SPORTING NEWS' Michael McCarthy reported ESPN is looking to compete with Fox by "stealing Alex Rodriguez away" from the net. ESPN would "even be willing to 'share' A-Rod with Fox," but Fox is "not interested in such an arrangement" involving Rodriguez, who signed a multiyear contract with the net before last season. He has been "brilliant on TV ever since debuting" in the '15 MLB postseason. His performance has "helped him rehabilitate his steroids-tainted image." ESPN recently lost "Sunday Night Baseball" analyst Aaron Boone, who left to manage the Yankees (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 1/2).
NEW YEAR, NEW DEALS: In Boston, Chad Finn notes the new year "brought new contracts for two Boston sports radio personalities on competing afternoon drive programs." WBZ-FM co-host Michael Felger and WEEI-FM co-host Dale Arnold each "agreed to terms" on multiyear deals (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/3). Also in Boston, Joe Halpern noted Felger in November was "roundly criticized for an on-air rant" in which he called late former MLBer Roy Halladay a "'moron' after Halladay had died in a plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/2).
STAY CLASSY, SAN DIEGO: In San Diego, Tod Leonard notes local sports talk radio host Dan Sileo is "moving on" from XEPRS-AM. Sileo in a Facebook post wrote, "I want to thank the folks at 1090 for SAVING my career." In response to Sileo’s post, San Diego Union-Tribune sports editor Jay Posner tweeted to "keep an eye" on KBZT-FM -- the home of the Padres -- as a potential landing spot. That station is "rumored to be switching to a talk format." Sileo was hired in January '14 to "replace Lee 'Hacksaw' Hamilton during the morning-drive time period." He was a "controversial pick because he’d been fired from his two previous jobs" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/3).
EXPANDING ROLES: Golf Channel hired Golf World Editor-in-Chief/Golf Digest senior writer Jaime Diaz to appear on “Morning Drive” and “Golf Central” in addition to writing for the network’s website. The network also expanded the role of another Golf Digest/Golf World writer, having Tim Rosaforte contribute a weekly notes column and long-form features on Golf Channel Digital (John Ourand, Staff Writer).
