Why did Rich Shertenlieb leave the Toucher & Rich morning show? Radio host parts ways at 98.5 The Sports Hub

The Toucher & Rich star Rich Shertenlieb is departing from 98.5 The Sports Hub. As per CBS News, Fred Toucher announced live on air on Friday, November 10, that the Toucher & Rich radio program, which was one of the most popular radio shows in Boston and the nation, had concluded. It further revealed that Rich Shertenlieb, the co-host, has formally quit the show.

Although Toucher and Rich have been the top-rated morning show in Boston for several years, it looks like the tension on the program has reached a breaking point.

Toucher stated, as reported by WCVB and other sources, that,

“I won’t get into great detail about this today. Earlier this year. Rich said some stuff on and off the air about me I didn’t like, so I texted him some things that I had been holding on to from the course of our relationship, which he did not like.”

Toucher added that Shertenlieb and he had another "issue" during an illness earlier in the year, which prompted the two to have a "bizarre" meeting with station management.

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Rich Shertenlieb and Fred Toucher have recently parted ways

Toucher finally opened up about Rich Shertenlieb leaving the show (Image via X / @SavageSports_)

One of Boston's most popular morning radio has announced its hosts' separation. Toucher and Rich had collaborated for many years, and in 2006 they took their show to Boston's WBCN. Since 2009, when the Sports Hub first opened, they had been in the morning slot from 6 am until 10 am.

However, as per sources like Boston News, Toucher and Rich started having issues. Moreover, Toucher's signing of a contract extension without Shertenlieb last month furthered those issues. The Boston Globe claimed that the two had worked together for years to arrange their contracts.

As per WCVB, the announcement was made during a protracted monologue in which Toucher hazily outlined the issues that arose between him and his previous co-host. Shertenlieb also declared that he would no longer be a co-host of the show.

In addition, Toucher announced at the start of Friday's broadcast that Shertenlieb's last concert was on Thursday, thus ending their 17-year collaboration.

Fred Toucher opened the show Friday morning by talking about the big changes and Rich Shertenlieb's departure. He went into detail about their long history together, from their early days on radio in Atlanta at 99X to their successful runs at WBCN and 98.5, the Sports Hub in Boston.

As reported by the aforementioned sources, Rich's decision to depart the show was given by Fred, who also discussed the future plans for it. The necessary plans included the search for a new co-host, ideally at the start of the new year. He highlighted the talent of the surviving team members while expressing excitement about the future.

According to Boston 25 news, Toucher also said that,

“They want me to say the station made him a multi-year offer for more money that he chose not to accept. And I knew that was kind of going that they weren’t really getting anywhere in their negotiation. But I don’t have any idea what the issues between them were. I don’t. So I can’t speak on it.”

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Shertenlieb has been contacted by Boston 25 for comment. He has made changes to the shows' social media profiles, expressing some of the recent animosity between Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb.

Moreover, Beasley Media released a statement about the circumstances after Toucher's aired the announcement. They expressed appreciation for Rich's many years of service to the program. Beasley made an offer to extend his contract for a number of years on terms greater than those in his current agreement, but he never took it.