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Shan & RJ: ESPN ‘Purging Everybody Else’ to Pay Biggest Stars

Demetri Ravanos
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Shan & RJ: ESPN ‘Purging Everybody Else’ to Pay Biggest Stars

Shan & RJ was on the air Friday morning in Dallas as news of layoffs at ESPN was just beginning to break. Shan Shariff admitted that he was disappointed to see the first name to become public.

“I loved him,” the 105.3 The Fan morning man said when he learned Jeff Van Gundy was out. “When we talk about not watching a game because of a personality, I apply that to Van Gundy. I would watch a random NBA game with two teams I didn’t particularly care about if Van Gundy was on the call.”

At 61 years old, it is fair to think that Jeff Van Gundy’s media career may not be over. Shariff wonders if the former NBA coach would ever give radio a try.

“He’s interesting. He’ll be a fascinating sports talk host.”

RJ Choppy bemoaned what was happening at ESPN, saying that smaller names have to go to accommodate the bigger stars’ salaries.

“You’ve got to pay Pat McAfee and Stephen Smith and Joe Buck and Troy Aikman and Scott Van Pelt. You got to pay those guys. And that’s what they’re doing. They’re purging everybody else.”

Choppy added that he has always stood ESPN’s philosophy to be that content is what matters most. The talent is interchangeable. As far as he is concerned, it is clear that is the thinking at ESPN Radio.

Shariff said that there is evidence that if that is the company’s strategy, it is time to rethink.

“ESPN can make you a star, no doubt it. They can make you a star. But I mean, if it was about the content, then we would still know ESPN Radio’s lineup and personalities, and we don’t. They’re nonexistent.”

News broke earlier this month that ESPN Radio would be canceling its morning show Keyshawn, JWill and Max. On Friday, Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson were let go. Jay Williams’s contract is set to expire in the next three months.

Charles Barkley Takes Subtle Shot at Skip Bayless During The Match on TNT

BSM Staff
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Charles Barkley never misses the chance to take a shot at Skip Bayless. The Hall of Famer has never hidden his disdain for the Undisputed host. Thursday night during coverage of The Match, without mentioning Bayless by name, Chuck got in another shot.

Travis Kelce was playing in the charity golf event with his quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In the middle of discussing where he ranked amidst the best tight ends ever, Barkley noted that you cannot leave Shannon Sharpe out of the conversation. He followed that up by saying, “I want one of those jobs where I can get fired, get a buyout for working with an idiot.”

Sharpe left Undisputed earlier this month after working out a deal with FS1 on a buyout. While Sharpe and Bayless had nice things to say about each other on their last day on camera together, tensions between them in the previous months were hard not to notice.

“What do you think, Ernie? You think I could get a buyout from working with Shaq?” Barkley joked.

Ernie Johnson asked where all of this was coming from.

“They gonna give people buyouts if you working with a damn idiot,” Barkley answered before assuring Johnson that he was not the idiot in question. “I want one of those too.”

While Barkley has been adamant for years that he despises Skip Bayless, Bayless has claimed he has no idea why the TNT star feels that way.

Bomani Jones: Sports Media ‘Doing the Best We Can’ For Content in Summer

BSM Staff
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Bomani Jones: Sports Media ‘Doing the Best We Can’ For Content in Summer

The summer can be rough for people that talk about sports for a living. Bomani Jones says it is the simple explanation for why so many historical debates and all-time rankings are showing up on ESPN shows right now. 

His pal Domonique Foxworth found himself in the crosshairs of Twitter basketball historians this week for claiming that Larry Bird is not a good defender.

On a new episode of his ESPN podcast The Right Time, Jones noted that Foxworth’s point was not accurate, but the reason he had to participate in the argument in the first place is an industry-wide problem.

“Anybody out here saying that they annoyed by Damian Lillard don’t work in the content game, baby,” Jones said. “It’s that time of year where you’ll be begging for people to get arrested and they don’t do it as much as they used to.”

Any sports content creator is currently trying to navigate “Mt. Rushmore season.” Between the end of the NBA Finals and the start of NFL training camps, there is little radio and television shows can rely on to drive the conversation. That is why lists, rankings, and milking a single story for an hour of content is so popular right now.

“We scrapin’ the bowl, man,” Jones said. “They asking for so much out of us right now in this time. And part of it’s like, ‘Yo, if you ain’t go on vacation it’s ya own damn fault.’ I totally understand. That’s how they look at us in this moment, you know? But we are doing the best we can.”

Skyview Networks Ceasing Distribution of ABC Audio at End of Year

BNM Staff
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Skyview Networks Ceasing Distribution of ABC Audio at End of Year

Skyview Networks has announced that it will be ending its relationship with ABC Audio next year.

ABC Audio has relied upon Skyview Networks for distribution and advertising sales since 2014. The partnership was then expanded in 2018 for more products in music and news/talk before growing to an arrangement with Local Radio Networks the following year.

“Skyview and ABC have decided to conclude their business relationship beginning in 2024,” a statement from Skyview read. “ABC Audio and Skyview Networks are committed to working together to ensure a smooth transition, and Skyview will continue meeting the needs of the industry and its full-scale multi-partner relationships.

“Skyview Networks will continue representing ABC Audio network sales while also providing distribution service through 2023. We wish ABC Audio continued success in the years ahead.”

The news of the split comes months after Skyview Networks was the subject of a cyberattack that affected the network’s ability to distribute audio for both CBS News Radio and ABC Audio.

Debbie Monterrey Celebrates 20th Anniversary at KMOX

BNM Staff
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Debbie Monterrey Celebrates 20th Anniversary at KMOX

KMOX morning host Debbie Monterrey is celebrating a milestone Friday. The Total Information AM host has been with the St. Louis news/talk station for 20 years.

“Thank you so much for an amazing 20 years,” Audacy Senior Vice President Becky Domyan told Monterrey during an appearance Friday morning. “You are the voice of familiarity in St. Louis and we just really, really appreciate you.”

“It feels like yesterday and so, so long ago all at the same time,” joked Monterrey.

Monterrey joined KMOX after working as the Press Secretary for Wisconsin Governor Scott McCallum when she received a call asking “How would you like to do morning radio in St. Louis?”

In addition to her work at KMOX, she has also worked at stations in Greenville, South Carolina, Madison, Wisconsin, and Columbus, Ohio.

She’s been the recipient of five Edward R. Murrow Awards, while also winning two Missouri Broadcasting Awards during her tenure. In 2022, she was named Media Person of the Year by the St. Louis Press Club.

Geraldo Rivera Bids Farewell to Fox News: ‘I Love Fox’

BNM Staff
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After joining Fox News in 2001, Geraldo Rivera has departed the network.

During his final appearance on Fox News, Rivera told the Fox & Friends crew that he is grateful for his long run with the cable news outlet.

“I’m deeply touched, I’m honored, I love FOX, I love the people at FOX, I always will. I’ll never let anyone separate us, but I am beyond grateful for this,” Rivera said as the morning program honored his lengthy career. “This is so deeply affecting, I love you for it, thank you.”

As he departed, the entire Fox & Friends crew — sans Brian Kilmeade — wore fake mustaches to honor Rivera, who is widely known for his Imperial-style facial hair.

Rivera shared his disappointment that Affirmative Action was struck down by the Supreme Court Thursday, noting that he was a product of the policy at Columbia University in the late 1960s.

Rivera shared he would exit the network on Thursday after claiming he had been fired from the wildly popular The Five program. He had publicly clashed with co-host Greg Gutfeld after the departure of Tucker Carlson.

In a statement, the network told Barrett News Media, “We reached an amicable conclusion with Geraldo over the past few weeks and look forward to celebrating him on Fox & Friends Friday morning which will be his last appearance on the network.”

Rivera will turn 80 years old on Tuesday, July 4th.

Greg Kelly: Nicole Wallace ‘Flirtatious’ During Joe Biden Interview

BNM Staff
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Greg Kelly: Nicole Wallace ‘Flirtatious’ During Joe Biden Interview

President Joe Biden appeared on MSNBC’s Deadline: White House with Nicole Wallace Thursday, and Newsmax host Greg Kelly was not a fan.

To begin Greg Kelly Reports Thursday evening, the Newsmax host called Wallace’s demeanor during the interview “flirtatious”.

“‘He he he he, finish your thought Joe’. That’s Nicole Wallace, veteran of the George W. Bush White House, where her specialty I believe was in making powerful men feel even more powerful,” said Kelly.

“It’s all about power. This individual has condemned the overturning of Roe v. Wade. She is holding a funeral for the death of affirmative action and colleges. They don’t care about principle. It’s all about power…Other than that, great interview,” Kelly joked.

Kelly took issue with the interview as a whole, claiming that MSNBC — and by proxy, parent company Comcast — shielded the President from difficult conversations.

“He went on the fake news again. They protected him. But we can still see it. We can still see the dishonesty, the incompetence, the feebleness. Really bad. And a major corporation gave him this opportunity,” Kelly continued. “These are major multinational, huge conglomerates, and they just gave the president of the United States a pass on what’s happening here. This is like Twilight Zone territory.”

Newsmax Touts Growth in 2nd Quarter

BNM Staff
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Newsmax Touts Growth in 2nd Quarter

It is no secret that Fox News has experienced a slip in the cable television news ratings. The data shows that Newsmax has been the primary beneficiary of the viewers leaving Fox News.

In Nielsen data distributed by Newsmax, the network touts a 71% increase in its total viewership, with an 88% uptick in the 35-64 demographic.

However, Newsmax’s largest gains have come in primetime. The network has seen its audience grow by 126% in the second quarter compared to the same time window in 2022. Viewership has risen 130% in the 35-64 age range.

The growth by Newsmax comes after Fox News severed ties with primetime host Tucker Carlson in late April.

“Millions of Americans are making the switch to Newsmax,” CEO Chris Ruddy said.

Newsmax and MSNBC have both grown in total day viewership, with MSNBC rising a total of 17%. FOX Business and MSNBC have both seen double-digit growth in primetime, with CNN adding 5% to its primetime audience in April, May, and June.

97.1 The Freak Adds Marc Stein for Weekend Show

BSM Staff
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97.1 The Freak Adds Marc Stein for Weekend Show

Talk about landing the right guy at the right time! NBA free agency opens Friday night and 97.1 The Freak is ready. 

The iHeartMedia station has signed NBA reporter Marc Stein to host a weekend show. Saturday Sportsworld with Marc Stein launches this week and will air every Saturday at noon. It will be sponsored by Panini Trading Cards and Collectibles.

“We are thrilled to feature Marc Stein every Saturday on 97.1 The Freak, The Official Radio Home to all Dallas Mavericks Games,” Director Dominic Zaccagnini said in a press release. “Marc’s basketball knowledge and insight is must-hear for NBA fans all around the globe. And listeners of The Freak and Saturday Sportsworld with Marc Stein will get to hear his passion for other sports as well.”

Stein has covered the NBA for a variety of national outlets. At various points he has been on staff for ESPN, The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Washington Post.

“I am so excited to be back in a radio studio that I can hardly find the words,” Stein added. “Absolutely cannot wait to talk Mavericks and all things NBA and venture into some other areas of world sport that I love to discuss — all with my friends on 97.1 The Freak. And it’s doubly meaningful that it’s Panini, whose soccer stickers have been part of my life since I was a kid, that has partnered with us to make this show possible.”

While 97.1 The Freak does have plenty of talent that first established themselves on local sports stations in the Metroplex, iHeartMedia has been adamant that it is not a sports station. However, the addition of Stein continues a trend of the station firmly plating its foot in the sports world. In addition to being the flagship station of the Mavericks, The Freak added broadcast rights to North Texas football earlier this month. Late last year, it announced that it would air VSiN programming as well.

Clay Travis: $500K Isn’t A Big Settlement For Media Employees Affected By COVID-19 Mandates

BNM Staff
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OutKick founder and syndicated radio host, Clay Travis, has responded to reports that ESPN anchor Sage Steele declined a settlement offer. Steele claimed her employer violated her First Amendment and Connecticut free speech rights. 

Travis discussed his perspective on the matter during his guest appearance on Hot Mic with Hutton & Withrow.  

In 2022, Steele filed a lawsuit against ESPN and Disney for suspending her over remarks she made about the network’s vaccine requirement. 

“It proves to a large extent, maybe it would make it more difficult [to turn down a settlement] if it was five million [dollars] or fifty million [dollars], but $500,000 is not worth it to her to give up her fight,” he said. “I think she makes several million dollars a year, so you have to factor that in.”  

Steele filed the lawsuit claiming that she received disciplinary action for statements she made during an appearance on Jay Cutler’s podcast. During the podcast, she criticized ESPN’s vaccine mandate, calling it “sick and scary.”

“$500,000 sounds like a lot of money to your average person, and I’m just spitballing here; I don’t know what Sage Steele makes. Does an extra month’s salary change her life relative to the principal she believes she’s standing up for?”  

As reported by Yahoo Entertainment, Steele — who reportedly earns $3 million per year — revealed that she received the COVID-19 vaccine before the company’s required date but solely to retain her job. 

“There shouldn’t have been a COVID shot mandate for anyone but certainly for relatively young and healthy people like Sage Steele,” he added. “The COVID shot provided her no protection; it didn’t provide much protection for anyone.”  

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