The Breakfast on Broad fallout continues.
Sarah Baicker announced last night on Facebook that she’s leaving CSN and heading to New York. Portions:
It broke my heart when Breakfast on Broad was canceled earlier this year. That show was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, and I worked with an amazing group of people who believed in what we were doing. We won a freakin’ Emmy! But, hey, plenty of great TV gets canceled before it ought to be. It happens.
I learned of the show’s fate back on Jan. 31, and I’ve done *a lot* of thinking since then. That’s an understatement. But what has become clear to me in the weeks since is that it’s time to move on. CSN has been great to me, and great for me. I will miss a lot about this place — the people, the access, the crazy stuff only people who have worked in sports will understand. But it’s time to take a leap. So I’m gonna do that. Tomorrow’s Phillies postgame show will be the last time you’ll see me on CSN.
This is not particularly surprising. The on-air BOB talent was thrust into awkward roles once the show was canceled. Jillian Mele quickly left for FOX News. Rob Ellis is currently a roving on-air personality who, for Opening Day, was sent to Xfinity Live! to taste drinks made by the Phanatic (that is quite possibly the worst use of Ellis imaginable). Barrett Brooks makes a bit more sense as a traditional analyst. And Baicker, who had done mostly online Flyers stuff prior to the show, was cast as an analyst slash web guru whom the network typically relied upon, including during her time on BOB, to read Tweets so they could pay lip service to doing social media. It didn’t seem like an ideal spot.
I’ve heard that Baicker is leaving on her own, opting not to renew her contract, and does have a yet-unknown gig lined up in New York, where her boyfriend also lives.
In a statement, CSN thanked Sarah for her contributions: “We thank Sarah Baicker for her contributions to our networks, and wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
Some thoughts: The awful local sports teams have murdered the Philly sports media space. Just decimated it. What was a lively and exciting corner of the industry just a few years ago following consecutive Phillies World Series runs, a Flyers Stanley Cup run, and even several highly controversial or discussable Eagles moments (Vick, Cooper, Chip), has become a wasteland of unsustainable dreck. Would BOB still exist if it had a championship run to discuss every morning? I think the format was doomed from the start, but I suspect the runway would’ve been longer. Sports talk radio is dreadful right now, but I can’t even bring myself to keep making fun of it because I am acutely aware that there is so little to work with. And ditto for CSN, which already exists in an industry going through rapid change– the lack of a quality sports team to cover just piles on the misery.
I’m not implying that Baicker is leaving because sports are terrible. But, in just the last year or so, Philly Mag has laid off their (HIGHLY POPULAR) Eagles and Sixers reporters. CSN has parted ways with Neil Hartman, (CB Phillies reporter) Leslie Gudel and Ron Burke. John Gonzalez left the network to go sit on the beach in LA. And now Mele and Baicker are leaving on their own. Sports talk radio is at times unlistenable. Michael Barkann and Josh Innes were pushed out of WIP (for different reasons). And even the blogosphere kind of blows right now. Everyone is trying something, but it’s damn near impossible to get anything to stick because the interest just isn’t there, relatively speaking. The brief Sixers surge in January seemed to signal an end to all that… but then Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were declared out for the season, Nerlens Noel was traded, and Jahlil Okafor something something meniscus. There’s just not the market for Philly sports coverage right now that everyone thinks there is, and that, combined with other factors, is impacting many careers.
59 Responses
Kyle, Prime Video isn’t even close to being better than Netflix, at least not until they sort their layout out. It’s absolutely atrocious. Plus their original programming is mostly shit (whoever said “Man in the High Castle” is good is an ahole because it couldn’t be more boring.).
I agree on Man in the High Castle, but their new stuff looks good,, they had critical success with Transparent, and their new stuff looks pretty good, and I like The Grand Tour. I agree that they don’t seem to have quite the feel for their audience as Netflix, but I don’t mind the layout all that much and think Netflix could use improvement here too. There are also deeper, and more varied options on Amazon. I just find myself, lately, going to Amazon first.
As someone who is constantly griping about sites that have terrible layouts (i.e. Philly.com), I’m really surprised that you don’t think it’s all that bad. To me, it’s so cluttered and not organized well at all, especially because they have that weird mix of the Premium channels listed in the icons as well that aren’t available. While I agree Netflix isn’t perfect, I think their organization of their content is much sleeker and more accessible. The one thing I’ll give Prime Video though is their feature movie options are far superior to that of Netflix, which has mostly shit in that department.
Man in the High Castle is a great show. Have enjoyed both seasons
What kind of fucking morons watch scripted tv?
It’s all bullshit!
And sorry Kyle, the moment i listen to you about website layout is the moment i jump off the Ben Franklin.
Kyle, Bosch starts 4/21 on Amazon Prime…For thise who haven`t seen it START WATCHING…Great show
Sounds like you boys need a Streamsmart box, one time fee of $300 and I watch anything I want. Movies in theaters and PPVs included.
I hear her NY boyfriend is hung like an ox.
Good for her – I hope it works out in NY.
She must have just gotten that boyfriend. It wasn’t even 2 months ago that my friend was talking to her on bumble or tinder.
Yeah…is this your friend the used car salesman that just happens to own the same exact car that you want to buy?
Jim Adair loves that horrible band Pissed Jeans.
Mother Nature is c0ck-blocking the shit out of me tomorrow for the home opener. Dashed my dreams of getting fucking up tailgating and trying to get my dick sucked
Guess you’ll have to jerk off to old montgomery wards ads…like usual.
the young good sports casters never last in philly. good luck, sarah
I’d fuck her
I would, too!!!
Heard she had a bad breakup with Ruben frank.
She really dated that fat tub of goo?
Rube wanted to spend more time following Indie bands than in the bedroom. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
she always hadasofy spot for mason..
Really disappointed in Hextall, as I thought he was going to rebuild a different way when he took over 3 years ago. I don’t have a problem with the Flyers missing the playoffs this year as long as you see progress with the team’s young players, but I have a problem with Hexy essentially keeping this core 5 (G, Vor, Schenn, Coots, Simmer) together for year #7 next year.
He should have cleaned house his first 2 seasons, and just went with a youth movement (much like Toronto is doing now) and let the team grow together. Sure there would be some growing pains and the fans would have to be patient as we would be at the bottom of the standings rather then a bubble playoff team.
But we would be better off in the long run. If Hexy cleaned house, we wouldn’t be riddled with these huge contracts that make many of these core guys untradeable at this point. He could traded the Core 5 for draft picks and prospects and then you fill in what you need in free agency because you will have more cap room.
His way of rebuilding has us stuck in neutral and I don’t see much difference next year with the exception of Morin and Sanheim coming up.
So you are complaining about Hextall’s off season moves with two games left in the season?
New flash asswipe.
The flyers haven’t won shit in 40+ years.
and they won’t win anything between now until after your dead and buried.
so go complain about the price of waffles or hot pockets or something.
Honestly watching her do the hosting job with sixers and flyers, she’s not very good at it. Not natural and smiles awkwardly. More of a sidekick. I think honk she needs to stick with hockey coverage. CSN has become garbage. 0 original content, the host look awful without the suit and tie. Looks like a 3rd tier program. Something you would see in a small market in the Midwest. Whoever runs CSN philly should be fired.
This is the hottest I have ever seen Sarah look. Her large forehead is covered up and her hair and make up look awesome! I’d definitely throw her the high hard heat. Who am I to judge, you should see the man bear pig that I wake up next to every morning! She’s got some kind of fungus on her face they haven’t figured out what it is yet. Smells like a dumpster on a hot day at an abortion clinic, takes a crap like black bear after it was rummaging through the garbage. Best of luck to you Sarah, keep upping your hotness game, I’m headed back to bed with this Sasquatch that I call my girlfriend.
There you go again Kyle, blaming the teams for the media’s lack of talent. Yes the two are intertwined, but the good ones rise, and none of what left (or is still here really) is what I would call rising talent. Who in this town would you consider a current or future media treasure? Just as the teams have a problem bringing in decent fresh talent so does the media.
I’m not blaming teams for lack of talent, I’m blaming teams for lack of good content. I agree there’s a bit of a talent gap, but the far greater problem is the lack of anything interesting.
don’t you think that perhaps 900 media people covering 4 local teams is a little much?
Sarah’s contract was not renewed. She was not offered a new talent contract because they had no role for her. They offered her to return to the website as a regular non-contracted employee. Just a regular schmuck, write and do social media stuff on air. That’s it. And a pay cut. And weekends. So no new contract. And a reduced role.
Jillian saw the writing on the wall. She thought she would be hosting Philly sports talk. Seriously. That’s where she saw herself. When it didn’t happen, a d was g going to happen as she was never going to even fill in host..she looked elsewhere. They couldn’t let her out of her contract fast brought. CSN was glad to not onky be rid of the albatross that was her salary… but she’s gone down as the worst employee to work with in CSN history. She shit on the crew, treated producers like they were idiots and flat out refused to talk certain sports that she didn’t know. Like Flyers. Yes…in two years she never discussed flyers. Told them she wouldn’t do it and didn’t care to learn about hockey.
The current host is beyond horrible.
Except that she can’t actually discuss… you know… sports. It’s almost impressive. If I had to watch her one more talk about how she read an article on ____ (subject) and she printed it out. I mean…who does that? Bob from Mayfield doesn’t need to print an article out to speak on a sports topic but this airhead does.
If she really wouldn’t talk hockkey because she hated it then I have a newfound respect for her. The flygirls suck and so do their racist Delco white trash fans.
Read it again. Not because she hated it. Because she doesn’t know shit about it. Or any other sport. There’s a difference. And she’s a moron.
Calling yourself “CSN Insider” doesn’t make you one.
On a serious note, I actually think Kyle does a good job of trying to broaden the CB scope. Jim really holds the site back with his attempt at snark, etc., but that’s a separate issue. CB is still far better than Liberty Ballers, Billy Penn, or any other Philly blog types.
Is she taking her Jay Leno chin with her?
That’s why all you philly asswipes will never win a championship.
To settle for a woman with passable looks like this one….just goes to show
you have no standards.
She’s a 6 at best
REALLY?
I can’t take it any longer.
Another cast member from a show that no one every watched except a few insignificant schlubs that pander this shitty stolen content
is leaving to go somewhere else.
HOW CAN I GO ON LIVING?
I’ve seen better looking women running the cash registers at home depot.
What will her legion of beta male twitter followers do now? Love seeing all of them rush to her defense like it will get them in bed with her.
She really never did it for me. Gotta suck being pretty decent looking but having to sit next to JM.
Were Embiid and Simmons “declared out for the season” or did they “get injured”? Another day, another bizarre way to avoid acknowledging the reality of The Process. Oh great here comes another 20,000 words blaming the Sixers’ medical staff….
Her ugly mug won’t last more than 6 months in NYC, book it…
Yeah…but that rack.
Why wouldn’t you sell us add space on this post?
I guarantee that Rob Ellis is just holding on for dear life until they “decide not to renew” Micheal Barkann’s contract and go for the cheaper, just enough as popular, Ellis to take over as the face of the station.
I’m going to New York to back up Lundqvist (who Kyle for some reason actually thinks I’m as good as) so of course my official spokeswoman/apologist Sarah Baicker will be joining me in the Big Apple.
DOMINATE! LUNDQVIST-LIKE! ELITE! TOP FIVE! NHL GOALIE!
His BFF is abandoning him for the Big Apple.
Hope she gets a nose job in NYC.
A nose job away from being hot. As long as you look straight at her its not that jarring. Seriously Sarah there is no honor in going through life with a beak like that.
Wouldn’t have guessed she was into dudes. Guess you learn something new every day
Submitting vote for kinda smashable
I think we’re putting too much blame on the on-air talent and not enough blame on the actual person who’s putting these people in the position to fail. I won’t mention his/her’s name, but us CSN Insiders know the person who’s in charge of that newsroom is extremely unqualified.
BOB was absolutely horrible, but I honestly think the talent & crew did everything they could to make it work. The boss of CSN (and these feelings are shared by the majority of the employees in that newsroom) started in 2007 when the station was red hot because of the Phillies coverage and as each year passed the station got worse and worse. The person above was 100% correct on his statement about Jillian: not one single CSN employee enjoyed working with her. Not one. But as bad as Jillian was, she literally went from reporting on car accidents on 76 to talking sports. Why are we surprised that didn’t work out? Is it Jillians fault? No. It’s her bosses fault for giving her that job and paying her that huge salary. She hosted the 12oclock talk show for stay at home moms on NBC (which got canceled) and then reported on traffic, can you blame people in this city for not taking her opinion seriously about sports?
Sarah Baicker knows her hockey and is an amazing writer, that being said I never want to hear her talk about any other sports team in the city. When she got involved in any Eagles talk I changed the channel immediately. Again, is that her fault? No. If you’re a boss and you think having Sarah Baicker talk sports is a good idea well you’re incredibly stupid.
Good luck Sarah. Stick to covering hockey and you’ll be just fine. Anything else in sports, not gonna happen. Enjoy NY and consider getting out of that horrible newsroom the best thing to ever happen to you.
How huge a salary did she make?
They all eventually made 6 figures. But the first year of BoB… just Ellis and Jillian made 100,000. The other two Barrett and Baicker made around 80,000. They were bumped up in year two.
And John is right. The CSN leaders hung them out to dry. The producer didn’t know sports. He was a morning show guy. Jillian couldn’t lead a talk show on NBC 10, why think she could on TCN. Jillian took no care in her craft and knowledge and that didn’t help. Poor attitude poor effort. Poor show.
Baicker was fine in previous role but this was never going to work. Her opinion on Saric? Don’t care. Comes off as phony and contrived. Even if she was genuine.
From the outside looking in, Mele seemed to be the only one making an effort. She engaged the public on social media, etc. Granted, a lot of that is probably ego. She was far and away the most natural on camera, however.
Ho much do you figure the Fax News gig will pay her? has to be a big step up in salary.
Wow…only 100k? That had to be a pay cut from NBC. Guess she bought into Comcraps lie that they were going to go national with that shitshow, and then the big bucks would roll in. LMAO.
Only $100,000? In that industry that’s like a million dollars. You’re right about Jillians ego. A lot of the attention that female talent get from viewers is a good ego boost, so I’m sure when a bunch of creepy old men send her messages tell her how good she looks it’s a good pick me up.
Couldn’t agree more
That show lost over a million dollars for CSN Philadelphia. Over a million. Poof. And one of the leaders of it… just got promoted. Figure that out.
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