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Mason’s Loyalty and Work Ethic Stand Out At KHTK

Jason Barrett

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Dave Mason is sitting in front of his microphone at Sports 1140 KHTK in Sacramento, finishing his final segment of the morning show, where he, co-host Carmichael Dave and producer Morgan Ragan have been on the air since 6 a.m.

When the 9 o’clock hour hits, Mason is off the clock, but not off the job.

“I was a kid that was worried about money when I was 5 years old,” Mason explains. “I was stressed out about the situation I was in, and sports was like an escape … a lot of people use sports as an escape from reality.”

Distraction may be an ironic term to describe Mason’s relationship with both sports and KHTK. The 27-year-old Roseville resident has been anything but since his teenage years, when he shared a bedroom with his step-sister and step-brother, inside an apartment that held two bedrooms and one parent. He was also dealing with his father being in and out of jail.

During broadcasts of Sacramento Kings games, the voices of KHTK kept Mason company. Sitting in his bunk bed with a headset, the future morning-show personality engaged the station with enough focus to allow him to later work inside its walls.

In 2006, Mason began screening phone calls as an intern for KHTK during Friday night shifts. He was a junior in high school. He spent the next five years working his way up the proverbial ladder before leaving with the station’s old morning crew for San Fransisco.

Jason Ross, a mid-day show host who has worked with Mason in the past, says his former partner’s passion for radio is amplified by his personal connection to KHTK, enabling him to approach his work differently than many peers.

“He’s really good about finding different angles of stories,” Ross explains. “If we have three local shows on, maybe a couple are always taking the same kind of general approach. He’s really good at finding different stories or maybe finding that same big story — but attacking it at a different angle.”

Such remarks on Mason’s work ethic are not unique. However, his colleagues also reference a lot more than the cliché of a young man resisting the hardship of his upbringing when they discuss what drives him.

“I think he lives, breathes, eats, sleeps sports and radio,” says Ragan, who claims to have learned everything she knows about her profession from Mason. “This kid listens to podcasts and other radio shows just to see what they’re doing so he can get better at his work … to say that he has made KHTK his world is right. He’s the most loyal person to this station.”

That loyalty brought Mason back from the Bay Area in 2012.

Coworkers say Mason continues to take a huge level of ownership in the place that employs him. Indeed, Mason likely spends more time at the radio station than he did in the old apartment from which he used to listen in.

To continue reading the rest of this article visit the Roseville-Press Tribune where it was originally published

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Compass Media Networks Promotes Three Members to Oversee Play-by-Play Sports Platform

“It is our pleasure to give these three talented executives their day in the sun, knowing that they will continue to work incredibly hard to carry on this tradition of excellence.”

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Logo for Compass Media Networks

Compass Media Networks has announced the promotions of three long-standing executives, Robert Blum, Tyler Brewer, and Chris Kleiber, who will collectively oversee the content creation, production, and distribution of the company’s play-by-play sports platform.

“For over 16 years, Compass Media Networks has set a standard of excellence for national play-by-play sports with Chris, Rob, and Tyler playing a vital part in our success,” said Peter Kosann, CEO/Founder of Compass Media Networks. “It is our pleasure to give these three talented executives their day in the sun, knowing that they will continue to work incredibly hard to carry on this tradition of excellence.”

Robet Blum has been appointed Vice President & General Manager of Sports and will also continue to serve as Vice President of Affiliate Sales for News-Talk and Sports. Tyler Brewer has been appointed Executive Producer – Sports Programming. And Chris Kleiber has been appointed Senior Producer – Sports Programming.

Compass Media Networks broadcasts annually over 100 play-by-play sporting events involving college men’s basketball and football (including the Big Ten Tournament and the Big Ten Championship Game), NFL 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday Doubleheaders, and complete coverage of the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders. The broadcasts are distributed across hundreds of terrestrial sports, news-talk and music stations as well as digital distribution platforms such as SiriusXM, Verizon Mobile, and the Varsity App.

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Charley Steiner Injured; Tim Neverett to Handle Dodgers Radio Play-by-Play

“This will be the first Opening Day that I will have missed since 1976, when I wore a younger man’s clothes.”

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photo of Charley Steiner
Courtesy: Los Angeles Dodgers

As the Los Angeles Dodgers get set to take on the St. Louis Cardinals in their first home game on Thursday, team play-by-play voice Charley Steiner has revealed he will not be doing games at the beginning of the season due to a severe back injury.

Through the Dodgers, Steiner posted a statement which said, “Over the winter, I landed on the Injured List with three compound fractures in my back. (I don’t recommend it.) With the start of the baseball season upon us, the Dodgers are ready to go – but I’m not. This will be the first Opening Day that I will have missed since 1976, when I wore a younger man’s clothes. I look forward to returning to the mic later this season. In the meantime, go Dodgers!”

TrueBlueLA.com reports Tim Neverett will handle play-by-play duties while Steiner recovers. Neverett called the first two regular season games with Rick Monday as the Dodgers started the season in South Korea. Neverett and Monday did not travel with the team, however, they called those games in a studio back home.

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Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi Put a Bow on The Ronnie & TKras Show After Nearly 10 Years

“Finally, Tampa Bay can sleep easy knowing this hideous show is finally over.”

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Photo of Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi
Courtesy: iHeartMedia

After nearly 10 years, The Ronnie & TKras Show with Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi came to an end today as the duo broadcast their final show on remote with many listeners, friends and co-workers on hand. Earlier this month, WDAE announced changes to its programming lineup which will take place starting tomorrow. Ronnie Lane will take on a new role as host of the Tampa Bay Rays pre-game show The Inside Pitch. Tom Krasniqi will continue on in afternoon drive with producer Chris Mathis for The Drive.

Their final show kicked off with station voice Jim Cutler saying, “…Finally, Tampa Bay can sleep easy knowing this hideous show is finally over.”

And with that went three very fast hours of looking back on a nearly decade-long run for Lane and Krasniqi. “It seems kind of surreal, doesn’t it?” said Lane.

Mathis had several special guests lined up for the final show and many others left voice messages which were played coming out of breaks. Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht and Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford took part in the final show. Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks also called in and, at first, identified himself as “Pete from St. Louis” before asking what the hosts thought of the Rays bullpen.

“I’m telling you man, when I hear all of these tributes it really brings a tear to my eye, Ronnie,” said Krasniqi. “It’s a surreal moment…It makes me feel so fortunate and blessed to be in this position sitting next to you all these years. This is one of those moments where I am almost speechless and just so incredibly overwhelmed by the support and the love that everyone has shown here today.”

Lane responded, “…Our time together is really coming to an end. I might get a little emotional before this show is over, but we have had a great time and been through many ups and downs…This business is crazy and for us to be able to do what we are doing and doing it on our terms…And for a company that believes in both of us to give us this opportunity to go in different directions with the same company is truly amazing…It doesn’t happen like this always in this business, usually it’s an ugly goodbye.”

As the show came to an end, Lane reminded everyone, “It has been a blast, but we’re not freakin’ leaving!”

“We’re not leaving folks,” ‘TKras’ said. “Thanks very much for being a part of our lives and thanks for having us as part of yours. Onward and upward. You are dismissed.”

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