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KNBR Removes Greg Papa and Greg Silver and Reinstates John Lund for Midday Show

The change follows cost cuts tied to Cumulus Media's bankruptcy and leaves Greg Papa's broadcasting future uncertain.

Overview

  • On Wednesday, Aug. 5, KNBR told staff it had let go of longtime host Greg Papa and co-host Greg Silver and installed John Lund to host a new 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. program called "Fair and Biased with John Lund."
  • Greg Papa recently underwent a successful bone marrow transplant after a leukemia diagnosis, spent 78 days in the hospital with lung failure, is now home and cancer-free but uses supplemental oxygen and has an uncertain ability to return to play-by-play duty for the San Francisco 49ers.
  • KNBR delivered the change internally and made no on-air announcement; program director Mike Hohler and the station did not provide public comment and several key figures did not respond to requests for comment.
  • Greg Silver said he was surprised by the decision and has already lined up a new role hosting a 30-minute Cal postgame show on NBC Sports Bay Area.
  • The shake-up comes as Cumulus Media pursues a bankruptcy reorganization that moved ownership toward its lenders while awaiting FCC approval and has cut staff across its network, a pressure that could drive more programming shifts and questions about where hosts will work.