Bay Area sports scene in shock day after major KNBR changes

The full impact of the changes at “The Sports Leader” may not yet be known, but the news dominated shows at both KNBR and 95.7 The Game on Thursday, even with the 49ers’ massive matchup against the Eagles just three days away.

Among the people who are confirmed to have been let go include two on-air hosts — morning show co-host Paul McCaffrey and “KNBR Tonight” host F.P. Santangelo — and at least one producer, Erik Engle, who was known as “Triple E” on the airwaves. Multiple KNBR digital reporters, including Giants beat writer Danny Emerman and 49ers beat writer Jake Hutchinson, have also been let go, as has Lee Hammer, a former KNBR program director who had been working as a liaison between the station and the Giants and Niners.

And while the changes effectively ended the nightly sports call-in show after 51 years, it’s also left some unanswered questions for what KNBR will do with the morning show and host Brian Murphy, the other half of the “Murph and Mac” show and KNBR’s digital columnist. Murphy has not commented publicly since the moves were announced, though he shared McCaffrey’s heartfelt message on Thursday afternoon.

KNBR did make one addition on Thursday, poaching John Dickinson from The Game to become KNBR’s Warriors insider. Dickinson will host “Dubs OT,” a new postgame show that will air after every Warriors game, starting with Thursday’s matchup with the Clippers. He will also host a four-hour Saturday show called “Just Dubs” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dickinson was at The Game for more than 12 years before announcing his departure from that station Monday. Replies to KNBR’s tweet announcing the move pointed out the odd timing of Dickinson’s hire in the face of so many people losing their jobs. Cumulus Media, the Atlanta media company that owns KNBR, did not respond to SFGATE’s multiple requests for comment on the recent changes. KNBR also did not respond to SFGATE. KNBR program director Adam Copeland first announced the changes at the end of Wednesday’s “Tolbert and Copes” show.

KNBR had Bay Area News Group columnist Dieter Kurtenbach fill the morning show timeslot on Thursday, after Wednesday morning’s “Murph and Mac” show turned out to be its last. Kurtenbach, a frequent fill-in host for KNBR, addressed the changes and the uncertainty at the station several times throughout the show, which experienced multiple technical difficulties.

Kurtenbach said he had been scheduled a week ago to fill in for Thursday and Friday’s morning timeslots, but was not told why. He said he assumed it was going to be two normal fill-in shows and chalked it up to the holidays.

The morning show beyond this week is “in a state of flux,” according to Kurtenbach, who said he didn’t know much and quipped he was on “janitor duty” for the day. He also used some of the four-hour show to defend Copeland, who was promoted to program director by Cumulus on Nov. 7.

“I want to be clear about this: These are Atlanta decisions,” Kurtenbach said. “These are high-up decisions. This is not, ‘New program director coming in and shaking things up,’ nothing like that. These are money calls from folks who I’m not sure listen to the station.”

Kurtenbach also cracked a few jokes about Cumulus’ precarious financial situation. In their third quarter financial filings, Cumulus reported an 11% decline in year-over-year net revenue. 

“These are rough times,” Papa said. “Things change. Look at what’s going on with the RSNs [regional sports networks] in the country, and certainly terrestrial radio is feeling the brunt of it for a number of factors, John. But we did want to acknowledge [them] today.”

Papa and Lund also both commented on the station shutting down the nightly sports call-in show, with Lund calling it “crazy” that the station won’t have it. Papa said the decision is “unbelievable.”

Across the street from KNBR’s downtown San Francisco studios, The Game also addressed the changes in a somber tone both on the air and on social media. Matt Nahigian, the brand manager for The Game, used his daily video on X, formerly known as Twitter, to show sympathy.

“The stations compete against each other hardcore. We want to beat each other every single month in the ratings and the whole bit. But all of us, for the most part, get along really well,” Nahigian said. “Most of these guys and gals that are here and there worked with each other in some capacity.”

“KNBR didn’t gloat and celebrate when we made changes in March,” Nahigian added, referring to the reorganization that saw Damon Bruce and Ray Ratto’s time at The Game end. “We won’t do that either.”

The Game’s “Morning Roast” hosts Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky, who are both ex-KNBR employees, paid tribute to Murphy and especially McCaffrey, whom Hill used to work with as a producer.

“They made me laugh, they treated me right, they taught me the ropes,” Hill said. “When you have an 18-year run together, that is legendary. Legendary. He had his way of doing radio, his soundboard. Morning radio, that’s what we grew up on, and he was a pioneer.”

While Thursday has mostly been a day of mourning in the Bay Area sports media scene, several questions — including what happens next for Murphy, the morning show, the Giants postgame shows and more — are still unanswered. But for now, the web pages for the “Murph and Mac” show and “KNBR Tonight” are no longer working on KNBR’s website. The weekly schedule now lists “KNBR programming” in the morning show timeslot.