Syracuse Radio: Sports Talker Axed For Negative SU Comments

Brent Axe

WTLA ESPN Radio Syracuse personality Brent Axe was told Sunday that his “On the Block with Brent Axe” radio show is being taken off the air and he is no longer an employee of Galaxy Media Partners.

Galaxy President and CEO Ed Levine said he fired Axe because he believes the content of Axe’s show had become too negative toward Syracuse University sports.

“I had a problem with the content of the show,” Levine said. “I’m an SU fan. I’m sorry, but I bleed Orange. I’m not going to apologize for that, and I think a fair reading of the Orange is appropriate. I understand (Galaxy has) a business relationship (with Syracuse), that Coach (Jim) Boeheim and I are personal friends and he’s an investor in my company.

“I understand and acknowledge all of that. We’ve called it pretty fair, and I would argue we’ve been tough on SU when the on-field or off-field events warrant it. I just think over the past six months it took a different tone and became overly dark and negative. I don’t think that’s what Syracuse fans want to hear.”

Axe is a full-time employee with Syracuse.com | The Syracuse Post-Standard and works as a sports columnist. He was a part-time employee of Galaxy Media.

Axe said he took pride over the years in giving his honest assessment of Syracuse’s programs and providing fans an opportunity to voice their opinions, whether they were positive or negative.

“I had a responsibility to give an honest, fair and thorough opinion to my audience,” Axe said. “I certainly wasn’t perfect, but I don’t regret anything about the approach of the show. We put listeners on the air, and we gave them the opportunity to say what they needed to say. I don’t have any regrets.”

Galaxy has a deal with Syracuse University to broadcast football, men’s and women’s basketball and lacrosse games, as well as various coaches’ shows. The deal, announced in 2019, runs through 2024-25. Galaxy owns 13 Upstate New York radio stations located in Syracuse, Utica and Rome.

A 2018 FCC filing listed Boeheim among a group of investors who were buying 21 percent of Galaxy.

Axe has appeared on ESPN Radio Syracuse since August 2014, when he debuted with a one-hour sports talk program and broadcast pregame and postgame shows. His talk show was later expanded to two hours. It was being broadcast during the radio station’s prime drive-time hours between 4 and 6 p.m. when it was canceled.