Dave Morrison is a broadcaster, blogger and sometimes movie extra. Dave has worked at such stations as WCAP in Lowell, MA and New Hampshire Public Radio. He can be reached at jdavid.morrison@yahoo.com.

Article Courtesy of: Boston Radio Examiner and Dave Morrison

Listen to the Pats this football season – “Lets take a time on the Patriots 98.5 Sports Hub radio network.”

It sounds like a mouthful for the longtime voice for the New England Patriots, Gil Santos. But, for loyal fans of the team, the recent switchover from 104.1 WBCN-FM to 98.5 (WBZ-FM) could possibly leave many in the dark as far as where to tune in.

Last month, after years of declining ratings, WBCN, or “The Rock of Boston,” announced that they would be signing off, while Mix 98.5 (WBMX-FM) took over WBCN’s frequency at 104.1, as 98.5 became known as “The Sports Hub.” In addition to the Patriots, the new sports hub also announced that they’ve added the Boston Bruins to their lineup. Up until this past season, the Bruins, were most notably heard on the sports hub’s sister station, WBZ 1030 AM.

Confusing? One could make that assessment. But what else remains unclear is the assumption that having the Patriots and Bruins on one station, will automatically prove to be a winner in the ratings. But legacy sports station WEEI 850 AM, which carries both the Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics dropped to a 3.7 rating in July, down from 5.1 back in May, according to arbitron.com.

So, for now, it’s really hard to say if having two of the areas most popular teams on one station will automatically mean success. But in fact, a month after one of the most elaborate frequency (and format) switchover’s in Boston radio history, fans will most likely still be left befuddled. Someone who normally tunes into 104.1 FM to hear Toucher and Rich (now on 98.5) and Patriots football, will still be trying to get used to the concept of hearing Kelly Clarkson on that station.

And while the reality of 104.1 going all Top 40, is sacrilege to some, others might argue that the switchover was a necessity. With the lineup of Toucher and Rich, Gary Tanguay, Scott Zolak, and Tony Massarotti, there are those in Boston radio who are banking on the new 98.5 being at hit. Given the most recent success of teams like the Patriots and Bruins, it almost seems like a no brainer to have both teams on that one station. And with the acquisition of Toucher and Rich from WBCN, one would think that this would be a win-win for the sports hub.

Yet, in a town that is already saturated in sports talk, only time (and next month’s arbitron ratings) will tell if this new venture into FM jock talk is a slam dunk, or just pure overkill.

By Chad Finn Globe Staff / September 4, 2009

Damon Amendolara isn’t even a full month into his gig as the weeknight host on “98.5 The Sports Hub,’’ and already he has proven this to be true:

An unfamiliar voice who makes an effort to be deeply knowledgeable about his subject matter is a considerably more appealing option than a familiar voice that does not.

In a media market in which name recognition too often trumps competence, Amendolara, a 30-year-old New Yorker via (most recently) Miami, is not a retread but a revelation. During his 6-11 p.m. shift (plus occasional weekend duty), he has demonstrated some fundamental characteristics that should be appealing to the discerning listener:

He has a polished and poised radio persona, easing the concerns of Boston fans who fretted upon hearing of the Warwick, N.Y., native’s hiring that he might sound like some shrill combination of Chris “Mad Dog’’ Russo and Liza Minnelli; he treats callers respectfully but keeps the let’s-trade-Jason-Varitek-for-Joe-Mauer crowd on a short leash; and he has a well-considered opinion while willing to hear out those that might be even better considered.

Judging by the feedback received at this address, listeners greatly enjoy Amendolara’s approach, with the word “refreshing’’ being a common refrain. So much for being the outsider.

“It’s kind of like being the new kid at school,’’ said Amendolara. “Everyone is trying to figure out who you are at first. But three weeks in, the reaction has been so good, and everyone has made me feel so welcome. It’s an incredible feeling to have Boston fans embrace the show in this way.’’

For someone so young, Amendolara already has a number of stickers on his suitcase. He joined WQAM in Miami in January 2008, hosting the “The D.A. Show’’ on weeknights. Previously, he worked at Kansas City’s 610 Sports beginning in September 2003 and hosting the morning show from August 2004 to December 2007. He also worked at Sportsradio 770 ESPN in Fort Myers, Fla., shortly after graduating from Syracuse with a degree in broadcast journalism in ’01.

He became familiar to decision-makers at CBS Radio – parent company of the “The Sports Hub’’ – by doing fill-in and overnight shifts on sports radio powerhouse WFAN 660 in New York City while he was home visiting family, most recently in July. That association played a significant role in Amendolara ending up where he is now. When he learned that CBS Radio was starting up stations in various cities, he made it known that if anything opened up in Boston, he’d be interested.

“Everything appealed to me about Boston,’’ Amendolara said. “When I heard about the opportunity, I told them, ‘I’d love to do it in any role you have for me.’

“Money didn’t matter. I wanted to get to a place where the fans really cared about sports, a sophisticated sports market, and those places are on the East Coast – Boston, Philly, New York.

“Being in Miami, there was apathy – people weren’t from there, the games weren’t sold out, there wasn’t the passion. When you’re hosting a sports talk show, you exist in a vacuum; if you don’t have callers, don’t have people listening, then you don’t exist.’’

The natural question when his hiring was announced by “The Sports Hub’’: Who is this guy and what does he know about Boston sports? While Amendolara is not a native son, he has ties to Boston he says are meaningful to him. He attended games at Fenway Park and Boston Garden as a kid and was instantly smitten. And he’s had a number of relatives attend college here.

He was familiar enough with Boston to realize a long time ago that it was a place he wanted to be. But when the hope became a reality, he knew it would be wise to take “a crash course’’ in Boston sports history.

“The Red Sox are always a national story, the Patriots and Celtics, they’re always playing big national games, always on ‘SportsCenter,’ so it’s easy as a sports fan to know about them to a fundamental degree,’’ Amendolara said. “But I knew that coming into this market, you really needed to be plugged into them, to have that depth of knowledge to be able to converse with a caller who has been going to Fenway as long as he can remember, or you’re going to be exposed extremely quickly.’’

So Amendolara immersed himself in the city’s newspapers and sports blogs, read a library’s worth of books about the Red Sox, and grilled his friends in Boston for their insights and opinions. And even then, he knew there was more he needed to do.

“You can read all you want, do all the homework you want, but you really need to know the context of where the passion and the angst lies,’’ Amendolara said. “So much of it is about context and feel.

“You have to know the real history, so I asked a lot of questions, and I’m still asking a lot of questions: ‘What was the relationship between this coach and this quarterback, what was the perception of this outfielder and why,’ that sort of stuff.

“I hate listening to ill-prepared hosts, and for me to walk into a new city and thrust my opinions on people, [that would be] disrespectful.

“This isn’t about building a persona or some sort of contrived character. I’m talking sports for five hours every night. If you have a question, I have to be able to answer it, because no one around here is going to be fooled if you can’t.’’

Bruschi’s next stop

Can’t imagine anyone would disagree that Tedy Bruschi set the standard for graceful goodbyes by a retiring professional athlete.

Bruschi stood out among his peers during his 13 NFL seasons for his ability to articulate his passion for football. His press conference Monday only enhanced his reputation as a gifted speaker.

And his eloquent farewell to his first career may have set the stage for his second.

“Tedy would be a natural on television, radio, as an analyst,’’ said Brad Blank, Bruschi’s agent. “Without even lifting the phone, Tedy had received three radio and three television opportunities, including one national.’’

In fact, Bruschi had barely stepped down from the podium before he received a significant inquiry.

“Not more than five minutes after his press conference was over, ESPN called to gauge his interest,’’ Blank said. “It’s fair to say he’s made his share of good impressions.’’

While Blank said it isn’t a certainty that Bruschi will pursue a media career – coaching is another of Bruschi’s interests – he indicated that the former linebacker is giving it serious consideration.

“We haven’t really gotten into specifics with anyone,’’ Blank said. “The next stop is to take inventory and figure out what the next step is. But I do know that Tedy isn’t going to sit around. He wants to stay busy.’’

In the zone

Forget the first-round draft picks; this is a leading candidate for NFL Rookie of the Year.

The NFL RedZone channel, which is produced by the NFL Network and promises to offer a live, high-definition look at every significant on-field moment during Sunday afternoon games, is ready to launch Sept. 13, the first weekend of the season.

Better yet, it will be available to cable and dish subscribers via three different distributors. On Wednesday, Verizon announced its agreement to carry the RedZone channel through Verizon FiOS TV. That follows previous distribution deals the NFL Network reached with Comcast and Dish Network.

For the diehard NFL fan – in particular the fantasy junkie and those who might enjoy wagering on a game or two – the channel should fast become a favorite. Hosted by Scott Hanson from the NFL Network’s Los Angeles headquarters, the channel will keep fans up to date in real time, switching from game to game with live look-ins, particularly when a team is inside the 20-yard-line.

The goal is for fans to see every important play during Sunday’s games as they happen.

Sounds like a fine way to spend an autumn Sunday, no?

It should be noted that NFL RedZone, which is produced by NFL Network, differs from DirecTV’s Red Zone Channel, which is part of DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket package.

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

By Chad Finn Globe Staff / September 4, 2009

By Douglas Flynn

The Bruins are ready for prime time.   Last year’s success has put Boston’s hockey franchise in the national spotlight, at least as far as the NHL’s network partners are concerned. The league announced its national TV schedule for the 2009-10 season, and the Bruins have earned a couple of prime spots.

They’ll kick off NBC’s coverage when they host Philadelphia in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park on Jan. 1. They’ll also play host to Washington before a national audience on Oct. 1, kicking off VERSUS’ coverage this year on the opening night of the season.   Bruins fans may want to put away the clicker that night, as the second half of the doubleheader features old friend Joe Thornton and the Sharks playing at Colorado.

After the Winter Classic, the Bruins could be on NBC as many as five more times. NBC listed two or three possible games for each of its Sunday afternoon matinee showcases, with the final match-up to be decided 13 days before the broadcast. In the running are Bruins dates with Carolina (Jan. 24), Montreal (Feb. 7), Pittsburgh (March 7), the Rangers (March 21) and Washington (April 11).

The Bruins will also get plenty of exposure on VERSUS, playing seven games on that network – all featured as VERSUS excusive Game of the Week match-ups. In addition to the Washington opener, the B’s will play at Detroit (Nov. 3), vs. Pittsburgh (Nov. 10), at the Rangers (Jan. 4), at New Jersey (March 15), vs. Buffalo (March 29) and at Washington (April 5).

For fans north of the border, the Bruins will make seven appearances on CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada,” though only five of them will be in the traditional Saturday night timeslot. Those include 7 p.m. match-ups with Toronto on Dec. 5, Dec. 19 and April 3, along with a 1 p.m. matinee against Ottawa on Jan. 23 and at Montreal on March 13.

The Bruins play Montreal two other times on CBC: Friday Dec. 4, and Sunday Feb. 7.   Boston also has six games on TSN (Detroit Nov 3., Montreal Nov. 5, Pittsburgh Nov. 10, Rangers Jan. 4, Toronto March 4, Washington April 5), two on TSN2 (New Jersey March 15, Buffalo March 29) and three on the French network RDS (Montreal Nov. 5, Tampa Bay Dec. 2, Montreal Dec. 4). Both CBC and RDS will also televise the Winter Classic on Jan. 1.

The rest of the games will be on NESN as usual, as well as the new radio home at The Sports Hub 98.5 AM, but Bruins fans might need to keep their “TV Guides” handy this year with so many games landing on the network’s national schedules.   Guess that’s the price you pay for success. Douglas Flynn can be reached at feedback@hockeyjournal.com.

August 17  – Ryan McAskill – bostoncomedyexaminer@gmail.com

Toucher Rich WBCN 98.5 Sports Hub

Fred Toucher (left) and Rich Shertenlieb; courtesy cbssports.com

Last Thursday 98.5 The Sports Hub made its debut as Boston’s first FM sports talk radio station but Toucher and Rich fans had to wait an extra day for the duo to premier on their new home.

The current morning show (6-10 a.m. on 98.5) on the Sports Hub, hosted by Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb, made its debut Friday after three years on WBCN. Third chair Crash Clark and contributor Adolfo Gonzalez followed them down the dial.

Jon Wallach, the former sports flash guy from WEEI joins the show doing the Sports Hub Headlines every 20 minutes as well as chiming in from time to time during conversation.

Despite a month of constant on air spots advertising the switch and the pair talking about them moving down the dial there was still some confusion among followers of the show. The guys mentioned all the Facebook messages they were getting after WBCN signed off last week from fans saying how bad it was the they had gotten fired and that they would be missed.

With the change of format, there was much concern among fans that the show would undergo massive changes. So far that has not been the case. While the show is still working out some of the kinks of the switch, it still has everything that made it popular on WBCN.

Popular segments like the drunken Red Sox recap, Crash’s drunken antics and analysis of video bloggers have already made a return, while others like Dating on Demand and the Chili Guy are slated to air again.

With the new format have come some new segments. One that is sure to catch on is Pink Hat Trivia. Done muck like the Drunken Recap, Pink Hat Trivia has Adolfo going to Fenway Park to ask simple Red Sox trivia to “Pink Hat” fans. “Pink Hats” are a phenomenon from the last few years of female Red Sox fans that wear pink hats and know nothing about the Red Sox or the game of Baseball.

Listeners before the switch can expect a very similar show, just with more sports talk. New comers looking for sports talk will find it a welcome alternative to anything else available.

Article Courtesy of:  Ryan McAskill CLICK HERE

Way to go boys!  Now that’s what we want to see…while Sports Radio Talk buries Ortiz and continually barrage JD with negativity or all apologies – f#@king gag me. They each participate in a much needed 9th inning comeback W !!

But The story is of course V Martinez!!

So today we will of course hear about how none of the on air talent had buried Papi or Drew..yadda yadda yadda.. – I’d rather hear Trupiano and Hardy talk about Philly Vick all day long!

Jerry F#@king Trupiano COME ON !!

Great Score!!!

Now I’m wondering if we could create a local All Star team for Boston Sports Radio….Well we’d poach from WEEI and move them to the friggin FM dial where the signal rocks!  The Patriots move to FM was disruptively delicious !  Let’s take Holley to the FM dial !!!

Draft Holley to the FM Dial!Marketing idea for 98.5 The Sports Hub

Get going on Sports Hub Hotties or Hub Hottness – Yep bring on the ladies! A Kentucky signal rolls out these ladies…lets go HUB!

Boston Sport Events needs more than water boys and girls..take it up a notch!  I’m sure with El Pres from Barstool in the mix…the flesh can’t be too far behind.

Late night NON SYNDICATED local show with an edge… give us some options please from national blowhards!!

Congrats on a great launch…!!!

AP photo – Rick Sharp – ( Victor Martinez, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia)

Boston’s first FM sports talk radio station is kicking off today with surprisingly little fanfare.

WBZ-FM, dubbed “98.5 The Sports Hub,” will debut at 6 a.m. with former WBCN [website] disc jockeys Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb of “Toucher & Rich” trying their hand at sports talk.

At 10 a.m., Comcast SportsNet New England’s Gary Tanguay and former New England Patriots [team stats] backup quarterback Scott Zolak will take over.

Veteran Hub sportswriters Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti, who is still writing part-time for the Boston Globe, will go head-to-head against Glenn Ordway’s “The Big Show” on rival WEEI-AM (850) at 2 p.m.

Their debut show will feature Red Sox [team stats] General Manager Theo Epstein and Bruins [team stats] owner Jeremy Jacobs, Felger said yesterday.

Normally, Felger and Massarotti will be on until 6 p.m. But tomorrow, Tanguay, Zolak and Andy Gresh will host the Pats pregame show starting at4 p.m. as the lead-in to the first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“The Sports Hub” has radio rights to broadcast Patriots and Bruins games.

Media watchers think the new station could represent the first real threat to ’EEI, which has enjoyed a local sports-talk radio monopoly in the sports-obsessed Hub for years. But Felger, who has been a guest off and on at ’EEI over the years, wasn’t in the mood to talk too much trash about his colleagues turned rivals yesterday.

“They’re very sensitive to criticism,” Felger quipped. “They tend to overreact. Some of those guys are getting older and we don’t need to upset them.”

Felger said his mission is to carve out a market share and build an audience.

“What we’re doing has nothing to do with ’EEI,” he said. “We’re just going to do a better show. We will be focused, opinionated and passionate. That’s a formula that works.”

Damon Amendolara, most recently from WQAM in Miami, will hold down weeknights at “The Sports Hub,” working from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/jobfind/news/media/view.bg?articleid=1190691

The Sports Hub unveils its on-air lineup

(File photo of Zolak from his playing days: Jim Davis/Globe Staff)

By Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff

Boston’s new sports talk radio station, 98.5 FM The Sports Hub, debuts tomorrow and has announced its starting lineup of on-air personalities.

The station will launch at 6 a.m with hosts Toucher & Rich, who will anchor the morning show from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The team was a popular fixture on the rock station WBCN, which is being pulled off the air by CBS Radio Boston to make room for the new station.

From 10 a.m. to noon, Gary Tanguay of Comcast SportsNet will be teamed with former New England Patriots’ quarterback Scott Zolak (pictured above in a Globe file photo).

The afternoon drive show, from 2 to 6 p.m., will be led by Comcast SportsNet personality Michael Felger and Boston Globe sportswriter Tony Massarotti, who will continue to write for the paper part-time.

The 6 p.m. to midnight hours will feature Damon “D.A.” Amendolara, who recently worked at WQAM in Miami.

“Boston is the greatest sports town in America, and we are very excited to bring Boston sports fans a new content experience,” said Mark Hannon, senior vice president and market manager for CBS Radio Boston, in a release.

The Sports Hub replaces adult contemporary music station WBMX, or Mix 98.5 FM, which moves to 104.1 FM, for many years the home of rock station WBCN. All day today, Mix’s deejays have been alerting listeners to “reset their preset” to the new dial position.

CBS Radio Boston, which owns WBCN, decided last month to take the classic rock station off the air to clear the way for the new station. The Sports Hub will become Boston’s third sports radio offering and will take on sports talk station WEEI-AM (850.)

Boston Sports News – CBS Broadcasting

Aug 12, 2009 Boston Radio Swap Takes Effect

‘The Rock Of Boston’ WBCN Signed Off, Mix Moved Up The Dial – BOSTON (WBZ)

Overnight the landscape of Boston radio changed. WBCN ‘The Rock of Boston’ signed off and Mix 98.5 moved up the dial.

Listeners who tuned into 98.5 on Wednesday heard recorded reminders from Mix personalities that they have moved to 104.1 FM. Thursday, a new all-sports format will take over 98.5, known as ‘Boston’s Sports Hub’ WBZ-FM.

A visit to the WBCN web site reminds fans “The Rock of Boston, 104.1 WBCN has left 104.1, but the music lives on at 98.5FM-HD2″, at WBCN.com and streaming on iPhones and Blackberries.

WBCN’s popular morning team of Toucher & Rich will take over mornings on The Sports Hub.

New England Patriots games will also move to 98.5.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Article Courtesy of Fang’s Bites:  For the COMPLETE STORY Click here.

Word has leaked that Jerry Trupiano will helm a weekend sports talk show at the “new” sportstalkfest in Boston. He will apparently be co-hosting with local personality “Hardy”.

Hardy will be hosting a weekend show on 98.5 The Sports Hub/WBZ-FM with former Red Sox announcer Jerry Trupiano.

On WBCN, former morning man Charles Laquidara was on with afternoon drive personality Hardy and was listing every single person with whom he had worked on the air throughout his 25 year career. In the middle of this long reading, Laquidara suddenly congratulated Hardy on his new gig at The Sports Hub, CBS Radio’s new sports radio station that premieres this Thursday.

Hardy announced that he will be hosting a weekend show on 98.5 The Sports Hub/WBZ-FM with former Red Sox announcer Jerry Trupiano.

Article Courtesy of Fang’s Bites:  For the COMPLETE STORY Click here.