ESPN Radio

Logo (1992–2008)

ESPN Radio Network was formed in September 1991 by both ESPN Inc. and Capital Cities/ABC, Inc.'s ABC Radio Networks. Twenty-five stations had already signed on as affiliates as of its announcement on September 5, 1991, with an expected total of 200 at the January launch. Shelby Whitfield, executive producer of ABC Radio Sports, and John A. Walsh, executive editor of ESPN, were placed in charge of the venture.[3] The network launched as Sports Radio ESPN on January 1, 1992.[4] At first, ESPN Radio broadcast only on weekends.[5] The network debut with 16 hours running on 147 affiliates in 43 states. Its initial programming consisted of news shows, update segments, and occasional features.[6]

By 1996, ESPN Radio had expanded to weekdays[5] 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, Tony Bruno and Mike Golic were brought together for a new morning show, the Bruno & Golic Morning Show which aired until Bruno left the network in 2000. Mike Greenberg was named as Bruno's replacement, and the morning show became Mike & Mike, which aired until 2017[7] (and was also simulcast on ESPN2). In January, 2010, Mike & Mike celebrated their 10-year anniversary on ESPN Radio. Dan Patrick was a mainstay in the afternoons until his departure from 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 national radio rights to MLB. Disney purchased WEVD from the Forward Association in September 2002 to become WEPN, ESPN Radio's flagship station.[8] On June 12, 2007, Disney spun off and merged its ABC Radio Networks with Citadel Broadcasting into Citadel Communications while retaining its ESPN Radio and Radio Disney networks and stations.[9][10][11]

Weekday programming[12]

Saturday programming

MLB on ESPN Radio often airs on Saturday afternoon with varied times week to week, those times are usually in-tune with the FOX Saturday Baseball Telecast which airs its games at 4 or 7 p.m. ET, with the start time being one hour prior to first pitch. They might also line up with the other game of the series of whoever is playing on the Sunday Night Baseball game the next day. NBA on ESPN Radio also plays on Saturdays, usually being the same matchup for the Saturday Primetime game that is airing as apart of the NBA on ABC.

Sunday programming

As with Saturdays, MLB on ESPN Radio and NBA on ESPN Radio air Sundays as well. They coincide with Sunday Night Baseball, the NBA on ABC Sunday Showcase, or with a Sunday Night NBA on ESPN game if there is no Sunday Showcase that day.

ESPN Radio currently has four company-owned and/or operated stations in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas, with the Chicago station managed by Good Karma Brands, which owns and operates a number of other ESPN Radio stations in Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida; the Dallas station is operated by Cumulus Media. Each station is partnered with an ESPN local website named for the city and featuring a completely separate staff of sportswriters and reporters for each market who give their local viewpoints of local sports (for example, espnnewyork.com for New York). Most other markets have ESPN Radio affiliates, whether they be part-time or have their entire format dedicated to ESPN Radio.

• CBS Sports Radio
• Fox Sports Radio
• NBC Sports Radio
• Sports Byline USA
• TSN Radio
• SB Nation Radio

Wikimedia Commons has media related to ESPN Radio.

• ESPN Radio
• SiriusXM | ESPN Radio