The radio station that brutally fired legendary Bay Area broadcaster Greg Papa after he endured a grueling three-month hospital stay following a cancer diagnosis finally responded amid outrage over the decision.
In a statement, Cumulus Media, owner of station KNBR, said: “We’re not able to comment on the specifics of his departure.”
The company did say that “our respect and gratitude for everything Greg has given to KNBR, its listeners and its team runs deep,” adding it is “exploring ways we can bring his voice back to the station.”
Papa, the longtime radio voice of the San Francisco 49ers, was fired Wednesday by KNBR alongside his midday co-host Greg Silver, ending their long-running “Papa & Silver” talk show.
The 63-year-old Papa has balanced his role as the 49ers’ play-by-play announcer while co-hosting the weekday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. program since 2019.
Papa returned home in July following a life-saving bone marrow transplant and treatment for lung failure at UCSF Medical Center. He spent 78 days in the hospital after being diagnosed with leukemia last year.
The “Papa & Silver” show will now be replaced by longtime Bay Area radio host John Lund, who will be returning to KNBR following his firing from the station in November 2024.
Cumulus Media in its statement praised Papa extensively, describing him as “one of the defining voices of Bay Area sports radio.”
“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,” the company said.
Some fans of Papa, however, did not seem satisfied with the statement and explanation from Cumulus Media.
“You let go of a guy with cancer who is fighting for his life. F— you,” one user commented on X.
“Just because we axed the guy in cancer treatment doesn’t mean we can’t miss him!” another user added.
Papa was optimistic he could return to his midday show while working from his home studio like he did last year during his chemotherapy, but acknowledged that his return to the 49ers’ booth might be tough.
“The radio show would be something that’s obviously much easier to return to. I could do it from my house. Doing a football game is a different challenge,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle last month.
