In N.Y., David Marcus wondered if WFAN-AM is “actively pushing a conservative political agenda.” WFAN does “much better with 35- to 55-year-olds than it does with 18- to 35-year-olds,” and older listeners “mean two things: They are more conservative and have more spending power.” Marcus: “Even if WFAN’s listeners are more conservative than the average New Yorker, is there any evidence that the station is actively courting people on the right?” Morning show co-hosts Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton regularly partner "with law enforcement to promote charities,” and Esiason “got in hot water last year for criticizing” Colin Kaepernick’s on-field protests. A regular guest host during Esiason’s frequent absences is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and WFAN has confirmed that Christie is being “considered as a successor” to Mike Francesa. It “strains credulity to imagine the station is not taking his Trump-boostering, right-of-center street cred into account in considering him for its top job” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/4).
NICE TEAM OF DRIVERS: In Richmond, Randy Hallman wrote NBC's NASCAR broadcast team of Rick Allen, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte "is solid." Though it may lack the "glamour" of Fox' broadcast team of Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Gordon, the NBC trio is a "little less about itself, a little more about the race." Allen is NBC’s "broadcast pro with a deep knowledge of racing," while Burton has an "engaging way of letting us know what's on a driver's mind." Letarte "knows so much" and he "wants to tell us everything all the time." Meanwhile, studio analyst Kyle Petty is "among the best at that role" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 7/4).
STADIUM ARCADIUM: Conference USA officials said that when the league's TV schedule was announced last month, it had "yet to be determined if Twitter would also televise games broadcast" by the Stadium TV Network. However, Stadium VP/Sports Properties Adam Anshell said that all 15 C-USA games televised by Stadium will also "be available on Twitter." Stadium has "quickly become one of C-USA's most valuable TV assets just months after it was formed." Stadium was "created by a merger of the American Sports Network, Silver Chalice and 120 Sports." It will also "televise games on conventional TV" (Norfolk VIRGINIAN-PILOT, 7/4).
