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Damon Amendolara: People at Audacy Think CBS Sports Radio ‘Doesn’t Matter’

BSM Staff
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When WFAN announced that Shaun Morash was going to be the new producer for Evan & Tiki, CBS Sports Radio host Damon Amendolara was genuinely happy for his colleague. On the air Wednesday in the midst of paternity leave, Amendolara delivered a heartfelt soliloquy about how he chose Morash as his producer when he was hired by CBS Sports Radio in the latter half of 2012. He proceeded to call Morash one of his closest friends and someone who he has watched start a family and become a fixture of the show.

Amendolara understands how Audacy views Morash’s potential, and he has given his stamp of approval on Morash being moved to WFAN on a full-time basis. The move, which was made as a result of Craig Carton’s decision to solely work at FOX Sports 1, is a significant professional moment for Morash.

“I owe a lot of my life to him,” Morash said of Amendolara. “He has not stood in my way on this move and I appreciate that, but that’s going to be tough…. I can’t do it yet; I can’t say goodbye yet, but we’re going to have to figure out a way over the next couple of weeks.”

Amendolara joined the show from home and chided the unfortunate corporate timing. He believes it conceals the success he and his team are having. Furthermore, he recognizes just how unique Morash is and how hard it will be to see him leave the show.

“This is very bittersweet for me because, of course, we would love to keep him here forever, but that’s not always the case,” Amendolara said. “Talented people move on – Mraz is one of those people – and he’s got nothing but our blessings here and great gratitude for the years that he put into the D.A. Show.”

After wishing Morash well, Amendolara verbally took umbrage with the operating procedure of Audacy management and expressed his disdain with the recurring pattern of reassigning CBS Sports Radio talent to WFAN. In fact, he likened the national outlet’s role to a farm system and has decided that he is going to take action.

“Enough is enough,” Amendolara stated. “I am launching a New York embargo around here. I don’t want to play any clips from that station – no more overnight rants… no more anything over there…. I’m sure plenty of you across the country are already sick of how New York-ey everything is on the network. You will get a fresh start here – I’m over it; we’re done.”

CBS Sports Radio has lost Gregg Giannotti, Tiki Barber, Brandon Tierney and now Shaun Morash to WFAN, and he has grown agitated towards corporate malfeasance and minimizing the impact of national sports radio.

“‘We’ll just take a piece here [and] take a piece there. We’ll just move it over to New York because it’s far more important there,’” Amendolara said in a state of contempt. “This is the arrogance of the company and the people at the station who think, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter over there.’”

Spike Eskin, who serves as the program director of WFAN, also oversees CBS Sports Radio and has had influence in the changes. Last night, he took to Twitter to express his feelings about the changes and thanked everyone who chimed in for making him feel like he was at home.

Murder Investigation Won’t Be Focus of Brandon Miller Draft Coverage for ESPN

BSM Staff
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During the college basketball season, any coverage of Brandon Miller and the Alabama Crimson Tide included a conversation about his role in a murder investigation. While Tuscaloosa police call Miller a cooperating witness and never considered him a suspect in the crime, it was a dominant narrative around the player and team.

That narrative will be part of the NBA Draft as well, but ESPN is adamant that there will be more to its conversation about Miller than that.

“It will be a part of the coverage because it’s it’s obviously part of his story, but it’s not his entire story,” Mike Shiffman, Senior Vice President of Production, said on a conference call.

Shiffman says Miller addressed the investigation in a vignette filmed for the draft. His parents shared their thoughts as well. They will also all be interviewed live on draft night.

While Victor Wembenyama is the obvious pick at number one, Miller is widely expected to be taken with one of the next two picks. Shiffman said not acknowledging a top three pick’s future wouldn’t make sense.

“We will see his emotions and document him when he is selected.”

ESPN is presenting multiple coverage options for the 2023 NBA Draft. The broadcasts on ABC and ESPN will be distinct from one another with the former more focused on personality and storytelling while the latter is a more traditional presentation. ESPN Radio will produce its own coverage. There will also be exclusive coverage on the company’s digital platforms.

Greg Gutfeld: Taking Over Fox News 8:00 PM Timeslot ‘Crossed My Mind’

BNM Staff
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There has been nearly one constant, unanswered question since Fox News ended Tucker Carlson Tonight in April: who will the network tab to replace its biggest primetime star? Greg Gutfeld has considered the possibility that it’s him.

During a wide-ranging feature with The Wall Street Journal, Gutfeld was asked about the potential that he could be in line to replace Carlson in the 8:00 PM ET window.

“Obviously, it’s crossed my mind,” he said. “If I did 8 o’clock, I would definitely not do The Five and I would no longer do Gutfeld!. I would just do one show because I would prepare for that show like crazy.” 

Tom O’Connor, the executive producer of Gutfeld!, told WSJ that the host would be ready to take on the primetime role.

“I think he could probably be successful in any of the timeslots,” said O’Connor. “I mean, we were on at 3 in the morning East Coast time when we did ‘Red Eye,’ and people found us.”

Fox News has used a rotating panel of guest hosts for the rebranded Fox News Tonight in the 8:00 PM ET window. Brian Kilmeade, Harris Faulkner, Kayleigh McEnany, Will Cain, and Lawrence Jones have all hosted the program as the network weighs its decision on who will take over the highly coveted timeslot.

Boomer Esiason: I Knew New WFAN Lineup 3 Months Ago

BSM Staff
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WFAN made all of its lineup changes official on Tuesday. While there had been several leaks over the previous few days, most listeners learned what the station would be doing in afternoons and middays following Craig Carton’s departure. Boomer Esiason isn’t most listeners though.

On Wednesday morning, he acknowledged that he missed the official announcement. After initially playing coy, he admitted that he didn’t need to wait to know what was happening.

“I knew what it was three months ago,” he said as Gregg Giannotti read off the new lineup.

Tiki Barber will move from middays into afternoon drive alongside Evan Roberts. Sal Licata will be upped from the overnight slot to join Brandon Tierney in middays. Chris McMonigle will take over overnights.

“A lot of people were bumped up,” Gio said. “A lot of internal people were bumped up. So that’s good for morale, as they say.”

The new afternoon show will be called Evan & Tiki. Esiason admits that is information he did not have previously. He says that happened because of comments Giannotti made on air last week.

“You made that like a thing. You just made it a thing like ‘Evan deserves top billing!’ I mean, you guys, I don’t get it sometimes”.

Esiason reiterated his belief that any host with their name in the title of the show is on equal footing.

Craig Carton’s last day on WFAN is June 30. The new lineup takes effect on July 24.

Michael DelGiorno Launches 1850 Main Street Podcast

BNM Staff
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Michael DelGiorno Launches 1850 Main Street Podcast

Former SuperTalk 99.7 WTN host Michael DelGiorno has teamed with David Zanotti to launch the 1850 Main Street podcast.

In a tweet, DelGiorno announced the podcast is now available on all major podcast platforms.

“I get a lot of messages about what I’m doing next or to tell you when I do. Well, the first next thing is now,” Delgiorno wrote. “Welcome to 1850 Main Street!”

“1850 Main Street is a place,” the podcast description reads. “A place in time and history and a place for today. Come in and join Michael DelGiorno and David Zanotti as they talk about the issues of the day.”

“What I love is going deeper. Deeper than we go on the radio and deeper than we go in just meeting people,” DelGiorno said on the pilot episode. “If this ever sounds like every other podcast or any other radio show, we have failed. But I don’t think we’re going to.”

DelGiorno departed the Nashville news/talk station in March after spending 16 years at the Cumulus-owned outlet. At the time of his exit, he was hosting the midday show from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM.

Zanotti is the current President and CEO of American Policy Roundtable and the Public Square Media Network. The American Policy Roundtable bills itself as a “pioneer in the field of non-partisan voter information”.

New Roles For Norby Williamson, Dave Roberts, Stephanie Druley Part of ESPN Changes

BSM Staff
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New Roles For Norby Williamson, Dave Roberts, Stephanie Druley Part of ESPN Changes

ESPN is in the midst of complying with layoffs mandated by The Walt Disney Company in an effort to slash $5.5 billion in operating costs, but is also going through the process of reassigning several key executives at the top of the company. Norby Williamson, the company’s Executive Editor and Head of Event and Studio Production, will now be overseeing NFL broadcasts and studio coverage. The responsibilities previously belonged to Stephanie Druley; however, her focus will be shifting at the company.

Earlier today, an internal memo was shared with ESPN employees divulging that Laura Gentile, executive vice president of marketing, will be leaving the business in October. Gentile is not part of the layoffs taking place at the company, and she will be replaced by Tina Thornton, current executive vice president of creative studio and marketing. Gentile was an integral part in organizing the espnW Summit and building the content brand.

In a different internal memo, ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus shared changes being made to the executive team at the company in an effort to continue producing informative and entertaining content and innovating around its live game broadcasts.

“Since assuming my new role in March, I have spent a significant amount of time contemplating how we can more efficiently manage our large, highly complex group, and be even more strategic, collaborative and successful,” Magnus said in the internal memo.

Dave Roberts, ESPN head of event and studio production, will oversee all college sports for the network excluding baseball and football and will duly be promoted. Mike Foss will continue reporting to Roberts, who will also add Meg Aronowitz, Kate Jackson, Ed Placey and Mike Shiffman to his leadership team at ESPN. Roberts will also oversee the impending production of The Pat McAfee Show, which is set to join the regular programming lineup this fall.

Williamson will continue to oversee SportsCenter and the company’s MLB and NHL properties in addition to other sports. Craig Lazarus, who is in charge of features, SCEU and CCU content for the network, will join Williamson’s team while the rest of it will stay the same.

In addition, ESPN Vice President of Content Strategy and Audio, Amanda Gifford, will manage all audio and radio properties for the company excluding podcasts. She will also expand oversight on the television side by having oversight on the universal coverage and talent groups and overall content strategy.

Rosalyn Durant, who recently returned to the network as the executive vice president of programming and acquisitions, sent out an additional internal memo with the changes in an effort to “streamline the responsibilities of programming leadership.” In the memo, she revealed that John Lasker has been promoted to senior vice president of ESPN+ and Nick Dawson to senior vice president of college sports programming and acquisitions. Lasker assumes the position previously held by Russell Wolff, a victim of a recent round of ESPN layoffs. Durant will be responsible for overseeing all of college sports, marking the first time the responsibility is garnered upon one executive.

The network also announced that Tim Bunnell will once again be the head of international programming – a role he held for 17 years before oversight was granted to Magnus. Bunnell will be maintaining and overseeing broadcasts for golf, soccer, tennis, Formula 1, racing and the network’s international sports channels. He was previously responsible for baseball, but the role has been handed off to Julie Sobieski, who will also be central to NHL coverage in addition to her duties with NFL, NBA, WNBA and combat sports programming. Lastly, Ilan Ben-Hanan will be the new head of programming strategy, an elevated position from his role as senior vice president of programming and content strategy he had held since February 2020.

Other moves at the company include Freddy Rolón assuming a new role as the head of digital content and audience expansion. Moreover, Kaitee Daley will now work as the vice president of social media for content optimization at ESPN Next.

This is a developing story. More information will be added as it is learned.

Ross Kaminsky: Learning About Topics ‘One Of My Favorite Things About This Job’

BNM Staff
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Hosting a news/talk radio show requires knowledge of all sorts of topics. KOA 850 host Ross Kaminsky believes that’s a good thing.

The Ross Kaminsky Show host was interviewing the Vice President of the Illinois Farm Bureau when he mentioned that he wasn’t sure what the correct terminology was for a group of pigs.

A listener stepped in to educate him, and that’s when he shared his joy in learning more about the topics he presents to listeners.

“This is a funny thing. A listener sent me an email like five minutes ago when I just read it, talking about how he really enjoyed yesterday, had just listened to the podcast of yesterday’s show and he really enjoyed learning about Juneteenth.

“I said one of the great joys for me in this show is how much stuff I get to learn, either when I do the research for the show or talking to guests or talking to listeners. I learn so much, and I love learning and it’s one of my favorite things about this job.”

He later went on to joke that he now knows that the correct terminology for a group of pigs depends on the age of the animal.

Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera Exits ‘The Five’

BNM Staff
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Fox News analyst Geraldo Rivera has announced he is no longer a panelist for the network’s popular The Five show.

On Wednesday morning, Rivera tweeted that he would no longer appear on the show after the end of this month.

“My last scheduled show appearances are Thursday and Friday June 29th and 30th. It’s been a great run and I appreciate having had the opportunity,” Rivera wrote. “Being odd man out isn’t always easy. For the the time being, I’m still correspondent at large”.

Rivera’s exit comes weeks after his high-profile clash with Greg Gutfeld. He claimed his appearances on the program that week had been canceled after the two sparred on Twitter.

After claiming that former President Donald Trump directly incited the January 6th Insurrection, Rivera opined that Tucker Carlson’s encapsulation of the events was “bullshit”. His comments came two days after Carlson’s unceremonious firing from the network.

In response, Gutfeld — the de facto leader of The Five — called Rivera “a real class act” and a “man of the people”.

Rivera often held the “liberal” seat on the show, which he shared with Jessica Tarlov. The Five has been a ratings juggernaut for the network, often ending the week as the most-watched program on cable news.

Rachel Nichols Joining Rebranded Monumental Sports Network

BSM Staff
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Monumental Sports and Entertainment acquired full ownership of NBC Sports Washington in August 2022, and it largely left the network untouched. Now, the network will rebrand as Monumental Sports Network and add new programming and personalities, including one hosted by NBA reporter Rachel Nichols. The content will be on for 24 hours each day, capitalizing on the access the company has in owning several professional sports teams in the area – including the Washington Capitals; Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics. News of the change was first reported by John Ourand of Sports Business Journal.

Ted Leonsis, the chief executive officer of Monumental Sports and Entertainment, purchased the regional sports network from Comcast and planned on refreshing its look. As part of the move, the network is in the process of setting up a streaming service so fans can watch games. The group is also thought to be the frontrunner in negotiations to acquire the Washington Nationals, and it also expressed interest in purchasing MASN from the Baltimore Orioles.

MASN settled part of a protracted media rights dispute this week with the Washington Nationals after several court appeals and mandates from Major League Baseball. In the end, the Nationals will be paid $100 million for media rights across the five-year period of 2012 to 2016.

New shows launching on Monumental Sports Network will include a program hosted by Nichols, along with a sports betting series, countdown shows and replays of classic games. Moreover, behind-the-scenes looks into the Capitals and Wizards in shows called Caps Red Line and Beyond the Buzzer will take the air.

Additionally, there will be changes to live game broadcasts to enhance the viewing experience, some of which include new camera angles and revamped postgame interviews. Alternate feeds will be available for consumers on its forthcoming digital platform featuring programs hosted by talent, media personalities and former players. There will also be more players and coaches utilizing microphones during the game to immerse viewers into the action from no matter where they may be watching. The rebrand is set to take effect this September ahead of the start of basketball and hockey season.

MASN Media Rights Dispute Partially Settled

BSM Staff
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Following years of litigation, the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals have come to terms on a deal for media rights fees between the 2012 and 2016 seasons. Seventy-seven percent of Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) is owned by the Orioles, while the remaining 23% is held by the Nationals. MASN has reportedly agreed to pay the Nationals $100 million for the incremental rights fees after several court rulings and mandates from Major League Baseball. Since the creation of MASN was conditioned on equivalent rights payments to both teams, the Orioles will also be paid $100 million. The New York Court of Appeals upheld MASN owing the team a $100 million payment in unpaid media rights fees this past April.

While the payment for five seasons has now been determined, the next step will be coming to terms on payments for the five-year periods of 2017-2021 and 2022-2026. If agreements are not reached during the negotiating period, the decision will be made by the Major League Baseball Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee (RSDC). MASN believed making the $100 million payment to the Nationals would endanger the network’s profitability, but doing so will allow the sides to move past what has become a sustained complication.

The legal dispute between the Beltway rivals first commenced in 2011 when the teams did not come to an agreement on how much money the Nationals should be paid for media rights fees. Complications arose when the Nationals moved to Washington, D.C. after spending 35 seasons in Montréal as the Expos, and the local media rights were granted to the Orioles-owned MASN in perpetuity.

While MASN was supposed to pay both teams “fair market value,” the two sides did not have the same definition on what that encompassed. Lawyers representing the Orioles protested the decision, affirming that the law firm representing the Nationals encompassed an inherent conflict of interest since it had also represented Major League Baseball. Even when a new law firm was hired and the Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee restructured, the conclusion was still reached that the Nationals were owed $100 million.

The Nationals were put for sale by the Lerner family, but it was reportedly put on pause until the MASN dispute was settled. Once the team is able to present its television revenue, the expectation is that a sale of the franchise could be easier. The frontrunner in the race is thought to be Ted Leonsis, chief executive officer of Monumental Sports and Entertainment, which owns 100% of NBC Sports Washington. Additionally, it is the majority owner of the NHL’s Washington Capitals, NBA’s Washington Wizards and WNBA’s Washington Mystics in addition to other sports and entertainment properties. Leonsis had previously offered the Lerner family over $2 billion and expressed interest in purchasing MASN as well, but the deal was declined.

The MASN payment comes during a particularly turbulent time for the regional sports network model highlighted by Diamond Sports Group’s ongoing dispute with Major League Baseball. The company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy to convert $8.1 billion in debt to equity while trying to reduce its media rights fees. As testified by Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr., Sinclair Broadcast Group executive chairman David Smith demanded direct-to-consumer (DTC) broadcast rights in order to make media rights payments in full.

The league did not agree, and the company, which operates the Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks, is now selectively rejecting contracts in an effort to eliminate deals with negative profit margins. As a result, Major League Baseball prepared its own division to produce local games with the same familiar team-employed announcers and freelance production personnel.

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