Cumulus Media Sports 680 KNBR/104.5 KNBR-FM San Francisco has cut ties with longtime afternoon co-hosts Larry Krueger and Rod Brooks.
As first reported on Friday by The Athletic, remaining co-host Tom Tolbert will remain in place and be joined by 5-6am host Adam Copeland. Copeland was also producer of the “Murph & Mac” morning show hosted by Brian Murphy and Paul McCaffrey and hosts a podcast for The Athletic.
Krueger was on his second stint at KNBR as he rejoined the station in 2011 after previously hosting from 1997 to 2005 before being fired for racially insensitive comments. The former NFL and CFL scout also served as Sports Director for News/Talk 810 KGO after leaving KNBR the first time and has hosted shows for Sports By-Line USA, SiriusXM, and ESPN Radio.
Brooks had been with KNBR since the 1990s co-hosting shows in multiple dayparts during his tenure at the station.
Today was my last day @KNBR. Nothing but love for @ThinTim @JohnLundRadio @knbrmurph @Adamcopes @dieter @KO_Crowley, Paulie, Rod, Pop, @MikeHohler77 @byronjr23 @OGTrinny @CroweMedia and last but certainly not least, all the incredible listeners. Thank you all. More updates coming
— Larry Krueger (@sportslarryk) February 25, 2022
Cumulus Media announces that it has promoted Adam Copeland to Co-Host of Afternoons on Bay Area Sports/Talk radio station KNBR 104.5FM / 680AM The Sports Leader. Copeland joins Co-Host Tom Tolbert in Tolbert and Copes, which debuts today on KNBR. The show will air weekdays from 2:00pm-6:00pm. In addition, Copeland will take part in the KNBR morning show today, with KNBR producer Markus Bourcher, who moves into Adam’s previous timeslot as the station searches for a replacement.
Copeland joined KNBR as an intern in 2009 and was hired in 2016 as a board operator, and eventually became the producer of KNBR Tonight with Ryan Covay. In 2018, after time as a fill-in host on KNBR, Copeland was named host of his own talk show, The Lead Off Spot with Adam Copeland, which airs weekday mornings from 5:00am-6:00am. He also contributes daily as a producer of the station’s popular Murph and Mac morning program from 6:00am-10:00am.
Larry Blumhagen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus San Francisco, said: “Adam Copeland is a rising star! We are beyond excited about the combination of the legendary Tom Tolbert pairing with Adam.”
Kevin Graham, Program Director, KNBR 104.5 & 680AM / KNBR 1050AM, noted: “Adam Copeland is a Bay Area native who brings his passion, energy and knowledge of our local sports landscape to afternoons with Tom Tolbert, one of the most legendary and talented Sports Talk hosts in the country. We congratulate Adam on this well-deserved promotion and know KNBR fans will love the match-up of Tolbert and Copes in Afternoons.”
Adam Copeland commented: “Having the opportunity to host The Leadoff Spot and hang with Murph and Mac for the past four years has been a dream come true since I was 16 years old, and I’m forever indebted to all the loyal listeners, callers, and guests who made the show as fun and engaging as it was. It’s been the honor of my life. I look forward to bringing that same energy and enthusiasm to afternoon drive with the legendary Tom Tolbert. I know I have big shoes to fill, and I hope to make my fellow Bay Area sports fans proud. Onward and upward.”
