Changes at WJR means good news for sports fans in Detroit. Sean Baligian is back on the air in the Motor City. He will be hosting a one hour show weekday evenings at 6pm.
Baligian most recently was part of the station’s morning show with Paul W. Smith. He is a staple of Detroit sports talk though. He was heard on WDFN multiple times in his career. He also hosted the afternoon show at the short-lived Detroit Sports 105.1 and a digital show for the Woodward Sports Network
The new show will be a revival of Sportswrap. It is one of many changes coming to the WJR lineup.
On Facebook, Baligian expressed his excitement. He also revealed that the start date for the new show is June 20.
In addition to hosting shows, Sean Baligian can also regularly be heard calling college football games. He has been the play-by-play voice of the Wayne State for more than a decade.
Embattled CNN CEO Chris Licht is facing his strongest pushback at the network after an exposé from The Atlantic detailed “the meltdown” at CNN. However, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough is defending his former colleague Monday.
During Morning Joe, which Licht was once the executive producer of, the former congressman said much of the reporting surrounding Licht’s tenure has been inaccurate.
“I mean, listen, I love Jeff Zucker. He’s a friend of ours,” Scarborough said. “He saved my job at NBC more than one or two times, so I’m not mocking Jeff, but this idea that (CNN) was a ratings juggernaut when it just wasn’t before Chris walked through the door? That’s not Jeff’s fault, that’s just bad reporting. It wasn’t. It was in third place.
“You look at when Phil Griffin left, MSNBC was first, Fox was second, and CNN was third. That’s how it was a lot in those final years. Again, not a knock on Jeff at all. CNN is a really hard place to run for the best of ’em. Zucker is the best of ’em, and I think in time, I think Chris will be proven to be the best of ’em, too.”
Scarborough also read a Twitter thread of Licht’s Monday comments to staffers where he took accountability for the damaging remarks he made about CNN before his tenure to The Atlantic.
“That’s exactly what you’d want from somebody that made a mistake,” Scarborough said. “They step forward, they admit the mistake, and say ‘I’m very sorry’. Head down. ‘Let’s get to work’.”
The NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets were not expected to attract particularly high ratings. According to preliminary overnight figures from Nielsen Media Research, Game 1 of the NBA Finals averaged 7.62 million viewers and had a 2.21 rating in the age 18-49 demographic. This number is significantly down from the 11.4 million viewers in the Celtics’ matchup against the Golden State Warriors last year.
Sunday night’s Game 2 ratings have yet to be released, but based on the conversation between Ken Carman and Anthony Lima on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, basketball fans and media pundits should expect another report of low numbers.
“We all knew that there weren’t going to be as good ratings,” show co-host Ken Carman said. “The Heat do not generate the sense of outrage, [and] Denver does not generate the same type of passion as what LA and Boston do, clearly.”
Carman watched parts of the first two NBA Finals games, but opted to watch the morning recaps on YouTube instead of the game in its entirety. He surmises many basketball fans from around the country are doing similarly because of the ostensible lack of appeal – despite superstars Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jokić participating in the action.
If the Cleveland Cavaliers were in the NBA Finals, Carman acknowledged that he would be watching; however, his wife gave him a reason to turn it off when she asked him to watch an episode of Succession. Neglecting to watch the entirety of a professional sports league’s final championship round is a practice show co-host Anthony Lima regarded as something new to modern media consumption.
“There used to be a time where you couldn’t even really do a show if you didn’t watch the NBA Finals or the World Series,” Lima told Carman. “That was not an indictment of you because there have been World Series games I haven’t watched…The ratings of the NBA had all been up until we got to the NBA Finals and they have crashed.”
The Walt Disney Company recently reported its most-watched playoffs on ESPN platforms in the last 11 years, averaging nearly 5.8 million viewers on broadcasts. Year-over-year, viewership of the Western Conference Finals was up 17% from last year’s presentation, which was on TNT, and 44% higher than the last time ESPN televised the proceedings in 2021.
Despite the intriguing NBA Finals matchup and storylines associated with the action, the ratings indicate that many basketball fans are choosing not to watch the action because of the lack of tradition involved in the matchup. The Denver Nuggets have never won a championship in franchise history, let alone qualify for the NBA Finals, while the Miami Heat have not taken home the Larry O’Brien Trophy since 2013. The team, at that time, was led by the ‘Big Three’ of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, all of whom are expected to be named members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“You’re basically saying there’s nothing that game could have done that would have made you stick with it?,” Lima asked Carman. “Jokić had a run in the third quarter where he made every play on offense and then was coming up with fast breaks, dribbling coast to coast; then he made a couple of defensive plays. You look up at the box score [and it is], ‘Holy crap, he’s going to score 40 easily.’”
Nonetheless, Carman recognized that his radio show is a local program, and in turn needs to appeal to its audience. As a result, he felt like it was safe to watch Succession and then fall asleep, recognizing just how fundamental topic selection is in terms of captivating and retaining listeners.
“If it’s not one of the three teams in Cleveland – if the Cavs were still there, fine, that’s the job,” Carman expressed. “If it’s this, even though it’s the Finals and I have no national show to do tomorrow, I can go to bed, no big deal.”
CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht addressed an exposé from The Atlantic that dropped late last week to staffers in a Monday morning meeting.
The profile, authored by Tim Alberta, details the “meltdown” at the network. Alberta spent nearly a year behind the scenes with Licht, who trashed the previous regime’s strategy of covering the 24-hour news cycle and the stances network talents took against former President Donald Trump.
Reaction to the story has been varied, but most observers commented that the piece made Licht look inept and many questioned his future leading the network after it was published.
While speaking to staffers during the Monday morning editorial call, Licht said he spent time thinking about the profile.
“CNN is not about me,” Licht said, according to former CNN media reporter Brian Stelter. “I should not be in the news unless it’s taking arrows for you. Your work is what should be written about.”
The CNN CEO reportedly told employees he would “fight like hell” to win their trust back after making disparaging statements about their work before his tenure began.
Amid the ongoing NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith has not been shy about his penchant for the city of Miami, Florida. Whether it is on First Take, NBA Countdown or his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show, Smith has expressed his inclination for the warm weather and ethereal atmosphere of the area.
In fact, after Sunday night’s 111-108 win to even the NBA Finals at one game apiece, Smith tweeted out a clip from First Take celebrating his forthcoming trip to Miami. His remarks on the locale have hardly gone unnoticed, and was the topic of discussion on the latest edition of the Toucher & Rich segment, “Stephen A. Smith is horny.”
The segment began with the show playing an older clip where Smith is being interviewed by a Latina reporter from TAB Sports, and he begins by giving an identification for the outlet.
“What’s up everybody? This is Stephen A. Smith from ESPN in the house, and you’re watching TAB Sports. Do not take your eyes off of it, for obvious reasons,” he said as he looked at the Latina reporter and gave a wink. Show co-host Rich Shertenlieb reacted to the clip, which was recently unearthed, and articulated how there is a marked change in the way Smith speaks in certain moments.
“His intonation of his voice – he goes into horny tones,” Shertenlieb said. “Horny tones is when he goes up high and he drops low. It’s like, ‘I don’t know Spanish, but maybe someone can help me.’ This is kind of almost a ‘Me Too’ moment here.”
While hosting his podcast, Smith began to make mention of the sunshine, palm trees and various other things he is looking forward to in visiting Miami. His producers then put a photo of a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model on the screen, perhaps in an attempt to expose Smith’s concupiscence towards aspects of the city; however, he quickly shot it down to his listeners. His viewers, on the other hand, were presented with a wink as he vociferously told his producers to take the photo down.
“I wasn’t thinking about such things,” Smith said. “Get your mind out of the gutter; my mind wasn’t going there. Okay – it wasn’t going there at all. I’m just saying I’m looking forward to watching basketball at [Kaseya Center]; I think that’s safe to say.”
The clip elicited laughter in 98.5 The Sports Hub’s studios, and led to discussion about how obvious Smith is accentuating lustful desires to the tune of Barry White music.
“It almost gets to a tone where only dogs can hear it – it’s so low,” Shertenlieb said of Smith’s voice. “I should just take out everything else except for when he speaks low. It might be some good ASMR.”
The show then played a clip of Smith reacting to a recent tweet by New York Knicks guard Josh Hart, in which he asked his nearly six hundred thousand followers if they had ever tasted breast milk. Smith responded to the inquiry by stating he had never done so, but then continued to discuss the subject in a different, more voluptuous manner.
Smith welcomed Hart onto his alternate broadcast for Game 1 of the NBA Finals – NBA in Stephen A’s World – where he explained the rationale behind the tweet and described how breast milk tasted after he went ahead and tried it.
“I like breasts,” Smith said. “You don’t have to be a baby to like breasts. As a matter of fact, one could easily argue there are adults who like breasts more than babies; however, breast milk is a different matter.”
“I thought it was going to be, ‘Oh, well you’re crazy – but I’ll tell you what,” Shertenlieb reacted. “It’s ASMR – more like ASS-MR.”
The sentence came after Williamson pleaded no contest to the murder of Matthews in April after telling the court he had no recollection of the attack.
Nicole Guertin, Matthews’ girlfriend at the time of his death, claimed Williamson was her best friend and had entered their home in September to smoke crack cocaine and do heroin. Williamson ultimately attacked her and her children before saying “When Jim gets home, I’m gonna kill him”.
Williamson beat Matthews with a hammer before stabbing him to death. Police found Williamson in the basement of the Chesterfield Township condominium overdosing on heroin and suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Guertin escaped with Matthews’ daughter, while his son was struck with a hammer and tied up in a closet when authorities arrived.
The convicted murderer offered an apology during the sentencing, which family members believe showed he lacked remorse for his actions.
“You’re a pedophile. You’re a murderer and, really, you’re the embodiment of evil. And it’s good that you’ll never see the light of day outside of a prison,” Judge James Biernat Jr. said of Williamson, according to the Detroit Free Press.
After requiring a submission fee to place AM Radio stations on its streaming platform last year, TuneIn has reversed course and has ended the practice.
Licensed AM Radio stations will now be granted access to the TuneIn On Air service free of charge. Additionally, the service will give broadcasters access to its Amplifier analytics data and has increased the sound quality of stations’ digital signal.
“The future of AM Radio is on the top of all of our minds,” said TuneIn CEO Rich Stern. “TuneIn is committed to helping AM Radio thrive in the digital world. It offers such a vast and rich library of audio programming that is integral to millions of Americans’ daily lives. Offering AM broadcasters the opportunity to digitize through TuneIn On Air for free is one way we can build a brighter future together.”
FCC-licensed stations that are not currently on the platform but would like their stations placed on the streaming service can click here for more information.
ABC News Radio entertainment producer and content coordinator Megan Stone will join Utica news/talk station WIBX as Brand Manager.
Stone has worked at ABC News Radio since 2019. She previously worked at stations in Bridgeport and Norwalk, Connecticut, as well as Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
“I’m trading in my Mouse Club ears for the title of Brand Manager/On-Air Personality at the legendary heritage station WIBX,” Stone wrote in a Facebook post announcing the move. “I am beyond thrilled to be returning to radio and cannot wait for this new journey to start. The team is so wonderful and they’ve already made me feel so welcome.”
Stone’s on-air role at the Townsquare Media station has yet to be announced. Currently, the station’s only local weekday programming is First News with Keeler in the Morning, featuring host Bill Keeler joined by Jeff Monaski and Andrew Derminio from 5:00-9:00 AM.
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE) has announced a new, multi-year partnership with Twitch that will relaunch the WWE channel on the platform. In addition, various WWE superstar channels are being launched that will produce and distribute exclusive content, giving fans new ways to engage with talent throughout the company.
Coinciding with tonight’s broadcast of Monday Night RAW, the company will also commence a new sidecast and alternate viewing experience on Twitch. The new presentation will feature a rotating panel of hosts and contain appearances from various WWE personalities and superstars. Moreover, there will be content tailored for the broadcast, including backstage interviews and other commentary. The livecast will take place on Mondays beginning at 8 p.m. EST, and is available to view through Twitch online or on the mobile app.
The WWE Twitch channel will also encompass other live productions and can be used to stream the company’s premium live event press conferences. The company previously announced a partnership with Twitch that gives its talent the ability to stream, albeit under certain restrictions to protect the integrity and identity of the brand. Individuals have the ability to profit off of this so long as they comply with the rules and regulations set forth by the company.
In 2020, WWE talent were informed that they needed to deactivate Twitch accounts and could no longer engage in streaming on the platform. Shortly thereafter, a deal was reached between the company and its talent to allow for the streaming to continue under conditions of sharing revenue with the WWE.
The WWE is in the process of finalizing a deal with Endeavor that will merge the company with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). WWE chief executive officer Nick Khan recently commented that SmackDown could move away from Friday nights in order to accommodate programming schedules, in addition to demonstrating flexibility with Raw.
Longtime 760 WJR morning man Paul W. Smith is moving to a newly created timeslot on the venerable Detroit news/talk station.
Beginning Tuesday, June 20th, Smith will be heard in the Noon-2:00 PM timeslot previously occupied by The Dan Bongino Show. Focus with Paul W. Smith will “expand the community’s access to Mihcigan’s most influential political, civic, and business newsmakers”, according to a press release.
Guy Gordon will move mornings from his current early afternoon window, hosting a newly branded JR Morning show from 6:00-9:00 AM. All Talk with Tom Jordan and Kevin Dietz remains in the 9:00 AM-Noon timeslot. The station will also launch a new afternoon show, JR Afternoon, hosted by Chris Renwick from 2:00-4:00 PM. The Mitch Albom Show will continue to be heard from 4:00-6:00 PM.
“What a lineup! Each of our talent is a brand unto themself and have a unique vision and take on the events that shape the news,” said 760 WJR Program Director Mike Wheeler. “We are absolutely living up to our claim that WJR is where Michigan comes to talk.”
Smith has been the host of the station’s morning show since 1996, after stepping in for predecessor and radio legend JP McCarthy. The change allows both he and the station more flexibility.
“Launching the Focus show will give Paul W. Smith the opportunity to expand, on and off the air, his unmatched relationships with Michigan’s most influential newsmakers, for the benefit of our audience and our advertising partners,” Cumulus Detroit Vice President and Market Manager Steve Finateri said. “WJR is The Great Voice of the Great Lakes and going 100% local is a big win for all Michiganders who count on WJR to inform and educate us about everything happening here in our state!”
