Marc Maron has been one of the podcast format’s pioneers. But all good things must come to an end, and so too will his WTF with Marc Maron podcast later this fall.
Maron launched the podcast in September 2009 and has hosted nearly 2,000 episodes, 1,600 regularly published podcasts, and an additional 300 for premium subscribers of the show.
“Sixteen years we’ve been doing this, and we’ve decided that we’ve had a great run. Now, basically, it’s time, folks. It’s time. WTF is coming to an end. It’s our decision. We’ll have our final episode sometime in the fall,” Maron said in his latest episode announcing the conclusion of the show.
“It really comes down to the fact that we’ve put up a new show every Monday and Thursday for almost sixteen years, and we’re tired,” Maron continued. “We’re burnt out. And we are utterly satisfied with the work we’ve done. We’ve done great work. This doesn’t mean I’m never going to do something like this again. Doesn’t mean I’ll never have talks like I do here, or some kind of podcast at some point in time. But for now, we’re just wrapping things up. It’s okay. It’s okay to end things. It’s okay to try to start some other chapter in your life.”
Maron, a successful comedian, shared that he is working on other projects — including a new stand-up special that will debut on HBO later this year — that will keep him busy after his podcast concludes.
The WTF with Marc Maron host did not give a firm end date for the podcast, only alluding to that he show will conclude in the next few months.
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When the National Basketball Association and Warner Bros. Discovery reached a settlement pertaining to a lawsuit filed by the former, it included a new 11-year deal expanding their business partnership through TNT Sports and the company’s sports digital brands. On top of that, TNT Sports reached a sublicensing agreement for ESPN to air episodes of its award-winning studio program Inside the NBA on its platforms. With the NBA on TNT officially signing off in the United States this past Saturday, the studio show featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Shaquille O’Neal surrounding live game broadcasts will no longer air on TNT airwaves.
Barkley, who has been a member of Inside the NBA since 2000, joined his colleagues in giving their farewells to the program on Saturday night after the Indiana Pacers secured a spot in the NBA Finals. During a recent appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, Barkley revealed that he has seven years remaining on his contract with TNT and informed the company that he could give them two more years.
“You know, Dan, it was so funny,” Barkley explained. “I said, ‘I’ll give you two years.’ They said, ‘Can we get three?’ I said, ‘I just told you I was going to do two.’… This is the TNT people because I think my contract technically is still with TNT, but I’m going to be a good soldier.”
Barkley and TNT Sports reached a long-term commitment last August, and while he will still be with the company, it was challenging to sign off the airwaves on Inside the NBA for the last time. In fact, he conveyed how he was fine until Johnson started to get emotional, which led to him beginning to tear up. Having worked with the company for 25 years is something he acknowledged as being great, but he is now looking ahead to the next chapter of the program.
“ESPN is the most famous sports brand ever, and it’s going to be awesome working for them, and nobody knows what’s going to happen,” Barkley said. “I think that’s the only thing, but like I say, I did not want to leave people out in the cold, so I [went], ‘Hey, you know what? Let me do it for a couple of years, and then y’all can have it.’”
Barkley referenced that the crew taped a pilot last month for something new TNT wants to do, which ostensibly could have been a reference to the Inside Sports show said to be in development for next season. In reflecting on the enterprise, he does not feel that the on-air product is something people would watch over a live game broadcast, which will be airing on national platforms every day of the week under new 11-year media rights contracts with The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC), Comcast Corporation (NBC/Peacock) and Amazon (Prime Video). Barkley also formulated that the cast is not going to be on ESPN as much as people think, estimating that they are going to be working on the network one-third or half of the time.
“I’ll give TNT credit – they did say it was an awful pilot,” Barkley articulated. “They were honest, so they want to do something, but like I say, the problem we got [is] we’re going to be going up because I know there’s going to be an NBA game on every night, so whenever we do it, it’s going to be up against an NBA game, so that’s the first problem, but I guess they want to feel like they’re doing something to make us earn our money from TNT.”
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Sean Roberts has been named the new program director of 106.3 KXnO in Des Moines, Iowa. Roberts has been with iHeartMedia since December of 2013, and has been co-hosting The Drive on KXnO alongside Heather Burnside since August of 2022.
In an email to staff at KXnO, iHeartMedia area senior vice president of programming Erik Johnson announced the promotion.
“I’m very excited to announce the promotion of Sean Roberts to the position of Program Director of KXnO/Des Moines,” wrote Johnson. “Sean has been an important member of our Des Moines team for over a decade. Over the last six months, he has stepped up to handle operations of the station through our staffing changes without missing a beat and helping the station continue to thrive. He is incredibly dedicated to making KXnO as successful as possible, and we look forward to his leadership in this position.”
KXnO has seen a number of changes to its lineup in recent months due to the November layoffs of the company. For example, Ross Peterson was removed from morning drive but began a streaming show with former producer Justin Miller in January. Miller was also a victim of the layoffs by the company. Additionally, senior vice president of programming Greg Chance was also part of the layoffs by iHeartMedia in November.
In August of last year, iHeartMedia made additional changes throughout Iowa which saw programming from KXnO airing in four additional markets. As a result, the local shows which air in Des Moines will now be heard in Sioux City, Davenport, Iowa City, and Cedar Rapids and will go by the Iowa Sports Radio Network.
Those programs include The Morning Rush, Miller and Condon, and Johnson’s program The Drive.
Looking ahead, Roberts will begin serving in his new program director role immediately. He also serves as the in-game host for Drake men’s basketball home games.
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Tani “Talus” Robbin-Coker has been named Brand Manager of Hot 98.7 and 96.3 The Lou in St. Louis. He will oversee the station’s content strategy, talent, operations and branding.
Becky Domyan, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy St. Louis and Wichita, said, “We’re incredibly excited to bring Talus into the Audacy St. Louis team to shape content strategy, champion talent, and steer operations and branding for Hot 98.7 and 96.3 The Lou. His deep industry experience, creative instincts and forward-thinking approach make him the ideal leader to guide these two powerhouse brands. I’m confident he’ll bring fresh energy and meaningful connection to our listeners and the broader community.”
Robbin-Coker said, “Joining the Audacy St. Louis family represents an incredible opportunity, and I’m grateful to Becky Domyan for her trust and leadership. With the strategic guidance of Dave Richards, Skip Dillard and Mike Street, we’re positioned to strengthen our community presence and create an innovative environment that resonates with listeners across St. Louis. I look forward to building on the strong foundation already in place.”
Previous stops for Robbin-Coker include Cumulus New Orleans, Service Broadcasting Corp. in Dallas and Cox Media Group in Miami.
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The Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks in six games this past weekend as they advanced to their second NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. Meanwhile, Pat McAfee, who played for the Indianapolis Colts and hosts his program from Indianapolis, made headlines late last week. His pump-up speech during game four of the series caused singer John Mellencamp to take to social media and call out McAfee (without mentioning his name) for his antics—imploring the crowd to “send them back home” and using profanity in the process. In response, McAfee fired back on Friday, telling Mellencamp to “shut the f**k up” and “s**k it.”
Subsequently, this response caught the attention of Boomer & Gioon WFAN in New York, which left both hosts confused by McAfee’s outburst.
“I understand exactly what John Mellencamp is doing. I don’t, for the life of me, see why Pat McAfee would just attack back to him,” said Boomer Esiason. “I don’t know if there’s something else going on, or something that I don’t know about. Just seems to be taking a shot at an older guy who at one point in time was at the top of every freaking musical chart in this country.”
During his Friday program, McAfee emphasized how Mellencamp and his team may not have considered that there are people on his side in this situation. Specifically, he predicated this belief on the people the musician hangs out with, listens to, and reads.
In an effort to make sense of the situation, Gregg Giannotti noted that McAfee does sometimes cause controversy because of his wrestling persona with the WWE.
“I completely appreciate the entertainment value here with Pat McAfee, but I wonder, is he really upset? If he’s doing this as one of his wrestling bits like ‘Hey, this is a thing that will get people talking, and it’s a layup for me.’ Okay, fine,” said Giannotti. “If he’s really upset that John Mellencamp came after him to the point where he’s now saying, ‘Hey Coog, s**k it buddy.’ That’s a little strange. I don’t know which McAfee are we getting. Are we getting sensitive McAfee, are we getting wrestling McAfee?”
Although McAfee acceded that Mellencamp has good songs during his program on Friday, he felt that Mellencamp could have had his back in this instance. Conversely, turning the opposite way has elicited responses from social media users about Mellencamp and how he goes about treating people.
Furthermore, Giannotti continued, saying that the outburst from McAfee was a little over the top for the criticism Mellencamp posted to social media.
“Going back to the original Mellencamp criticism, it wasn’t as if he was really personally attacking Pat McAfee. He didn’t even say his name in there, which I guess pissed off Pat even more,” said Giannotti. “This is like a little punch to the gut, followed up by a bazooka to the face.”
As of now, neither McAfee nor Mellencamp have followed up with each other on social media since McAfee’s comments on Friday.
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Riggs, Katelyn & Erica – The Q Morning Show at 93Q in Houston celebrated a significant milestone this past Friday when they reached their 500th show.
Fans joined the show as it broadcast from Whataburger, where listeners had the opportunity to win one of three major prizes. A Scotty McCreery autographed guitar, tickets to Cowboys & Angels, and Whataburger for a year.
Riggs said, “500 shows is no small feat, and we couldn’t have done it without the Morning Mob – our most loyal listeners.”
Katelyn added, “I love my city so much. Houston always shows up. We appreciate each and every listener who came through.”
Erica singles out First Responders. “Shout-out to the First Responders who came out during their shifts as well. We appreciate you all so much.”
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The use of AI in on-air roles remains a hot-button topic in media circles. But the capabilities from a business aspect are undeniable. iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman says the technology is a cost-cutter for the radio giant.
In an interview with The Wrap, Pittman was asked about how the company is utilizing technology across its wide portfolio.
Pittman said there’s a duality to the company’s strategy in harnessing the power of AI.
“We remain committed to identifying opportunities across our organization to operate more efficiently and take advantage of new and evolving technologies like programmatic and AI, which are critical to delivering short-term results and long-term growth even during periods of economic uncertainty,” said Pittman. “Much of how we use AI is in mining data to better understand our audience, the consumer. We are also using technology and AI to hit our target of $150 million in net savings in 2025.”
The comments from Pittman come after iHeartMedia was the only major radio company to see a revenue increase during the first quarter of 2025. Its Adjusted EBITDA was at $105 million during the first quarter, while operating expenses, as expected due to its use of AI, declined.
Despite the drop in operating expenses, iHeartMedia ended the first quarter with a net loss of $281 million, which it attributed to a $135 million income tax expense.
While the company saw a net loss during the quarter, Bob Pittman said iHeartMedia was “pleased” with the results due to the “uncertain environment in which we are operating now.”
In addition to his comments to The Wrap about the company’s usage of AI, Pittman also shared that, despite being 71 years old, he has no plans of retiring anytime soon.
“Listen, business is my golf,” he shared. “As long as my health holds up and my board wants me here, I will continue to do what I love.”
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Stephen Curry has won NBA championships, a league MVP, and has set all-time records in his 16 seasons playing for the Golden State Warriors. The 37-year-old point guard is a surefire Hall of Famer the minute he decides to walk away from the NBA. In an interview with CNBC’s Alex Sherman, Curry hinted at what his post-NBA career aspirations could be, including potential team ownership and maybe a future in broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Curry was asked about a role in sports media following his career, which he said he would consider “for sure.”
“A lot of ex-NBA guys are behind the booth now whether it’s commentating or in studio,” said Curry to CNBC. “I would be more patient about what would be the right opportunity for me. Anything that I would do I want to all in on it. Right now, I’m just doing homework on the different pathways and options that might be available.”
At the same time, Curry has not officially announced his retirement from the NBA, as he is still under contract to play with the Warriors through the 2027 season. However, he did announce following the Warriors’ season that he is planning to come back and play for the 2025–2026 season. Still, rumors have been swirling every summer for the last couple of years.
Furthermore, last summer the NBA renewed its partnership with The Walt Disney Company and signed new agreements with NBCUniversal and Amazon for telecasts of league games beginning in the 2025–26 season and running through the 2035–36 campaign. Within this new media rights agreement, the reach of NBA telecasts will be augmented through the utilization of linear and digital means of distribution, including on streaming services such as Prime Video, Peacock, and the forthcoming ESPN direct-to-consumer product.
In addition, several notable names have been scooped up by both NBC and Amazon in recent months to anchor the coverage for the networks, including Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Michael Jordan.
Although Jon “Stugotz” Weiner is still going to be making some appearances on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, he will be stepping back from Meadowlark Media and taking his God Bless Football podcast with him as an independent venture. Weiner, who first started the podcast with Meadowlark Media producer Billy Gil four years ago, has been recording episodes discussing the latest news and information surrounding football with Mike Antoniou and Michael Fuentes regularly appearing on the show. On top of that, he is going to be rebranding his Stupodity podcast and recently recorded an episode from a new studio.
During the final edition of God Bless Football airing under the Meadowlark Media umbrella, Weiner implored users to subscribe and leave reviews on the shows to assist the cast. Gil also mentioned how the program is going to be virtually disappearing from all of the feeds in which it currently exists except in that dedicated for the podcast. Shortly after Le Batard announced a new multiyear agreement between Meadowlark Media and DraftKings that will continue the distribution of both Le Batard’s daily program and the Le Batard & Friends Network, Weiner addressed his own future with the company.
“There is a chance the show still remains on the DraftKings Network,” Weiner said. “This has nothing to do with DraftKings – we love them, they’ve been great partners. If you’re upset about this, get mad at the ‘Lark, in particular [Dan] Le Batard and David Samson.”
In addition to the DraftKings contract, Samson also reached a new deal with Meadowlark Media under which he will continue hosting his Nothing Personal podcast, which is going to concurrently expand to a two-hour weekday offering. Samson, the former president of the Miami Marlins, also participates in episodes of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz as a recurring guest and The Sporting Class podcast with John Skipper and Pablo Torre. Skipper is remaining on the podcast despite recently exiting his position as chief executive officer of Meadowlark Media four-and-a-half years after co-founding the company with Le Batard.
“This portion is done, and we’re not,” Gil said. “So we’re figuring out what the next step is, where we’ll be. Once we have that information, we’ll pass it along to you, but we really want to thank you guys for all of the years of listening to us and tweeting at us, interacting with us, voting for us, showing up at the events, all of that stuff…. we’ve had a lot of fun doing it, and the hope is that this continues just elsewhere because that’s business, so it is what it is.”
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After 36 years as a U.S. rightsholder for live National Basketball Association game broadcasts in the United States, TNT Sports officially signed off on Saturday night concurrent with the conclusion of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. While the broadcasts will not be continuing domestically next season, the award-winning Inside the NBA studio show will continue under a sublicensing deal with The Walt Disney Company. Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Shaquille O’Neal are expected to be back on the air continuing to host the show despite the league commencing 11-year media rights deals with The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC), Comcast Corporation (NBC/Peacock) and Amazon (Prime Video) reportedly worth a collective $77 billion.
Even though TNT Sports is going to continue creating and producing Inside the NBA, Simmons fears that its new platforms of dissemination is going to cause the program to be damaged. During a recent edition of The Bill Simmons Podcast through Spotify and The Ringer, Simmons expressed his thoughts about the program, accentuating the pattern by which ESPN has enacted its NBA in-game programming previously.
“ESPN’s going to f**k the show up – I don’t care if I get aggregated – I think they’re going to f**k the show up,” Simmons explained. “Unless they completely change how they do commercials, the show is going to be different and people are going to be pissed, and Barkley and those guys are going to be pissed, and I think it’s going to go badly. The only way it doesn’t go badly is if they do the commercials and they give them the lengthy segments that you need to have that show work.”
Simmons pointed to how current halftime shows featuring the NBA Countdown cast are markedly short, delineating that they are on the air for a minute-and-a-half. With The Walt Disney Company paying a reported $2.62 billion per year for NBA rights, which includes the company continuing to air the NBA Finals on ABC and other marquee matchups throughout the regular season and playoffs, Simmons believes that if it does not change how it approaches the studio program, everyone will be mad. Ryen Russillo appeared on the podcast and expanded on Simmons’ point, articulating that he barely watches the halftime program on ESPN.
“That’s the 15-minute timer to get something done around the house for me, and if I do catch some of it, I mean it’s just a lock,” Russillo said. “It’s like, ‘Oh, the best player on the team went 2-for-10.’ Okay, he’s going to get scolded. Like, ‘Okay, it’s a 30-second scolding,’ and then I don’t know who okayed – maybe it was because everybody was trying to be the TNT show – but the analysts talking to break. Nobody’s good at it, folks – nobody’s good at it. It’s just confusing.”
Russillo opined that he believes the people at the top of ESPN know this, but Simmons conveyed that they have not cared and instead cash the checks from the commercials. Having done this throughout the entire century, according to Simmons, the only way the network will be able to accommodate the program is by shifting its business model. Later in the conversation, he spoke about the quick transition from the live game broadcast to SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, something that he thinks is deliberate.
“Look, the real secret sauce to ESPN is they’re trying to drive as much revenue to SportsCenter as possible, so the faster that they can have that SportsCenter follow the end of the game, that boosts the rating for that SportsCenter, and then they can get, that’s 365 days a year, they can just get more money for it,” Simmons said. “That’s not going to work with Inside the NBA, so I don’t know. I guess that SportsCenter just goes away and they move Inside the NBA in there was the only way that would work because that’s what the fans are going to want.
“If they mess with any piece of this, everyone’s going to be mad, and that’s the part that I can’t wait to watch. Like, even like little insignificant stuff, if we feel like it’s different in any way, people will be mad, and that’s it. I don’t know how it plays out.”
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