“Toucher & Rich” was one of the most successful sports radio shows in history, pulling in unforeseen ratings during morning drive.
But when the show broke up last week, the split wasn’t viewed as some cataclysmic change. “The Sports Hub” is expected to keep beating WEEI in the mornings, regardless of who shares airtime with Fred Toucher.
Rich Shertenlieb is out, and it probably won’t make much of a difference.
Once viewed as front page fodder, the Boston sports radio scene is now all about survival. “The Sports Hub” surpassed WEEI in the ratings in Fall 2010, and hasn’t looked back.
For the better part of 13 years, “Toucher & Rich” pounded EEI’s morning offering. When T&R hit the air in August 2009, WEEI’s “Dennis & Callahan” was viewed as stale and politically toxic. And the perception was reflected in the ratings.
“The Sports Hub” surpassed WEEI just a little more than one year into its existence.
But for that first decade, there was searing competition between the two stations, even if the ratings didn’t always show it. A lot of that animosity came from the personalities. Kirk Minihane often directed salvos towards 98.5 during his chaotic stint in morning drive, rewarding WEEI with the most ratings success it’s enjoyed since the Obama Administration.
The rebranded “Kirk & Callahan” show (featuring Minihane and Gerry Callahan) competed with T&R, and beat them for stretches as well. But then Minihane left WEEI on acrimonious terms (to put it mildly), and the legacy station’s ratings success largely ended.
I was around during that electric, yet tumultuous period. I worked at WEEI from 2017-19, appearing on both “Kirk & Callahan” and its short-lived successor, “Mut & Callahan.” The atmosphere was … tense. WEEI enjoyed resurgent ratings, but was also mired in endless controversies.
There is a debate over how detrimental those controversies are. Management will say pressure from advertisers and partners, such as the Red Sox, outweighs any benefits.
Meanwhile, talent will argue that advertisers follow the audience. Look no further than Tucker Carlson, whose show was the most profitable on Fox News, despite a myriad of sponsor boycotts over objectionable content. Given the political leanings of most WEEI hosts at the time, he’s the perfect analogy!
There were crazy moments: Minihane protesting outside “The Sports Hub” studios; Toucher and John Dennis engaging in epic Twitter feuds. The hosts had big egos and were making big salaries, backed by deep-pocketed corporate conglomerates.
Then COVID hit, and all of that changed.
In fairness, terrestrial radio was on a downward trajectory long before the pandemic. But like many trends — such as the switch to online retail — COVID accelerated the shift.
Audacy, WEEI’s wounded parent company, was officially delisted from the New York Stock Exchange last month. The company’s stock had not been traded since May, due to “abnormally low price levels.”
When Callahan left WEEI in July 2019, the era of the big-moneyed host was over — at least at EEI. The station now features a reshuffled lineup, with its shows routinely getting beat by double digits.
Earlier this year, “Toucher & Rich” were outpacing “The Greg Hill Show” by nearly 20 points, despite palpable tension and Toucher’s ongoing throat issues and erratic behavior.
As Toucher recently revealed, he wasn’t even communicating with Rich off of the air. Yet, they were enjoying their best stretch ever.
BREAKING : Rich out. Toucher & ….? pic.twitter.com/Vbt1hbwkM8
— Boston Radio Watch®️ (@bostonradio) November 10, 2023
The only exception to T&R’s ratings superiority came last summer, when Toucher was mostly absent. “The Greg Hill Show” finished within four points of its juggernaut competition (15.3 to 11.6 in men 25-54).
The summer numbers show Toucher was the main draw for “Toucher & Rich,” and likely explains his new contract. “The Sports Hub” paid to keep the on-air talent on its morning show.
But that doesn’t mean they’re in a great financial spot, either. Stock prices for Beasley Broadcast Group, 98.5’s parent company, are down to 69 cents per share.
That explains why “The Sports Hub,” despite its dominance, went through layoffs last year. Beasley cut one of T&R’s producers, Mike Lockhart, who only came back once Shertenlieb paid his salary himself.
Audacy and Beasley are fighting to stay afloat, without the benefit of robust podcasting divisions, like iHeart. The emphasis isn’t on taking risks and pushing boundaries.
The focus is on surviving the day.
The high-stress atmosphere might’ve also contributed to Rich’s departure. Hosting morning drive in a major market used to be the pinnacle of broadcasting. It’s rare to see people walk away from these incredible, and lucrative, opportunities.
But as Toucher said recently, Rich never loved sports talk radio, anyway. The job is demanding and breeds negativity, especially when the industry is taking on water.
In the past, it would’ve been unfathomable for someone like Shertenlieb to leave a coveted morning show gig. But now, there are many other creative routes he can take.
Across the country, sports talk is devalued. The ratings battle in New York is completely over, with ESPN Radio dumping its FM signal in 2024. That means WFAN will soon be without any competition.
As a whole, ESPN Radio is on life support, along with the rest of national sports talk. Dan Le Batard, formerly one of ESPN’s biggest talents, says his former employer has “given up” on the medium.
“The Sports Hub” will keep chugging along without Shertenlieb. Toucher will work with rotating partners through the end of the year, before an official co-host is named. The industry favorite is Rob “Hardy” Poole, another ex-rock jock who’s been the long-standing third voice on “The Sports Hub’s” midday show.
This isn’t a moment to capitalize for WEEI, which probably doesn’t have the money to try and poach Shertenlieb. In fact, Rich’s high-profile departure wasn’t even discussed on WEEI’s airwaves.
That’s because it’s irrelevant. The two stations exist in separate silos, while the business collectively shrinks.
