ESPN execs are "moving forward with the plan" to shift Mike Greenberg into a new role as the "lead host of a television show that would air in the mornings on ESPN," according to sources cited by Richard Deitsch of SI.com. Greenberg's new show will have "elements of 'SportsCenter' -- which currently airs at that time -- as well as a traditional morning show." It is "expected to be based" in N.Y. The new program would "put an end to end to Greenberg’s on-air partnership with Mike Golic" on the net's "Mike & Mike," which began in October '98. The "leading in-house candidate to emerge as a replacement" for Greenberg is Trey Wingo, who has "experience on ESPN Radio and is one of the network’s signature NFL hosts." But Deitsch noted it is "unclear" whether Golic would stay as part of a new show. Mike Golic Jr., who "already works for ESPN Radio, could be part of a new show in some role if his father stayed on with a new partner." There is no timeframe yet for the end of "Mike & Mike" or the beginning of the new program, but sources said that they expect the transition to "take place sooner than later." Greenberg's news also brings up the "larger question of what this means for the 'SportsCenter' brand in the morning." It is "unclear what would happen to the current SportsCenter AM talent, though anchor Kevin Negandhi recently signed a long-term deal with the company" (SI.com, 1/13).
MUSICAL CHAIRS: In N.Y., Hannah Withiam notes Greenberg's "long-rumored move comes in the wake of several scheduling and personnel changes" ESPN has introduced in an "effort to spice up its content as ratings drop and competition rises." The network recently moved “His & Hers" co-hosts Michael Smith and Jemele Hill to the 6:00pm ET edition of “SportsCenter” effective next month, and shifted Stephen A. Smith’s “First Take” to ESPN from ESPN2 (N.Y. POST, 1/13). SPORTING NEWS' Michael McCarthy wrote, "Change seems to be the norm these days at ESPN ... which is scrambling to deal with the loss of millions of cable subscribers in recent years." Hill and Smith's "His & Hers" will be "replaced in the weekday noon time slot" by Bomani Jones and Pablo Torre (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 1/13).
