As NBC Sports continues its return to the NBA this season, the network is leaning heavily into nostalgia for a special Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presentation that reconnects fans with one of the most recognizable broadcast teams in league history.
Legendary voices including Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike Fratello, Jim Gray, Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas and P.J. Carlesimo will reunite Tuesday, March 3 in Philadelphia when Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Costas will handle play-by-play alongside Collins and Fratello, with Gray reporting courtside, while Storm hosts NBA Showtime on Peacock with Thomas and Carlesimo serving as studio analysts.
The game tips at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, with pregame coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock. However, the bigger story centers on presentation rather than scheduling, as NBC plans to recreate the look and feel of its 1995-96 NBA coverage while blending it with modern production elements from the 2025-26 season.
Both Coast 2 Coast Tuesday matchups — Spurs-76ers at 8 p.m. ET and Suns-Kings at 11 p.m. ET — will incorporate the familiar score bar, replay wipes and full-screen statistical graphics that defined the network’s NBA broadcasts during the 1990s. Producers will also weave archival-style teases and tape elements throughout the night, giving longtime viewers a layered experience that nods to the past without sacrificing current production standards.
NBC’s original NBA run from 1990 through 2002 helped shape a generation of basketball fans, and much of that identity came from its on-air talent. Costas, Gray and Fratello all earned Emmy Awards during their careers, while Thomas and Collins built Hall of Fame resumes long before stepping behind the microphone.
Storm’s four-decade broadcasting career has spanned multiple networks, and Carlesimo has balanced coaching stops in both college basketball and the NBA with years as a television analyst.
In addition, NBC has leaned into several signature elements that defined its earlier era of NBA coverage. John Tesh’s Roundball Rock theme has returned, and the network has utilized an AI-generated recreation of the late narrator Jim Fagan’s voice for select elements. Narrated opens and features involving Costas, Marv Albert and Tom Hammond further reinforce the retro tone that NBC wants to deliver.
“Everyone at NBC Sports has so many great memories of the 1990s and NBA on NBC,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer and President of NBC Sports Production. “We are excited to get the band of iconic voices back together and celebrate the game of basketball with viewers of all ages.”
Frank DiGraci will coordinate production of the Spurs-76ers broadcast, while Drew Esocoff directs after recently leading NBC’s Super Bowl LX coverage. Adam Littlefield produces NBA Showtime, with Jared Sumner directing.
Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike Fratello, Jim Gray, Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas, and P.J. Carlesimo Return to NBC Sports in Throwback NBA Broadcast March 3 San Antonio Spurs at Philadelphia 76ers
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame will honor one of television’s most influential behind-the-scenes architects when it presents the 2026 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award to the late Sandy Grossman, marking the first time the award has gone to a director whose primary responsibility centered on shaping the look and feel of live game coverage rather than delivering it on camera or over the airwaves.
Over a career that spanned decades and reshaped how audiences experience major events, Don Ohlmeyer Grossman directed 10 Super Bowls. He also oversaw 18 NBA Finals, five Stanley Cup Finals, and multiple Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. Grossman earned eight Emmy Awards during his career. Executives and on-air talent often described his work as foundational to the modern sports broadcast.
Jim Porter, President and CEO of the Hall of Fame, said Grossman “set the standard for broadcast directors.” He emphasized that many visual and structural elements fans now expect during NFL telecasts trace back to Grossman’s work. Porter noted those innovations often originated in production meetings and truck compounds long before kickoff.
Porter delivered the news to Grossman’s son, Dean, who later described the call as “the greatest call I could have received,” adding that the honor cements his father’s place among the legends whose stories and accomplishments define pro football history.
“Thank you to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for recognizing my father and his contributions to the NFL,” Grossman continued. “This is such an incredible honor, and to know that my father’s name and legacy will be remembered forever in the most prestigious place among the legends of the game would have meant the world to him, as it does our family.
The Hall will formally recognize Grossman during the 2026 Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner in downtown Canton on August 7 as part of Enshrinement Week, ensuring that his name joins the list of media figures whose work expanded the reach and impact of the league far beyond the stadium.
Grossman began working with John Madden and Pat Summerall at CBS Sports in 1981, launching a 21-season partnership that later continued at Fox Sports after Fox secured NFL rights in 1994, a move that underscored how essential Grossman’s presence had become to the broadcast’s rhythm and authority.
As the league evolved and pass rushers turned edge pressure into a headline attraction, Grossman collaborated with Madden to widen the standard camera shot so viewers could see outside linebackers and developing blitzes, an adjustment that blended tactical awareness with storytelling instincts and illustrated how production choices could deepen understanding without distracting from the action.
Former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson credited Grossman with revolutionizing pro football coverage through his use of coaches’ film to anticipate analysis and position cameras accordingly, while longtime producer Richie Zyontz praised his ability to capture emotion through close-ups that made a single bead of sweat feel consequential.
Grossman’s career began humbly as an usher at the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1957 before he moved into public affairs and eventually CBS Sports, where he became lead NBA director in the early 1970s and introduced the now-standard practice of playing music during game breaks, further demonstrating a willingness to experiment that would define his legacy.
Grossman retired in 2012 and died two years later at age 78, yet the techniques he refined continue to shape NFL Sundays, serving as a reminder that while fans often remember the voices in the booth, the director in the truck frequently determines how the game is truly seen.
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Warner Bros. Discovery appears poised to accept an offer from Paramount Skydance to purchase the company, including CNN.
On Thursday, WBD revealed that it found the updated purchase price from Paramount Skydance — $31 per share, compared to the $30 per share offered by Netflix — superior. Netflix subsequently shared it would not match that offer, paving the way for Paramount Skydance to purchase the company.
Following that announcement, many pointed to the fact that Larry Ellison — the chairman of the company — was the preferred buyer of Warner Bros. Discovery by the White House. Reportedly, Ellison and his son, David, had met with President Donald Trump to discuss what programming changes they would make to CNN should they acquire the network as part of the deal. Trump has been a frequent critic of the cable news brand for its coverage of him.
CNN CEO Mark Thompson sent a memo to employees Thursday evening attempting to assuage any concerns.
“Despite all the speculation you’ve read during this process, I’d suggest that you don’t jump to conclusions about the future until we know more,” Thompson wrote. “And secondly let’s not forget our duty to our audience. We’re still near the start of what is already an incredibly newsy year at home and abroad, one that will culminate with critical U.S. midterm elections and who knows what else. Let’s continue to focus on delivering the best possible journalism to the millions of people who rely on us all around the world.”
It remains to be seen if Paramount’s purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery will be approved by government regulators. It is also unclear when the company would begin operating the CNN brand should that approval be granted.
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Country Radio Seminar (CRS) is bringing star power to Nashville once again, as organizers revealed the first wave of performers scheduled for the annual Warner Records Nashville Luncheon during CRS 2026, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated label showcases of the three-day industry gathering.
The luncheon regularly attracts programmers, label executives, and on-air talent from across the industry. This year’s event will feature performances by Ashley McBryde, Blake Whiten, Gabby Barrett, The Band Loula, and The Creekers.
Additional artists expected to join the lineup will be announced in the coming weeks as Warner Records Nashville continues to shape its presentation for the industry audience.
Warner Records Nashville will host the luncheon on Wednesday, March 18 at noon. The event will take place in the Broadway Ballroom at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Its placement in the middle of the CRS schedule makes it a key midweek touchpoint. Attendees can assess current hits and discover emerging artists positioned for radio growth.
Kristen Williams, SVP of Radio & Commercial Partnerships for Warner Records Nashville, highlighted the balance between proven stars and emerging talent. She said the label values showcasing award-winning artists alongside new voices. Williams noted that several developing acts are beginning to build momentum within the country format.
“Once again, we are honored to feature Warner Records Nashville’s esteemed and award-winning artists alongside the newest standout talents in the country genre,” says Williams. “This year is no exception as these artists and their music set the tone for the week!”
CRS 2026 runs March 18–20 in Nashville and will once again combine educational programming with high-profile showcases, networking events and brand activations that bring together decision-makers from across the country radio ecosystem.
Signature events will include the New Faces of Country Music Show, CRS Honors, multiple label luncheons and the Digital Music Summit, each designed to address different facets of the business while reinforcing the format’s collaborative culture.
Online registration for Country Radio Seminar 2026 has closed. Organizers will now offer access exclusively on-site in Nashville for $799 through the start of the event. A limited number of New Faces of Country Music tickets remain available for separate purchase. CRS will also maintain special pricing tiers. Those include a discounted student rate and single-day passes with full programming access. A dedicated industry organization rate is available for qualifying members.
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A leadership transition inside one of Texas’ most competitive radio markets has created a high-profile programming vacancy at Cox Media Group’sSan Antonio cluster, as longtime market leader Rob Roberts prepares to exit at the end of March after nearly seven years overseeing the company’s Alamo City brands.
Roberts will return to Atlanta with his wife, Melinda, marking the end of a tenure that helped guide the cluster through industry disruption, ratings shifts and the continued integration of digital strategy into legacy broadcast brands.
With his departure set, CMG has opened a search for a Director of Operations, Branding & Programming — a senior-level role that places one executive at the center of music strategy, talent leadership and brand direction for a multi-format group that spans several of San Antonio’s most recognizable signals.
The incoming leader will directly program KONO 101.1 and HITS 105.3, while also overseeing Business News-Talk KONO-AM 860. In addition, the role includes oversight of the Program Directors at 99.5 KISS, 106.7 The Eagle, Y100, and KKYX. The structure centralizes strategic vision. At the same time, it preserves format expertise at each station.
CMG describes the opportunity as a chance to guide a heritage cluster in a market that remains both culturally vibrant and fiercely competitive, where audience loyalty and brand familiarity still matter but must coexist with evolving listening habits and digital consumption patterns.
The company is searching for an executive with deep knowledge of the 25-54 demographic. That audience continues to anchor revenue models across music and spoken-word formats. It requires a careful balance of familiarity, personality, and innovation. Beyond format strategy, the role calls for strong leadership. The executive must shape imaging and refine positioning statements. The job also includes coaching on-air talent to ensure connection and consistency across dayparts.
For programmers seeking a sizable market platform, the opportunity carries unique appeal. It combines heritage brands with modern performance expectations. The role also offers uncommon scale, autonomy, and influence within a competitive landscape. Interested candidates can apply through Cox Media Group’s careers portal. CMG is an equal opportunity employer.
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There’s no slowing down how quickly artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving into our everyday lives. With every passing day, resistance to utilizing the technology grows smaller. Companies continue to downsize human staff around the country in favor of AI models that reduce overhead and increase productivity, albeit in some cases not to the same level of quality. Now, sports is getting into the mix, with networks utilizing the technology for more user-based experiences. Yesterday, FOX Sports jumped into the AI pool with Sports AI with Colin Cowherd.
The product leans into the voice and tone of Cowherd, whose confident, debate-ready style anchors the marketing push with the tagline: “You’ve got questions. I’ve got answers.” While this could be considered a breakthrough in technology and an added experience that ties Cowherd consumers closer to the personality, it also runs a giant risk for Cowherd himself.
Dr. Ian Malcolm was a genius. He always asked the right questions when they demanded to be asked about evolution. While we’re not creating dinosaurs here, AI is the future of our society. I often wonder if those in boardrooms filled with people in positions of power are so preoccupied with whether they could create an AI tool instead of asking whether they should.
Following the announcement of the AI tool on The Herd w/Colin Cowherd, I dove into the FOX Sports app to explore the new platform. It presented a sleek, easy user interface. There were options such as ‘catch me up,’ which had AI Colin reciting what it believed were the top stories in sports at the present moment. The prompt then asked for my take on the automated balls and strikes system that MLB is utilizing, looking to strike up a conversation on the matter.
Yes, AI was interested in knowing my opinion on the new ABS technology. It made me wonder: is this more an information companion or an attempt to buy me another beer at the virtual bar?
There’s also a ‘hot take generator,’ which plays into the stereotype that encompasses the sports radio format. Punching the button gave me a Colin Cowherd ‘hot take’ on Anthony Richardson and why he’s not a long-term solution in Indianapolis. An unprompted hot take from a radio personality who’s made a career on them.
You can interrupt AI Colin by simply asking a question about anything else, and I did.
I then asked the AI version of Colin Cowherd about the Tampa Bay Rays’ outlook this season. The tool quickly produced a response. It offered a hot take on their AL East chances. It also broke down the pitching staff and asked a follow-up question to extend the exchange. Honestly, it was more sustained Rays analysis than I recall hearing from Cowherd in years. I previously carried his show on WDAE in Tampa Bay.
Then there is the ‘this day in sports history’ tab on Sports AI with Colin Cowherd, which features AI Colin delivering a sports moment from the past along with a short take on the moment in the cadence and delivery that have made Colin a Hall of Fame radio talent.
The tool gives a real-time, on-demand feel with a personal approach from one of sports radio’s biggest talents. When a game goes final, Colin can share his insight on the outcome in real time. As the Red Sox game went final with a 7-5 win over the Rays Thursday afternoon, I asked AI Colin his thoughts on the matter, which prompted a hot take on how a lopsided inning can determine the outcome of a game.
Boston scored seven runs in the fourth inning, and AI Colin was interested in hearing what I thought about the inning and whether that means good things for the Red Sox’s lineup this coming season.
That real-time feel, aiding the connective tissue between consumer and talent, was amazing to witness. However, it could come at a cost for a number of reasons.
The first is accuracy. I went back to listen to Colin Cowherd’s show on Thursday to hear his ‘hot take’ from non-AI Colin about Lamar Jackson’s contract status and whether that makes the Baltimore Ravens a bubble team for the NFL playoffs next season. On-air Colin said that signing Jackson to a new contract would eliminate the Ravens from being a playoff bubble team because of the amount it would warrant holding back the organization from winning in today’s NFL.
"The Ravens are done being a Super Bowl bubble team. There's no possible way with what they're going to pay him. His current cap hit is $74M."@colincowherd weighs in on the contract negotiations between Lamar Jackson and the Ravens pic.twitter.com/Rpmz9b2TUf
When I asked AI Colin whether the Ravens would be a playoff bubble team if the franchise extended a contract with Lamar Jackson, I got a different response. AI Colin said that the Ravens are no longer a bubble team but a contending team for the Super Bowl in a very detailed and Colin-esque presentation.
I asked the question again with the same prompt and got a completely different response, but one that was closer to what human Colin said on his radio program.
The technology isn’t perfect, nor should it be expected to be. However, Colin represents Colin. Everything he’s associated with, he represents. If AI Colin is willing to give a ‘hot take’ and engage in a personal conversation with the user, shouldn’t it match what human Colin would think all the time?
Also, why would an AI Colin user who’s interested in Colin’s thoughts on the Ravens’ playoff possibilities with a new contract for Lamar Jackson tune in to hear what human Colin believes about it? The ability now to get that content is on demand and in real time.
Ever hear the same ‘hot take’ repeated? It’s an instant tune-out, with audiences wanting something new and fresh from their favorite sports radio personalities instead of what they’ve already been given by the talent.
By allowing his voice, cadence, and sports radio tendencies to train a real-time AI model, he assumes significant responsibility. The stakes are especially high in the AI era. Digital likenesses and fabricated quotes can spread quickly. In a short-form media environment, audiences often react before verifying what is real.
It’s comparable to watching a cover band at a neighborhood bar. Instead of paying to see the headliner, fans settle for an impersonator who delivers a similar experience. For many consumers, that imitation is sufficient. The question becomes strategic. Why would FOX Sports deploy a product built on Colin Cowherd’s name, image, and likeness? The tool is free and available on demand. Yet it is not actually Cowherd. It simply replicates the tone and framework many listeners expect from a sports talk host.
Maybe FOX Sports is right, and this is the inevitable evolution of sports media. Maybe this reflects what modern audiences truly prefer. They may value instant analysis over scheduled programming. They may want customized debate tailored to their specific questions. Frictionless access to a familiar personality could outweigh waiting for a three-hour terrestrial radio window. There’s no call screener. No commercial break. No tease to “we’ll get to that after the break.” Just answers.
But that’s also the danger, even if you’re the first one into the AI party.
What makes Colin Cowherd valuable isn’t just the cadence or the hot takes. It’s the humanity. The conviction behind the opinion. It’s the accountability that comes with saying something on the air and standing by it the next day — or adjusting when you were wrong.
An AI model can replicate tone, rhythm, and the structure of a rant. What it cannot replicate is ownership. When a take lands flat, who owns it? How about when it contradicts itself, who explains it? When it goes viral for the wrong reason, who defends it?
Colin built his brand on being unmistakably Colin. The pauses, and analogies along with his self-awareness. That brand now lives in two places: the studio and the server. And one of those doesn’t sleep. The value of his words loses value when they’re on demand, with the world having his words at its fingertips.
FOX Sports may have created a powerful engagement tool. They may have built the next phase of audience interaction. However, in doing so, they’ve also blurred the line between personality and product. Between commentary and code.
The real question isn’t whether AI can sound like Colin Cowherd. It’s whether, over time, it makes Colin Cowherd sound replaceable.
Because in sports media — just like in life — once the audience believes the substitute is “close enough,” the original suddenly becomes optional.
And that’s a gamble far bigger than any hot take.
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Sean Hannity is one of the busiest men in news media. He hosts the nationally syndicated Sean Hannity Show on news/talk radio for Premiere Networks, in addition to his primetime cable news program with Fox News.
So, you might think that would take up most of his time. But you’d be wrong.
Beginning next week, Hang Out with Sean Hannity will debut. The podcast will release new episodes twice per week, featuring long-form conversations between Hannity and guests filmed inside his Florida man cave.
In an interview earlier this week, Sean Hannity explained why it was important for him to branch out into this lane — which is similar to his Sean program for Fox Nation — and expand to YouTube, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms.
Garrett Searight: What was the inspiration for you to want to branch out and do something like this?
Sean Hannity: It’s a great question. I started one for Fox Nation, which obviously is subscription-based, and we had great shows, and we had Sly Stallone and his wife, and Gary Brecka in the health space with Jillian Michaels and Stephen A. Smith, and Montell Williams. We just had different people, long form. Some went a couple of hours, although I don’t think they ran the whole thing the way that we will on this podcast. And I actually just offered to do it. I said I wanted to do it, and they said, do it, and it did really, really well for Nation.
I do radio. And I do TV. I have my routine. And then I have these periods of time where I just looked at my schedule and I realized I would love to do long form, very different from what I do on radio, very different from what I do on TV. And I discovered things that I never thought would happen before.
When Stephen A. told the story about having dyslexia as a kid and being held back in 3rd and 4th grade, and how that motivated him to be who he was, that really inspired me. When Jillian Michaels, here we know her as one of the greatest health, wellness, fitness people in the country, was young and she’s tiny. She’s 5 foot two. She’s small. But she weighed over 170 pounds and the impact that had on her life. It really is fascinating to hear that backstory.
When I had Tony Robbins on, and he told the story that when he was growing up, his family didn’t have a lot of money, and a neighbor came by with Thanksgiving dinner, and his father yelled at the guy for thinking that he was poor, even though Tony, as a young kid, really wanted that food. It inspired him to later in life come up with programs. He’s going to feed like a trillion people, and he’s doing it, and how it impacted his life. Or Montell Williams literally cried on the podcast when I talked about the hardest moments after he was diagnosed with MS and living with MS.
But then we also do a little bit different version of what I do on radio and TV, which is I don’t have to interrupt somebody if they want to explain why they have a political point of view that is very different from mine. I can let them have four, five, six minutes, and then we pick up the discussion from there. Can I still press them for an answer? Absolutely. I’m going to be me. But it just gives you a level of freedom. Time is freedom in that space. And I’m just looking forward to doing it, doing it a little differently.
I’m kind of looking at it like I’m beginning my radio career in as much as when I started, I was on a college station that nobody listened to. And I’m looking at it like starting a podcast and a channel that doesn’t exist. If I build a good show, I’m pretty confident that the audience will come. And I’ve kind of surveyed the podcast world. There’s things that I like out there, and there are things that I don’t like out there. I just feel like there is a place for what I have, and in terms of the vision in my mind where I want to take it.
GS: So when you say you look at your schedule and see that you have time to do a podcast, are you somebody who is constantly “on” and constantly thinking about both the radio show and the primetime show?
SH: I would say that’s a pretty accurate statement. I don’t sleep a lot. I work a lot. And I enjoy my work. I feel blessed to do what I do every day. However, in radio, you have 15-minute segments. You got to take a break, then you come back, short segment, come back, then do another long segment, and sometimes I’m interacting with callers. I’m interacting with guests. Sometimes I’m doing a long monologue on an issue of the day.
So, it’s just a way to do things differently on a more personal basis and expand my horizons a little bit. Because, believe it or not, outside of the world of politics — which both shows are heavily involved in — I have a lot of other interests in my life. And that’s an opportunity for me to pursue conversations in those arenas as well. But there will be politics. I’m not saying that that’s not going to happen. We have some really good guests that are booked to start the podcast, to launch it, and I’m taking the long view on this. I’m in this for the long haul.
I’m just excited at the prospect that I can have long conversations with people I like, people I maybe don’t know, people I disagree with, and people I agree with. And then talk about a variety of things that I’m really into that I never really have time to talk about on air. I’m very much into health, wellness, fitness, nutrition, and martial arts. So that’s going to be a big part of the podcast.
We’re going to talk a lot about other people, their lives, how they became successful. I’ll talk to people that I disagree with, but it won’t be in a six-minute segment where I have to get an answer out of somebody on an important question, and they’re trying to duck and dodge and weave. I’ll stay there for an hour until I get an answer to the question now. And I don’t have to be as interruptive, and it doesn’t have to be as contentious. So I’m really excited about it. My foray into this with Fox Nation worked out really well, and I just kind of feel like this is the beginning for me.
GS: Literally, nobody in the history of cable news has done more shows than you. So what are the things that still motivate you to get up and do a great show every day?
SH: You know what’s great about my job? Every single day is different. Every day, because every single day the news is different, and while there are certainly principles that guide my political point of view. And those principles really have not changed for me throughout my entire career. I’ve evolved on some issues. I’ve changed my view on some issues. But I started out as a Reagan conservative on air, and kind of evolved into a Reagan, MAGA conservative because times changed.
And I’m very fond of the idea that, for example, on the issue of national security, national defense. We don’t ever have to ask our national treasure, our kids, to go door to door like they did in Iraq, and step over IEDs and not have armored Humvees, because I would argue that the next generation of weaponry, that future conflicts are going to be fought in air-conditioned offices someplace in the US, and not on the battlefield.
So we’re living through an age where everything is changing at the speed of light. When people say artificial intelligence is the future, my answer to that is no, it’s the present. It’s happening right now, right before our eyes. And it is accelerated at a pace that I don’t think even people that work in the field anticipated. And that’s become a big part of my life. I don’t know if you use AI at all, but I use it every day. And I’m addicted to it.
Another topic of real keen interest of mine is technology, the future, the evolving workplace employment, how it’s going to impact pretty much every industry that everybody works in, including yours, including mine. And we’re at a point where, which I don’t do, but I could do, and I’ve played around with it. I could ask Grok, “Hey, please tell me what Sean Hannity might say on today’s economic news,” and it will come back with a pretty convincing, comprehensive answer that is something close to what I would say. I’m not replaceable yet, though, Garrett.
GS: I was going to ask: Glenn Beck is doing full-on AI podcasts or video shows. Would that be something that you would look into embracing in the future?
SH: No, it’s not something I would embrace in the future. I saw that he did it, and I was curious about what he did, and I found it interesting. I think it’s a great way to educate the public about how impactful this is going to be. And I know that there are a lot of worries and concerns on Wall Street and the impact that it’s going to have on the economy, the impact that may have in terms of jobs.
Look, for example, at, how jobs in the auto industry have been taken over by robotics. The robotics that are coming are absolutely beyond, I think, what most people understand. If you, for example, if Tesla has a robot that they keep every year, they come out with a new series, the new iteration, the new advancements of it. And for example, the more difficult thing a couple of years ago was to get the robot to have dexterity in its hands to do simple tasks. And they’ve been able to overcome that obstacle dramatically. So that might impact manufacturing jobs of people. But on the other side of it, it’s going to create a whole other group of jobs for people that we didn’t anticipate either.
GS: When you sit down and see a story, how do you weigh what works best on radio and what works best on TV?
SH: Boy, that’s a great question. On radio, it’s all energy. And the only way that I have to communicate with the audience, which I love, is through my voice, inflection, cadence, pitch, and tone. On TV, I could just look at somebody, and I could roll my eyes up, and I can communicate a lot to my audience. So they’re both powerful mediums.
I think in radio, you really have to connect with somebody’s heart and mind. And I think on TV, you just have other tools available for communication. And I think with a podcast, I think people are going to see me dressed down the way I usually dress in life. I don’t like to wear a tie, which I don’t wear on TV anymore. I don’t like to wear a jacket, and I don’t like to wear a stiff collar shirt. So I might wear either a t-shirt or I’m going to wear a linen cotton shirt and jeans, and just be hanging out, and that’s kind of the atmosphere that I’m going to try and create on the podcast.
Actually, I have three Democrats booked for the first two weeks of the podcast that I think would surprise you. But they know me well enough to know that I will be fair to them and give them an opportunity to express their point of view, and give them time to talk. Maybe one of the criticisms you get is that when you have shorter segments, TV or radio, especially if you disagree with somebody, you have to be a little bit more interruptive than you want to be.
I would rather let them finish their answer than say, “but you still didn’t answer my question,” and then do it that way. Give them time to finish their entire thought, go off on a completely different tangent than what I was asking them about. But then I’m going to think it’ll be more impactful to say, “You just spent five minutes answering a question without answering my question.” And then at that point, they’re going to feel a little more pressure to answer the question. So I’m hoping for that.
I went to the set for the first time yesterday. I couldn’t have been more excited. And there’s going to be some social media videos coming out on that.
A first look inside the new podcast studio.
Hang Out with Sean Hannity premieres March 3. Subscribe now on Youtube and Spotify. pic.twitter.com/J0FeIBC6ES
When I started out in my adult life, I came from a lower-middle-class family where my parents grew up very poor. And my mom, who grew up in the South Bronx, who was valedictorian of her high school class and could do the New York Times crossword puzzle in ink, didn’t have money to go to college. So she ended up being a prison guard, working 16-hour shifts her whole life. And my dad, who grew up in Bed-Stuy, again very poor. All four of my grandparents came from Ireland — legally, if you’re interested, because that’s such a big issue these days — and came to Ellis Island.
My dad had a very tough life. He grew up there in the Depression, fought four years in the Pacific in World War II, and it was a big deal when they moved out to a little 50 by 100 lot Levitt house, Cape Cod, on Long Island, in Franklin Square.
The one thing that they really instilled in me, that sticks with me to this day, because I don’t have to do this. I’ve made enough money. I’ve been fortunate enough in my career. But I didn’t get into it because I wanted to make money or ever thought I’d be successful. I do it because I love it. And the minute that that mic went on, the red light went on, at a radio station back in the 80s, it just changed my life. What I realized is that’s where I want to be. And I realized that there are still things I want to accomplish that I can’t accomplish in the current formats that I’m working in. And the idea that Fox is going to let me do it makes me happy. I want to do it. I’m embracing it.
My parents taught me one thing: a work ethic. At eight, I was delivering papers. At 12 years old, I was washing dishes in a restaurant every Friday, Saturday, Sunday night until two in the morning. And at 13, I was a cook. Then I was a bus boy, a bartender. I spent 10 years of my life in construction, got behind a radio mic, and my life changed. And that’s all I ever wanted to do, and that passion has not left.
The only thing I can compare it to — without daring to compare myself to Rush, because there never will be another Rush Limbaugh — is if you recall when Rush got sick and announced that he had stage four advanced lung cancer, it took my breath away. Because you’d think that people are going to be with you forever. And people that you admire and people that you love, and I knew Rush, and he couldn’t have been nicer to me throughout my career.
If you really look at it, here’s a guy that had a Gulfstream, a guy that had a huge mansion in Palm Beach, a guy that by every outside measure had achieved everything he wanted to achieve in life. And yet, he would go through the most brutal chemotherapy, radiation treatments you could ever imagine. And what was Rush’s bucket list? Was it to go to Europe? Was it to go to Australia? Or was it to take a big trip? No. His bucket list was just to get well enough that he could get back on the air and do his show.
And that was how he spent the last year of his life. So really, his bucket list was what he was doing every day. And as I reflect back on my life and the opportunities that I’ve had in the 30 years now that I’ve been at Fox, and all the years I’ve been on radio, to have this opportunity for me is just another level of excitement for me. And nothing has changed from that first day that I cracked a microphone. Nothing. I feel the same way today as I felt then. If anything, I’d like to think that I can do it better than I did then.
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No two syndicated radio shows ever follow the exact same path to stardom, but many share the same goal. Some want the biggest national reach to build their profile as a talent. Others are looking for a way to make more money than what’s available at just one station. Some just want to talk all over the world. For Greg “Woody” Wood, Chris Wilcox, and Chelsea Paxton, better known as The Woody and Wilcox Show, their entry into syndication was more about ‘career stability.’
“Self-preservation is why we decided to syndicate. We figured maybe if we’re on enough stations they can’t fire us,” explained Wilcox.
For many shows, that would be a facetious answer. But talk to the team for a while and you get the sense they really mean it. In one form or another, Woody and Wilcox had already been fired by iHeartRadio and CBS before they landed together in Anchorage at Classic Rock KBFX, where the show truly came together.
“What sold me about going to Anchorage was when I asked how much music they wanted us to play,” said Wilcox. “The response was ‘I guess you can play some if you want to.’”
Woody says being given that freedom was important to the growth of the show. He referenced it to being given the set of keys to the car before the big race. The program stayed at KFBX for four years before making it known inside iHeartMedia that they wanted to return to the lower forty-eight.
“When we told them we wanted to move the answer was ‘of course you do, we never thought you’d stay that long,’” said Wilcox.
Eventually, that request brought them to WEND in Charlotte. The move unexpectedly kickstarted their syndication when the company decided to continue airing their show in Anchorage. Everyone associated with the program expected that initial simulcast to last a year or two. Twenty years later, it’s now the market’s longest-running show.
Charlotte is also where Chelsea joined the team and quickly gelled with the program. That instant friendship and chemistry led them to increase their syndication efforts to build more ‘career stability.’
“What makes the show work is the three of us and the relationship we share,” says Woody. “We love each other. That means we can give each other the business without being mean. The dynamic is so familiar to people. When listeners tune in they immediately identify with it.”
Like most families, they spend more time talking about their personal lives than anything else.
“We’re not into pop culture or Dancing with the Stars,” says Chelsea. “We do talk about topical things. Most of them are ridiculous and that’s the draw of it.”
The show has also made a conscious decision not to talk about politics, providing a respite for listeners. That wasn’t an easy choice, and it’s something Wilcox says they still wrestle with on the program.
“It’s harder now because everything is political. We made the decision not to talk about it, but I still wonder if we’re doing the right thing,” questioned Wilcox.
That doesn’t mean they shy away from serious topics that affect the team, which included Chelsea’s personal battle with breast cancer. The topic touched home for so many listeners, and was a big part of the program’s content. There was also another incident involving Chelsea’s child bring involved in a horrible car accident.
“She got the call while we were on the air,” Woody continues, “Wilcox and I started making fun of the situation until it turned out to be serious. Then we immediately fell on the sword saying, ‘man we are such a-holes.’”
Like most family units, each has a defined role. It starts with Woody, whose opinions might make him sound like an alien. However, he knows what his job is and where his towel is trying to get a rise out of his fellow teammates and listeners.
“I’m the antagonist,” he explains. “I’m the guy who makes you look down at the radio, cock your head sideways like a dog and wonder ‘did he just say that,’” said Woody. “I want them to think what I just said was so outlandishly wrong. But I said it with so much confidence that they have to correct me. If I can do that without making anyone super angry, I’ve done my job.”
As for Wilcox and Chelsea, the approach is much different than Woody. Wilcox’s main role is the straight man, while Chelsea is the smart one of the ensemble.
“When she speaks, it’s with the passion of someone who feels very deeply about things with the intelligence to back it up,” says Woody. “Both Wilcox and I are two goofballs who can’t believe she read an entire book in a weekend.”
Wilcox favors their dynamic because it’s different than many traditional radio morning shows. In many cases, typically the woman in the studio was only there to laugh at or agree with the other guys. Not in this case with The Woody and Wilcox Show.
“It cuts against the grain of most rock shows with two guys and a woman,” says Wilcox.
In addition to the three of them, there is their producer ‘Cool Beans.’ She served as an accountant for the IRS before deciding she hated the job and moved into radio. Wilcox considers both ‘Cool Beans’ and Chelsea to be overqualified for the positions they keep.
Being syndicated across five time zones by Radio Resources has created a loyal group of listeners who regularly contribute great content. Some of the mainstays include Chuck Diapers, Hooters Eric, and Woody’s little league coach.
“We have such a unique group of people out in the world. Everything we talk about someone will call in and know something about it,” says Chelsea.
Unlike many talk-heavy shows, none of the callers air live. Instead, every call comes to Wilcox as an audio file that he edits before it hits the air. There’s strategy in that method to ensure that momentum is never wasted on a day-to-day program for the audience.
“When you take a live phone call, you always could have cut ten to fifteen seconds out. That’s what Wilcox does for four hours,” explains Woody. “These callers have never been on the air. They don’t know to get to the punchline and never had a PD yell at them. So Wilcox is saving them from an aircheck session.”
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On February 22, 2026 — exactly 46 years to the day after the Miracle on Ice. The United States men’s hockey team did something it hadn’t done since a group of college kids shocked the Soviet Union in Lake Placid: win Olympic gold.
A 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in Milan. Dentally challenged Jack Hughes firing a five-hole shot past Jordan Binnington 1:41 into overtime, missing teeth and all. NBC’s Kenny Albert delivering a call that is still bouncing off satellite dishes across the country: “Jack Hughes wins it, the golden goal for the United States.”
Now comes the debate that every sports media outlet in America will wrestle with for years: Can 2026 ever sit alongside 1980 in the American sports pantheon? More urgently — what does it mean for how this country covers, consumes and cares about hockey going forward?
Before the mythology machine fully cranks up, let’s acknowledge what the stats say.
Canada was dominant. They outshot the United States 42-28. They scored 28 goals in the tournament — nearly five per game. In the second period alone, they fired 19 shots on goal, the most by any team in a single period in Olympic gold medal game history.
If this were a boxing match, every judge at ringside had Canada winning on points going into the 12th round.
Yet they couldn’t beat Connor Hellebuyck, who stopped 41 of 42 shots. He turned away a Connor McDavid breakaway and a Macklin Celebrini breakaway. He survived a 5-on-3 power play that should have broken the Americans completely.
In the third period, he reached back and denied Devon Toews on a shot that had no right to be stopped. Toews stared at an open net. Hellebuyck found the one inch of space the puck could reach and beat it there. That save alone will be looped on highlight reels for decades.
Oh, and Jack Hughes had already lost multiple teeth to a high stick before he went out and scored the overtime winner. Try finding that kind of toughness in most professional sports today. LeBron and Luka would still be arguing with officials.
The media should be screaming from every platform it has: Hockey, the last real sport.
Here’s the number that should be changing editorial calendars right now: 26 million. That’s how many Americans were watching when Hughes scored in a gold medal game that started at 8:15 Eastern in the morning.
On a Sunday. Before most of the country had finished its first cup of coffee. The live audience was 18.6 million on NBC and Peacock, making it the most-watched sporting event before 9 a.m. ET in United States history.
Not just for hockey. Not just for the Olympics. For all of American sports history.
For context, more Americans watched this hockey game before breakfast than typically tune into the NBA Finals in prime time. The sports media world has spent years handwringing about hockey’s place in the American sports conversation — too regional, too niche. Sunday morning answered that question definitively.
The audience is there. The appetite is real. The question now is whether the industry has the nerve to feed it.
Team USA is taking home the GOLD. Relive Team USA's golden moment in full. 💪🥇 pic.twitter.com/eKIn0gbsdd
ESPN and TNT Sports should be asking hard questions this week. Will they invest more in hockey coverage? Push more regular-season NHL games into prominent windows? Will they chase this moment the way ABC chased college basketball after 1979, when Magic and Bird made the sport must-see television overnight?
They should. The blueprint sits in the ratings data.
Then there’s the broader media culture question: Will this game create hockey fans? It should. Jack Hughes missing teeth and scoring in overtime is exactly the kind of image that converts casual viewers into believers.
The NBA has spent years marketing its stars while its product has become a nightly flop-a-thon, foul-shot competition and load-management showcase. Meanwhile, Hughes didn’t blink. Nobody asked whether his tooth situation required a “maintenance day.” He played. He scored. That contrast writes itself, and smart sports media should be writing it loudly.
In 1980, the United States beat the Soviet Union. The Soviets had beaten the NHL All-Stars in an exhibition shortly before the Olympics. They were considered unbeatable. The Americans were amateurs, mostly college players, facing a professional machine built by a state.
Al Michaels’ call — “Do you believe in miracles?” — wasn’t hyperbole. It was a sincere question, asked in real time, because few in that building believed what they were watching. America still had to beat Finland 4-2 to win gold, a game that felt almost anticlimactic by comparison. The miracle had already happened.
In 2026, the Americans were not amateurs. They were NHL stars competing against the best Canadian team in years, and it seemed gold was destined to return to the Great White North. Still, this was a rivalry. The United States has now won Olympic gold in hockey exactly three times in more than 100 years of the sport — 1960, 1980 and 2026. They were not plucky unknowns.
However, they were not expected to win, and Hellebuyck’s brilliance combined with Hughes’ golden goal created the kind of athletic drama that sports media lives for.
What 2026 has that 1980 doesn’t is Canada as the perfect foil — the country that invented the sport, treats it as a national birthright and hasn’t seen a Canadian franchise win the Stanley Cup since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens. The maple leaf crowd has waited for an Olympics to heal that wound. Instead, it watched salt poured in by the Americans on the anniversary of Lake Placid, no less.
Kenny Albert’s call isn’t “Do you believe in miracles?” — nothing ever will be — but it doesn’t need to be. It only needs to be remembered, and now it will be.
The honest answer is that 1980 will always be the Miracle. Al Michaels still owns the greatest call in sports broadcasting history. 2026 is not trying to be 1980. It’s trying to stand on its own — and it has the raw material. Hellebuyck’s Toews save. Hughes’ bloody, toothless smile after the golden goal. A viewership record that rewrote the rulebook for morning sports television.
A Canada-USA rivalry that now has a new, burning chapter.
The media’s job now is to keep this moment alive. Cover the NHL with the urgency it deserves. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are coming up, competing with the NBA, and the action sells if the right networks fully embrace it.
At the same time, acknowledge basketball’s issues with tanking, fouling, stoppages and overall style. Once a hockey period starts, there are no bathroom breaks. The pace is relentless. NBA whistles create a symphony of uneven play, followed by a parade of players berating officials.
Plaster hockey players on the front of ESPN.com. Lead SportsCenter with pucks. Include hockey topics among the burning questions on morning sports talk shows, not just another recycled LeBron take. Tell this story every February 22. Make Jack Hughes what Magic Johnson became after 1979 — not just a great player, but a symbol of something larger.
The audience proved Sunday morning that it’s ready. The only question is whether the sports media industry is ready to meet it.
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I unfollowed a childhood friend this week. No drama, no rock radio issues, but he just lives in Lake Me.
Do you know about Lake Me? It’s not a bad place but people drown there.
It traps talent, brands, and it can pull anyone under. It brings problems on the air, but online is the deep end.
Lake Me is where everything is about you:
Your wins
Your grind
Your brilliance
Your opinion on everything
Even your mundane
It’s ok to celebrate yourself. Post the selfie with Grohl, show off your grilled cheese masterpiece, and let us know if you save a baby from a burning building. Just make sure that seesaw comes down after your personal high and gives a ride up for others, because they’re expecting it.
Why are they expecting it? Social media is personal. It’s my personal page.
Yes, it is. But it’s also personal for scrollers and fans. If talent and brands don’t remember that — and only deliver exhausting laps in Lake Me — that’s when it gets dangerous.
Fair or not, most everything talent or brands do online is viewed as business in the eyes of others, especially clients and fans. That’s the difference between Lake Me and Lake Them.
Lake Me vs. Lake Them
Lake Me fills your personal tank, your self-worth, the achievements, stuff you really care about. While important, it’s best used in moderation. Lake Them is what builds an audience, creates bonds, and includes them.
Lake Me harmlessly says:
Long week of shows, meetings and appearances. No show tomorrow, I’m just chillin’ tonight with Jack Daniels and Netflix.
That’s fine. But who’s that for? It’s “look at me” with a status update no one asked for. Too much of that and you’ll have fewer followers than I do.
Lake Them says:
Finally the weekend. Jack Daniels and Netflix. Got any Night Agent drinking games? Takeout musts?
Both are touchpoints: whiskey, Netflix and chill. But the intent is different. Different relationships. The Lake Me post won’t get you kicked off social, but it was a humble brag about meetings and appearances and a one-way broadcast about YOU… or ME. Lake Them was a conversational invite into your evening. Subtle difference, but important.
Not everything needs to drive interaction but how we talk to the audience matters. Scrollers notice.
More examples:
Lake Me: Ratings came out today. The show was #1 AGAIN.
Lake Them: Ratings say #1 again. Probably a mistake, there should be a recount.
Lake Me: Sorry I haven’t posted in a few days. Big paydays are great but traveling for keynotes is brutal.
Lake Them: Been running around pretending I’m smart to pay the rent. What’d I miss, fill me in?
Now think about rock bands. Some treat every day like it’s their birthday. But those that stand out build careers on songs that make fans feel something — a collective experience, a shared identity, the fans are always on blast — that’s Lake Them.
But it all shifts when fans feel like they’re suddenly being lectured or talked at — the whole vibe changes. You feel it and see it: when artist preach, talk too loudly about themselves or slip into too much Lake Me, fans will drift down the lake to other boats.
It’s important to be you and let the world know when you’re killing it. Just don’t forget that intent is felt and it’s not always all about you. It’s also easy to spot the regulars quietly shouting, “Look at ME… I’m in Lake ME.”
“I” more than “you.”
Posts are like lectures or acceptance speeches.
Experts on everything.
Trying to force boring into being relevant.
Credit rarely shared.
Reciprocal interaction is sparse.
Humble brags in disguise
That’s chlorine poisoning.
For onliners, there’s no discernible difference between personal pages and brand pages, and the audience wants you in Lake Them.
If you’re a manager, have a chat about Lake Me with your team. And just for fun, review your FB or IG feeds and count all the “Lake Me” posts you see today. You won’t be able to unsee them.
Lake Me.
Go for a swim.
Just don’t become a VIP member.
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