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ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. The network airs a regular schedule of daily and weekly programming as well as live coverage of Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, Bowl Championship Series, and National Invitation Tournament games. ESPN Radio is broadcast to hundreds of affiliate stations as well as to subscribers of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio in the United States and Canada.
ESPN Radio currently has five company-owned stations in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Pittsburgh. Most other markets have ESPN Radio affiliates, whether they be part-time or have their entire format dedicated to ESPN Radio. The Walt Disney Company did not include the ESPN Radio network or the Radio Disney network in the recent sale of ABC Radio to Citadel Broadcasting; however, ESPN Radio as well as its Spanish counterpart ESPN Deportes Radio are still considered to be a part of the ABC Radio (now Citadel Media) family.[1]
[edit] History
ESPN Radio launched on January 4, 1992. Keith Olbermann hosted the first program. The top story that night was that Danny Tartabull signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent. Tartabull, who had been with the Kansas City Royals, was one of the most feared sluggers in Major League Baseball at the time.
At first, ESPN Radio broadcast only on weekends. By 1996, it expanded to weekdays with a show hosted by The Fabulous Sports Babe, Nancy Donnellan. One hour of that show was simulcast on ESPN2 (1-2 p.m. Eastern time). Two years later, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic were brought together for a new morning show, which still airs today (and is also simulcast on ESPN2). By that time, Donnellan was gone and Dan Patrick replaced her. That show lasted until Patrick left ESPN in 2007.
Gradually, ESPN added more dayparts and became a 24-hour service.
In 1995, ESPN Radio gained national radio rights to the NBA. In 1997, it gained the rights to MLB on national radio.
[edit] Current programming
Weekday programming
Weekend programming
[edit] Seasonal shows
- The Huddle (Sat, February-August)
- The Baseball Show (Sun, March-August)
- College GameDay (Sat, September-December)
- NFL on ESPN Radio (Sun, September-February)
[edit] Game broadcasts
[edit] Daily segments
[edit] Former shows
[edit] Weekday
- The Fabulous Sports Babe (Nanci Donnellan) (Mon–Fri 10am–1pm, 1994–1997) - replaced by Kornheiser; Donnellan continued the show on Sports Fan Radio Network until 2001, and re-emerged in 2008 co-hosting a local show in Tampa Bay, Florida.
- Bruno-Golic Morning Show (Mon–Fri 6am–10am, 1995–1998) - Tony Bruno left ESPN and was replaced by Mike Greenberg (title change to Mike and Mike). Bruno was an original host of Gamenight.
- AllNight with Todd Wright (Mon–Fri 1am–6am, 1996–2005) - Later became AllNight with Jason Smith
- The Tony Kornheiser Show (Mon–Fri 10am–1pm, 1998–2004) - replaced by The Herd. Kornheiser later revived his show on Washington D.C. stations WTEM, Washington Post Radio and WWWT during Monday Night Football offseasons, last airing in 2008.
- The Dan Patrick Show (Mon-Fri 1pm-4pm, 1999-2007) - Dan Patrick left ESPN after 19 years; his show was replaced by The Mike Tirico Show and The Stephen A. Smith Show (both see below), following several weeks of guest hosts; Patrick revived his show later in 2007 in syndication (and beginning in 2009, on Fox Sports Radio)
- The Sports Brothers with Erik and Chris Kuselias (Mon–Fri 4pm–7pm, 2003–2005) - later The SportsBash with Erik Kuselias after Chris left the show (Mon-Fri 4pm-7pm, 2005-2007) and The SportsBash with John Seibel (January-October 2007), finally SportsNation with John Seibel and Orestes Destrade (to February 2009; occasionally aired under different titles but with same hosts)
- The Pulse with Doug Gottlieb (Mon-Fri 7-10 pm, 2006-February 2009): Gottlieb moved up to the afternoons to replace SportsNation; Brian Kenny and Footbal Tonight took over this timeslot.
- Pardon the Interruption with Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon (Mon-Fri, 2001-2004, 2007-2008, 6:30pm-7pm). Sporadically aired simulcast of the television show.
- GameNight (7p-1a to 2006; 10p-2a to 2008): the weeknight version of the network's original program ended in 2008, coinciding with the debut of Football Tonight and the movement of The Pulse with Doug Gottlieb from 7pm-10pm to 8pm-11pm.
- The Mike Tirico Show/"Tirico and Van Pelt (Mon-Fri 1PM-3PM or 2PM-4PM, 2007-09): Debuted in 2007 with Tirico as host and Van Pelt, Kirk herbstreit and Michelle Tafoya as guest hosts. Became "T&VP" on May 1, 2008, followed by Van Pelt hosting a solo hour at 3. Moved to 2PM-4PM in March 2009 due to the lengthening of The Herd to four hours nationwide; Van Pelt's solo hour ended, but he took over the main show in July 2009 as Tirico left to focus on television.
- The Stephen A. Smith Show (Mon-Fri 3PM-4PM, 2007-2008) - Smith left the show on April 11, 2008 to concentrate more on television and ESPN the Magazine. SportsNation briefly expanded into the timeslot, with Scott Van Pelt taking over on May 1st, 2008.
[edit] Weekend
- SportsRadio ESPN Sunday Magazine (Sundays 8am-10am, 1994-1998), later ESPN The Magazine with Dan LeBatard (Sun 7am-11am, 1998-2004) and Mark Madden (Sun 8am-11am, 2004-2005) and finally known as Out of Bounds with Mark Madden (Sun 9am-11am, 2005)
- The Post-Game Locker-Room Report with Jack Arute (Sat–Sun 11pm–2am, 2001–2003)
- The Doug Karsch Show (Sat, January-August)
- Weekend GameDay with Mike Schopp (Sat 3-7pm, 2003-2006)
- AM GameDay (Sat 9-12 pm until 2006)
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
