Connect with us
Jim Cutler Demos

Sports Radio News

McKernan In Talks To Assume Full Control of KFNS

Jason Barrett

Published

on

Tim McKernan may be on the verge of gaining sole operating control of 590 The Fan, KFNS  according to STL Today. The host of The Morning After currently has a 25% stake in the radio station, but majority owner Randy Markel has opened talks with McKernan to give him an opportunity to buy him out and take over as the station’s primary owner.

Markel purchased KFNS in 2015 after the radio station went bankrupt. He not only returned the radio station to the airwaves, but also invested in upgrading the towers which transmit the station’s signal.

One of the conditions in the agreement between the two men was that McKernan would receive $100,000 if the station was sold to another party. He was also given first right of refusal if Markel received any outside offers.

Although he isn’t exploring outside investors, Markel said his initial goal was to sell to McKernan in the next 4-5 years. But with other business interests requiring his focus, he’s decided there’s no better time than the present to explore a potential sale.

“I thought, ‘Why not sell now?’ Markel told STL Today. “I will make a cool half a million dollars-plus in a (little over) a year. I’ve got $2 million in it, I want a half-million profit. That’s what I deserve.”

In addition to being the majority owner of KFNS, Markel also owns Chuck’s Boots stores throughout the St. Louis area, and he’s building a youth baseball complex at the Lake of the Ozarks which will have nine fields and is expected to draw teams from all over the country. Former St. Louis sports radio hosts Bob Ramsey and Jeff Vernetti are overseeing that project for Markel.

“I had to make a decision — do I want to go all-in with the radio station or all-in with the ballparks? I couldn’t do both unless I sold Chuck’s Boots, but that still is in the works and could take some time” said Markel. “I thought about it, the radio station has the potential to be great, and in Tim’s hands. That’s what he’s always wanted (to own his own sports station). I said, ‘You come up with 1½ million (dollars), I will finance the other million at 6 percent, over 1-3 years, at interest only.”

The only question now is how long will it take the two sides to complete a deal. Markel is optimistic of finalizing an agreement quickly, whereas McKernan is taking a more cautious approach. Let the negotiations begin.

Sign up for the BSM 8@8

The Top 8 Sports Media Stories of the Day, sent directly to your inbox, every morning at 8am ET.

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Sports Radio News

Dan Patrick to Appear in December Episode of The Simpsons

“I’ve had a couple of sessions, and I only had like four lines, five lines.”

Published

on

A photo of Dan Patrick and The Simpsons logo
(Photo: FOX Sports Radio, 20th Century Fox)

For a sports radio host, Dan Patrick has quite an impressive list of IMDb credits. He will add a new one next month, when he appears on The Simpsons.

During The Dan Patrick Show Tuesday, the legendary sportscaster mentioned that several of the voices for the show are reaching senior citizen status, putting future seasons in question. Patrick joked that the show’s guest booker, Todd Fritz, could be a natural replacement for Julie Kavner as the voice of Marge Simpson.

After joking that Fritz would want to change the script too often, Patrick revealed he would appear in an upcoming episode, and changing the script wouldn’t be an easy proposition.

“I’m on an episode that — I think — comes out on Christmas Eve (of) The Simpsons” Patrick admitted. “I’ve had a couple of sessions, and I only had like four lines, five lines. They wanna hear what they wanna hear.”

Patrick continued by noting that when he worked at ESPN, former co-worker Kenny Mayne was notorious for wanting to change the scripts of commercials during the “This is SportsCenter” campaigns.

“Kenny would always go ‘Hey, how about this?’ or ‘What about this?’, and I’d say ‘Let’s just stick to the script. They really have a good track record here.'”

He added that the voiceover artists on the program have deserved the millions they’ve made during the show’s long-running tenure.

“They’re extremely talented. They do a variety of voices there…that show has been on for how many decades? (It’s) still funny (and) relevant,” Patrick said.

On his IMDb page, Dan Patrick has 36 acting credits to his name, with the majority coming from projects with Adam Sandler.

Sign up for the BSM 8@8

The Top 8 Sports Media Stories of the Day, sent directly to your inbox, every morning at 8am ET.

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Continue Reading

Sports Radio News

Matt Jones: ‘I’m Not Ashamed to Have Epilepsy’

“It’s a medical condition, and there is nothing I can do about it. I take medication, and that helps, and I wanted to show people that you can have a condition like that and still succeed…”

Published

on

Matt Jones
Courtesy: Simon & Schuster

In a Netflix documentary series released in September, Kentucky Sports Radio host Matt Jones is seen having an epileptic seizure. He has shared why he allowed the video to be shown.

In an interview with Lexington TV station WKYT, Jones says he wants others with epilepsy to know they’re not alone.

“I think the world is a better place when people realize they are not the only ones feeling whatever it is they are feeling,” Jones said.

He shared that talking about the effects the condition has on him breaks down the stigma.

“You know I’m not ashamed to have epilepsy; it’s a medical condition, and there is nothing I can do about it. I take medication, and that helps, and I wanted to show people that you can have a condition like that and still succeed and still go through life, and you should not be ashamed of it,” he said.

The Kentucky Sports Radio host said his first seizure happened when he was 22, which is rare because most people with epilepsy suffer it at an earlier age. He said the seizure he suffered while filming the Netflix series Wrestlers — which features a behind-the-scenes look at Ohio Valley Wrestling and attempts to save the promotion in which Jones is a partner — was one of the worst he’s ever experienced.

Matt Jones told the TV station his only hesitation in showing the footage was he didn’t want his mother to see it.

“The director talked to me about airing it. He basically said are you okay with airing it? My initial inclination was no, not because of me, but because of my mother, and I didn’t want her to have to see it. She had never seen me have one,” Jones concluded.

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month. 1 in 26 people in the United States suffer from the condition.

Sign up for the BSM 8@8

The Top 8 Sports Media Stories of the Day, sent directly to your inbox, every morning at 8am ET.

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Continue Reading

Sports Radio News

Ben Wagner Out As Blue Jays Radio Voice After Sportsnet Contract Not Renewed

“Thank you, Ben, for sharing your voice and expertise with listeners across Canada.”

Published

on

Ben Wagner
Courtesy: Ben Wagner on Instagram

Toronto Blue Jays radio play-by-play announcer Ben Wagner will not be on the team’s broadcasts next season, Sportsnet announced on Wednesday morning.

The company posted a statement on X that divulged that it decided not to renew his contract for the next season. The new radio broadcast booth for the team will be announced prior to the start of the 2024 Blue Jays season.

“Thank you, Ben, for sharing your voice and expertise with listeners across Canada,” the statement read. “We wish you the very best.”

Wagner had served as the radio voice of the team for the last six seasons and called road games remotely for the last several years following the COVID-19 pandemic. He was briefly taken off the radio broadcasts when Sportsnet decided to simulcast its television broadcast on radio; however, that move was expeditiously reversed.

During this past season, Wagner worked alongside color commentator Chris Leroux and had the opportunity to travel to call the team’s Wild Card Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, which ended in a 2-0 loss. The Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels were the only two MLB teams not to send their broadcasters on the road during the 2023 MLB regular season.

Upon graduating from Indiana State University with a degree in radio and television, Ben Wagner worked as the director of media and public relations for the Lakewood BlueClaws, a Class-A Minor League Baseball team for which he also served as its play-by-play announcer.

Three years later, he called games for the Buffalo Bisons in Triple-A for the next 11 seasons before replacing Jerry Howarth as the radio play-by-play voice of the Blue Jays.

Sign up for the BSM 8@8

The Top 8 Sports Media Stories of the Day, sent directly to your inbox, every morning at 8am ET.

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Advertisement

Barrett Media Writers

Copyright © 2023 Barrett Media.