Boston Morning Landscape

The seriousness of the sports radio race in Boston came to the forefront with a major change in WEEI-FM's daily schedule. Within hours of the spring ratings showing WEEI-FM slipping to more than 1.5 ratings points behind rival WBZ-FM Sports Hub for overall audience, WEEI-FM changed its morning show.

Management opted to bring the Greg Hill Morning Show over from sister station WAAF. Hill will take over the station's weekly interview segment with Tom Brady. What makes this transition even more significant is that Hill's show will carry over some of the "non sports" programming, including its monthly interview segment with Governor Charlie Baker. Danielle Murr will continue as a co-host. The show begins on WEEI-FM on Monday July 29.

The Greg Hill Morning Show replaces Gerry Callahan, who is out after having been a part of the morning show since 1997. Callahan's contract was to expire in August. His ratings were dropping following the November 2018 departure of Kirk Minihane. Recent co-host Mike Mutansky leaves "Mutt & Callahan" to return to evenings.

Recently released spring ratings show WBZ-FM Sports Hub, even with dropping, at #4 overall in the market, while WEEI-FM came in at #8.

The morning show change for WEEI-FM coincides with the opening of training camp for the Super Bowl champion Patriots.


MINNEAPOLIS: WCCO 850 showed its 4th consecutive ratings increase, which coincides with the tremendous start of the Twins. Although the station is at #9 overall in the market, WCCO finishes as the market's highest rated AM station.


CHICAGO: On the radio side, sports talkers WSCR The Score and WMVP ESPN held steady, with WSCR finishing with more than triple the audience size of WMVP, WSCR remains strong, especially at night, as the Cubs flagship station. WGN Radio also held steady with its overall audience, including White Sox broadcasts.

What makes that interesting is that regional sports network NBC Sports Chicago, which airs the majority of White Sox telecasts, showed a large overall ratings increase this season for its telecasts (before the All-Star break) over last season. In fact, their White Sox ratings are the highest average in five years. Of course, this is the first season in more than 30 years in which Ken Harrelson is not announcing White Sox telecasts.


RALEIGH/DURHAM: Congrats to Carolina Hurricanes play-by-play voice John Forslund on his well deserved contract extension. TV analyst Tripp Tracy was also extended, which means that the coming season will their 21st season together. Forslund will be doing his 25th season of TV play-by-play for the Hurricanes.

In addition, Forslund will continue to call selected regional and national telecasts on the NBC Sports networks during the regular season and post-season.