WEEI/Boston Makes a Series of Programming Moves

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, December 16, 2022

Christian Fauria, Rich Keefe and Lou Merloni

Audacy is making a series of programming moves at Sports WEEI-FM in Boston. Christian Fauria will move from afternoons to host the station's midday show alongside Andy Gresh, weekdays from 10am-2pm, while current midday co-host Rich Keefe will transition to nights from 6-10pm and serve as pregame host for Red Sox baseball broadcasts. All moves are effective January 3.

Additionally, Lou Merloni is departing his role as afternoon host. Merloni will join the station's flagship coverage of the Boston Red Sox, calling at least 60 regular season and 10 spring training games in the broadcast booth, and joining the station's offseason talk-show programming. Merloni will also serve as WEEI's Red Sox insider and make regular appearances on the station programming as team news breaks.

"These changes will further strengthen the news, information and entertainment that Boston sports fans count on every day," said Audacy Boston Senior Vice President and Market Manager Mike Thomas. "Lou grew up here, played for the Sox and has been our ‘baseball guy' for more than a dozen years. His move to the booth will make our gameday coverage even better for Red Sox fans across New England."

Fauria, a 13-year NFL veteran, spent four years with the Patriots from 2002 to 2005 and helped New England win two Super Bowl championships. He has been a full-time host at WEEI in 2014, and is currently a co-host for Patriots pre- and postgame shows on WBZ-TV.

Keefe's professional radio career began at WGAM in Nashua, NH, leading to seven years at The Sports Hub and then WEEI in 2017. He's also done play-by-play for local colleges, appeared on pre and postgame shows for both the New England Revolution and Patriots.com, filled in as a color analyst on Boston Celtics broadcasts, and is a contributor to NBC Sports Boston.

Merloni enjoyed a 10-year MLB career that included a six-year stint with the Red Sox. Nicknamed "Sweet Lou" by Red Sox fans, he graduated from Providence College in 1993 and joined WEEI in March, 2008, first appearing on Glenn Ordway's "Big Show" before moving into full-time roles hosting in both midday and afternoons. Merloni has also worked in television as a Red Sox analyst for both NESN and NBC Sports Boston.

Concurrently, Joe Castiglione, who has been a part of WEEI's Red Sox broadcast team since 1983, will call 81 games in 2023.

"After 40 years and over 6,000 game broadcasts, my wife of 51 years, Jan, and I think that this is the right time to step back and work a reduced schedule of games while we are both in good health," said Castiglione. "This will give us the opportunity to spend more time with our children and six grandchildren as well. I'd thank both Mike Thomas and Red Sox president Sam Kennedy for being amenable and thanks to my agent, Steve Freyer, for working out the details."

Meghan Ottolini and Christian Arcand will continue to host the station's afternoon show.