Salem Media Group has entered into a deal with EpochTV, the streaming division of The Epoch Times, to distribute a feature-length documentary produced by the digital company.
Leaving California: The Untold Story will be available for rental or purchase on the SalemNOW platform. The deal marks the first time EpochTV has distributed original content on a platform other than its own.
“It’s a privilege to partner with The Epoch Times to offer their incredible film, Leaving California, on SalemNOW,” said SalemNOW GM Robert Ellis.
The documentary looks at the “unprecedented mass exodus” happening in California and showcases the statements made by people who have left the state.
“SalemNOW’s rapid growth and success make them an ideal partner for us as we look to increase awareness about the critical issues we address in our film,” Leaving California host, writer, and producer Siyamak Khorrami said.
“These issues are impacting communities beyond California and we all need to be informed.”
The United Soccer League (USL) and SiriusXM have inked a new agreement that extends its media rights deal through 2025. The deal ensures SiriusXM will be the audio home of USL Championship games, including the USL Championship Final, USL Super League inaugural Final, the USL League One Final and USL League Two Final. SiriusXM subscribers can listen to games on channel No. 157 and on the SiriusXM app.
“At the USL, we want to ensure that our games are available to our fans wherever they want to experience them,” Court Jeske, USL chief commercial officer, said in a statement. “SiriusXM has been a great partner the last three years and extending this relationship on the men’s side was an easy choice. We are also incredibly proud that they will offer coverage of the USL Super League, our new women’s professional league, with the inaugural season beginning in August of 2024.”
The SiriusXM FC channel has been the broadcast home of the USL Championship since 2020, and also airs a USL Game of the Week for consumers in the United States and Canada. Additional future coverage will include games from the 2024-2025 USL Super League season. Moreover, USL All-Access will resume with hosts Mike Watts and Devon Kerr, offering listeners new perspectives on the league, and a broad view of highlights and storylines.
“The USL has a terrific and dedicated fanbase across the country and we’re pleased to deliver those fans both the action on the pitch and a show dedicated to their league,” said Eric Spitz, SiriusXM vice president of sports programming, in a statement. “We’re excited to not only renew our agreement with the USL for multiple years, but also expand our coverage and be the exclusive audio home of the USL Championship Final, League One Final, League Two Final and the new USL Super League Final.”
Watts has been the play-by-play announcer for the USL Championship since 2015, and he continues to work on Westwood One’s college football game of the week and serves as a backup public address announcer at Madison Square Garden. Furthermore, he called eight domestic and international finals in 2021, including the U.S. Men’s National Team victories in the Concacaf Nations League and Concacaf Gold Cup.
Kerr serves as an analyst for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and contributes to FOX Sports as well. He has been the lead analyst for the USL Championship since 2018, and works in a similar role for the NCAA Men’s College Cup on ESPN and Concacaf events. Aside from his work with Apple TV and FOX Sports, Kerr has appeared on platforms for ESPN, EA Sports, the NCAA and MLS.
Broadcasts started Wednesday night, but the next game airing on SiriusXM FC will be a matchup between the San Diego Loyal and Sacramento Republic at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST. Games have been announced through July 3, and additional matchups will be announced at a later date.
Audacy is has a newly organized sports sales team. Lee Davis will be its leader. He has been named the company’s SVP of Sports Monetization.
The team will oversee “sales and execution, managing the entire client lifecycle” for Audacy’s sports properties. They will provide solutions for both on-air and digital platforms and work on both local and national properties.
“No medium delivers more value for sports than Audio. People are spending more time than ever with broadcast Radio, streaming and podcasts, and the demand for compelling sports content across these channels is growing exponentially,” Brian Benedik, Audacy’s Chief Revenue Officer, said in a press release. “Through our best-in-class sports audio portfolio, powered by over 150 flagship team partnerships, iconic local broadcast brands, award-winning podcasts and sports betting content, Audacy is uniquely positioned to capitalize on a new sales strategy in this arena.”
Lee Davis worked with WFAN from 1990 until 2005. He returned to Audacy in 2018 to over see the company’s Traffic, Weather, Information and News (TWIN) offering.
Fox News has accused former host Tucker Carlson of breaching his contract with the cable channel after debuting his Tucker on Twitter video show earlier this week.
A letter was sent by the organization to the ex-communicated host that shared his “services shall be completely exclusive to Fox” and that he is “prohibited” from making video content for any other network or online platform. The news of the letter was first reported by Sara Fischer of Axios.
Carlson published his first video — branded as Tucker on Twitter — on Tuesday night. In the more than 10-minute-long video, the former Fox News host railed against the mainstream media for their lack of interest in discerning where the billions of dollars the U.S. government has sent to Ukraine have been allocated.
After being unceremoniously fired in April, Carlson retained the services of attorney Bryan Freedman to negotiate an exit agreement from his Fox contract. The network has reportedly offered to pay him the remainer of his contract, an offer Carlson has denied.
When reached by Axios, Freedman said “Fox defends its very existence on freedom of speech grounds. Now they want to take Tucker Carlson’s right to speak freely away from him because he took to social media to share his thoughts on current events.”
On Wednesday, 77 WABC Radio announced that it earned eight Excellence in Broadcasting Awards from the New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA).
Since acquiring the station, John Catsimatidis has introduced numerous enhancements and made significant investments in digital technology.
“I am proud of our talent and all station personnel that has worked hard to make 77WABC the station it once was,” Catsimatidis said. “Our talent and staff are leaders in their field; our on-air personalities include the biggest names in New York. We’re just getting started. There is always more to come from the iconic 77WABC.”
The New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA) recognized 77WABC with eight Excellence in Broadcasting awards in various categories:
Best Public Affairs Program – “Back the Blue”: An all-day tribute to the NYPD, highlighting their dedication.
Best Feature – “Cindy Adams Interviews Former Gov. Cuomo”: A high-quality interview conducted by Cindy Adams.
Top Morning Show – Sid & Friends in the Morning: Sid Rosenberg and his team delivered exceptional entertainment.
Best Live On Scene – “Columbus Day Parade”: Capturing the spirit of the parade with outstanding coverage.
Election Coverage – Rita Cosby, Dominic Carter, and Noam Laden contributed to this award-winning coverage.
Best Use of Digital – “Radio Pays Tribute to Fallen Firefighter Timothy Klein”: Showcasing the power of radio’s digital platforms in paying tribute.
Best Personality, Social Media – “Curtis Sliwa: Closing of Lenny’s Pizza”: Curtis Sliwa’s coverage of the closing of Lenny’s Pizza was recognized.
Top Podcast – “Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano & guest William Shatner”: This episode featuring William Shatner captivated listeners on the Other Side of Midnight.
Chad Lopez, Red Apple Media President, showed appreciation for the recognition given to the station. He highlighted the hard work and commitment demonstrated by the WABC Radio team, both on and off the air.
“Everyone at WABC Radio, both on-air and off, is passionate about what we’re doing and gives 100% every day. I am honored to work with John Catsimatidis and lead this team through his vision, restoring our heritage call letters to their iconic glory and bringing radio back to what it used to be and should be,” he said.
“John and Chad have made tremendous strides across all facets of radio, on-air, on-site, and online, plus video!” added Dave Donovan, Executive Director of NYSBA. We’re proud of all our member stations for making New York Radio the best in the country.”
Even though he isn’t thrilled by the moniker, Mike Breen has become the voice of the NBA. The veteran play-by-play announcer is too modest to brag about the name. He’s very respectful of those that have come before him. Whether or not he likes the title, for a certain generation of NBA fans, he’s the only television voice they’ve known.
Breen has occupied the big chair for ABC/ESPN since 2006 and is in the midst of calling his record 18th consecutive NBA Finals. Breen is professionalism personified, but the thing that separates him from most is his ability to infuse wit into his broadcasts. He’s not stuffy, and always seems to enjoy the moment.
“Bang!” is the word Breen has used for pretty much his entire career. He started using it as a student at Fordham. When he wasn’t calling games there, he’d watch from the stands and yell “Bang!” every time a Fordham player hit a shot. Then he took it to air. It’s taken off from there.
Breen’s “Bang!” is synonymous with a big moment. Whether it comes in the playoffs or the regular season, it’s an unmistakable, yet simple way to convey the message that something extraordinary has just happened.
With that in mind, I have compiled a list of the five best “BANG!” calls including a couple of Honorable Mentions. There really were no criteria, so the call could have come in the playoffs, or in a few cases the regular season.
DERRICK ROSE BUZZER BEATER 2015 EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS
The Bulls were playing in front of a packed house at the United Center. They were trying to ride native son Derrick Rose to a series win over the Cavaliers. Game 3 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinal v. Cleveland came down to the wire.
“Dunleavy, looking, finds Rose, Rose trying to get open, fires away….BANG! It’s over! The Bulls win at the buzzer! It still is a Madhouse on Madison as Derrick Rose nails the three. And the Bulls take a 2-1 lead in this Eastern Conference semifinal.”
KOBE BEATS THE SUNS AT THE BUZZER, 1ST ROUND, 2011 WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS
This was a pretty simple, yet very effective call. After a key turnover by Steve Nash, the resulting jump ball finally got into the hands of Bryant.
“A one-point game…final seconds Bryant for the win….BANG!!”
There was a lot of silence after the call and the pictures were allowed to tell the incredible story.
#5 LIN-SANITY REIGNS IN TORONTO 2012
During the height of “Linsanity” Jeremy Lin hit a game winning three pointer at the buzzer on February 14, 2012. This was a regular season game in Toronto and the crowd was into it like it was game 7 of a playoff series. The call shows you that Breen succeeds when the game is intense and close late whether in the playoffs or a regular season game.
“Mike D’Antoni won’t call timeout and let the Raptors set up their D. The crowd on its feet here at the Air Canada Centre. Lin puts it up. Bang! Jeremy Lin from downtown and the Knicks take the lead! Amazing here at the Air Canada Centre. Five tenths of a second remaining. Lin-sanity continues.”
#4 ERIC GORDON 2019 GAME TYING BASKET V. THE CLIPPERS
Eric Gordon hit a tough double-clutch three-pointer to send this regular season game in 2019 against the Lakers into overtime. This one led Breen to pull out the rare double bang!
“They find Gordon. Gordon puts up a three. Bang! Bang! He ties the game!”
It wasn’t a playoff game or even a very memorable game overall. Perhaps Breen got caught up in the moment? It happens.
#3 LUCA DONCIC GAME 4 2020 WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND V. CLIPPERS
Dallas was already down 2 games to 1 in the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs in the Walt Disney World bubble. The Mavericks didn’t want their own bubble to burst, so they turned to Doncic. The Mavs were down 1 in OT with 3.7 seconds left to go. Luka Doncic took a dribble, created some space and let it fly.
“Doncic pulls up, three-pointer, BANG, BANG! IT’S GOOD, DONCIC WINS THE GAME AT THE BUZZER!” After a little time and some replays, Breen astutely added, “We are witnessing the next great star in the NBA, in his first playoff series.”
The rare double bang rears its head again. Kudos to Breen for generating this much excitement without any fans in the building. It’s pretty impressive and hard to do, just shows that he can rise to the moment without any help from the vibes in a building during a game.
#2 RAY ALLEN GAME TYING “3”, 2013 NBA FINALS GAME 6
This shot was one of the biggest in the career of Ray Allen. Playing for the Heat in the 2013 NBA Finals, he hit a crucial shot to send Game 6 into overtime. Breen made the moment iconic. “James catches, puts up a three, won’t go, rebound Bosh, back out to Allen, his three-pointer, BANG. TIE GAME WITH 5 SECONDS REMAINING!”
Breen’s voice captured the emotion of the moment, without being out of control. He recalled to the Athletic in 2020 what went into that call.
“I remember looking over at the Spurs’ bench. They were, I don’t want to trash them and say they were celebrating, but they were ready to celebrate. It was that giddiness, the hopping up and down, we’re about to win a championship.” Breen said. “It seemed like it was a foregone conclusion. And then, the thing about it, there had to be about six or seven things to fall into place for that to happen, over the last 30 seconds and every single one of them fell into place.”
#1 STEPH CURRY, 2016 GAME WINNNING “3” v. OKLAHOMA CITY
The original “double bang” game, came in 2016 as Steph Curry and the Warriors faced Oklahoma City in February. The Warriors entered 53-4 and Curry had already hit 11, 3-point field goals on the night. Who could blame Breen for getting caught up in this play? The game-winning and record-tying basket came from a spot on the floor that almost nobody hits from.
“They do have a timeout. Decide not to use it. Curry, way downtown. Bang! Bang! Oh, what a shot from Curry! With six tenths of a second remaining! The brilliant shooting of Stephen Curry continues. he ties the NBA record with his 12th three-pointer of the game.”
“Don’t ask me why or how it came out,” Mike Breen was quoted of saying after the game. “It was like an out-of-body experience.”
Breen’s effect on the players has been noted on a few occasions in recent months. 7 years after the call of Curry’s 40-footer, and the birth of the double-bang, Curry honored the call with a pair of his new shoes. They’re called the Curry 2 Bang Bang PE Retros. Curry delivered the shoes to Breen in person and included this video message:
“I realize there’s no way we can drop these without the involvement of the man who gave these shoes a nickname seven years ago. You’re the first person to get these in hand. We got a double bang and call in 2016, before it’s all said and done, I think I need a triple bang call from Mr. Mike Breen himself.”
Breen saw the shoes, then embraced Curry. He also shared a message of gratitude, saying “It’s an honor calling his games. And to have him say I have a small part of it means more than he knows and more than you can imagine. Thank you.”
Other players seem to really enjoy being immortalized with a “Bang!” Just the other day, Jamal Murray hit a three-pointer for Denver. Breen called the play, “back to Murray, another three-pointer. It’s good! Jamal Murray red hot.” Mark Jackson jumped in after noticing something after the shot. “Hey Mike, you didn’t see this, but Jamal Murray just looked over here and said BANG.” That’s pretty cool.
Breen continues to shine on the biggest stage of basketball, surely he’s setting up for another terrific run in this year’s finals.
Especially for morning drive shows using the news wheel, ‘newsmaker’ guests are a part of the format. Beware of publicists that may be stealing bread from your station’s mouth. I’ll give you my rules for the people slinging guest pitches.
No Local Pitches From Publicists
We are often told to keep it local. I generally agree with that statement, but working with a local publicist is a bad idea. Publicists usually get paid for any appearance. If this is a local business, you are stealing money from your station’s bottom line. Why isn’t the guest purchasing advertising from the station?
Depending on the market, the publicist may be making enough money that would be better used on a spot campaign on your station. I programmed a station with the news wheel with “newsmaker” guests every half hour. A local doctor was talking about the ‘innovative’ procedure his office provides. Post-show, I called in the morning show host and producer. I asked if they stole from the company. These guys said, “No!”
Then I explained that the doctor was just given 12 minutes of free advertising. The publicist got paid and the station got nothing. I also explained that that the host could have made money with endorsement spots. Now, that was never going to happen. I suggested that the host speak with sales about this amazing doctor. Of course, the doctor never met with the account executive. Lesson learned.
You Are Enriching Them, So Make Them Work for Their Dough
You booked a guest from a publicist. Make them work for the money. Have them provide all the information that you need. A picture of the guest for social media. The interview is on your time, not theirs.
I had a publicist ask if I could pre-record their amazing guest at 4 in the afternoon, I said no. I only do guests live except in extraordinary circumstances. Occasionally, I’ll do a hit with one of the weekend syndicated hosts on my station. He does a local show at the same time that I am on the air. So, that is fine. I would pre-record Donald Trump and Joe Biden, but almost no one else.
It’s Your Show. Ask the Guest Your Questions.
If a publicist provides a list of suggested talking points, shred them. Do not do the interview for the guest or publicist, do it for your audience. Ask the questions that are focused on your listener.
The guest is getting free air time and the publicist is getting paid. If the guest and booker don’t like that? Who cares. I don’t do my show for them. I also never tell any guest about the questions that I could be asking. If there is a news story that is related to the guest, I am asking about that first. Being topical is your job.
The Emails Often Look Like the Endcap at Walmart
Here is what I mean: Publicist offers someone very cool. You contact them. The guest that the publicist offered is unavailable or ‘already’ booked at the time you need. So, the publicist highlights other potential guests that are not that appealing.
Just like the endcap at Walmart, the email looks appealing. Unfortunately, it is only to get you to open the email.
I received an email offering a really top guest that would be perfect for my show. I called the publicist and she told me that her guest was open at my time. Awesome. I thought that I had a good score.
I booked 3 days ahead and the publicist let me know that the guest was unavailable the afternoon before the interview. Since the guest was never confirmed, I didn’t promote it.
When to Cut Ties With a Publicist
If the guest slinger only provides people who are only wanting to sell stuff on your show? Move along. Obviously, all guests need to plug their stuff. We all know this.
About a decade ago, New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey was booked on The Dan Patrick Show. Part of the reason was he was going to plug Qualcomm. Well, Matt Harvey didn’t want to speak about anything but Qualcomm. It was a sales pitch and nothing else.
Publicists should have their clients prepped so that they are booked to talk about their expertise and will get a chance to plug their book or service.
How to Get Guests Off the Talking Points
In the ’90s, I produced The Barbara Carlson Show in Minneapolis. The great actor Karl Malden was booked to promote the Oscars.
Let’s say that Karl was not in the mood to discuss anything but the Oscars. So, Barbara wasn’t going to let Karl get away with it. She buttered him up, telling Karl that he had a sexy nose. Then Barbara asked Karl if he had snorted cocaine at those amazing Hollywood Parties.
80-year-old Karl lost his cool. She got him off the talking points. It became an interesting interview.
The publicist was really mad about this. It was really good radio. It’s always about good radio and not pleasing some guest that is a one-time hit. Please the audience. Make memorable radio.
We all use publicists. Realize that you are their meal ticket. I am always surprised that I don’t at least get a holiday card from the publicists that I use on a regular basis. Don’t be naïve about these people. Hey, we all must make a living. They are a tool for you to use as you please.
ESPN NBA analyst and ESPN Radio host Jay Williams may not be at The Worldwide Leader for too much longer.
Talking to Chicago Bulls guard Patrick Beverley on his Barstool Sports podcast, Williams revealed how much more time he has on his current deal with the network.
“My contract is up in three months, man,” Williams said on The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone.
Beverley seemed kind of surprised at how soon Williams could become a free agent. Jay joined ESPN in a full-time capacity in 2008. He’s hosted ESPN Radio’s weekday morning show alongside Keyshawn Johnson and Max Kellerman since 2021. The show featured Zubin Mehenti for a year prior to that.
Williams implied that he’s looking to change things up away from the routine he’s got at the network.
“It feels like media cannibalizing media right now, and I get how that game is played,” Williams said. “But sometimes that game gets boring to me, dawg.”
Jay added that he’s intrigued by the laid-back nature of the podcast that Beverley has going. He said if he could have an ideal situation, that’s what he would strive for.
“Everybody can just be themselves authentically and not feel like you have to give a take on something,” he said. “Not everything requires some kind of polarizing POV.”
While many golf fans might be completely turned off to the sport after the announcement of the PGA Tour/DP World Tour/LIV Golf merger on Tuesday, 98.5 The Sports Hub host Mike Felger is going to be more inclined to tune in more regularly.
On Felger & Mazzon Wednesday, Felger felt like bringing unique personalities like PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau back into the fray after they defected last year to join LIV will be more of an incentive to watch.
“I’ve got to tell you, this has brought me a little back to golf,” Felger said. “At least there’s something here. And as opposed to these milquetoast, lily white, ‘Iron Byron’ – that’s what I call them, all these country club kids with the exact same swing who never say anything or give me any sort of edge. You know, Jordan Spieth and who’s the latest? Mark Scheffler? What’s his name?”
“Oh, Scottie Scheffler,” co-host Tony Massarotti responded.
“Like one cardboard cutout after the next,” Felger said. “Like, oh, my God. I have found the PGA Tour so flippin boring for so long.”
Koepka, DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and others have sort of embraced being a heel among PGA Tour fans. Felger said having guys who can show some emotion and personality on the course is refreshing in a sport where a certain spirit of decorum is expected.
“There’s depth to what he is,” Felger said of Koepka. “And maybe he’s a bad guy. Whatever. Golf needs that. Golf needs it. It needs personality. It needs good guys, bad guys. Guys to root for, guys to root against.”
The discussion circled back to the merger having serious financial backing by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which got LIV Golf off the ground and lured some big names away from the PGA Tour with massive signing bonuses.
Felger said he gets that people will have certain feelings towards the Saudi royal family and the government, and those feelings are justified. But at the end of the day if he wants to turn on the TV and catch a golf tournament, he’s going to do that. By being interested in watching this new iteration of professional golf, it’s not an endorsement of the Saudi government’s role in 9/11 or other atrocities.
“I’m not here to save the world,” he said. “I’m just here to watch a little golf.”
As hard as it is to believe, we’re a little over two months away from the start of the NFL preseason. As kickoff gets closer and closer, teams like the Seattle Seahawks are finalizing their preseason broadcast crews now.
The team announced on Wednesday that Kate Scott and K.J. Wright will join Michael Robinson in the booth for preseason coverage on KING 5.
Scott will handle play-by-play duties on the broadcasts. It’s her first season calling Seahawks games. She has plenty of prior play-by-play experience including doing 49ers preseason games on the radio in 2016. Additionally, Scott has previously called NBA, NHL and NWSL games, as well as broadcasting Olympic events. She currently serves as the television voice of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Wright is a Seahawks legend much like Robinson. The two were members of the team that won Super Bowl XLVIII. They both worked in the booth in Seattle for preseason games last year.
Steve Raible and Dave Wyman will return for another season calling Seahawks games on the radio. Jen Mueller will be reporting from the sidelines. Seahawks games are broadcasted locally on Seattle Sports 710 AM and KIRO Newsradio 97.3.
