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Darren Pang to Replace Colby Cohen On Blackhawks TV Crew

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Changes in media coverage for hockey are continuing amid the Stanley Cup Final with the announcement of Colby Cohen walking away from Chicago Blackhawks broadcasts. The team is reportedly hiring Darren Pang, who has been featured as a reporter on NHL on TNT national broadcasts throughout the postseason, as their lead television color commentator. He will work alongside the sophomore play-by-play voice of the team, Chris Vasters, on NBC Sports Chicago. News of the decision was first reported by Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Blackhawks television crew utilized a hybrid approach last season, rotating between Cohen, Patrick Sharp and Troy Murray. The change comes one offseason after the team revamped its television booth following the retirement of Pat Foley, which resulted in Eddie Olczyk joining the Seattle Kraken television booth. Cohen confirmed news of his exit Wednesday morning on Twitter in a statement where he expressed his gratitude for his two seasons on Blackhawks broadcasts.

“My family and I want to thank the Wirtz family and the entire Chicago Blackhawks organization for… two great years working for one of the greatest organizations in sports,” Cohen said in a tweet. “We will miss the thunderous noise of the United Center and the great city of Chicago where our daughter was born. At this time, we have decided it’s important for my family to be back close to our family and our home in Philadelphia.”

Cohen spent just over three years with NBC Sports Philadelphia as a broadcaster for the Philadelphia Flyers, and has also worked on ESPN’s NHL coverage since 2016. It is unknown if Cohen will pursue another regional broadcasting role before the start of next season. He was originally hired by the team in 2021 to serve as a content analyst, creating digital features for the Blackhawks and working on studio coverage.

Pang has worked on Bally Sports Midwest with the St. Louis Blues for the last 14 years, but is now presumably set to move on and work with the team he played for as a goaltender over parts of three seasons. Additionally, he is expected to remain with Warner Bros. Discovery, recently telling the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he is on the verge of inking a three-year contract extension with the company. Pang is expected to be the primary color analyst, with the team either finding new roles for Sharp and Murray or using them in a backup capacity. Most hockey insiders expect the Blackhawks to open next season with rookie sensation and consensus first-overall draft selection Connor Bedard on the roster.

Colin Cowherd: The Volume is Worth $100 Million

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Colin Cowherd: The Volume is Worth $100 Million

With all of the things that Colin Cowherd has done in his illustrious media career, he enjoys getting the chance to be a part of a team. He gets that from his podcast company The Volume. Even though Cowherd is already a big name talent himself, he always wants to try to find who the next one is. 

Cowherd was a guest host on The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast filling in for John Ourand. He talked about how fun it is to work like a baseball scout.

“I like searching for talent. I feel like a baseball scout. It’s kind of a digital media company with podcasts…We have a pretty good staff. We will announce a couple names before the football season. It’s just really cool to be part of a team, to find talent. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had.”

As for how much The Volume is worth, Cowherd said he is not looking to sell the company anytime soon.

“I’ve had people who have explored buying it. Right now, we are not going to. In 18 months, my contract runs out. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I think the Volume will be a part of my life for the remainder of my broadcast career.”

When that time does come though, Colin Cowherd isn’t going to give The Volume up for just anything. He recently got a high valuation.

“I think I know what it’s worth. I’ve talked to LionTree, a couple of banks. We are in a very soft advertising market, so what your evaluation is can be very fluid. I feel very strongly about what we are worth and we are not looking to sell it. It’s over $100 million.”

With the latest news about the duo of Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe splitting up on UNDISPUTED, Cowherd believes that Shannon Sharpe is one of the few people in media who can migrate an audience in the opinion space. 

“I think tandems are hard. I think they have an expiration date, but there’s not a lot of Shannons in the opinion space. There’s a lot of people doing it. There’s not a lot of people doing it at a high level and Shannon is theatrical, funny, handsome, and he is quick on his feet and he has stride and strong opinions. I think he is going to flourish wherever he goes.”

Cowherd did say some good things about Bayless. He admires Bayless’s passion for wanting to win the debate and he respects people who are passionate about anything that they do.

“I tend to like the search for theories, I’m not a debate guy. It’s just not my personality to debate. He was born to do it. He loves what he does. I found through the years in the media, I respect people who are passionate about what they do…He loves winning. If you told me he goes home and keeps a standings about the arguments he wins, I would believe it.”

CNN PR Executives Ousted Amid Fallout of The Atlantic Exposé

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CNN PR Executives Ousted Amid Fallout of The Atlantic Exposé

Reverberations from The Atlantic’s feature story on now-former CNN CEO Chris Licht continue to be felt.

After Licht’s ouster Wednesday morning, it has been revealed that CNN Senior Vice President of Communications and Event Marketing Matt Dornic and CNN Global Head of Communications and Marketing Kristine Coratti Kelly have both also departed the network.

Dornic was prominently featured in Tim Alberta’s exposé on the “meltdown” at CNN, and was seen as an integral figure in giving Alberta as much access as he was allowed during his nearly yearlong assignment getting a behind-the-scenes look at Licht’s attempt to build a “new CNN”.

The announcement that Dornic and Coratti Kelly are leaving the organization comes just hours after it was revealed that Licht would no longer be leading the organization. After being hired as Jeff Zucker’s replacement in late February 2022, Licht helmed the cable outlet during one of the more tumultuous periods in its history.

The news of Dornic and Coratti Kelly’s departure was first reported by Puck News’ Dylan Byers.

Cumulus Denies Allegations Made in Lawsuit From Bob Boccia

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Cumulus Denies Allegations Made in Lawsuit From Bob Boccia

Early last month, former News Talk 98.9 The Roar of Memphis morning host Bob Boccia — known as “Sideshow Bob” — sued Cumulus Media claiming he was discriminated against after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The company has now denied any wrongdoing.

Boccia claimed that due to suffering from Crohn’s Disease and his status as a “devout Catholic” should have given him both a medical and religious exemption. However, Cumulus claims the host never sought an exemption from its vaccine, and alleges it never agreed that he wouldn’t be required to take the shot.

The company says it provided Boccia with reasonable accommodation, but it could not give an exemption to him without altering the safety of other employees. It went on to say that Boccia, who was ultimately fired for refusing the vaccine, was let go “for legitimate business reasons based on safety requirements which are job-related and consistent with business necessity”.

The former morning host is seeking damages of at least $75,000 after he claims his contract was breached. Cumulus argues that because Boccia has received income from other avenues since his departure, he has simply failed to seek employment as part of a ploy to garner sympathy for the suit.

Joe DeCamara: I Hate Giving Chris Simms Attention

BSM Staff
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There is no love for Chris Simms on 94 WIP. Wednesday morning, host Joe DeCamara made his feelings on the former Buccaneers quarterback clear.

“Chris Simms got a football scholarship years ago, clearly not an academic scholarship because the guy’s a moron,” he said after seeing that Simms had Jalen Hurts ranked seventh among NFL quarterbacks.

In April, Hurts signed a five-year contract that makes him the highest paid player in the NFL each season. That comes on the heels of him leading the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl in a season in which he was a legitimate MVP candidate.

“I almost hate bringing this up because I feel like it gives Chris Simms attention that I don’t really want to give him,” DeCamara said. He noted that the quarterbacks Simms ranked ahead of Hurts include Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Trevor Lawrence.

DeCamara’s partner, Jon Ritchie, said that this is actually progress for Hurts as far as Chris Simms is concerned. In 2021, Simms did not even rank Jalen Hurts among his top forty quarterbacks. Last year, he ranked Hurts number 25.

According to Ritchie, Putting Jalen Hurts in the top ten this year is Simms admitting that Hurts is valuable without having to say that his previous rankings were absurd.

“There’s still some spite,” Jon Ritchie said. “There’s still some ‘Hey, I can’t disprove myself by allowing for Jalen to be where he belongs,’ which is the top two quarterbacks in this league.”

DeCamara encouraged listeners to call in and talk about how dumb Chris Simms and his list are. Ritchie said that the piece is clearly a troll job. The show is just giving it more life and attention it doesn’t deserve.

“We’re giving it life, but you know what? We’re giving it life so people can just stomp out Chris Simms,” DeCamara responded. “So, whack away! It’s a whack away day.”

This isn’t the first time Simms has caught heat from Philadelphia. Last year, WIP afternoon host Jon Marks said the NBC football analyst “sounds so silly” for remaining committed to doubting Jalen Hurts after the quarterback had clearly proven him wrong.

Anderson Cooper Moderating CNN Town Hall with Chris Christie

BNM Staff
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Anderson Cooper Moderating CNN Town Hall with Chris Christie

CNN has announced it will hold a town hall event with 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie. The event will be moderated by Anderson Cooper.

The event will take place on Monday, June 12th at 8:00 PM ET from New York.

The former New Jersey governor, who entered the race on Tuesday, becomes the latest in a long line of Republican hopefuls to sit down with voters on CNN.

CNN began its town hall coverage by hosting former President Donald Trump in New Hampshire. The network was widely panned for the event, with many pointing to the event being the genesis for Chris Licht’s exit which was announced Wednesday.

The network has also hosted an event with Nikki Haley, and is scheduled to hold a town hall with former Vice President Mike Pence, who also recently entered the race for the 2024 Republican nomination.

Previous moderators for CNN have included Kaitlan Collins, Jake Tapper, and Dana Bash.

No town hall events with other GOP hopefuls, including Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Asa Hutchinson, with CNN have been announced.

John Roberts Apologizes After Quip About Chris Christie’s Weight

BNM Staff
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Fox News host John Roberts has apologized after making an on-air comment about the weight of 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie.

During America Reports Tuesday, Roberts used a metaphor to describe the growing field hoping to win the Republican nomination. He claimed there were two milkshakes, one featuring Donald Trump, and the other with everyone else.

“Now we’re gonna have Chris Christie’s straw in there,” said Roberts. “Judging by Chris Christie’s physical stature, he could drink a lot of that milkshake if he wanted to.”

Later in the program, Roberts apologized directly to Christie for the remarks.

“Before we go on, I just wanted to take a moment to address something, because I really do feel terrible about it,” Roberts admitted.

“Earlier on the show, I was making an analogy to describe the Republican voting pool, I made a comment that I meant to be light-hearted but immediately realized was hurtful toward Gov. Chris Christie. I should not have said what I said. I deeply regret it and I sincerely apologize to the governor.”

News Media Reacts to Chris Licht Departure From CNN

BNM Staff
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CNN CEO Chris Licht has left the network after a profile by Tim Alberta from The Atlantic called into question his decision-making and professional acumen to lead the organization.

The story, which was published last week, saw a strong reaction from both those inside CNN and outside the organization. The negative press continued into this week, with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav ultimately alerting CNN employees to Licht’s departure on Wednesday’s 9:00 AM editorial call.

“For a number of reasons it didn’t work out, and that’s on me. I take full responsibility,” Zaslav admitted during the call.

Many in the news media reacted to the story. Some with excitement, some with shock, and others with a sense that the situation was inevitable.

Colin Dunlap, Chris Mack Off 93.7 The Fan Morning Show

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Colin Dunlap, Chris Mack Off 93.7 The Fan Morning Show

Changes are coming to morning radio in Pittsburgh. Colin Dunlap and Chris Mack are out as hosts of The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan. The move comes after nearly a month of speculation about the duo’s status.

Audacy Pittsburgh market manager Michael Spacciapolli told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that both Dunlap and Mack are transitioning to “multimedia roles”. They will have a presence on all of Audacy’s Pittsburgh properties.

“As The Fan continues to drive the sports conversation in the city, it is important for the radio station to be able to deliver on all platforms where the incredible sports fans in Pittsburgh are every day,” he told the Post-Gazette’s Joshua Axelrod. “And this move allows us to do that.”

Rumors swirled in May that Dunlap and Mack had been involved in a physical altercation. That is why they were off the air. Dunlap called that rumor “nonsensical and wholly erroneous” on Twitter.

Dorin Dickerson and Adam Crowley joined the show last year following the retirement of Jim Colony. They will be hosting the show with a number of guests for the time being. Spacciapolli says the station is still making a decision on “final personnel.”

Dan Orlovsky: If You Disagree With Stephen A. Smith, ‘You Better Not Back Down’

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Stephen A. Smith runs First Take a certain way. He expects the best out of his debate opponents. That is something Dan Orlovsky learned when he was given the opportunity to become a regular part of the show.

Orlovsky was a guest on Rise & Schein this week. He told host Adam Schein that he used to approach First Take as a competition. Advice from Smith made Orlovsky better not just on that show, but as a television presence in general.

“The reason I give all the credit in the world to Stephen was when the new configuration of the show was coming about, he called me and he said, ‘Hey, you know, I’m thinking about giving you Thursdays during the football season’,” Orlovsky said. “And I was so flattered. And then the next thing he said to me, Adam, was everything. He said, ‘One condition’. I said, ‘What is it?’ And he said, ‘I don’t care if you’re right. I don’t care if you’re right. I want you to pick a side and do the best that you can. This is an entertainment business. Your goal is not to be right all the time.’ Once he said that to me, it completely changed my mindset going into what that show was going to be.”

Entertainment matters a lot to Smith and First Take, but Orlovsky points out that authenticity matters too. 

“Sometimes we’ll get an email, a list of topics that are potentially part of the show for the next day, and the producers would be like, ‘This is Stephen A’s side. Do you agree or disagree?’ Now, if I agree, we often don’t do it, you know. So, it’s never forced to disagree. But, if you disagree, you better bring it and you better not back down.”

Orlovsky’s perspective on First Take echoes something Domonique Foxworth told Bomani Jones last month. You cannot approach the show as you vs. Stephen A. Smith. Smith makes sure all of his opponents know they are on the same team.

Schein was not at all surprised to hear that Stephen A. Smith treats his partners this way. 

“I’ve known Stephen for a long time, and he is just as great a person, as loyal a person and, people might not know this, as team-oriented, a person as you can find,” the Rise & Schein host said. “I mean, if Stephen believes in, you know, he will do anything to make you succeed. I just think the world of him as a human being, in addition to an incredible, unique, one-of-one talent.”

“He doesn’t know how much I look up to him and admire him and appreciate him,” Dan Orlovsky responded. “He’s a ten, man. He’s an absolute ten.”

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