We’re more than halfway thru the the 7th annual edition of the BSM Top 20. We started off with a look at the Top 20 National Sports Radio Shows. Next came the Major and Mid Market Morning Shows, and then yesterday, we revealed the Major and Mid Market Midday Shows. Which means today, we’re up to the Major and Mid Market Afternoon programs.
As you go over the selections, please remember that the lists represent the collective opinions of 46 industry executives. Yours truly does not vote. I’d like to thank Stephanie Eads, Dylan Barrett and Demetri Ravanos for helping me with the Top 20 process, and Point to Point for being our exclusive sponsor for this year’s Top 20. Tim Bronsil and his staff are a valued resource to many across the media industry, and if you’re not familiar with their work, you need to make time to learn more. That can be done by clicking here.
As it pertains to the voting, here are a few things to understand.
#1 – These results are based on 2021’s performance. 2022 changes have no impact on these outcomes. This means that any show that didn’t last in afternoon drive thru the end of 2021 and any program that arrived in the PM drive slot in 2022 are not eligible. This has been our one rule since starting this series in 2016.
#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, ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio, SiriusXM, Spotify, and independently owned and operated radio stations. We involve a large number of people in order to receive feedback from all parts of the country, as well as to avoid the results heavily favoring one company.
#3 – A total of 52 shows were eligible for voting consideration in the Mid Market Sports Radio Afternoon Shows category.
#4 – The executive panel picked their Top 20 shows based on a few factors; the ear test, ratings success, originality, ability to entertain, multi-platform impact, and on-air chemistry. Keep in mind that our voters live in different cities, have different tastes, and value certain factors higher than others. This isn’t a perfect science, but it’s the best system we’ve been able to come up with to showcase how sports radio’s brain trust view the best in the format.
And that now brings us to the rankings for this year’s Mid Market Sports Radio Afternoon Shows. Emerging victorious, the popular Columbus tandem of ‘Common Man and TBone‘ featuring Mike Ricordati and Jonathan Smith. The 97.1 The Fan afternoon show has been a mainstay in its market for years, and their 2021 ratings success and ability to entertain and inform was clearly a hit with our voters. The show led all afternoon programs in the category in first place votes with six (6). BSM congratulates Mike, Jonathan, Todd Markiewicz and the entire 97.1 The Fan crew on claiming this year’s top honor, and every other show which gained a spot on this year’s list.
Now, here are the full results of “BSM’s Top 20 Mid Market Sports Radio Afternoon Shows of 2021!”
Additional Notes:
Common Man & TBone finished nine (9) points ahead of The Gary Parrish Show, snagging a category high six (6) first place votes in the process. Pittsburgh’s Poni & Mueller had the second most first place votes with three (3).
21-25 was occupied by Cofield & Company on ESPN 1100/100.9 in Las Vegas, Inside Access w/ Ken Weinman and Jason LaCanfora on 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore, Sports Talk w/ Bobby Hebert & Kristian Garic on WWL in New Orleans, Sportsline w/ Chris & Marques on 107.5 The Fan in Green Bay and Sports Talk w/ John & Jimmy on WNML in Knoxville.
The closest contests involved Mark Madden and Jim Traber holding off Schopp & The Bulldog and Mo Egger by 1 point, and The Next Level fending off 3HL by 3 points.
Of the 52 shows eligible for consideration this year, 11 received at least one 1st place vote.
Here is the remaining schedule for the BSM Top 20 of 2021.
Friday February 11 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market Sports Radio Program Directors of 2021
Monday February 14 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market Sports Radio Stations of 2021
Tuesday February 15 = The Top 20 Original Sports Podcasts/Specialty Selections of 2021
To view prior years of BSM’s Top 20 results, click here.
The situation at CNN is reportedly boiling over with the relationship between Chris Wallace and anchor Jake Tapper quickly deteriorating.
According to Radar Online, Chris Wallace is “irate” following former president Jeff Zucker’s sudden resignation this week.
Additionally, Wallace and Jake Tapper may be feuding. “It’s no secret in DC that Wallace hates Jake Tapper,” a source told the website.
“Chris is the type of person who makes it known if he doesn’t like something,” the source told the outlet. “He went over there for Zucker and now Zucker is gone. Wallace feels that he has been stiffed. He’s got no staff, no Executive Producer and the guy he gave up a prized gig for has just walked out the door.”
Wallace is joining CNN+, the network’s soon-to-be-launched streaming service.
Last year, Wallace credited Zucker when announcing his decision to leave Fox News for CNN+.
“I am thrilled to join CNN+. After decades in broadcast and cable news, I am excited to explore the world of streaming,” he said.
A self-proclaimed Joe Rogan watchdog is sharing some of the “most hateful things” ever uttered by him on his Spotify podcast. According to Twitter, Alex Patterson is an LGBTQ researcher and Rogan watchdog at Media Matters.
“I get paid to listen to his podcast [by Media Matters] & want to remind people that he hasn’t changed,” Paterson posted. “Here are some of the most hateful things Joe has said in the past year and a half.”
Patterson shared a clip of Rogan discussing Angelina Jolie’s mental state.
“Crazy p—y is the best p—y … She’s clearly crazy,” Rogan stated. The podcaster would later learn that Jolie suffers from Bell’s palsy, an unexplained episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis.
Patterson highlighted an episode with Rogan talking to political commentator and author Douglas Murray discussing transgender people.
“Transgender people, it’s clearly a real thing … It’s existed throughout history. There’s always been people like that,” said Rogan. “What [author] Douglas Murray was saying is that some of them [in contemporary society] aren’t really that. They’re just latching onto this need to get attention, or to be special, to stand out, to be a victim.”
The old saying in sports and I guess life in general is, “Go big or go home.” NBC is taking that message to heart in quite a large way. The network that is currently airing some 2,800 hours of Olympics coverage from Beijing over its on-air and streaming platforms, will also be airing the Super Bowl this Sunday in Los Angeles. The folks at NBC are certainly hoping they haven’t bitten off more than they can chew in this case.
There are multiple storylines for the game broadcast, and I’m not talking about stories generated about the Los Angeles Rams or Cincinnati Bengals. NBC is saying goodbye to one important on-air talent and may be saying the same to a major part of its coverage of the NFL over the last decade-plus. There is a lot to digest here, so let’s start with the actual task of doing justice to both the Super Bowl and the Olympics simultaneously.
NBC is no stranger to either big event. The network has broadcast the Winter Olympics for years and has been the home for 19 previous Super Bowl telecasts. But this time around, the rarity of televising both huge events will prove to be a challenge, but one that NBC is looking forward to.
Fred Gaudelli is the executive producer of NBC’s Sunday Night Football and will be the game producer for Super Bowl LVI. This is the seventh Super Bowl for Gaudelli in this role. While the Olympics telecasts focus on not just the action, but the stories surrounding Team USA and others, the Super Bowl telecast will focus on Southern California.
“We had this idea to do an open that kind of merged Hollywood and the Super Bowl, and we were able to get Halle Berry to be the host of this open, and it’s a lot of movie clips of famous football movies. It’s obviously some Super Bowl clips and some really great cameos by Hollywood actors and Super Bowl luminaries,” Gaudelli said in a video conference.
“SoFi is a magnificent architectural structure and we show that off. If you want to say L.A. proper, I believe the last Super Bowl in L.A. proper would have been Miami and Washington when Miami completed the perfect season back in 1973.”
Gaudelli added that there will be a Los Angeles flavor in the look of the graphics and it will be “sprinkled in throughout the broadcast of the game.” The network will unveil new graphics and a new scorebug for the telecast.
There will be one face/voice tying both the Olympic coverage and Super Bowl coverage together for NBC: Mike Tirico. He is serving as the host for both the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl telecasts. Tirico will leave China and then return to Los Angeles for Super Bowl programming.
THE FINAL HURRAH?
Super Bowl LVI could be the last time on NBC for two of the network’s sports stars. One is leaving for sure. It has been announced that Michele Tafoya leave as sideline reporter after Sunday’s game. The other is Al Michaels, who is in the final year of his contract.
Zade Rosenthal
Michaels has been the voice of the NFL on NBC since the network got back into the football business in 2006. The 77-year-old hasn’t stated his future plans publicly, but said it was exciting to be a “free agent” for one of the few times in his career.
“I don’t know what I’ll be doing, but I do know I will have the opportunity to continue and I want to,” Michaels said earlier this week in an interview with The Associated Press. “The time is coming now after the Super Bowl where I will think about a lot of things. I’ve got a couple of people very close to me who I trust their judgment, insight, and what they’ll say in terms of what is next.”
This is Michaels’ fifth Super Bowl for NBC and his 11th overall, tying him with Pat Summerall for the most ever by a lead announcer.
“Pretty much before the season began, I knew that I wanted to just enjoy this year because it was the end of this particular deal,” Michaels said to the AP’s Joe Reedy. “I knew if I got distracted by other things, it would take away from just enjoying the people I work with and just having a hell of a time. And I’ve been able to do that.”
Both Super Bowl teams, the Rams and Bengals, tie into the life and career of Michaels. He rose to prominence in Cincinnati in 1971 when he was the Reds announcer for three seasons. On the other hand, Michaels lives within 10 miles of the Super Bowl location in Los Angeles. Thankfully, this will not be the last time we see Michaels on a football broadcast. He’s one of the best ever in the business and I’m glad to know we’ll see him somewhere next season.
The same may not be said for Tafoya. Her fifth Super Bowl assignment may be the last one for the veteran sideline reporter. In early January, the network announced she was leaving. The Super Bowl game will be her 327th NFL game.
“Some may consider me crazy to walk away from one of the more coveted roles in sports television, and I do not doubt that I will miss many aspects of the job,” Tafoya said in NBC’s press release.
“But for some time, I have been considering other areas I would like to explore both personally and professionally. I couldn’t ignore that little voice anymore after what we have all endured over the last few years. There’s no better way to walk away from covering the NFL than with one more Super Bowl!”
Tafoya’s media career began in 1993, and she started her current role with NBC Sports and Sunday Night Football in 2011. Tafoya has evolved into one of the top, if not the top, sideline reporter in the NFL. For those that may think the role of reporter isn’t an important one to a broadcast, well, you should probably think again. The stories told through her lens are powerful and meaningful to the broadcast.
If you don’t believe me, take the words of Michaels, who’s worked with Tafoya on ABC and NBC, with the NFL and the NBA. When he found out Tafoya was retiring, he described her in this way.
“Michele Tafoya is the perfect broadcast partner. I’ve worked with Michele on close to 350 telecasts and she always hits it out of the park. Her preparation is unmatched and her ability to convey what she’s addressing in the moment is flawless. And she does it in the snow or rain or heat or any element you can think of,” Michaels said to Bleacher Report.
“What she does on the air speaks for itself but what she does behind the scenes in fleshing out stories through the years has been invaluable to me and to John Madden, Cris Collinsworth, Doc Rivers, Hubie Brown, and every production unit she’s been a part of. And on top of all this is who she is—brilliant, funny, compassionate, understanding and a mom who just happens to have raised, along with husband Mark, two beautiful children. Working with Michele has been pure joy.”
Michaels hit on the key to Tafoya’s success over the years. Preparation. Putting in the work, well before the game she’ll be reporting on. The best of the best truly are ready to perform by the time the lights go on. Storylines before a game are critical and not just the obvious low-hanging fruit. Whichever team she is covering, you can be sure that her reports will be well-researched and presented in an upbeat and professional manner.
The importance of her position can’t be understated either. The viewer relies on the on-air reporter to provided updated information as the game goes forward. We want to know what the mood is on the sideline. What did the coach think of the first half and what does he plan to change or continue in the second half? What is the injury update on my favorite player? We lean on our sideline reporters for all of that information.
I preach that to my students at the Illinois Media School when they perform sideline reporting at basketball games. Be ready to go right when you get to the arena. In other words, come with a plan and be ready to execute it. Don’t give me stats, don’t give me information that will intrude on what the broadcasters in the booth are going to give the audience. Be a complimentary piece. Notice things, pay attention, and be ready at all times.
Tafoya will be missed because she’s pretty much perfected the craft. She makes it look easy. I know that it’s not, because I’ve tried my hand at it a few times. Her skill comes from a lot of hard work. Earning trust and forming relationships is paramount in her pursuit of information. The well-respected journalist isn’t afraid of the tough questions, but athletes know they’re going to get a fair shake with her.
Much respect to Tafoya and the NBC broadcast crew. Have a great show!
DID YOU KNOW?
For the first time, the NFL did not move the big game to avoid conflicting with the Olympics. NBC actually swapped seasons with CBS so that it could air the two major sporting events together. CBS was originally scheduled to air the Super Bowl in 2022, but changed to 2021 instead. That allowed CBS to coordinate ad deals with its NCAA Basketball Tournament coverage, which the network only holds rights to in odd-numbered years, thanks to the deal with Turner Sports.
Normally Super Bowl broadcast rights rotate among NFL rights holders CBS, NBC and Fox in a set order, which was upset due to the CBS-NBC swap. As part of a new broadcast agreement, ABC will also gain a Super Bowl in 2026 for the first time since the 2005 season.
Embattled podcaster Joe Rogan addressed his recent controversies and answered some questions from audience members during a stand-up comedy routine in Austin, Texas, Tuesday. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the event occurred at the Vulcan Gas Company.
It also marked the first time that Rogan had been seen in public since a compilation video was tweeted out last weekend of him using the n-word. Rogan described what he felt watching the video for the first time.
“Somebody made a compilation of every time I said that word over 14 years, and they put it on YouTube, and it turned out that was racist as f**k Even to me!” Rogan said.
“I’m me, and I’m watching it saying, ‘Stop saying it!’ I put my cursor over the video, and I’m like, ‘Four more minutes?!’”
In addition to his comedy routine, Rogan asked about his future and whether he’s considering a $100 million deal to join the online social media platform Rumble.
“No, Spotify has hung in with me inexplicably; let’s see what happens,” he said.
Rogan dismissed any questions about anti-vaccination rhetoric on his podcasts. “If you’re taking vaccine advice from me, is that really my fault?” Rogan asked.
“What dumb shit were you about to do when my stupid idea sounded better? ‘You know that dude who made people eat animal dicks on TV? How does he feel about medicine?’ If you want my advice, don’t take my advice.”
Rogan reiterated that the video that surfaced of him using the n-word is about politics and nothing else.
“This is a political hit job. They’re taking all this stuff I’ve ever said that’s wrong and smushing it all together. It’s good because it makes me address some stuff that I really wish wasn’t out there.”
Whenever there is a change in leadership, there is bound to be some handwringing about the future. Dan Abrams, founder of Mediaite and host of Dan Abrams Live thinks maybe some people at CNN aren’t worried enough after watching Brian Stelter’s response to John Malone saying the network leans left.
“Anytime a new boss comes in, and the company isn’t performing well, the key employees should be concerned,” Abrams said on his News Nation show.
John Malone is a media executive who sits on the board of directors of Discovery Media, which recently purchased CNN as part of its acquisition of WarnerMedia. In December, he made headlines by saying that once the acquisition is complete, he wants to see CNN return to “non-partisan journalism.”
Stelter didn’t call out Malone by name, but bit back at those that criticize CNN for leaning more left under Jeff Zucker’s leadership by saying “They’re not watching CNN. They’re watching complaints about CNN on other channels that don’t know what they’re talking about. That’s the truth.”
Dan Abrams did acknowledge that CNN has a strong news operation but added that pretending nothing on CNN comes with opinion is dishonest.
“And look, you can make a solid argument that their ratings would be worse if they were just doing newscasts all day. But to say otherwise about their content is just dishonest, and that’s the bigger problem for me. Just own it. MSNBC and Fox are a bit more intellectually honest about what they do.”
He went on to say that Stelter is either “incredibly brave or incredibly reckless.” Then he added “Reminder: Jeff Zucker is no longer the boss at CNN. And John Malone is soon to be the critical shareholder of CNN.”
Radio row at the Super Bowl is usually buzzing, but that buzz typically doesn’t start in full until Wednesday before the game. Pat McAfee and crew were happy that it did because on Monday and Tuesday, they were a little worried.
“There are people here today,” McAfee said on Wednesday’s show. “Yesterday we were a little worried. We thought there was going to be no people, no juice for Super Bowl LVI, but instead, we were early.”
If Pat McAfee was worried, it was only about the atmosphere. The show has not been hurting for guests this week. Michael Irvin, Marshall Faulk, and Kirk Herbstreit have all appeared on the show either via video link or in person. On Wednesday, Aiden Hutchinson, a presumed top 3 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, was added to the list.
The rest of the week will clearly offer more opportunities to add to that impressive guest list. “This is a site to be seen here. There are a lot of stars here,” McAfee said as he looked around.
Pat McAfee says that the show intends to keep coming back to the Super Bowl every year they can. He also said that they aren’t changing their schedule and will keep arriving “two days before everybody else.”
ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 has added a new show to its weekday lineup. Vanessa Richardson and Paul Gallant are joining the station for a new show that will air from 10 am to noon each day.
Richardson has worked on TV and radio all over the country. Since 2019, she has been seen on KPRC-TV, Houston’s NBC affiliate. She has also done fill-in work on multiple sports talk stations in the market.
This is a homecoming of sorts for Gallant. He worked at crosstown rival Sports Radio 610 from 2011 until 2019. He was in Seattle for two years, co-hosting the morning show at 710 ESPN until he was let go late last year.
“We’re thrilled to pair Vanessa and Paul for the new program”, General Manager Todd Farquharson said in a press release. “They’re two talent individuals that make a great lineup even better. They bring unique perspectives and experience that we’re confident the audience will enjoy.”
The new show was announced on Wednesday morning’s edition of ESPN 97.5 and 92.5’s morning show The Bench. The duo will make its debut on Monday morning, which makes the new lineup as follows:
7a-10a – The Bench with John Granato & Lance Zierlein 10a-12p – Vanessa & Gallant with Vanessa Richardson and Paul Gallant
12p-3p – The Killer Bs with Joel Blank & Jeremy Branham 3p-7p – The Wheelhouse with Jake Asman, Cody Stoots & Brad Kellner
Earlier this week, Charlie Pallilo announced that he had been let go by ESPN 97.5 and 92.5. He had previously filled the 10 am to noon slot.
Welcome to day #3 of the BSM Top 20. We’ve previously revealed the results of the Top 20 National Sports Radio Shows and Major and Mid Market Morning Shows, and now it’s time to shine the light on the industry’s Top 20 Major Market Sports Radio Midday Shows for 2021.
As you examine our Top 20 lists, please remember that they represent the collective feedback of 46 industry executives, all with different experiences, voting responsibilities, and tastes. Yours truly does not vote, I simply tally up the votes and present the results. I’d like to thank Stephanie Eads, Dylan Barrett and Demetri Ravanos for helping me with the Top 20 process, and Point to Point for being our exclusive sponsor for this year’s Top 20. Tim Bronsil and his staff are a valued resource to many across the media industry, and if you’re not familiar with their work, you need to make time to learn more. That can be done by clicking here.
As it pertains to the voting, here are a few things to understand.
#1 – These results are based on 2021’s performance. 2022 changes have zero to do with this. Therefore, a show like Moose & Maggie on WFAN in New York did qualify since the show remained in place thru the end of 2021. A show like Tiki & Tierney, which moved into the time slot in January wasn’t eligible since it didn’t occupy the position during 2021. That’s the one rule we’ve kept in tact since starting this series 7 years ago.
#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, ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio, SiriusXM, Spotify, and independently owned and operated radio stations. We involve a large number of people in order to receive feedback from all parts of the country, as well as to avoid the results heavily favoring one company.
#3 – A total of 43 shows were eligible for voting consideration in the Major Market Sports Radio Midday Shows category.
#4 – The executive panel picked their Top 20 shows based on a few factors; the ear test, ratings success, originality, ability to entertain, multi-platform impact, and on-air chemistry. Keep in mind that our voters live in different cities, have different tastes, and value certain factors higher than others. This isn’t a perfect science, but it’s the best system we’ve been able to create to showcase how sports radio’s brain trust view the best in the format.
Which now brings us to the rankings for Major Market Sports Radio Midday Shows. Joining Joe & Evan and Mason & Ireland as repeat winners in this category are 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand. The Hub’s midday show, which features Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand received the most first place votes in the category, ten (10). BSM congratulates Scott, Marc, Hardy, Rick Radzik, Jim Louth and the entire Sports Hub team 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 “BSM’s Top 20 Major Market Sports Radio Midday Shows of 2021!”
Additional Notes:
Zolak & Bertrand finished 92 points ahead of runner up DeCamara & Ritchie, thanks in part to a category high ten (10) first place votes and twenty (20) top 5 votes.
21-25 was occupied by Randy & Andy of 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, Wolf & Luke of Arizona Sports 98.7 in Phoenix, Willard & Dibs on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, Jonathan Zaslow from WQAM in Miami, and Roggin & Rodney of AM 570 LA Sports in Los Angeles.
The closest contests saw DeCamara & Ritchie nip Mason & Ireland by 3 points, and Laurence Holmes, The Common Man and Carmen & Jurko each separated by 2 points.
Of the 43 shows eligible for consideration this year, 11 received at least one 1st place vote.
Here is the remaining schedule for the BSM Top 20 of 2021.
Thursday February 10 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market Sports Radio Afternoon Shows of 2021
Friday February 11 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market Sports Radio Program Directors of 2021
Monday February 14 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market Sports Radio Stations of 2021
Tuesday February 15 = The Top 20 Original Sports Podcasts/Specialty Selections of 2021
To view prior years of BSM’s Top 20 results, click here.
Welcome to day #3 of the BSM Top 20. We’ve previously revealed the results of the Top 20 National Sports Radio Shows and Major and Mid Market Morning Shows, and now it’s time to shine the light on the industry’s Top 20 Mid Market Sports Radio Midday Shows for 2021.
As you examine our Top 20 lists, please remember that they represent the collective feedback of 46 industry executives, all with different experiences, voting responsibilities, and tastes. Yours truly does not vote, I simply tally up the votes and present the results. I’d like to thank Stephanie Eads, Dylan Barrett and Demetri Ravanos for helping me with the Top 20 process, and Point to Point for being our exclusive sponsor for this year’s Top 20. Tim Bronsil and his staff are a valued resource to many across the media industry, and if you’re not familiar with their work, you need to make time to learn more. That can be done by clicking here.
As it pertains to the voting, here are a few things to understand.
#1 – These results are based on 2021’s performance. 2022 changes have zero to do with this. Therefore, a show like Bishop & Laurinaitis on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus did qualify since the show remained in place thru the end of 2021. A show like Bishop & Friends, which moved into the time slot in January wasn’t eligible since it didn’t occupy the position during 2021. That’s the one rule we’ve kept in tact since starting this series 7 years ago.
#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, ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio, SiriusXM, Spotify, and independently owned and operated radio stations. We involve a large number of people in order to receive feedback from all parts of the country, as well as to avoid the results heavily favoring one company.
#3 – A total of 56 shows were eligible for voting consideration in the Mid Market Sports Radio Midday Shows category.
#4 – The executive panel picked their Top 20 shows based on a few factors; the ear test, ratings success, originality, ability to entertain, multi-platform impact, and on-air chemistry. Keep in mind that our voters live in different cities, have different tastes, and value certain factors higher than others. This isn’t a perfect science, but it’s the best system we’ve been able to create to showcase how sports radio’s brain trust view the best in the format.
Which now brings us to the rankings for Mid Market Sports Radio Midday Shows. For the first time in 3 years we have a change at the top. 4-time winner of this category Dan Dakich has been passed this year by Cleveland’s The Really Big Show. The ESPN Cleveland program, which features Tony Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer emerged victorious thanks to a category high five (5) first place votes. BSM congratulates Tony, Aaron, Matt Fishman and the entire WKNR sports team on claiming this year’s top honor, and every other show which gained a spot on this year’s list.
Now, here are the full results of “BSM’s Top 20 Mid Market Sports Radio Midday Shows of 2021!”
Additional Notes:
The Really Big Show were 11 points ahead of Bishop & Laurinaitis, thanks in part to a category high five (5) first place votes. 4-time winner Dan Dakich, who claimed this category each of the past three years was forty five (45) points back from the top spot.
21-25 belonged to Jason & John from 92.9 ESPN in Memphis, Wilde & Tausch on 94.5 ESPN in Milwaukee, Rothman & Ice from 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, The John Canzano Show on 750 The Game in Portland, and The Instigators from WGR in Buffalo.
There were a lot of close calls in this category this year. The closest saw Matt Jones finish 2 points in front of Cook & Joe, and Adam Gold, The Wendy’s Big Show and Matt McClearin all separated by 1 point.
Of the 56 shows eligible for consideration this year, 15 received at least one 1st place vote.
Here is the remaining schedule for the BSM Top 20 of 2021.
Thursday February 10 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market Sports Radio Afternoon Shows of 2021
Friday February 11 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market Sports Radio Program Directors of 2021
Monday February 14 = The Top 20 Major/Mid Market Sports Radio Stations of 2021
Tuesday February 15 = The Top 20 Original Sports Podcasts/Specialty Selections of 2021
To view prior years of BSM’s Top 20 results, click here.
