Sports Radio News
98.5 The Sports Hub’s Rich Shertenlieb, Joe Murray Spar Over Public Discussion About Question at Corporate Meeting
“Joe, you’re not the victim here. Come on! There were 161 witnesses to what happened.”

Published
1 month agoon
By
BSM Staff
A question asked by 98.5 The Sports Hub evening host Joe Murray during a Beasley Media Group corporate meeting was clowned on Toucher & Rich, leading to an uncomfortable on-air discussion between Murray and Rich Shertenlieb Tuesday.
According to Fred Toucher and Shertenlieb, Murray was late to a corporate Zoom meeting of on-air talents. After joining 25 minutes late, Murray asked the meeting’s leader if they could recap what he missed. He was told that wasn’t possible.
The morning show hosts joked about the question, which led to Murray fielding calls from listeners asking if he could recap what they had missed during his show.
Tuesday, Murray — who was hired to host nights on the station in June — called into Toucher & Rich to give his side of the story.
“I do think you twisted the story, absolutely,” Murray told Shertenlieb. “I really care about this job. That’s why I care about talking about this right now with you guys. But yeah, I don’t know if it went the way Rich says. I didn’t derail the meeting at all.”
“No, no, no. That’s not what happened,” Shertenlieb argued, before ultimately bringing in hosts from other stations to back up his claim. “You’re saying something didn’t happen that 161 people saw did happen.”
“I didn’t ask to start over. I’m not going to win this argument with you,” Murray said. “The reason why I’m calling is you guys said I’m lying about this. I’m not. I never called you guys liars. I don’t appreciate you guys playing something that was a corporate meeting as a bit. And I’m sorry my feelings are in the middle of the bit, here. I’m sorry my feelings are ruining your bit, I really am. But in my defense here, I should not be shamed for asking a question in a Zoom meeting.”
The pair disagreed about whether or not Murray asked for the entire meeting to start over again, before Murray argued he was being “publicly shamed for asking a question”.
“Oh, Joe. Come on. It was a funny story. It was something that’s not even that big of a deal,” countered Rich Shertenlieb. “I don’t know why you’re making a big deal. You asked a question, it was funny, everyone kinda went ‘Oh, boy’, and that was it. That was the end of it.”
“The reason why I care is because you don’t,” Murray shot back. “I care. I care about my job, I’d like to know what’s going on. I’m standing up for myself right now, and I don’t think I should be publicly shamed for asking a question in a company meeting.”
“Ok. Even if the question was ‘Can you start over in the 20 minutes everybody’s been sitting here waiting and do it all over again?’,” Rich Shertenlieb asked. “I’m sorry. I apologize. I thought it was a funny story. Everyone’s been in meetings before where people ask questions that are kind of crazy. I thought it was a funny story.”
“I feel like I publicly can’t ask questions in a meeting now,” retorted Murray.
“That’s not the worst thing in the world,” joked Fred Toucher. “In Zoom meetings, you probably shouldn’t ask questions.”
Murray continued by suggesting that he will be labeled “one of the spookiest characters” by Toucher & Rich this Halloween, which Rich Shertenlieb balked at.
“Joe, you’re not the victim here,” the morning host said. “Come on! There were 161 witnesses to what happened, and that’s why it was so funny, that you’d call us liars when there were so many people who saw what happened.”
“Again guys, I care about this, because it’s important to me,” Murray said. “I care.”
“Yeah, I know,” a dismissive Toucher replied, before giving Murray constructive criticism.
“Can I be honest with you? I know you just got the job, and I understand…just blow it off. The more it bothers you, the more people will just do it. How do I know? I’m an idiot. As you know, Joe, I’m an idiot. I am a moron who is far too sensitive — as you probably know — and I’ve let listeners get to me and turn it into something personal and something that it didn’t need to be. If someone calls in and screws around with you, just blow it off.”
A discussion ensued about whether or not the morning hosts were on “Team Joe”, which the pair pushed back on, saying the reason they were busting his chops was that they were fans of his.
Toucher joked that while Murray was concerned about his ability to ask questions in the corporate meeting, they will not be a determining factor in his career success.
Rich Shertenlieb concluded there was no animosity, saying the conversation “was really weird”. “I guess we can’t talk about Joe any more.”
Sports Radio News
KNBR’s Brian Murphy Speaks for First Time After Paul McCaffrey Laid Off
“Paulie Mac is my guy, will forever be my guy. The best thing I could ever wish anyone is that you get to work with someone as loyal, energetic, funny, consistent as the guy his Jersey buddies call ‘Smack’.”

Published
2 days agoon
December 1, 2023By
BSM Staff
Earlier this week, KNBR underwent a round of layoffs, affecting a pair of programs on the Bay Area sports station, including the departure of longtime morning host Paul McCaffrey. His longtime partner — Brian Murphy — has taken to X to share his thoughts.
In a thread to X, Murphy shared his admiration for McCaffrey, whom he hosted Murph and Mac with for 18 years.
“Paulie Mac is my guy, will forever be my guy. The best thing I could ever wish anyone is that you get to work with someone as loyal, energetic, funny, consistent as the guy his Jersey buddies call ‘Smack’,” wrote Murphy. “So much love.”
Well. So many thoughts, but let’s go with three for now:
— Brian Murphy (@knbrmurph) December 1, 2023
— Paulie Mac is my guy, will forever be my guy. The best thing I could ever wish anyone is that you get to work with someone as loyal, energetic, funny, consistent as the guy his Jersey buddies call “Smack”. So much love. pic.twitter.com/DMTgIjl52U
He then shared that everything listeners and fans of the program have shared on social media has been read by the duo, and thanked them for the outpouring of love and support.
Finally, Murphy addressed his future. Fill-in host Dieter Kurtenbach shared on Thursday he did not have a definitive answer about Murphy’s future with the Cumulus-owned station.
However, Brian Murphy has shared he will return to the airwaves on Monday morning.
“I’ll be back Monday morning on KNBR with our guy Markus (Waterboy) Boucher,” Murphy wrote. “Come on. It’s Niners-Eagles. Wouldn’t miss it. As Paulie Mac’s board itself would say: The show goes on.”
3) I’ll be back Monday morning on KNBR with our guy Markus (Waterboy) Boucher. @MarkusBoucher Come on. It’s Niners-Eagles. Wouldn’t miss it. As Paulie Mac’s board itself would say: The show goes on. pic.twitter.com/0p4IRTUAPd
— Brian Murphy (@knbrmurph) December 1, 2023
Sports Radio News
Mike Mulligan: Sports Radio is More Difficult Than Other Formats Think
He shared that he has worked with people on morning shows that he has seen come to a station fully hungover who play music and proceed to sit on the couch.

Published
2 days agoon
December 1, 2023By
BSM Staff
On Friday morning’s edition of Mully & Haugh on 670 The Score in Chicago, co-host Mike Mulligan outlined the difference with music radio that hosts are not continuously talking to the audience, instead taking mic breaks and then interspersing commentary with different songs.
Filling in for David Haugh on Friday’s edition of the program was Gabe Ramirez, who used to work in the format with B96 as the host of its morning show. Mulligan’s assertion about the differences between the two formats resulted in a conversation about the differences between the grenres, with Ramirez explaining the difficulties that music radio hosts face on the air.
“The music station’s still creating content,” Ramirez said. “You get to have a guest – since I am going to defend my music stations – you get to have a guest and toss them a softball question and listen to them rant for five minutes.”
Mulligan disagreed with this perspective, conveying that he does not feel their program provides guests with easy questions. Additionally, he shared that he has worked with people on morning shows that he has seen come to a station fully hungover who play music and proceed to sit on the couch.
“As a former sportswriter, we sit around and we talk about sports,” Mulligan said. “We talk about the sports we cover and we talk about other sports.”
“You have to talk about Justin Fields seven days in a row,” Ramirez replied. “As a morning show for music, you have to come up with new content every day.”
Rather than taking umbrage towards the response, Mike Mulligan explained that the key to effectively performing his job is being able to discuss important stories of the day even when they are not the headlines. Furthermore, he expounded on the commitment that it takes to watch the amount of sporting events and to be properly informed on the action so he is able to take the air.
“That I will agree with,” Ramirez said. “I’ve told people this – they ask me, ‘What’s the biggest difference?’ The prep, without question, is way more difficult in sports radio because everyone that’s listening to you already knows the answers and you have to be equally if not more informed in all of those things.”
Sports Radio News
Minnesota Twins Set to Tab Cory Provus as New TV Voice, Kris Atteberry as Lead Radio Announcer
Provus has been the radio voice of the Minnesota Twins since 2012.

Published
2 days agoon
December 1, 2023By
BSM Staff
After Dick Bremer exited the Minnesota Twins TV booth in October, the search began for his replacement. The MLB franchise didn’t have to look far, though.
Twins radio voice Cory Provus is reportedly set to become the new TV play-by-play broadcaster for the club, according to a report from Dan Hayes of The Athletic.
Provus has been the radio voice of the Minnesota Twins since 2012. Many immediately tabbed him as the club’s replacement for Bremer, who retired after 40 seasons as the lead television voice of the American League club. Before joining the team in 2012, Provus worked for the Milwaukee Brewers as the number two broadcaster after spending two seasons as the radio pregame host for the Chicago Cubs.
Meanwhile, Kris Atteberry has been signaled as the person set to replace Provus inside the franchise’s radio booth. He has served as the pregame and postgame host for the Minnesota Twins Radio Network since 2007. Atteberry joined the club after spending five years calling games for the then-Independent St. Paul Saints from 2002-2006.
While the television and radio broadcast crews appear set, questions remain about where the team will televise its games in 2024. The club’s contract with Bally Sports North has reportedly expired, and it has yet to sign an agreement with the bankruptcy-laden RSN, or with a local over-the-air television station.