New Boston Sports Talk Station- 98.5 The Sports Hub

[jimmyt]

Just read that in August WBCN will be shutting down, Mix 98.5 will move to 104.1, and CBS will open up an all sports talk station at 98.5 fm.

The mornings will have Toucher and Rich currently from the mornings at wbcn. Also, there are numerous reports that Felger and Tanguay will have an afternoon show together on the drive home.

I think unlike prior sports stations that tried to compete with WEEI, this one may succeed, thanks to the fact that it will have actual reception.

Felger and Tanguay are pretty good together on CSN, and will make for a lot of varied discussion including a lot of Celtics stuff. Also, I'm assuming that they will get many writers from the Globe up on that station, seeing as the Globe can't go to WEEI (lets hope they dont hire Shanks). It would be nice to get Bob Ryan aboard there as well. You can definitely expect to see Massarotti there a bunch.

The Bruins and most likely the Patriots will be broadcasted on this station as well, so unlike WEEI, it may not be consumed with conservative red sox talk all day.

What do you guys think, will it succeed? Who would you like to see fill the airwaves? It is sad to see that WBCN is going away, as it was definitely a good rock station (I hate WAAF) but I guess if they're going to replace it then it may as well be with sports.

[Redz]

I'd welcome the alternative.  Something with a bit more sports "news" type of format would be great.  I guess just a little more professional would be nice.

We shall see.

[WBrownTrophy]

Yeaa I saw that on Barstool sports...I'll take a listen or two

[dark_lord]

i like this.  i hope felger doesnt get a show though...i cant stand that guy

[BrickJames]

This sucks.  WBCN was the only radio station I listened to.  I am none too happy about this.

The last thing the world needs is more Felger and Tanguay...

[SSFan V]

So Felger and Tanguay are going to be on afternoon drives and on Comcast sports net?  That's a lot of airtime for two people.

So who does mid day?  Any guesses?

How about evenings?


This also raises some questions:

EEI and Comcast have some programing overlap (such as the baseball show and the Tailgate show) will that continue?

Will Tanguay continue to post on the Comcast website?

Will there be a WBZ-FM web site?

Will WBZ - AM talent also be on the station?  (Burton maybe Lobel?)

Will Felger's move mean a move back to the Herald for some columns?

[Donoghus]

Looks like Tanguay will do the mid-day show up against Dale & Holley and Felger will do the afternoon against Ordway.  So Tanguay and Felger won't be together.

I don't think Toucher & Rich are the ideal morning show to go up against Dennis & Callaghan.  I would've prefered to see established Boston sports media types paired together instead. 

From today's Herald:

It’s war on the Boston sports radio airwaves as CBS Radio shutters rock giant WBCN [website] next month and aims its big guns straight at Entercom powerhouse WEEI with a new FM sports talk station.

“We say bring it on,” said Entercom Vice President Julie Kahn of the launch of WBZ-FM, the first major challenge to WEEI-AM (850), which has long ruled Hub sports talk. “WEEI has taken on a lot of competitors. We’re very confident in our brand.”

CBS Radio announced yesterday that it is switching off the ratings-challenged WBCN-FM (104.1) after four decades as the city’s legendary rock station and plans to launch the Hub’s first FM sports talk station, “98.5 The Sports Hub.”

Debuting Aug. 13 with the famed WBZ brand call letters, the station will broadcast Patriots [team stats] and Bruins [team stats] games on 98.5 FM. Red Sox [team stats] games air on WEEI and sister station WRKO-AM (680), while the Celtics [team stats] are broadcast on WEEI.

’BCN duo Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb will host a revamped morning-drive show on the new FM sports station, facing off against WEEI’s popular John Dennis and Gerry Callahan.

“Who? Never heard of them,” said Callahan of the “Toucher and Rich” duo.

“I am speaking to you from under my desk right now because I am so scared. I’m afraid to come out,” the Herald columnist quipped.

Toucher said he wishes Dennis and Callahan the “best of luck.”

“We’re definitely a different sort of show than what we’ll be up against at WEEI,” Toucher added.

There already is one WEEI defection: Mike Felger, who will be hosting an afternoon show on WBZ-FM.

Felger declined comment, but Callahan said, “There’s been at least three stations that have tried to take us down in the last seven years. If I’m not mistaken, Felger was part of at least a couple of those.”

Comcast SportsNet’s Gary Tanguay and Felger plan to host their own shows, with Tanguay competing with midday WEEI hosts Dale Arnold and Michael Holley and Felger taking on Glenn Ordway in afternoon-drive, sources said.

“They all start on my show. We send off the spin-offs,” said Ordway, noting Felger started doing radio on “The Big Show.”

CBS Radio exec Mark Hannon said, “With Boston being the sports-crazy town that it is, and one existing on AM and one existing on FM, I think there’s plenty of room for both of us.”

Meanwhile, another big name lurks in the background. Former WBZ-TV (Ch. 4) sports anchor Bob Lobel said he spoke with his agent about the new station yesterday. “That’s where it stands for me,” Lobel said. “I love doing radio.”

The new FM sports station also plans to compete with WEEI in cyberspace with a new Web site.

WBMX-FM (98.5), the CBS-owned music station currently on the new sports station frequency, will keep its format but is moving to 104.1. WBCN can still be heard online

[celtsrp33]

Looks like Tanguay will do the mid-day show up against Dale & Holley and Felger will do the afternoon against Ordway.  So Tanguay and Felger won't be together.

I don't think Toucher & Rich are the ideal morning show to go up against Dennis & Callaghan.  I would've prefered to see established Boston sports media types paired together instead. 

From today's Herald:

It’s war on the Boston sports radio airwaves as CBS Radio shutters rock giant WBCN [website] next month and aims its big guns straight at Entercom powerhouse WEEI with a new FM sports talk station.

“We say bring it on,” said Entercom Vice President Julie Kahn of the launch of WBZ-FM, the first major challenge to WEEI-AM (850), which has long ruled Hub sports talk. “WEEI has taken on a lot of competitors. We’re very confident in our brand.”

CBS Radio announced yesterday that it is switching off the ratings-challenged WBCN-FM (104.1) after four decades as the city’s legendary rock station and plans to launch the Hub’s first FM sports talk station, “98.5 The Sports Hub.”

Debuting Aug. 13 with the famed WBZ brand call letters, the station will broadcast Patriots [team stats] and Bruins [team stats] games on 98.5 FM. Red Sox [team stats] games air on WEEI and sister station WRKO-AM (680), while the Celtics [team stats] are broadcast on WEEI.

’BCN duo Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb will host a revamped morning-drive show on the new FM sports station, facing off against WEEI’s popular John Dennis and Gerry Callahan.

“Who? Never heard of them,” said Callahan of the “Toucher and Rich” duo.

“I am speaking to you from under my desk right now because I am so scared. I’m afraid to come out,” the Herald columnist quipped.

Toucher said he wishes Dennis and Callahan the “best of luck.”

“We’re definitely a different sort of show than what we’ll be up against at WEEI,” Toucher added.

There already is one WEEI defection: Mike Felger, who will be hosting an afternoon show on WBZ-FM.

Felger declined comment, but Callahan said, “There’s been at least three stations that have tried to take us down in the last seven years. If I’m not mistaken, Felger was part of at least a couple of those.”

Comcast SportsNet’s Gary Tanguay and Felger plan to host their own shows, with Tanguay competing with midday WEEI hosts Dale Arnold and Michael Holley and Felger taking on Glenn Ordway in afternoon-drive, sources said.

“They all start on my show. We send off the spin-offs,” said Ordway, noting Felger started doing radio on “The Big Show.”

CBS Radio exec Mark Hannon said, “With Boston being the sports-crazy town that it is, and one existing on AM and one existing on FM, I think there’s plenty of room for both of us.”

Meanwhile, another big name lurks in the background. Former WBZ-TV (Ch. 4) sports anchor Bob Lobel said he spoke with his agent about the new station yesterday. “That’s where it stands for me,” Lobel said. “I love doing radio.”

The new FM sports station also plans to compete with WEEI in cyberspace with a new Web site.

WBMX-FM (98.5), the CBS-owned music station currently on the new sports station frequency, will keep its format but is moving to 104.1. WBCN can still be heard online

Wow, that's big news.  No more'BCN?  Crazy.  I like the WEEI shows, but it will be nice to have an alternative.  It would be tough to get me to listen to Tanguay/Felger(urgh) over Dale/Holley - unless its C's talk vs. Bruins talk. 

[SSFan V]

Looks like Tanguay will do the mid-day show up against Dale & Holley and Felger will do the afternoon against Ordway.  So Tanguay and Felger won't be together.

I don't think Toucher & Rich are the ideal morning show to go up against Dennis & Callaghan.  I would've prefered to see established Boston sports media types paired together instead. 

From today's Herald:

Meanwhile, another big name lurks in the background. Former WBZ-TV (Ch. 4) sports anchor Bob Lobel said he spoke with his agent about the new station yesterday. “That’s where it stands for me,” Lobel said. “I love doing radio.”

The new FM sports station also plans to compete with WEEI in cyberspace with a new Web site.

[/quote]

This answers a few questions.  Tanguay by himself is not strong enough to topple Dale & Holley, they have to know that and the same has to be said about Felger - who's already had an afternoon slot head-to-head with the big show.  Add Lobel, Burton and the Globe guys to the mix, along with perhaps Neumeier then you have a mix that could go head-to-head, but Tanguay and Felger alone are not enough.

I could see Comcast and NESN each teaming with one of the stations as well as the Globe and Herald and really creating a 2 sport source alternative.  (Globe, NESN, WBZ on one side EEI, Comcast & Herald on the other)

[celtsrp33]

Looks like Tanguay will do the mid-day show up against Dale & Holley and Felger will do the afternoon against Ordway.  So Tanguay and Felger won't be together.

I don't think Toucher & Rich are the ideal morning show to go up against Dennis & Callaghan.  I would've prefered to see established Boston sports media types paired together instead. 

From today's Herald:

Meanwhile, another big name lurks in the background. Former WBZ-TV (Ch. 4) sports anchor Bob Lobel said he spoke with his agent about the new station yesterday. “That’s where it stands for me,” Lobel said. “I love doing radio.”

The new FM sports station also plans to compete with WEEI in cyberspace with a new Web site.

This answers a few questions.  Tanguay by himself is not strong enough to topple Dale & Holley, they have to know that and the same has to be said about Felger - who's already had an afternoon slot head-to-head with the big show.  Add Lobel, Burton and the Globe guys to the mix, along with perhaps Neumeier then you have a mix that could go head-to-head, but Tanguay and Felger alone are not enough.

I could see Comcast and NESN each teaming with one of the stations as well as the Globe and Herald and really creating a 2 sport source alternative.  (Globe, NESN, WBZ on one side EEI, Comcast & Herald on the other)
[/quote]


God, please don't let Burton get a show.  I could deal with Neumy and Lobel - even Tangs and Felgy, but No Burton!

[RodneyRogers]

This is great news for me. As a Toucher/Rich listener who can't stand the politics on Dennis and Callahan I'm glad to see they'll be involved, and I'd probably prefer 20/20 updates more than the latest Sum 41 song.

But I'm actually more excited for the challenge to the Big Show. Besides very few exceptions (Merloni, occaisonally Bradford) the Ordway show is extremely stale. Sheppard and Ordway only watch Boston sports teams and have extremely limited knowledge, and the sucking up to Belichick is obscene.

I say good riddance. EEI is doing the same schtick that's been working for ten years, but if they want the younger listeners its time to shape up.

Do you think the Pats stay on WEEI?

[SSFan V]

Felger's stuff is still on WEEI.com -- but I imagine that it'll be gone this week and that the simulcast of the baseball show with Comcast on Saturdays will end shortly as well (or a new host is inserted immediately).

[jdpapa3]

Wow. Callahan is a clown. Weei sucks. I can only listen to Dale and Holley and Planet Mikey. They Big Show and the morning show send blood out of my ears in a projectile fashion.

[JSD]

Globe, NESN, WBZ on one side EEI, Comcast & Herald on the other

New alliances are brewing:

WEEI, NESN and Herald

Vs.

WBZ, Globe and Comcast


- Tanguay and Felger from Comcast will work on WBZ.

- WEEI/Nesn Radiothon

- NESN no longer owned by the globe.

[JSD]

Do you think the Pats stay on WEEI?

Yes, the Sox will stay with WEEI.


WEEI would move to WAAF's 107.3 before they lost the Sox. (both Entercom stations)