Behind the Mic: Andy Roddick to Co-host FS1’s Fox Sports Live; ESPN Snaps Up Finebaum for SEC Network, ESPN Radio

 Recently retired tennis star Andy Roddick will serve as co-host for Fox Sports Live, the flagship news, opinion and highlights program of the soon-to-launch FOX Sports 1. Although Roddick will be new to the TV commentator game, he has hosted a show on FOX Sports Radio since 2011 with his friend Bobby Bones, which was nationally syndicated in 2012.

Roddick joins Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole, previously announced as the primary highlight team, on FOX SPORTS LIVE. Fox also previously announced the additions of former ESPNews anchor Don Bell, former Boston Celtics sideline reporter and in-arena host Molly McGrath, and CTV on-air personality Julie Stewart-Binks to the FOX Sports 1 broadcaster roster. Bell’s primary role includes anchor duties for Fox Sports Live. McGrath and Stewart-Binks will serve as update desk and breaking news correspondents for the new 24/7 sports network set to debut on Saturday, Aug. 17…

…Paul Finebaum, host of one of the popular syndicated college football radio shows in the South, is headed to ESPN. Finebaum’s five-year deal with ESPN (According to Wall Street Journal) will include a daily radio show and a variety of appearances across ESPN platforms from ESPN’s Charlotte, N.C. studios. Then starting in August 2014, when the recently announced SEC Network launches, a television simulcast of Finebaum’s radio show will anchor the afternoon lineup. ESPN Audio will be syndicating the Paul Finebaum show and distribution agreements will be forthcoming. Finebaum, who had previously hosted The Paul Finebaum Show out of Birmingham, AL since 2001, will appear on a variety of other shows and outlets, including SportsCenter, College Football Live, College GameDay and in ESPN The Magazine…

…ESPN Radio broadcaster Jack Ramsey has stepped away from the network’s NBA playoff coverage due to an undisclosed health issue. Ramsey, 88 will be replaced by Chris Mullin on the broadcast, Mike Soltys. A decision as to who will replace Ramsey for the remainder of the postseason hasn’t been announced. Ramsey, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1999 and also was treated for melanoma several years ago, said he needs to begin immediate treatment and his broadcasting career probably is over, according to the Miami Herald. (Bloomberg)…

…ESPN has reached a multi-year contract extension with college basketball reporter Andy Katz. Katz, who joined ESPN in 1999, will continue his daily written and video contributions as senior college basketball writer for ESPN.com, in addition to contributions for ESPN the Magazine. After the debut of his weekly show, Katz Korner, and hosting The Experts on ESPNU, his role on ESPN networks will continue to expand in both a reporting and hosting capacity for Outside the Lines on ESPN. His reporting role will also continue courtside, as well as in studio, during college basketball games. Katz is also set to continue his his podcast series with college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg that re-airs on ESPN Radio Saturday mornings…

…Dottie Pepper has joined ESPN’s golf coverage team and will make her on-air debut at next month’s U.S. Open. Pepper, a 17-time winner on the LPGA Tour during her career, will serve multiple roles on ESPN’s multiplatform golf coverage including analyst, on-course reporter and anchor during live play. She also will be an analyst on ESPN’s signature news and information program SportsCenter and will write for ESPN.com. Pepper, who retired from the LPGA in 2004, worked for the past eight years as a golf commentator for NBC Sports and The Golf Channel and also was a contributing columnist for Sports Illustrated…

…Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic has brought aboard veteran Sporting News and New York Times reporter Clifton Brown to lead its Baltimore Ravens coverage on CSNbaltimore.com and contribute to its Ravens Kickoff, Ravens Postgame Live and other Ravens programming. Brown previously worked at Sporting News for more than five years as a national NFL reporter. He also spent 19 years at the New York Times and made stops at the Detroit Free Press and Boca Raton News.