Charlamagne Tha God isn’t going anywhere. He’s signed an extension to remain with iHeartMedia.
As part of the extension, Charlamagne will remain alongside co-hosts DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, and Loren LoRosa on The Breakfast Club, heard from 6-10 AM ET. The show celebrated 15 years on the air earlier this month.
“When it comes to iHeartMedia, gratitude will always be my attitude. They’ve created space for me to grow not just as talent, but as an executive and true partner through The Black Effect Podcast Network,” said Charlamagne Tha God. “To say that I’m thankful is an understatement. iHeart is the biggest and best audio company on the planet and audio is the foundation on which the whole media conglomerate will be built. Podcasting, live events, TV/film and documentaries, the sky is the limit for where we are going; and radio will always be at the core of it. Here’s to a new era of growth, impact, and prosperity.”
“Charlamagne has been a transformative voice in audio, redefining what it means to create content that sparks dialogue and drives cultural change,” said iHeartMedia President and COO Rich Bressler. “Through The Breakfast Club and his growing podcast network, he’s amplified diverse voices, tackled tough conversations, and built platforms that continue to resonate with audiences nationwide. His influence has helped shape the future of audio and we’re energized by what lies ahead and appreciate his ongoing trust in iHeart.”
Charlamagne Tha God and The Breakfast Club were inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2020. The weekend show — Weekends with The Breakfast Club — will also remain in production as a Top 20 countdown as part of the extension.
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With the departure of Ebro in the Morning on HOT 97, the question remains of who will replace the long-running show in the daypart. Funkmaster Flex is saying it will be him, but not for another three years.
In a series of posts on social media, the HOT 97 host — who filled in on mornings this week following the departure of Ebro Darden, Peter Rosenberg, and Laura Stylez — shared that he’ll be taking over the daypart in 2029.
“We received a great response on me filling in (at) 6 AM this week! I accepted the morning show position for 2029!” Funkmaster Flex wrote. “2029 I will no longer be on at 5 PM!”
He continued by sharing that a new morning show is “2/3 completed.”
One more 1/3 and the listers (sic) will have a new morning show! More details on the way!”
He followed up by stating that he’s not part of the incoming morning show, but that he has agreed to be the next morning show host in 2029.
NEW HOT97 MORNING SHOW 2026! 2/3 FINISHED SO FAR! 1/3 LEFT TO COMPLETE! (IM NOT PART OF THAT! NEW HOST INCOMING)
2029 I HAVE AGREED TO BE THE NEXT MORNING SHOW HOST! (3 YEARS AWAY)
It has been a year of change for both HOT 97 and Funkmaster Flex. Earlier this year, Flex moved up in the lineup, beginning his show at 5 PM rather than 7 PM. HOT 97 also made changes to its lineup that led to the departure of DJ Enuff and TT Torrez.
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CBS News’ town hall with Erika Kirk, led by Bari Weiss, saw 1.9 million viewers during its Saturday night primetime event.
In the one-hour special airing at 8 PM ET, Erika Kirk and Bari Weiss spoke about the rise of political violence in the nation, how to combat growing discord between each side of the political aisle, and what the legacy of Charlie Kirk will be after his September assassination.
The network saw 1.9 million viewers for the one-hour special. Overall, that figure represented a 11% decline in total viewership from the same window during the prior year. It also marked a 41% decline in the key 25-54 demographic.
Despite the slumping viewership, CBS News has planned for additional specials in a similar nature.
“One of the goals of the new CBS News is to change (the political discourse),” Weiss said to begin the special on Saturday. “This town hall is just the beginning. This is going to be the first of many conversations and debates on CBS News about the things that matter most, which are often the hardest to talk about.”
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ESPN and The Heisman Trophy Trust have agreed to a new multi-year extension that will keep the network as the exclusive home of the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, further strengthening one of college football’s longest-running media partnerships.
The agreement ensures ESPN will continue to televise the annual presentation of college football’s most prestigious individual honor. It extends a relationship that dates back to 1994 and now spans more than three decades.
The deal positions ESPN as the primary platform for the Heisman as the award approaches its 100th anniversary.
The announcement follows a highly successful broadcast of the 91st annual Heisman Trophy Ceremony on Saturday, December 13. The event averaged 4.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen. Marking its largest audience since 2012 and representing a 69% year-over-year increase. Viewership peaked at 5.8 million during the broadcast. For the first time, the ceremony aired on ABC, with ESPN producing the telecast.
The strong ratings highlight the continued relevance of the Heisman Trophy in a fragmented media landscape. They also underscore ESPN’s ability to draw large audiences for marquee college football programming.
“The Heisman Trophy Trust is thrilled to continue its long-standing partnership with ESPN,” incoming Heisman Trust CEO Jeff Price said in a statement. “For decades, ESPN has helped to tell the stories of the outstanding Heisman Trophy Winners, and we look forward to building on that tradition in the coming years.”
Price also emphasized the broader mission tied to the partnership. He noted the relationship helps advance the Trust’s efforts beyond the ceremony itself. According to Price, the agreement supports the organization’s goal of using the Heisman platform to positively impact underserved youth. It enables annual donations of millions of dollars to organizations that expand opportunities through sports and education.
ESPN executives echoed that sentiment while emphasizing the historical significance of the award.
“ESPN is incredibly proud to continue our enduring relationship with the Heisman Trophy Trust — a collaboration that will soon span more than 35 years,” said Kurt Dargis, ESPN senior director of programming. “The Heisman Trophy remains one of the most prestigious distinctions in sports, and we’re honored to help present this moment to fans every year as we celebrate the very best of college football.”
Beyond the ceremony itself, the extension includes ESPN’s continued exclusive rights to announce the Heisman Trophy finalists. It also allows ESPN to produce additional shoulder programming, including the annual Heisman Top 10 show and a Heisman Preview Show. Disney Advertising will also remain involved, working alongside the Heisman Trust to develop sponsorship opportunities across Heisman-related content and programming.
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Ben Shapiro went viral for calling out Megyn Kelly, as well as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, at AmericaFest on Thursday evening.
Shapiro spent time during his 30-minute speech at the Turning Point USA event arguing that conservatives must condemn statements from the likes of Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens that he viewed as either antisemitism or on the verge of antisemitism, as well as conspiratorial in nature.
“Friendship with public figures who say or do evil things is not an excuse for silence on the matter,” argued Shapiro. “So no, Tucker Carlson is not an excuse to go silent on Candace’s targeting of TPUSA.”
Shapiro continued by directly calling out Kelly, insisting that she has a “moral obligation” to take a stand against Candace Owens.
“The same holds true of Megyn Kelly, a person I consider a friend, characterizing Candace as a young mother and thus shying away from condemning her actions,” Shapiro said. “That is a non-starter. Meghan Markle is a young mother. Ilhan Omar is a young mother. That doesn’t matter. And when Megyn said this week, quote, ‘My goal and my job here is to try to understand, yes, where Candace is coming from on this,’ and says she sees no purpose in inserting herself, quote, ‘into this on one side,’ that is a moral and logical absurdity.
“There is only one moral side here, Erika Kirk’s side,” Shapiro continued. “You know, the side of the widow with two children whose husband was shot live on camera in front of all of us. Friendship with the person accusing TPUSA of a cover-up of Charlie’s murder is no excuse for cowardice.”
Shapiro’s speech was then posted as a written news story on The Free Press, the digital media entity founded and overseen by Bari Weiss. In sharing the story, Weiss stated that Shapiro had “delivered a barnburner” at the Turning Point USA event.
That led Kelly to respond on social media.
In a post, she said that the duo didn’t have “a damn clue what has been going on behind the scenes for months,” arguing that they should have checked with the organization and Erika Kirk before making their comments.
“I’m embarrassed for them,” she concluded.
.@benshapiro & @bariweiss in a joint attack on yours truly (their “friend”) tonight w/o a damn clue what has been going on behind the scenes for months. Prob should have checked w/@TPUSA & @MrsErikaKirk first. I’m embarrassed for them. https://t.co/EkRLnKgJQr
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Prime Video’s exclusive coverage of the Emirates NBA Cup concluded Tuesday night with a Championship matchup that delivered record-setting viewership and underscored the league’s growing reach on streaming platforms.
The Knicks’ victory over the Spurs averaged 3.07 million viewers, according to Nielsen. That figure marked a 3% increase over last season’s Championship, which aired on broadcast television. The game now stands as the most-watched NBA contest ever on Prime Video. It is also the most-watched NBA game on any network since Opening Night.
Viewership peaked at 3.42 million viewers between 10:45 and 10:59 p.m. ET, highlighting strong late-night engagement for the streaming-exclusive broadcast. The performance surpassed Prime Video’s previous NBA high by nearly one million viewers, topping the Bucks-Knicks matchup that averaged 2.11 million viewers on Nov. 28.
Beyond total audience, the Championship delivered significant wins across key demographics.
Spurs-Knicks was the most-viewed program on all of television Tuesday night among viewers under 50 and across the P18-34, P18-49, and P25-54 demographics. Year-over-year gains were particularly notable, with increases of 51% among adults 18-34 (630,000 viewers), 55% among adults 18-49 (1.65 million viewers), and 44% among adults 25-54 (1.72 million viewers).
The median age of the audience was 45.4, making it the youngest Cup Championship audience on record. That milestone reflects the NBA’s continued success in attracting younger viewers, particularly through streaming distribution and alternative presentation strategies.
Prime Video’s coverage extended beyond the game itself. NBA Nightcap, the league’s postgame show on Prime, averaged 1.14 million viewers following the Championship, making it the most-watched edition of the program to date.
Through the season, NBA Nightcap is averaging 666,000 viewers, signaling consistent engagement beyond live game windows.
Globally, the Emirates NBA Cup delivered massive reach for Prime Video. According to Amazon first-party data, the tournament was viewed in 201 countries and territories worldwide. It streamed on more than 103 million unique devices. The event generated 3.6 billion minutes watched. Outside the United States, Japan, Brazil, and Mexico ranked as the top-performing international markets.
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Ben Shapiro’s comments about Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Candace Owens during the first night of AmericaFest drew plenty of reactions on social media.
During his speech at the Turning Point USA event, Ben Shapiro argued that the conservative movement was in jeopardy due to its interest in platforming people like Nick Fuentes, and refusing to condemn conspiracies about the government and about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
During his more than 30-minute address, Shapiro took aim at the likes of Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, and called out Megyn Kelly for refusing to do the same.
“Friendship with public figures who say or do evil things is not an excuse for silence on the matter,” argued Shapiro. “So no, Tucker Carlson is not an excuse to go silent on Candace’s targeting of TPUSA.
“The same holds true of Megyn Kelly, a person I consider a friend, characterizing Candace as a young mother and thus shying away from condemning her actions,” Shapiro said. “That is a non-starter. Meghan Markle is a young mother. Ilhan Omar is a young mother. That doesn’t matter. And when Megyn said this week, quote, ‘My goal and my job here is to try to understand, yes, where Candace is coming from on this,’ and says she sees no purpose in inserting herself, quote, ‘into this on one side,’ that is a moral and logical absurdity.”
After his comments, many news media members took to social media to share their reactions for Shapiro, with the majority showing support for his stance.
🚨 Ben Shapiro goes SCORCHED EARTH at TPUSA on “frauds”, “grifters”, and “charlatans” Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens
He blasts Megyn Kelly for her “cowardice” for refusing to stand up for the truth and condemn Candace’s conspiracy theories and lies
I'm in awe of @benshapiro, a great man and a true patriot. I just love him for standing up for truth and principle and for keeping the faith. https://t.co/d80bUn4oD9
"I think for a lot of people in the room it was cathartic. I think a lot of people in the room wanted a little bit of that fire from Ben." pic.twitter.com/7x8ROvSMJl
Tucker Carlson spent a lot of time playing defense and responding to Ben Shapiro in his AmFest speech, and his point, to the debatable extent he even had one, was buried and inscrutable.
In short, Tucker looked like a pathetic loser. Which is fitting, because that's what he is.
Cowardice and ruthless ambition. They want a slice of the digital pie at any cost, even if that means debasing themselves and the movement they're grifting off of for their lifestyles. https://t.co/cFPcHIgslY
.@benshapiro just torched Tucker Qatarlson and Candace Owens onstage at AmFest tonight.
He slammed the Woke Right for exploiting Charlie Kirk’s murder. He called them grifters and frauds. Let’s hope Qatarlson is too embarrassed to show his face tonight.
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Jaime “Rico” Rangel is returning to the Oxnard/Ventura radio market, rejoining Cumulus Media as assistant program director and afternoon host for 95.1 KBBY.
The move brings a familiar and respected voice back to a market where Rangel built a strong following over multiple decades. He is best known locally for his role on the long-running Rico & Mambo morning show at Gold Coast Broadcasting’s Q104.7, where he teamed with Daniel “Mambo” Herrejon.
The duo first worked together from 1996 to 2005 before reuniting from 2009 through 2020, becoming one of the most recognizable on-air pairings in the region.
Cumulus Oxnard/Ventura Vice President and Market Manager Sommer Frisk described the hire on LinkedIn as a significant win for both the station and the market. “Bringing Rico back to this market and to KBBY is a win on every level,” Frisk said. “He’s a proven radio pro with deep local roots, a loyal audience, and a genuine connection to the community — not to mention he’s an all-around great guy.”
Rangel also spent time at 103.3 The Vibe in Santa Barbara, further solidifying his presence along the Central Coast. Most recently, he has been heard hosting weekend programming at Cumulus’ KRBE in Houston, maintaining an active on-air role while away from Southern California.
Frisk added that Rangel’s presence will have an immediate impact on the station’s overall sound and culture. “His energy, authenticity, and local perspective will bring fresh life to KBBY,” she said.
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Ben Shapiro has gone viral for his speech at the opening night of Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, after calling out Candace Owens and Megyn Kelly.
Shapiro, who has publicly clashed with Owens — his former employee — for a lengthy amount of time, took her to task for her insinuations that the organization and Kirk’s wife, Erika, were somehow involved in the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
He then called out those close to Owens who have refused to condemn her statements on the matter.
“Friendship with public figures who say or do evil things is not an excuse for silence on the matter,” argued Shapiro. “So no, Tucker Carlson is not an excuse to go silent on Candace’s targeting of TPUSA.”
Shapiro continued by directly calling out Kelly, insisting that she has a “moral obligation” to take a stand against Candace Owens.
“The same holds true of Megyn Kelly, a person I consider a friend, characterizing Candace as a young mother and thus shying away from condemning her actions,” Shapiro said. “That is a non-starter. Meghan Markle is a young mother. Ilhan Omar is a young mother. That doesn’t matter. And when Megyn said this week, quote, ‘My goal and my job here is to try to understand, yes, where Candace is coming from on this,’ and says she sees no purpose in inserting herself, quote, ‘into this on one side,’ that is a moral and logical absurdity.
“There is only one moral side here, Erika Kirk’s side,” Shapiro continued. “You know, the side of the widow with two children whose husband was shot live on camera in front of all of us. Friendship with the person accusing TPUSA of a cover-up of Charlie’s murder is no excuse for cowardice.”
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The morning of December 2 is one that WFAN host Brandon Tierney will never forget. While pondering over yet another New York Giants loss, news of his immediate future with the radio station was instantly in question. The situation involved the return of Craig Carton to the station for a third time, with reports suggesting that Tierney and co-host Sal Licata were on their final days at WFAN.
It was a unique moment that every talent and company attempts to prevent. However, how one reacts is key, albeit there is no playbook for handling such a situation.
“We had so many conversations about the very real possibility of Craig [Carton] coming back [to WFAN],” said Tierney. “For us, the main checkpoint was that we had a choice here. Are we going to address this and get a deluge of calls and allow the show to go off the rails? You would get people calling in supporting us and denigrating some others. We weren’t going to allow it to turn into that. It’s not professional.”
Uncertainty At WFAN
It was no secret that rumors of a third run for Carton at WFAN lingered following the cancellation of Carton’s program Breakfast Ball at FS1. Tierney stated that around the end of summer, there was a sense that the roster move could indeed happen, with no true formula for how it would affect the station lineup or his own future at WFAN.
“We were not fully caught off guard [by the news of Carton’s return]. Management kept us in the loop and communicated several possibilities, all revolving around Craig’s potential return,” explained Tierney, whose contract officially ends with WFAN on December 31. “About two weeks before Thanksgiving, it [the possibility of Carton’s return] got a little more serious. Then I knew it was going to happen, but the contract wasn’t done.”
Tierney said he requested a meeting with Chief Business Officer & Market President, Audacy New York, Chris Oliviero for the Monday following Thanksgiving. After months of speculation and rumor, as well as his own contract talks being “pushed down the road” due to a potential Carton return. Tierney sought clarity on the situation.
“We met after the show on Monday after Thanksgiving, and that’s when it was communicated to me [that Carton was returning], even though he hadn’t signed the contract,” noted Tierney. “Chris [Oliviero] did explicitly say, ‘Once we announce it, you will know. We will do right by you.’ I believed it, and I fully believed that was their intention.”
Would WFAN Keep BT & Sal?
After 13 years with the company, the Brooklyn native finally had clarity on Carton’s return. However, the speculation about what it specifically meant for Licata and himself remained. While he personally considered Carton’s options, including a potential reunion with former co-host Evan Roberts, Tierney explained that there was an effort to find a way to bring in Carton while keeping BT & Sal on WFAN moving into 2026.
“Chris [Oliviero] bent over backwards exploring the financial viability of creating a fourth show. He didn’t want to move on from BT & Sal,” said Tierney. “At the end of the day, it just wasn’t economically feasible.”
Despite Carton’s eventual return to WFAN and management’s efforts to find a solution, the process in full affected Tierney’s own contract discussions. Typically, talks would begin in late summer or early fall based on previous experiences. But with Carton’s return looming, discussions never truly began.
“This [time] was ‘we don’t know what we’re doing,’” explained Tierney about his feelings regarding the contract talks timeline. “When you hear that and you’ve been in the business a while, you can’t keep your head in the clouds. You have to be prepared mentally for everything. My contract was up, and there was never a concrete dialogue about an extension. It was always about figuring out what’s happening with Carton, and then we go from there.”
Always Professional
Following the reports leaking via The Athletic, Tierney and Licata did not address the news immediately. While management kept both talents informed about a potential return for months, the show agreed to a stipulation to not comment until Audacy officially released the news.
“One of the things that was told to us in both our cases: if this comes to fruition with Craig [Carton], finish when you want to finish. We trust you guys to do the right thing,” explained Tierney. “We did avoid addressing [Carton’s return] out of respect for our company, and out of respect for their request. At the end of the day, we’re employees. We don’t own the company.”
Tierney recalled a discussion with Oliviero, during which the executive acknowledged that news of Carton’s return could leak before the company made an announcement. If that happened, Oliviero instructed both talents to “plow through” while the company sped up the official release so the show could address the news.
The news did leak, and BT & Sal remained silent. However, that did not happen with other WFAN shows. After Boomer & Giodiscussed the reports the next morning, Tierney requested guidance on how to address the issue. At 10am ET, BT & Saladdressed the reports to start their program, promising to go more in depth later.
“We weren’t blindsided by this. It sucks. I don’t think it’s necessarily fair or right. This show is absolutely deserving to be on WFAN,” explains Tierney. “I get it from a business perspective, but we tried to straddle the line, and we did. Was it easy? No.”
Moving Forward
Tierney has no regrets about how he handled the situation at WFAN. He also understands Carton’s value to WFAN. Not hearing from Craig since the news became official though did surprise him.
BT is familiar with the departure process, having seen many colleagues around the country experience it. As he officially closes his “chapter” at WFAN, he looks forward to a future full of possibilities and projects that have been on hold for far too long.
“It is my mission to find the next thing, and it’s exciting. I’m open to talking to anybody. The industry has changed tremendously. I was smart enough to know that I wasn’t going to have a twenty-year run at WFAN and find myself in my sixties with the option to retire. I always knew there would be a next chapter. Not a footnote, but a big chapter that’s going to look very different than the chapters I’ve written so far. I’m excited about that,” said Tierney.
He prefers to stay in New York because it’s home and where he fell in love with sports. However, he’s open to exploring other options, given his national hosting experience.
After the news became public, Tierney thanked every listener and colleague who supported his show with Sal Licata. He saw the program as a reliable space where listeners knew what to expect, crafting its own vein in the DNA of what made WFAN the legacy sports radio brand it is today. In the interim, he says it’d be unwise to shut the door on working for the station in the future. He’s receptive to part-time fill-in work, due to the strong relationships he has built with both staff and the New York City audience.
“The only regret I would have had is if I stepped away from my run at WFAN, looked in the mirror, and said, ‘Man, you finally got there and you didn’t empty the tank,’” explained Tierney. “That would have been very hard for me to live with professionally.”
Reflecting On The WFAN Journey
Tierney feels blessed by every opportunity in his career, because he earned it. The son of a retired New York City detective considers his Brooklyn roots the foundation of his fighter-like approach to his craft. Between balancing play-by-play at Madison Square Garden and sharing the mic with New York sports fans through the highs and lows, he considers his path at WFAN his ultimate career achievement.
“If I hadn’t reached WFAN, it doesn’t matter if it was for three years, three months, or three minutes, with everything else I’ve done, I would feel my career would be incomplete,” said Tierney. “That is something I needed to do. I had to do that for me. I did it my way, with a passion that was evident every single show.”
The show’s success allows Tierney to be at peace with the decision. He will miss working with Licata on a daily basis but the two passionate partners aren’t done talking sports together. They will reunite in January in New Jersey for a live event that includes New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
As his final show airs today, Tierney suggests he was a “victim” of unexpected extenuating circumstances at a station he still highly respects. He doesn’t consider his run at WFAN a failure at all. BT and Sal earned the #2 slot in Barrett Media’s Major Market Sports Radio Midday Shows of 2024. Only Zolak & Bertrand at 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston ranked higher.
“When I walk out of that studio for the final time full-time, I know that the listeners of New York City and the surrounding areas got to listen to somebody who touched a dream. I knew that I couldn’t fail for them,” said Tierney. “That’s how much I respect them, the station, and the city. I didn’t fail. I’m not going away. I gave our audience every fiber of my being, and I couldn’t give them any less. They deserve that.”
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