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Boston Sports Radio News – Pete Sheppard Eliminated at WEEI

sportsradioboston — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:35:51 +0000

Sheppard out at WEEI

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff | January 20, 2010

Article Courtesy of: Chad Finn Boston Globe

Pete Sheppard, who spent more than 10 years as a contributor and fill-in host on sports-radio WEEI’s “The Big Show,” has had his position eliminated by Entercom Communications, which owns the station.

“As we continue to operate in challenging economic times, it is with regret that we announce today that we have eliminated Pete Sheppard’s position as sports anchor on “The Big Show,” Entercom said in a press release. “We’d like to thank Pete for his outstanding work . . . [and wish him] the best of luck in his future endeavors and remain extremely grateful for all his contributions over the past decade.”

Sheppard, 42, had been at WEEI since 1994, when he joined the station in a part-time capacity. In 1999, he began co-hosting a weekend show with Jon Wallach, and in ’99 he moved to the highly successful “The Big Show,” where he provided sports updates during breaks, bantered with host Glenn Ordway and the rotating co-hosts, and generally served in the role of a boisterous if occasionally buffoonish everyman with a genuine passion for sports during the drive-time program. Alongside ex-players Fred Smerlas and Steve DeOssie, he also hosted the “Real Postgame Show” following Patriots games.

The news of Sheppard’s departure comes as a surprise. The native of Narragansett, R.I., signed a contract extension with the station in May 2007. While WEEI is facing a significant challenge from sports-radio upstart The Sports Hub, which launched on the FM dial in August, it has maintained and even enhanced its overall Nielsen ratings as well as those in coveted demographics. In December, “The Big Show” finished second in its time slot in the ratings among men 25-54.

What’s next for Sheppard remains uncertain. According to Mike Thomas, the program director at The Sports Hub, Sheppard has not been in contact. Thomas added via e-mail, “If he is interested in working here, he would have to contact me. Although we have a full staff right now.”

Sheppard and Entercom vice president of AM programming Jason Wolfe could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon. But Sheppard’s former colleagues — as well as caller Curt Schilling — acknowledged his absence at length shortly after “The Big Show” went on the air at 2 p.m.

Said Ordway: “We learned last night that the company was going to eliminate the position held by Pete Sheppard over the last 10 years and they are going to outsource the flashes during afternoon drive like they do from certain hours over the course of the day. Obviously we were disheartened to hear that. I spoke with Pete at length last night. Pete does understand the economics of it.

“He was a very unique character . . . he presented his own approach, his own schtick, that of the passionate sports fan.”

Wednesday’s “Sports Flash” update was handled by Chris Villani, a frequent WEEI update anchor who is employed by Metro Networks, the company to which Sheppard’s job has been outsourced.

Pete-Sheppard-Boston Sports Talk Radio

Ordway indicated that Sheppard might be heard on the WEEI airwaves in the future.

“Who knows, down the road, maybe an opportunity happens for him, maybe an opportunity happens back here, when things open up, the economy comes back, and we’re looking at a different set of numbers,” he said.

Ordway, for whom Sheppard often and capably filled in as a host, reiterated that it was a financial decision made by Entercom.

“Even though we have been a very successful radio station, we are part of a larger company, and they have to, in essence, make sure they keep all of their company healthy, and so, therefore, it’s a matter of moving some numbers around to make it all work.”

Later in the program, Schilling, the ubiquitous former Red Sox pitcher who blogs for WEEI.com, called in and expressed his disappointment that Sheppard was gone.

“I probably won’t be heard on WEEI until Pete’s back . . . so I wanted to wish you guys all the best.”

Sports Radio Boston News – Chad Finn Attempts to Sort Out Boston Radio Call Letter Mayhem

sportsradioboston — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:05:01 +0000

ESPN Radio’s Boston affiliate set to sign off

By Chad Finn Globe Staff

ESPN Radio’s Boston affiliate, WAMG-AM 890, will go off the air Monday after four years plagued by a weak signal and limited local programming.

But ESPN, the powerhouse sports network, may not lack an outlet in the Boston market for long. According to multiple industry sources, ESPN is in discussions to air some of its national programming on WEEI-AM 850 during nights and weekends, with WEEI intending to move to an FM station within months. (Entercom Communications, which owns WEEI, also owns two FM stations in Boston: WAAF 97.7/107.3, and Mike 93.7.)

ESPN Radio would then take over the 850 spot on the dial. The new ESPN 850 station would then be affiliated with the ESPN Boston website, which launches Monday.

This development adds to the recent frenzy in Boston sports radio competition, which became considerably more contentious in mid-August, when the CBS Radio-owned “98.5 The Sports Hub’’ launched on WBZ’s FM signal, issuing the first legitimate challenge to WEEI’s local dominance.

WAMG was expected to be that challenger upon its debut in July 2005. It hired former Boston Her ald sportswriter and WEEI contributor Michael Felger to host a drive-time program to go toe-to-toe with WEEI’s “The Big Show,’’ hosted by Glenn Ordway.

But WAMG had no play-by-play affiliations with local franchises, and its national programming struggled in a provincial sports market. In recent months, the station had aired just five hours of local programming daily.

What proved most damaging, WAMG’s signal strength didn’t extend much beyond Boston, and faded to static in the early evening. While a source who previously worked at the station said last night that it had made significant gains in advertising last summer, it failed to make a dent in the ratings. And its future looked even bleaker in July, when Felger left to return to WEEI and contribute to the station’s upstart website. He has since moved to “The Sports Hub,’’ where he hosts the drive-time program.

WAMG, which is owned by the investment firm WallerSutton, is expected to switch formats Monday, though one source at the station said employees were not told what the plan was and there is some belief that the signal will go dark.

Several WAMG staffers, among them on-air personalities Bob Lobel, Kevin Winter, and Chris Villani, were informed of the decision to end the all-sports format Thursday.

Sports Radio Boston News – Senator Curt Schilling Makes his Pitch on WEEI

sportsradioboston — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:40:46 +0000

Schilling Pitching for Kennedy’s Seat?

Appearing on WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan Thursday morning, WEEI.com’s Curt Schilling called the chances of him running for the Massachusetts’ vacant Senate seat “slim to none” but still wouldn’t rule out the possibility, stating that the decision would come down to the feelings of his wife, Shonda, and family.

Talking about the prospects of actually winning the seat if he did run, Schilling said, “I wouldn’t even remotely consider it if I wasn’t planning on winning it.”

Schilling also addressed some of his critcs, who say that he doesn’t have the credentials to run for office, saying, “My credentials are I have no baggage. I have no special interest, I have no ties.” He then added, “I wouldn’t call them credentials as much as I would call them advantages.”

More about Senator Curt Schilling from the D.C. WRITEUP

Posted By adamsylvain

In the wake of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy’s death last week, reports have been circulating about who may fill his seat. The Associated Press broke a story Thursday revealing that former major-league pitcher Curt Schilling may be considering a run for the seat.

When asked about his political future, Schilling was non-committal, but did say, “I do have some interest in the possibility.”

A registered independent, and an outspoken Republican supporter, Schilling has made his voice heard in politics before. He was especially vocal in the past two presidential elections as he supported Republican candidates John McCain and George W. Bush. Schilling has also been forthright on issues such as steroids in baseball, and has been a steady advocate for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

Schilling further discussed his future Thursday morning on the Dave & Callahan Show, a Boston-based, sports-radio show. Confirming the notion he wouldn’t be holding his tongue, Schilling said, “You can make an argument that everybody wants fresh blood and somebody who doesn’t know how to play the game. But what people say and what actually happens are often two very different things.” Schilling admitted he would likely take some heat for his support of Bush in the 2004 election. “I supported Bush. I supported Bush is the number one reason. That’s the reason people wouldn’t vote for me.”

Schilling has been on a World Series winning team three times. He earned his first ring as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, and went on to win two more with the Boston Red Sox, in 2004, and 2007. Schilling is famous for pitching on an injured ankle in game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship series with blood soaking through his sock. The Red Sox would go on to win game 7 and the World Series, breaking an 86-year World Series drought.

As for a timeline on a decision? “I don’t know. I don’t know. It will be based on a lot of things. There has to be some things done by specific dates. I’m not sure of all the rules and regulations because I haven’t looked into them. We’ll think through it and when the time comes to talk about it, we’ll do that as well. Obviously, it will have to be in relatively short order.”

Article from THE D.C. WRITEUP: http://www.thedcwriteup.com

URL to article: http://www.thedcwriteup.com/2009/09/schilling-pitching-for-kennedy%e2%80%99s-seat/

The Massachusetts Dilemma: Curt Schilling (R) For Senate

Article Courtesy of: NPR

As a long-suffering Yankees fan — have I reminded you we haven’t won the World Series since 2000??! — I still have this image ingrained in my head: Curt Schilling, he of the bloody Red Sox and the legendary Bloody Red Sock — shutting down the Yankees, part of the team that came back from an 0-3 deficit against New York and then went on to sweep the 2004 World Series.

Schilling is now talking about possibly getting in the race for the Senate seat left vacant by the Aug. 25 death of Edward Kennedy.

Schilling is a god in much of Red Sox Nation, mostly (but not only) for his gritty performance in the ’04 playoffs in bringing Boston its first World Series since Woodrow Wilson was president.

But here’s the rub: Curt Schilling is a Republican. Or at least, a conservative. And Massachusetts is as blue a state as they come. Barack Obama carried it with 62 percent of the vote. The governor, both senators, and all ten House members are Democrats. No Republican has won a Senate seat here since 1972. No Republican has succeeded a Democratic senator since 1946.

Officially, Schilling is registered as an independent. But he campaigned for President Bush in 2004 — when he was opposed by Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry — and John McCain in 2008 (neither of whom was what you might call “popular” candidates in the state). Were he to run, it would be interesting what would be more significant — his red and white uniform, or his red and white politics.

Schilling, in an interview with the Boston Herald, had this to say: “We’ve got a political system and a group of people that suck, and that needs to change.”

Levi Johnston couldn’t have said it better himself.

Other potential Republican candidates include former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, who served under then-Gov. Mitt Romney, and state Sen. Scott Brown.

Meanwhile, one bit of news today: state Attorney General Martha Coakley announced she will run in the special election to succeed Kennedy. The other Democrats whose names have been bandied about are apparently waiting to see if a Kennedy gets in the race, specifically ex-Rep. Joe Kennedy. But Coakley, the only Democratic woman on the list, seems to be in it regardless of who else decides to run. She also has less campaign money than many of the other would-be candidates, and perhaps needed more of head start.

Upcoming dates to keep in mind:

Sept. 9 — Mass. state legislature holds hearing on whether to change Senate succession law (which currently does not allow the governor to make an interim appointment in the event of a vacancy).

Dec. 8 — Special Senate primaries.

Jan. 19 — Special Senate general election.

Sports Radio News- WEEI Interview with Tom Brady – Show Me Where it Hurts Tommy

sportsradioboston — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:55:04 +0000

Pats QB Tom Brady on if his shoulder will allow him to play in the opener: “I’m certainly expecting that.”

Tom Brady just finished up his weekly interview with WEEI Radio, and this Monday’s edition was a little more action-pacted. Plenty of issues to discuss, including his ailing shoulder, his status for the Bills game, Tedy Bruschi’s impending retirement, and Kevin O’Connell being released.

But first, the guys from the Dennis & Callahan Show asked him about the opener and if he believes he’ll play.

“I’m certainly expecting that,” Brady said. “It was fun to be out there last Friday night against a very talented team. The team palyed well in some aspects and in some ways, we still have plenty of room for improvement. As for my shoulder, I just fell awkwardly. Anytime a 350 pound man lands on you, most people would be a bit sore, which I was. A lot of players on the team have bumps and bruises and I have bumps and bruises. But I’m expecting to be out there.”

Brady said he’s looking forward to the prepration for this week’s exhibition game against the Giants and for gearing up for the Bills. While he said he’d love to play this week, that decision is up to coach Bill Belichick, “and traditionally he doesn’t let us play.”

We believe that Brady is out this week, but you can undertsand him saying what he did. As for making a definite prediction about his shoulder, he asked, “We don’t play for two weeks. What does it matter how confident I am? You wait for Sept. 14.”

There were a bunch of other topics addressed, so here is a rundown…

Brady, on that alleged conversation with Chad Ochocinco: “Yeah, I don’t remember talking to him. I think Ochocinco can be a little bit evasive at times.”

Brady, on his first thoughts after Albert Haynesworth hit him: “Damn, that guy was heavy. That’s what I was thinking. Albert Haynesworth is one of the best defensive lineman we play against. He kind of drifted a little bit, I think I drifted into him. He made a good play, and I just landed awkwardly on the ground. Coach made the decision at halftime, and that was the last time I was out there.”

Brady, on if he immediately freaked after the hit: “I don’t think so. Last year, when I got hit (in the knee) — and this is going back a long way — I knew it was bad. The pain didn’t go away. It was a lot of trauma to that injured area, and it lasted for a long time. … I couldn’t avoid it, but there is an art to taking hits. Part of conditioning is to be strong and flexible to be able to withstand hits.”

Brady, on O’Connell’s release:” We’ve been away from the team for 48 hours, and I haven’t talked to anybody, but you see the reports and if they’re true… I really enjoyed Kevin. He’s a great person, a very talented player, and it’s a very competitive position. Kevin worked very hard, and he does have a bright future. It’s really always tough this time of year when guys who you have a lot of respect for don’t end up being part of your roster.”

Brady, on if he had an MRI or X-ray: “I always rely on our doctors and trainers. It’s just part of getting hit. When you get hit, you get sore, and when you get sore in the shoulder, as a quarterback, you take a little precaution. It’s apparently, progressing, I’m confident. … I know when a 350-pound man falls on me, I can handle it. That gives me confidence.”

As for what Brady said about Bruschi… that needs its own entry.

Sports Radio Boston News – Bleacher Report – Brady Hurt? Brady OK?

sportsradioboston — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:47:30 +0000

Fear Not Patriots’ Fans, Brady To Moss Is Okay

Courtesy of Bleacher Report: CLICK HERE

by Andrew THE RUINER Cahill (Columnist) Written on August 29, 2009

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

So basically everyone now is hearing about how Tom Brady was “hurt” last night by Albert Haynesworth “hit.”

Let me first say that there is absolutely no need for defensive players to be following through like that on quarterbacks. It may seem that I am biased in this opinion, considering I am a Patriots fan, and obviously am sensitive about Brady’s health.

Earlier in the game, Vince Wilfork made a similar hit on Jason Campbell, and my first reaction was to say, “what are you doing, Vince!”

Tom Brady is going to decimate all this year, as evidence by his clicking with Wide Receiver Randy Moss last night, when he was 12 of 19, throwing 150 yards and 2 TDs in two quarters. Both touchdowns were to Moss on two picture perfect plays.

With that said, we may not see Tom Brady next week, but know that this isn’t going to keep him from embarrassing the Bills on Monday Night Football in a couple weeks. Here is why:

He reached out with his right arm to be picked up.
He swirled his arm around on the sideline afterward.
He was throwing the ball around as well. Showing no pain or grimace on his face.
The Patriots actually said something about it: “sore shoulder.” This is a good, considering they would have had no comment had it been serious.
Chad Johnson Tweeted how he got a message back from Brady saying he was fine (they’re friends).
Bill Belichick said today, “Tom had a desire to play, but we made a football decision to play other players because I think we need to see them at that position, and make an evaluation there. That’s what I’m saying.”
Tom is scheduled to make a radio appearance on WEEI on Monday, and in my opinion, had it been really serious this would not be happening.
Brady has been listed as “Probable-Shoulder” ever since he hurt that same shoulder back in 2002, and look what he had done since then.
Former Patriot quarterback Drew Bledsoe had a similar injury which only kept him out for two weeks.
Perhaps worrying about his shoulder, will help keep his mind of his knee and actually help him overall.

Fear not Patriots fans, this is only a troubled time for every Patriots opponent this year, considering Brady to Moss is in high gear yet again.

Courtesy of Bleacher Report: CLICK HERE

Sports Radio Boston – Chad Finn – Mike Reiss Snubs Globe & Defects to ESPN Boston

sportsradioboston — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:59:31 +0000

Article Courtesy of: Boston Sports Media - Boston Globe/Boston.com

ESPN jumps into local fray with website

By Chad Finn Globe Staff / August 28, 2009

While discussing the flurry of transactions in the local sports media, a source at a popular Boston website recently mused, “There are not a lot of allegiances anymore. Every man for himself. It’s really become a free-for-all.’’

Yesterday, a well-known but unexpected player entered the fray. And did it ever land an important piece.

Mike Reiss, the Globe and Boston.com’s prolific NFL writer, is departing to join ESPN Boston, the sports network’s second city-specific site as it attempts to strengthen its national brand with a local online presence in the nation’s largest and most passionate sports cities. The site will launch Sept. 14, an ESPN spokesman confirmed.

“Adding Boston to ESPN’s local-sites network is a natural fit for our goal of serving sports fans,’’ said Jim Pastor, senior vice president for ESPN business divisions. “It is one of the nation’s premier sports towns and home to one of the strongest and most passionate fan bases in the world.’’

The relentless Reiss, whose “Reiss’s Pieces’’ blog has been a trusted resource for Patriots information since he came to the Globe in July 2005 after making his mark at the Metro West Daily News, is a shrewd initial hire, an indication that ESPN has done its homework on what has succeeded in the Boston marketplace.

“We have lots of online competition now in sports,’’ said Globe editor Martin Baron. “Our numbers show that we’ve been very successful before in meeting competitive challenges. And I can tell you that we’re determined to remain successful.

“We’re very sorry to lose Mike Reiss. But talent runs deep in our sports staff. We’ll draw on the other great sports journalists who work here, and we’ll bring in some new talent, too.’’

Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation indicate that ESPNBoston is pursuing other Globe writers. Sources at WEEI and the Boston Herald indicate that they are unaware of ESPNBoston pursuing any of their staffers, and The Sports Hub 98.5 website is still in the fledgling stage. And there will be yet another player on the local media scene soon, when Comcast Boston premieres a site that intends to compete with Boston.com, WEEI.com, and ESPNBoston, among others, in covering local teams.

ESPNBoston’s Sept. 14 launch date is not coincidental; it is the day of the Patriots’ season opener against the Buffalo Bills on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.’’ Reiss will travel with the Patriots, though it remains uncertain whether writers on other beats will go on the road to cover their teams.

ESPNBoston is the network’s second locally branded site; ESPNChicago debuted in mid-April. It has been a tremendous success, particularly regarding the most important factors to advertisers: visitors and page views. ESPNChicago (espn.go.com/chicago) had more than 700,000 unique visitors in July, up 19 percent compared with June, and 87 percent unique visitors since May. It quickly surpassed the traffic numbers for the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times websites to emerge as the most visited sports site in the city, although there is skepticism as to whether ESPN is including numbers from repurposed stories on the main site.

ESPNBoston intends to closely follow the blueprint of ESPNChicago, emphasizing its deep reservoir of ESPN-produced content while also utilizing aggregation and links to other sites in an effort to become the destination site for local sports.

Like the Chicago site, ESPNBoston will emphasize logical, symbiotic affiliations and integrations with various branches of its own brand. It will feature a brief daily “SportsCenter’’ regional highlight package as well as a partnership with the local ESPN Radio affiliate. Currently, ESPNBoston does not have a website, instead redirecting to ESPN Radio 890-AM’s site.

The appearance of the ESPNChicago website is certainly familiar: it is virtually identical to the ESPN mother ship’s home page, except, of course, that all of the content is localized, including all of the news links down the righthand column.

Among the national ESPN personalities who have contributed at ESPNChicago are columnists Gene Wojciechowski (a former Tribune sportswriter) and Chicago native Scoop Jackson. ESPN has a roster of columnists and contributors with significant Boston ties, including Bill Simmons, who writes the popular “Sports Guy’’ column and also hosts an entertaining podcast, baseball guru Peter Gammons, and NFL analyst Michael Smith.

ESPN confirmed that Simmons, Gammons, and Smith will contribute to ESPNBoston, though much if not all of their work is expected to be repurposed from ESPN’s main site.

Nonetheless, their contributions will be a tremendous asset. As one source at a competing Boston sports website put it, “If they come up with a creative way to spin Simmons’s and Gammons’s traffic as part of their site here, their numbers are going to be insane.’’

ESPN announced July 20 that it planned to follow its successful debut in Chicago by launching city-specific sites in Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York. ESPNDallas.com is expected to launch within the next couple of weeks, to coincide with the Dallas Cowboys’ opener.

ESPNLosAngeles and ESPNNewYork are slated for early next year, and other cities that already have ESPN Radio affiliates are likely destinations. According to sources with knowledge of the situation, ESPN is intent on expanding into virtually every major media market, with the possibility of regional branches down the road.

Eyebrows were certainly raised in Boston when the sports-mad region, home to six professional championship teams this decade, wasn’t listed among ESPN’s second wave of localized sites. After yesterday’s developments, perhaps the initial absence was part of the plan.

“We started hearing [ESPNBoston’s arrival] was a possibility weeks ago,’’ said a source at a competing local sports website. “But it certainly does seem to have been a clandestine operation.’’

Until yesterday, that is, when the local sports media’s seemingly never-ending game of musical chairs saw Reiss switch seats.

“Everyone is scrambling right now to position themselves in the best way possible,’’ a source from a competing website mused. “Only time will tell what the best situations actually are.’’

Chad Finn can be reached at finn@globe.com

Chad Finn Touching All the Bases

Sports Radio Boston – WEEI Press Release

sportsradioboston — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:40:00 +0000

Red Sox Radio Broadcasts Return to WEEI

Courtesy of: Fang’s Bites

August 25, 2009 (Boston) — Entercom New England announced today that, effective with the team’s game against the Chicago White Sox Wednesday evening, August 26th, all future Boston Red Sox games will be carried on WEEI 850 AM in Boston, the flagship station of the WEEI Sports Radio Network.

From 1995 to 2006, Red Sox games were carried exclusively on WEEI. In 2006, the games were shifted to Entercom sister station WRKO AM 680.

“We have a tremendously close partnership with the Red Sox, and are very excited to bring them back to WEEI,” said Jason Wolfe, Entercom New England’s Vice President of AM Programming. “This move will add consistency to our lineup, whereby all of our sports assets will be consolidated in the same place. There’s no better compliment to the Boston Celtics, Patriots Monday and Patriots Friday, Sunday Night and Monday Night NFL football, the Super Bowl and NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, than adding Red Sox baseball back to nation’s biggest sports radio station.”

Added Julie Kahn, Entercom New England Market Manager/VP: “We’re delighted to bring the Red Sox back to their original home on WEEI. The Red Sox and WEEI have a long history together and it’s a partnership that’s a win for all – WEEI, the Sox and the Boston sports fans.”

“Our partnership with Entercom ensures that Red Sox fans know where to go for the best, most compelling sports news and features on radio,” said Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino. “Today’s announcement marks a return home for us, and now all of Red Sox Nation will know they can turn to WEEI to catch every Red Sox game all season long.”

WEEI is the nation’s highest rated sports radio station, a three time Marconi Award Winner, and home to Dennis and Callahan, Dale and Holley, The Big Show with Glenn Ordway and Planet Mikey with Mike Adams. The WEEI sports radio network includes the following stations:

WEEI-850 AM      Boston, MA
WEII-96.3 FM      Cape Cod, MA
WEEI-103.7 FM   Providence, RI
WVEI-105.5 FM   Springfield, MA
WVEI-1440 AM    Worcester, MA
WPEI 95.9 FM     Portland, ME
WEEY-93.5 FM    Keene, NH
WAEI-AM-910 AM / WAEI 97.1 FM    Bangor, ME

Sports Radio Boston News – Bye Bye Big Show?

sportsradioboston — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:33:24 +0000

98.5 The Sports Hub: Bye Bye, Big Show

With the advent of a new sports talk radio station in Boston, 98.5 The Sports Hub, long time WEEI listeners including Bleacher Report writer BHL will finally have another listening option for the afternoon commute.

Long tired of Glen Ordway’s The Big Show, a yahoo and fat slob-centric shouting fest, Bleacher Report writer BHL is highly excited that 95.8 will feature Comcast SportsNet’s Michael Felger in the weekday 2—6 p.m. time slot.

Felger, a favorite of some for his objective view of the Boston sports scene, and his lack of fear when making assertive and unique viewpoints, will be a refreshing treat for sports crazed Bostonians each afternoon.

On the whole, The Sports Hub appears to be the first strong competition for WEEI in recent memory. The station has put together a respectable cast of sports radio personalities. The morning show, with former WBCN jocks Toucher & Rich, would appear to be the only shortcoming on the new station.

Note: For a similar analysis written by BHL of WEEI’s daily programs, please see BHL’s February 2009 article, “How to Improve the #1 Rated Sports Station in the Country”.

BHL’s analysis on a show-by-show basis:

6—10 a.m.: Toucher & Rich will most likely fail in their attempt at competing with Dennis & Callahan. This would not be a surprise.

10 a.m.—2 p.m.: Rumors have it that the mid-day show on 98.5 will include Gary Tanguay, long associated with Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of the Boston Celtics. Alongside Tanguay will be Scott Zolak, former backup quarterback of the New England Patriots.

In BHL’s opinion, Dale & Holley is seemingly the best show on WEEI. With that established, Tanguay and Zolak will have a difficult time competing for listeners. Given that each Tanguay and Zolak are established and well-versed personalities, this should be an interesting and competitive battle.

2—6 p.m.: Upon Michael Felger’s decision to join 98.5, WEEI removed all traces of Felger from their website and from their radio programs.

While the fallout at WEEI from Michael Felger’s departure was a tad bizarre if not immature, it also points to how strong the competition between these two stations will be.

The Big Show’s usual “the Yankees are in shambles, they’re done” party in June, followed by the “we never said the Yankees were done, we never said that” denial festival in August, will now go unheard by at least a few.

Pete Sheppard’s apologist viewpoint of the New England Patriots is mildly entertaining, and this appears to be all The Big Show has going for it. If Sheppard could be shifted to 98.5 to sit with Felger, this would be the ultimate show.

Felger’s debut in the 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. slot will mean that Bleacher Report writer BHL will have listened to the Big Blow for the final time.

6 p.m.—11 p.m.: The nighttime shows on 98.5 have not been announced, but just about anything can succeed in gaining listeners over WEEI’s Planet Mikey (weeknights 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.).

Along with the daytime talk shows, 98.5 will include game coverage of the Patriots and the Boston Bruins. This matches WEEI’s Red Sox and Celtics game coverage.

All in all, 98.5 appears to be a well-rounded sports station, save for the morning slot. Let’s just hope the same regurgitated callers don’t pollute the new station. Frank from Gloucester, Steve from Fall River, Angelo in Everett, you name it. One can only hope they have not heard the news that a new location to receive their diarrhea phone calls is now in existence.

Note: It has been strangely difficult to find press releases related to 98.5′s debut, as well as the personalities on each show, so any inaccuracies noted above may be attributed to this very issue. SPORTS RADIO BOSTON AGREES!!!

Sports Radio Boston News – NESN

sportsradioboston — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:40:14 +0000

Courtesy of: Sports Media - Boston Globe

NESN coverage goes with flow

By Chad Finn Globe Staff / July 31, 2009

It will be tough to duplicate the frenzied drama leading up to last season’s Major League Baseball trading deadline, when the Red Sox dealt enigmatic slugger Manny Ramirez in the final moments before the 4 p.m. cutoff and NESN’s live coverage of the breaking news memorably included a reporter departing the set during a live shot to take a call on his cellphone.

Then again, Tom Caron knows it’s wise to expect the unexpected on deadline day.

“Oh, yeah, it can be strange,’’ said Caron, who for the “third or fourth year’’ by his estimation will serve as the studio host of NESN’s coverage of today’s MLB trading deadline beginning at 3 p.m. “You can go on the show with nothing, as we did last year when there wasn’t too much buzz around the Sox, and then right around the deadline things got crazy when we got wind that there’s something going on with Manny, and all of a sudden it’s rapid-breathing time.

“I learned a long time ago you can’t try to be Regis Philbin on a show like this,’’ he added. “You really can’t go into it with any kind of game plan, because you just don’t know how it’s going to play out. You just have to roll with the punches and wait to see what happens.’’

No matter what happens, NESN has a full roster of analysts ready to dispense rumors and information from three locations. Caron will be joined in the main studio by the Globe’s Tony Massarotti and the Boston Herald’s Steve Buckley. Gordon Edes of Yahoo! Sports will be situated at the “NESN SportsDesk’’ set and will provide analysis on other teams’ moves, while Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo, NESN reporter Heidi Watney, and NESN analyst Dave Roberts will check in from Baltimore.

“It’s great to have such a deep group of writers and resources, because it allows us to fill a 60-minute, 90-minute, 100-minute show if need be,’’ said Caron, who notes that the Sox have made the biggest deal at three of the past five deadlines (Ramirez last year, Eric Gagne in 2007, Nomar Garciaparra in ’04).

Should the Sox make a trade of significance this year, the show will actually run for three hours, right up until the start of the “The Boston Globe Red Sox Pregame Show’’ at 6 p.m.

“We plan to stay on the air as long as we need to get all of the information out and make sure everything is completed,’’ said NESN vice president of programming and executive producer Joel Feld. “Last year, things were sort of winding down in the control room, 15 or 20 minutes past the deadline, then all of a sudden the Manny trade was confirmed.

“With the extra schedule flexibility this year, we’re prepared for just about anything that should happen.’’

Merloni’s a keeper

Score the first point for WEEI 850-AM in its impending battle for Boston sports radio supremacy with WBZ-FM’s “The Sports Hub 98.5,’’ which launches Aug. 13.

While “The Sports Hub’’ seriously pursued Lou Merloni to serve as Michael Felger’s cohost on its afternoon show, he decided this week to remain in the cast of cohosts on WEEI’s “The Big Show.’’

The former Red Sox utilityman has already proved just as versatile in his second career, quickly becoming respected as an analyst since retiring as an active player following the 2007 season and joining “The Big Show’’ in March 2008. He is a regular on Comcast SportsNet studio programs, and recently filled in capably as the host on “The Baseball Show’’ after Felger’s departure from the program.

While Merloni sometimes falls into the condescending, “Have you ever played the game, caller?’’ habits of the ex-jock cohosts on “The Big Show,’’ he has proven to be a reasonable and insightful observer.

The straight-shooting Merloni would have been a fine pairing with the contrarian-for-the-fun-of-it Felger at “The Sports Hub,’’ though indications are that the station already has a well-known and appealing alternative in mind.

Dandy Don

An overdue tip of the cap to Don Orsillo, who has provided steadiness and stability as the play-by-play voice on NESN’s Red Sox telecasts in the absence of longtime analyst Jerry Remy, who took an indefinite leave of absence May 6 to recuperate from lung cancer surgery. While NESN remains mum on the intensely private Remy’s status, the network continues to utilize a parade of analysts in his absence. Bob Montgomery, who spent 14 seasons (1982-95) providing color on Sox telecasts on Channel 38, became the 25th analyst to fill in alongside Orsillo this season during yesterday’s telecast . . . Comcast SportsNet’s “Mohegan Sun Sports Tonight’’ will air at 6 tonight, an hour earlier than usual, to provide additional MLB trading deadline coverage . . . The NFL Network will become available to thousands more Boston-area Comcast cable television subscribers tomorrow when it switches from the subscription-only sports tier to the digital classic level.

Sports Radio Boston News – WGBH – Beat the Press Video

sportsradioboston — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:23:56 +0000

The Boston Globe-WEEI feud finally ends

The Boston Globe-WEEI feud finally ends
posted on August 7, 2009

Boston Globe sportswriters have been barred from appearing on WEEI since 1999. This week they have announced that Globe writers will be back on the sports station. Was this new move prompted by a new all sports FM station starting up next week?