“We have officially started the RFP [request for proposal] Last fall of the Washington Broadcasting Leaders Convention, which concluded last week,” the spokesperson said on Wednesday in the current situation. “Several companies submitted bids as part of this process, including Audacy who was an active and daring participant and made several partnership offers for the next three years of increased value over our previous deal.
“Based on the evaluation process, we have selected a new partner who will bring a much bigger deal, as well as new creativity and broader scope, to programming. We shared with Audacy last week that we will not be moving forward as partners.”
Kevin Sheehan, host of the 980 Morning Show, He said on the air Wednesday, that the company and the team “disagree on the value of the broadcast” and that “it was important for us to continue presenting what we present on our talk shows, which is an honest and objective analysis of the team.”
Sheehan said the station’s coverage of Leaders game days this season will include “at least four hours of pre-match coverage, and a new in-game talk show focused on analysis, fan reaction and in-game betting angles.”
Audacy, one of the largest radio companies in the country, also owns DC’s 106.7 The Fan and Richmond’s 910 The Fan. However, the change is strictly about streaming 980 games.
It doesn’t change our show one way or the other,” said John Paul Flem, one of the co-hosts of 106.7’s “The Junkies” live on Wednesday. “Like, we did our show with rights and no rights.”
WTEM held the broadcast rights to Washington football games from 1992-94, then started again in 2008, when Red Zebra Broadcasting, owned by Leaders owner Daniel Snyder, purchased the station from Clear Channel. In 2018, WTEM rebranded Team 980 and Snyder sold it to Urban One. Audacy, then known as Entercom, bought the station in 2020.
Leaders add depth to the D line, secondary
The leaders on Wednesday also signed players for depth in defense: Year 5 streak player Yves Abada, who spent two seasons (2018-19) with coach Ron Rivera at Carolina, and linebacker/special team player Danny Johnson, an unpolished player who signed for the first time. with Washington in 2018.
It is a one-year worship deal, a person familiar with the matter said. The 6-foot-6, 265-pound man of the line became the first player out of the NFL’s International Track Program to join the list of 53 men when the Panthers added him in 2018.
He was born in Nigeria and lived in Holland and then England, where he played for the British American Football Association’s London Warriors. After just five games with the Warriors, Ubadah signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 and spent part of the season on the coaching staff. After brief off-season spells with the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons in 2016, he was on the international program and joined the Panthers. He spent last season with the Buffalo Bills.
In both Carolina and Buffalo – two teams that use a basic 4-3 scheme in defense – Obada has been used in both the tackle and finish, according to Pro Football Focus quick counts. Rivera emphasized diversity, especially among the reserves, and Cult could help fill the void after leaders allowed defensive tackle Tim Settle and Matt Ioannidis elsewhere in the free agency.
Rivera has mentioned a cult over the years, particularly regarding defensive tackle David Bada and tight end Sammis Reyes, two other internationals to come through with the IPP, an initiative launched in 2017 to give international athletes a chance to compete on the NFL roster. .
“He played well with Carolina and now he’s at Buffalo playing well with them,” Rivera said of Obada last season. “And you see, David Papa has that ability to move forward. But the nuances of feeling certain things, and understanding certain things, is still learning those things. It took Efe Obada 3½, nearly four years, before he really became that man, and this What I see with David Bada.”
Johnson signed with Washington after dropping out of Southern League, and developed into a regular on specials and backup teams. Last season, as injuries and Corona Virus Johnson exhausted Washington’s defense, playing a high 161 cover shot into the hole, according to the PFF. Rivera praised his play, especially late in the season as the team relied heavily on reserves, citing his anticipation and understanding of track concepts in coverage.
Johnson could essentially be used on the slot again this year, depending on the team’s draft additions. Washington’s high school run is still mostly intact, but full-backs Daryl Roberts and Tori McTire, who are recovering from an ACL injury, are free agents without signing.
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