Sports Media Digest- April 2, 2013

Mike Francesa Signs Contract Extension with WFAN/CBS Radio–  WFAN in New York and CBS Radio have announced that longtime afternoon drive radio host Mike Francesa has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the station through 2017.  Francesa will also bring his long running Sunday morning “The NFL Now” show toCBS Sports Radio beginning this fall.  The program is broadcast live on WFAN from 9:00AM-12:00Noon, ET and will be available to more than 250 affiliate radio stations nationwide.

More People Continue to View NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Online–  Turner Sports, which maintains the March Madness Live site where viewers can watch the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament online, reports the project has garnered 45 million live streams, up a staggering 158% over 2012 to date.  12.6 million hours of combined live viewing has been consumed, an all-time high.

Tiger, NCAA Tourney on this Week’s Sports Illustrated Covers–  This week’s edition of Sports Illustrated looks at the resurgence of Tiger Woods as well as previewing this week’s Final Four.  There are three covers for the week:

Sports Media Digest- March 5, 2013

NHL Action Scores Big on NBC and NBC Sports Network– NBC Sports has announced that Sunday’s NHL action on NBC and NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) gave each network a new high in terms of regular season ratings.  The NBC game between the Blackhawks and Red Wings had a rating of 1.6, the best-ever regular season rating for the network and 60% above last year.  NBCSN’s coverage of the Canadiens and Bruins had an audience of 813,000 viewers, the most-watched Sunday night regular-season game in the network’s history.

NBA Double Header Sunday on ABC–  ABC will have a NBA double header this Sunday as part of its NBA Sunday Showcase. Tip-off begins at 1:00p.m. ET as the Celtics take on the Thunder with Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown and Heather Cox on the call.   At 3:30p.m. ET Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Lisa Salters have the call as the Lakers host the Bulls.

ESPN Announces Initial Slate of SEC, ACC and Big 12 College Football Games–  ESPN today announced a slate of six games in its early release of match-ups featuring teams in the SEC, ACC and Big 12.  Other schedules will be released at a later date.  Here is the early list of games and the networks on which they will be telecast:

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Network
Thu, Aug 29	6 p.m.	North Carolina at South Carolina *	ESPN
	9:15 p.m.	Ole Miss at Vanderbilt	ESPN
Sat, Aug 31	5:30 p.m.	Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game: Virginia Tech vs. Alabama (Atlanta)	ESPN
	8 p.m.	Georgia at Clemson	ABC
	9 p.m.	Cowboys Classic: TCU vs. LSU	ESPN
Thu, Oct 24	7:30 p.m.	Kentucky at Mississippi State	ESPN

Feinstein goes One on One with Costas on CBS Sports Radio Special– CBS Sports Radio has announced that part of his mid-morning program, John Feinstein will go One on One with some of the top news makers in sports. Tomorrow at 11:00a.m. ET Feinstein will sit down and interview NBC Sports personality Bob Costas.  Future guests for the weekly segment will include David Stern, Tom Watson and Steve Kerr.

Kentucky Hoops Part of Turner Documentary–  Turner Sports says that it will look into the history and legacy of the University of Kentucky basketball program in its next documentary to air on truTV.   The documentary provides a chronology of the Wildcats’ history from its origins through the 2012 NCAA championship team.  Bluegrass Kingdom: The Gospel of Kentucky Basketball will debut March 17th at 8:00p.m. ET.

NASCAR Nationwide Series this Weekend from Las Vegas on ESPN– The next stop in the NASCAR Nationwide Series will take place this Saturday from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  Alan Bestwick will be joined by Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree for the call of the race while Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch report from the pits.  Action begins at 4:00p.m. ET.

In Play with Jimmy Roberts Debuts Next Tuesday– The Golf Channel will debut its new monthly program with host Jimmy Robert next Tuesday, March 12th at 10:30p.m. ET.  In Play with Jimmy Roberts will be a world-wide effort to uncover the most compelling stories in golf.

CBS Sports Radio at Super Bowl XLVII

With CBS having the TV rights to this year’s Super Bowl, it makes sense that the recently-launched CBS Sports Radio will also have a big presence at that the game in New Orleans.

The network announced yesterday that all its weekday shows will originate from New Orleans that week.  Beginning on Monday, January 28th the CBS Sports Radio line-up will be broadcasting from the Super Bowl Media Center.  Tiki Barber, Brandon Tierney and Dana Jacobson kick things off daily at 6:00a.m. ET, followed by John Feinstein (9:00AM-12:00Noon, ET), Jim Rome (12:00Noon-3:00PM, ET) and Doug Gottlieb (3:00-6:00PM).

CBS Sports Radio will also provide broadcasts on Saturday and Sunday, February 2nd and 3rd, with some programs hosted by Tierney and weekend host John Kincade.

“All of our shows are off to a great start and we are eagerly anticipating being on site for the world’s biggest sporting event,” said Eric Spitz, Director, Programming, CBS Sports Radio.  “What makes radio so captivating is its ability to react in real time to the day’s news and events, and get up close and personal with callers and guests.  And nothing matches the excitement and spectacle of the Super Bowl.  With this winning combination, we intend to capture the enthusiasm of Super Bowl week and give our listeners the feeling they are in the center of the action.”

CBS Sports Radio Announces Weekend Line-Up

CBS Sports Radio officially launched its national network this week.  It has not finalized its weekend line-up, which begins work tomorrow.

“We’ve put together a tremendous lineup of experienced hosts from some of the most well-regarded sports stations,” said Eric Spitz, Director, Programming, CBS Sports Radio.  “Weekends are where the action is in the sports world and CBS Sports Radio will provide our listeners with cutting edge analysis, high profile interviews and late breaking news.”

Here is the schedule:

Saturday
2:00-6:00AM–  Amy Lawrence (joins CBS Sports Radio from ESPN Radio)
6:00-10:00AM–  Marc Malusis (WFAN-AM/FM New York)
10:00AM-2:00PM–  Brandon Tierney (CBS Sports Radio)
2:00-6:00PM–  Gregg Giannotti (KDKA-FM Pittsburgh)
6:00-10:00PM–  Jody McDonald (WIP-FM Philadelphia and WFAN)
Saturday/Sunday 10:00PM-2:00AM–  Adam The Bull (WKRK-FM Cleveland)

Sunday
2:00-6:00AM–  Amy Lawrence
6:00-10:00AM–  John Kincade (WCNN-AM Atlanta)
10:00AM-2:00PM–  Vinny Cerrato/Rob Long (WJZ-FM Baltimore)
2:00-6:00PM–  Jody McDonald/Kris Jenkins (former NFL player, and sports analyst)
6:00-10:00PM–  Josh Innes and Ted Johnson (KILT-AM Houston)
Sunday/Monday 10:00PM-2:00AM–  Amy Lawrence

Sports Media Weekly No. 132- Anita Marks, NBC Sports Radio

Welcome to a new year of Sports Media Weekly programs.

Ken Fang of Fang’s Bites and I begin the show discussing a report by Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated that Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis will be joining ESPN as an NFL analyst once he retires at the end Baltimore’s playoff run.

We spend some time looking at ratings numbers as the networks begin to look back at their successes of 2012..

We then recount the horrific accident which fell upon ESPN anchor Hannah Storm over the holiday break.  She returned to work New Year’s Day hosting the Rose Bowl Parade on ABC.

We finish our segment looking at the official national launch yesterday of the CBS Sports Radio Network

Staying with sports radio our guest this week is Anita Marks, who will be starting a new nationally syndicated weekend sports radio show on the NBC Sports Radio Network.  Anita talks about what listeners can expect from her Saturday and Sunday broadcasts beginning at noon ET.  She also fills us in on her experience hosting sports radio in Baltimore; her role with the New York Giants; and her love for fantasy football.

Sports Media Weekly No. 127- Jen Royle, Sports Reel Boston

Ken Fang of Fang’s Bites and I have recovered from our Thanksgiving hangovers and are raring to go with another version of Sports Media Weekly.

We begin the show looking at the college football scene, specifically ESPN’s agreement to televise the college football playoff championships when the series begins in January of 2015.

We stay with college football examining the impact Notre Dame’s undefeated season has had for ESPN and NBC in terms of increased ratings and the prospects for ESPN when the Irish play in the BCS National Championship game on January 7th.

Ken and I also look back at the success of the NFL on Thanksgiving, with the Redskins/Cowboys match-up being the most-watched television program thus far this fall.

We shift to sports radio and the announcement this week that Dana Jabobson, Tiki Barber, and Brandon Tierney have been tapped to host CBS Sports Radio’s morning show when the network launches on January 2nd.

We end our news segment by taking a look at the growth of original talk show programming mornings on sports networks.  The MLB Network, NFL Network, Golf Channel, and NBC Sports Network have all added morning shows during the past year.

Our guest this week is Jen Royle, former sports reporter in New York and Baltimore who has moved back home to Boston.  Jen talks about her new website, Sports Reel Boston, which launches at midnight tomorrow night.  Jen discusses about how the site will focus primarily on baseball and the Red Sox.  She describes how she’s been able to assemble a good roster of talent to write for the site, and how successful she’s been in getting the support she needs to launch this new venture.

CBS Sports Radio Announces Morning Drive Team

The rumor surfaced last week and is now official:  Dana Jacobson, Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney have been named co-hosts of the morning drive program which will debut on the CBS Sports Radio network beginning January 2nd.  The program will run weekdays from 6:00a.m. to 9:00a.m. ET.

Jacobson is best know for her work at ESPN, hosting editions of SportsCenter and First Take.  She will also be involved in hosting studio programs on the CBS Sports Network on television.

The former Giants running back Barber comes to CBS Sports Radio after a post-football career on NBC on the Today Show and the network’s coverage of the 2008 Olympics.

Tierney recently worked as co-host of The Drive with Tierney and Bucher, weekdays on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco.   Tierney also spent time at 1050 ESPN Radio in New York City for nearly nine years.

“CBS Sports Radio has been able to attract some of the most renowned names in the business, and Tiki, Brandon and Dana are just the latest example of the network’s star-power,” said Dan Mason, President and CEO, CBS Radio.  “We’ve assembled an impressive group of professional athletes and accomplished broadcasters to bring fans unrivaled sports commentary, and the most entertaining lineup in all of sports radio.

“The launch of CBS Sports Radio provides an additional way for us to use our content, debuting original programs to millions of listeners across the country on day one.  The network’s reach in the major markets is unsurpassed, and the marketplace has taken notice of our depth and broad range of offerings.”

With the hiring today, here is the projected weekday line-up of programs when CBS Sports Radio launches in January:

6:00-9:00AM: Tiki Barber, Brandon Tierney and Dana Jacobson
9:00AM-12:00Noon: John Feinstein
12:00Noon-3:00PM: Jim Rome
3:00-6:00PM: Doug Gottlieb
6:00-10:00PM- TBD
10:00-2:00AM- Scott Ferrall
2:00-6:00AM- Damon Amendolara

 

Sports Media Weekly No. 126

After two weeks away, Ken Fang of Fangs Bites and I are back with a new edition of Sports Media Weekly. Due to the short week we have no guest, but plenty to catch-up on.

We start the show looking at the news today that News Corporation (parent company of Fox Sports) has purchased a minority stake in the YES Network.  The YES Network also announced that it has extended its agreement to carry Yankees baseball through 2042.

Next we look at the moves by Maryland and Rutgers to leave the ACC and Big East respectively and join the Big Ten.  Both Ken and I agree this is great news for the Big Ten Network and not so good news for the Big East as it continues its negotiations for a new television deal.

We then look at ESPN’s domination of college football with its recent deals with the Rose Sugar, and Orange Bowls to carry their games through 2026.  The BCS PLayoffs should not be too far behind for the World Wide Leader.

We shift to the NFL and talk about the piece by Richard Dietsch who speculates whether Jon Gruden will leave ESPN for another coaching job.  We then look at the Thanksgiving Day NFL match-ups, with NBC getting the holiday night game for the first time in 15 years.

We move to the MLB Network to discuss the hiring of former NESN field reporter Heidi Watney and the appearance this week of Keith Olbermann on the network.

We wrap up the show looking at the rumors of who may be filling the morning show slot when the CBS Sports Radio Network launches in January.

Sports Media Digest- November 16, 2012

College Basketball Tonight on CBS Sports Network-  The CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) has the Paradise Jam college basketball tournament beginning with a double header tonight.  UIC vs. New Mexico tipped-off at 4:00 PM, ET followed by Wake Forest vs. Connecticut  at 6:30 PM, ET.  Kevin Eschenfelder and Larry Conley announce, while Kristen Kenney reports from the sidelines.

College Football this Weekend on CBS–  CBS Sports has four college football games tomorrow across its networks.  The SEC game of the week on CBS will pit LSU at Ole Miss beginning at 3:30p.m. ET with Verne Luindquist, Gary Danielson, and Tracey Wolfson on the call.  CBS Sports Network has a triple header of games, beginning at Noon ET as Temple travels to Army. Ben Holden and Randy Cross handle the call.  At 3:30p.m. ET Texas State is at Navy with Grant Boone,Todd Christensen and Sheehan Stanwick Burch on site.  UTEP at Southern Miss wraps up the day with James Bates, Aaron Taylor and Lauren Gardner.

CBS Sports Spectacular Looks at Army/Navy Football Veterans and College Football Behind the Scenes–  This weekend’s CBS Sports Spectacular ties in football and veterans as well as a behind the scenes look at football action.  On Saturday at 1:30p.m. ET the show presents From Philadelphia to Fallujah, a look at three players from the 2001 Army/Navy game who was sent into combat shortly after that game. Derek McGinty narrates. At 2:30p.m. ET the program presents College Football Uncut- Game Day, a look behind the scenes at the four games on and off the field; Alabama at Tennessee (10/20), Michigan State at Wisconsin (10/27), USC at Arizona (10/27) and Notre Dame at Boston College (11/10).  Hugh Galyean narrates.

Next A Football Life to Spotlight John Riggins– The NFL Network’s next edition of  A Football Life will look at the career of Hall of Fame running back John Riggins.  John Riggins: A Football Life debuts next Wednesday night at 8:00p.m. ET.

Real Sports Returns November 20th–  The next edition of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel debuts this Tuesday at 10:00p.m. ET on HBO. Among the topics slated for the show: a look at the unwanted son of former NFL wide receiver Rae Carruth; the NCAA concussion issue; and a look back at the 2009 Cowboys practice facility collapse.

Amendolara to Host Overnights on CBS Sports Radio–  CBS Sports Radio continues to fill out its roster of talent with the announcement that Damon Amendolara will serve as the weeknight 2:00am to 6:00am ET host.  Amendolara has been serving as night time host at Boston’s 98.5 the Sports Hub.  The D.A. Show launches on January 2nd.

60 Minutes Looks at the Impact of College Football–  On this Sunday’s edition of 60 Minutes, reporter Armen Keteyian examines how important college football has been to universities.  Keteyian looks at the University of Michgan and its massive program as well as Towson, which many times sacrifices wins to earn money to play on the road against high-powered clubs.  60 Minutes airs at 7:30p.m. ET on CBS.

Nets/Lakers next NBA TV Fan Night Presentation– NBA TV’s next Fan Night telecast this Tuesday will feature the Brooklyn Nets at the Los Angeles Lakers.  Tip-off Tuesday will be 10:30p.m. ET.  Fans will be voting on the following games, one of which will be chosen for the Fan Night game on November 27th: Dallas Mavericks at Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns at Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors at Houston Rockets or Minnesota Timberwolves at Sacramento Kings

Sports Media Weekly No. 124- Matt Winer, Turner Sports, NBA TV

We are bridging seasons on this week’s edition of Sports Media Weekly.

Ken Fang of Fang’s Bites and I begin the show with a preview of the final baseball event of the year, the World Series, which will see Joe Buck and Tim McCarver call their 15th Fall Classic as a team for Fox Sports.

We then shift to the struggles facing the NBC Sports Network which is looking to fill programming slots left vacant because of the NHL lockout.

We also look at CBS News and Showtime’s hire of Armen Keteyian as the first correspondent for the new 60 Minutes Sports program debuting in January.

Also in January CBS will launch its sports radio network.  Ken and I preview the weekday line-up as it is currently constituted.

We finish the segment by discussing the change on the set of ESPN’s NBA studio show, with the addition of Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons and the departure of John Barry and Chris Broussard.

Our guest is Turner Sports and NBA TV studio host Matt Winer.  Matt discusses his recently completed stint as host for TBS’ coverage of the MLB postseason.  We also look ahead to the 2012-2013 NBA season on NBA TV and Matt’s role working with the famous NBA studio analysts in the Turner Sports crew.