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CHGO Lays Off On-Air Talent Part of New Content Strategy

BSM Staff
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Media layoffs continue, this time from digital sports media company CHGO, who laid off five forward-facing personalities and back-end production staff. According to Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times, CHGO laid off five hosts and some production personnel as part of parent company ALLCITY Network’s round of cuts.

Agrest says Greg Boysen, Vinnie Duber, Ryan Herrera, Herb Lawrence, and Nicholas Moreano were the on-air talents affected, according to ALLCITY CEO Brandon Spano. According to Agrest’s report, the layoffs are part of a resource shift the company is making as it aims for a wider distribution on its free ad-supported TV channels.

“We created a new content plan for 2025,” Spano said in a statement. “We would like to cover sports in the exact same manner, but the reality is that certain sports command a different scale of audience and advertiser interest at the local level, and we’re moving our resources to better align with that.” Spano also says these cuts were the first ever in the company’s history and that he doesn’t anticipate the company’s other outlets in Denver, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Dallas to be affected by layoffs.

In his statement, Spano also elaborated on why these cuts were made, saying that certain sports leagues and teams generate more interest than others. “As much as we would like to cover all sports in the exact same manner, the reality is that certain sports command a different scale of audience and advertiser interest at the local level and we’re moving our resources to better align with that, Spano said.

“These decisions were made using the large pool of data that has been accumulated over the last few years. It doesn’t mean that we’re no longer covering all teams in a city, but it does mean that we are reimagining what that looks like while being more conscious of our commitment to it. This means a smarter mix of daily shows, short-form content, and tentpole coverage.”

Those sports, apparently, are hockey and baseball, as CHGO laid off a Blackhawks writer (Boysen,) a Cubs writer (Herrera,) and two White Sox writers (Duber and Lawrence). While we know that ratings indicate football and basketball are the two most popular sports in the country, the Blackhawks have a high-profile talent in Connor Bedard and still couldn’t generate interest. Ultimately though, Spanos is hopeful for the future.

“We believe these changes create long-term sustainability for our employees as we continue to scale and add networks across the country.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

ESPN Announces MegaCast Production Plans in First Round of College Football Playoff

BSM Staff
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ESPN Announces MegaCast Production Plans in First Round of College Football Playoff

ESPN will be presenting approximately 12 different broadcast offerings as part of its MegaCast production during the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff on Friday and Saturday. Beginning on Friday, Dec. 21 when No. 10 Indiana faces No. 7 Notre Dame, ESPN and ABC will simulcast the main telecast featuring broadcasters Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath and Katie George.

ESPN2 will present the Command Center feed on Friday, which is a multi-angle presentation that displays up to four vantage points at one time featuring real-time player and team statistics. The broadcast feed will air on ESPNU for Saturday’s matchup between No. 9 Tennessee and No. 8 Ohio State, which will also have its main telecast airing both on ABC and ESPN.

On Saturday night, Pat McAfee and the cast of his eponymous weekday sports talk program will return for its third season Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show. The alternate broadcast will offer commentary from the field level with McAfee and the crew of AJ Hawk, Darius Butler, Connor Campbell, Ty Schmit and Anthony DiGuilio live from Ohio Stadium.

Both prime time college football games begin at 8 p.m. EST and will also be broadcast on ESPN Radio. Mike Couzens, Max Starks and Alyssa Lang will call the Indiana-Notre Dame game, while Marc Kestecher, Kelly Stouffer and Ian Fitzsimmons will be at Tennessee-Ohio State. The television call of Tennessee-Ohio State will include Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe and Marty Smith.

Spanish-language coverage of all four first-round games will air live on ESPN Deportes, as well as the ESPN app and Max depending on the television broadcast network. ESPN is sublicensing two first round games to TNT Sports in the first season of a five-year agreement between the two companies. Tennessee fans wishing to listen to the local radio broadcast of the Volunteers with Bob Kesling, Pat Ryan, Brent Hubbs and Jayson Swain can watch the SkyCast presentation on SEC Network with the audio feed. The ESPN App will highlight halftime marching band performances from both games for the fourth consecutive year as well.

The College Football Playoff will be available to view on ESPN-affiliated networks and businesses overseas that will reach sports fans worldwide through 64 linear networks and digital platforms in 141 countries. ESPN is also going to distribute College Football Playoff action through several partnerships in Canada, France, Spain and several other countries. The company has also extended its theatrical distribution agreement with Theater Sports Network to present all 11 CFP games at venues around the country.

Earlier in the year, ESPN and the College Football Playoff reached an agreement to expand its current media rights package for the final two years of the existing deal. Furthermore, the two entities reached a new six-year media rights deal for the entirety of the College Football Playoff and ancillary programming, reportedly worth $1.3 billion per year. Both deals allow ESPN to sublicense a select number of games.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Lotus Communications To Purchase ‘100.7 Big FM’ San Diego

BMM Staff
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Lotus Communications To Purchase ‘100.7 Big FM’ San Diego

Lotus Communications is set to purchase Variety Hits “100.7 Big-FM” KFBG San Diego from Local Media San Diego. (LMSD)

Lotus will be entering the San Diego market with its latest deal, expanding its portfolio, which currently includes 46 stations across Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Washington. Details concerning the terms of the agreement have not yet been revealed.

Local Media San Diego will maintain operations of its three Mexican-licensed radio stations in the San Diego area: Top 40 “Z90.3” XHITZ-FM, Alternative “91X” 91.1 XETRA-FM, and Rhythmic AC “Magic 92.5” XHRM-FM.

LMSD acquired the former KFMB-FM and its sister station, 760 KFMB, in December 2019 for $5 million.

Following the acquisition, LMSD sold the AM station to iHeartMedia for $1.2 million and launched the “Big-FM” brand after the transaction closed in April 2020.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Magellan AI Data Shows Top Podcast Advertisers Spent More Than $62 Million During November

BNM Staff
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Magellan AI Data Shows Top Podcast Advertisers Spent More Than $62 Million During November

The beginning of the holiday shopping season usually features an uptick in advertising. Magellan AI data shows just how much podcast advertisers spent in November.

The top 15 podcast advertisers during the month spent a combined $62.8 million according to figures released by Magellan AI.

BetterHelp led the pack with $8.6 million spent during the month, featuring a slight uptick compared to October. Amazon spent slightly less, but still accounted for $8 million total. T-Mobile was the only other advertiser that spent more than $5 million, as the mobile phone provider increased its spending to $6.5 million during the month.

Capital One ($4.5 million) and SimpliSafe ($4.1 million) rounded out the top five.

Of the top 15 podcast advertisers, 11 increased their spending during the month. However, three of the top six — Amazon, SimpliSafe, and Shopify — scaled back compared to the previous month.

The sports genre was the biggest beneficiary of the nearly $63 million in spending, as 13 of the top 15 marketers spent the most in the format. True Crime and News accounted for the other two top spenders.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM Names Frank Lenzi as News Director

BNM Staff
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KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM Names Frank Lenzi as News Director

KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM has announced the addition of Frank Lenzi as the station’s News Director, stepping into the shoes vacated by Charlie Harger.

Harger is departing his post to become the new host of Seattle’s Morning News, replacing the venerable Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien who are exiting the daypart.

Lenzi joins the Bonneville International station after previously serving as the News & Programming Director at crosstown Northwest Newsradio 1000 KNWN.

“I am incredibly thrilled to have been invited to become a part of the news team at KIRO Newsradio,” said Lenzi. “KIRO has always been the gold standard for radio journalism not only in the Seattle market, but across the country. It is an honor to lead this fine team of veteran broadcasters. Seattle is an important city when it comes to news and events. Other cities look to the example Seattle sets when it comes to politics, economics, and tourism. It is an important place to be, and an exciting place to cover. A lot of history is made in this town, and I love being in the middle of it.”

In addition to his tenure at Northwest Newsradio, Frank Lenzi also previously worked at AM 860 The Answer in Portland.

“We are thrilled to welcome Frank Lenzi to KIRO Newsradio,” said Bonneville Seattle Senior Vice President and Market Manager Cathy Cangiano. “Frank’s extensive experience and proven leadership in the industry make him the perfect fit for our team. His dedication to journalistic excellence and his ability to inspire and lead will keep our newsroom standards high. We look forward to the fresh perspectives and innovative ideas he will bring to KIRO.”

“Frank has a deep commitment to keeping audiences informed and connected,” added Program Director Bryan Buckalew. “I’m confident he’ll be a great addition to our team.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Steve Covino, Rich Davis Celebrate 20 Years On Air Together

BSM Staff
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Steve Covino, Rich Davis Celebrate 20 Years On Air Together

Steve Covino and Rich Davis, the weekday afternoon duo on FOX Sports Radio, recently celebrated their 20th anniversary hosting together on the air. Covino and Davis first started working together on Maxim Radio through Sirius Satellite Radio in December 2004 and remained on the outlet for 17 years before moving to FOX Sports Radio in 2021. The hosts became part of FOX Sports Radio as part of the weekend’s football lineup, and they attained a weekday timeslot one year later. A sports-focused iteration of the Covino & Rich show broadcasts weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. EST on over 300 stations nationwide, along with the FOX Sports Radio channel on iHeartRadio.

The FOX Sports Radio program continued to experience double-digit audience growth in the Spring 2024 ratings book, according to data from Nielsen Audio. The audience proliferated 47% year-over-year among Adults 25-54 in the survey. In the Fall 2023 ratings book, the show was up 22% year-over-year in the same demographic. Covino and Davis were recently on hand at Media Row from Las Vegas, Nev. where they broadcast their show ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.

“Crazy thing is, we feel like we’re doing our best work at FOX Sports Radio and still getting better,” Davis said in a statement. “We’ve been doing radio together for LeBron’s whole career and we still have our hairlines! Despite 20 years together and my teams winning zero championships, I hope to have more to brag about in the next 20. Somehow, we still really enjoy each other’s company!”

Last September, Covino and Davis launched an original video series and podcast, which is titled Overpromised with Covino & Rich. The show brings audiences through headlines, trends and debates that were not discussed on the daily radio show. New episodes of the program post on Thursdays through the FOX Sports Radio YouTube page, iHeartRadio and other podcasting outlets.

“Twenty years might as well be 120 years in this industry, so it’s hard to believe we’re celebrating this milestone and somehow still the youngest in the game!,” Covino said in a statement. “We genuinely love what we do. We stay true to ourselves and have a blast every step of the way. We consider our listeners as friends, so with their support and the amazing team at FOX Sports Radio, we know the best is yet to come!”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Music Radio Remembers ‘Pat James’ Linton

BMM Staff
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Music Radio Remembers ‘Pat James’ Linton

“Pat James” Linton, Eagle Communications Hutchinson, KS Operations Manager and morning host of “Country 102.9” KHUT, passed away Tuesday.

Market Manager Matt Althouse said, “Pat’s legacy in Country radio is assured. More than that, he was a devoted father and family man whose presence his listeners will miss every day on their radio, but we will miss just as much in our building. He was the consummate professional. Our thoughts continue to be with his family.”

James joined Eagle in 2017 after serving as co-host of the “Cornbread & Pat James” morning show at KFDI in Wichita from 1999 to 2004 and at WIL-FM in St. Louis from 2004 to 2011.

His wife and two daughters survive him.

The online tributes poured in from across the country.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

NBC ‘Football Night in America’ to Broadcast from Universal CityWalk Orlando Ahead of NFL Holiday Special

BSM Staff
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NBC ‘Football Night in America’ to Broadcast from Universal CityWalk Orlando Ahead of NFL Holiday Special

NBC Sports has announced that Football Night in America will broadcast live from Universal CityWalk Orlando this Saturday, Dec. 21 ahead of its presentation of the NFL Holiday Special between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs at 1 p.m. EST. The program is generally filmed from the NBC International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., but it will be hitting the road this week ahead of the launch of Universal Epic Universe. Viewers of the program on NBC and Peacock will be granted an exclusive look at this new theme park, which will join Universal Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure at the resort.

Maria Taylor will host the special edition of Football Night in America on-site from Universal CityWalk Orlando with former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl champion Devin McCourty and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms. As per usual, Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy and two-time Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison will join co-host Jac Collinsworth from the site of the game, this one being GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Additionally, Mike Florio, Matthew Berry and Steve Kornacki will make contributions to the show in studio as well.

The lead Big Ten Saturday Night broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle, analyst Todd Blackledge and sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen will be on the call for the game. Taking place concurrently will be the EA Sports Madden NFL Cast, an alternate stream exclusively on Peacock inspired by the award-winning video game. NBC Sunday Night Football will take place the next day when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the Dallas Cowboys at 8:20 p.m. EST with Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark.

General Electric merged with Vivendi Universal Entertainment in 2004, creating NBC Universal Inc. of which it owned 80%. Comcast purchased shares of the company from General Electric, which bought out Vivendi in the process. Two years later, Comcast purchased the remainder of the company from General Electric, placing the NBCUniversal subsidiary under its full control. In addition to NBCUniversal Media Group, the division oversees Universal Studios and its theme parks around the world.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

YouTube ‘Investing Heavily’ to Support Audio, Podcast Content

BNM Staff
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YouTube ‘Investing Heavily’ to Support Audio, Podcast Content

YouTube is the most popular podcast platform in the United States. And the Google-owned company is leaning into that title in 2025.

During 2024, YouTube has seen podcast consumption grow exponentially on both its video and music apps. According to recent data released by Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights, 34% of weekly podcast listeners point to YouTube as their primary listening platform. That figure represents an increase from 2023 when 28% of similar respondents identified it as their primary source of listening.

Elsewhere, 17% of respondents said Spotify was their preferred listening platform, with 11% claiming Apple Podcasts was their top platform.

And the company says it is aware of that status and is leaning into it.

“While YouTube has traditionally been known for being a video platform, we’ve been investing heavily in supporting more audio-forward content and making listening journeys much smoother and better,” said Global Head of Podcasting for YouTube Kai Chuk.

Meanwhile, YouTube Product Lead for Podcasts Steve McLendon said that the company needs to utilize its advantages with Google to create easier discovery of podcasts on its platform.

“If I’m searching for my favorite podcast, you should be able to find the YouTube version of that alongside other providers’ solutions. And we are certainly working on those integrations,” McLendon said. “Google has lots of places where this content could live, and we’re talking with many of those teams, and we will look to integrate into all of those services as it makes sense.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

ESPN New York Reveals New Weekday Lineup Debuting in Early January

BSM Staff
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ESPN New York Reveals New Weekday Lineup Debuting in Early January

ESPN New York is revealing a new all-local radio weekday lineup on the 880 AM frequency that features 13 straight hours of local programming from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST as the longtime trio of Michael Kay, Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg moves in new timeslots throughout the lineup. Kay is going to be hosting the early afternoon show from 1 to 3 p.m. EST under a new multiyear extension with the company. The program will be titled The Michael Kay Show although it will be in a different iteration than previously disseminated.

La Greca and Rosenberg will continue working together with Alan Hahn, who is moving from middays to afternoon drive for the show from 3 to 7 p.m. EST. The new program, which is titled Don, Hahn & Rosenberg, started its soft launch earlier in the week. As part of the move, Rosenberg and Hahn have reached new multiyear extensions with ESPN.

Chris Carlin, who had been a host on the ESPN Radio Network with Joe Fortenbaugh for just over a year, is returning to ESPN New York to co-host the midday show with Bart Scott from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST. Mike Greenberg’s national program, #Greeny, is currently carried by the station from 10 a.m. to Noon. Carlin also reached a multiyear agreement with ESPN and will reunite with his former WFAN co-host for the first time in five years. The morning drive alignment with Rick DiPietro and Dave Rothenberg will remain intact. Additionally, Dan Graca will continue hosting late-night programming that airs around prime time games that are featured on the station.

“This historic lineup underscores our commitment to delivering engaging, locally focused content to New York sports fans,” David Roberts, executive vice president and executive editor of sports news and entertainment at ESPN, said in a statement. “With iconic voices like Michael Kay, the reunion of Chris Carlin and Bart Scott, the continuation of the fan-favorite morning show with Rick DiPietro and Dave Rothenberg, and the debut of our new afternoon show featuring Don La Greca, Peter Rosenberg, and Alan Hahn, we’re excited to deliver unparalleled analysis and conversations that truly capture the passion of New York sports.”

ESPN New York moved to the 880 AM frequency this past August upon reaching a licensing deal with Audacy. Good Karma Brands decided to end its local marketing agreement of WEPN-FM with Emmis Communications, thus removing its programming from the 98.7 FM signal just before the start of the football season. The local radio station is preparing to move its studios to Hudson Square in early 2025, adopting the new call letters WHSQ in the process.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

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