UPDATE (2:40p ET): ESPN VP of PR Josh Krulewitz in response to my report on ESPN Radio changes: “An announcement with details on future ESPN radio plans is upcoming.”
Los Angeles radio industry sources confirmed to me this week that the daily radio shows of ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt and Doug Gottlieb will soon be heard on the Angels-owned KLAA-AM (830am). KLAA, which was purchased by Arte Moreno to serve as the flagship radio outlet for the Angels, has a powerful daytime signal into Los Angeles.
As of now the changes, which have been in the works for months, are set to take effect in early April. The move also comes despite there already being an ESPN-owned station in the L.A. marketplace, KSPN-AM (710am).
As part of the change on the national ESPN radio front, Colin Cowherd’s morning show is being cut by one hour, from 7-10a PT. Van Pelt’s show is likely to increase to three hours, with it airing live in L.A. from 10a-1p PT and Gottlieb’s show remaining from 1p-4p PT.
Cowherd’s full show will continue to be broadcast weekdays on KSPN from 7a-10a PT. KSPN currently airs local programming from 11a-3p PT (LA Sports Live with Mychal Thompson & Andrew Siciliano) and 3p-7p PT (Steve Mason & John Ireland).
So why is ESPN launching its national radio shows into a market where it already airs local L.A. ESPN radio programming via KSPN?
Though it may appear that ESPN is cannibalizing KSPN, it really isn’t. KLAA has a tiny listenership in Los Angeles and though Van Pelt and Gottlieb do good work, the odds of them cutting into the audience of KSPN-AM’s local shows is remote.
I’ve been told that part of the motivation for the move is ESPN clearing the Van Pelt and Gottlieb shows live in Los Angeles and Orange County - making them more valuable to national ESPN radio advertisers.
Cowherd’s show is being reduced by an hour because of his overall workload. He also co-Hosts ESPN-TV’s SportsNation weekdays with Michelle Beadle.
KLAA also features a morning show hosted by Roger Lodge, which will continue to air on the station from 6a-10a PT and KTLA-TV in Los Angeles. Jeff Biggs currently hosts the station’s afternoon show from 3-7p PT.
Will the Cowherd-Van Pelt-Gottlieb news have a huge impact on the L.A. sports radio landscape? Probably not. But having more morning and midday options can’t hurt. Especially when the quality of the shows is above average.
10:41 am on March 4th, 2010
Thats great news!!!!!!!!!!
so after dan patrick I can turn it to Scott van pelt….sweet, because im tired of Rome and his constantly out of touch comments, and 15yr old saying, and 30 minutes dedicated to bragging about his horses he owns Romes show hasn’t been entertaining since 2001.
I like the fact the he says he doesn’t take many calls any more, fact is no one calls that show anymore…RACK ME
And to chop colin cowherds show…Nice move too.
they probably felt we didnt need to hear anymore analogies.
Colin’s show condensed,
Its like a fine wine sitting on a shelf with beer cans
ya see college football is like taking a hot woman to the theater
the NFL is like being at a bar with three hot women to choose from
Hockey is like…
NFL is like
Baseball is like
Lose clueless Mychal Thompson and that belittling elf Andrew S and you got an amazing sports station
can wait to have a choice after Dan Patrick
10:59 am on March 4th, 2010
It’s nice to see that there is going to be a little more variety with sports talk radio programs in So Cal. I like Van Pelt (I have since his days at the Golf Channel. He was the only on air personality who could deliver golf info in a professional manner, but didn’t take himself too seriously). However, Doug Gotlieb is too full of himself. HIs recent P90X Beachbody “experiment” is proof of his vanity.
Where is Dave Smith? He was actually pretty good in the afternoon.
11:26 am on March 4th, 2010
One day I hope the airwaves are cleansed of the Ratfaced Oned. What a tool…
11:46 am on March 4th, 2010
I agree with the comment about Jim Rome, same old stale stick. Jim Rome does an interview, then proceeds to read e-mails from “the clones” telling him what a great interview. Still referencing OJ Simpson, etal. Come to think of it, both he and Howard Stern are doing the same thing today that they did 15 years ago. Talk radio really is stale.
12:37 pm on March 4th, 2010
manster
how true:
Hey Jim that interview with______insert guest name here____ was EPIC!!!, it was by far the best interview ever, you gotta bring that guy back on the show.
Jim Rome suffers from, having a family and living in south Irvine, he needs people on his show to tell him that using a phrase for 10 years aint cool
12:48 pm on March 4th, 2010
colin coward is a blowhard …he reminds me of the skinny sports babe espn tried to throw at us, he too will die into the ex- radio talk show host radio abyss!
1:23 pm on March 4th, 2010
Bring back Steve Czaben!!!!
Rome and Rat Face do suck.
More SVP is better.
1:55 pm on March 4th, 2010
Jim Rome may not be perfect, but the guy is clearly head and shoulders above all other sports talk show hosts. Mychel Thompson is a ridiculous sized Homer when it comes to basketball, but that aside he has a good sense of humor and at least he’s honest (about everything besides basketball of course).
I also don’t understand why Dan Patrick seems to be so popular. Talk about arrogant, the guy surrounds himself with guys 20 or 30 years younger than him so he can still seem “hip”. On top of that the show is nothing but each of those sarcastic Knobs trying to be funnier than the other one. I tryed to listen the other day and all I got was those 4 (or 5 or 6 or 7?) retards bantering back and forth about if they would rather be able to dunk a basketball or hit a home-run. WHO GIVES A SHlT??? You guys are not funny and Dan Patrick you’re still an old fart despite surrounding yourself with 28 year olds!
2:06 pm on March 4th, 2010
And also SVP tries to hard to be cool too - he’s Dan Patrick light. Just because you steal current phrases from athletes and then use them when you talk to them doesn’t make you “hip”. The guy is also a total Company Man (just like all the national guys at ESPN - CowTURD being the worst offender there).
And as a side, we all know CowTURD sucks, but I remember when he first started on ESPN and he would constantly bash the NBA and now he is practically a spokesperson for the league (and gee, I wonder if ESPN’s multi-million Dollar investment in the NBA may have had something to do with his sudden change of heart? YA THINK!) And then he had that like 2 month long stretch where he talked MMA constantly, and then all of a sudden it stopped (maybe someone gave him a talking to about the fact that ESPN carries ZERO MMA?) Thats when I stopped listening, just couldn’t take hearing an ESPN programming publicist every morning.
2:19 pm on March 4th, 2010
ESPN is now like Walmart it seems, everyone is now working for them. I find many of their host lacking. Call me a chauvinist but why is Pam Ward doing anything? And at night when they have Amy Lawrence i immediately change the dial. I am ok with women doing updates, or even anchoring but doing a radio gig about sports, naw they seem out of their element. Pam Ward is just horrible!!!
2:34 pm on March 4th, 2010
So in summary i’ll say that National ESPN Radio guys are nothing more than publicists for ESPN television programming. Locally, Siciliano/Thompson are tolerable and Mason/Ireland are worth listening to. Jeff Biggs and Roger “Hack” Lodge just have waaaay to much Angel homerism for me, they suck. And Myers & Hartman is just a joke…
So who do I like? IMO there are 3 sports talk shows that are on their own level:
#1- Ferrall. Yes his voice gets to you if you listen for too long and he’s waaaay to east coast centric, but the guy likes what he likes and he talks about sports the way me and my friends do. Also he knows who the good guests are (well everyone except Romanowski) and he knows how to get candid answers from them (much like Stern can).
#2- Petros & Money. Petros can be pretty annoying at times but at least he knows his expertise is college football so he doesn’t ever act like an expert in regards to other sports. Money is solid all around - love that guy. Just seems like two dudes who genuinely like each other and that makes the show flow extremely well.
#3- Rome. Yes some of his takes are a little dated and the interviews are death to my ears, but the guy knows his sports and he knows when to emphasize certain topics when the situation calls for it. And his banter with the audience (clones) is truly unique in sports radio…
2:38 pm on March 4th, 2010
Finally something good between Patrick and Petros and Money! Rome is getting old and his clones are just a bunch of idiots. Looking forward to listening to Van Pelt, he does a great job.
2:54 pm on March 4th, 2010
Bring back the Czabe!
2:56 pm on March 4th, 2010
Nice to see KLAA is finally going all-sports! They have been airing infomercials for months in the midday slot. Roger Lodge does a solid job with the morning show and Biggsy is a pro in afternoon drive. Best kept secret on that station is Lee Klein “the prince of darkness” at night from 10pm-1am. Now with these ESPN properties it will make the station even better. KLAA and KSPN already have a relationship because 710 sometimes farms out games to KLAA.
2:57 pm on March 4th, 2010
Calling the Van Pelt show anything other than “Ryen Russillo Show’ is a crime against humanity.”
4:15 pm on March 4th, 2010
Really? No more DUI shows or Real Estate Rip off guys? Way to grow up Artty!
5:54 pm on March 4th, 2010
@Cursedcleveland - That’s a great point, it really is Ryen’s show and I’m glad he’ll be on the free airwaves while I’m driving around LA.
I’d like to, uh, see, you know, KLAA think, uh, about replacing, you know, Jeff, uh, Biggs with, you know, another talker. Uh. Or, you know, maybe pair him up with, you know, someone. Biggsy is a, you know, nice guy and, uh, knowledgable but, uh, you know, he’s hard to, uh, listen to.
5:57 pm on March 4th, 2010
and will espn please cancel sportsnation. how could colin and beadle actual think that is good television.
6:42 pm on March 4th, 2010
Biggsy has a partner now on the afternoon show. A guy by the name of Jason something is his #2 since December I think. It is pretty good and Biggs is much more personable with a partner. Also have noticed an upgrade in guests and fewer callers. Prefer it to PMS only because of Petros. I love Money.
7:18 pm on March 4th, 2010
Dan Patrick show has great interviews
12:25 am on March 5th, 2010
Why can’t we get rid of Roger Lodge? I have to listen to Scott and BR on extra 1090 for my local Morning radio!
1:35 am on March 5th, 2010
Awesome news! I love The Sports Lodge & The Drive, and now Arte has a full sports line-up…
1:36 am on March 5th, 2010
BTW, Brooks: When is Dave Smith getting back on the radio?
4:04 am on March 5th, 2010
I am gonna keep this simple
Colin SUCKS…and get that crap Sportsnation off TV!
Petros and Money SUCKS
Dan Patrick SUCKS
Rome sucks less
10:19 am on March 5th, 2010
Wouldn’t mind if Cowher lost all 3 hours, and his TV show. Then was sentenced to to morning drive on low-wattage AM talker in Dothan, AL. Cowher = dumpster fire on garbage barge.
Whose leg to you have to hump to bring back Steve Czaban?
1:58 pm on March 5th, 2010
also would love to get some Dave Smith news! This guy belongs on our sportstalkers!
8:33 pm on March 5th, 2010
Still can’t believe Jim Rome is still on the air, and so glad all the race horses he bought suck. What a waste of money. Please bring back The Sports God Dave Smith and Vic The Brick back on the air……Eat it!
12:45 am on March 6th, 2010
Today Cowherd claimed the Lakers losing to the heat was all due to the refs and the NBA has had it out for the Lakers for years. WHAT????? That could be the dumbest statement ever made. Two minutes of him and him telling me about ratings of this or that and how stupid sports fans are, he makes me sick. Dan Patrick is just as bad, he thinks he is the biggest thing ever with him begging Adam Sandler to have him in a movie and then he gets a two minute park and he thinks he is something. Add to the loser class Petros and Money, they should realize again it is sports talk, not you trying to act like you are cool and the listeners are stupid.
8:18 am on March 31st, 2010
I agree with that Jim Rome stuff. Except Rome hasn’t been entertaining since 1994..before the OJ stuff because he is still obsessed with him almost 20 years later.
Is it me or does it seem like all of Romes callers are reading their takes? They all have the same tone to them and its old. Rome has been out of touch since he got the money. He is like the Jim Jones of sports radio and his listeners will do whatever he tells them to do. I live in Atlanta and thanks to the i-phone I was able to listen to rome again and i swore it was the mid 1990’s again. The same fools that called his show then are still calling now…what a damn shame
Roger Lodge is very entertaining to me and I look forward to hearing the other guys on this station.
Colin Cowheard is a pompous, arrogant punk who only cares about folks with money. Ever hear how he brags about what he has and how he downs the folks that really cant afford certain things? I am a fortunate individual and I am blessed to have the things I do, but I would never ever down anyone because of what they may not have. I hate Colin Coward.
9:08 pm on June 1st, 2010
Everyone who bashes cowherd makes 37k a year and lives in the “heartland”
10:20 am on November 14th, 2011
Colin Cowhered has a great show and Scott Van Pelt /Gotlieb are decent hosts also. I always enjoyed the interaction between Colin and “The Fish”, but of late have not heard any interaction between the fish and colin. DID THE FISH LEAVE THE SHOW AND IF SO, UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS?
As far as Jim Rome, he is boring and has a nagging demeanor and voice. I dont know how he maintains his show, he must be blessed or have a lot of drag with the gurus that govern the staff. If he ever loses his job, I am not sure what he is capable of doing besides working at Mc Donalds.