• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Who are the top guys in each major market?

S

SportsDotCom

I have a friend trying to put together a story on sports talk and was curious if everyone can help me move this along? Feel free to add to or change what I have.

NYC: Francessa, Russo (yes i know satellite), then who? Boomer, Beningo?
LA: Papadakis & Smith, Cannons, Mason & Ireland
Chi: North (I read he's coming back), Boers & Berstein, and Mac, Jurko & Harry
SF: Barbieri & Tolbert, Randich, Bruce
DFW: Rhyner, Dunham & Miller, BaD Radio
Hou: Pallilo, Vandemeer? Anyone else?
ATL: Stews, Buck & Kincade, Laurentino?
PHI: Eskin, Cataldi, Gargano
DC: Czaban, Polin, Thompson
BOS: D&C, Ordoway, Holley
DET: Stoney & Wojo, Baligian, then who?
MIA: LeBatard, Sedano, Rose
SEA: Mitch Levy, Mike Gastineau, Dave Mahler
PHX: Bickley, Gambo & Ash, is Jacobs still doing sports?
MIN: Barreiro, Paul Allen, Chad Hartman
SDG: Scott & BR, Is Hacksaw Hamilton still there?????
TPA: Duemig, who else is on there now?
STL
BALT:
POR:
PITT:
CHA:
SAC:

Anyone feel free to fill the holes and please help make any possible corrections. And, relay any omissions.

Thanks,

SDC
 
Doing business in NYC last week. WFAN's best show is now mornings. great energy. strong opinions with Boomer and Carton. Fransesca is not a premier listen by himself. Beningo is a hack.
The rival ESPN affiliate has Micheal Kay. yankees tv announcer. Only good when the show revolves around that. Otherwise he's thin. The rest is forgettable. Mike and Mike don't have enough edge for my taste.
There are some smaller markets that have above average shows. Afternoon guys in Buffalo. Kansas city has guy I like, Soren Petro.
The afternoon guys in Chicago, do the best drive time show in america, in my opinion. (jurko, Harry)
Very few guys can keep me listening for over 5-6 minutes. Not many great storytellers in the business.
Not many guys with elite work ethics either.
 
Beningo a hack? Don't think so.Steve Sommers who is also at the FAN is the station's best. Trust me...I live in Buffalo and the afternoon guys are the hacks you speak of.
 
You listed the top guys here in L.A., and that's pretty much it, for better or worse. I don't listen much to local sports radio talk, outside of the morning show of Roger Lodge and Dave Smith on Angels flagship KLAA. Smith also pulls double-duty, hosting his own solo afternoon drive-time show there. I used to listen to the Cannons almost religiously, but I finally had enough of Vic "the Brick" Jacobs' excessive idol-worshipping and ass-kissing of Kobe Bryant and Manny Ramirez. I've only tuned in twice since the NBA season started. Seeing that this show was basically built around the Lakers, the whole dynamic of the program will change once the Lakers (and Mychal Thompson) leave KLAC for KSPN after this season. If there's one show I would listen to, it's Mason and Ireland...compared to the rest of the shows in the market, they'll talk a little bit of everything, although the Lakers and USC Football dominate the conversation.
 
SportsDotCom said:
PHX: Bickley, Gambo & Ash, is Jacobs still doing sports?
Click to expand...

Gambo & Ash (KTAR 620 afternoons) are still #1. Dan Bickley & Mike Jurecki (XTRA 910 mornings) are #2, while Doug Franz & Ron Wolfley (KTAR 620 mornings) are #3. Everyone else is just filler.

And, no, Bruce Jacobs no longer does sports in Phoenix, although he still does his Fox Sports Radio weekend show. He's been making an a** of himself doing right-wingnut political talk in the morning on KFYI 550 for several years now.
 
St Louis usually 3-4 stations featuring local sports talk and there is a migratory flock of maybe 15 hosts of various ability who move back and forth.

Stations: KFNS 590 was the mainstay, KSLG 1380 recently kinda took over, now WXOS 101.1 just started... suspect they will soon take over.
KSDK 550 and KMOX 1120 talk with some sports.

Top Hosts (imo of course):
Bernie Miklasz (1380), newspaper columunist has been doing it for at least 10 y has most information and insight.
Kevin Slaten (1380), poor mans Bill O'reilly, lots of noise and fury, huffin and puffin no insight. I find it unlistenable but he gets ratings.
Mike Claiborne (550), been doing it for over 20 years, good knowledge, low-key no typical rabble rousing techniques.
Randy Karreker (101.1), been at it over 20 y similar style to Claiborne.
Frank Cusamano (590), tv sports guy been on air 10-20 y.
 
I would have to give the top dog ranking in Pittsburgh to Stan & Guy (Stan Savran and Guy Junker) on ESPN 1250.

They are incredibly knowledgable veterans who have been together for years, get along well, and have the city's trust.
 
Baltimore: Anita Marks and Scott Garceau on ESPN 1300 and MASN, very popular show, and they have many popular segments. Also, Nasty Nestor at WNST (1570).

Charlotte: Mark Packer and the Packman at WFNZ (610), started a few years back, now syndicated throughout Carolinas, Billy Packer (former CBS college basketball announcer)'s son. Also, Chuck Howard (former TV sportscaster in market) has show in the morning on same station, grown lots of popularity.
 
I second Pallilo here in Houston and advise you to put Vandermeer nowhere near the top of the list. Much like Michael Kay in NYC, unless Vandermeer is talking Texans he's pretty bad, and much of the time he's not that listenable anyway.
No one in this market comes close to Pallilo's breadth of knowledge, with the possible exception of his former partner Rich Lord. I listen to almost every hour of Pallilo's show every day.
 
Randy Galloway.....Dallas KESN

The Big Show....Boston WEEI

Jim Mandich...Miami WQAM

These guys are about the best... Funny as hell, to be studied by anyone wanting to be in the business...
 
SEA: Mitch Levy, Mike Gastineau, Dave Mahler


I'm gonna disagree with Dave Mahler's inclusion. I think he's more filler material than local star. I'd change his name with Dave Grosby, but I think Collabro will be in the discussion soon. He's well known locally as the former Sonics voice, and having his own show will probably cement him in this list pretty quickly.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom