98.5 The Sports Hub’s morning show had some notable occurrences this week, co-host Fred Toucher signed an extension with the station and subsequently had his name scrubbed from the show’s social media accounts.
Wednesday morning, the Toucher and Rich social media accounts were renamed for co-host Rich Shertenlieb, sparking speculation about the show’s future. Hours later, 98.5 The Sports Hub announced a multiyear contract for Toucher, while Shertenlieb’s name was glaringly absent from the company’s press release. The show’s name, Toucher and Rich similarly did not get a mention in the announcement.
“I am thrilled to be able to work with my Beasley family over the coming years,” Toucher said in the press release. “I will continue my record of immense competence and brilliance.”
“Fred has been entertaining Sports Hub listeners each morning since 2009 with his compelling viewpoints and opinions on a wide range of topics,” Program Director Rick Radzik added. “We are very pleased that he will continue on with us for years to come.”
Thursday morning, Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb were both on 98.5 The Sports Hub. They did not address the speculation about their future together at the top of the show. But the current tension continues what has been a strange year for The Sports Hub’s longtime morning show. Earlier this year, Toucher battled a throat issue for a few months, leading to him taking an extended leave of absence. At one point, Toucher claimed the station was using his throat issue against him in contract negotiations. Apparently, they were able to overcome that hurdle after announcing Toucher’s contract extension on Wednesday.
But during his leave of absence, Toucher feuded with Shertenlieb and other show contributors, complaining that they didn’t reach out to him during his leave of absence. Once Toucher was cleared to make his on-air return, Shertenlieb was then absent. Later that month, Toucher was off-air again, having spent time in a detox facility after some concerning tweets.
The last few months, however, were more business as usual, until the noticeable changes to the show’s social media accounts this week. What used to be the Toucher and Rich Twitter account is currently, @heyrichhey. Although Shertenlieb did typically operate the account even when it was Toucher and Rich. Toucher uses a personal Twitter account.
With Toucher having signed a contract extension, the social media change could be a sort of negotiating tactic by Shertenlieb. Toucher and Rich have been a formidable radio duo in Boston since 2006, and helped launch The Sports Hub in 2009, where they developed into a ratings monster.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com