Local Talent Axed at ESPN 96.1

[RandJob]

As part of the iHeart cuts, the station will be entirely on the ESPN satellite feed.

If Cumulus is smart they'll move The Ticket to one of the FMs (107.3 is probably best) and go after the audience and $$$.

[zackeast]

If Cumulus is smart they'll move The Ticket to one of the FMs (107.3 is probably best) and go after the audience and $$$.

Dan Patrick > Better than anything ESPN has on right now, with Le Batard being close second. I know that's a hot take, but I'm a poor millennial that likes memes and nonsense.

[MWmetalhead]

WBBL's ratings stunk. Why resurrect it? The national ESPN morning show often won in mornings.

The big story is the ouster of Phil Tower, which is a reprehensible decision, in my opinion.

[RandJob]

WBBL's ratings stunk. Why resurrect it? The national ESPN morning show often won in mornings.

I wouldn't resurect BBL, let that brand stay dead. I would move the Ticket's programming.

They would have a 'local' morning show with Matt Shepard's show (which has occasional rotating hosts, but always talking Detroit/Michigan sports). Dan Patrick, Jim Rome, and a local afternoon show with H***. They would also have Lions Football.

Remember, Eric Zane was a terrible fit on that station.

Also, while never a great station in the glamour numbers, ESPN did very well in money demos and actually billed really well from what I've heard. There's more upside with that format than the shit show country and Top 40 products at Cumulus.

[48125er]

WBBL's lineup is just garbage as 96.1 is now if not worse.

Maybe Iheartless could make 96.1 MAX FM again?

[ftballfan]

Will 96.1 flip in the near future?

[OneBigFan]

Years ago 96.1 brought Balgian back and according to people I knew who worked at the station at the time, Baligian's previous partner "never heard the train coming" when he was told management had decided to make changes to the PM drive slot and he wasn't included.

It appears Jim Costa was caught off guard as well. On a Tuesday he learns his show partner Drew McCarthy was leaving the show and by Friday he's gone.

Mike Valenti does very well in the 2-6 slot on 97.1 but given ratings of both 3-6 GR sports talk shows combined does a local sports talk show have a future in the GR market? The last man standing is on a 1000w station

[Trophyhead]

The thousand-watter does feed a network, with WXYT-AM its most prominent affiliate, but you are right, the future for this offering is tenuous.

Costa, at last look, still has a Facebook profile picture where he's standing in front of an ESPN 96.1 banner. Drew had announced he was done before that Tuesday, but not long before.