Personalities

Peter Brown

Getting the Top Names and Interviews
Peter Brown is controversial and opinionated – he boldly delivers his opinions and demands the opinions of others, especially his listeners. Brown says, “The show should never be dull and predictable. The safe approach to interacting with the audience is to make friends. I think that’s the cheap way out. I don’t want to make friends, I want to get to the bottom of a story.”

The Guest Spot
Although Brown is known as a tough, hard-hitting host, he continues to attract big-name coaches and players to his show. From George Steinbrenner to Brett Favre to Mark McGuire, the hottest names in sports want to be heard on Brown’s show because they respect him and his professionalism. Brown himself has sat in the guest’s chair, bringing his sports expertise to appearances on national TV. He has been seen on CNN, Late Night with Tom Snyder, CLTV Sports Page, CNBC Market-watch, and on numerous TV stations in affiliate markets.

Developing a Style
As a student covering the less-than-spectacular teams at Tulane University, Brown formed a skeptical approach which laid the foundations of his style. Brown’s career progressed at several stations including WSMB-AM in New Orleans, WIP-AM in Philadelphia, WKNR-AM in Cleveland, and WMVP-AM in Chicago. While at WMVP, he was also heard on the network level on the ESPN Radio Network before moving up to Sporting News Radio.

Intelligent Sports Talk
“The Peter Brown Show” delivers smart sports talk. The show makes listeners think and provides a platform for intelligent conversation. Brown’s interests go beyond sports talk, and he is a recognized sports expert. He demonstrated his expertise by winning the premier Las Vegas handicapping contest, the Stardust Handicapping Invitational. Up against a formidable group of the nation’s top handicappers, Brown took the prize, as he does each weekend across the nation.

Steve Hyder

Delivering the Weekend’s Action
If anyone can share in the fans’ enthusiasm for weekend action, Hyder can. A devoted sports fan himself, Hyder’s show is characterized by the energy that comes from looking at the sports world’s most crucial matches – and the players, coaches, winners, and losers involved.

Before and After the Games
Saturday mornings on Steve Hyder’s show are focused on setting up the weekend’s games and events with reports, interviews, and important stories as they break. On Saturday, Hyder takes fans to the venues as preparations for the day’s big games are underway. On Sunday mornings, Hyder recaps the Saturday action and looks at what the Sunday games will bring. With his enthusiasm for sports and hard-won position in the sports talk industry, Hyder’s is the voice fans turn to for top-flight insight and analysis of the weekend action.

An Inspired Start in Radio
Anyone who has ever dreamed of accomplishing something and gone on to make it happen can relate to the story of Hyder’s start in sports radio. It began when Hyder saw the hit film “Field of Dreams,” about an Iowa farmer who envisions a baseball diamond on his farm, builds it, and brings a fantasy to life. The film inspired Hyder to begin pursuit of his dream career – sportscasting. He landed a job as a PA announcer at MacArthur Stadium in Syracuse, took a sportscasting course, and started as a sideline reporter for local high school football games. Since then, Hyder’s professional progression has been steady and productive, exposing him to almost every aspect of the business.

Diverse Experience
Although the beginning of his career started on high school sidelines, Hyder’s on-air experience has been extensive and several of his positions have been especially impressive. At NewsRadio 570 WSYR in Syracuse, Hyder workedas a sports director, sideline reporter,color analyst, and host of pre- and post-game shows for Syracuse University Football and Basketball. At SportsRadio 620 WHEN, Hyder delivered play-by-play for Syracuse Blue Jays games, and hosted The Steve Hyder Show, a nightly three-hour talk show featuring callers and guests. Now on Sporting News Radio, Hyder’s weekend show delivers the weekend’s sports action, and Hyder’s guy-next-door brand of sports talk.

Chet Coppock

Suspendered Sports
Coppock has made a significant impact on the sports world. Most notably, he’s been credited with bringing the ‘sports magazine’ format to radio. While still interacting with callers, he brought experts, players and coaches to the airwaves as his guests. Coppock has excellent command, great delivery, distinctive style and a straightforward approach. He creates an urgency for the listener that’s unmatched. He routinely breaks stories on his show. His show features big names and juicy nuggets of information and is always highly topical. Another mark on the world of sports derives from his sense of style, namely, his suspenders.

Coppock on Coppock
“Being exposed to a lot of prominent sports figures at an early age, I knew that sports would be in my future.” And being exposed to his father’s friends including George Halas, Jack Brickhouse, Sid Luckman and Red Grange, he couldn’t have asked for a better way to prepare for a career in sports. After attending Columbia College, he landed a job in as a production assistant at WFLD-TV in Chicago. He persuaded station management to give him a chance in front of the camera. They did, giving him a chance at a Bears press conference. He was quickly promoted to sportswriter and reporter.

From Basketball to Roller Derby
Coppock’s next broadcasting gig took him to Milwaukee as a producer for the Milwaukee Bucks Radio Network. In 1972, Coppock became the voice of roller derby in 275 television markets across the globe. Coppock later signed-on for a six-year stint as the sports director at WISH-TV in Indianapolis, while returning to the Windy City on the weekends as the public address announcer for the Chicago Bears. In 1980 he worked as the weekday anchor for WMAQ-TV and as a sports reporter for WMAQ radio in Chicago. His own sports radio talk show came shortly thereafter; “Coppock on Sports” lasted 10 years on Chicago’s airwaves and was named the #1 sports talk show in America for three years in a row by USA Today. It was here that Coppock perfected his signature style of asking the tough questions. Coppock spent the 1990’s as the host of sports television’s “The Back Table” and FOX Sports Chicago’s “The Game Room” (for which he won an Emmy award) and NewSport Talk in New York. Throughout the years Coppock has interviewed hundreds of people including such sports legends as Muhammad Ali, Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, and controversial sports figures such as Pete Rose and Mike Tyson. He’s been known to have “one of the largest rolodexes in the industry.” He’s even appeared in television commercials for Chevrolet with Michael Jordan, for Wheaties with the late, great Walter Payton, and for McDonald’s. Tune in and you’ll hear a breath of fresh air for the sports world. Coppock can be heard weekends on Sporting News Radio from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET.

Papa Joe Chevalier

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“Papa” Joe Chevalier has defined his style of sports talk in a show filled with tough opinions delivered from a fan’s perspective. He has become the on-the-air representative of sports fans across the nation, hosting a show that covers the sports issues of the day with enthusiastic discussions and hard-hitting commentary.

“Papa” Joe relates to the guy sitting in the stands, watching the game on TV, listening to the game on the radio. In his words, “without the fans, there are no games.” He is clearly the fans’ advocate. “The fans must be considered. And considered at all times.” “Papa” Joe is an ardent fan himself. He’s passionate. You can hear his passion and depth when he talks sports. Yes, he’s stubborn. Yes, he’s aggressively opinionated. But his attitude is positive. It’s productive. His devotion to the whole realm of sports is a devotion to the ideal. To fairness. To what’s right. To the good of the many (fans) at the expense of the few (players and coaches).

Having Credentials
“Papa” Joe started his career in a great place at a great time. He worked as a stringer for UPI in Pittsburgh covering the Steelers and the Pirates during one of the most exciting eras of sporting champions. While there he published a weekly sports newspaper, Sportsline Pittsburgh. His career continued in Las Vegas, writing for several sports entities while hosting his own weekday sports talk show. From Vegas he moved up to Sporting News Radio where he hosts one of the network’s most popular shows.

“Bite Me” Wednesdays
“Papa” Joe’s show on Sporting News Radio can get especially tough mid-week when fans jump on the phones for “Bite Me” Wednesday! This is when coaches, owners and commissioners get their due. Inspired by the universal frustration of having a bad day, “Bite Me” Wednesday has become enormously popular, flooding the studio lines with callers anxious to vent their frustrations about the sports world.

Hitting the Road
Sporting News Radio travels to high-profile events like the Super Bowl, the Final Four, and the Kentucky Derby, delivering the fans’ perspective from these events. Because of his great relationship with his audience, “Papa” Joe is a natural to host his show live from these key events. “Papa” Joe’s popularity is evident when he travels on the road for affiliate appearances. Fans turn out in droves, swamping sports bars and local venues. Creating a highly successful show based on a pro-fan approach is uniquely “Papa” Joe’s domain. His passionate devotion to sports and to the fans has taken his show to the top.

“Nasty” Nestor Aparicio

Still a Kid at Heart
“Nasty” Nestor Aparicio was born for sports. At a very early age, he learned to read by reading the sports section. Before he could tie his sneakers, he could name all the Orioles and Colts players. Before he could multiply or divide, he was doing sports talk with his dad.

It’s no great shock that Aparicio, a cousin of baseball Hall-of-Famer Luis Aparicio, grew up to host a wildly successful sports talk show, always asking the tough questions, hitting the hot topics and making sure the fans have fun. Having a great time is a big part of Aparicio’s show. Maybe because he’s living his dream, or maybe because he genuinely respects his radio fans, Aparicio’s developed a high-energy on-air style that is dynamic yet gentlemanly. In his own words Aparicio says, “I know it may not be cool, but I believe you don’t have to be a jerk to be successful in sports talk. This is sports – it should be fun, the way my dad taught me when I was a kid.”

Born For The Job
In his hometown of Dundalk, MD, Aparicio’s dad taught him to love sports. Soon enough Aparicio learned that sports was not only fun to talk about, but also to write about, and by the time Aparicio hit 17 he was working for The Baltimore Evening Sun as a sports and rock music writer. After graduating from the University of Baltimore, Aparicio moved into radio, serving as color commentator for AHL Baltimore Skipjack games and eventually earning his own talk show covering local and national sports. By 1998, Aparicio had his own station – Baltimore’s WNST-AM, Nasty 1570 Sports.

Radio Brings It Into Focus
While Aparicio’s radio credits are long, he also dabbled in television. In 1997, he landed a national TV gig hosting a pigskin prognostician show with NFL Hall-of-Famer Lawrence Taylor and Buddy Ryan. Aparicio remembers television as a lot of fun, but there wasn’t enough magic. “There’s something special about the energy and urgency of radio. We create images, a mental picture for people. I guess it’s the difference between reading a book and seeing the movie. I go for the book every time.”

Don’t Judge A Man By His Name
“Nasty” Nestor Aparicio earned his nickname after losing a bet, and payment was babysitting a friend’s kids. After sending the kids to bed early, they took to calling him “Nasty,” and the name stuck. Despite the name, “Nasty” is actually pretty nice, as demonstrated by his charity work. While in Baltimore, he raised $250,000 for abused and underprivileged orphaned children. Aparicio has built a successful career in sports media, covering 10 World Series, six Super Bowls, eight All-Star games, plus a couple Stanley Cups and Final Four games. He’s attended baseball games in Cuba and Venezuela, cricket in Australia, soccer in London, squash in Jamaica, the Frenchat Roland Garros, and bullfights in Madrid. Aparicio is at home anywhere they play games! Still a Kid at Heart

Scott Wetzel

Starting the day with guy talk
Memolo started his career in sports talk at New York’s WFAN and WNEW. Soon after, he moved to sports-crazy Chicago, landing a show at WSCR - The Score. He co-hosted the popular “The Bear and The Bull” radio show with windy city sports legends Doug Buffone and Norm Van Lier. Jim refined his edgy on-air persona during the eight years he spent in Chicago sports talk.
It is this distinctive, inquisitive style which Memolo brings to Sporting News Radio. He also tackles a wide variety of topics of interest to listeners. One day he's addressing publicly-funded stadiums, the next he’s discussing football strategy. Memolo is not afraid to go against the grain and give his own thoughts on a subject, even if no one else agrees with him.

Art Mehring

Starting the day with guy talk
Before joining Sporting News Radio, Scott Wetzel hosted New York Islander pre- and post-game radio shows, and announced play-by-play action for Hofstra University’s basketball, football, hockey and lacrosse teams. He soon moved up to anchoring sportscasts and live reports on sports giant WFAN in New York, and on that city’s WINS.
As part of Sporting News Radio’s “Morning Show,” Wetzel brings his strong opinions to the table, while delivering regular SportingNewsFlash!! reports. Listeners connect to Wetzel’s sense of fairness and his philosophical perspective on the world of sports. Although he can be, and often is, very passionate about his favorite sports topics, his ability to listen to the opinions of others makes him the perfect co-host of the Sporting News Radio “Morning Show.” Everything the Sports Fan Needs to Prepare for the Day in Sports

Kevin Wheeler

Grown on the Farm
Tune in Saturday or Sunday morning to “Wheels” and you’ll hear all sides of the story. “I want to make listeners think; I’d rather teach listeners than preach to them,” said Wheeler. And don’t be surprised by the rock music Wheeler plays to get listeners going on those early weekend mornings. He accompanies the music with plenty of attitude and insight to go with the morning coffee.

An Athlete’s Perspective
Wheeler’s younger athletic days served him well. “Wheels” was appropriately raised in Detroit as a Red Wings and Tiger fan. His passion for both hockey and baseball grew as he competed in and studied the games. Ultimately, his athletic abilities garnered interest from college baseball scouts, landing him on the team at the University of Miami.

Growing into an Expert
Spending his time off the field as a broadcaster for the University of Miami college radio station, Wheeler soon found his way to the press box. It wasn’t long before he was calling the play-by-play or providing color commentary for Hurricanes football, basketball and baseball. After college, Wheeler pursued his dream of playing professional baseball and was invited to join a few minor league teams. Wheeler never made it to the majors, but he realized his talents lay off the field. Now Wheeler’s expertise is heard on the air and seen on the network’s website at www.sportingnewsradio.com as Sporting News Radio’s lead sports writer. Wheeler’s sports insight and youthful approach makes his shows both informative and entertaining.

Bob Kemp

An objective and factual look at sports
Bob Kemp is a walking and talking sports fact machine. He knows his sports. From the big time to the obscure, major league to minor league, Kemp is on top of his game. He’s a sports junkie, and he does his homework every day, bringing his listeners a wealth of hard-core sports information.

Kemp started his career as an award-winning sportswriter and sports editor, a professional background that taught him top-notch fact-finding skills. His gathering of statistical knowledge goes beyond the arena of diligent study. He continuously accesses information from all sources, including his well-established connections within the business. And he has the drive and the mind to put it all together.

Jay Mariotti

Sometimes He is the Story:
By nature, the best newswriters look at things objectively – and in the world of sports, Jay Mariotti is one of the best. Trained to go after the story, he aims for the heart of what makes
the news. In his column in the Chicago Sun-Times, and on his show on Sporting News Radio, Mariotti boldly delivers both the facts and his opinion, whether they please people or not.
Mariotti’s objective approach is unusual. In the world of sports, everybody has their favorite teams and players. Not Mariotti. In his words, he “...never cheered or waved a terrible towel. I looked at
things objectively and never viewed a game as a fan. I simply watched the game and analyzed the events that took place.” Mariotti roots for only one thing: the best story. It’s a pretty safe bet that when the best stories do occur, Mariotti is present, sending his viewpoint out to be discussed by thousands.

Sometimes He is the Story
In addition to covering the top stories, Mariotti has sometimes unintentionally become the story. Once during the NBA playoffs, Mariotti wrote that “the Cleveland Cavaliers were playing like marshmallows,” prompting fans in Cleveland to throw marshmallows outside the Coliseum prior to game three. Fans sent Mariotti his own personal bag of marshmallows to his hotel room. And moments before tipoff, Michael Jordan told Mariotti, “It looks like I’m going to have to save your butt!”

Fearless
Mariotti describes himself as “fearless” and applies that trademark attitude to both his column and his show on Sporting News Radio. “The essence of sports is debate and that’s why my show
is on the cutting edge. It’s informative and entertaining, but more than anything it’s thought-provoking.” Sporting News Radio allows Mariotti the freedom to say whatever he wants, without being strong-armed or censored by outside forces. “I don’t do a show for the owners, general managers or the athletes. I’m not attached to any establishment... I tell it like it is. And that’s why I relate to, and appeal to, the common fan.”

He’s There
The commitment that first drove Mariotti to become a writer continues to energize his show, where he brings fans the biggest names in sports. His positions at the Chicago Sun-Times and Sporting News Radio take him to the sidelines of the games as they are happening. Through Mariotti, listeners gain first-hand access to the events and the newsmakers. Mariotti is a smart man. On his show, he makes use of the call-in format of Sporting News Radio to hear what his listeners think. He’s there to discuss the issues, stir the pot a little, and sends his thoughts out for listeners to form their own reactions. And when they call in, Mariotti expects them