Yesterday, the second season of Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? was announced, with details on guests coming at a later date. Radio host Howie Carr spoke about Wallace choosing to interview Dr. Fauci, and believes no one should give the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases a platform any longer.
Carr has been an outspoken critic of Fauci’s since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and shared his displeasure with the pair sitting down for an interview.
“He’s with Chris Wallace. Talk about a unpalatable combination. Chris Wallace interviewing Fauci,” Carr said. “Could we have any more self congratulation? Or megalomania?”
Carr later played a portion of the interview between Wallace and Fauci, criticizing both Wallace for his questioning of the nation’s top infectious disease doctor — and lack of follow ups — and also Fauci’s response to the questions.
Nationally syndicated radio host Lars Larson has struck an agreement to continue to have his show distributed by Compass Media Networks.
Larson is currently heard on 130 affiliates across the nation, and spoke highly of his relationship with the syndicator.
“It has been the highlight of my 48 years in radio to work hand-in-hand with Peter Kosann and Compass Media Networks. I’m humbled that he has offered me five more years of doing a show that I look forward to every day.”
Compass Media Networks hopes The Lars Larson Show — based in Portland, Oregon — continues to remain with the network for longer than the five years in this next extension.
“There will always be a special place in my heart for Lars and his wonderful family,” Compass Media Networks founder and CEO Peter Kosann said. “Lars made the courageous decision to join our company in the beginning, and I am forever grateful for his friendship and faith in us. We hope to syndicate Lars until the end of time.”
The 11th annual Mitch Albom Say Detroit Radiothon set a new record, collecting more than $1.8 million during the 15-hour broadcast hosted by Albom and his partern Ken Brown.
Several celebrity guests appeared during the event, including Tim Allen, Hugh Jackman, Barry Sanders, Jane Pauley, Hank Azaria, Anderson Cooper, and more.
“I am humbled every year at the incredible generosity of our audience and our friends around the country,” Albom said. “Every dollar raised at our 11th annual radiothon will go to making Detroiters’ lives better, and that’s the best gift anyone can give at the holidays. I am so grateful to all the amazing people who made this happen.”
Since its inception in 2012, the Mitch Albom SAY (Super All Year) Detroit Radiothon has raised more than $10 million to help Detroiters experiencing poverty, homelessness, children with medical needs, and students needing financial assistance to attend college.
“I’m not surprised by the outpouring of generosity from our audience,” Cumulus Detroit Vice President and Market Manager Steve Finateri said. “Thanks to Mitch Albom, 100% of the donations go directly to local charities addressing our community’s greatest needs. WJR is so proud to be a part of this annual effort!”
Former CNN executive Jeff Zucker is returning to the media business as the leader of a media investment firm, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
RedBird Capital Partners has tabbed Zucker to lead its operations after a $1 billion partnership was announced with International Media Investments.
According to WSJ, Zucker will “focus on building, buying and investing” in sports, media, and entertainment entities.
“It’s a time of tremendous change in large part because of technology,” Zucker told the Journal. “This is also an incredibly exciting time around what comes next.”
A report from The Ankler in November revealed Zucker was in talks to lead the new entity, claiming RedBird Capital “has plenty of cash and resources to grow its footprint in the world of sports, it doesn’t boast a brand that necessarily on the outside would be commensurate with Zucker’s profile and experience.”
Zucker resigned his post at CNN earlier this year after failing to disclose a consensual relationship with a subordinate.
In a tweet Monday, new Twitter owner Elon Musk vowed to eventually remove all “legacy” blue checkmarks, a notation of being verified on the platform, in the coming months.
A Twitter user took a screenshot of an explanation box that purported to read “This is a legacy verified account. It may or may not be notable”. The user jokingly said the description was “ruthless”, which Musk responded to.
“In a few months, we will remove all legacy blue checks. The way in which they were given out was corrupt and nonsensical,” Musk tweeted.
In a few months, we will remove all legacy blue checks. The way in which they were given out was corrupt and nonsensical.
When he took over the company, Musk launched a paid subscription service that would add a blue checkmark next to any user who had paid the subscription fee for “Twitter Blue”. However, the rollout was disastrous, with several users pretending to be corporations and tweeting messages that ended up being harmful to the unknowing businesses.
Musk has since claimed he has refined the process and will charge users $8 per month for the service, with those utilizing it on Apple products being charged $11 per month to account for the fees the App Store imposes on developers.
The Mississippi State football coach is the first active SEC coach to die since 1980 when Bo Raine was killed in a plane crash while recruiting for LSU.
While Leach could be the source of controversy at times, what most in the sports media remembered and loved about him was his irreverent personality.
He was a favorite interview subject of many that covered the sport and they paid tribute to the man on social media following his death.
"[Mike Leach was] the smartest coach I've ever been around. … He's one of the truly irreplaceable figures in the history of the game. Records are one thing … but the legacy that one leaves behind is what I heard from his many friends and coaching colleagues."
Mike Leach was 1 of 1. Quirky personality with an unbelievable football mind. Look no further than Heisman trophy. 1-2 and 5 finishers coaches either played for or coached under Leach. Praying for his family & friends. Gonna be hard to replace that space in their hearts.
Our broadcasting team had the privilege of calling the last game of Coach Mike Leach’s distinguished career. The spirit and character his team played with that night embodied what I came to think of him as a coach and leader. My condolences to all who loved him. RIP coach. ????????
Mississippi State just announced that Mike Leach has passed away. His impact on football was— and will continue to be—truly remarkable…. Thank you Mike ❤️ pic.twitter.com/atY9eELO6P
RIP Mike Leach ???????? Truly nobody like him on the sidelines or off the field. Great memories laughing with him in meeting rooms, and trying to keep up on the scoreboard when we played against his high powered @UKFootball offense in ‘98 ???? You will be missed. #RIP
Now at @SatDownSouth: Mike Leach, the beautiful mind whose life was full and free of norms. (He was also a helluva football coach). https://t.co/ByzOIFs18T
RIP Mike Leach, a true original and one of the greatest characters and coaches of an entire generation. Thoughts are with his loved ones right now. https://t.co/Qit8oe3QMd
Mike Leach, one of college football’s most distinctive personalities & innovative offensive minds, died Monday night, his family announced through university spokesman @sidsalter.
Mike Leach was 1-of-1. He was one of the best characters in sports and was an innovator that helped change football. In a world where coaches are corporate and mostly the same, he stood out because he was genuinely himself.
This is a hard one for college football and especially hard for those of us who had a chance to get to know one of the most unique characters and brilliant minds the sport has ever known. Here is our news story on Mike Leach’s passing. He was 61. https://t.co/DgbgRuMR84
We take for granted the spread offense in college football these days. 25 years ago NO ONE was running it before Mike Leach got it going at Texas Tech. Changed the entire sport.
The world and college football are a better place because of Mike Leach. We lost a legend and I’m going to miss my friend very much. I cannot believe this has happened. Devastating. I will cherish the many talks and laughs. He will be dearly missed. God Bless Mike’s family ????????????
Here’s how you know someone made an inedible impression in their life. EVERYONE has at least one Mike Leach story. And each them starts and ends with a laugh and a smile. ????????????
Mike Leach was an absolute treasure. Not just because of his clever one liners and legendary press conferences, but also because he made every single person around him feel important.
Today is a sad day for college football. Prayers for his family and friends.
Mike Leach invited me down to his Key West home before his first year at Washington State. A walking tour that lasted 8 hours, 5 miles and a few adult beverages later I got to my hotel room and asked myself, "What just happened?" I will always remember The Pirate.
This is just a small list of the tributes and memories that poured in on Twitter. To put together a full list would take more bandwidth than we have here at BSM.
Credited as one of the creators of the Air Raid offense, Mike Leach revolutionized the game while serving as offensive coordinator at Kentucky under Hal Mummy. He eventually became the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, a role he held from 2000 until 2009 when he was fired amid accusations of mistreating a player that had suffered a concussion. After three seasons away from the sidelines, he became the head coach at Washington State in 2012. He left Pullman for Starkville in 2020.
During his career, Leach amassed a 158-107 record. He lead his teams to bowl games in 18 bowl games in his 21 seasons as a head coach.
Mike Leach is survived by his wife Sharon and four children: Janeen, Kimberly, Cody and Kiersten.
During a heated exchange on Undisputed Monday, Skip Bayless took a puzzling shot at his partner Shannon Sharpe for his NFL playing career, which saw the former Bronco and Raven win three Super Bowls during his Hall of Fame career. On Boomer & Gio Tuesday, Boomer Esiason noted Sharpe isn’t someone he’d make angry.
Gregg Giannotti asked Esiason if he saw the clip, noting that “this was not a fake thing”, adding that Bayless and Sharpe appeared to be on the verge of cursing at one another, when Boomer chipped in.
“Lemme tell you something, I’ve worked with Shannon,” Esiason said. “You don’t wanna piss him off. That’s the one guy I’d never want to piss off. I saw what the argument was about, and it’s idiotic. Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback and if you wanna say the greatest football player who ever played, but by saying that you’re not insulting Shannon and his brilliance as a great player and a Hall of Famer. And that’s what that whole thing was about.”
Esiason added he’d “reach over and smack” Bayless had he been in Sharpe’s shoes.
Welcome to day two of our inaugural BNM Top 20 series presented by Steve Stone Voiceovers. This series runs a total of seven days, and is designed to recognize News/Talk radio’s top shows, hosts, brands and programmers for the 2022 calendar year. To stay informed on each day’s results please bookmark our website, follow BNM on Twitter at @BNMStaff, visit us on Facebook at Barrett News Media or sign up for our daily newsletter, ‘The Rundown‘ by clicking here. The support is greatly appreciated.
The seven categories we are examining this week and next include the industry’s top national and original digital shows, as well as the best morning, midday and afternoon shows, and the best stations and programmers in both Major (#1-#20) and Mid-Sized (#21-Below) markets. We separate large and mid-sized cities since the opportunities and challenges they face are different. Not included in our lists are NPR brands and shows. Maybe down the line we’ll change that or add an extra category but for now, terrestrial outlets are our main focus.
As a format, News/Talk radio is delivered on over two thousand stations. Only the country format is larger in size. We try our best to make sure the top shows, hosts, programmers and brands are listed for voting consideration and also allow room for our voters to add nominees if for some reason someone isn’t listed on our document.
As you review these results, please keep in mind that they represent the collective opinions of forty four industry programmers and executives. I want to thank everyone who took the time to participate in our voting process. Altogether we had representation from fifteen companies and thirty six different cities, which was outstanding.
As it pertains to the voting, here are a few things to be aware of.
#1 – Our executive voters were asked to pick their Top 20 selections for each category based on a few key factors; quality of show (ear test), originality, ability to entertain-inform-connect across multiple platforms, ratings success, clearance (national shows) and industry buzz. Remember, our voters live in different cities, have different tastes, work for different groups, and value certain factors higher than others. This isn’t a perfect system but it’s the best one we’ve been able to create to showcase the industry’s best. Having done this for seven years for the sports talk format, we’re going to stick with it until another approach makes more sense.
#2 – Our executive panel consists of program directors and corporate executives from a number of top broadcasting companies including Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Beasley, Hubbard, Good Karma Brands, Cox Media Group, Radio One, Alpha, Bonneville, FOX News Radio, Hearst, Federated Media, Zimmer Communications, and Westwood One. We involve a large number of people in order to receive feedback from all parts of the country, and to avoid the results heavily favoring one company.
#3 – A total of 43 shows appeared on ballots turned in by our executive panel in the Major Market Morning News/Talk Shows category.
Which brings us to today’s category – Major Market News/Talk Morning Shows. These shows kickstart the day for news/talk stations across the country, being counted on to deliver ratings, revenue and relevance for their respective brands. Many enjoyed exceptional years but the top spot can only be occupied by one.
Congratulations is in order for KFI’s Bill Handel. The broadcasting legend and radio hall of famer received eight (8) 1st place votes from our executive panel to prevail over a talented field. BNM congratulates Bill, Robin Bertolucci and the entire KFI staff on earning this year’s top honor, as well as every other show which landed on this year’s list.
Now, here are the full results of “BNM’s Top 20 Major Market News/Talk Morning Shows of 2022!”
Additional Notes:
Bill Handel finished 35 points in front of WTOP’s Morning News, thanks to a category high eight (8) first place votes.
Spots 21-25 belonged to 1010 WINS Morning Drive, Ian Bush & Carol McKenzie, Houston’s Morning News, Wayne Cabot & Paul Murdane and Ted & LaDona.
The closest contests saw WTOP Morning News edge Bernie & Sid by 2 points, and Len Berman & Michael Reidel hold off LA’s Morning News by 1 point.
Of the 43 shows to appear on submitted ballots, eight (8) received at least one 1st place vote.
*** Bernard McGuirk of ‘Bernie & Sid’ passed away in early October.
Here is the remaining schedule for the BNM Top 20 of 2022.
Wednesday December 14 = BNM Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Midday Shows of 2022
Thursday December 15 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Afternoon Shows of 2022
Friday December 16 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Program Directors of 2022
Monday December 19 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Stations of 2022
Tuesday December 20 = The Top 20 Original N/T Digital Shows of 2022
A reminder, BNM will have a big announcement following the Top 20 series on Wednesday December 21st. Make sure to visit the website that day to learn what else we’re up to.
Welcome to day two of our inaugural BNM Top 20 series presented by Steve Stone Voiceovers. This series runs a total of seven days, and is designed to recognize News/Talk radio’s top shows, hosts, brands and programmers for the 2022 calendar year. To stay informed on each day’s results please bookmark our website, follow BNM on Twitter at @BNMStaff, visit us on Facebook at Barrett News Media or sign up for our daily newsletter, ‘The Rundown‘ by clicking here. The support is greatly appreciated.
The seven categories we are examining this week and next include the industry’s top national and original digital shows, as well as the best morning, midday and afternoon shows, and the best stations and programmers in both Major (#1-#20) and Mid-Sized (#21-Below) markets. We separate large and mid-sized cities since the opportunities and challenges they face are different. Not included in our lists are NPR brands and shows. Maybe down the line we’ll change that or add an extra category but for now, terrestrial outlets are our main focus.
As a format, News/Talk radio is delivered on over two thousand stations. Only the country format is larger in size. We try our best to make sure the top shows, hosts, programmers and brands are listed for voting consideration but also allow room for our voters to add nominees if for some reason someone isn’t listed on our document.
As you review these results, please keep in mind that they represent the collective opinions of forty four industry programmers and executives. I want to thank everyone who took the time to participate in our voting process. Altogether we had representation from fifteen companies and thirty six different cities, which was outstanding.
As it pertains to the voting, here are a few things to be aware of.
#1 – Our executive voters were asked to pick their Top 20 selections for each category based on a few key factors; quality of show (ear test), originality, ability to entertain-inform-connect across multiple platforms, ratings success, clearance (national shows) and industry buzz. Remember, our voters live in different cities, have different tastes, work for different groups, and value certain factors higher than others. This isn’t a perfect system but it’s the best one we’ve been able to create to showcase the industry’s best. Having done this for seven years for the sports talk format, we’re going to stick with it until another approach makes more sense.
#2 – Our executive panel consists of program directors and corporate executives from a number of top broadcasting companies including Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Beasley, Hubbard, Good Karma Brands, Cox Media Group, Radio One, Alpha, Bonneville, FOX News Radio, Hearst, Federated Media, Zimmer Communications, and Westwood One. We involve a large number of people in order to receive feedback from all parts of the country, and to avoid the results heavily favoring one company.
#3 – A total of 87 shows appeared on ballots turned in by our executive panel in the Mid Market N/T Morning Shows category.
Which brings us to today’s category – Mid Market News/Talk Morning Shows. These programs kickstart the day for news/talk brands across the country, being counted on to deliver ratings, revenue and relevance for their respective brands. Many enjoyed exceptional years but the top spot can only be occupied by one.
Congratulations is in order for WLW’s Mike McConnell. The Cincinnati morning man picked up the most votes/points from our executive panel to secure the number one position. BNM congratulates Mike, Scott Reinhardt, DJ Hodge and the entire WLW staff on earning this year’s top honor, as well as every other show which gained a spot on this year’s list.
Now, here are the full results of “BNM’s Top 20 Mid Market News/Talk Morning Shows of 2022!”
Additional Notes:
Mike McConnell finished 21 points in front of Tony Katz to pick up this year’s victory. McConnell and Katz were tied with Dan Mandis for the most first place votes, three (3).
Spots 21-25 were occupied by Brian & Company, Bill Spadea,John Reid, Harry Hurley and KMJ Morning News.
The closest contests saw The Tara Show nip C4 and Bryan Nehman by 1 point, and Utah’s Morning News hold off Rod Arquette by 2 points.
Of the 87 shows to appear on ballots this year, twelve (12) received at least one 1st place vote.
Here is the remaining schedule for the BNM Top 20 of 2022.
Wednesday December 14 = BNM Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Midday Shows of 2022
Thursday December 15 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Afternoon Shows of 2022
Friday December 16 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Program Directors of 2022
Monday December 19 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market N/T Radio Stations of 2022
Tuesday December 20 = The Top 20 Original N/T Digital Shows of 2022
A reminder, BNM will have a big announcement following the Top 20 series on Wednesday December 21st. Make sure to visit the website that day to learn what else we’re up to.
The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners announced back in the summer of 2020 that they intended to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC. The timetable was always unclear. It is widely believed that the two schools wouldn’t be able to leave the Big 12 until the league’s current television contracts with FOX and ESPN expire in 2025, but according to Brett McMurphy, the Worldwide Leader in Sports may have the power to move things along a little faster.
Currently, the Big 12 is in a TV contract that runs out in 2025. While Texas and Oklahoma did agree to the terms of a new deal, which will run through 2031, it is with the understanding that those two teams will not be in the league when the new deal begins. To leave before 2025 would mean that the teams devalue the current contract. That is why the conference is not making it easy for the Sooners and Longhorns to leave.
“ESPN has all the keys to the castle for this to happen,” a source told McMurphy.
Not only would ESPN have to figure out how to compensate the Big 12, but it could be on the hook for a lot more money to the SEC. Beginning in 2024, ESPN and the SEC enter into a 10-year deal worth nearly $300 million. There is a clause in that deal though that would raise the price tag if any new members are added to the conference.
For programming purposes, it makes sense that ESPN would want to see Oklahoma and Texas in the SEC as soon as possible. Financially though, it may not.
The two schools would each have to pay an exit fee. While that price tag sits at $84 million (the sum of the league’s distribution for two years) right now, it is likely to be negotiated down to around $50 million per school.
Would ESPN be willing to shell out $100 million to help the schools foot that bill? Would it be willing to do that if it means the price tag on its new SEC deal goes up? On top of all of that, would the network make those leaps if it knew they would devalue the deal currently in place with the Big 12?
A second source told Brett McMurphy that FOX does not intend to stand in the way of any move and both conferences are eager to get this done and get Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in time for the 2024 football season. That means that the final decision very well could be ESPN’s.
