During the coronavirus outbreak, stations across the country are changing their programming. Some are re-airing games and cutting back on live shows. Others are cutting down the number of hours local hosts are doing. In Albuquerque, the ESPN affiliate is dropping some ESPN shows in favor of more local programming.
ESPN Radio 101.7 the Team is dropping two hours of The Will Cain Show from its schedule during the pandemic. Instead, the station is airing Team Up For New Mexico with Scott Galetti & Joe O’Neill. The show will focus on local news and stories with an emphasis on getting the most recent and accurate information to Albuquerque.
“Historically, radio has been the medium to reach our communities during difficult times,” O’Neill told Mark Smith of Enchantment Sports. We’re trying to be a voice for the community, so we expanded our local programming to five hours a day, Monday through Friday.”
With no live sports happening, O’Neill, who is the president of 101.7 the Team, created the new show because he felt there was a hole in the station’s lineup. He has promised that there will be lighter topics on Team Up For New Mexico when he and Galetti aren’t covering breaking news concerning Covid-19. The duo is also encouraging listeners to call in and discuss anything they’d like.
Most of the Team’s staff is working from home. O’Neill says those that are still coming to the office are practicing social distancing.
