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Seth Harp Takes Over ESPN Gainesville

“It will launch when I feel comfortable with everything else that’s going on,” Harp said while noting he doesn’t want to disrupt the station’s rhythm and peoples’ habits right now.”

Brandon Contes

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Seth Harp knows what many sports radio hosts are going though right now. Harp was laid off by iHeart in January, after more than four years as a host and program director of WFXJ 97.3 The Game in Jacksonville. 

Less than three months later, during a difficult time for sports radio and seemingly every industry during this global pandemic, Harp was able to land his next gig. Last Friday, Harp announced he was joining WRUF ESPN Gainesville as a weekday host and program director. 

“I wanted to be the face of the layoff,” Harp told me about being let go from iHeart in January. “I wanted everyone to know I was available. On my way home from the layoff, I was already networking. I got home around 10:30am and I bet by the end of the day I sent 40-50 emails and made 200 different phone calls.”

It’s not an easy time for many sports radio hosts, both on-air and off.  There are challenges in creating entertaining content without the support of live sports and there are certainly challenges in finding your next opportunity if you were recently laid off. With the coronavirus caused economic shutdown, there aren’t many advertising dollars available to radio stations, and subsequently, there aren’t many media companies looking to hire new talent. 

Several times during our conversation, Harp referred back to how lucky he is, but landing a job in the current climate is also a testament to his drive and persistence. It should serve as a source of inspiration to others who may have recently lost a gig. It might take a few months, but other opportunities will be available. 

Harp will be back on-air in the next couple of months, the date is TBD. “It will launch when I feel comfortable with everything else that’s going on,” Harp said while noting he doesn’t want to disrupt the station’s rhythm and peoples’ habits right now. 

Without launching a show, there’s still plenty of work to be done in his new role as the station’s program director. Harp said he has a lot of big social media plans, some of which were learned at the 2020 BSM Summit, and they’ll start implementing those immediately. 

I asked WRUF’s new leader what’s more difficult right now, hosting a show or serving as program director of a sports radio station while sports are suspended, and resources are scarce?

“The amount of creativity you need to have in your bones to make it work and make it sound good right now is enormous. Programming, I just have to make sure everybody’s on the same path and everybody understands what’s going on,” Harp said. “If you’re hosting right now, it’s the biggest challenge of your career because anybody can go through the motions as a host and get away with it, but to be really good at it, it’s a challenge.”

Still, there are challenges as a program director during unsettling times, to offer a sense of stability, reassuring the station will survive and making sure everybody isn’t constantly concerned about their standing. Harp is a great candidate to provide that confidence, because he’s able to speak from experience having just bounced back from a layoff. 

“I’m almost like a beta test that we’ve figured out it works,” Harp said. “I was laid off, I interviewed for seven different jobs, most of them are now in hiring freezes for the foreseeable future. Gainesville was the exact opposite, they said we want you here now.”

Harp also referred back to what SVP of sports for Cumulus and Westwood One Bruce Gilbert said at the BSM Summit earlier this year, ‘every orchestra needs a maestro.’ “You need somebody that’s a stabilizing force through all of it,” Harp added. “We’re all in this together, but we’re all alone right now too.”

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Sports Radio News

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 had 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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Sports Radio News

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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Sports Radio News

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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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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