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Under The Radar – September 19, 2016

Jason Barrett

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Welcome once again to our weekly look inside the sports media world. This column exists to keep you up to date on some of the recent moves and developments taking place in the industry that you might not have been aware of. If you or your organization have exciting news to share and wish to be included in a future article, you can email it to [email protected]. Now on to this week’s tidbits.

  • Last week was the 25 year anniversary for one of America’s leading sports radio stations WEEI in Boston. Congrats to all involved who have helped make it one of the best in the format for over two decades. Former Program Director Jason Wolfe wrote an excellent piece reflecting on the evolution of the brand. You can read it by clicking here.
  • Speaking of anniversaries, congratulations to Arizona Sports 98.7FM host John Gambadoro who recently celebrated twenty years on the air in Phoenix. “Gambo” as he’s known by his audience currently works the afternoon show alongside Dave Burns.
  • Longtime producer and on-air sidekick Marc “Nigel” Sterne has reconnected with popular Washington DC and PTI personality Tony Kornheiser to contribute to his new podcasting venture which is being distributed by DGital Media and IMG. Sterne began his new role last Tuesday. He previously worked with Kornheiser at ESPN 980.
  • A round of applause is in order for Brian “The Beast” London who was named the new Programming Coordinator for 790 The Ticket in Miami. Program Director Len Weiner told his staff last week that London was promoted as a result of demonstrating strong work ethic and stepping up to tackle additional responsibilities inside the programming department, including working with sales and promotions, and technical and logistics, all while maintaining his on-air role in middays.
  • In Albany, Tom Goslowski has also earned a job promotion. “Goz” has been named Jeff Levack’s new co-host on 104.5 The Team. He takes over for Bob “Wolf” Wohlfeld who was let go by the radio station a few weeks ago. The new show is being billed “Levack and Goz”.
  • Former ESPN and FOX Sports sideline reporter, and Gridiron Now contributor Kayce Smith is adding a new show on SB Nation Radio. The program debuts on September 19th at 3pm. Smith says that she enjoyed her time on the sidelines, but was more interested in sharing her opinions and being part of today’s debate culture.
  • Sports Radio 950 KJR midday host Ian Furness has agreed to serve as the TV play by play voice of the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Western Hockey League franchise will have eight of their games broadcast in the Seattle area on This TV, channel 13.2 and on Comcast Cable channel 357. Furness will call six of the eight contests.
  • Former NFL Offensive Lineman, and current FOX Sports Radio weekend host and Oakland Raiders radio sideline reporter Lincoln Kennedy has confirmed that he’ll be hosting a weekly show with Grant Napear on 1140 KHTK in Sacramento. “The Nation” will air Wednesday’s from 6p-7p PT and focus on all things silver and black.
  • Buffalo News Columnist Tim Graham has added a Wednesday night show on 1270 The Fan. The program airs 5p-7p ET and is in place for the 2016 NFL season. No word on whether it will be continued after that.
  • Nick Kostos announced via social media that he’s re-signed with CBS Sports. The former satellite radio host on Mad Dog Sports Radio and Bleacher Report radio joined CBS Sports in October 2015 and says he’s humbled and blessed to continue living out his dreams by working for the company.
  • A familiar face has returned to the St. Louis sports radio scene. Dave Greene, who previously worked on-air and later as GM and owner of Grand Slam Sports (creator of St. Louis Sports Magazine) has signed on as the VP of Sales at Tim McKernan’s new 590 The Fan KFNS. Greene spent the past two years working as a GM for Cumulus Media in Huntsville, Alabama, and Townsquare Media in Quincy, IL.
  • Matt Bagley has been hired as Sports Director at KTMT in Medford, Oregon. As part of his new role, Bagley will deliver news and sports updates and broadcast high school play by play.

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Jason Puckett Launches PuckSports.com

“I am super motivated right now and I can’t wait. I have probably been busier now than I’ve ever been in the last 48 hours.”

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Logo for PuckSports.com

Jason Puckett, who decided to walk away from a contract offer from iHeartMedia’s KJR in Seattle after finding out his partner Jim Moore had been laid off, has launched a new venture – PuckSports.com. ‘Puck’ has a baseball opening day show posted on the Puck Sports YouTube page and also posted an introductory message about his new venture and what led to creating it.

“I wanted to talk to you guys, the listeners out there, the viewers out there, sorry for all of this,” an emotional Puckett said. “Sorry for what has happened and what has taken place. Thank you for all of the comments and the well-wishes and what you have said about myself and Jim.

“It has been a whirlwind of a last few days, for sure and I do want to say that I feel for the people that we used to work with. “I know it’s not easy to go through that, I have been on that side of it many, many times in this industry when someone is let go and you have to sit there and answer all the questions about them and for them…It’s unfortunate and it shouldn’t be that way, but the reality of this business is it’s like that.”

Puckett then told his fans that PuckSports.com and YouTube are where you will be finding his content along with Moore. “I am going to take what I have learned over the years and apply it to a new age of media,” he said and noted this was a direction he had been thinking about for a while.

As for what took place that led to his decision to not sign his contract and talk away, he said, “I just want to take you briefly back to last week. I don’t want to get too much in the weeds, I’m not here to lay any blame or point any fingers at anybody…there’s too many good people that I have worked with that I don’t want to drag into this. It was a process that was at times handled fine, handled perfectly, and at other times it got to a point where it just went on too long. But that’s corporate media and that’s what happens.”

Continuing on Puckett said, “…I had been without a contract since about January…when I was away from the station that was something that we and the station agreed upon…to see if we could get something done and we were all hopeful that we would…I was only supposed to be gone a couple of days…unfortunately as these things sometimes happen, it just went a little bit longer…We received the deal and it was what we wanted, but unfortunately with that news a few hours later came the news from corporate that Jim had lost his job. Obviously there was a mix of emotions with that from me.

“I wrestled with that and the decision and what I would do. It was hard for me to move forward…I couldn’t fight the perception more than anything that I had received a new deal while at the same time, my partner and good friend, guy I love to death, who I grew up reading…it was a hard reality…The loyalty I have, I couldn’t live with myself even though Jim knew what the truth was.”

Puckett said he was aware Moore was planning to step away from the radio show at the end of the year and was looking forward to the nine months they would have left to work with one another. Then, when iHeartMedia made the decision to make Moore a casualty of their latest round of layoffs, Puckett knew he needed to revisit the idea of starting his own venture.

He said, “It has kind of changed my timeline as far as what I wanted to do and where I felt I was at…I am super motivated right now and I can’t wait. I have probably been busier now than I’ve ever been in the last 48 hours.”

Puckett said several of the show’s regular guests would stay with the show and he thanked several sponsors who he said would remain supporters of the show with the new venture. ‘Puck’ noted that starting next week, “…We get underway in full force…I’m going to continue to try and make people laugh and entertain you and talk about sports…and all of the other things you have become accustomed to with this show.”

As he started to wrap up, Puckett said, “I’m jumping into the deep end of the pool and I am going to see if I can swim or sink.”

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Kirk Minihane: WEEI is “Going to be Andy Gresh and Rich Shertenlieb in Afternoons”

“Maybe the two most sensitive c***s in the history of radio. That’s a show we are going to ruin.”

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Photos of Kirk Minihane and Rich Shertenlieb

As the speculation continues on where Boston sports talker Rich Shertenlieb will end up, one former WEEI host said he has the scoop on what is going to happen. Kirk Minihane, now with Barstool Sports, said, “What I heard was, initially, was they were moving Rich Keefe from nights to middays, moving Adam Jones from afternoons to middays and keeping Fauria there, and moving Andy Gresh to afternoons…But now it appears Rich Shertenlieb is going to do afternoons with Andy Gresh.”

On Wednesday, Boston Globe sports and sports media columnist Chad Finn put out a post on X, saying, “Didn’t think Rich Shertenlieb would end up at WEEI after leaving Sports Hub. I do now, most likely in afternoon drive. Audacy management has been telling people to expect changes.”

Minihane continued commenting on the matter, saying, “It’s going to be Andy Gresh and Rich Shertenlieb in the afternoons, which is going to be so awful. Maybe the two most sensitive c***s in the history of radio. That’s a show we are going to ruin…we haven’t done that in a while, we are going to take that show down…Once that show starts, we are just going to blitz them with phone calls because Gresh can’t handle that.

“What they don’t understand, because they are so dumb, is that…Rich Shertenlieb has no fan base…no fan of [Toucher and Hardy] in the morning is going to be like ‘I’m not going to listen to Felger in the afternoons, I’ll now listen to Andy Gresh and Rich Shertenlieb.’ It’s going to be dreadful.”

Recapping what he has heard the rest of the WEEI lineup will be, Minihane said, “…And then in middays you have Adam Jones, failed afternoons. Rich Keefe who has now failed middays, drivetime, nights and is now going to fail again in middays… and Christian Fauria who has never drawn a rating in his life.”

WEEI has not commented on any of the speculation. BSM will have more as the story unfolds.

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Former 670 The Score Host Tommy Williams Has Died

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Photo of Tommy Williams
Courtesy: Lakeshore Public Media

Tommy Williams, who was heard for a decade on 670 The Score, died on Wednesday at the age of 66.

Williams began his broadcasting career in his hometown of Gary, Indiana in 1982 at WLTH before moving on to The Score. In 2003, Williams became the PA Announcer for the Gary Southshore RailCats of the American Association where he had his signature call to get the attention of the fans, “People, People, People.”

A story in The Times of Northwest Indiana said, “The longtime RailCats public address announcer and Lakeshore Public Media sports journalist was known for broadcasting countless games, interviewing countless athletes and covering Region sports at all levels. The Gary native and co-host of “Prep Sports Report,” “Prep Football Report,” and “Lakeshore PBS Scoreboard” often signed off shows saying, “Gary, Indiana, you know I love you.”

“The cadence he had in his voice echoed across the Region in a way we may never see again. He was widely known and widely loved,” Tom Maloney, vice president of radio operations at Lakeshore Public Media told the paper.

“He’d want to be remembered as the voice of Lakeshore sports,” his Regionally Speaking co-host and producer Dee Dotson told The Times. “Most people will remember him for covering prep sports all the way up to semi-pros. He’ll be remembered for treating each of his subjects like they were world champions. His depth of knowledge of sports at all levels is commendable. He was a walking encyclopedia of stats.” 

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