Saga Communications has reshuffled key programming roles inside its Virginia cluster, elevating a familiar voice to lead one of its heritage country brands while repositioning another veteran programmer to a sister station. Dave Thomas, who currently serves as program director for Classic Hits Rewind 105.1 and AC More 96.1, has been named program director and morning host at Classic Country 96.9 WSIG in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Thomas has also been a regular on-air presence at WSIG, making the move a natural extension of his existing responsibilities within the cluster.
He replaces Tom Morgan, who transitions to Saga’s Classic Rock WWWV 97.5 in Charlottesville as program director and morning host. Morgan had overseen WSIG’s programming and handled afternoon drive prior to the change, and he will continue tracking afternoons at WCVL in Charlottesville, a role he has held since 2024.
For Thomas, the appointment marks a return to a leadership role within the Saga cluster.
He previously worked for the company from 2014 to 2021, serving as brand manager before departing for Townsquare Media in St. Cloud, Minnesota. While there, he managed Classic Rock 103.7 The Loon and Classic Hits 96.7 The River and added on-air duties that included afternoons at Country WWJO and mornings at KZRV.
Meanwhile, WSIG has adjusted its midday and afternoon lineup to accommodate the leadership transition. RJ Kelly moves into afternoon drive, providing continuity for listeners during a key daypart. Robbie Vogler will handle middays on an interim basis as the station evaluates its long-term plans for the slot.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
WTOP has announced a new morning co-anchor for John Aaron, as Kristin Diaz will step into the daypart on the Hubbard Radio Washington, D.C. all-news station.
Diaz joins the station after previously anchoring news at 1080 KRLD in Dallas since 2020. She also worked as a morning news anchor and meteorologist for KIII-TV in Corpus Christi for eight years before joining 1080 KRLD.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the WTOP team and to begin this next chapter in Washington, D.C.,” said Diaz. “It’s an honor to step into a newsroom that is so deeply rooted in its community and committed to impactful storytelling. I look forward to bringing my experience, authenticity and passion for connecting with people to a city that represents such a powerful intersection of voices, cultures and perspectives.”
“From the moment I met Kristin, I knew there was something special about her,” added WTOP Director of News and Programming Julia Ziegler. “Her commitment to telling stories that impact the diverse, local community she serves and doing so across platforms, aligns perfectly with WTOP’s mission. I can’t wait for the WTOP audience to get to know her.”
She steps into the shoes vacated by Michelle Basch, who exited WTOP at the end of 2025. Basch spent two decades working at the station.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
FOX Sports and the World Baseball Classic have outlined how American viewers will watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic, a global baseball spectacle that begins in early March with preliminary games in Tokyo and continues through mid-month with the championship in Miami.
The tournament’s U.S. broadcast slate stretches across FOX’s family of networks, including FOX, FS1, FS2 and FOX Deportes, as well as the FOX Sports App, Tubi, and its streaming hub FOX One. All 47 games will be televised or streamed live, marking one of the most expansive domestic coverage plans in Classic history.
The event opens with Pool C games in Tokyo on March 4 (Eastern Time) before teams in San Juan, Houston and Miami take the field beginning March 6. Organizers said the schedule reflects the Classic’s growing appeal in the United States and abroad.
FOX will showcase seven marquee matchups, beginning with Team USA’s Pool B opener against Brazil at Daikin Park in Houston on Friday, March 6 at 8 p.m. ET. The broadcast lineup also includes two quarterfinal games, one from Houston on March 13 and another from loanDepot Park in Miami on March 14, culminating with the Championship Game on Tuesday, March 17 at 8 p.m. ET.
FS1 will carry 19 Classic games and is slated to broadcast both semifinal matchups in Miami on March 15 and 16, each kicking off at 8 p.m. ET. The network’s schedule also highlights key pool play contests, such as Korea versus Japan on March 7 at 5 a.m. ET. Also, Cuba’s game against Puerto Rico on March 9 at 7 p.m. ET, and the Dominican Republic versus Venezuela on March 11 at 8 p.m. ET.
While English-language coverage dominates FOX Sports’ plan, Spanish broadcasts are robust. A total of 41 games will air in Spanish across an array of platforms, including FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App, Tubi and FOX One. Tournament officials described this as part of a broader effort to reach diverse baseball audiences across the U.S.
All matchups in the tournament will be available to stream live and on demand via FOX One, ensuring fans can follow every pitch regardless of platform.
As March approaches, broadcasters and organizers alike are positioning the 2026 Classic as not just a tournament, but a showcase of international talent and an increasingly central event on the baseball calendar.
Get ready for baseball on the world stage 🌎⚾️
FOX Sports and @WBCBaseball announce U.S. Broadcast Schedule for 2026 World Baseball Classic
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Fox News Podcasts has announced a new show with legal contributor Donna Rotunno that will debut later this month.
Crime & Justice with Donna Rotunno will release its first episode on Thursday, February 18th. The new podcast will release episodes twice per week on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all other major podcast platforms.
Donna Rotunno joined Fox News as a legal contributor in 2025. She has spent the past 25 years working as a criminal defense attorney and as a prosecutor in the Cook County State Attorney’s Office in Illinois. She later launched her own practice in 2005.
The new podcast will focus on the largest legal issues being talked about in the nation, and will showcase interviews and discussions with the top criminal and legal experts.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Mike Ryan Ruiz did not mince words when addressing Boomer Esiason’s recent criticism of American Olympians who have voiced political concerns during the Winter Games in Milan. Ruiz delivered a fiery on-air rebuke that underscored the widening divide between traditional sports radio commentary and a newer wave of personality-driven sports media.
WFAN’s Boomer Esiason sparked the debate earlier this week on Boomer and Gio, where he reacted to members of Team USA expressing unease about conditions in the country. Esiason said athletes should “pipe down,” focus on their sport, and respect the flag while representing the United States on a global stage. The remarks came after freestyle skiers Hunter Hess said wearing the flag does not mean endorsing everything happening domestically, and Chris Lillis described himself as “heartbroken” over current events.
“Say what you mean. Say with your chest you chicken s**t, because your MAGA coded bulls**t has been going on for 10 years,” exclaimed Ryan Ruiz. “The guy [President Donald Trump] is in office for a second time, because his whole platform is how much this country stinks. Yet you [Esiason] sit on the sidelines when Nick Bosa wears a MAGA hat on the post game, where is the same energy.”
Speaking Thursday on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Ruiz forcefully defended athletes such as Hess and Lillis, both of whom acknowledged complicated feelings about representing the United States amid ongoing political tensions. Ruiz argued that their willingness to speak openly reflects a deeply American tradition of dissent, while he characterized Esiason’s comments as selectively dismissive and coded.
Ruiz responded, accusing Esiason of avoiding direct acknowledgment of the political undertones he believes drive such criticism. He broadened his argument beyond Esiason personally, contending that many Americans feel unsettled about the direction of the country
“A hell of a lot of people aren’t exactly thrilled with how things are going in this country,” Ryan Ruiz explained. “They [Olympic athletes] are using their one moment, in most cases to highlight that, because that is universally American. And you want them to shut up, quit being a p***y Boomer Esiason. Put your name to it. Say what you f***ing mean.”
Ruiz also framed his frustration as part of a larger cultural dynamic within sports discourse, saying he has grown tired of what he perceives as commentators who dismiss dissent as weakness while bristling at criticism directed toward their own viewpoints.
“He said pipe down. I am so sick of these snowflakes that were telling me I was soft for 10 years. I had to swallow it,” said Ryan Ruiz. “You use your platform however you want, but if you’re going to actually attack other people for sharing your feelings, then maybe don’t just code your language. Actually say it because they’re actually being great.”
The exchange highlights how the Olympics continue to serve as a flashpoint for conversations that extend well beyond medal counts and podium finishes.
“I have more respect for the people that take to their platform and actually say what they mean with their chest than this s**t,” wrapped Ryan Ruiz.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Former NFL quarterback Jim Miller’s run at SiriusXM NFL Radio has come to an end, closing a chapter that stretched more than a decade and left listeners with more questions than answers about the circumstances surrounding his departure.
On Monday, Miller’s co-host, Pat Kirwan, informed listeners that Miller is no longer part of the SiriusXM team, confirming that his absence during Super Bowl week was not temporary. Miller had last appeared on the channel on Sunday February 1. During the announcement, Kirwan expressed appreciation for his longtime partner’s work and professionalism.
“We’re grateful for all of Jim’s insights and contributions through his many years on SiriusXM, and I’m personally grateful to have him as my on-air teammate for a long time,” said Kirwan. “I wish him the best going forward, as all of you will as well.”
However, Kirwan concluded his remarks with a statement that added intrigue to the situation, urging listeners to “leave this subject as it is” and expressing hope that Miller “gets on with his life and things go well.”
Miller co-hosted Movin’ The Chains alongside Kirwan beginning in 2013, becoming a steady presence on the channel and building credibility with listeners through detailed film breakdowns and quarterback analysis shaped by his own NFL experience. Over time, the program developed a loyal following among fans seeking in-depth conversation rather than headline-driven debate.
Miller spent 12 seasons in the NFL after entering the league as a sixth-round pick in 1994. Over the course of his career, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots, appearing in 37 regular-season games with 27 starts.
SiriusXM declined to provide any additional comment on the matter to Barrett Media.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Scott Bair says his time at Marquee Sports Network has ended. The former digital reporter revealed in a social media post that he was laid off December 1 as part of a larger reduction in force tied to shifting priorities. He said the outlet asked him to remain through the completion of the Chicago Bears’ regular season and playoff run before formally departing.
In the tweet, Bair says that he and the network’s other digital reporters were included in the cuts, which he described as disappointing but reflective of broader structural changes underway at the organization.
“I’m so proud of the work we did covering an unforgettable Bears campaign,” wrote Bair. “We finished the season with all green arrows pointing way up, reflecting growth in article views, the Chicago Football Show and audience engagement across platforms.”
The layoffs followed a turbulent period for Marquee Sports Network. The network serves as the television home of the Chicago Cubs. It has faced mounting financial and strategic pressure. Those challenges reflect broader changes across the regional sports network landscape.
Two months after Comcast moved Marquee Sports Network to its highest-priced programming tier, the network announced a leadership change. It will operate without a general manager. The company parted ways with Diane Penny.
According to reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times, the digital content team absorbed significant cuts as part of that restructuring, with content director Tony Andracki and reporter Andy Martinez among those let go.
Within that broader shift, Bair’s coverage of the Chicago Bears reflected Marquee’s original cross-platform vision. At launch, Marquee Sports Network emphasized blending written analysis, podcast production, and social engagement. The goal was to meet fans wherever they consumed content. In a tweet, Bair acknowledged the disappointment of the layoff. However, he described his tenure as a period of professional growth. He called it a career renaissance that sharpened his skills as a writer and digital strategist.
Some personal news: My time at Marquee Sports Network has come to an end. I was laid off with our other digital reporters on Dec. 1 as part of a change in station priorities and a larger reduction in force, but was asked to finish the Bears regular season and playoff run.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss began offering buyouts to CBS Evening News staffers in an effort to reduce costs and reimagine the nightly newscast. One producer, Alicia Hastey, has publicly accepted and called out the direction of the network in her farewell letter.
Hastey — who has worked at the network for the past four years — said that the situation at CBS News had become untenable due to pressures and changes enacted from the top of the network.
“There has been a sweeping new vision prioritizing a break from traditional broadcast norms to embrace what has been described as ‘heterodox’ journalism,” Hastey wrote. “The truth is that commitment to those people and the stories they have to tell is increasingly becoming impossible. Stories may instead be evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations — a dynamic that pressures producers and reporters to self-censor or avoid challenging narratives that might trigger backlash or unfavorable headlines.”
Hastey’s comments come after CBS Evening News has received criticism for its coverage since Weiss took over the organization and selected Tony Dokoupil to serve as the new anchor of the nightly newscast.
She concluded her message by stationg “Walter Cronkite once said in response to critics: ‘If that is what makes us liberals, so be it, just as long as in reporting the news we adhere to the first ideals of good journalism — that news reports must be fair, accurate, and unbiased.’
“I’ve always taken comfort in the believe that if we hold fast to those first ideals, trust follows,” Hastey added. “But those ideals cannot stand on their own. They require vigilance. They require courage.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
A new study from Crowd React Media suggests that while the Super Bowl continues to command massive reach across platforms and generations, advertisers face an increasingly uphill battle when it comes to cutting through distractions and cementing brand memory in a multitasking, multi-screen environment that has fundamentally reshaped how viewers experience live television.
The research division of Harker Bos Group surveyed 512 viewers within 12 hours of the final whistle, an approach designed to measure unaided recall while impressions remained fresh, and found that approximately 67% of adults 18 and older tuned into the game, reinforcing the Super Bowl’s status as a rare mass-reach property in a fragmented media ecosystem where audience aggregation has become more difficult each year.
Traditional television still accounted for the largest single share of Super Bowl viewing, with 53% watching via cable or satellite, yet streaming platforms represented nearly half of total consumption, including 20% who watched on Peacock and another 24% who streamed through the NBC Sports app, YouTube TV, or authenticated cable apps, underscoring how quickly digital distribution has moved from secondary option to central delivery mechanism.
Generational differences sharpened that divide, as 53% of adults ages 18 to 34 streamed the game compared with 42% who watched on traditional television, while 67% of viewers 55 and older remained anchored to linear TV, illustrating how media habits continue to diverge even around tentpole events that historically unified audiences.
Engagement with the Super Bowl itself remained robust, however, as 60% reported watching from start to finish and another 29% said they viewed most of the broadcast, yet strong tune-in did not automatically translate into strong advertising recall.
When asked in an open-ended format to name specific advertisers, 24% of respondents could describe a Super Bowl commercial but failed to identify the brand behind it, and an additional 12% admitted they could not remember any ads at all, even though the survey fielded within hours of the game’s conclusion.
Crowd React Media Slide (via Crowd React Media)
Budweiser led overall recall at 21%, though that performance skewed heavily older, with 34% of viewers 55-plus remembering the brand compared with just 18% of adults under 35, while Dunkin’ followed at 14% and Pepsi Zero Sugar posted 10% recall, one of the few brands to align creative buzz with measurable memory.
Celebrity-driven spots generated attention but not always attribution, as 6% of viewers could name a celebrity from a commercial without identifying the sponsoring brand, highlighting a persistent disconnect between star power and brand linkage in cluttered advertising pods.
The multitasking Super Bowl environment complicates matters further, with 51% of viewers reporting social media usage during the game and 79% of adults 18 to 34 acknowledging second-screen activity, primarily on Instagram and TikTok, creating competition not only among advertisers but across entirely separate platforms vying for cognitive bandwidth.
Crowd React Media Slide (via Crowd React Media)
Meanwhile, Apple Music emerged as the most effectively recalled brand of the night, as 27% correctly identified it as the halftime sponsor and 34% of younger viewers did so, marking the strongest unaided recall in the study and suggesting that integrated brand moments may outperform traditional 30-second spots in today’s attention economy.
The findings reinforce a clear takeaway for media companies and marketers alike: in an era defined by streaming adoption, generational fragmentation, and constant digital distraction, attention alone does not guarantee memory, and memory remains the metric that ultimately determines return on investment.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Barrett Media’s Top 20 of 2025 for News/Talk Radio is presented by JJ Surma Voiceovers. Be sure to check out JJ’s work and learn how he can elevate your brand by clicking here.
Day 3 of our news/talk series highlights the Top 20 Major Market Midday shows of 2025. To learn of future results, visit our website, newsletters, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram. The full schedule of upcoming releases is listed down below the images. After the Top 20 series ends in March, I will record a video discussing the entire process. That video will be posted on the Barrett Media YouTube page. Be sure to subscribe so you’re notified once the video goes live.
As you review these results, please remember that they represent the collective feedback shared by our industry voters. Barrett Media does not vote in this process. Our role is to assemble the group, collect the votes, and present the information.
Important Information
#1 – These results are based on 2025’s performance. 2026 changes have no effect on the voting.
#2 – We ask our voters to supply photos and logos to avoid headaches. Some comply, but most don’t. It forces us to spend a lot of time digging for images to highlight everyone. For that reason, there are no photo changes unless it involves a mistake. Thanks in advance for understanding.
#3 – Our executive panel consists of forty (40) program directors and corporate executives from radio’s top broadcasting companies. They include Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Cox Media Group, Townsquare Media, Hubbard Radio, Bonneville, Radio One, Nexstar Media, Zimmer Communications, Connoisseur Media, Salem Radio Network, Premiere Networks, Fox News Radio, and a number of independently owned and operated outlets. Our voting group is large because we want feedback from all areas of the country. We also try to make sure the results don’t favor any one company.
#4 – The criteria for our voters included the ear test, originality, multi-platform impact, ratings success, clearance (national shows) and industry buzz. Keep in mind, our voters live in different cities, work for different companies, have different tastes, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect system but it’s one we feel good about using to showcase the industry’s best.
#5 –A total of 37 shows appeared on ballots submitted for voting consideration in the Major Market News/Talk Radio Midday Shows category.
And the Winner Is…
For the second straight year, Mark Simone of 710 WOR in New York claims the top spot. Congrats to Mark, Tom Cuddy and the entire 710 WORC team on the well deserved recognition.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for creating the artwork, and each voter who participated in the process. Now without further delay, here are Barrett Media’s Top 20 Major Market News/Talk Radio Midday Shows of 2025.
Additional Notes:
Mark Simone scored a thirty one (31) point win over KFI’s John Kobylt to occupy the top spot. However, Simone and Kobylt finished tied for the most first-place votes in the category with four (4).
Spots 21-25 were filled by Jackie Page, Chris & Joe, KCBS Midday News, Dawn Stensland, and Jake Skorheim & Spike O’Neill.
The closest contest was for 6th place where John Williams finished two (2) points ahead of Greg Kelly.
Of the 37 shows to appear on submitted ballots, nine (9) received at least one 1st place vote.
BM Top 20 of 2025 Remaining Schedule:
Friday February 13 = BM Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Afternoon Shows of 2025
Monday February 16 = BM Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Program Directors of 2024
Tuesday February 17 = BM Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Stations of 2025
Wednesday February 18 = BM Top 20 Major/Mid Market News Media Digital Shows of 2025
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries.Sign upfor our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
