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John Kincade, Steak Shapiro Out Amidst Dickey Broadcasting Cuts

“Kincade, Shapiro and Zinno are out, Michaels is expected to join and talent from 106.3 are likely to move over.”

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Dickey Broadcasting is coping with budget shortfalls like so many other media companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. For Dickey, it means layoffs for a number of major personalities at its Atlanta sports stations.

Barrett Sports Media has learned that two big names in the world of Atlanta sports radio are out.

John Kincade, the longtime host of ‘Buck & Kincade’ which included Buck Belue, had been a staple in The Fan’s lineup since 2000. The show in fact held the distinction of being the longest running sports talk radio show in The South with more than 5,000 broadcasts produced by the two partners. Kincade started his career in Philadelphia with Sports Radio WIP and has since gone on to host national shows for ESPN Radio, and CBS Sports Radio. He also hosts “The BIG Podcast with SHAQ” with Shaquille O’Neal for Podcast One. 

The second big name to exit the station is Steak Shapiro, one of the lead voices of The Front Row with Sandra Golden and Brian Finneran in morning drive on 680 the Fan. Shapiro joined the station in January 2014 following a long stint at the now defunct 790 The Zone which he previously served as host and co-owner of. Fortunately for Shapiro, his food company and television show ‘Atlanta Eats‘ has been doing well. The program just celebrated a Southeast Emmy Award as the Best Lifestyle Program Feature/Segment & Program.

Kincade and Shapiro are not the only hosts to be let go as part of the station’s cuts. Mark Zinno, who had hosted A to Z Sports on Xtra 106.3 also had his position eliminated. After our report came out, Zinno took to social media to confirm the news.

According to sources, Zinno’s exit is part of eliminating local programming entirely from Xtra 106.3. Joe Hamilton, Brandon ‘Home Team’ Leak, Hutson Mason, and Tug Cowart are all expected to move over to 680 The Fan soon.

One additional name which will be part of the station’s lineup plans moving forward is Atlanta sports radio veteran John Michaels. Michaels previously worked for 92.9 The Game and 790 The Zone and will replace Shapiro alongside Sandra Golden and Brian Finneran on the morning show. Though he writes a weekly column for BSM, Michaels didn’t respond to texts or calls seeking comment.

The latest lineup changes follow another big change at the station which recently flew under the radar. Veteran Operations Manager Jim Mahanay was let go as part of company cuts. Mahanay’s duties are expected to be assumed by Matt Edgar. Edgar has worked as a producer at the station but has a history in programming, previously occupying that role at 790 the Zone, a station he spent 14 years at.

What comes next for Kincade and Shapiro remains to be seen, but given their credentials, relationships, and talent, local and out of market options should be available. Zinno is also a talented host who should have appeal to other stations.

Sports Radio News

Charles Barkley: ‘I Want to Be on TV Less’

“His contract with Warner Bros. Discovery runs through 2024-25.”

Jordan Bondurant

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Charles Barkley

It’s possible you could see Charles Barkley appearing occasionally on CNN.

Reports from The Wall Street Journal and Variety this week indicate the cable news network is close to finishing a deal that would have Gayle King on the network. Rumors have said that the network would like to have Barkley join her, but Barkley says nothing is decided on his end.

In an appearance on Bickley & Marotta on Arizona Sports on Tuesday, the Suns legend and NBA on TNT analyst said he and King are friends so this wouldn’t be a situation where the duo would be coming in green.

“I’ve gotten to know her well through the years through my relationship with Oprah (Winfrey) and she’s just cool,” Barkley said. “I said, ‘I would consider doing a show with Gayle, one day a week starting in the fall.'”

But Barkley, 60, reiterated what he’s made known for a while now: he doesn’t plan on sticking around in the TV business for too much longer. His contract with Warner Bros. Discovery runs through 2024-25. So this CNN opportunity could be pretty limited in scope, which is what Charles desired.

“It’ll only be one day a week if I decide to do it,” Barkley said. “I said, ‘No, I don’t want to be on TV more. I want to be on TV less.'”

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Sports Radio News

John Kincade: Thursday Night Football Flex Vote About ‘Licking Jeff Bezos’s Boots’

“For these billionaires to be licking his boots? Embarrassing. They can’t do this. It’s obnoxious.”

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John Kincade

A report claims that at the NFL owners meetings, a proposal to give the league the ability to implement flex scheduling for Thursday Night Football was proposed. 97.5 The Fanatic’s John Kincade was flabbergasted at the idea.

The proposal would allow the NFL to move scheduled games in the final weeks of the season from Sunday to Thursday. The league would also have to change the rule that teams could only play one Thursday Night Football game per season to accommodate the change.

During The John Kincade Show Tuesday, the host claimed that even considering the idea was simply a matter of the owners kowtowing to Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, whose company — Prime Video — broadcasts the package.

“They’re licking Jeff Bezos’s boots,” Kincade said. “I can only imagine buddies running trips and fans go ‘Ok, I’m going to the Eagles game on Sunday. I’m flying in Friday, spend two nights in a hotel, and fly out Monday’. Oh no you’re not, the game’s been moved to Thursday night. This is freaking ridiculous, and shining Bezos’s shoes is freaking embarrassing. For these billionaires to be licking his boots? Embarrassing. They can’t do this. It’s obnoxious.”

Kincade continued by marvelling at the idea even being floated to the public.

“To me, it’s just such a dumb idea. But sometimes those things happen in sports.”

The 97.5 The Fanatic host is not the only sports media member who has shared their displeasure with the proposal this week. Monday Morning Quarterback’s Peter King aired similar sentiments, saying “We can all agree this seems insane.”

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Sports Radio News

Mike Francesa: BetRivers Podcast Is Enough For Me Right Now

“I’ve had a couple offers in the last couple of months. I’ve turned them all down. Anybody that’s asked me for steady work or to do something Monday through Friday I’ve said no.”

Jordan Bondurant

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Mike Francesa

If you were hoping to catch Mike Francesa hosting a daily TV or radio show in the future, that ship has likely sailed.

Asked by a listener on his Mike Francesa Podcast if he would go back to doing a show on television similar to his Mike’d Up program on NBC New York, Francesa said it’s not in his future.

“I would doubt it,” he said on his Monday episode. “At this point, I’m not as visible. So it wouldn’t make as much sense as having me now as it would then. And frankly, I’m doing what I do now, and I love doing it.”

Francesa reunited with his former WFAN co-host Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on ESPN’s First Take back in January, but Mike said the podcast he’s doing for the BetRivers Network checks all the boxes of what he’s looking for work-wise at the moment.

“It’s actually enough,” he said. “I’ve had a couple offers in the last couple of months. I’ve turned them all down. Anybody that’s asked me for steady work or to do something Monday through Friday I’ve said no.”

“It would have to be something very unusual for me to do on a regular basis,” he added.

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