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Under The Radar – June 26, 2017

Jason Barrett

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Another full week of sports radio activity for your personal enjoyment. If you have personal or station news to share or a press release or details about an upcoming promotion, please send it via email to [email protected].

Before we dive into this week’s stories, a quick update on the Barrett Sports Media Podcast. A number of you have inquired if it’ll be returning. Plans are for it to return in the next few weeks. As I alluded to during my last episode with Freddie Coleman, I had a health scare in May (luckily it turned out not to be serious) and was told by doctors to reduce my workload. My first priority is to assist my clients so that meant having to scale back some of my writing and the podcasts. Now that things are back on track I’m looking forward to bringing you some fresh material. Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming guests. If you work in the industry and wish to be considered for a future appearance please email me.

Now here’s this week’s news!

The clock may be ticking on Mike Francesa‘s final run with WFAN, but he isn’t going out silently. First, he had a heated verbal exchange with Brandon Tierney after a NY Post article profiled Tierney and his lack of interest in WFAN‘s afternoon drive slot. Then he exchanged a few words with morning host Craig Carton in an article in Newsday, one which Carton’s partner Boomer Esiasion took exception to. Now the NY Post reports that Francesa got into another verbal spat, this time with PD Mark Chernoff. According to the article, Francesa blamed Chernoff for losing in the ratings to Michael Kay. Given Chernoff’s history of going to bat for Mike, that sounds like sour grapes on Francesa’s part. If more develops on this story we’ll pass it along.

Congratulations is well deserved in Tampa where John Mamola has been officially named Program Director of 620 WDAE. Mamola has been with the station since February 2011 and had served as Assistant Program Director . Former PD Doug Hamand left in January 2016. Since then, Mamola has led the station as its interim PD. It’s good to see his hard work and results get recognized.

Speaking of WDAE, congratulations to midday host Tom Krasniqi who recently celebrated his 5 year anniversary with the station. T-Kras as he’s known works opposite Ronnie “Night Train” Lane weekdays from 9a-12p ET. Click here for more details about their show.

98.5 The Sports Hub may be unsure of who its future owner is but that isn’t stopping the Boston sports radio station from tackling important business issues. The Hub has announced that it has reached a new multi-year agreement with the Boston Bruins to continue serving as the team’s radio broadcasting partner. The Bruins have aired their games on the radio station since the 2009-10 season.

Longtime Washington D.C. personality Andy Pollin is invading the podcasting space according to the Washington Post. The popular host will debut his new weekly program on Monday July 3rd. Pollin will record the show in front of a live audience at the Chatter studio, the home of Tony Kornheiser‘s podcast, and be joined on site by a big-name local sports guest. The show is expected to run between 50-70 minutes.

WIP talk show host Glen Macnow is hosting a sports movie night in Philadelphia to help raise money for the Liberty Museum’s “Young Heroes Program“. The event will feature a cast of popular local personalities including Hall of Fame writer and WIP host Ray Didinger, Eagles radio voice Merrill Reese, former Flyers left wing Brian Propp and Saint Joe’s basketball coach Phil Martelli. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased by clicking here.

In Dallas, Mark Elfenbein is doing some additional hosting for ESPN 103.3. He’s sitting in for Dennis and Cowlishaw during the afternoon this week, and will also be on the station on Monday July 3rd. Former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle and former Oklahoma City sports radio host Tony Casillas will work with Elfenbein on the 3rd. Dallas Mavericks play by play voice Chuck Cooperstein is in with Elfenbein this afternoon.

It took place a few weeks ago but is worth noting that 104.9 The Horn have installed a new midday show. Trey Elling and Brad Kellner have been given the reigns weekdays from 11a-1p CT. For more information on the show click here.

WBBL in Grand Rapids are hosting their annual Field of Dreams game on July 20th. The event gives 20 listeners an opportunity to play in a baseball game at Fifth Third ballpark with on-air hosts Bill Simonson and Eric Zane. 9 of those 20 listeners will gain an additional opportunity to play at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. For more details on the promotion click here.

Capitol Broadcasting in Raleigh have signed Erroll Reese and Kevin McClendon to contract extensions. The duo began hosting the program “The Sports Shop with Reese and KMac” five years ago on Buzz Sports Radio on the weekends. They then moved to middays two years ago, and just recently finished their first year in morning drive. Congrats to all involved.

In Vancouver, The Province reports that all signs point to Satiar Shah being part of the lineup at SportsNet 650. Shah had been working as a producer and on-air contributor for the Bro Jake Show on TSN 1040.

Meanwhile, Shah’s former station (TSN 1040) have added a new Vancouver Canucks reporter. Jeff Paterson has confirmed he’s joining the station and will report on the team at home and on the road.

In the writing world, Jordan Schultz has announced that he’s signed on full-time with Yahoo Sports.

Also, Ari Wasserman is exiting Cleveland.com to become the new Ohio State beat writer for The Athletic. He starts his new position on July 24th.

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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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