In February, 92.3 The Fan and Kevin Kiley parted ways. Kiley had anchored the morning show with Chuck Booms on the Cleveland radio station from August 2011 to May 2015, before Booms was terminated and eventually replaced by Ken Carman in July 2015.
Kiley and Carman were in the midst of finding their groove as a show when things came to a screeching halt in February 2016. Kiley, who had previously spoken out about women not being allowed to vote for the NFL Hall of Fame, took the Buffalo Bills to task for hiring a female coach. The commentary drew local and national attention, leading to an eventual divorce between both parties.
With an opening available, Program Director Andy Roth wanted to make sure he found the right long-term fit. He used the next few months to evaluate a number of options, and after four months of research, and auditions, Roth has identified his man.
Anthony Lima has been named the permanent co-host of the morning show. The official announcement was made this morning on the radio station. Lima had been working as an anchor at the radio station, and has made previous stops during his career in Syracuse, NY and Parkersburg, WV.
“For someone who has been listening and calling sports radio stations for my entire life, it’s an incredible honor to be the guy on the other side of the microphone,” said Lima. “I feel like I have been doing a talk show with Ken behind the scenes since we started and now everyone gets to hear it.”
The pairing of Carman and Lima gives Roth what he had hoped to find, a local morning show led by two Ohio natives with a passion for Cleveland sports. The two men have worked together on an interim basis over the past few months, and have formed excellent chemistry while presenting a show that had a strong local flavor.
“Fans have e-mailed and called over the past two months about how much they have liked the pairing of Anthony and Ken,” said Roth. “The energy they have brought to the show during their short time together has really engaged our listeners.”
“Anthony has been a dear friend of mine since I met him when 92.3 The Fan launched in 2011, and I’m proud to have my chance to do my dream job with him,” added Carman.