A sports media website called Awful Announcing has released its annual ranking of local game-day TV broadcasters for the 30 Major League Baseball teams. For the first time since 2014, when the website started scoring local baseball TV announcers, the San Diego Padres’ Fox Sports San Diego TV team of Don Orsillo, Mark Grant and Mark Sweeney were named the best in baseball.
Joe Lucia, managing editor of Awful Announcing, wrote, “The San Diego Padres have crept up the rankings every year we’ve done them, and despite their overall grade slipping this year, they did just enough to get over the line and finish in first. The Padres had the lowest share of F votes of any team (7.48%) and the second lowest share of D votes (4.16%). Over 88% of their votes were an A, B, or C.”
The website said 64,000 votes were received, roughly 20 percent more than last year, and every team received at least 1,300 grades. The Padres broadcast team has climbed over the years from #12 in 2014, #5 in 2016, #4 in 2017 and #3 in 2018.
Orsillo joined the broadcast team in 2016, while Grant has been a part of the TV team for the past 24 years. Sweeney joined in 2012. The broadcast team also includes analyst Tony Gwynn Jr. and sideline reporter Bob Scanlan.
The top 5 behind the Padres were the San Francisco Giants (#2), New York Mets (#3), Baltimore Orioles (#4) and Los Angeles Dodgers (#5). The worst announcers were with the Washington Nationals (#30), Pittsburgh Pirates (#29), Detroit Tigers (#28), St. Louis Cardinals (#27) and Miami’s Florida Marlins (#26). The complete list is available online.
New Evening Talk Show on KOGO: ‘Not Sports’
iHeart Media San Diego, operator of seven local radio stations, has paired two of its broadcasters, including sports talk-show host Darren Smith of KLSD-AM and news reporter Jack Cronin of KOGO-AM, for a new hour-long, weekday evening talk show called “Not Sports,” airing 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on News Radio 600 KOGO.
Smith also hosts a weekday sports talk-show from noon to 3 p.m. weekdays on iHeart’s KLSD-AM XTRA 1360 Fox Sports San Diego. He joined KLSD after 16 years with XPRS 1090-AM The Mighty 1090 until the station ceased business operations in April of this year.
Cronin, who joined iHeart’s KOGO in 2014, also is a daytime reporter and co-host with Marilyn Hyder of KOGO’s “San Diego Evening News,” heard 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“When Darren chose to join us at iHeart Media San Diego, it was clear that he was an exceptional talent with something to say on a variety of issues both inside and outside of the world of sports,” said Brian Long, program director, KOGO and XTRA 1360. “This is an exciting opportunity for KOGO listeners to experience a new voice and perspective on the station.”
The addition of “Not Sports” has shifted “KOGO at Night” with host Chris Merrill to weekdays from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., the station said.
Rob Peugh Joins Nuffer, Smith, Tucker
Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, a San Diego public relations firm now in its 45th year in business, has hired Rob Peugh as creative director. Peugh will manage the creative department in partnership with Aaron Blomberg, in-house digital media manager.
Peugh previously operated his own design firm called Think Deep Creative. He specialized in iOS and Android app design and web, social media, print and digital design. His clients included Microsoft, Disney, Oculus, Sony, NPD Data, Tzumi Electronics, Best Buy, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, The American Red Cross, Harris Ranch, Cambria Tourism Board and Visalia Transit. Peugh graduated with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from California State University Fresno in 2012.
“Nuffer, Smith, Tucker continues to focus on our vision of redefining PR,” said Teresa Siles, managing director and senior vice president. “This means pushing ourselves, each other and our profession to explore beyond the traditional role of PR, and our people are our greatest asset to doing this. Rob brings unique creative skills that will help us provide even more services to our current and future client partners. His background in digital design and development will be especially helpful in broaden our agency’s expertise in digital media design and development.”
One Club Hosts ‘B2B That Works’
The One Club for Creativity San Diego, formerly SDX and the San Diego Advertising Club, will host “B2B That Works,” a presentation from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, at National University’s Sanford Education Center in La Jolla. Topics will include tips on marketing high-tech, biotech, healthcare and other traditionally challenging brands with messages that connect and captivates. The speaker will be Shelley Callahan, marketing director or Mitchell International. Admission is free for members, $40 per person for nonmembers and $15 for students. The presentation is part of The One Club’s ongoing “Inspire” seminar series.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.