An audio clip from The Fan that played during U.S. Open’s TV coverage over the weekend has created quite the controversy.
Fan Early Morning Show Host and Morning Show producer Nicholas “Harry” Callas’ voice was heard saying, “Good morning, this is sports radio 93.7 The Fan, Pittsburgh's hometown sports talk station” on NBC, right before Pittsburgher Michael Keaton is heard doing a voice over for the U.S. Open.
The controversy stems from the question, did NBC contact anyone at The Fan, or just lift the audio?
If they did contact someone, did they directly reach out to Callas? And, did he manipulate the situation so he could be the one heard on national television.
Callas says NBC just grabbed it, but others like Andrew Fillipponi think he was contacted and didn’t tell anyone else and was selfish.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who works with NBC, told Poni the network never takes audio without asking.
Bob Pompeani, who also works at KDKA-TV (a CBS station) says normally CBS will reach out to them and ask how they can get a piece of audio.
But, Pomp wants to know who NBC reached out to with The Fan, if at all.
Joe Starkey says the boss at The Fan indicated that he thinks NBC just took the audio (which he is okay with for the publicity).
Callas hasn’t taken the accusations of being selfish lying down and claims he has not done anything wrong or underhanded.
Who do you believe? And what does Pomp think?!
“I really don’t care,” said Pompeani.