ESPN has confirmed The Big Lead’s initial report that Stephen A. Smith will be moving his show from Mad Dog Sports Radio to 98.7FM ESPN NY and ESPN LA 710 in Los Angeles. The show will officially take over the 1p-3p slot on the NY radio station, and the 10a-12p slot on the LA sports talker starting Tuesday January 17th. Additionally, Smith’s show will be available on SiriusXM channel 80, and originate from ESPN Audio’s headquarters in Bristol, CT.
The show will also be available digitally on ESPNRadio.com, the ESPN app and TuneIn Radio, and as a daily podcast. The radio program will have no impact on Smith’s daily appearances on First Take, ESPN’s daily debate program which airs M-F 10a-12p ET.
“This is Phase I towards much bigger things on the horizon,” said Smith. “There is no better way to get this party going than by starting in my hometown (Queens) New York, and LA, the City of Angels. But like I said, this is only the beginning. Stay Tuned!”
Traug Keller, senior vice president of ESPN Audio, added, “There is no one like Stephen A. and his show is a must listen. Sports fans will now have more options to listen to his heartfelt commentary on the issues of the day, through our flagship stations in New York and Los Angeles, on our digital platforms and on SiriusXM.”
The network also announced a few other changes taking place on January 17th. The first two hours of Russillo & Kanell will move to ESPN Xtra, SiriusXM Channel 81, while the third hour will remain on ESPN Radio Channel 80.
In New York, The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz will move from 98.7FM ESPN NY to ESPN Deportes Radio New York 1050AM and air from 12p-2p ET. Le Batard’s show will still be carried nationally, although his New York exposure has been reduced.
In Le Batard’s place on 98.7FM will be Hahn and Humpty. The duo previously had hosted 12p-3p on the station.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the addition of Stephen A. creates some extra adjustments. Mike Trudell and Mychael Thompson will lose their 9a-Noon midday show, and shift to weeknights 6p-8p when Lakers games aren’t on the air. Their move requires Marcellus Wiley and Kelvin Washington’s afternoon show to be trimmed from 3p-7p to 3p-6p.
Also, ESPN LA 710 will extend the morning show with Jorge Sedano, Keyshawn Johnson and LZ Granderson from 6a-9a to 6a-10a, although it’s unclear if all three men will be involved during the final hour.
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.
