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Adam Lefkoe Found A Way to Cut Through

“It was the realization as a 26-year-old that no one my age cared about the local news and I was regurgitating my Twitter timeline for people over the age of 65.”

Derek Futterman

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On the night LeBron James ended up shattering the NBA’s all-time scoring record, Adam Lefkoe came to work thinking he and his colleagues would not receive the opportunity to cover the event firsthand. After all, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the then-record holder, had played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks over a legendary, 20-year career – and the two teams were set to square off two days later.

Nonetheless, Lefkoe came into the assignment studio hosting coverage of the Lakers’ matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder prepared just in case James put up the 36 points needed to make history. Once James was photographed arriving at the arena donning a black suit with a pin reading, “Stay present,” his mindset became evident. NBA on TNT Tuesday studio analyst and WNBA superstar Candace Parker turned to Lefkoe and assured him she could tell that James was trying to break the record that night.

Of course, James ended up making history and participated in a profound moment with Abdul-Jabbar and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver at center court, and then addressed the crowd and expressed his gratitude. Although the Lakers lost the game, all the attention was fixed on James postgame. The broadcast on TNT attracted 3 million viewers, rendering it as the most-viewed regular season telecast outside of those on opening night since 2018.

Originally, the plan for NBA on TNT Tuesday’s studio coverage, anticipating a delay in being able to speak with James, was to discuss the enormity of the record and welcome Abdul-Jabbar on the program to gain his perspective. As is often the case on live television though, plans quickly changed, and the crew had to adjust and be ready in mere seconds for the conversation of a lifetime.

“When that game ended, he went straight to the TNT camera,” Lefkoe said of James, “so now I have a producer in my ear going, ‘We’re getting LeBron.’ You want to make the moment special, and people at home are probably thinking that I have a script or I’ve planned out every word. The true thing is at that point, you kind of black out where you just rely on all the experience you have.”

Preparation is one of the keys to success as a studio host, and it is something Lefkoe has actively worked to master over his time working in sports media. Jayson Stark, who currently works as a senior MLB writer with The Athletic, told Lefkoe that he kept a journal containing compelling statistics and other abstruse information about players and teams. Uncovering these data and intelligence is achieved through remaining engaged with sports and its news cycle, staying ready at all times.

Leading up to a typical NBA on TNT Tuesday broadcast, Lefkoe is fervently reading information and columns about all 30 NBA teams from both local and national outlets. Moreover, he regularly listens to NBA podcasts and respected national commentators; however, he always makes sure to form his own opinion on matters beforehand to prevent merely adopting other people’s viewpoints.

When he flies to Atlanta on Mondays, he continues to compile information, statistics, and storylines onto a spreadsheet which he refines Tuesday with updated information. He also texts with game commentators Ian Eagle and Brian Anderson, along with the network’s reporters to discover what they are hearing from across the league.

“I’m communicating constantly with my producer Keith Robinson to make sure that we are doing right as the show of record for that night,” Lefkoe said. “….Once I sit on the set, then it’s almost like creating a battle station where I have everything where I think I need it. That’s also when I start going, ‘Okay, what are the current events? What are some things that maybe we should bring into this?’ because we’re more than just a basketball show.”

Differentiation has been an essential aspect of Lefkoe’s fortuitous rise in sports media, and something he feels he has done from the onset of his career. As a high school basketball player, he would sit in the stands with his teammates during other games and perform faux broadcasts. Realizing he enjoyed this, he decided to matriculate at Syracuse University to study broadcast journalism, but did not take the typical path of most alumni in quickly joining WAER-FM.

Instead, Lefkoe found a path on the air as a freshman for four hours on Sunday mornings before NFL action on WJPZ-FM (Z89) hosting a talk show called Between the Lines. As a radio host, he tried to be conversational and congenial, forming enduring professional relationships with the listeners and the athletes. He viewed himself as an “outsider” and thought of Ernie Johnson and Ahmad Rashad as sources of inspiration on which to base his career.

“Ernie, for me, is the godfather,” Lefkoe said. “His ability to control the flow [and] to be calm, cool, collected; to always get a point across without being overbearing – I just thought it was perfection. Ahmad – I only saw him playing golf with Michael Jordan or smoking a cigar or dunking with Shaq. That connection with athletes; almost getting to be friends with [Jordan], I just thought was such a cool approach.”

Out of school, Lefkoe began working in news as a reporter and anchor for KHAS-TV in Hastings, Neb. where he was exposed to and became an expert on college football. It was a difficult moment in his career when many of his friends had moved to major markets and began to build viable careers for themselves. Lefkoe was making $18,500 a year, persisting through this time period to hone his craft and define his style.

By mid-2010, Lefkoe had moved to Louisville, where he eventually became a sports anchor and began primarily covering college basketball. Yet he realized at this point that he was working for an outlet that did not attract viewers in his age demographic and had not established notoriety in the space. As a result, he struggled to find agents to represent him as a sportscaster, with some citing what they believed was a lack of growth potential.

“It was the realization as a 26-year-old that no one my age cared about the local news and I was regurgitating my Twitter timeline for people over the age of 65,” Lefkoe explained. “[I had to figure out] how [to] bridge this gap between digital and linear, and kind of create almost a watch party for my show.”

Out of frustration, he began performing unique stunts on the air, including famously dropping 41 Seinfeld references in five minutes on a newscast, and blogged to fans, asking them for suggestions to freshen up the program. One month later, his phone was essentially ringing off the hook with agents looking to represent him since his broadcasts had become appointment viewing, blending information and entertainment.

It led to work with Bleacher Report where he executive produced and hosted the Simms and Lefkoe podcast with former NFL quarterback Chris Simms. In combining their knowledge, expertise, experience, and entertainment-value, the two cultivated a formidable duo, welcoming guests and attaining high ratings. The success was earned through consistency in their posting schedule and remaining connected with football fans, producing content they would want to hear. Four years later, the company introduced a weekly video series during the NFL season shot partially from its midtown Manhattan headquarters and in the field.

Once Simms left Bleacher Report in 2019 to join Football Night in America, the program was rebranded as The Lefkoe Show, marking a new chapter in Lefkoe’s broadcasting career by hosting a solo podcast. The program itself had recently lost its longtime producer Josh Fendrick, who had just been hired by Overtime as head of content operations, making the challenge even more daunting.

“That was the squad, and I remember feeling a lot of doubt thinking, ‘Are people actually going to still listen to this without the former football player?,’” Lefkoe said. “What happened then was that it really expanded my marketing frame…. It became an adventure of being more comfortable with myself as an opinion-haver, and it also let me dive deeper into storytelling.”

Although he continues to work with Bleacher Report on select programming, Lefkoe essentially made a transition towards the end of 2019 when it was announced that he would host NBA on TNT Tuesdays. Growing up as a fan of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith on Inside the NBA, it was a dream come true for Lefkoe to join this storied sports media property. Lefkoe began working alongside O’Neal, along with Dwayne Wade and Candace Parker, delivering fans compelling linear studio content blended with his digital-savvy and the unique approach Turner Sports brings to its programming.

“When I was given that opportunity, that was one of the greatest moments of my life,” Lefkoe said. “Our careers are very subjective, so when someone comes and says they believe in you enough to give you such an important role, it’s very meaningful and it really makes you take a step back and have gratitude for your journey.”

Before beginning the role, Lefkoe received advice from Dan Patrick, host of the nationally-syndicated program, The Dan Patrick Show, about how he should approach the job like former Utah Jazz guard and Basketball Hall of Fame member John Stockton. As the association’s all-time leader in assists, Stockton exhibited an alacrity for setting up his teammates on the court. His on-court generosity helped propel the team to playoff appearances in every year of his career and teammate Karl Malone near the top of the all-time scoring list.

“I joked with him that I want to be John Stockton but I very much end up being Stephon Marbury,” Lefkoe said. “I love being able to sit back and listen to my analysts have a discussion and realize that they don’t need me to guide it. That’s when the solo-hosting of a podcast starts bubbling up, and I have an opinion and I want to get it in so bad.”

Lefkoe aims to have his analyst express five times the words per minute as he does on the show, realizing the importance of divulging and accentuating their perspectives. At the same time, he tries to enjoy himself on set and work with the social media team to promote viral moments across multiple platforms. In this way, the show breaks the metaphorical “fourth wall” between the panel and the viewer, and has been recognized for doing so with Sports Emmy Award honors for “Outstanding Interactive Experience.”

“It’s a conversation that we have during every production meeting, which is, ‘What are people talking about?,’ and ‘How do we join the conversation?,’” Lefkoe said. “I think it’s something beautiful. I think a lot of sports TV is, ‘Let me yell my opinion at you, and you need to listen.’ I feel like our show is, ‘Let’s talk with NBA fans.’”

Much of the entertainment value of the broadcasts, while it is surely an intent before each show, comes organically through interaction between Lefkoe and the rest of the panel. Usually, he arrives on the set and just then begins to ponder over unique angles, even though he frequently brainstorms new ideas, oftentimes on a napkin at a coffee shop. Once these segments sporadically occur, Turner Sports tries to quickly post them on digital platforms to exhort instant reactions, some of which are then featured on the program.

“You can talk about a dunk all you want, but if you compare it to Michael B. Jordan dunking on a reporter, someone at home might find that enjoyable,” Lefkoe said. “I think just talking to a lot of comedian-friends of mine too, the one thing you can’t do with comedy is force it. Again, it’s kind of like having it in the chamber in case it comes up, and then that also might be something that we do with our social media people in-between hits or during commercial breaks that we can put that online to bring more viewers to linear.”

With the advent of new technology and changes in consumption habits, alternate broadcasts have permeated into the broadcast landscape over the last several years. Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, under the leadership of company president and CEO David Zaslav and sports chairman and CEO Luis Silberwasser, has innovated in the space and created effective content offerings to pair with traditional programs.

For example, the Inside the NBA crew has appeared on Inside the All-Star Game during the hallmark event for the last two seasons, broadcast live on TBS. Bleacher Report, which is a subsidiary of the company, produces digital live shows surrounding game action, some of which Lefkoe has hosted including during the NFL Draft. Moreover, Turner Sports experimented with “Players Only” broadcasts but scrapped the concept before the 2019-20 season, instead launching NBA on TNT Tuesday. Nonetheless, the willingness to venture into different kinds of broadcast demonstrates briskness in adaptability and flexibility amid a dynamic, saturated marketplace.

“I think that this next generation – this Gen-Z generation – I don’t know if anybody really has a firm grasp yet on how they consume [content], but I do know it seems like it’s personality over information,” Lefkoe said. “It’s finding a way to connect with people and provide them a place where they’re watching with friends. How this develops and what the final product is; I still don’t think we’re there yet.”

Lefkoe recently signed a contract extension with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports in which he will continue his work with Turner Sports, NBA TV, and Bleacher Report, citing its familial environment. His previous contract extension coincided with the move towards its linear platforms and decided to remain with the company because he feels he has helped build something that is somewhat incomplete.

“I didn’t think I was finished,” Lefkoe said. “I’m going into year 10 with this company, and there’s been a lot of different iterations…. For me, it’s about working with your friends, and also, I’m still living out my dream. They’ve been so good to me, and I want to put in that effort back to reward that faith.”

During one of the first times Lefkoe was reporting at a game, he asked famed men’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino a question to which he responded, “Come back with a better question; that’s not a good question.” As soon as the press conference concluded, many of the other reporters approached Lefkoe and told him that what he had endured from Pitino was usual and that he does it to everybody. Even so, it prompted Lefkoe to cogitate on his thought process of asking questions. He duly redeemed himself by the next press conference, arriving ready and more confident in his abilities.

This year, Lefkoe covered the NBA All-Star Game and has fostered relationships with many of the players around the league. On several occasions, players have approached him to express how they think he is doing a great job in his role with Warner Bros. Discovery, including Phoenix Suns teammates Chris Paul and Kevin Durant. This year as a media member at NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, he called the Jordan Rising Stars Challenge, along with contributing to additional coverage across Turner Sports’ platforms. Some of his memorable moments included interviewing Philadelphia 76ers guard Mac McClung after he won the 2023 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest, and Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard following his win in the 2023 Starry 3-Point Contest.

Today, Lefkoe continues to work with O’Neal and Parker, along with former NBA guard Jamal Crawford, who replaced Wade on the panel after he departed Turner Sports before the season. Crawford ended up proving invaluable during the network’s interview with James after he broke the scoring record, helping Lefkoe realize the gravity of the moment he was a part of. That realization, combined with the perspective of just how rare this circumstance was, allowed Lefkoe to construct and deliver a comprehensive and reflective question. It elicited an insightful response from James surrounded by cheering fans and the bright lights of “Tinseltown.”

Since James broke the record in the third quarter, Lefkoe opened up his “gem notebook,” something he began keeping in the offseason featuring notes, quotes and other information about NBA players and teams. From the time he started accumulating content for the notebook, Lefkoe has filled several pages and utilizes it to be able to react in the moment.

As he turned the pages of the book, he came across a quote penned by Suzanne Collins, the author of “The Hunger Games” that read: “Throw me to the wolves, and I’ll return leading the pack.” Lefkoe quickly remembered that the logo of James’ tequila brand, Lobos 1707, is a wolf, along with how he has been regarded as a leader and role model throughout his storied career. After reciting the quote to James on the air, Lefkoe said to James: “You are now leading the pack. How is the view?” James cracked a smile and proceeded to explain how breaking the record was never something he had entered the league intending to do and said the achievement was “surreal.”

“I had written that down from the previous July from a book I was reading,” Lefkoe said. “….To be able to kind of use that in that moment, and when I said it he kind of shook his head, I was kind of like, ‘Wow, the universe does conspire sometimes to really create the magical moments.’ I was so proud of that because I think we did justice to him. Shoot, man – when’s the next time that’s going to get broken? Seventy years from now; maybe never?”

With a new contract and parity across the NBA, Lefkoe is motivated to continue improving his craft both on digital and linear platforms of dissemination and seeks to make a connection and an impact with viewers. Refraining from thinking about his job or sports in general is difficult since it has been a part of his life for many years – first as a fan and now as a media member.

“I truly want to be one of the best,” Lefkoe articulated. “I don’t know how to do things less than 100%, and this is something for me that even when I’m out to dinner with my wife or I’m playing with my nephew, I’m still thinking about the gig. The passion just doesn’t quit; it’s like a fire that burns.”

As Lefkoe gains more broadcast opportunities and propagates an effective blend between digital and traditional forms of media, he consistently reviews his footage to find areas in which he can improve. Much like a professional athlete, part of his job is not only to perform but also to reflect on his performance and strive for excellence every time he steps in front of the camera. Quite simply, he is his own harshest critic, and through this criticism, he develops bonafide skills while always remaining cognizant of his roots and the essence of actualizing and expanding his potential.

“If you’re going to listen to your parents telling you how great you are, that means you also have to listen to the people [who] tell you [that] you suck,” Lefkoe said. “That means you can’t listen to anybody. Every time you do a show, you need to sit there and watch yourself after the show. You need to look at your hands; you need to look at your mouth; you need to listen to it. If you made a mistake, you can’t just blame the fact that you had a busy day. ‘How can you continue to improve?,’ and I think it starts with actually watching yourself.”

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Kim Mulkey Now Has Everyone Anticipating Washington Post Story

I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it.

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photo of LSU women's college basketball coach Kim Mulkey
Credit: Dailymail.co.uk

The Washington Post, you might’ve heard, has a story coming out about controversial LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey. The reason you might’ve heard is because Kim Mulkey told you. The Tigers coach read a fiery prepared statement just before her team started the Women’s NCAA Tournament. In the statement, Mulkey threatened to sue The Post for defamation before the first word was even published.

Now, I’ve never run a public relations firm but that did not seem like a good idea. The Washington Post story on Mulkey is one of the bigger stories in sports right now and nobody even knows what’s in it. The reason the story, apparently unflattering to Mulkey, is even on anyone’s radar screen is Mulkey herself.

It all started with an innocuous social media post by Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde right in the middle of the most anticipated two days in sports, the NCAA Tournament Round of 64. On his X account, Forde posted: “Hearing some buzz about a big Washington Post story in the works on LSU women’s hoops coach Kim Mulkey, potentially next week. Wagons being circled, etc.”

You know what generally will go unnoticed at 4:00 on the first Friday of the NCAA Tournament? A post on X about a women’s basketball coach. But don’t tell Mulkey, she saw Forde’s post and decided to fight fire with nuclear weaponry. The result: the average person like me now is really interested in what has Mulkey so incensed. By “average person like me” I mean that I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it. Maybe:

“LSU Women’s Coach Discovers Ark of the Covenant”

Or:

“Mulkey Reveals True JFK Assassin(s)”

Perhaps:

“Famed Women’s Basketball Coach Reveals the Mystery Behind Slow Drivers in the Left Lane”

Literally any of those catch my attention more than whatever will likely be the Washington Post headline about Mulkey. But now Mulkey is “Mad as Hell and is not going to take this anymore” so I now have an interest I would never before have had in this story. It has been fascinating to watch the online speculation about the subject of the article and all we really know, as of now, is that it will be written by Kent Babb. This is a dream come true for Babb; he writes an article that is, presumably, not flattering about Kim Mulkey and, before it is even published, she gives the article the greatest commercial anyone could give it. Babb couldn’t have entered into a business agreement with Mulkey and had this turn out better for him.

For those who don’t follow Babb, he is a former NFL reporter who now is an award-winning writer for the Washington Post. In his 14 years with The Post, he has written sports features and authored a couple of books. One of those sports features stories was a deep dive into what he viewed as a large inequity in the level of pay for LSU head football coach Brian Kelly and his LSU players. It is this piece Mulkey described as a “hit piece” and, based on that piece, referred to Babb as a “sleazy reporter.” Babb, and many others, resented the fact his story was labeled as a hit piece. In fact, Babb essentially confirmed he was the author Mulkey was referencing when he shared the original article on X with the comment: “Hit piece?”

Whether a printed piece or a recorded interview, I can’t imagine a better promotion for it than the subject of the interview threatening a libel/slander lawsuit, especially before it is even released. That simply screams “This piece is salacious!!” Also, libel and slander suits get settled all the time, right? Of course they don’t, they seem to never even get filed. That little thing called discovery is a scary thing for most public figures.

The NCAA Tournament has been very entertaining, and I think the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight will be terrific. For only the fifth time ever, the top two seeds have advanced to the third round which sets up for a remarkable weekend. For me, I guess it will now include a Washington Post article, not a sentence I’d normally say.

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Ian Eagle Crushing It for CBS As Replacement for Jim Nantz

Eagle continues to be a shining example of what a network play-by-play announcer should be.

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Photo of Ian Eagle and the CBS Sports logo

I’ll admit, it’s been a little strange not hearing Jim Nantz during this year’s NCAA Tournament. Nantz stepped aside to concentrate on golf and the NFL after a long run covering the Final Four. Change is sometimes hard to accept, we are all creatures of habit, and I’m sure it’s a little weird for Nantz himself this time of year. But change doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. When it comes to Ian Eagle, not that I’m surprised, so far, so good.

Eagle is no stranger to CBS viewers. He’s been with the network since 1998 calling college basketball games and the NFL through the years. That certainly made the transition a little easier for everyone involved. CBS, the viewers and Eagle himself. Familiarity in these cases doesn’t breed content, it breeds a more comfortable broadcast and an easier handle on the change itself.

For Eagle, one of the other benefits for him was working with familiar folks, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson. Eagle estimates that he and Raftery have called 600 basketball games together, because they were longtime partners on the NBA’s Nets broadcasts. Eagle has also previously worked with Hill in college basketball, the same for Wolfson.

“To do this with Bill, Grant, and Tracy, it really is going to feel very seamless. In many ways, it will feel like we’ve been doing it together for many years,” says Eagle on a conference call before the Big Dance.

It sounds seamless too. It’s not underrated to have a good rapport with the folks that you’re working with. Everyone is trying to get used to a new voice and the idiosyncrasies of a new announcer. It’s much less of a chore, when you know and have worked with your co-workers and partners before.  You know what to expect from them, and they know what to expect from you. That’s good.

I think Eagle is killing it in his new role. You could even tell during the Big Ten Tournament that led up to the “Big Dance” that he was not only ready, he was ready to roll. It’s easy to hear how much he loves doing what he’s doing. That’s the case in all of the sports he calls.

Eagle continues to be a shining example of what a network play-by-play announcer should be. He has the ability to combine his talent with some personality, but never at the expense of the action he’s calling. His broadcasts always hit the mark, as he rises to the occasion when the moment calls for it.

What do I mean by personality? He manages to make us laugh, even in some tense moments of a game. He also manages to articulate our thoughts in some situations, like this example from the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. 

Sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson had a report during the UConn/Northwestern game about the superstitions of Huskies’ coach Dan Hurley. He wears the same red dragon underwear and suit as he did last year. Wolfson said Hurley’s wife travels with a portable washing machine to make sure his clothes stay clean. Leading Eagle to ask the question on all our minds:

“Who has a portable washing machine?! I didn’t even know that existed!”

Also in that game, Eagle had a couple of other great moments. UConn big man Donovan Clingan had a couple of swats on one play.

“Denied! Clingan! Denied! Two for the price of one!” Quick thinking and entertaining at the same time. Later when a ball got pinned between the basket and the backboard, Eagle said, “Oooh! A Brooklyn wedgie!”

Great stuff. None of his ‘ad-libs’ sound like they are forced. It’s within the flow of the action and just seem to come to him. It’s pretty amazing to be that quick on your feet, when you’re trying to make sure to get the call correct above all else. I’m sure we’re all in for many more treats like that along the way from Eagle.

In general, when fans are watching a tournament game, they probably aren’t thinking about the preparation that goes into a broadcast. Especially for a play-by-play announcer. The first weekend network announcers calling a couple of games in the same day. There’s also only a day in between the first and second rounds to prep for teams that you may or may not have seen during the college season.  The turnaround is quick and demanding.  

“It feels like an information avalanche in many ways,” Eagle said recently on 670 The Score. “The fact that I’ve done it for so long would make you think, ‘oh, he’s got it down, he has the system, he found the secret sauce.’ No, it feels the same way every year.”

Eagle says even veteran announcers like himself have to manage stress levels and work efficiently once they know which games they’ll call. “The two or three days leading up to the tournament, I must admit, are probably the most angst-riddled of the year because it’s a little bit out of your control.” Eagle told 670 The Score.

Yes, the stress level is great on the broadcasters, but how about what Clark Kellogg continues to do at the NCAA Tournament and the Final Four? For the 8th year, he’ll join Kevin Kugler and Jim Jackson on Westwood One’s broadcast of the Final Four and Championship Game on radio. At the same time, Kellogg will be a studio analyst for the television coverage. How does he pull it off? Following the pregame show broadcast on TV, Kellogg will make his way courtside to the radio broadcast position to join Kugler and Jackson. Then, he will rejoin TV for halftime before repeating the process in the second half and postgame. 

Working this tournament isn’t easy for these broadcasters. It’s a big stage for sure, but as you’ve read, there’s big pressure that goes along with it. The audience is usually huge, and announcers are constantly put under the microscope. Fans want to make sure that you know their team, pronunciations and all. Stories. Bios. All of it. Cut these folks a little slack, information gathering with little time to do it, isn’t exactly simple. They do a damn good job.

Eagle himself, is doing a tremendous job. The 3-man booth works so well because of his ability to keep it all together. He can set up either Raftery or Hill with a serious basketball question, or deliver a great ‘straight line’ to bring out their personalities. It’s a gift. Eagle has that knack for knowing when to go ‘rogue’ and go for that entertaining line, that seems to fit in perfectly. Speaking of fitting fine, those rather large shoes he had to fill, they’re becoming the perfect size.

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Andrew Salciunas Aims to Thrive in Morning Drive on 97.5 The Fanatic

“We are two radio guys that kind of know what we’re doing.”

Derek Futterman

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Andrew Salciunas
Courtesy: Beasley Media Group

When 97.5 The Fanatic midday host Anthony Gargano agreed to a deal to contribute to PHLY Sports, a local digital venture within ALLCITY Network, he was promptly suspended by Beasley Media Group and subsequently sued for breach of contract. Although the two sides eventually reached a settlement and officially parted ways, the future of the daypart was still in question. In the interim time period, the station granted Andrew Salciunas the opportunity to lead a four-hour solo program with producer Ray Dunne. Salciunas had served as Gargano’s producer in the midday slot and still has a strong relationship with the sports media personality today despite no longer working together.

The onerous aspect of the situation, however, was in recognizing that Salciunas was being afforded a chance to prove himself as a host in the marketplace. In the past, he had filled in when Gargano took vacations, but it was not for an extended period of time. Although he was familiar with the flow of a midday program, achieving a successful, yet sudden assimilation into a regular timeslot without a partner was an invigorating circumstance.

“I knew that it was going to be a learning experience because it’s one thing to host a show on Saturday or it’s one thing to host a weekly podcast and you have a week’s worth of content at your disposal,” Salciunas said. “It’s another thing to [be] hosting every single day and needing to come up with new ideas and new angles and new twists on things, so it was a challenge knowing that I was going to have to do that for however long the process was going to be.”

Salciunas received help from program director Scott Masteller, a sports radio veteran who has helped elevate brands and nurture budding talent. Several months later, Masteller asked Salciunas how he would feel about working with morning program host John Kincade. Salciunas replied by saying that it was something he would be interested in doing, and he later added that he already wakes up early and could easily work in morning drive. Salciunas was somewhat nonplussed when he discovered that Masteller’s intention was to have him anchor the program rather than Kincade, who has been hosting in the daypart since January 2021.

In the weeks and months ensuing, Salciunas and Kincade were involved in meetings to plan the new program, which officially made its debut on 97.5 The Fanatic last week and is titled Kincade & Salciunas. Both hosts knew about the program for roughly two months, and Salciunas is surprised that it was kept a secret for as long as it was. Outside of their scheduled meetings, Salciunas was able to speak with Kincade between their shows since they occurred after the other as well. From the onset, he wanted to make his thoughts about the program clear to ensure a smooth transition amid a quest to inform and entertain the audience.

“The first thing I told John when they told us that this was the plan moving forward was that, ‘This is going to be our show,’” Salciunas recalled. “Yes, I might be the guy running the ins and outs out of commercial breaks. I’m the guy that brings on the guests; I’m the guy that brings on the callers, but this is our show. We both have ideas, we’re both passionate about Philadelphia sports teams, we’re both high-energy people, we’re both opinionated and we’re also respectful of each other.”

While there is natural disagreement between Salciunas and Kincade on a variety of sports topics, they make sure not to fabricate their discussions and engender debate for the sake of the show. Instead of feigning their contrarian discourse, there is a legitimate willingness to be genuine with their audience while continuing to put radio first. Salciunas, Kincade and show producer Connor Thomas all contribute ideas for the program to appeal to the audience and continue building the show as a whole. Thomas also had familiarity in working with Kincade since he served as an associate producer on his previous morning program.

“I’m not a former journalist; he’s not a former professional athlete,” Salciunas said. “We are two radio guys that kind of know what we’re doing. Even though our opinions might differ on sports-related stuff, we see doing radio in a similar way.”

Upon Kincade officially joining 97.5 The Fanatic, he demonstrated his magnanimity and commitment to his colleagues by offering to take all of them out to lunch individually to learn more about them. It was a gesture that surprised Salciunas and something that stuck with him, ultimately helping familiarize themselves with one another and subsequently creating a viable on-air product.

“He’s one of those guys who likes getting to know people, and I think that’s helped a lot,” Salciunas said. “We already had that sort of knowledge of one another [and] we already had that relationship, and because we’re just both so bought in and both so hungry, that’s made it so much easier that we’re willing to do whatever it takes to make the show work.”

Before arriving at 97.5 The Fanatic, Kincade had worked at sports radio both at the local and national levels while also hosting a podcast with Hall of Fame center and Inside the NBA studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal. Bringing him back to his home marketplace and realizing success in the morning daypart was valuable as the sports media ecosystem underwent stretches of change. Transitioning to the new morning show iteration without colleagues Bob Cooney and Pat Egan presented its challenges, but Salciunas has had no qualms that Kincade was invested to win. As a result, the transition has been relatively simple in terms of building palpable chemistry among the on-air team.

“He believes in anybody that he works with,” Salciunas said of Kincade, “and knowing that somebody has worked that long as long as he has in sports radio that he values the young person’s opinion, not just in sports but in terms of radio, that goes a long way.”

There is constant communication between the morning show team leading up to a program outside of typical pre-show meetings and twice-weekly conversations with their boss. Salciunas arrives at the station well before the start of the program and compiles ideas from the previous day into a document, along with ideas from others that come during their commutes. Additionally, they continuously monitor the news cycle and determine what to address on the air while also interviewing special guests throughout the week.

Effectuating a fully prepared show rundown by 6 a.m. EST has been marginally difficult, along with the fact that it can be difficult to book guests on short notice before sunrise. Because of this, the program frequently outlines its guests early in the week and makes adjustments as necessary while maintaining fealty towards conveying their true, authentic personalities.

“I’m a little bit more energetic on the radio because I understand the entertainment portion of doing what we do and having to properly express myself,” Salciunas said. “I’m probably not going to scream at a bar, but when I converse with callers; when I converse with John [or] producers… that’s who I am as a person. There’s just a microphone in front of me.”

When he first started working at 97.5 The Fanatic as an intern, Salciunas did not have a goal of eventually becoming an on-air talent. He was content with his role as a producer, which was borne out of an internship where he worked with Jon Marks and Steve Vassalotti. Both station members served as mentors that he utilized to gain information and advice, a fortuitous outcome after Salciunas impetuously applied for the opening.

While Salciunas was matriculating at Temple University, he needed at least three internship credits in order to qualify for graduation. Reflecting back on his education days, he does not regard himself as the best student and recognized that he needed to intern with the radio station to set himself apart. Honing his focus in sports media took time since he had varied interests in areas such as reporting, podcasting and play-by-play announcing, but he ultimately gravitated towards the sports radio format during his time in Philadelphia.

Salciunas made a favorable impression on those with 97.5 The Fanatic and ended up being hired as an associate producer where he learned more about the format and its programming. Eric Camille, a former executive producer at the station, is someone Salciunas regards as seminal to his professional development.

“He was the guy that hired me out of my internship, and then once I started working, he really helped me,” Salciunas said. “He kind of took me under his wing and helped me out a lot.”

Once Salciunas was hired as a full-time producer, he began to work with Mike Missanelli on his midday program, providing an invaluable learning experience to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the sports media industry. As a veteran host who has captivated Philadelphia sports fans and media consumers at large, Salciunas noticed that collaborating on Missanelli’s program was a different experience than the other shows he had done. Whereas a morning drive show is oftentimes one of the first points of reaction on a given day, Missanelli knew that he would need to approach his daypart differently and adopted a paradigmatic style implementing second-level topics.

“It’s not just going on the air and reacting to an Eagles loss,” Salciunas explained. “It’s reacting to a storyline within an Eagles loss or reacting to a storyline within an Eagles win that may generate conversation. Trying to figure out topics that generate conversation but are not just the, ‘Oh wow, I’m angry they lost today,’ and give out the phone number. It’s [trying] to find topics that make people think and make yourself think and make the audience think.”

When Missanelli left the station, Salciunas began his stint working with Anthony Gargano where he began occasionally hosting select programs. The rationale behind his decision to go behind the microphone was that when the Eagles won a Super Bowl championship, the station needed someone to host from 2 to 5 a.m. Salciunas decided to volunteer for the program, presuming that it sounded fun. From that shift on, he continued his work as a producer while also refining his craft behind the microphone in a major market. It deviated from a philosophy perpetuated by former program director Matt Nahigian of limiting the amount of time producers were on the air, assuming that consumers listened to hear the hosts.

“Now you have to be a producer,” Salciunas affirmed. “You look at both radio stations in Philadelphia – a lot of the hosts now were former producers, and so you learn so much of the craft and then you figure out your own role. You figure out how you handle yourself as a host, so I think producing first before becoming a talk show host should be the way to go moving forward.”

Beasley Media Group’s 97.5 The Fanatic shares the Philadelphia marketplace with Audacy-owned SportsRadio 94WIP, and both stations have had intense battles in the ratings over the years. Salciunas shared that most people between the two stations have worked with their competitors at some point in their careers, and there is an evident respect that exists between the two entities. With both outlets introducing new morning shows within the last two years though, Salciunas understands there is a chance to gain ground on the WIP Morning Show, which finished ahead in the four Nielsen XTrends quarterly ratings books last year.

“Clearly if somebody’s behind a microphone in Philadelphia, everybody’s talented, and we’re going to do whatever we can to try to bridge that gap a little bit, and we’re seeing some good strides already,” Salciunas said. “I think having a new show is a big part of that trying to grab that initial audience, but then it’s holding on to that initial audience.”

Being able to achieve this outcome, however, requires a commitment to showcasing talent and different personalities. Salciunas referenced how there was a point in John Kincade’s stint hosting mornings in the daypart’s previous iteration where he gained ground on his crosstown competitor Angelo Cataldi with WIP. Kincade, of course, used to work with Cataldi’s show as a contributor and received a chance to take the air while with the outlet.

“I’ve seen the turn of tides of ratings over the years for every show [and] every time slot, so there’s always an opportunity, but that means we always have to be on our game; that means we always have to be doing the best show possible,” Salciunas said. “We can’t go in the next day and say, ‘Wow, that show was really good yesterday. Let’s have some fun today; let’s make this a lighthearted show.’ No, we always have to be thinking about, ‘Alright, what can we do next to put on another great entertaining four-hour radio show?’”

Over the last several years, there have been several leadership changes at 97.5 The Fanatic responsible for overseeing the slate of programming and station operations. Scott Masteller currently leads the outlet, someone in whom Salciunas has confidence that he can continue to elevate the standing of the station. In his earlier years working with 97.5 The Fanatic, Salciunas had an innovative spirit but was discouraged from taking steps to align with the multimedia evolution. For example, when he offered to do a podcast several years ago, someone at the station questioned his judgment and the reasoning behind the idea.

“I was told by someone, ‘What’s the point in doing that? We’re a radio station,’ and I knew back then that that was a mistake to say,” Salciunas explained. “You shouldn’t say, ‘We’re a radio station;’ that was years ago, so seeing that bosses and market managers and hosts and producers all realizing, ‘Alright, we have to adapt,’ that excites me.”

Possessing the background as a producer lends shrewd and calculated judgment on how to include members of the audience into the program. While there are still open phone lines for callers to chime in, the program has introduced a text line and also engages with the audience through the live chat functionality of YouTube. Having Thomas as a producer of the show has helped in this area as well, with Salciunas sharing that he has a strong understanding of how to create and optimize content for various platforms of dissemination.

“We have a great YouTube audience where they basically have their own community all of a sudden,” Salciunas said. “They’re constantly talking about the show, and sometimes we grab what they’re saying on that YouTube feed because that’s another area of today’s new media where you have another avenue to communicate with people.”

As Salciunas grows accustomed to the early start on 97.5 The Fanatic and his new colleagues in morning drive, he is filled with enthusiasm and the prospect of possibility. The radio station has been the only outlet by which he has been employed since the start of his media career, and he hopes to work there for as long as possible. National radio and television intrigue him going forward, but his priority centers on thriving in the new role.

“I want to try to get 97.5 The Fanatic – because it starts in the morning – back up in the map; back in the top five of the ratings books – and that’s going to take some time,” Salciunas said. “We’re a new show – we’re going to have to figure each other out.”

Salciunas expressed that the last year-and-a-half has been “hectic” in the midday daypart, but there has also been excitement surrounding the ephemerality as well. Taking the microphone in a major market with a dedicated sports fanbase such as Philadelphia is a privilege he does not take for granted, and he aspires to continue excelling in the marketplace for years to come.

“I just started, so I’m not thinking about the next step just yet,” Salciunas said. “I want this to last for a long time – for a very long time. If I never have to leave, that would be great.”

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