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John Skipper: ‘Simply Not True’ ESPN Won’t Cover Leagues It Doesn’t Have Rights With

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On The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz: The Big Suey podcast on Friday, Le Batard talked with former ESPN president and current Meadowlark Media CEO John Skipper and former Marlins president and current CBS Sports analyst David Samson about some of the big issues in sports. During the podcast, Samson brought up that he felt — when he was with the Marlins — SportsCenter  spent more time on events they had the rights to.

“There’s a direct correlation between the number of minutes SportsCenter would spend on sports that they held the rights to versus the sports they didn’t. Literally a direct correlation.

“I can go through where MLB was in SportsCenter because we would monitor it and when you guys dropped Baseball Tonight or when ESPN would add a Sunday night game…What about hockey? Where was hockey on SportsCenter until the rights went to ESPN and all of a sudden you hire Barry Melrose.”

Samson mentioned that MLB would do a detailed study of where teams were on nightly SportsCenters and which block of the show certain teams would be featured in.

“We would study this. We would know exactly where on SportsCenter the highlights were, which teams were getting highlights and how often, what block they were in, what minute of the block they were in.”

Skipper denied the accusation from Samson and he brought up when ESPN did not have hockey, they had to take a different approach to covering the sport.

“It’s not true. We lost hockey when I was there and we got accused that hockey never shows up anymore. Hockey highlights were very close to the same on SportsCenter when we had it and didn’t have it. The only difference was you would use SportsCenter as a marketing tool so you would go to the arena and say hey, there’s Barry Melrose on the ice. We had a game coming up. ‘Barry, tell us about what we are going to see.’ That was different. But, when the Rangers played the Bruins, we still had the highlight on and nobody ever said don’t put the highlights on.”

In fact, even when Skipper wanted to get more highlights of women’s sports on ESPN, he told Le Batard that nobody at the company went through with that idea.

“The only time I ever said you must put more highlights on was I said we need more women’s highlights. I’m telling you that you must put more women’s highlights on and by the way, they didn’t listen to me. They didn’t do it. Every league makes the assumption that ESPN buries the leagues they aren’t in business with. It’s just not true.”

One call that Skipper would get sometimes was from former MLB commissioner Bud Selig saying there was not enough MLB coverage on a particular show.

“I used to actually get calls from the Commissioner, Mr. Selig would be up in the morning watching Mike and Mike and he would call me saying not enough baseball today. I know you were paying attention, but I never instructed people to put more highlights of games that we had on-the-air….They take pride in doing the show without regards to the ESPN business.” 

Dana Loesch: Spin From ‘The View’ About Biden Documents Scandal Unbelievable

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A scandal over the handling of classified documents by President Joe Biden being unearthed has served as talking points for both sides of the political aisle, and conservative radio host Dana Loesch took exception to how things were handled by ABC’s The View.

“The spin is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Loesch said. She believes the unveiling of the document scandal is work from Democrats who do not wish to see President Biden seek or win the party’s Presidential nomination in 2024, and balked at a discussion from The View last week.

After playing a clip of Sonny Hostin asking her The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg if she thought the revelation of mishandled documents was “oppo research”, Loesch had heard enough.

“Oh my god. This is so dumb,” calling Hostin “Cloudy Hostas” before saying “usually, you look at people on television for insight. That woman ain’t never bringing none.”

Loesch’s insinuation that it was a “Dem-on-Dem” crime is a theory she has floated about other media figures in the past. However, her theory was previously centered around the media focusing on Republican infighting, claiming in November outlets “have been desperately baiting for a Trump/DeSantis fight for a year now”, after the President called the Florida Governor “Ron DeSanctimonious”.

Netflix: Sports Documentaries Not Connected To Interest In Live Rights

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Netflix: Sports Documentaries Not Connected To Interest In Live Rights

Questions about the future of sports on Netflix continue to swirl despite numerous people connected to the company reiterating that the streaming giant isn’t planning to be proactive in acquiring broadcast rights. The idea isn’t absurd though given competitors like Apple, Hulu and Prime Video embracing live sports.

Brandon Riegg, the vice president of unscripted and documentaries for Netflix, says his division’s success with sports stories is not a sign of aspirations to carry live games in the future.

“They’re not connected,” he told Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand. “Our hope has been we can tap into that same audience base through the shoulder programming.”

Riegg is a sports fan himself. He recognizes that there are athletic stories that have the kind of broader appeal Netflix is looking for. He has seen major success with F1: Drive to Survive, a documentary series about Formula 1 drivers that has spawned spinoffs for tennis and golf. Audiences have also made documentaries about disgraced NBA referee Tim Donoghey and former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o hits.

The formula that works for Netflix is focusing on “really rich stories and interesting characters” according to Riegg. Not being a league’s broadcast partner allows his crews to tell stories in the way that best engages an audience instead of focusing on the biggest stars or most successful teams.

“What’s worked for us is when we’ve found these leagues and teams and athletes who are willing to be vulnerable. When they’re willing to let their guard down, that’s when you get stuff that feels the most authentic.”

As for how rights ownership may change things in the future, Brandon Riegg echoes the sentiments of Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings. The company’s goal is to be profitable, and the current model for sports rights doesn’t work.

“We’re in the owning business; we’re not in the renting business and sports rights are the renting business,” Riegg said. “The economics are better if we own the shows.”

Former WNIR Host Jim Isabella Running for Mayor of Akron

BNM Staff
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Former WNIR host Jim Isabella has announced he is running for Mayor of Akron, where he worked as a conservative radio host for nearly a decade.

A report from Doug Livingston of the Akron Beacon Journal claims Isabella is seeking to become the first Republican Mayor of the Ohio city since 1989.

“The odds are very much against me, and I know that. But I feel like I have nothing to lose,” said Isabella, who is still seeking signatures for his petition to be placed on the ballot.

“They’re looking for the guy to break the stranglehold,” Isabella said of local conservatives, “and a guy who really can speak his mind freely.”

Isabella left WNIR in early 2022 after he and the station couldn’t come to an agreement on several points of contention, mainly his ability to work elsewhere without a non-compete agreement. The conservative nighttime host was off the air for more than five weeks in 2020 after contracting COVID-19, leading to a hospitalization.

The former radio host, 64, admitted he has lived in Medina, a city about 30 minutes away from Akron, for the past seven years before returning in December after separating from his second wife.

Gregg Giannotti: Greg Olsen ‘Going to Get Crushed’ After Super Bowl

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Gregg Giannotti: Greg Olsen ‘Going to Get Crushed’ After Super Bowl

As the NFL Playoffs continue their path towards Super Bowl LVII, scrutiny against game announcers will become louder and louder. WFAN morning host Gregg Giannotti believes one in particular will get flack as the playoffs progress.

During Boomer & Gio Monday, Giannotti predicted FOX analyst Greg Olsen will blasted for his work after the network’s coverage of the Super Bowl.

“He is going to be crushed on Twitter,” Giannotti said of Olsen. “That’s my prediction, because I don’t know if people are really paying attention during the regular season to what the announcers are saying. During the Super Bowl they do. He’s going to get crushed.

“This guy points out every obvious thing that happens during the game, provides zero insight during the game, and sometimes points out things like there’s five-year-old watching the game. ‘Alright, there’s two minutes and three seconds left on the clock. This is the last play before the two-minute warning.’ Oh thanks, Greg. I’m really glad that you pointed that out,” Giannotti sarcastically concluded.

His comments came after mentioning that he thought very highly of FOX NFL play-by-play announcer — and former WFAN co-hort — Kevin Burkhardt. Giannotti said the two shared a text exchange before the broadcast where he wished Burkhardt well.

Super Bowl LVII will mark the largest assignment for both Burkhardt and Olsen, who both rose to the network’s top spots before the season. However, Olsen is slated to be replaced in the number one analyst role when Tom Brady ends his playing career. During an appearance on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast with Jimmy Traina in December, Olsen admitted there are areas of broadcasting he can improve.

“My problem is — and this was also something when I was a player — you see so much that you find interesting,” the former NFL tight end said. “On any given play, it could be a 25-yard pass completion down the middle. The easy thing to point out is great throw by Patrick Mahomes and what a great catch by Travis Kelce. I’m always in the belief like ‘No shit, everyone at home saw that’. What element to why that was a good play can you provide the audience? The problem is do you want to pick what they did to the coverage, do you want to find the back who did a good job in pass protection.”

Toucher & Rich: ‘If Tony Romo Could Analyze Plays, He Would Have Been A Better QB’

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Fred Toucher doesn’t want to hear what a gifted broadcaster Tony Romo is. Monday morning, the 98.5 The Sports Hub morning show host went off on Romo’s performance during the Bills’ playoff victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Ben called in to discuss Romo. He said that even his 8-year-old began complaining about the former Cowboys quarterback overuse of a telestrator during the broadcast.

That gave the Toucher & Rich crew a chance to go off. Fred Toucher said he saw a lot of complaints about Tony Dungy’s work on Saturday night. While he agrees that it wasn’t good, Toucher said that he was not as insufferable as Romo has proven to be for a long time.

“He sucks, but he doesn’t talk constantly,” Toucher said. “Romo just talks and talks and talks. Do any of you guys like him?”

Rich Shirtenlieb chimed in saying that this weekend was an indictment of many of the NFL’s partners.

“I just don’t understand how it can be this difficult,” he said of the networks. “What do you need? Like a dozen decent color guys? Of the thousands of players that go through the NFL, you can’t find twelve of them that can discuss the game intelligently, be a little entertaining, show some personality? Fox goes out and hires Greg Olsen. That number one crew is so milquetoast. They should be doing the fourth or fifth best game of the week and they’re the number one crew on FOX!”

Tony Romo first caught the attention of many fans and won praise for his ability to predict what was going to be called next in a game. Toucher isn’t sure that is really of value to anyone watching a game.

“You don’t sit there yammering about things that haven’t happened yet. That’s of no concern to me. I can watch the game. I don’t care what you think is gonna happen.”

Shirtenlieb, who is an Eagles fan, took the chance to get a jab in at the former QB of his favorite team’s arch rivals. 

He pointed to John Madden as one of the best NFL analysts in TV history. He said that Madden defined the role by being so good at explaining why a play was called or decision was made based on the circumstances in the game. That isn’t what Tony Romo is known for.

“I don’t think Romo’s capable of doing that,” Shirtenlieb said. “If he was, he would have been a better quarterback.”

TV Executives Continue Courting Brian Williams

BNM Staff
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Longtime network anchor Brian Williams left television on a full-time basis in late 2021, but that hasn’t stopped executives from continuing to court him for a return.

A report from Semafor says at least one network has approached Williams about his interest in returning to television. Williams ended his run on The 11th Hour after his contract with MSNBC was set to expire, ending his 28-year tenure with NBC News.

As he approached his departure date from NBC News, Williams launched a podcast entitled We Interrupt This Broadcast. The 12-part docu-series featured an in-depth look into the media reporting and reaction to some of the largest events in 20th century American history. The episodes center around the media response to breaking news, before diving deeper into the topics which included the Oklahoma City bombing, the Challenger disaster, and the explosion of the Hindenburg, among others.

According to Semafor, the network that pitched a return for Williams was interested in repurposing the content of the We Interrupt This Broadcast into a television series hosted by the anchor.

Williams rose to prominence in the early 2000s after being tabbed to replace Tom Brokaw as the host of NBC Nightly News. He held that position until February of 2015, when he was suspended and eventually removed from the role after fabricating a story of his experience covering the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The multiple Emmy Award-winning journalist claimed he was travelling in a military helicopter that was shot by a rocket-propelled grenade and was forced to make an emergency landing. That encapsulation was debunked, and Williams recanted the tale before being suspended. He then moved to MSNBC after his six month suspension concluded.

Tony Katz: The Days of Thinking Joe Scarborough Is ‘Intelligent’ and ‘Important’ Are Over

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Much has been made about a potential ban of gas stove tops in recent days, and MSNBC Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough mocked Republicans for their response and their inaccurate spin on the matter. Monday, radio host Tony Katz took aim at Scarborough.

Scarborough laughed out loud while joking about Republicans, saying “one side gets a small kernel of something and they put it in the ground and water it, and try to get it to grow. You get some bureaucrat saying something that has no power, and then suddenly you have (Florida Governor) Ron DeSantis (R) ‘I’m going to protect your gas stove’…It’s so stupid.”

The former Republican congressman then discussed a tweet he shared over the weekend with a panel of contributors in which he joked “It’s as if Democratic operatives have infiltrated the Republican Party over the past 6 years and keep driving them over a cliff.”

Scarborough continued to slam Republicans for turning the topic into a quasi-important issue, saying they should be more concerned with Vladimir Putin waging war in Russia, and China considering military action against Taiwan, among other topics.

Katz quote tweeted a clip of Scarborough’s comments, saying “This show used to be described as important and intellectual. That’s over.”

The 93.1 WIBC host followed that tweet up by saying Scarborough “very disconnected from the lives of Americans”.

Katz has been a long outspoken critic of Scarborough’s, previously claiming the MSNBC morning host is the beneficiary of “media privilege” after comments he made comparing Donald Trump’s “threat to the ideal America” was greater than that of 9/11.

Bill O’Reilly: The Walt Disney Company is a Mess

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The Walt Disney Company has undergone significant changes over the last several months. In November, CEO Bob Iger agreed to return for two more years after serving in that same capacity for 15 years before briefly leaving the company entirely in 2021.

Author and syndicated radio personality Bill O’Reilly discussed Disney’s future on his “No Spin News” podcast.

Disney owns more than 200 media companies directly and indirectly. They range from movie and music studios to TV channels, news networks, and video games.

O’Reilly called Disney his “least favorite” company and said the company is “a mess.”

“Iger is dropping the lowest price ticket to Disney World to $104; that’s a piece,” O’Reilly said. “So, a family of four, that’s $416 a day. And those tickets are only available two months out of the year.”

According to Statista.com, in the fiscal year that ended on October 1, 2022, The Walt Disney Company generated a total revenue of more than 82.7 billion U.S. dollars, up from 67.4 billion dollars a year earlier – an annual growth of over 22 percent.

“Disney is an operation that does not care about what it was invented to do and that was to entertain children,” O’Reilly added. “Now, they’ve priced children out; the working class and poor kids of America can’t go. Why? Because they (Disney) are greedy SOBs.”

Turning Point USA Issues Cease-and-Desist Letter to MSNBC

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An alleged defamatory statement by an MSNBC columnist prompted Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk to issue a cease-and-desist letter recently. 

According to Fox News Digital, Julio Ricardo Varela wrote on Jan. 7th that Turning Point is a “MAGA white supremacist cult.” Ricardo’s column centered on Florida Rep. Anna Paulina. 

“MSNBC attacked Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and slandered Turning Point USA as a ‘MAGA white supremacist cult,’” Kirk tweeted Friday. “TPUSA’s legal team has issued a Cease and Desist demanding that MSNBC immediately issue a retraction & apology for platforming these reckless and defamatory statements.”

MSNBC reportedly altered its column changing its wording that Kirk is “diminishing and decreasing White demographics in America” and pushing “the White nationalist belief of great replacement theory.”

The cease-and-desist letter demanded a retraction to be made “no later than Jan. 12th, 2023,” threatening to “take all steps necessary to protect our rights, including pursuing all available legal remedies, seeking monetary and non-monetary damages, injunctive relief, and attorneys’ fees and costs.” 

“TPUSA, our students, our supporters, and our alumni like Rep. Paulina Luna will not put up with MSNBC and woke contributors like Julio Ricardo Varela when they slander us and our movement,” Kirk said. “We will advance this legally until we receive a full retraction and apology.”

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