KNBR Brings Back Bay Area Radio Veteran Greg Papa Five Weeks After Controversial Layoff

San Francisco sports radio station KNBR is rehiring longtime broadcaster Greg Papa just over a month after cutting him from the midday show, a reversal that drew applause from a live audience when it was announced Thursday.

Papa will return to the Cumulus-owned station in a hybrid role, splitting time between hosting and featured-guest appearances. KNBR afternoon host Adam Copeland broke the news during the station’s 49ers Roundtable season-preview event, held before an in-person crowd at Almanac Beer Company’s Alameda taproom. According to Copeland, Papa will host an hour of the daily midday show alongside John Lund — the same host who replaced him — while also appearing regularly on the station’s morning and afternoon programs.

The about-face follows intense backlash. Papa, a fixture of Bay Area sports broadcasting, was laid off from the midday show he co-hosted with Greg Silver while dealing with serious health problems. KNBR employees criticized the decision on air, and Cumulus issued an unusual statement two days later expressing gratitude for Papa’s contributions and signaling interest in finding a path for his return — a sign that apparently materialized in Thursday’s announcement.

Papa has been largely absent from the station throughout 2026. He stepped away from both his radio duties and his role as the 49ers’ radio play-by-play voice last summer after revealing a leukemia diagnosis. He underwent a bone marrow transplant this spring, but was hospitalized twice afterward — the second stay lasting 78 days following collapsed lungs. His recovery has accelerated in recent weeks, and he joked to NBC Bay Area that he had gone “from terminal to terminated.”

In the interim, Papa expanded his television presence, taking on more 49ers-related programming for NBC Sports Bay Area and additional fall football appearances on NBC Bay Area. He told SFGATE he hopes to return to the game booth if his health allows, though he is uncertain how many full broadcasts he can handle, and believes daily radio work will not pose a problem.

The episode highlights the fragile economics of local sports radio, a sector where traditional broadcasters face intensifying competition for sports audiences from much larger media companies. Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) — which recently traded at $25.17, up 2.11% from a previous close of $24.65 with a market capitalization of roughly $92.5 billion — operates NBC Sports regional networks in the Bay Area, while Disney (NYSE: DIS), at $105.82, up 1.57% on the day with an $181.8 billion market cap, continues to compete for sports viewers through ESPN. As demand for live sports rights and personalities stays high, local stations have limited room for public missteps with beloved on-air talent.

What to watch

• Details of Papa’s exact on-air schedule and how his hour with Lund affects the existing midday lineup.
• Whether Papa resumes any 49ers radio play-by-play duties this season, pending his health.
• Any further changes to KNBR programming or Cumulus staffing following the reversal.
• Papa’s expanded NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Bay Area football appearances this fall.

Source: original release