Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
WEEI shakes up its daytime lineup, dismissing Andy Gresh and Christian Fauria
Audacy, WEEI’s parent company, announced that Adam Jones and Rich Keefe would reunite in the midday 10 a.m-2 p.m. window.
WEEI, its daytime programming ratings dismal despite strong numbers by its morning show, shook up its lineup Wednesday with a series of moves, including the dismissal of midday hosts Andy Gresh and Christian Fauria.
Most notably, Adam Jones and Rich Keefe are reuniting in the midday 10 a.m-2 p.m. window beginning Monday, a move Audacy Boston vice president and market manager Mike Thomas said was part of the impetus for the changes.
Jones and Keefe had worked together on the evening “Adam Jones Show” on 98.5 The Sports Hub from December 2012 to November 2016, when Thomas was program director there.
Advertisement:
“History was a big reason with Jones and Keefe,” said Thomas. “I felt like that was always a really strong show when they were together. Those two have a lot in common. They’re both around the same age, they both have young kids, and I think that that pairing will do well.”
Jones has been a host of the afternoon drive “Jones and Mego” program since January 2023. Keefe, who has been with WEEI since 2017, has been the evening host since January 2023.
Meghan Ottolini, a.k.a. “Mego,” is moving into a full-time writing role at the station and will be a fill-in host.
Advertisement:
Gresh and Fauria, who had been teamed in middays since December 2022, were informed Wednesday that they were fired.
Thomas was asked if their salaries or contract status were factors in their dismissals.
“No, and no,” he said.
WEEI has not decided who will replace Keefe in evenings.
“We’re still working on it,” said Thomas. “Between now and Sept. 30, I think we only have three night shows during the week because of the Red Sox. So we figure we have a little bit of time to continue to work on that.”
In afternoon drive, Andy Hart, who has been a writer, podcaster, and fill-in host at the station since 2019, as well as a cohost of the “6 Rings Postgame Show,” will join holdover Christian Arcand, who has been the third voice on the “Jones and Mego” show.
Their show will be called “The WEEI Afternoon Show.” It debuts next Tuesday.
“I really like both of them [Hart and Arcand], and I like what they’ve done and they both have worked hard,” said Thomas. “So I’m excited to see what they can do together.”
Advertisement:
Hart and Arcand will have an arduous task, going head-to-head with The Sports Hub’s juggernaut “Felger and Mazz” in afternoon drive.
“Felger and Mazz” has been No. 1 for 47 straight three-month ratings periods, dating to spring 2012. In the most recent quarterly ratings, covering the spring period from March 28-June 19 in the men 25-54 demographic, “Felger and Mazz’’ was first with an 18.4 share, while “Jones and Mego” was 17th with a 2.1.
“The Greg Hill Show” in morning drive is the only WEEI program that has been competitive in recent ratings books. In the spring, that show was second with a 10.3 share, trailing the Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Hardy” (16.1).
WEEI’s ratings dropped off precipitously from there.
When asked how much ratings played into the moves, Thomas said, “Well, I think there are a lot of things that played into it.”
Audacy, WEEI’s parent company, has been plagued by financial woes in recent years, in part because of its decision to purchase CBS Radio in 2017.
In January, Audacy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. A month later, it received court approval for a reorganization plan that will allow it to emerge from bankruptcy once the plan receives regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission.
Advertisement:
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com