97.9 ESPN in Hartford has found their next program director. The station has hired Ben Darnell to run the radio station, filling the vacancy that was created when Tim Spence moved to Denver in October to program two of iHeartmedia’s spoken word brands, including Denver Sports 760.
Darnell, moves to Hartford after a long stint in Wilmington, North Carolina where he had served as program director and on-air host for ESPN Wilmington 95.9FM and 630AM. The stations are owned and operated by Sunrise Broadcasting.
As part of his new opportunity, Darnell will contribute alongside Rob Dibble on the afternoon show on 97.9 ESPN. He’ll also handle day to day programming matters for News Radio 1410 WPOP, 960 WELI, and ESPN Radio 1300.
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.
