ESPNLA 710 spent the past few months talking to a number of qualified candidates about their Operations Manager vacancy and that process has finally come to an end. The radio station has confirmed the addition of Dan Zampillo. His first day on the job is Wednesday July 6th.
The OM position at ESPNLA 710 has been vacant since Dave Shore departed to program Detroit Sports 105.1 in February 2015. Program Director Mike Thompson was also let go in October 2015 as part of ESPN’s budget cuts. That left General Manager Scott McCarthy and Assistant Program Director Amanda Brown to shoulder a heavier load. With Zampillo joining the staff, it should not only ease the burden on Brown and McCarthy, but it should help make day to day operations at the radio station run smoother.
Zampillo is no stranger to working with major market radio stations. He recently programmed ESPN 980 in Washington D.C before Redskins ownership elected to overhaul the radio station’s management team. He’s also programmed for SiriusXM in New York and 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit, and served as Assistant Program Director for WGN and as Sports Director for 670 The Score in Chicago.
His arrival comes at an important time for ESPNLA 710. The radio station recently partnered with 100.3 The Sound to land the radio rights to the Los Angeles Rams. With NFL pre-season action starting in August and additions still needed on the Rams broadcast team, Zampillo, Brown, and McCarthy have a lot to sort out. Adding to their plate is the likely departure of afternoon host Max Kellerman who is expected to move to New York to host ‘First Take’ on ESPN with Stephen A. Smith.
The good news for the radio station is that they have been performing well in the Los Angeles market despite the additional challenges behind the scenes. With Zampillo now on board, a few of those pending issues can be resolved and the brand should benefit from his experience and leadership. Most importantly, McCarthy and Brown can now breathe a little.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
