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Under The Radar – March 6, 2017

Jason Barrett

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Here are the latest developments inside sports media circles. If you have a future news tip, press release, promotion or other tidbit to pass along, you can reach me at [email protected].

According to sources, big changes are on coming to the update desks in New York. As part of the adjustments, WFAN update anchors are expected to handle update duties on WINS 1010AM. CBS Sports Network anchors will pull double duty taking on update responsibilities at WCBS 880AM. There could also be some adjustments coming to the overnight schedules. Stay tuned.

In Milwaukee, Drew Olson has a brand new daily show on The Big 920. Olson joined iHeartMedia Milwaukee in August after a long run with Good Karma’s ESPN 540 and will be installed in mid-days from 1p-3p CT. Former host Mitch Nelles is transitioning into a full time sales role with the company.

Across town at Olson’s former employer, FOX Sports Wisconsin‘s Sophia Minnaert will appear daily as a guest on ESPN Milwaukee to provide updates on the latest happenings with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Former St. Louis sports radio host Brian McKenna is home and recovering after undergoing four surgeries in three weeks to battle a cancerous cell. During the process there were complications which caused nerve damage and partial paralysis to the right side of Brian’s face. Although the cells were removed, Brian still faces a long road ahead which includes additional surgeries and therapy. The broadcasting community is encouraged to reach out and lend a hand by contributing via the family’s GoFundMe page.

Congratulations is in order for Rob Taylor who has signed on with 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland as an anchor. Taylor previously worked in Dayton, Ohio where he spent over a decade at Alpha Media’s HOT 102.9 and 1410 ESPN Radio.

Former WHB evening host T.J. Carpenter has landed a new opportunity in Denver. Carpenter will be relocating to join Sean Walsh on Mile High Sports Radio 1340AM. The pair will team up weekdays from 2p-4p MT.

Following the arrival of 1580 The Fanatic in Phoenix, former NBC Sports Radio 1060AM program director and talk show host Rich Gray has decided to make the jump and work for the upstart sports station. Gray has signed on with the station as an on-air producer.

WGN in Chicago has added former NHL defenseman Brent Sopel as a hockey analyst and weekend talk show host. Sopel will be part of the weekend show “The Beat” which includes Mark Carman, Adam Hoge, and Jarrett Payton.

Longtime Los Angeles Kings broadcaster Bob Miller announced his retirement last week following doctor’s orders. The 78-year old Miller had suffered a mild stroke in January and was encouraged to step aside and focus on his health. Miller called Kings games from 1973 to 2017. Former Dallas Stars play by play voice Ralph Stangis will call the team’s games going forward with analyst Jim Fox.

According to Chad Finn of the Boston Globe, Evan Drellich is leaving the Boston Herald for a multi-platform opportunity at Comcast SportsNet New England. Drelich has also appeared recently on WEEI creating some explosive content with Kirk Minihane and Gerry Callahan.

The Big Lead’s Ryan Glasspiegel reports that Kaylee Hartung will be leaving ESPN to join CNN. Hartung has been with ESPN since 2012. Prior to that she worked for CBS News in Washington D.C. She’s expected to join CNN in April.

Michael Gehlken has confirmed that he’s no longer with the San Diego Union Tribune. Gehlken had been working the San Diego Chargers beat but with the team moving to Los Angeles his position was eliminated.

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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”

“It’s going to be Andy Gresh and Rich Shertenlieb in the afternoons, which is going to be so awful.”

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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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