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ESPN Could Still Land Some Big Ten Media Rights

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The Big Ten announced the conference’s newest slate of media rights deals on Thursday. The conference confirmed it has partnered with NBC, CBS and FOX for the next seven years. The one glaring outsider is ESPN. However, even though the two may have parted ways after this current media rights deal has expired, there may still be a way to see Big Ten products on ESPN.

In an article from Pat Forde from Sports Illustrated, sources indicate to him the network may still be able to ink an agreement to carry Big Ten contests as a sublicensee. He notes the most likely sport that would happen in is men’s basketball.

“We have one more year with them,” Warren said of ESPN and the 2022–23 season. “They’re professionals, we’re professionals, and we’ve had a close relationship with them for a long time.”

“I don’t think we expect this will be the end of the relationship. We’ll continue to be good partners with them in a slightly different way than we have.”

Jim Rome: ‘Al Michaels Was Only Talk2 Guest That Didn’t Cancel After Jim Everett Fight’

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Jim Rome has different, deeper conversations on The Jim Rome Podcast than he does on his CBS Sports Radio show. The latest episode features former Notre Dame and NFL star Manti Te’o.

The interview is a promotion for Netflix’s latest Untold documentary, The Girlfriend That Didn’t Exist. In the episode, Te’o talked about the friends that stood by him while so many were laughing at him being the victim of a catfishing scheme.

Rome related. He took Te’o back to 1994.

Right after his infamous interview with Saints quarterback Jim Everett aired on his ESPN2 show Talk2, Jim Rome says he was labeled as toxic and he and his producers felt the consequences.

“All the sudden, no athletes wanted to talk to me initially and people were cancelling their appearances on the show,” he said.

One person that didn’t cancel was Al Michaels, who was working for ABC at the time.

Not only did Michaels not cancel, but he was on Talk2 the night after the infamous interview, which turned into a physical altercation aired.

“I said ‘Al, I cannot tell you how much this means to me,. Why did you not cancel?’. He said ‘Because you’re a friend and I knew you needed it and I knew it would make a difference.’ You never forget stuff like that, do you?”

Rome told Te’o that he understands that Michaels, whether he knew it or not, was taking a risk. The broadcast legend showing up was proof that he was in Rome’s corner and helped Rome regain some credibility that he was worried could have been lost forever.

“People don’t want to associate or be attached to you if they think you’re toxic like that, and he didn’t cancel.”

Roxy Bernstein: ‘Bill Walton’s Persona Is An Entertaining Act’

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One of the enduring broadcast themes of college basketball season is Bill Walton’s calling Pac-12 games and doing so with a but of an untethered flare. Roxy Bernstein, one of Walton’s broadcast partners, says it’s a deliberate attempt to be interesting.

“I think people see this caricature on television,” Bernstein said. “Let me clue you in on a secret and pull back the curtain here: it’s an act.”

Bernstein made these comments as a guest on Announcer Schedules the Podcast. He talked about Walton’s style being one that suits him to satisfy his own happiness.

“If he wanted to be a cookie-cutter analyst, he’s done that. He could do it,” commented Bernstein. “But Bill, I think this is good simulation for him. His ability to inform the audience and make it a well-rounded broadcast, to culture the audience so there’s just laser-focused in on this game.”

Bernstein also noted that when you see Walton and his play-by-play partner for the first time on television, it’s often the first time they are speaking to each other.

“He never opens the door to what is going to happen that night,” said Bernstein. “Essentially the first conversation of that day that we are having is, ‘Hi, welcome to Pauley Pavilion. Along with the Hall of Famer Bill Walton, I’m Roxy Bernstein’. That’s the first time we are really talking all day.”

Michael Grady Named Play-By-Play Announcer of the Minnesota Timberwolves

BSM Staff
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The Minnesota Timberwolves, in partnership with Bally Sports North, named Michael Grady as their new television play-by-play announcer.

Grady, 39, will partner with color analyst Jim Petersen.

“Michael’s extensive knowledge of the game and his genuine on-air style make him the perfect fit for this role,” said Timberwolves & Lynx Chief Executive Officer Ethan Casson. “As Michael returns to his Midwest roots, we couldn’t be more excited to have his voice on the call for Timberwolves games for seasons to come.”

Grady spent the last six years with the YES Network as the Brooklyn Nets courtside reporter. He does have previous NBA television play-by-play experience including work with the New York Liberty, Turner Sports, NBATV and the 2022 WNBA Commissioners Cup. He also sas called play-by-play for college basketball and college football games for CBS.

“Today is a thrilling day for myself and my family as this has been my lifelong dream to be an NBA play-by-play announcer,” said Grady. “I can’t wait to join Jim Petersen and the rest of the Bally Sports North crew calling games for this exciting franchise. I also look forward to interacting with our phenomenal Timberwolves fans and partners in the community to continue to tell the stories of this great basketball state.”

“Michael’s unique background and basketball acumen will serve him well in his new role,” said Executive Producer for Bally Sports North Tony Tortorici. “Fans will enjoy his smooth delivery for this exciting new era of Timberwolves basketball and he will be a great compliment to longtime Timberwolves analyst Jim Petersen.”

Joe Starkey, Voice of the Cal Golden Bears and of “The Play,” To Retire After 2022

BSM Staff
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Joe Starkey will call it a career after the 2022 season, his 48th as voice of the California Golden Bears.

Starkey, best known for his call of “The Play” during the 1982 Cal/Stanford game, will turn 81 in October.

California will have a memorable season for Starkey’s final one with the team. Cal plays Notre Dame for the first time in 55 years. They will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of “The Play” when the two teams square up in the 125th edition of the Big Game.

“It has been an incredible privilege to have the best seat in the house to watch Cal football since 1975,” Starkey said. “My first position in sportscasting was in 1972, and I have had some truly special assignments. But of all the places I have worked, the one constant has been Cal football.

Cal will celebrate “Joe Starkey Day” for the team’s regular-season finale against UCLA. Starkey began his career at Cal in 1975 and has been on the call for 538 of the 545 Cal football contests since. He celebrated his 500th Cal game against Oregon on Sept. 29, 2018.

“Joe Starkey’s commitment and service to Cal football have been unwavering for nearly a half-century,” Cal’s Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said. “I’m excited to celebrate and honor all of Joe’s great work over the years and make 2022 his best season yet with the Bears. He will always have a home in Berkeley and with Cal football.”  

Keith Olbermann Shares Paul Harvey’s ‘Terrible, Dark, Evil Secret’

BNM Staff
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Keith Olbermann Shares Paul Harvey’s ‘Terrible, Dark, Evil Secret’

During the Thursday version of his Countdown with Keith Olbermann podcast, Olbermann described in his “Things I Promised Not To Tell” segment the details of how he nearly became the successor to Paul Harvey at ABC Radio, and how he learned what Harvey viewed as his “terrible, dark, evil secret”.

“No one could mention this,” said Olbermann. “Nor the name of the other person involved. Nor the nature of the terrible thing that had happened on fear of absolute banishment from the world of Paul Harvey. The ABC executive who told me this story would not even tell it to me inside the ABC Radio news headquarters. We went and had coffee at a diner and he kept looking around to make sure nobody else was there from the network.”

Olbermann shared how ABC Radio executives liked the young newcaster so much they helped him move from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Chicago and would use him as a backup host.

“The guy that Paul Harvey backed up in the late 40s and early 50s was named H.R. Baukage. He called himself just Baukage on the air and he was already a star news reporter in this country when they invented radio. He had covered World War I for several newspapers. He had gone to work for ABC Radio’s predecessor, the NBC Blue Network, in 1932.”

In 1951, Baukage was ABC TV’s news anchor, and also did a daily 15-minute news roundup on ABC Radio. But when he went on a vacation in 1951, his role changed.

“They asked that kid from Chicago, Paul Harvey, to fill in for Baukage,” Olbermann shared. “Baukage was 62 and it was sure great that he had covered World War I but that was literally an entire World War before the one everyone was still talking about in 1951. ABC executives liked the young, brash, dramatic Paul Harvey and so when Baukage came back, they fired him. They gave Paul Harvey Baukage’s show. But you weren’t allowed to know that. It’s not on the web, except in a transcript o the obit I did when Paul Harvey died.

Olbermann then stated another secret: He updates Paul Harvey’s Wikipedia page “every couple years” to share that Harvey took over for H.R. Baukage, and waits to see how long it takes someone else to remove it. He then went on to share how Harvey feared the same situation might happen to him someday.

“This was Paul Harvey’s terrible, dark, evil secret. His big break was the guy he was filling in for got fired. I don’t think — having studied this as best I could — that Paul Harvey got H.R. Baukage fired. Nor did my boss at ABC think that. But over 50 years, Paul Harvey began to believe, not only that he got H.R. Baukage fired, but that some day God would avenge poor Baukage, and on that one day, Paul Harvey would get fired and be replaced by some guy who filled in for him while he was on vacation.

“Thus, Paul Harvey never took all the vacation time ABC owed him. Not even in year 58 of his tenure at the network. And he got up at 3:30 every morning to get to the studio or 1:30 when he was broadcasting from his other home in Arizona because he was convinced ABC would someday ‘Baukage’ him.”

Olbermann then detailed how the same ABC executive who told him Harvey’s fear of the Baukage story getting out told him they needed to plan for an eventual replacement for the venerable newsman. It centered around Olbermann beginning a Sunday format similar to Harvey’s, as someone familiar to Harvey’s listeners would be the easiest way to replace the legend…until someone mentioned the plan to Harvey.

“‘This what will now happen,” Olbermann said as he imitated Harvey. “‘You will fly to Chicago tomorrow with a new contract for me, Paul Harvey. This contract will be for the same terms and length as the current one but it will include one paragraph spelling out that Keith Olbermann will never again appear on Paul Harvey News and Comment. And another paragraph stating there will never be a seventh day of Paul Harvey News and Comment with or without Paul Harvey or I resign’.

“Paul knew in his heart the time had come. Paul Harvey’s Paul Harvey was at the door. So, he had to kill him.”

Brian Stelter Out at CNN After ‘Reliable Sources’ Cancellation

BNM Staff
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CNN host Brian Stelter is set to depart after his weekly media show, Reliable Sources has been cancelled.

In a statement to NPR, Stelter said “It was a rare privilege to lead a weekly show focused on the press at a time when it has never been more consequential,” noting that Sunday would be the final episode.

According to a report from The Daily Beast, Stelter had been at odds with the direction of the network after the departure of CNN President Jeff Zucker.

Stelter came to CNN after working as a media reporter for The New York Times. CNN President Chris Licht informed Stelter, the host of the network’s longest running show, of the cancellation yesterday.

“CNN will end its Reliable Sources program on Sunday, August 21st. As a result Brian Stelter will leave the company. We appreciate his contributions to the network and wish him well as he embarks on new endeavors,” a network spokesperson told Mediaite.

Stelter had agreed to host a daily episode of Reliable Sources on CNN+, but the streaming platform was disbanded shortly thereafter.

‘ACC PM’ Pairing Tre Boston, Taylor Tannebaum With Mark Packer

BSM Staff
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‘ACC PM’ Pairing Tre Boston, Taylor Tannebaum With Mark Packer

Former NFL safety Tre Boston and WTHR-TV Sports Reporter Taylor Tannebaum have been paired with Mark Packer for ACC PM, the new daily studio show for the ACC Network.

ACC PM will air daily from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, and will be centered around delivering news and commentary on the 15 ACC institutions.

“We are excited to have Taylor and Tre join our ACCN team and team up with Pack in the basement” said Aaron Katzman, ACCN coordinating producer. “All three have special ties to the ACC with Taylor growing up in South Florida and graduating from FSU, Tre being a star on the football field at UNC, and no one is as well-versed about the conference as Mark. This trio will be sure to entertain, engage and educate viewers every weekday afternoon.” 

Boston, a North Carolina grad, was drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He played five seasons in Carolina, while also spending time with the Chargers and Cardinals.

“This is truly a blessing and I’m thankful for ESPN and ACCN for the opportunity to be a part of the network and help launch the new afternoon show,” said Boston. “I love to talk, and this is a professional step I’ve always wanted to take. Mark Packer is the one of the best in the business and Taylor brings a unique and fresh perspective that I’m eager to learn from and grow with. I’m an ACC guy, so to be able to talk ACC football and sports every afternoon is a match made in heaven.”

Tannebaum, a Florida State alumna, has worked as a local sports reporter, spending the past four years in Indianapolis. She began her career in Huntsville, Alabama before moving to Dothan, Alabama.

“Ever since ACCN launched in 2019, it’s been a dream of mine to be a part of it,” said Tannebaum. “As a Florida State alum, I take great pride in the ACC and I’m humbled to be given the opportunity to highlight the conference every day. Even more exciting is the chance to join forces with Mark Packer and Tre Boston to bring viewers and fans a mix of in-depth insight and personality on ACC PM each afternoon. It’s a team I’m honored to be a part of and a product we are thrilled to share.”

The debut show will be Monday, August 22nd. The show will hit the road to begin the college football season, as they’ll be in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for week 0 as UNC plays host to Florida A&M.

Andrew Williams Named Brand Manager of BetQL Network

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Andrew Williams Named Brand Manager of BetQL Network

Audacy has announced Andrew Williams as the Brand Manager of the BetQL Network, the company’s sports betting platform.

Williams comes to BetQL after working as the Senior Producer for SiriusXM FC. He has also spent the past year as the Executive Podcast Producer for Chicago Fire FC.

“I am delighted and honored to join the BetQL Network and the Audacy family,” Williams said. “The opportunity to join the leaders in Wagertainment is something that I could not pass up. My family and I are extremely excited about this next chapter.”

“Andrew possesses a proven track record of creatively reaching audiences through the creation and development of rich multimedia content, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to BetQL Network as that is one of the core principles of the network,” said Matthew Volk, Audacy Senior Vice President of Sports. “We look forward to welcoming him and his leadership to our brand, which has seen rapid growth across all platforms over the last year, and watching his experience and expertise help continue to grow the network.”

BetQL Network distributes roughly 100 hours of original content per week on the Audacy and BetQL digital platforms, and features shows like BetQL Daily, You Better You Bet, The Daily Tip, and BetMGM Tonight.

Williams will be based in Washington DC and will oversee all producers, talent, and audio content for the network.

Reese Waters Exits The Team 980

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Reese Waters Exits The Team 980

In what appears to be another budget cut from Audacy, The Reese Waters Show on The Team 980 has been cancelled.

“It is in fact true The Reese Waters Show on The Team 980 has come to an end,” Waters confirmed during a video posted to Twitter. Waters went on to thank his producers, guests, and listeners for helping him grow both personally and professionally during his stint hosting the show.

Waters, who told Barrett Sports Media his sportscasting career began by happenstance, joined the station in February of 2021. His show aired from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM daily. He will remain the host of Open Mic on WUSA TV.

Audcay has made several cuts over the last week. Jerry Coleman has departed 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore, while the entire staff of 1250 The Fan in Milwaukee was dismissed.

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