When Rich Shertenlieb, the longtime “Toucher and Rich” cohost who left 98.5 The Sports Hub last November, announced earlier this month that he would host a new morning drive program on classic rock station WZLX, there were a few questions left unanswered, including this:
Who would join him on the new program in competition against his former one?
That question was answered Thursday when Shertenlieb and parent company iHeartRadio announced what they called “his new cast of characters.”
Shertenlieb will be joined daily by Michael Hurley, who wrote for CBS Boston and has been a guest on many New England sports programs but has not been a sports radio host in the market.
Recurring personalities will include Mike Giardi, formerly of the NFL Network and well-known in this market from his time at NECN and NBC Sports Boston; Charlotte Wilder, a writer and national on-air personality who will continue in her current role with Meadowlark Media and “The Dan LeBatard Show”; and Ted Johnson, the former Patriots linebacker and NBC Sports Boston analyst who had previously contributed to the Sports Hub.
“I couldn’t be happier to be a part of the iHeartRadio family,” said Shertenlieb in a statement. “From empowering me to helm one of the most legendary signals in New England at WZLX, to giving me the ability to surround myself each morning with some of my favorite people on the planet, they’ve provided everything that I need to create something special.”
Shertenlieb has not revealed further details on the show, which debuts Monday at 6 a.m., particularly regarding how much it will lean into sports compared with pop culture, music, and humor.
All were frequently mined subjects during his 17 wildly successful years cohosting with Fred Toucher in the Boston market. Given the sports background of his new collaborators, it’s logical to presume the new show will have much in common with his former one, against which he is now competing.
Chad Finn can be reached at chad.finn@globe.com.