Ozzie Guillen has made a career both on and off the field by being outspoken and unpredictable with his commentary surrounding the game of baseball. He currently serves as the Chicago White Sox analyst on CHSN pregame and postgame coverage alongside anchor Chuck Garfien, and he has made headlines for his feedback about the struggling franchise in recent years.
During his weekly guest appearance on 670 The Score’sMully and Haugh program on Wednesday, the former White Sox skipper shared his appreciation for the difficulties of hosting a radio program on a day-to-day basis versus working on television.
“Real good radio people do their job every day, and it’s something that’s not easy for that many years,” said Guillen. “I was just talking with Ozzie (Guillen) Junior yesterday when we jumped in the car. I said ‘bro, how do those guys prepare themselves every day to put up with fans like me who listen to them every day.’ It’s not easy.”
Guillen began working as an analyst for NBC Sports Chicago in 2018, initially serving as a contributor to the network. However, he expanded into a full-time pregame and postgame analyst role covering White Sox baseball on NBC Sports Chicago, and now CHSN, since 2019. In addition, Guillen has also been making regular appearances on 670 The Score for many years on Mully and Haugh.
“To me it’s easy to go manage every day, because every day is going to be different,” Guillen said. “Every day they got to wake up early and go to work. Yet you have people criticizing you, you have people agreeing with you. Then you got people who think they’re smarter than you, it’s just crazy man. I tip my hat to you guy cause working that day in and day out is not easy.”
Furthermore, he stated that the difficulties of working in radio—and media in general—have become even more challenging, especially in the age of social media.
“With social media and everything, and people sitting in their basement listening to people and make comments,” noted Guillen. “Also you have to be careful what you’re saying. You have to be careful what you do. When you work on TV, radio or whatever it is, you have to walk on egg shells.”
Guillen then explained that he records every broadcast he works on for the CHSN network in case there is a misunderstanding about something he may have said. He added that this isn’t necessarily to improve in his role, but rather out of a fear of being potentially canceled over it.
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Fox News has seen a large ratings jump since Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. And now the network’s sales teams are hoping to leveraged those increased audiences for an increase in advertising revenue.
S&P Global Intelligence firm Kagan forecasts that Fox News will bring in $1.19 billion in advertising revenue in 2025. That is almost double what CNN is projected to collect in 2025 at $587.2 million, and substantially more than projections for MSNBC, which sit at $699.2 million in advertising dollars.
As Kagan projects Fox News to see a slight advertising revenue dip in 2025 compared to last year — not unexpected after a record-setting cycle of political advertising in 2024 — the network is hoping its unique story in the marketplace is one that attracts an increasingly interested marketing base.
“I don’t think there’s anything else like (Fox News) in the marketplace,” Executive Vice President of Advertising Sales Trey Gargano, who took that position in February of last year, told Variety.
In the first quarter of 2025, Fox News has seen its ratings climb by 46% in primetime. The network has averaged more than 3 million viewers during the first three months of the year. The growth was even greater in the Adults 25-54 demographic, as the network averaged 380,000 viewers, up 63%.
But despite the ratings gains in the primetime window, Gargano said the message to marketers will be that Fox News has millions of viewers throughout the day, too.
“Our emphasis is on the entire schedule. The majority of it has millions of people every hour of the day,” says Gargano. “We are not just selling prime. We are selling our network as prime ratings for the majority of the day.”
In the total day ratings, Fox News averaged 1.9 million viewers during January, Febraury, and March. That figure is a 48% increase year-over-year.
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Paisley Dunn-Banks, morning host at Froggy 101.7 and 104.9 in Frankfort, KY, has been flooded out of her home due to recent severe weather in the area.
Banks posted a photo of her home underwater, saying she had been planning for the worst. She added that she and her dog, Waylon, are safe.
Speaking to Barrett Media, Banks said, “When I left, I only took my valuable documents and two weeks’ worth of clothes. Because of flood prevention, we were at 35-40 feet, which wouldn’t have impacted my place.”
“No one ever thought it would get that high, so I didn’t plan on being completely displaced.”
Despite her personal loss and uncertainty, Banks did her morning show on Monday, saying she “needed to be there for the community.”
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It’s been nearly two weeks since NFL insider Peter Schrager signed off his final episode of Good Morning Football on the NFL Network, as he has since signed with ESPN as their latest addition to football coverage at the network. He signed his multi-year agreement with ESPN just days following the final taping of Good Morning Football.
Subsequently, Schrager was a guest on The Varsity podcast with John Ourand of PUCK and said that it was a perfect moment in time for him to make the move to ESPN and away from NFL Network.
“After NFL Network moved to Los Angeles, it felt like we were on rocky footing a little bit,” said Schrager. “I just think it ran its course.”
During the episode of the podcast, Schrager talked about his work with FOX Sports this past Super Bowl and, moreover, how he felt as though he emptied his “bag” with cross-country travel covering the league for the NFL Network. He noted that he did have multiple suitors reaching out for his services, but ultimately decided to land with ESPN.
“There were multiple companies that we were talking with, because my contract was up, and ESPN seemed like the perfect place,” noted Schrager. “This feels right, and the opportunity to still do morning TV from New York, which seems to be the case. I’m going to be doing Get Up and First Take, and then my hope is have a prominent role with Monday Night Football, whether it be Monday Night Countdown or the game broadcast or just setting up the day for them.”
In addition, Schrager noted he’s not trying to be like anyone else on the ESPN network and hopes he doesn’t change who he’s been on FOX Sports or the NFL Network. He stated that he’s willing to fill whatever role the network envisions him with, understanding that he needs to be more concise with his information on ESPN.
He then touched on his final days and conversations with the NFL Network.
“I don’t know how this goes, I’ve never left a company,” told Schrager. “The NFL Network side, where it wasn’t as seamless because at the end of the road with the executives, it wasn’t like we were doing flips for each other to get me back there. But we all took the high road. David Jurenka and Hans Schroeder and Brian Rollapp were awesome conversations over text with those guys. They gave me the ultimate gift, which was on Monday after they knew I was gone, they let me do a farewell on Good Morning Football.”
Ultimately, Schrager stated he did leave on good terms with the NFL Network and is excited to see what’s to come with ESPN.
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Logan served as OM for the cluster and PD for New Country 103.1 and AC Sunny 107.9. B-105 Cincinnati PD Grover Collins will absorb his programming responsibilities for New Country 103.1.
Speaking to Country Aircheck, Logan said, “I am eternally grateful to Ginny Morris, Dave Bestler, Greg Strassell, and Elizabeth Hamma for the opportunity to run the West Palm Beach cluster for the past six years. I am excited about the future – there is more audio being consumed right now that at any time in our history. After taking a break, we will figure out the next best move for my family.”
Logan has been with the cluster since 2019. Other stops include VP Programming for Entercom in Houston and 17 years with iHeartMedia/Clear Channel in Charlotte, Greenville, SC, and Greensboro, NC.
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The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences revealed the nominees for the 2025 Sports Emmy Awards, which will take place on Tuesday, May 20 from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. Among the 47 categories that honor industry professionals in the sports media business, the Academy will be granting an award for outstanding personality in play-by-play. During the Wednesday morning edition of Boomer & Gio on WFAN, anchor Jerry Recco enumerated the award nominees, some of whom include Mike Breen, Joe Davis and Mike Tirico. Recco concluded reading the list by articulating that Ian Eagle and his son, Noah, were both up for the award as well.
Breen has won the award in the play-by-play category for the last three years, highlighting his work with ESPN on ABC commentating seminal matchups within the National Basketball Association, including the NBA Finals. Once Recco communicated the nominees, morning show co-host Boomer Esiason articulated, “I hope Noah gets it.”
In addition to his work as the voice of B1G Saturday Night for NBC Sports, Eagle has also called the Olympic Games and will be part of the NBA on NBC play-by-play rotation starting next season. On top of that, Eagle has also called alternate NFL telecasts on Nickelodeon and an NFL game on Christmas Day for Netflix.
“If you’re Ian, you probably want your kid to win, right?,” co-host Gregg Giannotti asked to his colleagues.
In response, Recco stated that it would not be the case since Noah Eagle is 28 years old and has plenty of time to win the award. That being said, he does not believe Ian Eagle would be upset if his son were to win the award. Esiason then opined that he believes Noah Eagle has “a little more range” than his father because of doing the Nickelodeon broadcasts. As the discussion surrounding Ian and Noah Eagle commenced, Esiason voiced how a versatile professional had been left off of the list.
“What about Kenny Albert?,” Esiason added. “Kenny Albert does everything – he does everything – he can do a dog show.”
“As a matter of fact, he might’ve done a dog show,” Recco said. “The Westminster at MSG – you never know.”
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Scripps Sports announced Wednesday a pair of multi-year broadcast agreements with both Sports Illustrated and the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off basketball tournament.
SI, a longtime leader in sports journalism, is launching of a new biennial event — the SI Women’s Games — a multi-sport, all-star competition featuring elite female athletes from around the world. Set to take place from Tuesday, Oct. 28 through Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Oceanside, California. The Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off, launched in 2022, has quickly become one of the nation’s premier early-season college basketball tournaments. It regularly draws championship-caliber programs to Southwest Florida.
“As the popularity of women’s sports among audiences and advertisers continues to explode, the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off will immediately become another major sports property for ION,” said Brian Lawlor, Scripps Sports president. “We’re proud to partner with Sports Illustrated, one of the most iconic brands in sports, to showcase and bring the compelling and exciting stories, athletes and events of the SI Women’s Games to every American household.” Lawlor said. “This is another milestone for Scripps Sports and ION as a premier destination for the best in women’s sports.”
According to the release, the SI Women’s Games will highlight top competitors across six sports, including basketball, gymnastics, tennis, volleyball, and combat sports. The event will offer prize money based on performance and will crown one athlete as the SI Women’s Games Champion.
“The SI Women’s Games are a groundbreaking opportunity to do what we have always done at Sports Illustrated,” said Sports Illustrated Editor in Chief Steve Cannella. “This is an exciting new way for us to tell the best stories in sports. We can’t wait to watch these incredible athletes compete in California and celebrate everything they do, both on and off the field.”
To bring the SI Women’s Games to a national audience, Sports Illustrated has entered into a multi-year broadcast partnership with Scripps Sports. As part of the agreement, ION will serve as the exclusive U.S. broadcast home of the event. Available on pay TV, connected TV, free ad-supported streaming platforms, and over-the-air in 123 million homes, ION is one of the most widely watched networks on television.
ION will also serve as the exclusive television home of the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off for the next five years, as part of a new multiyear agreement between Scripps Sports and Intersport, the agency that manages the tournament.
Under the new agreement, ION will air live coverage of every matchup during this year’s tournament, set for Nov. 28-29 over Thanksgiving weekend. The games will take place at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers. ION’s coverage will be available on cable, satellite, major streaming platforms and over the air.
“We’re proud that women’s sports have found a home on ION, and we look forward to bringing fans the action-packed world of women’s college basketball this fall,” said Lawlor.
In just its first few years, the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off has brought national powerhouses such as South Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland and Purdue to participate, along with other top-tier programs including Iowa State, DePaul, Michigan and Oklahoma.
This deal marks the first national women’s college basketball rights agreement for Scripps Sports. It also expands the network’s growing portfolio of women’s sports programming, which includes the Women’s National Basketball Association and the National Women’s Soccer League.
The addition of the tournament comes as ION continues to gain momentum with its women’s sports programming. The WNBA on ION reached more than 23.3 million total unique viewers last season, including 9.4 million who were new to the network. Seven WNBA broadcasts surpassed 1 million viewers.
Mark Starsiak, senior vice president of Intersport, echoed the enthusiasm for the new partnership.
“Scripps Sports and ION are now a top destination for women’s sports, and we’re thrilled to partner with them for the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off,” Starsiak said. “This tournament has proven to be an exciting one for college basketball fans everywhere, and the Scripps Sports team will elevate this event even further.”
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After falling short of securing the victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month upon losing a three-shot lead, Collin Morikawa chose not to speak with reporters after the fact. In the following week at the Players Championship, he voiced how he did not owe anyone anything and recapitulated his stance on the situation ahead of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National on Tuesday. As part of a segment on The Greg Hill Show on WEEI, the Boston sports radio program aired audio of Morikawa explaining the occurrence and critiquing the media for not asking him questions when he has experienced success in his golfing career.
Within his remarks, Morikawa discussed how he has been ranked in the Top 5 for points of his career and that there were plenty of instances where media did not ask him. As a result, he voiced that it was not his job to go out and divulge his story, although doing so could be done by playing well and winning tournaments. When the show finished playing the audio, Greg Hill had a pointed reaction on how Morikawa handled the query.
“Yeah, okay,” Hill said. “You never go full dink. Give me a break. We’re here to ask you questions, you’re here to answer the questions, and it’s going to be good for you to answer the questions, so knock it off.”
Chris Scheim, the executive producer of the program, dissented from Hill’s opinion and explained how he understands golfers deciding not to talk to media after losing the tournament. In fact, he referenced Rory McIlroy losing the U.S. Open Golf Championship and declining to speak with media members after the fact. Hill replied by conveying that Morikawa needed to “own it” and that it was a part of his job, later classifying him as acting like a villain in this situation.
“You finished second in the tournament because you choked, you’re pissed at yourself, you don’t want to talk to anybody, so you separate yourself from the situation, then get accosted for it later and stand up for yourself,” Scheim said. “That’s not being the villain.”
Chris Curtis, an executive producer for the station, talked about how Morikawa could stand up for himself or admonish those asking what had happened by simply saying that it occurred and that he was in disbelief he lost the tournament. Hill disagreed with this sentiment and communicated his thoughts on how golfers should be handling their media availabilities at different tournaments.
“You don’t get to pick and choose,” Hill said. “It’s a part of your job. You are paid handsomely when you are a professional athlete…. If you’re going to run out there when you win, then you should run out there when you lose.”
Later in the segment, he articulated how no one was saying he should be unable to golf but rather not to have that reaction when people wanted to talk to him. Instead, Curtis posited that Morikawa could disagree with what was being written but still make himself available for questions. Scheim voiced that when it happened originally, Morikawa spoke about not owing anyone anything and believed that was okay for him to voice.
“If after the tournament you’re pissed and you want to walk away because you want to separate yourself from the moment, that’s fine,” Scheim said, “and he accepted that.”
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590 The Fan in St. Louis is preparing to filip its format away from strictly sports in favor of a broader talk radio format after being purchased by Big Toe Media.
The company is a collaboration formed by St. Louis businessman Dave Greene and Alabama-based businessman Conrad Thompson. They have inked a letter of intent to buy 590 The Fan from Dave Zobrist. Zobrist purchased the station in 2021.
The three men are all partners in Sports Hub STL, the recently launched digital sports network.
Beginning on Tuesday, April 15th, Big Toe Media will assume control of the station under a local marketing agreement.
“590 AM had a great run as an all-sports station, but it’s time for a new direction,” said Big Toe Media President Dave Greene. “In the coming weeks, we will announce something new and exciting for St. Louis. Our goal is to modernize talk content in this city and bring fresh energy to the space.”
“We are in active conversations with a wide range of local, regional and national voices and plan to continue those discussions both before and after the station’s relaunch,” Greene added.
The company says it plans to apply for a change of the station’s call letters away from its current KFNS.
590 The Fan currently runs the nationally syndicated FOX Sports Radio at all hours. The station previously featured a local lineup before all hosts were dismissed in June 2024 and local operations ceased to exist.
“Our new content will focus on what people in St. Louis are talking about—local news, sports, relevant conversations, and real community connection,” Greene said. “Culture, food, entertainment, and business will also be key pillars, along with amplifying those who are making news and driving change in our city.”
More information about the move from 590 The Fan to a different brand and call letters, as well as information about programming opportunities, can be found here.
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What makes a Presidential candidate presidential in modern times? That’s a bigger question now more than ever as we are all witness to a divided country—up in arms and as tribal as ever. Where common people—good people—are finding themselves picking a side and treating others who disagree like they’re a scorned lover. The concept of common decency to listen to one another is foreign, and the concept of compromise, an unthinkable act.
Enter Stephen A. Smith, the man that will mend divisions, repair complacency, and alter the path of a nation in peril. Earlier this week, Smith told a group of people at the annual NAB conference in Las Vegas that he could never see himself as a politician, but he’s decided to keep his options open. Of course he is, because why wouldn’t he?
While both Smith and his agent, Endeavor President and COO Mark Shapiro, have stated there is no plan to actually run for President, it got me thinking: who would be better options in sports media to run for the highest office in the land instead of Stephen A. Smith? Who would unite and rally people to earn the votes to enter office?
Before I share my suggestions, can we agree it should no longer come as a shock that sports and politics are intertwined at every discourse? There are more players in all sports speaking out about causes today than ever, and we’ve had a WWE Hall of Famer in the Oval Office not once, but twice.
The separation between sports and politics is forever gone and will unfortunately never return. Hence why so many athletes and sports media pundits are beginning to share their voice in the political discourse without fear of losing any bit of their celebrity status with their followers.
Remember the days when athletes like Michael Jordan said, “Republicans buy sneakers too”?
Stephen A. Smith The Candidate
Stephen A. Smith is no different. In fact, he’s trying to be a trendsetter by merging politics into sports in his own right. Smith makes regular appearances on cable television outlets to discuss politics and uses his own Stephen A. Smith Show to discuss a wide variety of topics—including politics.
While dissecting the concept of political candidate Stephen A. Smith, three characteristics stand out.
The first is his demeanor when confronted in debate, which is documented as not great. Smith isn’t known for his deep conversations and thought-provoking discourse. Instead, he’s known for being the loudest in the room and always attempting to get the last word in—no matter if he’s correct or not in the argument. Would that work with political leaders from around the world? I’m not sure.
The second item is his leadership skills. Smith has built himself up from a beat reporter to one of the highest-paid and most recognizable sports media personalities in the country. Without question, his desire to work harder than everyone else is undeniable—he’ll even tell you as much. In my mind though, a great leader is one who creates other great leaders. Looking at First Take, for example—where Smith is the Executive Producer—name the personality Smith has elevated to national stardom in their own right. The show has always been self-centered around Smith, by Smith, since his debut in 2012, and it hasn’t changed.
The third is assertiveness, which Smith in his time at ESPN has shown seldom. Smith lives and thrives in the reality of react and not act. He’s made a full career as the pundit, the talking head, or the commentator—instead of the decider. Say what you will about every President—good, bad, or indifferent—but they have all had to make massive decisions of policy, investment, or issue. Smith debates G.O.A.T.s repeatedly and pontificates on whether Jerry Jones should still be leading the Dallas Cowboys ad nauseam.
With those three characteristics, is there anyone else in sports media who fits them better than Stephen A. Smith to run for office? Is there a needle in the sports media haystack that could find a way to win over the American populace and lead our country to greater days ahead? Who can win an election of the people, by the people, and for the people?
Pat McAfee Changing The ‘Progrum’ For America
The first name that screams “that man should run for office” is Pat McAfee.
Hear me out before you roll your eyes at this presidential pitch.
What sports media personality turned down interviews from both Presidential candidates this past fall? McAfee.
What sports media personality can hold the deepest conversations with the biggest stars in sports—making everything coming out of the interview relatable to the average fan? McAfee.
Would you consider a former NFL punter turned multi-million-dollar businessman—who has elevated his show’s entire staff along with his rising stardom—a leader? Repeat after me: McAfee.
McAfee is different, relatable, and has challenged authority and won. He’s connected with all types of Americans hosting WWE and College GameDay, and traveled the world with his own progrum (as he calls it), learning culture and the true meaning of understanding life. He’s a man of the people that this country has attached themselves to because he’s relatable to the greater majority of the country—through his calm demeanor, positive outlook on life and family, and assertiveness when it comes to making tough calls. Such as turning down exclusives with the two previous candidates that many others sought out and accepted.
Paul Finebaum Brings The Voice Of The People To America
The second name to consider is Paul Finebaum. Name another sports media personality who handles his callers better than the great Paul Finebaum. An author and former columnist, Finebaum continues to bring conversation and dialogue in a calm and direct manner, which has brought his audience together since the 1980s. He’s one of the most trusted voices in college football and holds high regard in “the Bible Belt”—also known as SEC territory. Finebaum has spoken truth to power, survived, and is considered one of the greatest interviewers of our time, with a focus on allowing representation for communities of people rarely represented in the common discourse. That’s presidential in itself.
Paul @finebaum on the people who love calling into his show:
"Those folks have always needed representation. … It may make the athletic directors, and the chancellors and the bow tie-wearing crowd in the Ivory towers uncomfortable, but I really don't care. … That will be my… pic.twitter.com/hQgUbyqTgQ
Erin Andrews Buried Obstacles Showing Strength To America
The third and final presidential option to consider for office is Erin Andrews. Although Andrews has stated numerous times she is not willing to dive into her political leanings, the fact that she’s even asked about them should tell you how the media views her. She’s a role model and voice for women around the country, a respected reporter on the top NFL on FOX team, a cancer survivor, and an advocate fighting for child hunger and many other causes. Andrews handled a very public stalking incident with class and turned a negative into a massive positive, working with Washington on anti-stalking legislation. She also turned her victory over cancer into a campaign called We Can Change This STAT, which encourages women to get checked by their doctors for annual exams, while educating men on encouraging the women in their lives to do the same. She has overcome personal issues with a calm demeanor, built and organized causes to lift others, and chose to fight back when others did her wrong. Is there any better example of what we would all want in our President?
While Stephen A. Smith is taking all the headlines as of late, it would be wise to be more inclusive of other options when it comes to who we feel could be the best fit from sports media to represent in a Presidential election. If we’re going to be serious about the concept, it’s not about running it’s about winning. The highest office in our land deserves our very best—because that office determines our path to a better tomorrow.
Keep your options open, and don’t just go with your first take.
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