 |
| Greg Papa |
Cumulus Media has fired legendary Bay Area broadcaster Greg Papa from KNBR after his three-month hospital stay for leukemia treatment, drawing widespread outrage. In a statement responding to the backlash, the company that owns the station said it could not comment on the specifics of his departure.
It added that “our respect and gratitude for everything Greg has given to KNBR, its listeners and its team runs deep” and that it is “exploring ways we can bring his voice back to the station.”
Cumulus praised Papa as “one of the defining voices of Bay Area sports radio,” noting that “his knowledge, passion and connection with his listeners helped shape KNBR into what it is today, and his contributions to the station will not be forgotten.”
Papa, 63, the longtime radio voice of the San Francisco 49ers and co-host of the weekday midday “Papa & Silver” show since 2019, was let go Wednesday along with co-host Greg Silver. The show will be replaced by longtime Bay Area host John Lund, who is returning to KNBR after being fired from the station in November 2024.
Papa returned home in July after a life-saving bone marrow transplant and treatment for lung failure at UCSF Medical Center. He spent 78 days in the hospital following his leukemia diagnosis last year and missed most of the 49ers’ games. He had expressed optimism about resuming the radio show from his home studio, as he did during chemotherapy, while acknowledging that returning to the 49ers broadcast booth would be more difficult.
Fans reacted angrily on social media. One X user wrote, “You let go of a guy with cancer who is fighting for his life. F— you.” Another commented, “Just because we axed the guy in cancer treatment doesn’t mean we can’t miss him!”