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Kirk Minihane’s Time with Entercom Has Ended

“The rocky relationship between Kirk Minihane and Entercom has come to an end”

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Kirk Minihane’s tenure with Entercom has come to an end. Minihane went live on Periscope earlier today to confirm that he’s signed papers to exit the company. His departure comes immediately after voicing his displeasure with the structure in which he had been operating under since leaving WEEI to focus on podcasting for RADIO.com.

During the course of an 11 minute video, Minihane expressed his displeasure with his former employer and said that he no longer has a non-compete and could go to work for a new employer starting tomorrow. Should he return to the airwaves, he can also do so with the name of his former podcast ‘Enough About Me’.

The video also included Kirk sharing that suitors have reached out to him since his exit from WEEI but because he was under contract he resisted getting into deeper conversations. Now clear though, he’s expecting to talk to interested parties over the next few weeks to see what opportunities make sense.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy hasn’t hid his interest in Minihane in the past. Given his new availability, it’s likely the two sides will at least explore conversations. Whether it advances beyond a discussion though remains to be seen.

It brings to an end a rocky relationship which at times produced the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Minihane’s pairing with Gerry Callahan on WEEI led the station to strong ratings, including beating Toucher & Rich who previously held a steady advantage in mornings. The wins though came with a price as Kirk battled mental health issues, endured public battles with the Boston Globe and a local activist who put advertiser pressure on the radio station, and received multiple suspensions from WEEI.

In a statement provided by Entercom the company said “We have mutually agreed to part ways with Kirk and allow him to pursue other opportunities.  Over the years, Kirk has been a valuable member of the WEEI team, and a host of the ‘Enough About Me’ podcast.  We wish him all the best on his future endeavors.”

Minihane’s departure from the company doesn’t necessarily impact WEEI as the station had already moved on in mornings by teaming Callahan with Mike Mutnansky. What his exit from RADIO.com means for the platforms immediate plans though is unknown. Entercom CEO David Field did say in a memo yesterday that the company plans to build and improve the app aggressively in order to make it one of the country’s leading digital audio apps.

From a talent standpoint, there are few in the business today who are as skilled as Minihane. But fit will be important for both Kirk and his next employer. Some groups who see today’s video won’t appreciate how he lambasted his former employer. Others may applaud his take no prisoners approach. Either way, the next chapter should be interesting.

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Larry Krueger Accuses 49ers of Leaking Information to Rich Eisen

“The SF Gate is not buying Krueger’s theory.”

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Very few voices in the Bay Area carry as much weight with sports fans as Larry Krueger. The former KNBR host took to Twitter on Thursday to openly question how Rich Eisen seems to know so much about the team’s quarterback plans.

The quarterback room in San Francisco is crowded and trying to make sense of a preseason depth chart is complicated. Yet somehow, the NFL Network host seems to know exactly how the team plans to handle Trey Lance, Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold.

“If Purdy starts throwing now, and he starts showing up, and he can go in training camp, and they’re looking at him saying, ‘Oh, he looks just like the kid last year,’ and he’s not sitting there with his arm in ice, and he does what he needs to in training camp, and he does what he needs to do in the first preseason game, then he’s your guy,” Eisen said on his Tuesday radio show.

He added that if that happens, the team will begin taking calls about trade offers for Lance. His contract features a team option for a fifth season. Given how little Lance has played through his first two seasons, Eisen said that whether or not to pick up the option is a decision the 49ers are happy to let someone else make.

Larry Krueger does not think this is just Eisen saying what he would do.

The SF Gate is not buying Krueger’s theory. Writer Gabe Fernandez noted that if Eisen did have insider knowledge of the team’s quarterback plans, surely he would be sharing juicer information than just what could be inferred by any football fan.

Larry Krueger was let go last year from KNBR, a station he had worked for for 25 years. He has been busy though. His YouTube show boasts over 10,000 subscribers. He has also hosted shows for KNBR’s crosstown rival 95.7 The Game.

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Q Myers Celebrates Memorial Day With All Military Guest Lineup on Raider Nation Radio

“One of my most satisfying moments is when I get a text or a tweet from a veteran or an active military member that thanks us for recognizing them and how essential and important they are in our local community.”

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Raider Nation Radio is all about giving Las Vegas extensive coverage of its local NFL team. On Friday though, it became about something more. Host and programmer Q Myers used his show to pay tribute to everyone that served the country heading into the Memorial Day weekend.

Friday’s edition of Unnecessary Roughness featured guests with military backgrounds and ties. All of the guests will offer insight and opinions on the Raiders and the NFL, but also share their experience in the military and serving veterans.

Among the guests are three former players. Nate Boyer was a long snapper for the Seattle Seahawks as well as a former Green Beret. He joins Myers at 2:10 PT. Former Raiders quarterback Jay Schroeder was the team’s 2022 Salute to Service nominee for his work with veterans and advocacy for issues affecting them. He will be on at 3:15 PT. Finally, former Raiders running back Napolean McCallum, who played his college football for the US Naval Academy, will be in the studio at 4:30 PT.

Before taking over Lotus’s stations in Las Vegas, Q Myers was in Waco, Texas. It also has a large military community. Myers told BSM that is where he first learned the importance of acknowledging those listeners’ experiences.

“I came to realize how important we were to the Military community and the fact that there are so many people from many different parts of the country and different walks of life in our community. It was always important to take a few moments a segment or two, incorporate guests with military backgrounds or even former athletes that have that military background and acknowledge them and appreciate them,” he said.

Myers says he has been making similar efforts ever since arriving in Las Vegas, which is home to Nellis Air Force Base.

“One of my most satisfying moments is when I get a text or a tweet from a veteran or an active military member that thanks us for recognizing them and how essential and important they are in our local community,” he said. “It’s one of the things I take a lot of pride in and make sure I always reiterate to my staff not to forget.”

In addition to former players, fans and analysts that served in the military will also call in.

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Share of Ear Survey: Most Radio Listening Still Done Via Broadcast Signal

“Among people 13 and older, 86% preferred to listen to their favorite station via the over-the-air signal.”

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We talk a lot about the changing consumption patterns for our listeners, but according to Edison research, radio is still the most popular way to consume radio. The latest “Share of Ear” study asked respondents how they listen to their favorite radio stations. The terrestrial signal won by a large margin.

Among people 13 and older, 86% preferred to listen to their favorite station via the over-the-air signal. When it comes to adults between 18 and 49, that number drops slightly to 80%. That is clearly still an overwhelming favorite.

More overall listening is done via streaming, with the phone being the most popular option. When it comes to listening to the radio though, only 8% of people 13 and up said it was their top choice.

Computers and smart speakers represented the next two most popular means of listening to the radio. Internet-connected smart televisions showed up at number four. Those devices are becoming an increasingly more popular means of consuming radio content.

“Late last year we reported that for total audio listening, the phone surpassed the radio set for the first time,” a statement from Edison reads. “While it is always risky to predict the future, it seems reasonably safe to bet that the phone will be the primary battle zone for consumers’ time spent listening going forward. As of today, only a relatively small portion of time spent listening to audio on the smartphone goes to ‘radio.’ As radio charts a future that is less dependent on the single-function ‘radio set,’ success on the phone, as well as other internet-enabled devices, is imperative.”

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