Fred Toucher celebrates former co-host Rich Shertenlieb’s firing as Boston radio wars flare up

Fred Toucher danced on the grave of his longtime former radio partner Rich Shertenlieb.

“Toucher and Rich” broke up last November after 17 years together on Boston’s 98.5 the Sports Hub, many of which were spent as a ratings juggernaut.

Shertenlieb was laid off Monday from iHeart’s WZLX less than six months after his new show launched.

Toucher spent much of his program on Tuesday reveling in the lack of success Shertenlieb’s new program had.

Fred Toucher danced on Rich Shertenlieb’s grave after his longtime former co-host got laid off by iHeart. X / Boston Radio

“I’ll tell you when I would not have said anything today. If I read the statement he put out and it seemed like he had learned any humility,” Toucher said.

“Like don’t backstab your friends. Don’t be a snake…but there was no transparency and it’s still the same garbage”

Toucher said that he spoke to several people who used to work on the show that were joyous about the news.

“I wouldn’t even be hard on Rich if I felt that he had learned a lesson. Sometimes, to get humility you need to be humiliated,” Toucher said.

“I figured that finally Rich would show some honesty, transparency and humility but then I read his statement and it was like this man has learned nothing.”

The Boston sports radio juggernaut ‘Toucher and Rich’ broke up last year. Beasley Media Group

Shertenlieb’s new show featured former Patriot Ted Johnson and Boston radio veteran Michael Hurley.

“To say I’m disappointed is an understatement,” Shertenlieb wrote in a lengthy statement on X after his dismissal.

“When we launched the show at the end of May, the plan was simple. We would take the months of Summer to build chemistry with the new cast and by Fall and football season, we would be close to sounding what our vision of the show would be.

“However, just over two months into the show, management decided to alter the format. They wanted music, I did not. However, despite my disagreement about the decision, I agreed to move forward and music was added.”

iHeart slashed hundreds of jobs across the country on Monday and Tuesday.

On the Sports Hub, a Beasley station, Toucher intimated that Shertenlieb attempted a failed “power play” last year to push him out of the network, and then left when the execution was unsuccessful.

Toucher also accused Shertenlieb of being disingenuous in his exit statement after the iHeart dismissal, and poked fun at the ratings of his former partner’s new show.

“He was getting 1-shares. He not only did not bring a new audience to that show, he alienated based on the ratings their entire exiting audience. He had like a third of the ratings they got [before],” Toucher said.

“Management was getting concerned. Yeah, that’s the problem, management. None of it was his fault.”