Adam Copeland out as KNBR program director after social media fracas

Adam Copeland stepped down from his position as KNBR’s program director Thursday, days after a column published on a sports media website criticized him for his social media behavior.

According to an internal memo obtained by this news organization, Copeland, 35, will focus on his afternoon drive show, Tolbert & Copes, which he hosted while acting as program director.

Copeland declined to comment on the move.

Barrett Sports Media, the site that published a collection of unflattering tweets from Copeland, was the first to report that he resigned from his post.

The job of program director is inherently transient in the radio industry, but KNBR — the flagship station for Giants and 49ers — has had substantial turnover at the position.

Copeland was named program director in November, taking over for Kevin Graham, who held the post for roughly two years. Before Graham, Jeremiah Crowe served as PD for five years.

Copeland started at the station in 2009 as an intern and worked his way up to board operator, producer and host. He was named Sports Talent Agency’s Top 30 Sportscasters Under 30 in 2018 and was recognized as a Future African American Leader in Radio by Radio Ink Magazine.

Copeland has hosted the afternoon show with Tom Tolbert since 2022, and will continue to do so. It’s rare, and a heavy workload, for a program director to also serve as a daily host.

Shortly after KNBR named Copeland program director in November, the station, owned by Cumulus Media, made significant layoffs, including longtime host Paul McCaffrey. Though he was only a few months into the job, Copeland bore the brunt of public criticism in the wake of cuts.

Before Copeland’s program director tenure, the station struggled in its ratings battle against 95.7 The Game for months. But in January, February, March, and April of this year, KNBR rebounded to beat its rival.

Employees on the programming side liked working for Copeland, per multiple sources. Communication between shows and departments improved. His vision created cleaner programming, one host said.

Some who benefitted professionally from Copeland’s program director tenure are disappointed with how it ended.

Copeland’s resignation as program director came as Jason Barrett, the owner of trade publication Barrett Sports Media, lambasted his social media behavior. Copeland initially criticized Barrett’s site for not reporting on KNBR’s recent ratings successes over The Game, the other all-sports radio station in the Bay Area.

According to his bio, Barrett helped launch 95.7 The Game before starting his own media company, which Copeland took as a bias in his coverage. Barrett wrote that he covers the market objectively and reports on full ratings books, which are seasonal — not monthly.

Barrett’s column included tweet replies from Copeland in which he used expletives and personal insults to listeners.

One source close to the situation said KNBR leadership never flagged Copeland’s social media habits before this past week. Cumulus market manager Larry Blumhagen couldn’t be reached for comment.

Copeland is set to return to co-hosting Tolbert & Copes on May 30.

Danny Emerman, the reporter of this story, is a former KNBR/Cumulus employee.