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Aircheck: The Real Bob James 1988 66 WNBC New York

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The list of call letters attached to The Real Bob James is as legendary as his career. Including WABC, WNBC New York, WKIS Orlando, WGAR Cleveland, WWDC Washington, DC, and one to which I will attach some specific color later, WOLX Madison, WI.

James, Andy Goodman, Dale Reeves and Michelle George created the American Comedy Network.

He took “The Real” moniker when someone told him Bob James was too plain.

In this 1988 aircheck, James was at 66 WNBC New York. Seeing him using a reel-to-reel for listener phone calls and taking transmitter readings is nostalgic.

He coaches the callers to get what he wants from them and integrates it seamlessly with the show. Also, notice how the callers have picked up the well-known strong N in WNBC.

Later in his life, James taught at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. I was PD at 94.9 WOLX, and James was one of my part-timers. While I wanted to discuss his career, ACN, and everything else, he sincerely sought thoughts and critiques on his weekend shows.

I found him to be extremely kind, maybe a little shy, and humble. He was a nice guy who just enjoyed being on the radio.

Here’s The Real Bob James 1988 66 WNBC.

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Eastlan Ratings Adds Services for Three Top 100 Markets

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Eastlan Ratings has announced it is adding ratings measurement services for three top 100 markets.

The company has added continuous measurement of Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, Memphis, and Spokane to its growing list of markets.

Additionally, the company has added service to the Bluefield market, which straddles the West Virginia/Virginia border. The company’s efforts in Syracuse have also been upgraded to continuous monthly measurement. That market will see its first regular release begin in May.

“Quietly, we are watching radio broadcasters gracefully pivot,” said Eastlan Ratings President Mike Gould. “Building deep relationships with local and regional brands have become central today to all of the most successful radio operators. National revenue becomes less important each day.

“Eastlan data helps radio build the most effective schedules for their clients to ensure campaign success and to compete on a cost-per-impression basis with the digital giants.”

The news of the expansion in the North Carolina, Memphis, and Spokane markets comes after Eastlan announced it was adding three other markets — Waco, Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville, and Albany, Georgia — earlier this month to its growing list of markets receiving ratings data from the company.

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Z100 New York Announces 2025 ‘Jumpstart To Summer’

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Top 40 Z100 New York today announced the return of its annual “Jumpstart to Summer” concert at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk.

The event, held on May 23, will feature a live show from Elvis Duran and the Z100 Morning Show. It will also include performances from Lil Jon, Zara Larsson, Dasha, Disco Fries, ONEDUO, and Pyro Tiger. The event is free to the public.

Along with the performances, the event will feature interactive displays from today’s brands and products. The Elvis Duran Show begins at 7 am, and the music starts at 10 am.

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Rocky Rhodes Announces Retirement From 98.5 WKRZ Wilkes-Barre

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Rocky Rhodes, the longtime morning host at Top 40 98.5 WKRZ Wilkes-Barre, PA, has announced his retirement. His last show will be on Thursday.

Rhodes shared the news this morning on air and on his Facebook page, where he wrote, “Yes…it’s true! After 45 years on the radio, 35 of them here on KRZ, I’ll be putting on my headphones for the last time this Thursday, May 1. I am truly grateful for all the love & support I’ve received from KRZ listeners over the years, many of whom became lifelong friends. You are the BEST! Much love to Sue, my original radio partner & eventual life partner, & Liss, who’s been on the radio with/ me the last 15 years. What’s next? Travel. Biking. Kayaking. And sleeping past 3 a.m.!!!”

Rhodes arrived at WKRZ in 1989 and was partnered with Sue Barre, who would eventually become his wife. She left the show in 2012 to pursue interests outside of radio. Since then, Rhodes has been partnered with Lissa Krahnke.

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670 The Score Names Leila Rahimi New Full-Time Midday Host for ‘Rahimi and Harris’

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670 The Score has named Leila Rahimi as the new co-host to team up with Marshall Harris on Rahimi and Harris, airing weekdays from 10am to 2pm CT. The announcement of Rahimi’s elevation at the station makes her the first female, full-time, primetime, lead sports radio host in the city of Chicago.

Earlier today, the station made the announcement at the conclusion of the Mully & Haugh program, which comes just over a month following Dan Bernstein’s exit from the radio station.

Rahimi expressed her gratitude for her next chapter with 670 The Score.

“I’ve been happy to be a part of The Score team on a regular basis since late 2020,” said Rahimi via a release. “I’m very excited to add a new chapter hosting the midday show in this role.”

Previously, she joined 670 The Score as a contributor and rose to a co-host role in 2020. From 2021 to 2024, Rahimi served as a sports anchor for NBC Chicago, where she became the station’s first female main sports anchor in 2022. She also previously spent five year at NBC Sports Chicago, hosting baseball pregame and postgame shows for the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, while also covering marquee events including the hockey broadcasts of both the 2018 and 2022 winter Olympics.

“I’ve enjoyed working with her in many capacities in the past, so definitely excited for this new journey,” said Harris. “We’re here for the people who consume the content. We’re just happy to be in a position to create the content, and hopefully we can all have a good time.”

Originally from Texas, Rahimi worked her way up from a reporter and anchor on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas in 2001. From there, her career included stops in Austin, San Diego, Houston, and Philadelphia before she eventually made her way to Chicago.

“We’re committed to having top-tier hosts who are respected by local teams and can connect with our listeners through thoughtful and engaging opinions,” said Mitch Rosen, vice president of sports programming at Audacy Chicago. “Leila is one of the hardest-working teammates at The Score and her knowledge of Chicago sports has made her a beloved voice among the city’s fans. We’re thrilled to elevate her into this role and launch this new midday show alongside Marshall Harris.”

Looking ahead, the midday program will continue to be co-hosted by Harris, who joined the station full-time in September of last year, co-hosting Bernstein and Harris with the now-departed Bernstein.

“The support The Score listeners have shown over the years has meant the world to me,” said Rahimi. “I’m looking forward to spending more time with them every day from ten to two o’clock.”

The Score also announced that station Chicago Bears reporter Mark Grote will join Rahimi and Harris as a recurring guest twice a week. Grote appeared as a fill in host several times on the station for the daypart following Bernstein’s exit.

“We have changed, The Score listener has not. That’s really who this is about today,” said Rahimi. “It’s about those who listen to The Score no matter what. We appreciate you, and we thank you. To me, that’s been the consistent. It’s that I know they’re there. I want to say thanks to everybody who has been there the whole time, because that is what makes us go.”

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Bill Simmons: I Don’t Think ESPN Needs ‘to Show Jalen Rose 15 Times’ After Laying Him Off Two Years Ago

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The Sunday afternoon matchup between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons on ESPN came down to the wire and ended on a play that an NBA official admitted after the fact should have been called a foul. The Knicks held on for a one-point victory over the Pistons, putting the team up three games to one coming back home to Madison Square Garden with a chance to close out the series on Tuesday night. Bill Simmons, a former ESPN employee, took the time on a live edition of his podcast to call out the network for the way it went about covering a seminal moment in the game.

With under three minutes to go in the third quarter, Brunson ceded possession of the ball to Dennis Schröder and remained down on the court, wincing in pain as he grabbed his right leg. Brunson tried putting weight on his foot during the timeout but fell over trying to do so and went to the locker room. The Knicks point guard ended up returning in the fourth quarter and scored 16 points as the team surmounted a 10-point deficit to take the victory.

“I have some ESPN notes,” Simmons said on his show. “Maybe don’t go to a commercial when Jalen Brunson is leaning against the scorer’s table holding his ankle in complete agony and do the, ‘We’ll be back after this,’ and then you’re gone for four minutes. That’s one.”

Simmons added that ESPN showed former Pistons guard Jalen Rose throughout the broadcast as he watched the team compete to even up the series. Rose formerly worked as an analyst for ESPN where he contributed to studio programming such as Jalen & Jacoby and NBA Countdown, but he was let go in June 2023 as the company moved on from several members of its on-air talent roster. Simmons departed ESPN in May 2015 when then-network president John Skipper opted not to renew his contract, and he has since been working for Spotify as head of talk strategy and hosting podcasts through The Ringer.

“I don’t think you need to show Jalen Rose 15 times after you f*****g laid him off two years ago three minutes before he was about to do a Get Up segment and gets a call and says, ‘Don’t go on Get Up because you’re about to be laid off,’” Simmons said. “Maybe don’t show him over and over again during the game you motherf*****s. Aggregate that – I don’t care.”

Ryen Russillo, who was co-hosting the show with Simmons, responded in the form of a question implicating that Rose wants to be on television. Since departing ESPN, he has taken part in studio work with TNT Sports and also recently provided color commentary during the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Russillo preceded his statement by referring to it as a “zag,” and Simmons understood his perspective on the situation and how it could work in both ways.

“Maybe there’s truth of both sides,” Simmons said. “‘Hey, there’s Jalen Rose. We completely blindsided him two years ago after he did 15 years of great work for our company. He seems happy.’ Just classic, just can’t get over that place.”

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NewsNation Partners with Key Networks to Bring Donald Trump Town Hall Hosted by Chris Cuomo to Radio

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NewsNation is set to host a town hall featuring President Donald Trump this week. The Chris Cuomo-led event will now be available to radio stations through a partnership with Key Networks.

On Wednesday, April 30th, at 8 PM ET, Chris Cuomo will host the two-hour town hall alongside Bill O’Reilly and Stephen A. Smith. Included in the town hall will be a phone conversation with President Donald Trump.

Originating from New York, other appearances will include Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, as well as contributions from Democratic Party leaders.

The town hall event will center on the first 100 days of President Trump’s time in office.

“We are excited to partner with the team at NewsNation to bring this important content featuring the best and brightest commentators reviewing President Trump’s first 100 days to stations across the country,” said Key Networks CEO Dennis Green. “Our goal is to deliver great content for our affiliates and advertisers – Mission accomplished!”

Radio leaders interested in carrying the live program on Wednesday evening can contact Key Networks by calling 844-KEY-NETS or emailing Dennis Green by clicking here.

In addition to airing on NewsNation and on syndication through Key Networks, the program will also be simulcast on The CW and can also be heard on SiriusXM P.O.T.U.S. Channel 124.

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Jermaine Wiggins: Shedeur Sanders Slide Demonstrates NFL Mock Draft People Have ‘No Idea What They’re Talking About’

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Former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was projected in several mock drafts to be a top-three selection for parts of the offseason, but leading up to the event itself, there were some projections that he would slide in the rankings. Sanders ended up sliding to the fifth round of the NFL Draft and was selected No. 144 overall by the Cleveland Browns, something that those in the sports world are referring to as an unprecedented fall in the proceedings. Former NFL tight end and WEEI radio host Jermaine Wiggins was cognizant of why he fell but did not understand how he moved that far down into the order.

On the Monday edition of The Greg Hill Show, the program played audio of ESPN senior NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. discussing Sanders. Commentary from Kiper over the weekend went viral on social media with users perceiving him as having outbursts with Sanders, who he ranked as his No. 1 quarterback prospect in the Draft, sliding to the fifth round. Within his discourse, Kiper explained that there would not be a circus with Sanders and that he would galvanize his teammates. Furthermore, he concluded that Sanders would enter the league with a chip on his shoulder and be more motivated than ever.

“His dad earned the right to be Prime Time, to act the way he acted,” Hill said. “I think there are probably NFL teams and others who don’t think that Shedeur, just because of his name, has earned that right.”

As people connected with the teams around the league try to extrapolate the rationale behind Sanders moving to the fifth round after being widely projected as being a first-round selection, executive producer Curtis Scheim commented on the situation. Certain quarterbacks being drafted ahead of Sanders, he explained, was “asinine” and indicative of “stupidity.”

“I understand why he fell, I just don’t understand how and why he fell that far,” Wiggins said earlier in the segment. “Whether it was Dylan Gabriel, whether it was Jalen Milroe – I will say this. All those NFL mock draft people, it basically shows that no one knows what they’re talking about because no one had Shedeur going [there].”

Wiggins conjectured that there were “some type of shenanigans done” to have Sanders go in the fifth round. Moreover, he explained that he could agree with Hill if Sanders had been chosen in the second or third round, but getting past the fourth round and having other players go ahead of him was somewhat confounding. A caller then provided their perspective as a former hiring manager who worked in high tech and compared the NFL to Disneyland for high-end athletes. Although his industry is different from professional sports, he voiced that managers do not want headaches with their employees but rather want to see people get the work done.

“I agree with you that that did affect him, but that shouldn’t affect him to the point where you completely slide all the way to the fifth round because there’s been plenty of issues with guys at the Combine,” Wiggins said. “There’s been plenty of issues with guys at the Combine, yeah and it affects them a little bit.

“They might fall a couple — they might go from the top of the first to the bottom of the first or even into the second round, but the fact that he fell [that far]. Even at the end when people are like, ‘Oh, he’ll probably go in the twenties,’ and we were like, ‘Wow, that’s a drop for Shedeur,’ but to go in the fifth round behind some of these [others].”

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Cassidy Hubbarth: It Was Difficult Working at ESPN With News of Departure for Amazon Being Public

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Cassidy Hubbarth parted ways with ESPN after 15 years with the company to take a new position with Amazon as the lead NBA sideline reporter for the company’s NBA coverage beginning next fall. She started with ESPN by appearing as a digital host across coverage of college football, college basketball, and NBA content. Eventually, however, she moved all the way up to working with analysts Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson, along with various members of the NBA on ESPN broadcasting team.

Recently, Hubbarth was a guest on Sports Media with Richard Deitsch and talked about how the news was released that she would be heading to Amazon while still working at ESPN.

“It is strange, and it was a little difficult because I was still working sidelines trying to do my job, and like I said nothing’s official yet,” said Hubbarth. “I’m kind of hard on myself on how I reacted at first. When people would come up to me and congratulate me. I’ve never been in this situation.”

Additionally, the 40-year-old reporter shared how difficult it’s been for her during the last months of her tenure at ESPN, which wrapped up on a national broadcast as Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and Richard Jefferson gave her an emotional on-air salute and best wishes during the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat play-in game earlier this month.

“I’ve been at ESPN for 15 years, I was a kid when I started at 25 years old,” noted Hubbarth. “There was like a sadness while also still trying to be present in terms of being at ESPN and talking to people and not wanting to have that relationship disappear because I’m not going to be around anymore.”

Meanwhile, Amazon’s Prime Video will be broadcasting NBA games starting next season under an 11-year media rights deal with the league, reportedly worth $1.93 billion per annum.

Looking ahead, Hubbarth talked about the excitement of joining Amazon on the top play-by-play team and calling bigger matchups than she did with ESPN.

“Being able to get that opportunity to be in a number one role, I’ve had a very fulfilling career but that’s something I’ve been reaching out towards,” said Hubbarth. “That’s a really big part of it.”

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SummitMedia Implements Significant Layoffs Across It Markets

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Birmingham, AL-based SummitMedia implemented significant layoffs across its nine markets this past Friday.

SummitMedia owns 45 radio stations in nine markets,. While few names have surfaced thus far, the cuts are believed to impact Birmingham, Greenville, Honolulu, Louisville, Omaha, Richmond, Springfield, Tucson, and Wichita.

The departures include Mike Sanders, Program Director and midday host at Country 104.7 Birmingham. Sanders shared, “My journey as Program Director and midday personality at WZZK 104.7 with SummitMedia Birmingham has come to an unexpected pause.”

Sanders arrived in Birmingham in May 2004. Other career stops include Nashville, Clarksville, TN, Cookeville, TN, Denver, Idaho Falls, Jacksonville and Savannah.

Mike Sanders

Also, out in the Birmingham cluster after 25 years is Creative Content and Production Manager Mike McKenzie. McKenzie posted on Facebook, “After 25 years with the same set of call letters, regardless of who owned them, I’ve been let go.” Yeah, it’s scary as hell. It was a good ride and all that. But figuring out what I can do next—and finding out in a heck of a hurry—that’s the next step. In my 37-year career, this is the very first time I’ve been laid off.”

Mike McKenzie

Also exiting is Ricky Aaron, afternoon host at Classic Rock 106.9 in Birmingham.

Sanders, McKenzie and Aaron represent three of what is believed to be a substantial number across the company footprint.

If you or someone you know has been impacted by SummitMedia layoffs, please reach out to jeff@barrettmedia.com

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