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98.5 The Sports Hub should dominate winter radio ratings, but WEEI might be closing the gap slightly
The Jones and Keefe Show is working on WEEI, and the hosts come across as real friends.
The winter Nielsen Audio ratings come out Tuesday. It’s certainly not quite the cause for suspense that it used to be during other phases of the 15½ years of competition between 98.5 The Sports Hub and WEEI.
I don’t anticipate much difference from last winter, when the Sports Hub finished first in the men 25-54 demographic in all three daytime programs and second in the evenings. The gap between the two sports stations might be a bit closer this time around — the Sports Hub routed WEEI with a 15.6 share to 3.6 a year ago — but the winter likely belongs handily to the station of Fred and Felger again.
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The Nielsen numbers shouldn’t have any surprises. But while we await them, I do have a few quick musings on specific shows — including this first one that might qualify as its own surprise.
· The Jones and Keefe Show is working: I’ve referred to the almost comically negative Adam Jones as “JV Felger” and worse over the years, and he earned it. But being reunited with Rich Keefe, with whom he previously worked on the Sports Hub’s evening show, has brought out his sense of humor, and the show is a consistently fun listen. They come across as real friends.
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· No one argues both sides of a topic like Michael Felger: Hardly a news-flash there, but I couldn’t help but laugh this week when Felger and co-host Tony Massarotti were talking about the Red Sox’ trade of Triple A pitcher Quinn Priester to the Brewers. Felger, a Brewers fan who probably still has a Jim Gantner baseball card in his wallet, managed to complain about the Red Sox’ decision to trade Priester, who threw five shutout innings in his second start with the Brewers, while also acknowledging he watched him pitch and wasn’t impressed. Felger, and Massarotti too, are masters of telling you why someone or something stinks from all angles.
· The Greg Hill Show carries WEEI, but it’s not an easy listen: Sometimes, as the sports media columnist, I feel like I’m pulling off a gambit, getting paid to listen to sports radio. And then Chris Curtis speaks, and I think I should ask for hazard pay.
Channel 5 has it covered
Channel 5 always gives the Boston Marathon the thorough coverage it deserves, and that will be no different with the race’s 129th running. The station’s pre-race coverage Monday begins at 4 a.m. with reports from “WCVB EyeOpener” anchors Antoinette Antonio and Doug Meehan and chief meteorologist Cindy Fitzgibbon, and continues through the race until concluding with a special edition of “Chronicle” at 7:30.
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Anchors Maria Stephanos and Ed Harding will host the professional race from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. from the finish line photo bridge. They will be joined by ESPN’s Hannah Storm, with the national, out-of-market broadcast airing on ESPN2.
John Anderson, who retired as a “SportsCenter” anchor in 2024 but still host’s ESPN’s marathon and track and field coverage, will call the race, along with 2014 winner Meb Keflezighi, former Olympian Carrie Tollefson, and Paralympic medalist Amanda McGrory.
A welcome return
It was a pleasant surprise this week to discover that Paul Flannery has launched a newsletter via Substack, named “Hoopology.” Flannery, who covered the Celtics for WEEI when the station started taking its website seriously a decade and a half ago, was always a joy to read on the NBA. But after taking a buyout from SB Nation in 2020, he hasn’t written about the league regularly, focusing on his Substack “Running Probably” in recent years. Good to have him back just as the Celtics begin their postseason run … The Pawtucket Red Sox had a long history of sending excellent play-by-play broadcasters to the big leagues, among them Don Orsillo, Dave and Will Flemming, and Dave Jageler. The pipeline seems to be continuing since the Triple A club’s move to Worcester, with Cooper Boardman sounding like another fine play-by-play prospect when he filled in on a couple of Red Sox radio broadcasts last weekend. Boardman, a Syracuse product (speaking of broadcasting pipelines), is in his fifth season calling WooSox games, and also has hosted pre- and postgame Red Sox shows on WEEI. He will call more big-league games along the way this season, including a couple on the next road trip … I have one request for ESPN decision-makers when it comes to “College GameDay” once Lee Corso retires following the first game on the upcoming season on Aug. 30: please do not allow Pat McAfee, who has the all the charm of a leaf blower outside your window at 7 a.m., to take over Corso’s amusing schtick of donning the mascot headgear of the team he is picking to win. Consider this a thank-you for common sense in advance.
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