Monday, January 12, 2009

Those WKNR Changes

As reported, first by Lake County News-Herald sportswriter Bob Finnan, there are indeed changes afoot at Good Karma sports WKNR/850 "ESPN 850".

Starting today, the station's afternoon drive time slot will be taken by Michael Reghi. The former Cavaliers TV play-by-play voice, a utility player for WKNR since the team replaced him on FOX Sports Ohio, moves into the 3-6 PM weekday time slot starting today, replacing Mark "Munch" Bishop's "Munch on Sports".

Though Bishop is not going to be doing the WKNR afternoon drive show, he won't be off the air entirely.

Good Karma boss Craig Karmazin announced on today's "Rizzo on the Radio" that Bishop has been named the station's sports director, and promised he'll be heard throughout the station's schedule - including his work on the station's Ohio State and Browns-related programming, and appearances elsewhere on the schedule, along with other on-scene work covering local teams.

Oh, and yes...selling advertising time, too, as reported.

But though that announcement means Munch gets to keep at least some on-air presence, the move is about putting Michael Reghi in afternoon drive...no matter how much the station tried to spin it in an on-air announcement rife with echoes, technical difficulties and even a little of the Spanish-language "ESPN Deportes" feed from the company's Milwaukee operation. (Karmazin was ISDN-ing it in from the Land of Cheeseheads.)

The move to Reghi in afternoon drive has an added bonus...as a long-time Cavaliers watcher, he'll be on the air daily as the local NBA team drives deep into the playoffs.

The newly revamped WKNR website schedule shows that the station's "KNR Overtime" non-official Cavaliers' post-game will be hosted by Kenny Roda and Greg Brinda, though we presume Reghi will continue to weigh in from time to time...

3 comments:

WERC alum said...

Munch is certainly a very nice person, and quite knowledgeable, but his show was un-listen-able.

Yes, Munch, you talk too fast. So fast that, we can't understand a lot of what you are saying. Often, you cut yourself off at mid-sentence. Sometimes you change topics at mid-sentence.

We can't follow you. So, many of us turned you off.

It's a shame. Munch is likeable and knows a lot about sports. But his refusal to improve himself was probably his undoing.

MrCommonSense said...

I agree with WERC alum. Munch is a terrific guy, but he's too hyper. He just spits out the patter rather than engaging in conversation.

Shawn said...

Munch is definitely knowledgeable, BUT, there was only so much of his "my brother" and "my friends in [insert local neighborhood] at [insert local business]" that one person could be expected to take.

I still remember hearing Munch call the Cleveland Crunch's championship victory a number of years ago on WHK 1420, it was like listening to a bad college-radio play-by-play. Sorry Munch, but Reghi is smooth as can be and very easy to listen to!