What Happened to Tom Tolbert's Career at KNBR? The Reason He Was Let Go

Longtime sports talk show host Tom Tolbert’s career at KNBR has officially ended, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. News of his exit broke on Nov. 14, 2024, closing out a nearly three-decade run at the station. He isn’t the only one leaving the Cumulus Media network — John Lund was also let go, leaving many fans shocked.

Some weren’t as surprised, though, with one @LOLKNBR user on X (formerly Twitter) noting, “Local sports talk radio hosts with big salaries have been a dying breed for years.”

So, what's the deal? What happened to Tom Tolbert?

Tom was released from KNBR as the company undergoes a broad reduction of staff ahead of the holidays, The San Francisco Chronicle noted. A 28-year KNBR veteran, Tom had been hosting Tolbert & Copes, the station’s afternoon drive show.

In addition to Tom and John, the news outlet also reported that KNBR let go of producer Danny Dunn as well.

With job security becoming increasingly uncertain, it’s becoming more common for companies to cut costs through layoffs or adjust their employee lineup to boost profits. We saw this with longtime Fox Sports Undisputed host Skip Bayless, who left after his contract expired, likely due to a combination of cost-cutting measures and lower ratings.

Calling fans “unhappy” with the news of Tim leaving KNBR would be an understatement. X user @TheGiantFan916 vented, "F--king sucks. Tolbert and Copes was literally the only show KNBR had left that was worth listening to." Another fan, Matt Davis (@MattDavisNC), chimed in, adding, "Tolbert was the talent worth paying to keep."

He continued, "I thought Fitzgerald, Barbieri (even before we knew he had Parkinson’s), Damon Bruce, and Byrnes were all best-case overrated. Loved hearing Tolbert and Ratto work together back in the day."

X user @dan_man_25 echoed similar sentiments, writing, "GOAT of Bay Area sports radio waves. Hope he takes a nice break and lands somewhere else or does his own thing."

The landscape of sports radio is changing fast, and more changes are likely on the horizon. However, a layoff from a major network doesn’t have to spell the end of a career. X user @Mack_Cage acknowledged, “It sucks to hear Tommy was let go,” but found a silver lining, noting, “He’s in the perfect position to start his own podcast. His audience will definitely follow him, and where the audience goes, the advertisers will too.”

Another X user gave a nod to Tom's time on the court, calling it "legendary," but couldn’t help but point out that "transitional radio is completely dead, and wouldn’t know why any radio station would pay anything other than intern-type salary to these talking head[s]."

Tom played seven seasons in the NBA, on various teams including the Golden State Warriors, the Orlando Magic, and the Charlotte Hornets.

While we don’t know what Tom’s next move is yet, with his talent and knowledge, we’re sure it will be a great one.