"Kuiper, who spent more than 15 seasons as the television voice of the A’s before the organization fired him in May 2023 for uttering a racial slur during a pregame broadcast."
The company noted that the $199 million decline in the fourth quarter can largely be attributed to a significant drop in political advertising related to the presidential election in the prior year.
"Tampa is one of the best sports cities in America - passionate fans, championship teams, and nonstop storylines. I’m looking forward to being part of the daily conversation and connecting with listeners across the market."
"The style and pace of 30 Clubs, 30 Camps: Dodgers was akin to spring training itself. Everything felt a little more relaxed and laid back, not as hyperactive as regular season highlights and commentary."
"I want the show to be enough for me, so I’m really focused on the foundational things in my life which includes the job. If I started slipping or not caring as much, the amount of people that affects outside of me. That’s the motivation when the alarm goes off."
"The FCC can study the fragmentation of sports television all it wants. The fragmentation isn’t the problem. It’s the business model. And that model isn’t broken."
Whatever the underlying motivation, the message to every other host and producer on the payroll is the same: sharing confidential editorial strategy with outside political figures will get you fired. No matter how close you are to the audience or the administration.