ESPN LA hosts Steve Mason and John Ireland, the longest running duo in Los Angeles, have taken their places in the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The pair, along with longtime LA Lakers Spanish broadcaster Jose ‘Pepe’ Mantilla had their official ceremony this week after having been named to the Hall of Fame back in 2021.
Ceremonies had been delayed during COVID and this was the first event back for the Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1992. The Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame features some of the biggest names in the history of broadcasting, including Vin Scully, Dick Enberg, Chick Hearn and Keith Jackson.
Steve Mason and John Ireland have been on-and-off partners in radio since 1992. The duo recently finished 3rd in BSM’s Top 20 Major Market Midday Shows of 2023.
In June of 2022 when the show signed a multi-year extension, Steve Mason said, “I love L.A. sports and I can’t imagine working anywhere else. I really appreciate ESPN and our new owner Good Karm Brands. We’ve got a really good team on Mason & Ireland with producer Greg Bergman and associate producer Jorge Briones. And I especially love doing the show every day with John Ireland, my friend of 30 years.”
