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iHeartMedia’s SportsTalk 790 Announces Lineup Swap Beginning Monday

John Mamola
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iHeartMedia’s SportsTalk 790 Announces Lineup Swap Beginning Monday

A Houston lineup shuffle just landed, and it’s a big one. SportsTalk 790 announced sweeping changes to mornings and middays, effective Monday.

What We Know: Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal move from middays into mornings, hosting Matt & Ross In The Morning from 6 to 10 a.m. starting Monday. Dan Matthews shifts the other direction, taking over middays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Joshua Jordan also gets a promotion, moving from producer to co-host of The Dan Matthews Show. Meanwhile, The A-Team with Adam Clanton and Adam Wexler stays in afternoon drive, 2 to 6 p.m.

What They Said: Dan Matthews on moving to middays (via X): “Excited about it. I am pumped that I don’t have to wake up at 430 anymore. But I’ve loved doing the mornings. It’s been amazing. It’s been awesome.”

Dan Matthews on his approach to the new show in middays (via X): “Every day that’s what we’ll do. I’ll take you all to lunch. Not literally, but you know, send you on your way. Then when you go get that midday cup of coffee, why don’t you come join me?”

What Remains Unclear: No additional staff shifts accompany this announcement so far. Still, it’s unclear whether producer or support roles shift alongside the on-air changes.

What It Means: This move signals confidence in Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal as a morning duo. Consequently, SportsTalk 790 is leaning into Dan Matthews’ relaxed, listener-first energy for middays. Meanwhile, elevating Joshua Jordan shows the station values homegrown talent. The announcement comes just a week after crosstown rival SportsRadio 610 flipped to FM and rebranded as 95.7 The Fan.

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WaterStone Acquisition of Salem Media Complete, Now Officially Private

Garrett Searight
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WaterStone Acquisition of Salem Media Complete, Now Officially Private

Salem Media is officially under new ownership after WaterStone completed its acquisition of the Christian and conservative media company. The transaction takes Salem private and sets the stage for long-term growth.

What We Know: WaterStone, operating as The Christian Community Foundation, acquired all outstanding Salem Media common stock for $1 per share. That price represented approximately a 250% premium over Salem’s trading price before the deal’s announcement. As a private company, Salem will continue operating its radio, digital, streaming, podcasting, television, and publishing platforms. Meanwhile, WaterStone plans to support investment and expansion across the company’s media properties. The partnership also brings together organizations with a shared commitment to Christian ministry and stewardship. Salem enters the deal following continued momentum across its national radio, streaming, and podcast platforms.

What They Said: “This is an exciting day for Salem and the beginning of an important new chapter for our company. Salem enters this partnership with strong momentum, an extraordinary portfolio of talent and brands, and more ways than ever to reach audiences across the country. With WaterStone alongside us, we are positioned to invest for the future while remaining firmly committed to the mission that has guided this company from the very beginning.” -Salem Media CEO David Santrella

“Today is not about changing what Salem is. It is about giving Salem an even stronger foundation to build on what it does best. What excites us about Salem is not only what the company has built, but how much opportunity remains ahead.” WaterStone President and Salem Media Board of Directors Chair Richard von Gnechten

“When Stuart Epperson and I founded Salem more than 50 years ago, we could not have imagined the reach and impact it would have today. Knowing Salem’s mission will be carried forward by a partner that shares our values gives me tremendous confidence in what comes next.” -Salem Media co-founder Edward Atsinger III

What Remains Unclear: The company hasn’t detailed specific investments, programming changes, or expansion plans following the acquisition. Salem also hasn’t indicated whether WaterStone will pursue additional acquisitions or strategic partnerships.

What It Means: The transaction gives Salem greater flexibility as a private company while preserving its existing media footprint. For WaterStone, the deal provides control of a major Christian and conservative media operation with national reach. Now, Salem can focus on growth without the same pressures associated with operating as a publicly traded company.

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San Francisco Giants Approve KNBR Beer Special Idea To Kick off Fan Appreciation Weekend

John Mamola
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San Francisco Giants Approve KNBR Beer Special Idea To Kick off Fan Appreciation Weekend

The San Francisco Giants and KNBR are pouring out a frosty promotion. Moreover, one which originated from KNBR morning show Murph & Markus. Team CEO Larry Baer confirmed a beer special for a Wednesday’s home game against the Minnesota Twins with prices matching KNBR’s radio signals.

What We Know: The Giants host the Twins on Wednesday, September 23, at Oracle Park. KNBR and the Giants will run a beer special that afternoon. Moreover, KNBR serves as the Giants’ longtime radio broadcast partner. Murph & Markus first pitched the promotion to Baer earlier this season to team CEO Larry Baer. After many months, Baer confirmed that the organization has signed off on the concept. That afternoon, Coors Lights will be $6.80 while Corona beers will be $10.45 in honor of KNBR’s AM and FM signal.

What They Said: (All quotes from KNBR):

San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer announces KNBR Beer Night: “We have breaking news. Halt the halt the presses. Fan Appreciation Weekend is Friday, Saturday, Sunday against the Dodgers, 25th, 26th, 27th. We are going to usher in fan appreciation weekend on September 23 with the KNBR special.”

San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer credits KNBR’s Murph & Markus for the idea: “You had a good strategy, guys. I got to say, you guys are no dummies. I mean, you started on opening day with the commissioner pushing this. You had the mayor, the commissioner. Did you have the Pope on board?”

Brian Murphy thanking Baer for the opportunity: “I know asking a Major League Baseball team or any professional sports franchise to reduce prices is a big ask. I get it. We all like money. It’s like you saying to me, “Hey, Murph, you want to take a pay cut? Hey, Marcus, you want to take a pay cut?” Nobody’s looking to take a pay cut. But what we’re looking for is maybe a just a reasonable, harmonious gesture in a tough season. I think you guys have done that once again. I’m going to applaud this, Larry. It’s tremendous.”

What Remains Unclear: Official details on access points for the special are unknown. Also, KNBR’s broadcast plans that afternoon have not been fully revealed.

What It Means: Moreover, the deal deepens ties between the Giants and their flagship radio partner. Despite reports that the relationship between the two are at odds with one another. In addition, it rewards fans amid a tough season, as Murphy noted. It also shows local media pitches can shape real ballpark promotions. If turnout impresses, it possibly could turn into more events where the two parties work in concert to drive more fans through the turnstiles.

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ESPN Reportedly Close To Separate Monday Night Football Alt-Cast Featuring Pat McAfee

John Mamola
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ESPN Reportedly Close To Separate Monday Night Football Alt-Cast Featuring Pat McAfee

ESPN reportedly wants even more Pat McAfee on Monday nights this NFL season. The network is pursuing NFL approval for a McAfee alt-cast on Monday Night Football.

What We Know: McAfee will join ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown panel this season, the network announced Wednesday. That adds to his daily show and College GameDay duties. Meanwhile, ESPN is negotiating a broader deal with McAfee reportedly worth $60-65 million annually, according to The Athletic. If approved, McAfee’s team would likely cover games on ESPN2 during weeks the Manning brothers’ alt-cast isn’t airing.

What’s At Stake: If McAfee’s concept is approved by the league, this will lead to McAfee being presented on ESPN or ESPN2 on some weeks for more than ten hours of the broadcast day on Monday nights. Following the success of the McAfee show alt-cast models from the College Football Playoff, ESPN may be looking for consistency this season in providing viewers more options every week.

What Remains Unclear: The NFL hasn’t decided whether to approve the McAfee alt-cast, and no timeline has surfaced. It’s also unclear exactly how many games McAfee would cover, though reporting suggests around eight.

What It Means: ESPN is chasing consistency across its alt-cast lineup, since the Mannings don’t appear every Monday. Adding McAfee would fill those gaps and could stretch his Monday workload. Ultimately, the move reflects how central McAfee has become to ESPN’s football strategy — and how much the network is willing to pay to keep him there. But ESPN is also running a risk of oversaturation with McAfee. Whether or not viewers will gravitate to a McAfee alt-cast over the proven entity of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman is unknown. Also, how this would affect the network’s relationship with Omaha Productions, if any, is also unknown.

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ESPN Debuting MLB Little League Classic Alt-Cast This Weekend

John Mamola
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ESPN Debuting MLB Little League Classic Alt-Cast This Weekend

Once again, ESPN heads back to Williamsport this weekend. The network will present its ninth MLB Little League Classic Sunday, August 23. For the first time, ESPN2 will present MLB Little League Classic – Alumni-cast on ESPN2 presentation of the MLB Little League Classic.

What We Know: ESPN’s Braves-Brewers broadcast begins at 7 p.m. ET from Historic Bowman Field. Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez and Buster Olney call the main telecast. Meanwhile, ESPN2 debuts an alternate Alumni-cast, with Mike Monaco calling play-by-play alongside Todd Frazier and Devon Travis, all Little League alumni. Guests include Andrew McCutchen, Jason Marquis, Lance Lynn and Ray Ferraro, while Baseball Tonight opens coverage at 6 p.m. with Kevin Connors and Tim Kurkjian, and ESPN Radio carries the game.

What’s At Stake: This is a new and innovative way to provide another option for viewership enhancing the event’s experience. How the viewership trends may depend on if this approach will change moving forward.

What Remains Unclear: The release doesn’t say whether more Alumni-cast guests could join later.

What It Means: The dual telecast gives ESPN two ways to tell the same story. Meanwhile, traditional play-by-play airs on ESPN, while nostalgia anchors the ESPN2 alternate. For alumni-turned-broadcasters, Sunday doubles as a personal homecoming. Overall, the format signals ESPN’s growing bet on character-driven sports storytelling.

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Sports Radio’s Past & Present Celebrate National Radio Day

John Mamola
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Sports Radio’s Past & Present Celebrate National Radio Day

National Radio Day returns every August 20. This year’s observance marks 106 years since radio first found its voice in Detroit. Several past and present sports radio personalities shared their memories in celebration on social media.

What We Know: National Radio Day traces to August 20, 1920, when station 8MK signed on in Detroit as the Detroit News Radiophone, now WWJ. Radio itself emerged from decades of invention, including Heinrich Hertz’s wireless research and Guglielmo Marconi’s pioneering transmissions. Meanwhile, Reginald Fessenden aired the first entertainment broadcast in 1906. Communities have marked the August date since the early 1990s.

What Remains Unclear: No organization claims official credit for founding National Radio Day. Some historians point to WWJ, while others credit KDKA’s 1920 election-night broadcast as radio’s true commercial first.

What It Means: For each broadcaster, the significance of the day means something different. National Radio Day gives a pressured industry a moment to pause and reflect on the individual journey but also the impact of the medium. Radio ownership climbed from two in five homes in 1931 to four in five by 1938. Today, more than 15,000 licensed stations still operate nationwide. That reach still underpins why executives call radio a trusted lifeline for listeners.

What They Said: Many sports media personalities of the past and present shared their celebration of National Radio Day on social media. Here’s a sampling of just a few.

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NFL Executive: New Nielsen Measurement Changes “Raise More Questions”

John Mamola
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NFL Executive: New Nielsen Measurement Changes “Raise More Questions”

Nielsen is changing how it measures TV audiences before NFL season begins. The league says the timing is a problem.

What We Know: Nielsen’s enhanced co-viewing measurement takes effect August 31, right before kickoff. The update also revises weighting formulas within Big Data + Panel, a system introduced last year. Meanwhile, according to a report by Front Office Sports, NFL SVP of data and analytics Paul Ballew expects accurate co-viewing results to take roughly two years. As a result, the league is now exploring alternative audience measurement providers.

What They Said: NFL SVP of data and analytics Paul Ballew (via Front Office Sports): “Our concern is that this is going to make measurement for the upcoming season muddled. It’s been a real struggle with Nielsen, and these latest changes raise even more questions for us.”

NFL SVP of data and analytics Paul Ballew (via Front Office Sports): “The results we’ve seen so far are really negative for us, and for sports overall. This is not an abstract issue for us. It has a direct effect on our operations, and the decisions we make.”

What Remains Unclear: It’s not yet clear exactly how the new co-viewing method will affect NFL audience counts. Additionally, whether other NFL rights holders will join the push for alternative measurement providers remains unknown.

What It Means: Coming off its best viewership season in three decades, the NFL wants clean numbers heading into 2026-27. Instead, rising friction with Nielsen threatens to complicate that momentum. Ultimately, this dispute could accelerate a broader shift toward alternative measurement across sports media. Then again, if the results are beneficial to the NFL, maybe it doesn’t.

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WTOP’s Joel Oxley to Receive 2026 NAB National Radio Award

Garrett Searight
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WTOP’s Joel Oxley to Receive 2026 NAB National Radio Award

Joel Oxley will receive the National Radio Award from the NAB this fall. The WTOP market manager is set to retire next year.

What We Know: Joel Oxley, Senior Vice President and Market Manager of WTOP in Washington, D.C., will receive the National Radio Award at the 2026 NAB Marconi Radio Awards. The ceremony will take place Tuesday, October 20. Oxley originally joined WTOP in 1992 before rising to the market manager role in 2009. Over the course of his career, he has helped guide WTOP into one of the country’s leading news radio operations. The honor coincides with his plans to retire next year.

What They Said: “NAB is honored to recognize Joel Oxley for his extraordinary leadership and lasting contributions to the radio industry. For more than three decades at WTOP and Federal News Network, and over 15 years at Hubbard Radio, Joel has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to local journalism, innovation and public service. Under his leadership, WTOP has become one of the nation’s premier news operations, setting the standard for excellence in local broadcasting while serving the Washington, D.C., community with trusted journalism. His integrity, vision and dedication have left an enduring mark on our industry, making him a most deserving recipient of this year’s National Radio Award.” -NAB CEO/President Curtis LeGeyt

What Remains Unclear: WTOP hasn’t announced additional details about Oxley’s retirement timeline or who will eventually succeed him.

What It Means: The National Radio Award gives Oxley a major industry honor as he prepares to step away. Meanwhile, the recognition highlights the impact of his leadership on WTOP and the broader news radio industry.

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Fox News Host Lawrence Jones Gives Health Update Following 2nd Eye Surgery

Garrett Searight
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Fox News Host Lawrence Jones Gives Health Update Following 2nd Eye Surgery

Lawrence Jones has undergone another eye surgery, keeping the Fox News host away from the network. The FOX & Friends co-host revealed the latest procedure on Facebook.

What We Know: Lawrence Jones first disclosed in January that he had undergone eye surgery after experiencing problems with his eye throughout his life. That procedure kept him off the air as he recovered. Now, Jones has revealed he underwent another surgery after suffering a retinal detachment. Jones co-hosts FOX & Friends alongside Brian Kilmeade and Ainsley Earhardt. His latest absence will extend his time away from the program. Meanwhile, Jones thanked Fox News management, his colleagues, and viewers for their support as he recovers. He also expressed optimism about returning to the air soon.

What They Said: “You may have noticed my recent absence. I’ve been open about my eye surgery due to a retinal tear. However, I later discovered that this was caused by a childhood sports injury. Regrettably, I’ve sustained another retina detachment, which is common after the initial tear. Yesterday, I underwent surgery again with the best care team. I want to express my deepest gratitude to my colleagues, Fox management, and our audience for their unwavering support during this challenging time. I’m optimistic that I’ll be back soon!” -Lawrence Jones

What Remains Unclear: Jones didn’t provide a specific timetable for his return to FOX & Friends. Additionally, he didn’t disclose whether doctors expect this recovery to require more time than his previous surgery.

What It Means: Jones’ latest procedure creates another interruption for one of Fox News’ prominent morning personalities. However, his message suggests he expects to return once his recovery allows it. For now, Fox News will need to continue filling his role while Jones focuses on his health and rehabilitation.

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Indiana Pacers Sign Exclusive DAZN Streaming Deal

BSM Staff
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Indiana Pacers Sign Exclusive DAZN Streaming Deal

The Indiana Pacers named DAZN as their exclusive broadcast partner. The streaming service launches in early September with substantial free content for fans.

What We Know DAZN becomes the exclusive regional streaming home for Pacers basketball. Fans get 22 free regular season games plus four preseason games on the app. Notably, 15 of those 22 games will also air on local broadcast partners. Early bird Season Pass subscribers pay just $59.99 through October 15, bringing per-game costs to roughly $1.

What They Said President and CEO Mel Raines emphasized accessibility as the core driver. “This partnership makes Pacers basketball more accessible than ever,” he stated. “DAZN is a global leader in sports streaming,” Raines continued. Meanwhile, DAZN Group CEO Shay Segev promised to “bring coverage and content throughout Indiana and the Midwest,” signaling long-term commitment to the region’s sports fans.

What Remains Unclear The exact game-by-game availability schedule hasn’t been finalized yet. Furthermore, specific promotional details throughout the season require announcement. Also, the precise early September launch date needs confirmation. Additionally, integration details with existing NBA League Pass offerings remain unspecified.

What It Means This deal fundamentally reshapes how Midwest fans access Pacers basketball. Cord-cutters now gain affordable alternatives to traditional cable subscriptions. Therefore, DAZN’s $1-per-game pricing creates competitive advantages within the sports streaming landscape. Ultimately, this partnership signals confidence in Pacers viewership growth and regional market potential.

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