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John Rooke Out After 30 Years at WEEI

BSM Staff
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John Rooke Out After 30 Years at WEEI

It’s the end of an era at WEEI for John Rooke, as the longtime columnist and former host announced his position at the Audacy station has been eliminated.

Rooke made the announcement via social media on Monday, saying that the layoff came as a “sign of the times.”

Rooke had been publishing his weekly “Thinking Out Loud” column regularly and had grown to be quite popular. He said of potentially keeping a similarly structured column going that he’d “sure love to try.”

John had been at WEEI since 1995. He will continue to serve as the play-by-play voice of Providence College men’s basketball, as well as writing columns for the New England Patriots.

Additionally, Rooke is the director for the Center for Business, Entertainment and Sport Management at Dean College in Franklin, Mass.

Rooke’s career in media spans more than four decades and includes stops at ESPN/ESPN Radio, NBC Sports Radio and WOR 710 New York.

NFL Owners Approve Thursday Night Football Flex Scheduling

BSM Staff
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NFL Owners Approve Thursday Night Football Flex Scheduling

The National Football League is in the midst of its owners meetings, a place where many key decisions pertaining to the future of the league are made. One of the key items of business was to vote for flex scheduling with Thursday Night Football, and it is now being reported that the motion has passed 24-8.

The move will give Thursday Night Football the ability to flex games between Weeks 13 through 17, joining NBC’s Sunday Night Football and ESPN’s Monday Night Football as national broadcast entities with that privilege.

Amazon Prime Video is entering its second year broadcasting NFL games exclusively on its OTT streaming platform. The proposal had been presented at the owners’ meeting in March, but it fell two votes short of being passed.

While the proposal has been met with disdain by players and some media critics, few doubted that it would pass. As has been pointed out before, flex scheduling is largely about keeping media partners happy after they sign checks worth billions in order to broadcast NFL games.

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post pointed out last month that flex scheduling doesn’t necessarily guarantee more marquee matchups on Thursday nights. Amazon is fifth in the pecking order for selecting the game it wants each week.

Glen Kuiper Out at NBC Sports California

BSM Staff
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Following his use of a racial slur during the opening of an Oakland Athletics live game broadcast on NBC Sports California, Glen Kuiper has been terminated from his position as the team’s play-by-play announcer.

“Following an internal review, the decision has been made for NBC Sports California to end its relationship with Glen Kuiper, effective immediately,” a spokesperson from the regional sports network said in a statement. “We thank Glen for his dedication to Bay Area baseball over the years.”

Kuiper, 60, was describing a visit to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo. and used a derogatory term when describing the experience. He later apologized for his actions in the sixth inning of the game, and was promptly suspended by the team pending an internal investigation.

“A little bit earlier in the show, I said something, didn’t come out quite the way I wanted it to,” Kuiper said on the broadcast. “I just wanted to apologize if it sounded different than I meant it to be said. I just wanted to apologize for that.”

“The language used by Glen Kuiper during today’s pregame broadcast is unacceptable,” the Oakland Athletics organization said in a statement following the incident. “The Oakland Athletics do not condone such language. We are working to address the situation.”

A source with knowledge of the situation told Barrett Sports Media that the decision was based on a variety of factors, including information that was uncovered in the internal review. Ultimately, the decision was made to part ways with Kuiper after 19 years with the team. Both color commenator Dallas Braden and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick issued statements pertaining to the situation, with Kendrick asking people to find forgiveness in their hearts.

“I welcomed Glen to the NLBM yesterday and know he was genuinely excited to be here,” Kendrick said in a tweet. “The word is painful and has no place in our society. And while I don’t pretend to know Glen’s heart I do know that my heart is one of forgiveness. I hope all of you will find it in yourselves to do the same!”

In a recent guest appearance on KNBR’s Murph & Mac, Kuiper’s brother and San Francisco Giants television play-by-play announcer Duane Kuiper declined to go into depth about the situation.

“It’s really a delicate and stressful time for Glen,” Duane Kuiper said. “It trickles down to every member of your family. I just don’t think it would be appropriate for me to talk about it or discuss it at this time, but there will come a time when I’d be more than happy to talk about it.”

Glen Kuiper has appeared on television broadcasts for the Athletics since 2004, and was named the team’s play-by-play announcer in 2006. Over the years, he was on the call for a variety of memorable moments, including his partner Dallas Braden’s perfect game in 2010. Now, Braden will continue working with the team with play-by-play announcers Vince Controneo and Johnny Doskow as the team looks for his permanent replacement.

ESPN Layoffs Expected to Resume This Week

BSM Staff
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ESPN Layoffs Expected to Resume This Week

ESPN will reportedly begin its next round of layoffs this week as part of The Walt Disney Company’s elimination of 7,000 jobs across all of its divisions in an effort to cut an estimated $5.5 billion in costs.

Jimmy Pitaro, who serves as the chairman of ESPN, has reportedly informed department heads to closely look at their divisions at this time, presumably in an effort to streamline processes and cut operating costs. During the last wave of layoffs, ESPN let several people go that have been with the network for many years. ESPN Radio was affected by the layoffs in a particularly gruesome manner, terminating the employment of Scott McCarthy, Ryan Hurley, Amanda Brown and Louise Cornetta among others.

The ESPN layoffs have largely impacted those behind the scenes thus far, but it is expected to eventually impact the network’s talent. Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported that there will be no “sacred cows,” and identified Joe Buck, Stephen A. Smith and Scott Van Pelt as names who would be safe.

“I do not want to minimize the enormous toll of saying goodbye to dedicated colleagues that have worked tirelessly to strengthen ESPN and deliver for sports fans,” Pitaro said in a company-wide memo. “The people of ESPN and their constant resolve to get the job done, to excel and to innovate have built this place. We will act with compassion, respect for our colleagues and professionalism as we face these hard circumstances.”

These layoffs are the latest in what has become somewhat of a trend for the Worldwide Leader over the last decade as it continues to innovate in the sports media industry. In 2015, 2017 and 2020, ESPN engaged in some level of layoffs, with the most recent occurrence resulting in 300 employees losing jobs and 200 positions remaining unfilled.

David Zaslav Made Decision Not to Appear at WBD Upfront, Exec Says

BNM Staff
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During advertising upfronts last week, Warner Bros. Discovery was conspicuously absent of star power, choosing not to use any of its talent to show solidarity with the ongoing writer’s strike. Many questioned why CEO David Zaslav wasn’t in appearance, but we now have answers to those questions.

In an interview with AdWeek, Warner Bros. Discovery Chief U.S. Advertising Sales Officer Jon Steinlauf said the decision to not have Zaslav present was his own.

“David made the decision. I don’t think it was strike-related. I don’t think he chose not to go up on stage because of the strike. I think he chose not to go up on stage because he has done it for a long time. And he’s been CEO of Discovery since 2007,” said Steinlauf. “I think he wanted to cede that role to other executives in the company, as have a lot of his peers.

“When you think about CEOs of these companies, it’s really Brian Roberts; it’s Bob Iger; it’s David Zaslav. He looks at what the role is of the people that he considers to be his peers to him. If they’re letting their executives get the exposure, we had (WBD CRO) Bruce Campbell on stage. You have to pick and choose who are the best executives that you want the audience to become more familiar with as time goes by.

“There were some articles about we could have used David on stage because he’s a celebrity CEO to compensate for the lack of star power up on that stage. But he was there. He’s not trying to say the ad business is not as important to us as it as it used to be.”

Zaslav made an appearance later in the week at the MoffettNathanson conference where he discussed the future of CNN, noting that both sides of every issue will be featured on the “new” CNN. The new strategy is in hopes of returning the cable channel to its roots as a news gathering and reporting outlet instead of the “advocacy network” Zaslav said advertisers no longer want to be involved with.

Lyndsay Keith Leaves Newsmax For TBN

BNM Staff
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Former Newsmax anchor Lyndsay Keith has departed the network for a new role with Christian broadcaster TBN.

Keith had been with Newsmax since 2020. She joined the network after working as the Deputy Communications Director for the Republican National Committee.

During her time at Newsmax, she co-hosted an afternoon program with former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who also departed the network last month.

“With all that is going on in the world, I am looking forward to reporting on national and global news from a biblical worldview, leaving viewers with a sense of hope,” Keith said.

“What a great opportunity to cover the news with the goal of equipping viewers to have a better understanding of issues that matter to them, the world, and their faith,” Keith said. “I have been impressed by TBN’s team and success, and am excited to join a network whose core purpose is to share the truth and good news.”

Keith will host the nightly news program for TBN called Centerpoint, which airs at 7:30 PM ET and PT.

She will begin anchoring the program tonight and will feature a sit-down interview with former Vice President and presumptive 2024 Republican challenger Mike Pence.

Chris Plante: Rupert Murdoch ‘A Liar’ After Latest Tucker Carlson Report

BNM Staff
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Chris Plante: Rupert Murdoch ‘A Liar’ After Latest Tucker Carlson Report

A claim from Tucker Carlson biographer Chadwick Moore definitively alleges that the former Fox News host was fired by the network as a condition in the network’s settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. Radio host Chris Plante didn’t hold back on criticism of Fox Corp. founder Rupert Murdoch after the news came down.

In a video posted to Twitter Monday, Moore alleges he saw what Carlson’s opening monologue featured for his show on Monday, April 24th, but never got the opportunity to air it after he was unceremoniously fired by Fox News that day. He also claims that before reporting suggested that Carlson exited after it was demanded by Dominion as part of the settlement he had been made aware from several sources that it was indeed true.

In response, Plante took to Twitter, sharing a video of Rupert Murdoch denying that he had been involved in Carlson’s firing on Tuesday, April 25th. “I didn’t do it,” Murdoch said after he was confronted outside of the network’s headquarters.

“Rupert Murdoch said he didn’t fire Tucker Carlson,” Plante wrote. “Wow! He lies like a Democrat. Because he probably is one!”

In addition to his radio show on WMAL in Washington D.C., Plante is also the host of a newly launched nightly television show on Newsmax. The cable outlet has been the beneficiary of viewers leaving Fox News after Carlson’s departure. The channel has seen its primetime audience increase by a reported 182% in the past month.

Tom Brady Agrees to Raiders Minority Stake

BSM Staff
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Tom Brady is joining the National Football League ownership ranks, finalizing a deal to purchase a minority stake of the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of the start of his contract with FOX Sports.

Brady agreed to the deal with Raiders owner Mark Davis but is still focused on joining FOX Sports at the onset of the 2024 season. He reportedly received permission from FOX to explore a deal and is only expected to have “passive” involvement regarding the team.

The NFL has a policy prohibiting team ownership when one is employed by a media outlet. However, it only applies to those in positions of authority. Since Brady would be a color commentator, albeit in the network’s lead broadcasting booth, it is not expected to constitute a violation.

He had previously explored ownership endeavors with the Miami Dolphins and recently became a minority owner of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces. If the deal involving Brady was to be approved by the league, he would add a piece of another Las Vegas sports team to his portfolio.

Tom Brady is expected to join FOX Sports in the midst of its 11-year media rights agreement with the NFL for a reported $2 billion annually, although some question whether or not he will go through with his plan to work in sports media.

Brady played 23 seasons in the NFL and won seven Super Bowl championships as a member of the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He will be honored for his illustrious career by the New England Patriots at their home opener.

Hall of Fame Baseball Writer Rick Hummel Dies at Age 77

BSM Staff
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Rick Hummel has passed away after a brief illness. The legendary baseball journalist was 77 years old.

Hummel is best known for his work covering the Cardinals for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His death comes in the first season after announcing his retirement.

Covering the team was something of a dream come true for the St. Louis native. He reported on three World Series wins and seven National League pennants. He was recognized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

The 2022 season was Hummel’s last of a 51-year run covering the team for the Post-Dispatch. It wasn’t the end of his career though. He went to Jupiter, FL in February to cover spring training as a free lance writer for a number of different outlets.

Rick Hummel will certainly be missed by his friends and loved ones. He will also be missed by the Cardinals community, who already mourned the loss of Mike Shannon earlier this month.

Vic Lombardi: ESPN Reporters Shocked Denver Thinks They Root for Lakers

BSM Staff
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Media members have a way of leaning on each other when on an extended assignment. Vic Lombardi told his co-hosts on Altitude Sports Radio that is what is happening during the Western Conference Finals.

On Monday morning, Lombardi told Marc Moser and Brett Kane that members of the media were playing pick up basketball in LA on Sunday. During that game, he said “a pretty lively conversation” broke out around how ESPN is covering the series.

“I said, ‘You guys are biding that narrative that this is the story and we got to stick to it and no other story exists,'” he said on Moser, Lombardi and Kane, alluding to the perception that the network wants the Lakers to defeat the Nuggets because it would be better for ratings. “I said, ‘That’s the impression and perception from Denver.’ And they said, ‘Well, what are you talking about? I wrote this article on this date or whatever.’ Yeah, you wrote one article. I’m talking about this series and the moments here.”

Lombardi said the disbelief on the part of his national media colleagues is actually understandable in his eyes.

“They don’t see what they’re doing from the outside in. They don’t see it. We see it because it affects us more.”

He told his co-hosts and listeners that no matter what they hear on television, he can assure them that the reporters are not rooting for the Lakers. In fact, he heard some pretty pointed criticism.

“Some of the comments that were made yesterday were so anti-Lakers behind the scenes, like just ‘We’re tired of this run,’ ‘Oh, my God. Did you see that flop?’ This and that,” Vic Lombardi said. “They were saying things that normal people say. I just don’t think they say it in a professional setting. And I don’t know why. You know, they’re not radio hosts, but they’re saying things that we usually say about the Lakers.”

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