hasan shared his belief that American students weren’t negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. During The Charlie Kirk Show, however, the host strongly disagreed, and went after Hasan’s immigration status in the process.

“Wow. Who is that neurotic lunatic? Who is that guy? Send him back to the country he came from. Holy cow. Get him off TV. Revoke his visa,” Kirk said.

The Salem Radio Network host then argued that the MSNBC pundit should be deported for his stance.

“If we had sane immigration policy, we would say adios Mehdi Hasan. Goodness gracious, that’s as close to misinformation you can find,” Kirk said. “When you think they really can’t reach another level of just outright Pfizer prostitution. That guy’s a prostitute with a British accent. He’s a foreigner with a British accent who’s a prostitute for the pharmaceutical companies,” argued Kirk.

The 44-year-old Hasan moved to the United States in 2015 to work for Al-Jazeera before joining MSNBC. He became a citizen in 2020.

Mark Ingram Chose Big Noon Kickoff Over NFL Opportunities

BSM Staff
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Even though Mark Ingram’s NFL playing days are not officially over, the running back will be starting a new chapter of his career Saturday when Big Noon Kickoff airs on FOX before the Colorado-TCU game. 

Ingram was a guest on the Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast this week and mentioned that he always wanted to have some involvement in sports media.

“I remember waking up, middle school, high school watching College Gameday almost every Saturday morning. Went to college and I studied communications as well. Just kind of been interested in that field. I’ve always loved sports, all competitive sports. Just being a young kid watching NBA Finals. College game days, Super Bowls, Olympic Track races. I loved being involved in sports and hearing the broadcasting, announcers, pregame, halftime.”

In terms of Ingram’s big break in the broadcasting space, he mentioned two opportunities that might have helped him get in the door at FOX. One was attending the NFL’s broadcast bootcamp, where a Big Noon producer saw him in action. The other came thanks to Erin Andrews while he was playing for the Baltimore Ravens.

“They said I was on their radar when it was a TNF game in Baltimore. It was me and Lamar Jackson and Erin Andrews gave me the mic and wanted me to interview Lamar. She said send it to the studio. I’m like, ‘You know what? Thursday Night Football In America, back to the studio.’ They said that was one of the funnest moments they had.”

Ingram is leaving the door open to join an NFL roster later in the season and said he had some options to continue playing, but FOX presented an opportunity he did not want to miss.

“I was a free agent. I’m receiving some calls, but nothing that is going to make me jump too soon. If I do play another 1-3 years, that is still not long. In the grand scheme of things, it’s an opportunity where I can get in the door with a great network, a great position at a desk on a premiere college football show and be able to grow in the industry, continue to improve, continue to get better, and hopefully be able to do this career for 20-30 years. It all just kind of fell into position for me.”

ESPN Leaving Las Vegas Studios

BSM Staff
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ESPN Leaving Las Vegas Studios

After three years broadcasting from The LINQ Hotel + Experience studio in Las Vegas, Nev, Daily Wager is returning to Bristol, Conn. The network’s daily sports wagering show, which includes personalities Tyler Fulghum, Joe Fortenbaugh and Erin Dolan among others, is changing locations shortly after the announcement of the ESPN BET deal. The network’s sportsbook will hit the market before Thanksgiving and aims to attain 20% market share within its first five years of operation. As part of the move, ESPN will be departing Las Vegas, perhaps indicating a shift in how the network plans to cover sports betting.

“ESPN created some great content and incredible memories during our time at the Las Vegas studio,” Scott Clark, vice president of fantasy and sports betting content for ESPN, said in a statement. “With our new ESPN BET deal set to launch this fall, we felt it was best to return to our headquarters. We cannot thank everyone we worked with at Caesars Entertainment over the past few years, and we wish them the best into the future.”

In addition to the move back to ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Daily Wager will commence a daily Saturday program set to air at 11 a.m. EST/8 a.m. PST on ESPN2. The new schedule will give fans of college football and the National Football League more up-to-date analysis and picks just before the start of the games. The show will continue broadcasting Thursday through Monday on ESPN2, with no shows on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Betting analyst Doug Kezerian was part of the company’s talent layoffs last July, ending his 11-year tenure with the network. Moreover, “Stanford” Steve Coughlin was added to the College GameDay rotation where he will debut a new segment titled “Steve’s 6-Pack” to share his top betting picks each week. The show officially returns to Bristol on Thursday, Sept. 7, coinciding with the first day of the NFL regular season.

Good Karma To Debut New Lineups on ESPN Milwaukee, Madison & Beaver Dam

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Good Karma To Debut New Lineups on ESPN Milwaukee, Madison & Beaver Dam

Good Karma Brands is giving their Wisconsin radio stations a makeover. The company announced new lineups today for stations in Milwaukee, Madison and Beaver Dam.

All three stations will begin the day with ESPN Radio’s new morning show Canty, Cohen and Smallmon. Co-host Evan Cohen is a former on-air host at ESPN Madison and a programming executive with Good Karma.

Stations in Madison and Beaver Dam will carry the full show. In Milwaukee, the show will be on from 5-7 am and then the local morning show Jen, Gabe & Chewy will run from 7-9 am.

From 9 am until 4 pm, all three stations will have the same lineup. Wilde & Tausch will run from 9 until noon. That will be followed by ESPN Radio’s Greeny from noon until 2 pm. A brand new show called Kyle, Brust & Nortman will follow.

The show will see Good Karma Milwaukee talents team up. Kyle Wallace from 101.7 The Truth and ESPN Milwaukee’s Ben Brust will be joined by former Wisconsin Badger and NFL punter Brad Nortman. The show will run from 2-5 pm in Milwaukee and Beaver Dam. In Madison, the show will end at 4 to make room for local afternoon show Rutledge & Hamilton.

In Milwaukee and Beaver Dam, Steve “Homer Drew” will take over at 5 pm. The Homer Hour will see the market legend interviewing a rotating panel of guests each week.

The new lineups debut on Monday, September 11.

NPR Uniting News and Programming Divisions Under New Chief Content Officer

BNM Staff
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With the announcement that NPR executive Anya Grundmann is exiting, the network has announced a plan to unify its content under one division starting next month.

President and CEO John Lansing told employees the network’s News and Programming divisions will be combined into one single unit beginning on Monday, September 11th.

“This new unified division will include more than 600 people working together to support all aspects of content production for NPR,” Lansing said.

After the departure of Grundmann, the division will be run on an interim basis by Edith Chapin, who has been appointed as the newly created Chief Content Officer.

Previously, NPR’s news and other content offerings were separated and overseen by different executives. During her time at the public broadcaster, Grundmann oversaw the podcast, music, events, video, and talk radio programming.

Under the new structure, nine executives will report to the CCO.

“This new structure will ensure we’re more united than ever in our efforts to strengthen our network and succeed in our mission to reach our current and future audiences wherever they consume NPR content,” Lansing concluded.

Rick Cummings To Retire From Emmis

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Rick Cummings To Retire From Emmis

Rick Cummings is ready to call it a career. The innovative programmer served as the backbone of Emmis Corporation for 43 years is ready to step away from the day-to-day grind. 

“Save my immediate family, nothing has given me more joy in life than working for Jeff (Smulyan) and Emmis,” Cummings said in a press release. “This company has afforded me extraordinary professional and personal opportunities, here and abroad, that no kid from rural Indiana could ever have imagined.  I am eternally grateful for this and the future as Emmis allows me to continue in a consulting role.  As I told Jeff, ‘I’ll work for you until they carry one of us out!’”

Cummings’s first job with the company was programming what was then WENS in Indianapolis in 1981. He was elevated to the company’s national program director three years later with the launch of Power 106 in Los Angeles. He also oversaw iconic New York stations Hot 97 and WFAN.

“Rick and I have been together every day since Emmis started, and we worked together even before that,” Jeff Smulyan, Emmis founder and chairman of the board, added. “It’s hard to describe our relationship, but no one has contributed more to the success of Emmis for 43 years than Rick and no one has been a better friend and partner. It is hard to see Rick wanting to slow down, but he has certainly earned the right to do that.  Knowing that he will remain as a consultant means that we will continue to work and laugh together for a long time.”

The influence of Rick Cummings on the radio industry extends beyond Emmis. He formerly served on the boards of the National Association of Broadcasters and the Radio Advertising Bureau. 

While his day-to-day duties will end on September 1, Cummings intends to stay on as a consultant to Emmis.

Jared Carrabis: ‘Once Broadcasters Validate Maniacal Red Sox Thoughts, Panic Sets In’

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Although the start of college football and the National Football League are at the center of the sports conversation, Major League Baseball is in the midst of a pennant race and keeping people engaged with the action. The Wild Card race seems to be coming down to the wire in the National League, while the American League is more or less decided outside of the A.L. West division. The Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros enter Wednesday in a three-way tie for first place with postseason implications looming over every remaining contest.

As for the Boston Red Sox, the team is currently in fourth place in the American League East but just six-and-a-half games out of the third Wild Card spot. The Red Sox have remained part of the sports conversation, especially in the Boston marketplace, but they were in the news for the wrong reasons on Monday night. Houston defeated the Red Sox 13-5 after long reliever Kyle Barraclough was left in the game despite struggling on the mound, ending his night with 10 earned runs on 11 hits and five walks. The entire ordeal left DraftKings content creator Jared Carrabis in a state of shock, validated by NESN play-by-play announcer Dave O’Brien.

“Once you get OB on the broadcast saying, ‘What’s going on here? Why is no one warming up in the bullpen?,’ that’s when I think the panic starts to set in,” Carrabis, an ardent fan of the Red Sox, said on Toucher & Rich Wednesday morning on 98.5 The Sports Hub. “As a fan, you’re sitting there watching the game and of course you have your thoughts…. Once you have broadcasters validating your maniacal thoughts, that’s when everyone’s like, ‘Wait, what actually is going on here?’”

When it comes to the Red Sox, having commentators affirm that they are perplexed by decisions being made by the team is of grave concern to Carrabis. He even turned on the Astros’ broadcast and quickly discerned that the commentators were questioning what the Red Sox were doing.

The contest is being referred to as the “Kyle Barraclough Game” and is regarded as one of the nadirs of this temperamental Red Sox team. Morning co-host Rich Shertenlieb was on hand at Fenway Park to watch the game and remembers thinking that the team simply forfeited from the competition altogether. Following another Red Sox loss on Tuesday night, sports anchor Jon Wallach asked Carrabis to come on the program to talk about the team.

Once Carrabis agreed to the appearance, Wallach asked if he would be willing to come on at 6:15 a.m. Carrabis is not up at that time, affirming that his normal working hours are from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST seven days a week. The program eventually landed an interview with him at 9 a.m., which started with Carrabis expressing his shock at being asked to come on at daybreak.

“I want to tell you a little industry secret, or at least a Toucher & Rich secret,” Shertenlieb said to Carrabis. “We always throw out the 7:00 hour first knowing that we’re going to get shot down. That’s like the hook, ‘Please say yes; please say yes,’ because no one’s ever up but if they are, great, we’re covered.”

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