One of the most popular local sports talk radio shows recently came to a demise as longtime Boston kingpins Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb had a very public falling out, bringing an end to the Toucher and Rich program that had ruled Boston radio.
Toucher and Rich had been paired together for almost two decades, leading 98.5 FM The Sports Hub to overtake former powerhouse WEEI as the number one sports, and overall, radio station in Boston.
However, problems between the successful pairing began to publicly emerge last year as Toucher battled personal and health related issues. Then in the fall it was announced that Toucher had signed a new contract with The Sports Hub while Shertenlieb’s name was noticeably absent. Then in November, Toucher took to the air solo to announce the end of the show and air the behind-the-scenes drama that led to the dramatic breakup.
Toucher has a new partner now in Rob “Hardy” Poole while Shertenlieb had been coy about his future. After the declaration of his time at The Sports Hub coming to an end, he teased that his own announcement would eventually be coming about his next steps.
On Monday, Shertenlieb took to Twitter for the first time in months to unveil a new eponymous show on Boston rock station 100.7 WZLX.
Hey Boston Hey. I missed you. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZYgrzu58wI
— Rich Shertenlieb (@heyrichhey) May 6, 2024
Shertenlieb will replace Pete McKenzie and Heather Ford on the rock station in their morning timeslot. Of course, that will bring him into direct competition with his former station and former co-host.
According to Nielsen ratings, WZLX placed seventh in the Boston radio scene in March, well behind The Sports Hub at number one, but also well ahead of WEEI. Toucher and Rich actually started as a pairing on a rock station in 2006 before making the move to sports radio in 2009, so it’s something of a return to Shertenlieb’s roots. While no timeline for the debut was announced, it’ll be interesting to see if Shertenlieb gives his side of the story to the Toucher and Rich divorce.