Paul Finebaum - Radio Career - Future

Future

Finebaum's show went off the air on WJOX temporarily on January 21, 2013 when his contract with Cumulus and WJOX expired. Finebaum's future is unknown at the moment, although several published reports indicate that he will stay off the air until three months have elapsed since the expiration of his contract, since Cumulus have the contractual right during that time to match an offer from anyone else. The New Yorker piece said about Finebaum's future: "As the S.E.C.’s fortunes have risen, so have Finebaum’s: his contract with WJOX ends in January, and his next move is the subject of considerable speculation. Earlier this year, a competing station in Birmingham began running ads intimating that Finebaum might move up the dial, as if he were a top quarterback considering a transfer. He has had talks with ESPN and CBS, about joining their national radio networks, and with SiriusXM, about moving permanently to satellite."

While the countdown continues, the Birmingham News reported on March 27 that Finebaum agreed to a ``high six-figure advance" with HarperCollins to write a book about the radio show. Bob Carlton reported, ``Finebaum will receive an advance of more than $500,000, which is considered a major deal in the publishing world, according to a source. "No one speaks to SEC Nation -- and Alabama fans in particular -- with more passion, knowledge and humor than Paul Finebaum," HarperCollins Senior Vice President and Executive Editor David Hirshey said. "We expect this book to occupy the same spot on the best-seller list that Alabama occupies in the BCS rankings -- number one." Finebaum's television contributions have been numerous. In Birmingham he currently appears as a sports analyst for WBRC Fox 6. He was sports director for WIAT-TV from 1997 to 2002 and co-hosted individual shows on WVTM-TV NBC 13 and ABC 33/40. Recently he has been a frequent guest on ESPN's Outside The Lines with Bob Ley commenting on national and regional stories.