Changes are in the air at Columbus’ 97.1 The Fan. The radio station is revamping their two drive-time programs in mornings and afternoons.
The first changes were announced by Common Man & T-Bone as they set their final show together for Wednesday, April 30th. Today, Morning Juice revealed that their show in its current form would also end on May 9th.
97.1 The Fan officially shared details of their new lineup earlier today. The changes go into effect on Monday, May 12th.
In mornings, Morning Juice will now be hosted by former Buckeye Bobby Carpenter and Jeff “Tito” Thitoff. The program will air live from 6a–8a on The Fan Three (HD3), The Fan’s YouTube channel, and The Fan App. Additionally, the morning show will also be streamed on the 10TV+ app from 10a-12p, with on-demand access available anytime.
As the current version of Morning Juice made their announcement, Carpenter expressed his gratitude to all who supported the morning drive show.
“I’m just grateful that everybody’s tuned in to listen,” said Carpenter. “I’m just happy that we were able to be such a part of people’s lives.”
In mornings on the traditional radio side, Jonathan “T-Bone” Smith and Buckeye National Champion Tyvis Powell will host their new show, T-Bone and Tyvis weekdays from 6a–9a.
Smith spoke about Powell’s addition to The Fan’s full-time roster this afternoon.
“It’s awesome,” said Smith. “It was time for something for him, and it’s just awesome. I’m excited about it.”
Changes are also being made in the afternoons, as Tim Hall transitions from The Buckeye Show to join Common Man (Mike Ricordati) on Common Man and Timmy from 3p–6p. Replacing Tim on The Buckeye Show is fan-favorite Brandon Beam, who is moving from mornings to take the reins from 6p–8p.
“We would be crazy not to grow our talented hosts on digital platforms,” said Matt Fishman, 97.1 The Fan Program Director/Operations Manager. “Having multiple shows across various platforms helps us grow our audience in new and exciting ways.”
97.1 The Fan is the flagship station for Ohio State Athletics, the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, and Central Ohio’s home for the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Browns, and the NFL from Westwood One.
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Washington Athletics and Learfield’s Huskies Sports Properties have announced a long-term partnership renewal, ensuring that Learfield remains the university’s exclusive multimedia rights partner through a multi-year agreement. Learfield has facilitated corporate and multimedia rights partnerships for Washington since 2006.
The new agreement not only extends the current partnership but also enables Washington to leverage Learfield’s proprietary Fanbase data solution, original content services from Learfield Studios, and NIL solutions for student-athletes. By incorporating Learfield’s innovative data, digital media, content, and NIL capabilities, Washington plans to unlock new brand partner programs and create more engagement with Husky fans.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Learfield for another decade,” said University of Washington Director of Athletics Pat Chun. “We look forward to the opportunities to partner and collaborate with Learfield to enhance the Husky fan experience, foster innovation, and advance our shared business goals in an ever-evolving college athletics landscape.”
Washington Athletics currently deliveres NIL programs and opportunities to its student-athletes through its Dawgs Unleashed division. With the renewed partnership, Washington will use Learfield’s technology, data, and NIL resources to connect brands with UW student-athletes. Dawgs Unleashed has already collaborated with Learfield on several innovative NIL campaigns featuring UW student-athletes, including the “University of Warcraft” campaign with Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft.
Under this new agreement, Dawgs Unleashed will gain access to added resources, including a new Learfield NIL-dedicated business development manager on-site to generate additional NIL revenue, execute influencer marketing services, and develop brand partnerships. Through real NIL dealmaking, Learfield and Dawgs Unleashed plan on delivering student-athlete content and storytelling opportunities across the Seattle area, regionally, and nationally.
“We are incredibly proud to extend our long-term partnership with Washington, one of the marquee programs in college athletics,” said Kim Damron, president of Learfield Sports Properties. “We are committed to delivering Pat Chun and his team excellence in revenue generation and innovative fan engagement solutions. Our best-in-class services, resources, and support perfectly match Washington’s current and future needs, including delivering high-value local and national partner programs activated by Huskies Sports Properties.”
Washington will also tap into new video content and digital storytelling solutions powered by Learfield Studios. These new on-campus resources will create unique short-form and episodic video content for Huskies Athletics and deliver original NIL stories for student-athletes.
Learfield social content specialists will help promote and distribute new student-athlete content, reaching Husky fans through social media programming throughout the year.
Washington continues to utilize Learfield’s integrated enterprise solutions to engage fans and drive revenue growth. These divisions include Learfield’s Sports Properties flagship multimedia rights services, ticketing, website and app platforms, outbound ticket sales, and merchandise licensing. By combining these solutions with data-driven insights, Washington has seen business growth over the past year, adding new partnerships, increasing fan engagement, selling record-high group ticket sales, and growing its licensed merchandise royalties.
.@UWAthletics and @Learfield's Huskies Sports Properties announced a long-term partnership renewal, keeping the national leader in multimedia rights as the university's exclusive rights partner through a multi-year agreement.
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ESPN delivered its most-watched NBA Playoffs opening weekend ever, drawing record audiences across its platforms, according to Nielsen ratings. The network’s six-game slate, which aired over Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20, averaged 4,487,000 viewers. That figure marks a 15 percent increase from last year’s opening weekend coverage.
Leading the way was the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics’ victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their first-round series. The matchup, broadcast Sunday afternoon on ABC, was the most-watched game of the weekend, averaging 6,689,000 viewers.
It peaked at 8,022,000 viewers at 5:45 p.m. ET. The broadcast was the second-most watched NBA Playoffs first-round Game 1 ever, trailing only the Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets game in 2022.
Sunday’s viewership was up 44 percent compared to the corresponding game last year.
Meanwhile, Saturday night’s Minnesota Timberwolves victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on ABC averaged 5,838,000 viewers and peaked at 6,756,000 viewers around 10:30 p.m. The telecast propelled ABC to win the night for April 19 across all of television, leading in all key demographics, including among People and Males. The game saw a three percent increase in viewership from its comparable matchup last year.
Additional games also saw strong performances across ESPN and ABC. On Saturday, April 19, the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers game on ESPN averaged 2,368,000 viewers and peaked at 3,145,000. The LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets game followed with 3,642,000 viewers, peaking at 5,197,000, and the Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks game averaged 4,124,000 viewers, reaching a peak of 4,661,000.
Sunday, April 20, saw the Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder matchup on ABC average 4,451,000 viewers, peaking at 5,601,000 viewers.
ESPN has carried NBA Playoffs coverage since the 2002-03 season.
Opening weekend of the 2025 #NBAPlayoffs was the most-viewed on ESPN platforms EVER!
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Verdict with Ted Cruz, the podcast hosted by Ben Ferguson and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), is coming to radio as a nationally syndicated weekend program by Premiere Networks.
Beginning this past weekend, the show debuted on more than 100 news/talk stations around the country.
The show combines the Texas Senator and the Memphis-based radio host and podcaster for a weekly recap about the news and political world.
“Verdict gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at what’s really happening in Washington, D.C., and we’re excited to begin reaching even more people across the country who are hungry for in-depth conversations on the most important issues facing our nation,” said Senator Ted Cruz.
The program debuted in 2020 before moving to Premiere Networks in 2022. Ferguson joined as host when it shifted to the network after the program was previously helmed by Michael Knowles of The Daily Wire.
“Verdict with Ted Cruzis set to become one of the most influential voices in radio syndication,” said Ferguson. “As the political landscape continues to shift, this show will be a major force driving the national conversation—especially when it comes to breaking down the real story behind the headlines coming out of Washington, D.C. Expect bold analysis, insider access, and no-nonsense commentary that will shape how the country understands what’s really going on in our nation’s capital.”
“Sen. Cruz is a political insider whose views and opinions are valued by audiences,” said Premiere Networks President Julie Talbott. “We’re always looking for engaging and entertaining programming that resonates with listeners, and the continued success of Verdict made the decision to expand the program to radio a no-brainer. By harnessing the immense power of broadcast radio, we’re confident Verdict with Ted Cruz will reach millions more listeners across America every week.”
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After President Donald Trump sued CBS News over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, the network considered settling the suit. The executive producer of the show, Bill Owens, is departing the program because of it.
In a memo to staffers on Tuesday, Owens revealed he would be departing the news magazine program due to what he called an inability to make independent decisions about the program.
“Over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,” he wrote in a memo to employees. “To make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience. So, having defended this show- and what we stand for – from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward.
“The show is too important to the country, it has to continue, just not with me as the Executive Producer,” he concluded.
Bill Owens has served as the Executive Producer of 60 Minutes since 2019. He stepped into the role previously held by Jeff Fager.
Owens also credited CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon for always having his back, but that “she agrees that 60 Minutes needs to run by a 60 Minutes producer.”
McMahon gave credit to the executive producer for his stewardship of the brand.
“As Executive Producer, Bill has led 60 Minutes with unwavering integrity, curiosity, and a deep commitment to the truth,” wrote McMahon. “He has championed the kind of journalism that informs, enlightens, and often changes the national conversation. His dedication to finding and nurturing talent will be felt across CBS News for years.”
The announced departure of Owens comes after CBS News and parent company Paramount Global have considered settling the multi-million dollar lawsuit brought forth by President Donald Trump. Some experts have called the lawsuit frivolous, but Paramount Global is in the midst of a proposed merger with Skydance, which would need Trump administration approval to be completed.
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Audacy has announced a multiyear extension of its broadcast partnership with the University of Oregon that will enable 1080 The Fan to continue serving as the flagship radio station for Oregon Ducks football, men’s basketball and baseball. In addition to these sports under the multiplatform agreement, the station will also be serving as the home of women’s basketball, and all games will stream on the Audacy app within the Portland region. Outside of airing all regular season and postseason contests, 1080 The Fan will present the weekday Ducks Insider program that grants listeners an inside look into sports at the school.
“We are delighted to extend our partnership with the Oregon Ducks for another five years,” Ryan Cooley, senior vice president and market manager of Audacy Portland, said in a statement. “Oregon is one of the most powerful and recognizable brands in college athletics, and The Fan is Portland’s go-to source for premier sports content—making this partnership a perfect fit.
“This new agreement deepens our commitment to delivering in-depth, high-quality coverage of Ducks football, men’s basketball and baseball. For the first time ever, we’re proud to carry every Oregon women’s basketball game. It’s an exciting new chapter, and we look forward to bringing the passion, energy and excellence of Oregon athletics to fans throughout the region.”
University of Oregon football, basketball and baseball have been broadcast on 1080 The Fan since 2018, carrying the games, pregame and postgame shows and weekly speciality programs for these sports. Furthermore, this partnership has been facilitated through LEARFIELD, which holds the radio broadcast rights for Oregon Sports Properties and was rebranded from IMG College in 2021. Consumers can listen to 1080 The Fan on terrestrial radio in the Portland area, along with nationwide utilizing the Audacy app and website.
“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Audacy. Through this important radio affiliate partnership, we are able to provide Duck fans in Portland a non-stop connection to their teams,” Kelly Schukart, vice president and general manager of Oregon Sports Properties, said in a statement. “Whether from the sidelines, courtside or the diamond, Duck fans in Portland can count on Audacy to have their favorite Duck content on the air.”
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Andy Bloom, a long-time radio programmer who spent time running 94 WIP, 830 WCCO, and 1210 WPHT, as well as an executive at other companies like Emmis Communications and Greater Media, has been convicted of felony criminal sexual conduct in Minnesota and is awaiting sentencing.
Details revealed by the Philadelphia-based Crossing Broad show that Bloom was found guilty on two separate charges of criminal sexual conduct involving a minor. Court documents reveal that the minor victim is Bloom’s now-16-year-old daughter.
Bloom was initially charged with his first court appearance coming in January of last year. He pleaded not guilty and elected to undergo a jury trial that took place last month. After the nine-day trial, Andy Bloom was found guilty on two second degree felonies.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13th. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
The charges being brought against Bloom coincided with divorce proceedings between he and his wife, the mother of his victim. According to court documents, the case against Andy Bloom included being re-assigned twice and was ultimately overseen by a total of three separate judges over the course of the proceedings.
During his long radio career, Andy Bloom served as the Vice President of Radio Programming for Greater Media, the Vice President of Programming for the international division of Emmis Communications, as well as the Operations Manager for CBS Radio in Philadelphia from 2007 to 2016.
Additionally, he also owned his own consulting firm as well as serving as the Communications Director for Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) for four years.
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The Athletic is taking its coverage of professional basketball to a new level through a collaboration that will give readers access to NBA and WNBA highlights embedded directly into its in-depth reporting. Just in time for the NBA playoffs and the start of the WNBA season, the sports journalism outlet announced it will integrate video highlights alongside articles, offering fans a more immersive and contextual experience of the game.
The initiative pairs The Athletic’s beat reporters, analysts and visual journalists with video content that allows fans not only to see the action on the court, but also to understand the strategies and stories behind it. Whether decoding a single play or breaking down an entire series, the new format aims to bring deeper insights directly to readers through articles and within The Athletic’s app.
“At the heart of this collaboration is a shared commitment to elevating the fan experience,” said Sebastian Tomich, chief commercial and development officer at The Athletic. “By integrating NBA and WNBA highlights into our storytelling, we’re not just showing fans what happened, we’re helping them understand why it mattered.”
Moreover, the platform will feature embedded links that serve as an on-ramp to live NBA and WNBA games, further connecting fans to real-time action.
The new integration includes several video formats tailored to enhance engagement. Among them is The Athletic Spotlight, a showcase video series where reporters analyze key moments by going beyond the X’s and O’s. Another feature, Video Essays, will capture the emotional narratives and pivotal storylines of the most consequential games throughout the postseason.
Additionally, The Bounce Weekly-ish, a video version of The Athletic’s popular daily NBA newsletter hosted by Zach Harper, will bring its signature wit, humor and insights to a broader audience.
Tomich emphasized that the effort reflects The Athletic’s mission to provide the smartest, most insightful sports journalism.
“Our mission at The Athletic has always been to deliver the smartest, most insightful sports journalism anywhere — and now we’re taking that to the next level,” said Sebastian Tomich, chief commercial and development officer, The Athletic. “This partnership lets us bring the game to life, giving our readers a richer, more connected experience across every article, recap and analysis.”
As the postseason heats up and the WNBA tips off, fans can expect more than just highlights — they’ll gain a deeper understanding of the game from every angle.
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Former Kicks 101.5 Atlanta morning host William “Cadillac Jack Choate ” has passed away. Choate experienced heart issues in February that required stents. He passed from a heart attack on Monday.
His most recent job was on 92.5 “The Bear,” a Country music station serving the southern part of the Atlanta metro.
After leaving Kicks 101.5, Choate was involved in a five-year legal battle with Cumulus Media. When he was terminated, Choate sought $732,258.05 for the 22 months remaining on his contract. The case was settled in August 2024.
In the court filing at the time, Choate alleged Cumulus VP/Market Manager Sean Shannon had tried to fire him for a year because of his sexual orientation. Claiming Shannon was worried about what would happen if listeners saw him showing affection for another man in public. Adding, Shannon repeatedly ridiculed the personality over his sexual orientation and told him he could not be “gay” and a Country music personality in Atlanta.
Choate is not to be confused with Y108 Pittsburgh’s Cadillac Jack.
Social Media mourned his passing.
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Approaching The Summit is a series of special interviews created in partnership with Point to Point Marketing featuring speakers at the upcoming 2025 BSM Summit in Chicago, IL. Follow along with this series as prominent names surrounding the event coming up on May 8-9 at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) inside the Edlis Neeson Theater and share their insights and expectations for what’s to come in the Windy City.
Danny Zederman is the director of content at ESPN Chicago and has attended the BSM Summit on several occasions in the past. Zederman was named the director of content for ESPN Chicago at the start of 2022, and he was named to the same title for Good Karma Brands as a company last February. Before working in the content roles, he was an executive producer of the Kap & J. Hood morning show and has worked with ESPN Chicago since 2006.
Prior to the BSM Summit in May, Zederman spoke with Barrett Media about his anticipation for the event and topics that he hopes are addressed on stage.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
BSM Staff: You have attended the BSM Summit various times in the past. What are you looking forward to this year as the event makes its return to Chicago?
Danny Zederman: What I’m looking forward to is, what’s always great about going to the Barrett Sports Media Summit is (a) reconnecting with people that I know in the industry that I haven’t seen in a while or haven’t talked to. It’s always great to meet new people in the industry and have conversations with them and get to know them.
And most importantly, what I look forward to most every year, no matter where it is, is the opportunity to learn, to hear great people in this business talk about what they love, what they know, talk about their passion, and just sit there and absorb it all, take it all in and learn from everybody and the content that they’re providing on those days.
BSM Staff: What is the value for industry professionals to leave the office and attend the BSM Summit?
Danny Zederman: Well, I think it’s important to get out of the office and attend something like this because it’s a think tank. Our industry is at a point where it’s pivoting. Most of us aren’t just doing radio anymore. Radio is just a piece of what we do, and it’s good to get in a room and talk to other people about the way that we’re adjusting to the evolution of this business, the way that we’re adjusting to creating content, the way that we’re adjusting to the different ways of getting that content out to our fans. So it’s important to get out of the office and to talk to people and engage with people and listen and learn.
BSM Staff: How has the BSM Summit evolved over the years amid changing industry trends?
Danny Zederman: Well, I think what’s great is that the Summit – I’ve used this word a lot, but I think what’s great is that the Summit has evolved, right? When I first started going, it was a lot about the radio audience and ratings and PPMs and how to get people to listen for five extra minutes in the quarter hours.
And I think as time went on, we’ve realized radio is just one thing that we do, and we need to evolve and we need to use social and we need to use video and we need to use digital. And the Summit has evolved in ways where they’ve invited people onto the stage to talk about those things and to share their knowledge and their expertise, and I think that is what makes it so special is that as our industry changes, the Summit changes and adapts.
BSM Staff: What do you feel are the biggest current opportunities or challenges that you hope are discussed at the BSM Summit?
Danny Zederman: Well, the biggest opportunity is all the different platforms that there are for us to engage with our fans, right? We no longer are just doing radio shows – we’re doing video, we’re doing social, we’re doing long form, we’re doing short form, and it’s just the different ways that we create content and the different distribution methods that there are and how we all are taking advantage of these things. At the end of the day, that’s how the business grows. It evolves, and that’s how the business thrives.
BSM Staff: How do you feel the subsets of the sports media industry as a whole can continue fostering additional synergy and work together to ensure growth?
Danny Zederman: I think that’s that’s where summits like these come in, right? Like this is where we need to learn, this is where we need to figure out what’s next. We can’t only be doing what’s happening right now, we have to always be looking for what’s next. ‘How can we reach our fans?’ We always have to reach our fans where they are, not where we want them to be, and that’s why we go to these summits to, ‘Alright, where are our fans listening? Where are our fans watching? Where are our fans engaging? How do we do it best to reach them there?’
BSM Staff: As you view the return on investment with the BSM Summit, what do you hope to take away from the event and bring back to your station?
Danny Zederman: Just ideas, just thoughts, the different things that I hear, the way people handle themselves and do things. There are no right or wrong answers, and I think listening to the way that everybody that takes that stage talks about their passion, their love and the way they go about their business is something that I can bring back to ESPN Chicago, could bring back to Good Karma Brands and share with our teammates.
Purchase your tickets to the 2025 BSM Summit here, and for more information, visit BSMSummit.com.
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