CSN New England on Thursday revealed that its new “Boston Sports Tonight" talking-head show is "positioned before its April 3 debut to become the most prominent" in CSNNE’s lineup, according to Chad Finn of the BOSTON GLOBE. The show "will be hosted by Tom Curran and Tom Giles, along with Michael Holley and Kayce Smith," who will join CSNNE next month. The program will air weeknights from 9:00pm-12:00am ET and is “designed to capture real-time reactions to what is happening on the Boston sports scene on a given night, which will include social-media interaction and contributions from guests.” While the show's "unconventional approach may take some ironing out," it "seems promising." Curran is probably CSNNE’s "most appealing on-air personality" and Holley and Giles "both do good work." Smith, an SB Nation Radio host who has also worked at ESPN, "arrives with positive reviews.” With the launch of "Boston Sports Tonight," CSNNE also will “expand its current Early Edition program to two hours" on weeknights from 6:00-8:00pm, with Gary Tanguay, Trenni Kusnierek and Michael Felger set to host. CSNNE in a statement said that “SportsNet Central," its flagship news and highlights program since '09, "will remain as its ‘news brand and will live throughout the day across all CSN programming.'" Finn notes that "essentially means that updates will be provided in its other programs, but it will no longer be a stand-alone program.” CSNNE also has hired Boston Herald Red Sox reporter Evan Drellich for a "multi-dimensional role covering the team,” but has not announced the transaction yet (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/3).
