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77 WABC’s Sid Rosenberg Opens Up About His Repeated Israel Visits

Garrett Searight
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77 WABC’s Sid Rosenberg Opens Up About His Repeated Israel Visits

When Sid Rosenberg boarded a plane for Israel in January 2024, he entered a country still reeling from the October 7 terrorist attacks. The longtime 77 WABC host became the first news/talk radio personality to take his show to Israel after the attacks, broadcasting from a nation at war while many observers watched from afar.

More than two years later, Rosenberg continues to return. The host of Sid & Friends in the Morning is preparing for what will be his fifth trip to Israel since the attacks. While previous visits centered on live broadcasts from the country, this trip carries a different purpose. Rosenberg will speak at the JNS International Policy Summit while also visiting parts of the country he hasn’t previously explored.

Still, his reasons for returning remain largely unchanged.

“I knew when I went that first time that I’d be going back,” Rosenberg said. “This is going to be my fifth trip.”

For Rosenberg, the connection extends beyond professional obligations. He says the relationships he’s built and the experiences he’s had in Israel have made the country a regular destination rather than a one-time assignment. The 77 WABC host recalled first meeting JNS CEO Alex Traiman shortly after the attacks. Rosenberg heard Traiman on the radio while searching for voices who could explain conditions on the ground in Jerusalem.

That interview led to a friendship that continues today.

“I think he’s been on my show nearly 200 times since October 9, 2023,” Rosenberg said. “Whenever I go to Israel and do my shows live from Israel, I do them from his studios in Jerusalem.”

More Than a Broadcast Trip

Although Rosenberg’s first trip generated headlines because of its timing, he said the decision wasn’t driven by publicity. Instead, he viewed the journey as something he had wanted to do long before the attacks occurred.

“For the first 56 years of my life, I’d never gone,” Rosenberg said. “Then I went three months after October 7. The war was raging. There was still blood in the kibbutzim. It was a really scary time.”

That visit changed his perspective. As a result, Rosenberg made a commitment to return regularly. He said he decided after that first experience that he would visit Israel at least once or twice each year. He’s followed through on that promise.

“This trip is more of a vacation than work, which is the first time I can say that about Israel,” Rosenberg said. “But after that first visit, I decided I would go at least once, maybe twice, every year, and I’ve kept that promise.”

The upcoming visit also differs from previous trips because Rosenberg won’t broadcast his radio show from Israel. Instead, he’ll participate in the International Policy Summit alongside prominent political and media figures.

“It’s a huge honor to be speaking alongside Netanyahu, Huckabee, and all these other people,” Rosenberg said.

Seeing Israel Firsthand

Rosenberg believes one of the biggest problems in discussions about Israel is that many people offer strong opinions without ever visiting the country. Consequently, he argues that firsthand experience provides a level of understanding that’s difficult to replicate through television coverage or social media commentary.

“A lot of people have opinions about Israel,” Rosenberg said. “The truth is that a lot of people in my business are buying into narratives that Israel is committing genocide and killing babies. They don’t really know because they don’t go there.”

He pointed to the interactions he has witnessed between different groups living throughout the country.

“You have Muslims, Christians, Jews, and others living together in Jerusalem,” Rosenberg said. “For the most part, they get along very well.”

Because of those experiences, Rosenberg believes his visits help him provide listeners with a more informed perspective when discussing events in the region.

“I’ve been there. I’ve seen this. I’ve experienced that,” he said. “It does lend credibility to what I’m saying.”

Yet Rosenberg insists credibility isn’t the primary reason he boards a plane for Israel.

A Connection That Keeps Growing

The host acknowledged that many people travel to Israel for different reasons. His connection, however, has deepened with each visit. Relationships formed through his work have become friendships. Professional contacts have welcomed him into their homes. Meanwhile, repeated trips have allowed him to see parts of the country that most visitors never experience.

“We’ve become very close,” Rosenberg said of his friendship with Traiman and his family.

That connection helps explain why Rosenberg continues returning even when travel to the region presents challenges. His upcoming trip nearly changed after recent military tensions involving Iran created uncertainty about travel conditions. Rosenberg said his wife and son ultimately decided not to make the trip because of concerns about safety. Despite that uncertainty, he still plans to go.

“A week from today, my intent is still to go,” Rosenberg said.

Ultimately, Rosenberg says his reason for returning comes down to identity, faith, and a personal connection to the country.

“I go because I’m Jewish,” Rosenberg said. “I believe every Jew should visit Israel at some point.”

The veteran host says he feels different every time he arrives.

“I love my people. I love the country. It’s a beautiful place,” Rosenberg said. “I feel different when I’m there.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Why Podcast Advertisers Shouldn’t Let the Skip Button Keep Them Away

Garrett Searight
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Why Podcast Advertisers Shouldn’t Let the Skip Button Keep Them Away

The numbers look bad on the surface. A new YouGov study of more than 1,300 media consumers — spanning radio, audio podcasts, video podcasts, and streaming music — found that podcast advertising takes a beating when listeners have the option to tune out. A full 52% of respondents say they usually skip or tune out when an ad plays during a podcast. Another 16% say they sometimes do the same. Add those together, and you’re looking at nearly seven in ten listeners actively avoiding the ads your brand is paying for.

That’s a tough pill to swallow. Advertisers put real money into podcast campaigns, and they reasonably expect the audience to hear their message. So when data like this surfaces, it’s fair to wonder whether podcasting is actually worth the investment.

But here’s the thing — it still is. And the same study tells you exactly why.

The Host-Read Advantage Changes Everything

Despite those alarming skip rates, only 25% of the same respondents identified podcast ads as the most annoying or disruptive advertising format they encounter. That figure looks dramatically different when stacked against the competition. Online display ads drew the annoying label from 50% of respondents. YouTube and other video platforms came in at 46%. TV and video streaming ads landed at 42%. Podcasting, for all its skip-button vulnerability, still ranks as the least irritating format in the bunch.

That gap doesn’t happen by accident. It reflects one of the defining strengths of the podcast format: host-read advertising. When a podcast host transitions from content into an ad without the listener fully registering the shift, engagement stays high. The host has already built trust. The audience is already locked in. A well-executed host-read ad doesn’t feel like an interruption — it feels like a recommendation from someone the listener already respects.

That’s a fundamentally different dynamic than a pre-roll ad on YouTube or a banner that clutters a webpage. Those formats announce themselves as intrusions. Host-read podcast ads, done right, don’t.

What Smart Advertisers Should Take Away

The lesson here isn’t to flee podcasting. It’s to approach it correctly. Brands that drop a produced spot into a podcast feed and expect the same results as a host-read campaign are setting themselves up for disappointment. The format rewards authenticity, and it punishes lazy execution.

Host-read ads give advertisers something rare in today’s fragmented media environment — a genuinely engaged audience that trusts the voice delivering the message. That trust transfers. It’s also worth noting that the podcasting space continues to attract premium audiences with significant purchasing power, which makes even partial engagement more valuable than it might appear.

Yes, listeners skip ads. They do that everywhere. The difference with podcasting is that the genre offers a built-in workaround that most other media can’t replicate. Use it. Partner with hosts who connect authentically with their audiences. Write copy that sounds natural in their voice. Give the host room to make the pitch their own.

The skip button is real. But so is the opportunity — and advertisers who understand how this medium actually works won’t let a YouGov chart talk them out of one of the most effective placements available.

Women In Radio’s Meaghan Taylor on Mentorship vs. Sponsorship in Radio

Bethany Kent
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Women In Radio’s Meaghan Taylor on Mentorship vs. Sponsorship in Radio

Meaghan Taylor founded Women in Radio in 2016. She did it because she felt alone in an industry that had no infrastructure for bringing women together. A decade later, she runs a national organization, produces content for the Steve Harvey Morning Show, and just launched a ten-city dinner tour. She is not slowing down.

I caught up with Tayor to talk about what’s changed, what hasn’t, and why she’s rewriting the rules on how women get ahead in radio.

The Industry Has Moved. Just Not Far Enough.

Taylor credits the industry for one real shift: companies are now investing in their women, hosting events, and building internal communities.

“When I started, you found your sisterhood by accident, if you found it at all,” she said. “Now I can see the industry intentionally creating those spaces.”

But she draws a hard line between presence and power.

“Walk into most buildings and you’ll see women everywhere except where the decisions get made,” she said. “We’ve made enormous progress on presence. We have not made enough progress on power.”

Programming chairs. Ownership. Budget meetings. Those seats are still overwhelmingly male.

The Real Problem Isn’t Mentorship. It’s Sponsorship.

Ask Taylor about the PD pipeline and she doesn’t hedge. She calls it both a pipeline and a promotion problem — but says neither gets fixed without solving something deeper.

“Underneath both of those is what I’d call a sponsorship problem,” she said.

Mentorship is not the same thing as sponsorship. Taylor is clear on that distinction.

“A sponsor is the person who walks into a room you’re not in and talks openly about you,” she said. “That’s what moves careers.”

She points to Thea Mitchem and Monica Barnes as the women who did that for her. Taylor says that they opened doors she couldn’t have found alone. She calls herself lucky — and then immediately rejects luck as a system.

“For every woman who finds her Thea or her Monica, there are dozens of equally talented women who never cross paths with someone willing to say their name in the right room,” she said. “Sponsorship shouldn’t be a lottery ticket. It should be infrastructure.”

That’s the work Women in Radio does. Curated rooms. Intentional introductions. A vetted community designed to make sponsorship structural rather than accidental.

Atlanta in March 2020 Changed Everything

Taylor didn’t know Women in Radio was a movement until a room proved it to her. The moment came in Atlanta, three days before COVID shut the world down.

“None of us knew what was about to happen,” she said. “We were in this huge club/lounge, and the women just came. They showed up and supported, and we filled every single seat.”

She knew then the demand was real — not a follower count, not a bot. Real women showing up in person.

Why Ten Cities and Thirty-Five Seats

The 2026 Women in Radio National Tour is intimate by design. Thirty-five women per city. Ten cities total. The format wasn’t born from strategy — it started with budget reality.

When I asked her about why she switched from one large annual conference to a series of more intimate events, Taylor said “I’ll be honest with you: money. A couple of years ago, brands were sponsoring conferences and just about everything we did. That hasn’t been happening lately.”

The constraint forced a pivot. And the pivot turned out to be the best decision she’s made.

“When we were doing conferences, there was no way I could touch and talk to 150 or 200 people,” she said. “This is more intimate. I actually get to know people. I become real friends with them.”

She’s not going back.

The tour’s real metric isn’t attendance. It’s what happens after. Taylor points to Washington, D.C. as the proof point. She needed last-minute volunteers. Women stepped up fast. Then the messages came — gratitude, friendships, connections that kept going after the event ended.

“Attendance tells me people showed up,” she said. “Gratitude and friendships that outlive the night tell me the tour is doing its job.”

One Thread Across Every Market

The tour hits cities like New York, Chicago, LA, Houston. Heavy markets. Taylor expects the conversations to sound different city to city. They don’t.

“The beautiful thing is that the conversations are the same,” she said. “What one woman is feeling in Atlanta, another woman is feeling the exact same way in DC.”

That’s both comforting and frustrating, depending on the topic. The markets have their own flavor. The story doesn’t change.

Each city honors one woman for her impact. The honoree looks different everywhere, but the through line holds.

“She’s involved in her community. She mentors. And she’s a total badass at her job,” Taylor said. “It’s not just what she accomplished. It’s that her city can point to her and say, she poured into us.”

What Programmers Still Don’t Understand About Digital

Taylor produces digital content for one of the biggest morning shows in the country. She watches programmers treat digital and terrestrial as competing forces. That’s the wrong frame.

“Too many programmers treat it as either-or,” she said. “The stations that figure out how to link them intentionally are going to win the next decade.”

Social-exclusive content builds platform identity. On-air moments traveling online bring new listeners to the dial. Done right, they feed each other.

The Sisterhood Is Permanent

Taylor is clear about the future of Women in Radio. The need doesn’t expire.

“Ten years from now, success looks like that network being so established that no woman enters this industry feeling what I felt in 2016,” she said. “The fight will evolve, but the sisterhood is forever.”

And for the female leader reading this right now? Taylor has one thing she wants her to consider.

“The difference between mentoring and sponsoring. That’s what I want her to sit with. Then I want her to find a woman in her station, her cluster, her city, her state, wherever, and really sponsor her. Really understand her. Say her name in the rooms she’s not in yet. Because there are women right by you who need to be seen and shown up for.”

“You don’t have to look far. She’s already in the building.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Papa Keith Leaves 103.5 The Beat Miami Afternoons for iHeartMedia Corporate Role

David Hill
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Papa Keith Leaves 103.5 The Beat Miami Afternoons for iHeartMedia Corporate Role

A South Florida radio era is ending. iHeartMedia is overhauling the on-air lineup at hip-hop WMIB 103.5 The Beat in Miami.

What We Know: Longtime afternoon host “Papa Keith” Walcott is transitioning after more than a decade on afternoons. He moves into a new role as National Brand Partnerships Multicultural Specialist for iHeartMedia. DJ Entice steps up from evenings to replace him in afternoons. Slim City and Billy Blue will handle nights from 6–10pm, while Ferrari and BT from Atlanta’s 96.1 The Beat add late nights from 10pm to 2am.

What They Said: Walcott reflected on the move with both gratitude and excitement. “For more than 30 years, radio has given me the opportunity to connect with the community,” he said. “As I pass the torch to DJ Entice, someone who represents the energy and passion of 103.5 The Beat, I know afternoons are in great hands.” Market President Shari Gonzalez called Walcott’s impact on South Florida radio decades deep, adding the station is “excited to see his impact continue to grow both on and off the air.”

What Remains Unclear: No timeline has been announced for when the new lineup officially launches. Additionally, it’s unclear whether Walcott’s “Common Sense PhD.” podcast will expand in scope under his new corporate platform. His Saturday morning show continues, but further details about that role remain vague.

What It Means: Papa Keith’s departure from afternoons leaves a notable void. He spent more than a decade building loyalty and cultural credibility in that daypart. DJ Entice is talented and well-positioned — but replacing a voice that ingrained in a market is never simple. South Florida listeners will ultimately decide how that transition lands.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

KNZR Host Jaz McKay Exits, Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Added to Daily Lineup

Garrett Searight
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KNZR Host Jaz McKay Exits, Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Added to Daily Lineup

KNZR host Jaz McKay has departed the station. A national show is set to replace the local talent.

What We Know: McKay originally exited the station in 2018 amid pushback about comments made on his personal Facebook account. However, after serving as a guest host earlier this year, he returned in the 9-12 AM PT window. However, he has announced his exit from the show. In his stead, The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show has been added to the KNZR lineup. McKay was slated to move to afternoon drive on Monday before his exit.

What They Said: “I’m done with radio for good I think…I don’t need the aggravation of working with jerks. And I’m good with it … I just can’t work with people who really don’t want to be working with me. I don’t need it.” -Jaz McKay

What Remains Unclear: What led to McKay’s departure. He did not elaborate on what led him to exit the program. McKay alluded to an issue with the station’s program director. However, he did not elaborate further.

What It Means: It marks another affiliate for The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, which continues to add to its reach. However, it is the loss of what was the only local program originating from KNZR. The Bakersfield market should be large enough to support a local show.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

8% of Podcast Listeners Pay Attention to Ads, New YouGov Study Shows

Garrett Searight
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8% of Podcast Listeners Pay Attention to Ads, New YouGov Study Shows

One of the major questions podcast advertisers have is how many people skip their spots. New YouGov data puts that question into perspective.

What We Know: A YouGov study of more than 1,300 media consumers who listen to radio, audio podcasts, video podcasts, and streaming music showed that the overwhelming majority either usually or sometimes skip podcast advertisements.

What the Numbers Show:

Response When an Ad Plays During a PodcastPercentage
I usually skip or tune out52%
I sometimes skip or tune out16%
It depends on the ad12%
I usually listen to or watch the ad8%
Don’t know8%
I stop listening or watching altogether4%

Despite the figures, only 25% of those same respondents said that podcast ads were the most annoying or disruptive. That figure pales in comparison to online display ads (50%), YouTube/other video platforms (46%), and TV/video streaming ads (42%).

What They Said: “One of the most distinctive things about podcast ads is how frequently they’re not listened to. Half of Americans who answered say they usually skip or tune out podcast ads when they come on.” –YouGov Senior Business Data Journalist Clifton Mark

What It Means: Podcast advertising has continually risen in recent years. The data from YouGov puts into perspective how much of it is skipped. Despite those figures, the audience is largely not annoyed or turned off by the advertisements, however. The abundance of host-read ads could be one of the major reasons why that figure is noticeably lower than other formats.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Beasley Tampa Taps Will Calder as New Operations Manager

David Hill
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Beasley Tampa Taps Will Calder as New Operations Manager

Beasley Media Group has a new leader in Tampa. Will Calder joins the company as Operations Manager of its six-station cluster, effective today.

What We Know: Calder steps into a role overseeing programming and brand strategy for WLLD-FM, WQYK-FM, WRBQ-FM, WYUU-FM, and WHFS-AM. He most recently served as Director of Programming and Operations at Audacy’s Power 96 in Miami. He also managed Mix 105.1 in Orlando. Calder previously worked in Tampa at Cox Media Group’s Hot 101.5, giving him direct familiarity with the market.

What They Said: Chief Content Officer Justin Chase spoke directly to Calder’s fit for the position. “Will is an outstanding programmer and leader with a proven track record of building great brands, developing talent, and driving results,” Chase said. “Having previously worked in the Tampa market, he understands both our audience and our opportunity.” Market Manager Ron deCastro added that few people understand Florida radio as well as Calder does.

What Remains Unclear: Calder succeeds Rick Thomas, who departed recently to pursue his next chapter. No details have been released about Thomas’s next move. It’s also unclear how quickly Calder will begin implementing changes across the cluster’s brands.

What It Means: Beasley Tampa is signaling a clear focus on brand-building and local relevance. Calder brings experience across multiple Florida markets — a meaningful advantage in a competitive radio landscape. His arrival suggests the company is prioritizing proven programming leadership at the cluster level. For a group with strong legacy brands, that kind of continuity-minded hire could matter.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber: Sports Rights Will Continue To Grow On Streaming Platforms

John Mamola
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MLS Commissioner Don Garber: Sports Rights Will Continue To Grow On Streaming Platforms

MLS Commissioner Don Garber told CNBC’s Alex Sherman he has no regrets about the league’s landmark Apple streaming deal. He does, however, admit the added paywall and timing wasn’t right for the market.

What We Know: MLS signed a 10-year, $2.5 billion exclusive deal with Apple in 2022 — the first of its kind for a global sports property. For three seasons, most games were locked behind the MLS Season Pass paywall, an added $99-per-season cost beyond Apple TV’s base subscription. Average viewership fell sharply. Before the 2026 season, MLS and Apple eliminated that second paywall, making every game available to standard Apple TV subscribers at no extra charge. The deal was also restructured to end after the 2029 season.

What They Said: (all quotes via CNBC)

MLS Commissioner Don Garber doesn’t regret the Apple media rights deal with MLS: “It was a great idea. You’re running a business, particularly one that’s got to be bold and innovative. Shame on us if we didn’t go and take the risk of being the first global property to ever go and stream their games. Honestly, it wasn’t about money. Because when you’re dealing with the amount of money they were paying in a multi billion dollar business, it was about the idea of what Apple could do to bring us to a global audience with easy access on any internet of device. Plus to have the promotion, energy, innovation, and technology of Apple behind us, and focusing it on us.”

MLS Commissioner Don Garber believes the MLS rights deal with Apple may have taught lessons: “I’m really happy where we are today. The experiment of a paid subscription didn’t work. Do I think we’re going there at some point in the future? Maybe five years, maybe 10 years? I agree with that, but we were early.”

MLS Commissioner Don Garber believes media rights will continue to grow with streaming platforms: “I’m a big believer in the digital transformation. A big believer that the world is moving to Netflix airing sports. When I was out in the market, they said never. I think they are very smart in what they do, their event strategy. Bella [Bajaria] and Ted [Sarandos] are doing a great job, but times change. A couple years ago they weren’t in sports at all. A couple years ago, Amazon, YouTube wasn’t doing sports. Today, they have Sunday Ticket and all the other things they’re doing. Years from now, this business is going to look dramatically different than it did when we went out to market. So, what it looks like when we’re negotiating our new media deal two and a half years from now, I can’t say.”

What Remains Unclear: MLS’s revised Apple deal now runs through the 2029 season. The league’s limited linear package with FOX Sports expires at the end of this season. Furthermore, exactly which streaming platforms — and at what rights value — will be in play when MLS returns to market remains to be seen.

What It Means: Garber’s comments reflect a commissioner at peace with a bold bet that arrived ahead of its time. And the changes that needed to be made with it. The streaming landscape he described — Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube all now active sports players — validates his long-term thesis. Even if MLS paid a viewership price in the short term. With the 2026 World Cup generating soccer momentum across North America, the league’s next media rights negotiation could land in a far more favorable environment than the one it left behind. Especially one that fits Garber’s feelings that streaming is the future over broadcast.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Lesley Stahl Inks Contract Extension with 60 Minutes

Garrett Searight
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Lesley Stahl Inks Contract Extension with 60 Minutes

After a tumultuous period, pen has been put to paper. Lesley Stahl is remaining with 60 Minutes.

What We Know: Stahl has signed a two-year extension to remain with 60 Minutes, according to a report from Status’ Oliver Darcy. She has been a 60 Minutes correspondent since 1991.

What’s At Stake: Stahl’s extension comes after she, Jon Wortheim, and Bill Whitaker announced they would remain with the show following the upheaval after the end of the most recent season. Currently, those three are the only correspondents on staff. Cecilia Vega, Sharyn Alfonsi, and Scott Pelley were all fired by the network. Anderson Cooper declined to renew his contract with the news magazine.

What Remains Unclear: If Whitaker and Wortheim signed similar contract extensions. No statements have been made about their contractual status. It is also unclear if Lesley Stahl views this as her final contract with the network. She turns 85 during the upcoming season of the show.

What It Means: Solidifying Lesley Stahl’s status with the show is a win for CBS News. There were legitimate concerns about whether or not she, Whitaker, and Wortheim would return. Her institutional knowledge of the show, the network, and colleagues is a benefit to Bari Weiss and Nick Bilton as they reshape the program.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

93.5/107.5 The Fan Shifts Query & Company, Adds The Rich Eisen Show Beginning Monday

John Mamola
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93.5/107.5 The Fan Shifts Query & Company, Adds The Rich Eisen Show Beginning Monday

Changes are coming to Indianapolis’ sports radio leader, The Fan 93.5FM/107.5FM. Query & Company shifts to 10 a.m.–1 p.m., with The Rich Eisen Show sliding in immediately after from 1–3 p.m.

What We Know: The Fan is restructuring its weekday schedule. Query & Company, hosted by Jake Query, moves earlier to 10 a.m. The Rich Eisen Show fills the 1–3 p.m. slot beginning June 15. The move will eliminate ESPN Radio syndication from 10am-12pm. The daypart has been without a permanent host since Clinton Yates departed ESPN Radio is late March.

What They Said: Andrea Kahrer, Vice President and General Manager for Radio One Indiana: “As listener habits continue to evolve, it’s important that our lineup evolves with them. Moving Query & Company up in the day allows us to build on the momentum Jake has established. All while creating a stronger, more cohesive programming strategy across the entire day. The addition of Rich Eisen gives our audiences access to one of the more respected voices in sports, making the Fan’s weekday lineup stronger.”

Program Director David Wood: “We are thrilled to add Rich Eisen to The Fan lineup. Rich has built a national reputation for credibility, intelligence, and entertaining conversation. His ability to connect with sports fans while delivering thoughtful analysis makes him a perfect addition to our programming.”

What Remains Unclear: Whether or not considerations will be made at a later date to include the first hour of Rich Eisen’s program on the station.

What It Means: Without a permanent host named for over two months on ESPN Radio, the move makes sense for The Fan. Shift your syndication plan to a proven entity in Eisen, while expanding your morning programming to a local voice. Whether or not this becomes a trend among stations that used to carry Clinton & Friends is unknown. However, perhaps The Fan saw better opportunity for growth with expansion in mornings instead of catering to middays.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

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