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“Breakfast On Broad” Officially Announced with Rob Ellis, Jillian Mele, Sarah Baicker and Barrett Brooks
By Kyle Scott
Published:
As reported, Rob Ellis and Jillian Mele will co-host the new Breakfast On Broad, airing on The Comcast Network. What we didn’t know was that they’ll be joined by Sarah Baicker and Barrett Brooks. It looks like Comcast handed Molly Eichel of the Daily News and Jeff Blumenthal of the Philadelphia Business Journal the scoop, as they were first to break the news. Here’s Molly:
The Comcast Network is preparing to launch something new for local television starting on April 6: a sports talk morning show, called Breakfast on Broad. The show is set to have a conversational tone and will include morning news staples like traffic and weather.
The show, which will air from 6 to 8 a.m. weekdays and repeat on Comcast SportsNet from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., is to be hosted by Rob Ellis, who on Monday night announced he was leaving his job as a host on Sportsradio 94WIP. He’ll be joined by Sarah Baicker, currently a Flyers reporter and digital producer at Comcast SportsNet; Jillian Mele, who has been a traffic reporter at NBC10; and former Eagles offensive lineman and Comcast SportsNet contributor Barrett Brooks.
The show will apparently focus on players’ off-the-field interests (there’s even a quote mentioning TMZ in there) and their social media use. Sounds familiar.
UPDATE: Blumenthal spoke with Ellis:
“It was all very difficult,” Ellis said. “It’s a part of the business. Certainly from December until recently, it hasn’t been easy. It was how I found out and that I think the whole thing was handled poorly. I was put in an untenable position.”
The press release is after the jump.
In tribute to Philadelphia’s world-renowned sports culture, The Comcast Network is set to launch “Breakfast on Broad, presented by Virtua,” an all-new morning sports show dedicated to feeding the hunger and passion shared by fans of the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, Sixers, Union, and local college sports. The announcement of Philadelphia’s first live morning television sports talk show was made today by Brian Monihan, President and General Manager Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia.
“BOB” is made for Philadelphians, by Philadelphians, featuring local talent both in front of and behind the cameras. In addition, the show will tap into its NBC Sports Group family ties and welcome A-list guests from coast to coast to present an entertaining take on Philadelphia’s most pressing sports topics. Setting the table each morning are Upper Darby’s Rob Ellis, Glenside’s Jillian Mele, Philadelphia’s Sarah Baicker, and former Eagle offensive lineman Barrett Brooks.
“Breakfast on Broad, presented by Virtua” airs weekdays on The Comcast Network from 6 a.m. until 8 a.m. It will also replay on Comcast SportsNet from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
“’Breakfast on Broad’ marks a big step in the evolution of The Comcast Network and is a concept that we have been working on for some time,” said Monihan. “We believe there is a place for smart and lively sports content on morning television here in the Philadelphia market. Our on-air team has strong opinions and connections to our sports community, and our ties to NBCUniversal will allow us to mix in national guests to add broader perspectives. We’re looking forward to sharing more of our plans as we move closer to April 6.”
The show’s hosts will also be heavily engaged in social media with timely posts, interactive questions and behind-the-scenes content. Fans can follow along and interact with the hosts through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Kyle Scott is the founder and editor of CrossingBroad.com. He has written for CBS Philly and Philly Voice, and been a panelist or contributor on NBC Sports Philly, FOX 29 and SNY TV, as well as a recurring guest on 97.5 The Fanatic, 94 WIP, 106.7 The Fan and other stations. He has more than 10 years experience running digital media properties and in online advertising and marketing.