The end of regional sports networks is near, but the sky isn’t going to fall out immediately.
In an interview on Grant & Danny on 106.7 The Fan in D.C., Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand said the ongoing news with Diamond Sports Group – the owner of the Bally Sports RSNs – isn’t what all the other network proprietors are experiencing.
“The Bally Sports RSNs, that’s unique to Bally Sports,” Ourand said Friday. “That company – Diamond Sports – they have $8 billion in debt. Billion with a b. Warner Bros. Discovery, their RSNs, they couldn’t make any money off of it. They were in debt with those RSNs.”
Ourand pointed to others like YES Network, NESN and Marquee as RSNs that can turn a profit. He said ultimately the business model is crumbling because cable is hemorrhaging subscribers each year and the networks are losing money while rights fees to carry teams increases every season. But despite those glaring issues, some RSNs can make money still.
“They’re less profitable than they were a year ago and certainly a lot less profitable than they were five years ago,” Ourand said. “So you see where the trend line is going. The implosion is not going to happen all at once. It’s just happening all at once for the biggest purveyor of regional sports networks in the country.”
Dave had been calling Rays games on the radio since 2005.
“Dave meant so much to so many people and certainly is going to be very missed,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told the Tampa Bay Times. “But we can choose to think about all the good times we had with him, all the laughs, and what he meant to this organization top to bottom.”
“Dave was an outstanding broadcaster, a great friend, and an even better person,” Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement. “He had a remarkable talent for bringing the game to life for our fans and was a vital part of the Rays family. We will miss him dearly, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Before joining the Rays, Wills was a member of the Chicago White Sox radio crew for 11 seasons. He began his play-by-play career in the minors in 1991.
Dave is survived by his wife Liz and two children.
During a recent episode of “Real Time with Bill Maher,” comedian Russell Brand engaged in a heated exchange with MSNBC National Affairs Analyst John Heilemann. The discussion centered around the issue of news media propaganda, with Brand accusing MSNBC of being disingenuous in denouncing Fox News while facing similar criticism themselves.
According to Yahoo, Brand’s comments quickly went viral, with the comedian asserting that individuals should take responsibility for their perspectives rather than relying solely on news media outlets. He cited the examples of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange as real journalists who have exposed the secrets of the United States government.
Brand suggested that the media take ownership of its perspectives, particularly from a spiritual standpoint. “Just spiritually, mate—if I may use that word in your great country—we have to take responsibility for our perspectives,” he told Heilemann.
When asked to present proof of MSNBC’s similar behaviors to Fox News, Brand criticized the network’s handling of podcaster Joe Rogan’s endorsement of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19. He called MSNBC’s response to Rogan’s comments “absurd and unacceptable.”
Brand also pointed out an inaccurate explanation of the COVID-19 vaccine by MSNBC host Rachel Maddow in March 2021. Maddow mistakenly stated that the vaccine provides complete protection against symptoms and transmission, a common misunderstanding.
Heilemann remarked, “You don’t know anything about any of these organizations you’re talking about. You went on MSNBC once. Big f——-g deal.”
Heilemann dismissed Brand’s criticisms, stating that the comedian knew nothing about the organizations he criticized. However, Brand continued to voice his concerns, highlighting the hurdles Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders faced in believing in the nation’s potential for constructive transformation.
The exchange was heated and, at times, contentious. Many pundits believe it highlighted the need for individuals to be critical of the news they consume and to engage in thoughtful discussions about media and its impact on society.
77 WABC has announced Noam Laden has joined the station as its new News Director.
Additionally, he will host the WABC News Hour with Noam Laden at 5:00 AM each weekday and anchor news updates during Sid & Friends in the morning.
“I’m very excited to join the new 77 WABC,” said Laden. “The station has a terrific lineup of hosts, and the ratings are soaring. It’s great to be part of a winning team with passionate owners. We’ve got lots of exciting plans for distribution of our news.”
It is a return to the station for Laden, who previously worked there from 2003 to 2018, holding similar positions to the one he has now.
“New Yorkers need to be in-the-know first thing in the morning and throughout their busy day,” said Chad Lopez, President of Red Apple Media and 77 WABC. “Our goal at WABC Radio is not only to deliver the news but to include all sides of the story.”
Most recently, Laden was a morning news anchor at 710 WOR.
“When we decided to expand our news, I knew the person who would help us accomplish that goal was Noam,” 77 WABC Program Director Matt Meany said. “I’m thrilled that he’s come to WABC to head up our News Department and to host our 5 am News Hour.”
A report from Ryan Glasspiegel of The New York Post, NFL Media is planning for major layoffs in the coming days and weeks.
NFL Network, NFL Red Zone, NFL Films, and NFL.com are all under the NFL Media umbrella, and positions inside the organization are expected to be eliminated.
“Given this period of broader economic uncertainty, it’s fair to say the NFL’s media group is taking an extra step or two to make sure all costs and expenditures make sense,” a source told The Post.
The potential layoffs come at a time when the NFL has explored the potential sale or investor into the league’s media outlet. During Roger Goodell’s State of the League speech last month, he said the league would “look at every opportunity to try to expand our media assets, ow to make them stronger, and how to reach more fans with them.”
The report of potential layoffs and cost-cutting also coincides with a report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio that the league has put a freeze on pay increases for certain employees.
A response from Michael Kay during an appearance on First Take went viral Thursday after host Molly Qerim and panelist Stephen A. Smith agreed that the New York Rangers “don’t count” in a topic on who the most likely champion from New York would be.
During The Michael Kay Show Thursday, Kay recapped his appearance on the ESPN program and argued that even though Smith and Qerim tried to couch their opinion, it was still the truth in their eyes.
“‘No disrespect’, she said, but if you say it doesn’t count, that’s disrespect,” Kay said. “The Rangers are built to win the Stanley Cup! So I said the Rangers.”
Co-host Don La Greca argued that Qerim was expertly covering for Stephen A. Smith, who obviously wasn’t going to be able to converse about the potential of the New York Rangers winning the Stanley Cup.
Kay joked that his trip to the studios to appear on First Take wasn’t worth it, saying “I was in the car for two hours and on the set for 15 minutes.”
When asked by co-host Peter Rosenberg if he wanted to be on the show for the whole two hours, Kay said “You could even brand it. Stephen A. and Michael Kay. It rhymes!”
After the comments went viral, Smith asked critics to “relax”, noting that he was just “having a good time” on the program.
When the New York Mets season begins on March 30, Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez will begin their 18th season calling Mets baseball on SNY. Once the first pitch is thrown, the trio will be the longest-running broadcast crew in Mets history, passing the great trio of Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy, and Ralph Kiner.
“I think that Keith, Ron, and I have had a really special bond and I think it started from Day 1 because honestly when they put us together in 2006, none of us really had any idea what we were doing. I was a radio guy moving to TV, Keith had kind of dabbled, but he hadn’t taken it seriously and Ron had done one year in Washington with very little direction and really was not particularly accomplished. I think we all leaned on each other from Day 1.”
So, what has been the key to their success? Cohen thought it was because none of them looks to be the star of the broadcast and that they want everyone else to do well.
“Nobody wants to be the star. Everybody allows everybody else to shine. We genuinely get along with each other and we have a lot of fun. I think being in a dark room when we started and not really knowing what direction we were going, we kind of had to hold hands to find our way and I think we’ve done that.”
Cohen told Stark and Glanville that he does take the time to talk to young broadcasters and he tries to be helpful and honest with his advice. He has been impressed at the amount of talent that has entered the business over the years.
“One of the things that has really impressed me over the last dozen years or so is how much young talent is coming into our business. I think there was a while there where I felt as though some of the people who would be best suited to be broadcasters were choosing other fields. I think because of the spread of different cable networks and the greater availability of sports on radio and TV has attracted more really bright talented young people into the business. I really enjoy talking to them and I try to do as much as I can for them.”
Before SNY, Cohen was in the radio booth calling Mets games on WFAN for 17 years and he got to call games with Bob Murphy, which he still can’t believe.
“I grew up listening to Bob, Lindsey, and Ralph. They were the soundtrack of summers and they were the voices that meant Mets baseball. Just to have the opportunity to sit next to Bob Murphy for 15 years in the radio booth, I pinch myself every day that this was actually happening.”
Cohen told the duo that when he got to SNY, he never thought that it would have gone as well as it has.
“I was a radio chauvinist and I really had no intention of ever moving over to TV. But, when SNY started, they courted me and I reluctantly accepted. I never could have dreamed it would have gone this well.”
The trio of Cohen, Hernandez, and Darling have established themselves as one of the more informative and entertaining broadcast booths in all of baseball and it brings a lot of Mets fans joy to hear them call the games on a nightly basis as they reach this historic landmark together.
Kansas City Royals fans will have to get used to a virtually brand-new product in the broadcast booth this season. They already knew that there would be a new voice of the team on Bally Sports Midwest following the retirement of Steve Physioc. Now we are learning more about the people that will fill the analyst’s chair.
Mike Sweeney and Jeremy Guthrie have been added to the broadcast crew and they will be busy. Their schedules will see them make appearances on pre and postgame shows. They will also join new play-by-play man Jake Eisenberg in the booth occasionally for TV and even do some time on the radio broadcast.
The Royals have a large broadcast crew. In addition to Eisenberg, Sweeney, and Guthrie will also work with Denny Matthews, Ryan Lefebvre, Rex Hudler, Joel Goldberg, Jeff Montgomery, and Steve Stewart.
“To join an already incredible team, and to do it with guys that I love being around — and most importantly for the team I have loved since I was 17 years old and the Kansas City Royals drafted me — it’s a dream come true,” Mike Sweeney said in a press release.
Sweeney spent the first 13 seasons of his 16-year Major League career in Kansas City. He was an All-Star five times and was enshrined in the team’s hall of fame in 2015. Guthrie was a journeyman reliever and spot starter. He spent four seasons with the Royals.
A clip of Michael Kay saying the New York Rangers would be the city’s next championship winning franchise on ESPN’s First Take went viral yesterday after Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim said hockey “doesn’t count”. Critics were angry that one of the NHL’s media partners would say such a thing. Meanwhile, WFAN’s Gregg Giannotti wondered why Kay was there in the first place.
During Boomer & Gio Friday, update anchor Chris Lopresti played the clip that went viral. He scoffed at the idea that hockey “doesn’t count” saying “No disrespect. Sorry, we’re not going to count the hockey team that sells out the building and has people paying hundreds of dollars to get into.”
“I’ve never seen a sport that is so unbelievable get so disrespected,” Jerry Recco, who was filling in for the vacationing Boomer Esiason, said.
However, Giannotti’s point of contention was with Michael Kay’s appearance on the show, deducing that the recent visit from Mike Francesa alongside usual Wednesday guest Chris “Mad Dog” Russo likely led to Kay requesting to be on the program.
“So now that Mike and Chris were on there, Michael Kay’s gotta be on First Take now?” questioned Giannotti. “So that has to be a complaint, right? He was probably like ‘How do you let those guys on when I’m on ESPN?’ That’s definitely how that happened.”
In addition to his work as the television voice of the New York Yankees on YES Network, Kay has announced select baseball broadcasts for ESPN, and also hosts the Kay Rod Cast, an alternate Sunday Night Baseball broadcast for the network. Kay also hosts the afternoon show on WFAN competitor 98.7 ESPN New York.
A second judge has ordered Marriott to release video of the incident that got Dallas Cowboys legend and NFL Network star Michael Irvin kicked out of a hotel in Phoenix during Super Bowl week. On 105.3 The Fan in Dallas Friday morning, Shan and RJ said they had reason to believe that Irvin was optimistic about what that video will show.
“We’re not gonna divulge too much, but out of the blue yesterday, Michael texted Choppy and I,” Shan Shariff said. “I think it’s safe to say Michael is feeling good about his position.”
Shariff added that Marriott’s position has never made sense to him. If the company felt like Irvin needed to be ejected from their property, why would it not want video of the incident to be made public?
He added that when the story first broke, he was worried that the truth was going to be very bad for Michael Irvin.
“At first when I was talking to Michael in Phoenix when all of this broke, he was worried,” he said. “And it made me worry and wonder if Mike was buzzed to the point he didn’t remember what happened or he was foggy. You know, he came on the air with us Wednesday morning and was joking about having some drinks.”
Michael Irvin has never run from the fact that he had too much to drink on the night of the incident and did not remember harassing anyone. He also has said that he was positive that he did not even spend a minute with the woman making the accusation and video would show that.
The first judge to order Marriott make the video public issued his ruling on February 16. Marriott appealed. That appeal was lost earlier this week.
