Last week, Cumulus Media announced KNBR, the flagship radio station of the San Francisco Giants and 49ers, would be moving from San Francisco to studios in Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium 45 miles away.
A week later, however, details around the move remain hazy, with one KNBR host going as far as to call it “fake news” on air.
SFGate’s Alex Simon reports that several sources within the station said KNBR employees were “completely blindsided” by the announcement with some hearing it for the first time through the news coverage. The station has called their current Battery Street location home since 2015.
That announcement also came on the heels of layoffs, the second such round of the last year. Those layoffs included longtime afternoon host Tom Tolbert, as well as Lamont Hollywood and Paul Tonelli.
Simon had a hard time getting a straight answer about the move from Cumulus, noting that “after several days of unanswered requests and calls, Cumulus agreed to answer questions over email.” Ultimately, Larry Blumhagen, Cumulus’ regional vice president for San Francisco and Los Angeles, provided some answers, saying that since some of the station’s 49ers-based shows were already hosted at Levi’s Stadium studios, “we currently do not see a significant shift in that usage.”
Blumhagen also told SFGate that Cumulus is looking at the “end of first quarter 2025” to get the “secondary location” in a state to replace the downtown San Francisco studios, adding there is no “official final date” for the Battery St. location.
While SFGate asked for clarification about those plans and why an announcement was necessary, Cumulus did not respond.
San Francisco Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow appeared on KNBR’s Murph & Markus show Tuesday, remarking on the announcement and his own confusion over what it means.
“I thought you guys were at Levi’s Stadium,” Krukow said to the hosts, who were broadcasting from Hawaii as part of a sponsored trip with listeners. “And now, all of a sudden, boom, you’re in Hawaii. What the hell?”
“That story, we’re going to have to address. Let’s just say: Fake news. And we’ll move on from there,” responded Murphy after the two hosts laughed.
SFGate also reached out to the 49ers about KNBR’s presumed move to Levi’s Stadium, but they did not respond. KNBR and Cumulus are under contract as the radio home of the NFL franchise through 2028.
Meanwhile, KNBR’s partnership with the Giants is set to expire after the 2025 season. The move away from San Francisco might foretell how that could play out, a situation that has Giants radio play-by-play broadcaster Dave Flemming very nervous.
[SFGate]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.