This coming from Jason McIntyre at The Big Lead, CBS Sports Network is planning to produce an all-female sports talk show. It will not only be fronted by women in front of the camera, but it will also be produced and directed by women.
David Berson, President of CBS Sports told McIntyre: “We have been discussing and developing the show for well over a year. Internally and externally, there’s been universal enthusiasm and across-the-board support.”
We don’t know who will be hosting the show, but McIntyre writes that leading candidates to be on the program are rising star Allie LaForce (formerly of Lead Off), Dana Jacobsen (currently a co-host of CBS Sports Radio’s morning show TBD in the AM), NFL on CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson, Lesley Visser, former Oakland Raiders executive Amy Trask (panelist on That Other Pregame Show) and former NESN Boston Red Sox on-field reporter Jenny Dell.
This would be the first national sports program to have an all-female cast. Lisa Guerrero of Inside Edition and a former panelist on Fox Sports Net’s “The Best Damn Sports Show Period” plus a Monday Night Football sideline reporter points out that this isn’t the first time this concept has been produced:
NOT TRUE. The 1st all female sports talk show was in '91 on SportsChannelNE. I should know because I was on it. @RaymondWPS @thebiglead
— Lisa Guerrero 💃🏽 (@4lisaguerrero) August 9, 2014
The show was called Sports Gals (I know, sigh) & also starred female sports journalist groundbreakers Janet Prensky & Barbara Borin.
— Lisa Guerrero 💃🏽 (@4lisaguerrero) August 9, 2014
It was produced by Boston radio legend Eddie Andelman's wife, Judy and lasted 1 season. It was live and our guests were athletes & coaches.
— Lisa Guerrero 💃🏽 (@4lisaguerrero) August 9, 2014
Berson tells The Big Lead that while the show will be hosted by women, it will be “a sports talk show featuring women; it’s not intended to be a women’s sports issue show.”
The format is not known at this time, but it appears that the show will have guests not just from inside CBS Sports but from other networks as well as “current and former athletes and team executives.”
It will be interesting to see how CBS Sports Network will handle this. The show is expected to premiere in September. No other details are available at this time. We’ll bring you the latest developments on this new program as they’re released.