Skip to main content

ESPN's Skipper Backs Sage Steele

Sage Steele
In the two days since ESPN announced Sage Steele would be supplanted as host of NBA Countdown by Michelle Beadle, Steele has been subjected to a fair amount of ridicule on social media.

Apparently, ESPN President John Skipper had seen enough and defended Steele in a statement to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday.

"Sage has done a wonderful job for us in a number of important roles," Skipper said. “As previously announced, her SportsCenter presence has grown and this week alone she has led our coverage from the men’s Final Four and the Masters. Sage definitively has a bright and long-term future at ESPN and my complete support."

Skipper and others at ESPN appear to be particularly irked by the fact that many  celebrated the move as a firing. While nobody at ESPN has publicly stated why the network made the decision so late in the NBA season to change hosts of NBA Countdown, Steele has appeared prominently on the network’s Masters coverage this week and also as the lead host of SportsCenter on the Road.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Angie’s List Rejects O’Reilly Boycott

More than 30 advertisers have fled the airwaves of “The O’Reilly Factor,” the most popular cable television show on the most popular cable network, after a New York Times report on previously unknown sexual harassment allegations against the host spurred yet another woman to step forward. According to The Washington Post , big brand names like Eli Lilly, Mercedes-Benz and Allstate are among the companies seeking distance from O’Reilly in an unusually bold snub that could create financial woes for the conservative firebrand and his bosses. In its statements about pulling its “O’Reilly Factor” advertising, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai both called the allegations “disturbing.” Credit Karma used the word “concerning.” And many companies said they prioritized “diversity,” “a respectful and inclusive workplace environment” and only advertising on programs consistent with their “core values.” But one company has publicly announced the opposite, reported CNN Money. Angie’s List, the Indianapol...
Post a Comment
Read more

Entercom-CBS Radio Merger Dominates 1Q Broadcast Deals

U.S. broadcast station mergers and acquisitions (M&A) volume reached $2.76 billion in the first quarter of 2017, according to analysis by Kagan, a media research group within S&P Global Market Intelligence. Radio deals accounted for $2.59 billion, with $2.50 billion from just one deal. On February 2, Entercom Communications Corp. and CBS Radio Inc. announced a Reverse Morris Trust tax-free transaction valued at $2.86 billion, in which CBS Corp. would spin off its radio unit. At a 7.0x forward seller’s multiple, the 29 AM and 88 FM stations account for $2.50 billion, making this the largest radio transaction since 2006. The remaining $92.9 million was paid for 61 AM stations, 60 FM stations and 44 low-power stations. The largest deal following the Entercom/CBS merger was Starboard Media Foundation’s acquisition of Immaculate Heart Radio. The religious radio operator assumed an undisclosed amount of debt (estimated at $30.0 million) of Immaculate Heart’s owner IHR Educational Bro...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rachel's Fans Upset Over Thursday's Pre-emption

Fans of Rachel Maddow have expressed their disgust at 'sexist' NBC after the anchor was replaced on the show by Brian Williams who referred to the US missiles against Syria as 'beautiful'. According to the Daily Mail , Williams, the breaking news anchor for MSNBC, appeared during Maddow's 9pm slot when news broke that the US military fired more than 50 missiles at the al-Shayrat base in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack on civilians. Furious viewers accused the network of 'sexism' and said Maddow was more than competent to cover the news without any help from Williams. The news was covered by Williams as he is the breaking news anchor for the network, meaning that during major events he takes over the airwaves at MSNBC no matter who may be hosting at that time. All the other major networks did the same last night as well.
Post a Comment
Read more