CNN CEO Chris Licht has reportedly looked to add CBS Mornings host Gayle King to the network’s primetime lineup.
Licht and King have a history working together, as the CNN CEO previously helmed the CBS morning show — then titled CBS This Morning — and brought King to the program.
A report from Dylan Byers of Puck News claims Licht views King as a natural for a primetime role with CNN.
King reportedly signed a contract extension to remain with CBS early last year, but could conceivably work out a deal similar to that of Anderson Cooper, who works for both networks.
It is not the first time King has been courted by CNN. Before his ouster as CNN President, Jeff Zucker had approached King about stepping into the 9:00 PM ET slot previously occupied by Chris Cuomo.
The allure of King to Licht would be an obvious one. In a similar vein to longtime CNN primetime host Larry King, Gayle King has shown being comfortable interviewing world leaders and other newsmakers, as well as celebrities, actors, and artists.
Since joining CNN, Licht has been adamant about reversing course for the network after a perceived hit in its credibility during the presidency of Donald Trump. The network has seen a nearly complete revamp of its lineup and hasn’t been shy about thinking outside the box.
“One of the biggest misconceptions about my vision is that I want to be vanilla, that I want to be centrist. That is bullshit,” Licht told The Financial Times in November.
Jamie Erdahl, who was named in July 2022 as a new host of Good Morning Football on NFL Network following Kay Adams’ departure from the show, has looked to redefine the role of studio host and shatter the boundaries of being simply a moderator passing the baton to analysts throughout her career in sports media.
“I don’t personally feel that it’s my job to include them,” Erdahl said of her colleagues. “I like to think that this show is the four of us including each other in the conversation, and I happen to be the one that gets us on the air [and] gets us off the air, but everywhere in-between that it’s very much an equal lift if you will.”
Since its inception in August 2016, Good Morning Football has provided football fans unparalleled coverage of their favorite sport through recurring segments, interviews with active players and alumni, live demonstrations and insightful analysis. Aside from Erdahl, the show cast consists of Kyle Brandt, who was the former executive producer of The Jim Rome Show, along with NFL analyst Peter Schrager, and former NFL cornerback and Super Bowl champion Jason McCourty. Additionally, the program is co-hosted by Will Selva who also serves as an anchor for NFL Network.
Erdahl never thought hosting a national morning football show produced by a league-owned media outlet was realistic nor possible in the first place, wherefore she focused her early career endeavors towards covering local teams. In fact, her first exposure to sports media was as a 16-year-old shadowing broadcasters and answering the phones at KFAN Sports Radio in Minneapolis, screening callers who wanted to discuss the Minnesota Vikings among other topics.
After transferring from St. Olaf College to American University, Erdahl was placed into a production internship with ESPN through the Association for Women in Sports Media in a role she refers to as one of her “most formative professional experiences off-camera.” Her principal responsibility was cutting highlights for Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter, along with writing scripts for the anchors to recite over the highlights during the broadcast.
“To this day, I don’t think I would be as great or as strong at reading highlights if I had never had that opportunity at ESPN,” Erdahl said. “….I don’t think you can be really good on the air if you don’t have a full understanding of what it takes to get there from a production standpoint.”
Out of college, Erdahl returned to Minneapolis, where she worked as a freelance reporter at Fox Sports North, a regional sports network. In that role, she was a sideline reporter for various high school basketball games and Minnesota Lynx WNBA contests. One year later, she made the move to Boston to join NESN as an on-air anchor and reporter, contributing both to studio coverage and in-person event coverage ranging from the Boston Marathon to Boston College hockey.
Through several years of persistence and determination, Erdahl was afforded more opportunities and chances to continue elevating her skills. During her first year at NESN, she was working on NESN Sports Today as an anchor and reporter while also filling in for Jenny Dell as a field reporter for Boston Red Sox games. By September 2013, she was named the new rinkside reporter for Boston Bruins live game broadcasts where she succeeded Naoko Funayama, an established broadcaster who held the role for nearly six years.
“[Boston], more than any [market] I’ve ever been around, expects the world of you,” Erdahl said. “They expect the world of their athletes; of their coaches; of their organizations; and then of the media that covers the team. They’ll sus you out right away if they have a sense that you don’t know what you’re talking about or if you don’t know their team like the back of your hand like they do.”
Over her season as the rinkside reporter for Boston Bruins games on NESN, Erdahl performed her job well but internally struggled to report solely on the team. In being immersed in the dynamic atmosphere of a professional team, it is entirely plausible that while the storylines may change, much of the quotidian routine is mundane in nature.
Akin to a beat reporter, Erdahl’s job was to focus her work on the Bruins and NHL at large while remaining cognizant of Boston sports. Through it all, she inherently desired something more – a role in which she could cover several teams within a sport rather than just one.
“I am amazed at the people who can do 162-plus baseball games a year,” Erdahl said. “I just applaud them so much. I think your wealth of knowledge is admirable, but I found it so challenging to, let’s say, do 82-plus [games] of hockey because I felt like I wanted more sport variety.”
In 2014, Erdahl signed with CBS Sports as a sideline reporter for the NFL on CBS, traveling every week around the country to uncover stories and perspectives enhancing the game broadcast. She primarily worked with the No. 3 broadcast team of Greg Gumbel and Trent Green, along with director Suzanne Smith, who has served as one of Erdahl’s mentors. The move from reporting in one city to adopting a peripatetic lifestyle helped her with professional development and allowed her to cultivate relationships around the country.
“When you are at the regional [sports network], you’re just answering to that one team,” Erdahl said. “I loved reporting but what I loved about when I got to CBS was [that] you are answering to the broadcast; you are answering to players from both sides. You had to work to make sure that your coverage was fully equal.”
After several seasons covering the NFL, Erdahl was named the lead reporter for college football on CBS Sports, including within its SEC broadcast package. Despite the game being similar in many ways, college football presented challenges to Erdahl, largely due to the size of the rosters and the fact that many SEC on CBS Game of the Week broadcasts regularly included the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs and Louisiana State University Tigers.
Next season will be the final year CBS will broadcast SEC games before the conference’s media rights agreement with The Walt Disney Company (ABC/ESPN) takes effect: a 10-year deal worth a reported $300 million annually. CBS will broadcast the Big Ten Conference instead, inking a 7-year deal for the second-best rights package worth a reported $350 million annually.
“Here I was back again [asking], ‘Okay, how do I make things new and fresh?,’” Erdahl said. “You can’t talk to Tua Tagovailoa every time on the phone. You’ve got to branch out; you’ve got to tell other guys’ stories.”
In addition to reporting on college football and NFL games, Erdahl was one of the first anchors on CBS Sports HQ, a free 24/7 sports news network available to stream on multiple platforms. She also reconnected with her athletic roots when she provided sideline reporting for CBS Sports’ coverage of March Madness. Her alacrity for the game and proficiency in its vernacular gave her an advantage as a media member reporting on one of the year’s premier events.
“My translation speed, let’s say, of what I hear in a basketball huddle is so much faster to laymen’s terms in basketball than it is for football,” Erdahl said. “That’s just a matter of I played basketball; it is a part of my lifeblood; it is part of my body and soul and upbringing.”
Erdahl eventually moved back into sideline reporting for the NFL on CBS; however it differed the second time around because she had two young children at home and had to leave them from Thursday to Sunday each week. Although she was content with her role at CBS and had the support system in place to make it possible, she wanted to be able to see her children grow up and spend time with them.
At the same time, continuing to cover football was important to her and a reason why she considered a studio-based hosting role. In the end, she was ultimately named the new co-host of Good Morning Football on NFL Network.
“Professionally, I think I was very much honing my skill set to become a really great, strong sideline reporter at CBS,” Erdahl said. “I grasped at the opportunity to become a really great, strong studio host. I’m not there yet – it’s only been six or seven months – but I really wanted this job in particular to get me to a place within the NFL [and] within the industry to be a really good host.”
For 15 hours per week, Erdahl is on television discussing the game of football with Brandt, Schrager, McCourty and Selva, along with a plethora of other guests and industry experts. Entering the role from the perspective of a sideline reporter, she has found many aspects of her previous role permeate into this job, most notably those pertaining to listening to others.
“As a sideline reporter, all you can do is be eyes and ears and you’re just hoping that if you’re not the one saying it on the broadcast, you’re relaying information back to the truck or to the play-by-play guy to make sure that what you’re seeing or hearing on the field is getting on to the broadcast…. I like to take that back into a studio setting. Very easily we could sit around the table and we could each talk for a minute and give our takes, but then you’re not really listening to each other.”
Before landing the job, Erdahl had conversations with Kay Adams where they discussed the role and just what makes it unique. Their discussions left Erdahl energized and eager to get started and disseminate her opinions and points of view to consumers on weekday mornings.
“You get to have your own arc of creativity, no matter what chair you’re sitting in,” Erdahl expressed. “I think Kay did that incredibly well for six years. People loved Kay for all the things that she did – but the job isn’t, ‘Here’s how Kay did it; do it the way Kay did.’ That’s not how it was presented [to] me [and] I don’t think Kay would have wanted it that way.”
Over the years, Erdahl has established relationships with colleagues and competitors alike in sports media, staying in touch and reaching out for advice. She was friendly with many of her colleagues at the NFL on CBS, including Tracy Wolfson, Amanda Balionis and Melanie Collins, along with ESPN/Amazon Prime Video’s Charissa Thompson and NFL Network host Sara Walsh. She also estimates speaking to SEC on CBS analyst Gary Danielson weekly, someone who was instrumental in her development as a broadcaster and learning more about the game of football.
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Erdahl and the rest of the Good Morning Football on-air personalities do not simply show up to the studios to broadcast each morning; rather, there is an immense amount of preparation that goes into each and every show beginning the night before.
On a shared document, show producers compile a layout for the next day’s program and Erdahl and the other personalities write notes and perspectives to better inform the rest of the crew as to their individual thought processes. There is a production crew that works overnight to monitor the news cycle and prepare production elements for the next day’s program so by the time 7:00 AM ET comes around, the team is ready to produce three hours of insightful football coverage.
“The information wheel in the NFL is just constantly turning so it’s easier for me just to kind of, throughout the day, remain aware of it so then at night, I can answer all my stuff and then tomorrow, I feel a little bit more prepared,” Erdahl said. “I’m not cramming for an hour before the show…. It’s easy to kind of stay swimming in it.”
As Erdahl reflects on the impending completion of her first full season on the show, she intends to learn from her mistakes, such as relying on certain statistics or storylines as a crutch for extended periods of time, to improve as a studio host. She also aims to augment her creativity, learn more about the history of the game and demonstrate energy for the game – all qualities imbued within Brandt, Schrager and McCourty, respectively – to become a “master of the NFL.”
“I was lucky I got through the season,” Erdahl said. “I learned a lot [and] I got the nuances of the show down. Next year, I hope to elevate even more [and] just push the box a little bit more in terms of making sure I don’t have those crutches.”
Viewers of Good Morning Football or other NFL Network programming might be skeptical towards the legitimacy of some opinions because of the oversight the league has on the broadcast outlet. Yet over her time with NFL Network, Erhardt does not feel as if she has been suppressed in editorializing her views.
Moreover, it is the responsibility of the show to balance subjectivity and the maintenance of professional relationships in football with the display of objectivity and proffering of genuine analysis. After all, she believes the league trusts that she is on the air for a reason, and works to ensure the league communicates its storylines in a way discernible to a variety of demographics.
“I haven’t felt the hindrance whatsoever in terms of editorial direction that would make me feel like I shouldn’t do something,” Erdahl said. “I would say mostly on the daily, I get the green light from the things that we try to accomplish as a show.”
There are many football fans across the United States, and it can be safely assumed that many of them have at least thought about potentially covering the game as a media member. Yet very few aspiring media professionals reach the point Erdahl has; in fact, some of her most memorable moments over the years are when she was told she had received certain jobs. Although her skills on the air are evident, her demeanor and team-oriented mindset has separated herself from other candidates and led to sustained success and growth amid a competitive marketplace.
“Sixty percent of being good at this job has nothing to do with being on television, in my opinion,” Erdahl articulated. “I think it’s about a good, honest, ethical person that is nice to people; that is easy to be around; that coaches and athletes in particular want to be around and want to talk to [and] tell their story to. The other stuff will come because you are speaking to something that you went about the right way.”
You have to give Tom Brady credit. He announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday morning, and while he swears this is really it, he also acknowledges that he has to keep things simple this time around.
“I’m retiring, for good,” he said in a video posted on social media. “I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first. I won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year.”
This announcement comes a year to the day that Tom Brady announced his first retirement. That one lasted just 40 days before the Buccaneers’ quarterback announced that he had changed his mind and would play the 2022 season.
Brady swears his playing days really are over. He ended the video with a message to his family, friends, teammates and opponents.
“Thank you guys for letting me live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Two weeks ago, Jordan Schultz reported that Brady planned to take a month before deciding on his future. While it didn’t take that long to announce he was hanging up his cleats, Brady still may need time to decide what he is actually doing next season.
Tom Brady did not mention FOX in his retirement announcement. The network gave him a ten-year contract worth $375 million to serve as a brand ambassador and analyst in its top NFL booth. It has widely been reported that the deal is a standing offer. Brady may not be obligated to start right away.
The fate of Comedy Central’s late-night The Daily Show was thrown into flux last September when Trevor Noah — host of the program for seven years — made the surprise announcement that he’d depart the long-time show.
Because of the short notice, the network opted not to establish a full-time replacement at this time. Instead, The Daily Show will feature celebrity fill-in hosts each week, a la Jeopardy! In 2021, following the death of Alex Trebek.
First up, back on Jan. 17, was SNL alum Leslie Jones. Her first night drew 317,000 viewers including 145,000 in the key 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research. The Daily Show continued similar outputs in the days following, with Jones also hosting:
Jones’ three stints drew an average of 335,000 viewers including 129,000 adults 25-54. Sykes’ episodes averaged 343,000 viewers (111,000 adults 25-54)
Comedian D.L. Hughley’s first night hosting Daily Show (on Monday Jan. 30) delivered 290,000 viewers.
The fill-ins thus far, while they have drawn decent numbers, have not reached Noah’s final weeks’ levels. For Monday thru Thursday nights from Oct. 31-Nov. 17 and Nov. 28-Dec. 1, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah for 11-11:30 p.m. averaged 417,000 viewers and 149,000 adults 25-54. Noah’s final week (Dec. 5-8) posted 441,000 viewers (148,000 adults 25-54).
Nonetheless, Comedy Central should be satisfied with Daily Show’s recent deliveries, especially in key demos. As noted in the network averages at the bottom of this article, scoring such demo figures surpasses demo averages of each CNN and MSNBC
Cable news averages for January 16-22, 2023:
Total Day (Jan. 16-22 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)
Fox News Channel: 1.387 million viewers; 176,000 adults 25-54
MSNBC: 0.629 million viewers; 69,000 adults 25-54
CNN: 0.417 million viewers; 80,000 adults 25-54
HLN: 0.146 million viewers; 39,000 adults 25-54
CNBC: 0.109 million viewers; 29,000 adults 25-54
Fox Business Network: 0.101 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54
The Weather Channel: 0.098 million viewers; 16,000 adults 25-54
Newsmax: 0.098 million viewers; 9,000 adults 25-54
Prime Time (Jan. 16-21 @ 8-11 p.m.; Jan. 22 @ 7-11 p.m.)
Fox News Channel: 1.996 million viewers; 256,000 adults 25-54
MSNBC: 0.943 million viewers; 91,000 adults 25-54
CNN: 0.444 million viewers; 93,000 adults 25-54
HLN: 0.175 million viewers; 47,000 adults 25-54
CNBC: 0.161 million viewers; 53,000 adults 25-54
Newsmax: 0.113 million viewers; 12,000 adults 25-54
The Weather Channel: 0.112 million viewers; 21,000 adults 25-54
NewsNation: 0.087 million viewers; 14,000 adults 25-54
Fox Business Network: 0.058 million viewers; 9,000 adults 25-54
Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:
1. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 1/19/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.543 million viewers
2. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 1/16/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.427 million viewers
3. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 1/18/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.293 million viewers
I know this is an unpopular opinion, especially on a site built on the back of sports radio, but I also know that I am not alone when I say this. I do not get why ESPN is reuniting Mike & the Mad Dog on First Take on Wednesday.
That is not a comment about Mike Francesa or Chris Russo as people. I am not going to sit here and tell you their show was not groundbreaking or pretend that its success did not make it easier for the sports format to spread across the country. They deserve all of the credit and accolades they get from our industry.
My confusion is not about the content. It is about the strategy. Who outside of New York and/or outside of the broadcast industry feels like this is must-see TV? This feels like some real whiffing of our own farts.
When ESPN writes a press release about the success of First Take, they tend to highlight two demographics. It’s either with men 18-49 or with men 18-34. The age range is important because Mike & The Mad Dog hasn’t been a thing for almost 15 years. Francesa and Russo have had their own success in that time. It is not like they disappeared, but 2008 was a long time ago. Even lifelong New Yorkers in the desired demos may not have a strong connection to Francesa and Russo as a brand.
And then there are those of us outside of New York. We may understand that Mike & The Mad Dog was a thing, but what does it really mean to us? Outside of industry professionals, I would venture a guess that if you say “Mike and the Mad Dog” to someone from the Central, Mountain or Pacific time zones, the very best-case scenario is that they would tell you that it sounds familiar, but they have no idea why.
Mike and the Mad Dog is a very specific dynamic, and credit to Stephen A. Smith and his producers, it is a dynamic that is perfect for First Take, but thanks to First Take, it isn’t a dynamic that I can only get from those two guys anymore. Their loud, unrelenting debates were revolutionary in 1989 when the show launched. Since then, the style has spawned so many imitators that I would worry the significance of the reunion will be lost on the average Joe tuning in from outside the Tri-State Area.
Smith is important enough to ESPN that if this is what he wants to do on First Take, then the bosses needed to make it happen. I respect that. But selling this as an event? It seems more exclusionary than anything. To us everywhere-elsers, Wednesday is just going to be an extraordinarily loud episode of First Take.
I have been working for Barrett Sports Media long enough to know the influence that people that are successful on New York radio have across the sports media industry. Why else would FS1 rearrange its schedule to make room for Craig Carton? If First Take were a show dedicated to debating ratings points and the value of digital audiences versus broadcast audiences, then a Mike & the Mad Dog reunion would be a home run.
But First Take is where sports fans turn to hear discussion of the Cowboys’ most recent playoff failure and the possibility that Nikola Jokic wins a third straight MVP award. Those are topics that cast a wide net – think like the net that commercial fishing vessels drop into the ocean. Using a walk down memory lane with Francesa and Russo as a ratings driver is like trying to catch fish with a pool skimmer.
Well okay, maybe not a pool skimmer. New York is really big, so let’s so it is like trying to catch fish with a laundry basket.
The matchup in this year’s Super Bowl is set, and the game will undoubtedly be the most-viewed program on TV this year. But if the Dallas Cowboys were taking part in the game, it’s safe to say the ratings would be astronomical.
The Cowboys divisional playoff game against San Francisco drew 45.7 million viewers. It was the second-most watched divisional round contest on record.
The NFC championship between San Francisco and Philadelphia drew 47.5 million.
On 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, K&C Masterpiece host Kevin Hageland said had the Cowboys made it to Philly, the viewership would’ve been even better.
“I know the game sucked, but that just shows you, because the Cowboys were like almost 8 million above every other divisional game, this could’ve gotten to 58 (million),” Hageland said.
Kevin added that if Dallas had gone all the way, the audience tuning in would’ve easily eclipsed some of the highest-rated programs of all-time.
“The Cowboys in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs would’ve shattered all viewership ratings,” he said. “Even with the new system and so many people streaming and everything like that.”
Usually the Super Bowl averages around 100 million viewers. Hageland said a Cowboys Super Bowl appearance in this day and age would’ve set the new top ratings mark for years to come.
“My estimation would be you would add approximately an extra 30 million people,” he said.
Skyview Networks, the contracted distributor for CBS News Radio, reported a major cyberattack Monday, which in turn, caused programming outages for hundreds of radio stations across the U.S.
The outage disrupted the delivery of the CBS World News Roundup and other programming. As of Monday night, additional problems were occurring, forcing CBS Radio to shift its delivery of content using website and Dropbox methods.
While the source of the attack is still being investigated, Skyview said that they initiated threat detection analysis and added that they are cooperating with authorities.
“We have also involved industry-leading forensic experts to help us contain and investigate the incident. These efforts are fully underway,” Skyview President and CEO Steve Jones said in the statement.
“No one is immune to pivoting, especially when circumstances are beyond one’s control. We did it together with our radio teams during the pandemic. We are doing it now, with you,” said Craig Swagler, Vice President, and General Manager of CBS Radio in a statement obtained by Barrett News Media.
Swagler added that the technical failure took down all standard programming delivery methods of CBS Radio. He said the disruption occurred on Monday just after the 7:00 a.m. newscast but that they were back on air with newscasts at 9:00 a.m. EST.
MLB games are returning to Peacock in 2023. NBC announced its full schedule of Sunday matinee games on Tuesday.
It all starts on April 23 at 12:05 p.m. as the Colorado Rockies take on the defending N.L. champion Philadelphia Phillies.
Peacock will carry all 19 games this year. The game on May 7, an 11:35 a.m. first pitch, features the Baltimore Orioles and the Atlanta Braves and will also be simulcast on NBC.
As was the case for the first year of this deal in 2022, the Peacock games will be the only MLB action until 1:35 p.m.
Games will air on Peacock through September 3. NBC has not announced its broadcast team for these games.
Radio stations nationwide were left without network news following a cyberattack on Skyview Networks which distributes content for CBS Radio News. The outage impacted delivery for top and bottom-of-the-hour newscasts. USA News, a partner of Radio Resources, announced Tuesday that it is offering FTP access to any station dealing with outages.
The network is offering a five-minute newscast at the top of the hour and a two-minute bottom-of-the-hour newscast on a temporary basis.
“USA Audio Network is here to help fill any holes in stations’ current programming needs with USA News,” said Chip Miller, President, and CEO of USA Audio. “If a station needs national news coverage, we are happy to provide dependable delivery of news to their station without contract commitment on an as-needed basis.”
USA Audio Network told Barrett News Media that they’ve been contacted by stations nationwide who experienced problems. The network is proposing FTP delivery of the newscasts, providing immediate transfer and upload of files.
“USA News has been covering the news for nearly 40 years and we feel that providing useful information for listeners is as important today as it has ever been,” added Miller.
The New York Mets have called on Patrick McCarthy to join the team’s radio broadcasts this season.
According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, McCarthy will host pregame and postgame coverage on WCBS and fill in for Howie Rose when he takes time off.
Patrick, the son of Phillies broadcaster Tom McCarthy, had been calling games for Philly’s Triple-A team in Lehigh Valley.
Keith Raad will be added to the booth for Mets games on the radio this season as well.
