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Sportsnet 650 Reveals New Morning Show

Jason Barrett

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Sportsnet 650 doesn’t officially launch for two more months, but the summer months are equally as important. After all, this is when the station can talk to candidates, make programming hires and fine tune their presentation to make sure their September 4th debut goes off without a hitch.

When the station premieres in roughly 60 days, it will do so with a strong local morning show. It was confirmed today that James Cybulski, Steve Darling and Mira Laurence will team up in morning drive, forming Sportsnet’s Starting Lineup with Cybulski, Darling and Laurence. The trio will host weekdays 6a-10a PT.

“James, Steve and Mira are a dynamic trio with a tremendous amount of experience and sports knowledge that will be invaluable to Sportsnet 650, the morning show and, most importantly, sports fans in Vancouver,” said Craig MacEwen, Program Director, Sportsnet 650. “These three talents are not only excellent at what they do, but they are also exemplary members of the community, giving back through various charitable efforts. We are thrilled to have them on the Sportsnet 650 team.”

Cybulski is an award-winning broadcaster with over 25 years of on-air experience. He was Bureau Chief of The Score from 2000-2004, and worked on Sportsnet Pacific from 2013-2016. He had recently been working for NEWS 1130. His resume also includes serving as a sportscaster and reporter for SportsCentre on TSN and hosting a radio program for TSN 1050. In fact, Cybulski was the first drive-time host hired by 1050 when the station launched in April 2011.

Darling meanwhile has been a British Columbia resident nearly his entire life. His resume includes stints as a news anchor and sports reporter with NEWS 1130, BCTV and Global BC Morning News. His popularity soared as host of Global News Morning. After 15 years on the show, he left last year after being pushed out of his anchor’s chair. His exit was viewed unfavorably by viewers, leading them to launch a Facebook group titled “Steve Darling Deserved Better Treatment”. The page still has nearly 19,000 followers.

Over a decade worth of experience covering Vancouver sports is what Laurence brings to the table. She spent 10 years as head of the sports department for CTV Vancouver Island before choosing to leave the broadcasting business. Since then she has worked for the Partnership Development Officer for Vikes Athletics and Recreation at the University of Victoria and as the Executive Director of HeadWay, the Victoria Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Centre.

Sportsnet 650 will make announcements about the remainder of their lineup at a later time. The station has already gained the radio rights to the Vancouver Canucks and according to The Province, Satiar Shah is expected to be involved with the brand in some capacity.

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Amanda Brown Named Program Director of Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan

Brown will begin her role with Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan next week.

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A photo of Amanda Brown and the Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan logo
(Photo: Amanda Brown)

Former ESPN LA 710 Program Director Amanda Brown has been named to the same position at Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan.

She replaces Raj Sharan, who exited the station earlier this month after leading the brand since February 2019.

Amanda Brown was part of the downsizing at ESPN earlier this year. She had worked for the company since 2002. After beginning her career in Dallas at ESPN 103.3, she moved to Bristol to work as a national producer on ESPN Radio. Brown worked on shows hosted by Mike Tirico, Scott Van Pelt, and Erik Kuselias while producing on the national level.

She later moved to ESPN LA 710 in 2010, first as a producer before eventually ascending to the role of Program Director in December 2019.

Brown will begin her role with Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan next week.

The station recently shuffled its lineup after suffering its first head-to-head ratings defeat in the summer ratings period. Josh Dover departed Altitude Sports Radio to join Brandon Stokley for middays. Meanwhile, Zach Bye and former Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay were paired for afternoons. In the reshuffling, Darren “DMac” McKee departed the station before joining Altitude Sports Radio in the spot vacated by Dover.

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Anthony Gargano, Beasley Media Group Going to Settlement Conference

The settlement conference will take place on Jan. 17, 2024, one day after Gargano and ALLCITY Network are required to reply to the lawsuit from Beasley Media Group.

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Anthony Gargano
Courtesy: 97.5 The Fanatic

When Anthony Gargano was hired by ALLCITY Network to appear on its new PHLY Sports channel and national network, he was sued by Beasley Media Group for breach of contract. The former 97.5 The Fanatic host came to terms on a preliminary injunction that prohibits him from contributing to any sports media content that is specifically targeted to the Philadelphia marketplace, as the designated market area (DMA) is defined by Nielsen Media Research. Gargano’s original intent was to work at both outlets simultaneously, but he remained restricted for the last several months while continuing to work with FOX Sports Radio and starting a sports betting podcast with Parx Casino.

Gargano and Beasley Media Group will now be proceeding to a settlement conference, which will take place on Jan. 17, 2024 before Magistrate Judge Scott Reid.

Within the lawsuit, Beasley claims that Anthony Gargano is under contract with the company until Oct. 7, 2024, and that there are provisions within the deal and “the common law duty of loyalty” that preclude his ability to provide services to competing businesses. Inside Radio was the first to report the news of the disputation moving to this step in an effort to reach a resolution.

Should the settlement conference prove unsuccessful, a pretrial date has been set by the court for May 7, 2024, and a trial date is set for two years later. Beasley had previously agreed to a request by the defendants to extend the deadline to file a response to the complaint from Nov. 17, 2023 to Jan. 16, 2024.

Gargano and BSN Live (doing business as ALLCITY Network), his new employer, are legally required to respond to the lawsuit filed against them by Beasley by that time, according to an order filed on Nov. 16, 2023. For the settlement conference itself, lawyers have been directed to have their clients physically present for its duration and with “ultimate authority to settle.”

In a previous interview with Barrett Sports Media, ALLCITY Network Chief Executive Officer Brandon Spano explained how the goal of the company is to implement talent who are able to inform and entertain their audiences in various locales. The company also eliminated non-compete clauses from most of its contracts, with Spano stating that they were originally included because it was the industry-standard practice.

“I have a real problem with this idea that these major corporations are laying off dozens, if not hundreds of people, quarter-over-quarter, and then the people that they don’t lay off, they say they cannot look for jobs or work anywhere else,” he explained. “That’s just not good business, and it’s giving sports media a bad wrap. Sports radio right now, because of those actions, is giving sports media a bad look. It’s a very dangerous game.”

Gargano was originally included in the promotional video for PHLY Sports but has yet to appear on one of its programs. Concurrent with the launch of the company’s new national network, he was able to make his debut and has been contributing on the ALL NFL show with Brian Baldinger. Spano articulated that the company was about to reach profitability prior to the introduction of its Philadelphia and national networks and is preparing for another funding round later on. At the moment, the goal is to double the size of the company and launch in another local market as the outlet looks to expand and launch a free ad-supported television (FAST) channel in the future.

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Jerry Recco: Paul Allen is ‘Not Textbook and He’s Phenomenal’

Allen sounded dejected in his final call of the Vikings’ 12-10 loss on Monday night, according to WFAN anchor Jerry Recco.

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Paul Allen
Courtesy: The Athletic

The Minnesota Vikings lost their Monday Night Football matchup against the Chicago Bears on a walk-off field goal. Paul Allen, who has been calling Vikings games for the last 21 seasons, sounded dejected in the call as if he were a Vikings fan communicating to listeners en masse, according to WFAN anchor Jerry Recco.

Outside of his role on the Boomer & Gio morning program on WFAN and CBS Sports Network, Recco is a play-by-play announcer himself as the radio voice of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights men’s basketball team. Because of his position in the industry, morning program co-host and CBS Sports analyst for The NFL Today, Boomer Esiason, asked Recco if he takes elements of style from other announcers to implement into the game broadcasts.

“No, because I don’t think there is a right way to do it,” Recco replied Tuesday morning on WFAN. “No, I do what I do, and if it’s good, great. As long as [athletic director] Pat Hobbs and [head coach] Steve Pikiell are happy, I’m happy.”

Recco has been calling Rutgers games since the 2016-17 season. The National Sports Media Association named him the recipient of the New Jersey Sportscaster of the Year in 2022.

As a play-by-play announcer, Recco is focused on documenting the action and has had the chance to call several memorable moments in program history, including its first NCAA Tournament win in 30 years when it defeated Clemson in March 2021.

“There’s no right way to do it because you’ve got textbook guys like [Mike] Breen, who’s the best; then you’ve got guys like Paul Allen,” Recco said. “He’s not textbook and he’s phenomenal – would you agree? And then there’s Gus Johnson, who’s crazy and he’s phenomenal in his own way.”

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