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 Cumulus Media station made significant layof.
