Here is The 2016 Best Local Sports Talkers in America list as it appeared in Radio Ink Magazine.
They talk for three hours. They talk for four hours. Some talk for more than five hours. It could be morning drive, middays, or afternoon drive. It’s every day, five days a week. They are passionate about the sports teams and stars in their cities, although that’s not all they talk about every day. While many are successful when they stick strictly to sports, others find great success sprinkling in the news of the day, comedy bits, politics, their knowledge of music (mostly rock), or their personal lives.
Local professional sports teams love them at times, but can also hate them sometimes for what they say, for how they criticize and try to trip people up during interviews. PDs have to constantly watch the line they’ve drawn to make sure their talent pushes that line, but never crosses it. Their listeners are glued to the radio, totally involved in the conversation and a real part of the show. Social media has given fans even more opportunity to have their voices heard on their local sports stations. And opinions on sports are something this male-dominated format is never short of.
We start our process of searching for the Best Local Sports Talkers in America by taking nominations months before the issue goes to print. All of our nominees must be local for this list, not nationally syndicated. Companies, co-workers, peers, even listeners can nominate their favorite host or team. We reach out to the nominees and ask them to answer a few questions. We talk to their program directors. We interview market managers, experts in the sports talk format, and radio executives in specific markets. And, of course, we consider ratings, revenue the host or team has driven to the station, and how much commitment they have to the local community and charities.
We get lobbied by PDs and managers and at times even bombarded by listeners about who’s the best in the country. That makes it all that much more fun. People love lists, and we really enjoy putting this one together every year. Despite the extensive research and interviews we conduct, this is admittedly not an exact science. There’s no clear way to determine how or why a successful host in Philadelphia is slightly better than a successful host in San Francisco. But, doing this year after year, we certainly see patterns develop and names that consistently come up that have garnered industry respect. And so we have put all of that data together, mulled over it for weeks, and produced what we believe is the definitive list of The Top Local Sports Talkers in America for 2016
-
WFAN-Radio talent Mike Francesa Photo Credit: John Filo/CBS MIKE FRANCESA
WFAN
New York
CBS Radio
M-F 1-6:30 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
2. BOOMER ESIASON & CRAIG CARTON
WFAN
New York
CBS Radio
6-10 a.m.
3. TOUCHER & RICH
WBZ-FM (98.5 The Sports Hub)
Boston
CBS Radio
6-10 a.m.
4. CATALDI & THE MORNING TEAM
WIP (94WIP SportsRadio)
Philadelphia
CBS Radio
5:30-10 a.m.
5. (Tie) FELGER & MASSAROTTI
WBZ-FM (98.5 The Sports Hub)
Boston
CBS Radio
2-6 p.m.
5. (Tie) VALENTI & FOSTER
WXYT-FM
Detroit
CBS Radio
2-6 p.m.
6. THE MUSERS
KTCK
Dallas
Cumulus
5:30-10 a.m.
7. TOM WADDLE & MARC SILVY
WMVP-AM (ESPN Radio 1000)
Chicago
2-6 p.m.
8. THE MULLY & HANLEY SHOW
WSCR-AM (The Score)
Chicago
CBS Radio
5-9 a.m.
9. BRIAN MURPHY & PAUL McCAFFREY
KNBR
San Francisco
Cumulus
6-10 a.m.
10. THE SPORTS JUNKIES
WJFK-FM (106.7 The Fan)
CBS Radio
Washington, DC
5-10 a.m.
11. GARY RADNICH & LARRY KRUEGER
KNBR
Cumulus
San Francisco
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
12. MIKE MISSANELLI
WPEN (97.5 The Fanatic)
Philadelphia
Beasley
2-6 p.m.
13. TOM TOLBERT & JOHN LUND
KNBR
Cumulus
San Francisco
3-7 p.m.
14. MICHAEL KAY & DON LA GRECA
WEPN (98.7 FM ESPN)
New York
3-7 p.m.
15. BOERS & BERNSTEIN
WSCR-AM (The Score)
Chicago
CBS Radio
1-6 p.m.
16. MITCH LEVY
KJR-AM
Seattle
iHeartMedia
6-10 a.m.
17. KIRK & CALLAHAN SHOW
WEEI/Boston
Entercom
5:30-10 a.m.
18. THE HARDLINE
WTCK-FM (The Ticket)
Dallas
Cumulus Media
3-7 p.m.
19. DUKES & BELL
WGZC-FM (The Game)
Atlanta
CBS Radio
2-7 p.m.
20. ZOLAK & BERTRAND
WBZ-FM (98.5 The Sports Hub)
Boston
CBS Radio
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
21. DAN SILEO
XPRS-AM (The Mighty
1090)
San Diego
6-9 a.m.
22. BROCK HUARD & MIKE SALK
KIRO-AM (710 ESPN)
Seattle
Bonneville
6-10 a.m.
23. JOE BENIGNO & EVAN ROBERTS
WFAN
New York
CBS Radio
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
24. CHUCK OLIVER & MATT CHERNOFF
WCNN-AM (The Fan)
Atlanta
3-7 p.m.
25. DAVE MAHLER
KJR-AM
Seattle
iHeartMedia
3-7 p.m.
26. BERNIE MIKLASZ
WXOS (101 ESPN)
St. Louis
Hubbard
7-10 a.m.
27. ADAM & JOE
WCMC-FM (99.9 The Fan)
Raleigh
Capitol Broadcasting
3-7 p.m.
28. GARY SHARP & DAMON BENNING
KOZN-AM (The Zone)
Omaha
NRG Media
7-11 a.m.
29. SCHOPP & THE BULLDOG
WGR-AM
Buffalo
Entercom
3-7 p.m.
30. SCOTT KAPLAN & BILLY RAY SMITH
XPRS-AM (Mighty 1090)
San Diego
Broadcast Company of the Americas
3-6 p.m.
31. JOHN CANZANO
KXTG (760 The Game)
Portland, OR
Alpha Media
12-3 p.m.
32. MATT MOSCONA
WNXX-FM
Baton Rouge
Guaranty Media
3-6 p.m.
33. HEATH CLINE
WNKT-FM (1075 The Game)
Columbia, SC
Cumulus
4-7 p.m.
34. NICK BAHE
KOZN-AM (The Zone)
Omaha
NRG Media
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
35. DARIN PRITCHETT
WSBT-FM
South Bend, IN
Midwest Family Broadcasting
5-7 p.m.
