Ramar Communications has debuted Young Country 93.1 in Lubbock, TX, featuring today’s hits and rising stars.
The contemporary playlist includes Morgan Wallen, Jelly Roll, Zach Bryan, Shaboozey, Dasha, Post Malone, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, and Chris Stapleton.
“We’re thrilled to introduce Young Country 93.1 to Lubbock and provide a fresh country experience for our listeners,” said Jennifer Martinez, Operations Manager at Ramar Communications. “With a dynamic lineup and a commitment to playing the artists our audience loves first, we’re setting the stage for a new era of country radio in West Texas.”
The station’s lineup includes “The Bobby Bones Show” in the morning, “Country With Carson” middays, “Country Nights with Bev Rainey” and “After Midnight With Granger Smith.”
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Prime Video has greenlit Taurasi, a three-part documentary series that explores the life and legacy of WNBA icon Diana Taurasi, the streaming service announced. The series, which will debut exclusively on Prime Video, will be available to viewers in more than 240 countries and territories.
Described as a pioneer, iconoclast and the G.O.A.T., Taurasi’s impact on women’s basketball has spanned decades. From winning three NCAA championships at UCONN to claiming three WNBA titles with the Phoenix Mercury, her accomplishments have helped define a generation of women’s basketball. Last month, Taurasi retired as the all-time leading scorer in WNBA history.
Now, in Taurasi, viewers will get an intimate look at the woman behind the legend. Featuring candid interviews with Taurasi, her relatives, teammates, coaches, journalists and others who have followed her career, the series aims to paint a portrait that is funny, defiant, vulnerable and deeply relatable.
In addition to her domestic accolades, Taurasi has also captured six Olympic gold medals and six Euroleague crowns, elevating her status as one of the most decorated players in women’s basketball history. Yet beyond the trophies, Taurasi’s path has been as complicated as it is impressive.
Known for her fierce competitiveness and unapologetic personality, she has faced intense scrutiny both on and off the court. Her career has taken her around the globe, with professional stints in countries such as Russia and Turkey.
Still, through every high and low, her loyalty to her teammates and devotion to her family have remained central to her identity. Those qualities, combined with her fearless on-court presence, have helped shape a player whose influence reaches far beyond basketball.
Taurasi is presented by Prime Video Sports and Skydance Sports, and produced by Meadowlark Media and Institute, in association with Difficult Media. The series is directed by Katie Bender Wynn.
Executive producers include Jesse Sisgold, Jason Reed, and Jon Weinbach of Skydance Sports; John Skipper and Deirdre Fenton of Meadowlark Media; Lauren Greenfield and Frank Evers of Institute; and Kate Fagan and Katie Bender Wynn.
No premiere date has been announced.
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Kenny Mayne worked for ESPN in a number of roles over his 27 years with the company. Originally joining the company in 1994, Mayne became a signature name and face synonymous with the flagship program SportsCenter, while also providing feature stories for several other ESPN programs. Since Mayne’s departure from ESPN in 2021, he has taken on several roles, most recently with Caesars Sportsbook.
Recently, Mayne joined former ESPN reporter Jemele Hill on her most recent episode of Spoliticsand was asked if he ever envisions himself getting back into media at the age of 61.
“I don’t think so,” said Mayne on the Spolitics podcast. “I mean, it’s nothing against what they’re doing. I think after having left it, it’s almost been four years, almost. When I left, at first I just like, What the f**k did I just do?”
Furthermore, the former SportsCenter anchor shared stories of his numerous contract negotiations during his time with ESPN, describing how the network repeatedly made offers that he ultimately didn’t accept. He even joked about it during the podcast when asked if he had thoughts about leaving ESPN long before his actual departure in 2021.
“About eight times,” joked Mayne. “I was my own agent. That never worked out for me to have an agent, and I just liked advocating for myself. I wasn’t afraid of the conversation. It feels weird to say ‘boy, I’m really good at writing.’ It feels weird to brag yourself up, but I think they knew what they got in me. They always wanted to keep me enough to raise the money just enough make me want to stay enough.”
In addition, Mayne explained how he was elevated to the main SportsCenter chair alongside Dan Patrick after Keith Olbermann left the company. According to him, he received a take-it-or-leave-it offer from the network, even though the salary was the same as what he had previously turned down for that role. Moreover, Mayne remarked that the prominence of SportsCenter isn’t what it once was.
“We were there when the show mattered more than it matters now,” said Mayne. “I’m not saying the shows aren’t good. Van Pelt does a great show, a bunch of people do. You don’t need the show in the way you needed it then, because there was no internet.”
Currently, Mayne is working on a number of projects, including a couple of documentaries and a podcast concept.
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Kenya Young has been named President and CEO of Louisville Public Media, effective May 19.
Young is currently the SVP of New York Public Radio. Before that, she spent 15 years at NPR in various leadership positions.
Louisville Public Media includes 89.3 WFPL News Louisville, 90.5 WUOL Classical Louisville, and 91.9 WFPK Independent Louisville, as well as several podcasts and the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting and a growing portfolio of podcasts.
“Kenya Young brings positive energy, meaningful experience, and an exciting vision for the future of public media,” said John Schriber, LPM Board member and Chair of the Transition Committee. “She has a warmth and accessibility that impresses everyone she meets and demonstrates a unique ability to connect mission, strategy, and community impact — qualities essential to leading LPM successfully.”
Adding, “At a time when trusted local media is more essential than ever, I’m committed to ensuring LPM fulfills its mission to provide independent and courageous news, music, and experiences that serve the needs and aspirations of Louisville’s multifaceted communities. Louisville is a vibrant, culturally rich community, and by deepening connections across all neighborhoods and embracing bold innovation, we’ll ensure more people in our community are seen and heard and feel connected.”
“I’m thrilled and energized to join the exceptional team at Louisville Public Media,” said Young. “From my first interactions with the staff and board, I’ve been impressed by their innovative spirit, commitment to excellence, and forward-looking vision. LPM has built something truly special — a dynamic organization that serves its community through outstanding journalism, music, and cultural programming that connects and inspires.”
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Chicago sports fans who subscribe to Comcast cable in the city are still without access to watching Chicago Bulls, White Sox, and Blackhawks games, as the distributor continues to not have a deal in place with the Chicago Sports Network, known as CHSN. The new regional sports network, which launched in October ahead of the NBA and NHL seasons, still has no carriage deal in place with the distributor. However, it is available on other Chicago-area providers such as DirecTV and Astound/RCN.
Recently, Bulls President Michael Reinsdorf joined Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz at a Crain’s Chicago Business real estate event and expressed his frustration. He stated that he believes Comcast is acting in bad faith during negotiations with the network.
“It’s disappointing you can’t go to bars and restaurants to get games,” Reinsdorf said. “They’re costing people money, they’re costing people enjoyment, and to me, that’s not right.”
Furthermore, Reinsdorf noted the teams involved had a great relationship with Comcast while their games appeared on the recently folded NBC Sports Chicago. Nonetheless, he said he is frustrated by what he perceives as preferential treatment, believing the Chicago Cubs’ Marquee Sports Network appears to be further along in negotiations than CHSN.
Reinsdorf’s family are the majority owners of the White Sox and Bulls.
“To me, it’s bad faith,” Reinsdorf said. “It’s discriminatory. It doesn’t make sense.”
Moreover, Comcast recently had a carriage dispute with the YES Network, which carries New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets games. The carrier has expressed a desire to place regional sports networks on a higher, more expensive digital tier of its Xfinity cable systems. This is instead of keeping the channels available on its more widely distributed expanded basic tiers, where regional sports networks have traditionally been placed.
According to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times, Reinsdorf believed he had a deal in place with Comcast back in December. However, he said it fell apart at the corporate level.
Additionally, CHSN is also available in the Chicago market via over-the-air broadcasting.
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As CBS Sports play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz prepares to call the Masters Tournament from Augusta National Golf Club for the 40th time in his broadcasting career, recent comments about his potential retirement circulated across the internet. On numerous occasions in the past, Nantz has talked about wanting to reach the 100th playing of the tournament, which would take place in 2036, but he claims that he never declared aiming to retire after that iteration.
Conversely, he has talked about wanting to be at Augusta for that edition of the Masters and stated that it would be his scheduled date of retirement should all the stars align. Nantz walked back these comments on a media call earlier in the week, claiming that he did not attempt to put a timeline on his tenure.
During a recent interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Nantz was asked by Patrick if there was going to be an 11-year retirement tour. In response, Nantz cited that they had this discussion on his show in 2016 and that the entire narrative went viral for no reason last week. Claiming that it was not a story, he talked about how it got spun and would never want the attention surrounding his exit from the tournament broadcasts.
“I said, ‘That would be, in a perfect world, my last show [if] I’d be able to make it,’ if I could, God willing, CBS willing, Augusta willing,” Nantz explained. “I would love to get to the 100th playing of the Masters Tournament, and if that’s the case and if we did get there, that’d probably be my retirement date, but I say that with a twinkle in my eye, Dan. I don’t really think about it. I’m thinking about this show now, and by the way, maybe I don’t make it there, maybe I go beyond it. I don’t want to start putting a countdown clock on it.”
With Nantz reaching his 40th call of the tournament this year, he will tie Verne Lundquist as having called the most editions of the Masters Tournament in his career. Lundquist retired from the proceedings after last year, and CBS revealed that Frank Noblio will be moving into the tower hovering over the Par-3 16th hole after previously calling strokes from Amen Corner. In addition to his time at Augusta, Nantz has also called seven Super Bowl championships throughout his career, and Patrick asked if he would rather call one more Super Bowl or Masters Tournament should he have to choose.
“I think you know the answer to that,” Nantz said. “I’ll let you answer it – you know the answer to that. I was given the blessing of having, I think it’s the fourth-most Super Bowl calls of all time tied with Curt Gowdy, so they’re all special, but I wouldn’t trade the Masters for anything in the world.”
CBS Sports will be covering the Masters Tournament for the 70th consecutive year beginning on Thursday, April 10 from Augusta National. The CBS television network and Paramount+ will be airing the tournament live that weekend featuring Nantz as the host with lead analyst Trevor Immelman. Ian Baker-Finch, Andrew Catalon, Dottie Pepper, Amanda Balionis and the aforementioned Frank Noblio will also comprise the announcing team for the competition. This will mark the first Masters Tournament from CBS Sports since the retirement of longtime chairman Sean McManus and under the direction of president and chief executive officer David Berson.
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Dave Sims’ first year calling games for the New York Yankees drew national attention yesterday, as SiriusXM host Howard Stern took time to discuss Sims’ signature home run call from a recent broadcast. Specifically, Stern played a highlight of Sims calling a home run for Yankees catcher Austin Wells, where he tagged the call by saying ‘hey now.’
Interestingly, Stern is recognized for using the phrase over his many years in broadcast radio, largely due to his love for Gary Shandling and The Larry Sanders Show. While Stern didn’t take issue with the fact that Sims was doing the same, he did find it noteworthy enough to reference during his program on SiriusXM.
“Well, I say, hey now. He says, hey now,” Stern said, explaining the different ways in which the saying is used between Sims and himself. “We love ‘hey now’ so much, and we welcome Dave Sims to the Yankees. Because anybody who says ‘hey now’ has got to be a great guy.”
“Yeah. I’ve watched The Larry Sanders Show, and I’ve heard Howard (Stern) say it,” explained Sims on WFAN. “Growing up household with music, the American standards. Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, etc. Mr. Sinatra sang a song that was written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler back in 1932. It was for an edition of the series Up At The Cotton Club. And if you’re familiar with the song, at the back end, it has a rising crescendo, and it says ‘hey now, I’m in love.’ So ten to twelve years ago, I just arrived to the ballpark and it sort of hit me.”
Sims began his first year in the Yankees radio booth following the retirement of John Sterling, who stepped away following the conclusion of last season. With the new position, Sims brought along his home run call from the Pacific Northwest and his 18 years with the Mariners.
Reflecting on the moment it all clicked, Sims said, “It (the Sinatra song) came on and I said, ‘I got to try that in a game one day.’ And I did. And it worked,” said Sims on WFAN. “I’ve used it in hoops, and largely in basketball, and I really enjoyed the pop that Howard (Stern) gave me.”
Finally, Sims explained that his previous stop at WNBC in New York began right as Stern left WNBC in 1985.
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It’s been just under two months since Amy Lawrencestepped away from her overnight sports radio program After Hours on the Infinity Sports Network. Lawrence hosted her final show for the network on Super Bowl Sunday and has since reflected on the challenges of the daypart and her love for sports and radio since.
Now, Amy Lawrence has announced her return after just six weeks, saying she will be signing with SiriusXM for work with Mad Dog Radio and the NFL channel.
“Ready for a fresh start,” Lawrence said via X. “After 6 weeks to reset, I’m jumping back into radio with a new challenge. I’ve signed a contract with SiriusXM to host on two sports channels.”
However, details for the new program have not yet been released via the satellite radio giant.
Lawrence’s resume is long, with much experience in the format throughout the country. Prior to joining CBS, Lawrence spent nine years at ESPN Radio, where she was the only regular female host. Furthermore, her local radio stops include Providence, RI; Lebanon, NH; Rochester, NY; and Oklahoma City, OK, where she was the first female in state history to pilot her own sports radio talk show.
In addition, she has called basketball play-by-play and color duties for various radio and TV outlets and served as the voice of University of Hartford women’s hoop for six seasons (2008–14).
She also noted on X her excitement and gratitude for the opportunity with SiriusXM.
“It’s a chance to collaborate with different people in various dayparts, and I can’t wait.❤️ First show Sunday,” tweeted Lawrence. “I am so grateful for all the support and encouragement AND an industry ally who’s now hired me twice. Thank you, Eric Spitz, for believing in me and giving me this (second) terrific opportunity!”
Notably, Spitz and former WFAN Program Director Mark Chernoff originally hired Lawrence to CBS in late 2012.
Lawrence is a graduate of Messiah College with bachelor’s degrees in Communications & Accounting, before earning her master’s degree in TV & Radio from Syracuse University. Moreover, Lawrence has been honored as one of The 100 Most Important Sports Talk Radio Hosts in America by Talkers Magazine in 2015.
Ready for a fresh start! After 6 weeks to reset, I'm jumping back into radio with a new challenge. I've signed a contract with @SIRIUSXM to host on two sports channels. It's a chance to collaborate with different people in various dayparts, and I can't wait.❤️ First show Sunday!
I am so grateful for all the support and encouragement AND an industry ally who's now hired me twice. Thank you, Eric Spitz, for believing in me and giving me this (second) terrific opportunity! @MadDogRadio@SiriusXMNFL
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Remember Garth Brooks? Alan Jackson? Reba McEntire? How about Faith Hill? Sure, you do—all Country Stars who had tremendous success and received extensive radio play in the 1990s.
Brooks recently had a sold-out run with his “Garth Brooks/Plus One” residency in Las Vegas. McEntire was a coach on “The Voice” last season. George Strait broke a record by playing to 110,905 fans at Kyle Field in College Station, TX.
It is evident that there is an appetite for these artists and their music. But when did you last hear any new music from them on the radio? In some cases, those artists are recording new products that the radio seems uninterested in playing.
In the documentary “Tennessee Whiskey: The Dean Dillon Story,” Strait said, “If I cut the best song in the world right now, I don’t think the radio would play it either. I always said to myself, ‘I’m not going to be mad when that happens to me.’ Because I saw it happen to Merle (Haggard), I saw it happen to George (Jones) and other artists. Radio just quit playin’ ’em. I was going, ‘What the hell? Where’s Merle’s records this month or this year?’ I still wanted to hear ’em. And so that’s the kind of thing that happened to me as well.”
Why?
Part of it is what I call Music Rows disposable artist syndrome, and I could probably write a dozen columns about that. It’s not new; it goes back to artists like Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.
Let’s focus on ‘90s Country and its place on the radio today. I looked at Mediabase and a major market Country station that is successful in the ratings and one whose programming I have long admired. I was over 100 deep into a gold search before I picked up Tim McGraw and the first song from the ‘90s. It received two spins the previous week.
I understand that the competition for spots on your playlist is intense. You are constantly being asked for adds, conversions, and, of course, everyone’s favorite, “Push Week.”
Is the new artist you are adding today, who has a good chance of being dropped by their label in the next year, a better choice than George Strait? Doubtful.
Country radio needs to get reacquainted with the ‘90s. Your listeners haven’t forgotten them. How many shows do Garth and George Strait have to sell out to prove that to you?
Cole Swindell’s 2022 hit “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” was based on the stems of JoDee Messina’s 1996 hit “Heads Carolina Tails California.”
A station I was listening to recently played Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean, and Dylan Scott back-to-back. I would toss a sound coding challenge flag on that. It’s here that ‘90s Country can be your not-so-secret sauce.
Let’s go back to the Wallen, Aldean, and Scott example. Would the set sound better if it had been Wallen, Alan Jackson “Chattahoochee,” Aldean, and Scott? You can include the ‘90s while maintaining your integrity in the short listen and be very low on risk aversion.
These songs don’t have to and shouldn’t make up more than a small sampling of your playlist. What about every other hour? When you play them, make them unique. Ring the bell with special imaging and let them be a little seasoning for your playlist.
Classic Country Hank-FM recently launched in Las Vegas. I have heard some exceptional imaging setting up songs, artists discussing their songs, and the imaging reflecting the era.
The key is presenting the music without sounding “old.” Everything else you do is with a contemporary presentation. Don’t present them as old; present them as special.
Country’s Radio Coach John Shomby told me, “I can tell you that a good song is a good song is a good song. Plenty of 90’s tunes have stood the test of time, so I’d play the best of those.”
93XTU Philadelphia PD Mark Razz: “I mix it in. There’s definitely a place for it. I certainly have enough 90s Country to satisfy the audience. I researched that a lot in our comprehensive music tests.”
If you are worried that your target audience is too young to be familiar with them, don’t forget the in-the-back of the parent’s car going to Grandma’s experience. It is why I can still sing the words of every Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins song.
So, “Write This Down,” get the “Dust Off The Bottle,” give the audience “This Kiss,” and don’t worry about “T-R-O-U-B-L-E.”
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As Elle Duncan approaches a decade working at ESPN, she has embraced her time at the enterprise contributing across different facets of its multiplatform sports coverage. Remaining informed towards an array of leagues, teams and athletes, she has become synonymous with the 6 p.m. EST weekday edition of SportsCenter in recent years. Throughout this ongoing stint with the company, Duncan has witnessed a seminal paradigm shift that has permeated through sports media surrounding both journalistic integrity and authenticity concurrent with advances in technology and alterations in consumer proclivities.
Reflecting back on her early days with the network, Duncan acknowledged that SportsCenter anchors were dissuaded from giving their opinions or revealing their favorite teams. Being a fan herself though, she knew that operating under the auspices of depicting neutrality would not be entirely veracious towards the audience. Although Duncan has a platform to broadcast the latest developments and highlights while showcasing her personality, she values her versatility and communicates to viewers with undeniable candor and panache.
“I have a really cool opportunity to be a broadcaster in this space, but I’m also a huge fan of sports, so I am going to always convey stories in that same vein as if I were a fan, and I hope that I can bring that kind of perspective to any show that I’m doing,” Duncan said. “That’s always the goal.”
Duncan is currently maintaining an industrious schedule hosting editions of SportsCenter and anchoring studio coverage surrounding games within the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. As Texas, South Carolina, UConn and UCLA battle in the Final Four and seek to garner the coveted national title, Duncan will be breaking down the action alongside analysts Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike on College GameDay live from the proceedings in Tampa, Fla. ESPN continues to invest in women’s sports as a company and has accrued strong aggregate viewership surrounding the broadcasts over the last several years.
“I think for most companies, women’s sports was sort of an add-on, it was a place where people would come and learn,” Duncan said. “If it was your first time producing, maybe you’d do women’s sports, right? If it was your first time running prompter, maybe you’d do women’s sports, and I’ve seen over the last four or five years that I’ve been doing it, it’s completely changed.”
The College GameDay squad picked their winners for the SEC Championship in some unique ways today 😆 pic.twitter.com/IAOyYEOTBL
Duncan shares earnest relationships with Carter and Ogwumike, both of whom formerly played women’s basketball and have contributed to conversations on various ESPN platforms. Even though Duncan conveyed that both analysts describe her as the point guard of the show who throws lob passes for them to dunk, she contends that there is a better analogy. Duncan feels she constructs enriching discourse by having her colleagues battle at the jump to gain the possession and offer their insights.
“I have never worked with two colleagues who can process information accurately as quickly as they can and also with so much personality and joy and love and education,” Duncan said. “The ‘E’ in ESPN starts with entertainment. They understand that aspect, but as women, we also have to be really, really good about being without fault and knowing what we’re talking about, and they absolutely nail it.”
Through her time working on women’s sports coverage, Duncan has witnessed consumer loyalty to players and supporting brands that back the game. In addition, college basketball contains several star players who remain with programs for several years, some of whom have included Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers. Facilitating growth through multiple levels of innovation, Duncan recognizes the distinctive aspects of the sport and believes that the crowd is overindexing and maintaining growth.
“There are some sports who are facing existential crisis in terms of their audience is getting older and aging out a little bit,” Duncan explained. “We are really unique in that our audiences are young, they’re consuming on different platforms and the investment from a company like ESPN, which has been around for 20 years investing in this space, is paying those dividends now.”
Duncan has continued to foster proliferation amid the action, demonstrating her abilities as a host in aligning her colleagues for success and keeping the broadcast moving at a steady cadence. Balancing the responsibilities around women’s basketball, which also contains anchoring WNBA Countdown in the summer, she leans on her SportsCenter teammates to assist in efficiently dividing and conquering the workload.
“We have to know a little bit of everything, but you just have to recognize the season that you’re in,” said Duncan. “Right now, I’m in women’s basketball season, so with all due respect to the NBA, you’re going to get my focus as soon as the Natty is over, and then I’ll be able to really focus in on W[NBA] and NBA. You have to sort of pick what season you’re in and recognize what’s going to be the most important things that you need to be watching, but that’s where the research comes in as well.”
What Could Lead Into 6 p.m. SportsCenter?
While Duncan co-anchors the 6 p.m. SportsCenter with Kevin Neghandi, ESPN has yet to reveal shifts in its programming lineup with the impending conclusion of Around the Horn in May. A report from CNBC last December cited that ESPN was in the midst of developing a women’s sports show on Disney+, but it remains unknown if such a program could join the ESPN linear television lineup. Purely speculating on the matter without any intention to hint at potential developments of which she has no knowledge, Duncan attests that shrewd, business-minded executives run the company and are likely discussing the best direction forward.
“They’re a company that recognizes the difference between a trend and a movement,” Duncan said. “They’re a company that’s been at the forefront of women’s sports, and it would not shock me at all if there had been some high-level conversations about bringing something like that to the network.”
Whereas Duncan distinguishes clear identities for the morning and night iterations of SportsCenter, she views the 6 p.m. edition as somewhat of a hybrid. Since this edition of the show occurs in a prime breaking news window, there are also instances where Duncan and her contemporaries need to follow and advance developing stories.
“I think we have the absolute best team [in] the business of knowing that while we think we know what’s going to happen, we are prepared to pivot and we always have a backup plan, and that’s what’s really cool about our show,” Duncan said. “They are always prepared.”
From Actress to Anchor
Meeting the moment is nothing new for Duncan, who became comfortable speaking extemporaneously and performing in front of crowds early in her life. Growing up with ambitions to be a lawyer, pediatrician and actress, she ended up deciding on the latter and majored in theater at the University of West Georgia. Duncan later took a hiatus from college and moved to Los Angeles during pilot season but ultimately ran out of money. From there, she recognized that she aspired to have a job that would allow her to be herself rather than portraying others.
“When people sort of find out that I had a start in acting, I think it makes more sense in terms of my personality and my delivery and the things that I tend to gravitate to,” Duncan said. “I have a bit of theatrical flair with how I broadcast, and so it’s really cool to have a job where you can tap into those things, and also you just get to be yourself for a living, which is ultimately the goal.”
Duncan landed a broadcasting role shortly thereafter working as a traffic and entertainment reporter for 790 The Zone and later became an on-air personality on the hip-hop radio station V103. When she was laid off from V103 after seven years, 11Alive offered her a job reporting traffic on television, and she accepted the role with the caveat of being permitted to cover the Atlanta Falcons and file a package for the nightly news once per week. Through these endeavors, Duncan continued to grow her portfolio and was eventually hired by NESN in Boston.
“It was really cool to be able to start in a place where they had a lot more grace and leeway, and then go to a place where you had to know your s**t, you had to be on it,” Duncan said. “You had to understand what was happening, and I think that there was not a better place where I could go sort of learn and go through those machinations than Boston.”
Taking the Stage in Sports Debate
When Duncan started at ESPN, it was indicative of a successful realization of her dream, but she knew people were questioning how a traffic reporter who dropped out of college had secured a spot at the network. Nonetheless, she has sought to portray her true personality and is comfortable with facing the dissent of audience members.
Towards the end of the NFL season, Duncan gave her opinion about New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones delivering what was ostensibly a farewell message to the organization before later being released. The segment, during which she offered a rewrite of the statement that would have Jones apologize for winning a single playoff game under a lucrative contract, elicited criticism from the franchise. In the end though, she stands by the fact that she had not said anything that had not already been disseminated and thinks that some fans decided to direct their anger towards her.
“Anybody that knows me knows that my love language is s**t-talking,” Duncan said. “It’s totally fair if people felt like it was cold and out of pocket – that’s totally fair. I opened myself up to that because that’s my job and role, but the thing that I need people to understand is that I never do it just for the sake of being mean or being inflammatory. I’m not trying to stoke anything. If I am asked my opinion on something, I give it, period, full transparency.”
Duncan considers herself to possess a symbiotic relationship with social media and tries not to overly engage with users, although there are times when she stands up for others who are being mischaracterized. Comprehending the responsibility that comes with visibility, she does not hesitate to divulge her opinions and has ventured into the space on television with appearances on First Take.
“It’s one of those things where I spend a lot of time preparing,” Duncan said. “A debate show like First Take is chess. If I’m going to sit across from Dan Orlovsky and tell him that I think his point is wrong – one of the best minds in football – then I need to be clear as to why, and I need to be able to pivot when the conversation turns.”
Duncan has a penchant for sports and disseminating her opinions, and she remains inspired by aspiring professionals who explain how they feel inspired watching her on ESPN. Consistent in her approach on SportsCenter, NCAA women’s college basketball coverage and First Take is an unrelenting work ethic and remaining genuine with the viewing public. As Duncan continues to live her dream, she will aim for more chances to push the envelope, but also refrain from demarcating her next steps and remain open to possibilities down the road.
“Success to me is hearing someone on one show tell someone on a new show or project that I’m going to be working on that like, ‘Elle’s going to show up professional, she’s going to show up prepared. She’s probably going to show up with her little speaker and play music, but she’s going to be a great teammate and she’s going to work her a** off and she’s going to be prepared,’” Duncan said. “Anything else that happens after that – ratings, fanfare – that’s a byproduct of showing up for your teammates and showing up as a professional.”
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