Felger leaving ESPN Boston

[David Tomm]

890 was toying around with local programming before Felger's show  
during the Celtics playoff run with a couple of guys who previously  
bought time from WWZN.  My guess is that they bought the airtime from  
890 as well.  Felger's old slot may be an attractive option for Lobel  
& Bell, but at this point the station would probably rather sell them  
the time than hire them on.  That station is a sinking ship, and  
Felger  is jumping off while he has the chance.

WEEI is due for some real competition, and considering the holding  
pattern both 104.1 and 92.9 have been in recently, either one could  
easily pull the trigger at anytime.   Landing Ordway would be a major  
building block, and it's almost like WEEI is preparing to lose him  
when his deal runs out later this year.  All of their front line  
talent, D&C, Dale Arnold, Michael Holley and Pete Sheppard have  
signed long term deals in the last several months.  Everyone but  
Ordway.  Considering the beating Entercom stock has taken recently  
along with the Sox rights fees and Howie's huge new deal,  it might  
be hard for Julie & Jason to pony up the package to keep Glen in the  
fold.

You have to wonder if Felger working for the "WEEI Website" is  
keeping him in reserve for an eventual Ordway departure...and away  
from a potential FM sports talk competitor.  As Sean mentioned, Rob  
Bradford is also signed on for web work.  It looks like WEEI is  
building up their web presence to become the local "sports leader"  
online as well.  As big as WEEI is getting, eventually one of the  
underperforming FM's in the market will want at least a part of the  
action.  With Ordway's contact in play this fall, I'd be shocked if  
one or both of them didn't make a serious run at him.  If either  
Greater Media or CBS Radio can lure him away, it's game on.

Dave Tomm
"Mike Thomas"



On Jul 12, 2008, at 6:28 PM, Kevin Vahey wrote:

> I heard at the ballpark that Bob Lobel and Upton Bell are pitching a
> brokered show around town. Lobie has enough friends that they could
> clear enough to make it worth the bother.
>
> The only way another sports station can thrive in Boston is to hire
> Ordway away from WEEI. It is no secret that Glenn went ballistic when
> he found out what Howie was making after he had been told he was the
> highest paid person in the entire Entercom chain.
>
> But Ordway would never go to a weak signal like 890 no matter how much
> cash was on the table. It would have to be either 92.9 or 104.1.
>
> On 7/12/08, Bob Nelson <raccoonradio@mail.com> wrote:
>> http://shots.bostonsportsmedia.com/2008/07/developing-felger-gone- 
>> from-espn-890-and-herald-set-to-join-weeicom/
>>
>> ESPN Boston maintains they will continue local programming, with  
>> afternoon
>> and midday shows, but they
>> could not come to terms with Mike Felger who will join WEEI's  
>> website. The
>> station has occasionally
>> shown up in the ratings but cannot match the ratings or clout of  
>> 'EEI. Who
>> knows how long they will continue
>> as sports; well, at least they have things like Sunday Night  
>> Baseball and
>> the All Star Game.
>>
>> In a town like this, a powerful sports talker like WEEI has no  
>> time to run a
>> mostly-ESPN-fed format (WEEI's overnights are done by Fox
>> Sports instead) , so ESPN turns to a smaller signal to do mostly  
>> national,
>> some local
>> programming. And now they lose Felger.
>>