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60 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, September 17, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 28, 2004 Gaskins to host radio sports talk show By DON HUNT Mail Tribune John Gaskins, a familiar face on television as a sportscaster for KTVL-TV the past two years, is switching gears. The 25-year-old Nebraska native has joined Table Rock Productions and will host a sports talk show beginning Wednesday on KTMT-AM 580 and ESPN Radio. The new show, called "The Sports Fixx," will air Monday through Thursday from 4:30-6 p.m. Gaskins will also be a part of Friday night football broadcasts, taking over the play-by-play duties for Crater and Eagle Point. "Radio is something I’ve always wanted to do," Gaskins said. Advertisement Gaskins’ program will mirror the "Sportsline" show that Jay Reese hosted during the noon hour from November of 2002 to September of 2003. Reese now works for KAJO-AM Radio 1270 in Grants Pass and hosts a show called "Southern Oregon Sports Talk" from 4-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reese is also penciled in as the radio play-by-play man for the Grants Pass High football team this fall. Like Reese, Gaskins will interview local and regional athletes, coaches and other sports personalities as well as take phone calls from listeners. "I’m also going to have a lot of reporters on," Gaskins says. "That’s a philosophy that’s more and more prevalent on national shows. They have a lot of inside information and they’re often articulate and entertaining." Gaskins has connections to reporters and TV broadcasters who cover Oregon and Oregon State, and he’s good friends with former KTVL colleague Mark McClune, who now works for a TV station in Spokane, Wash. Gaskins is also acquainted with Seattle Seahawks placekicker Josh Brown. They lived just a half-block from each other while attending the University of Nebraska. "We’re going to be very heavy into high school football, but I’m hoping to spread our wings regionally a little bit more," Gaskins said. "We’re inbetween three major markets — Seattle, Portland and San Francisco — and we know there are a lot of fans out there who are interested in college and professional teams from those areas." Gaskins was born and raised in Omaha, Neb., graduating from Central High in 1997. Fellow alums include Gayle Sayers, Ahman Green and some lesser-known running backs who played at Nebraska. "We were known as Tailback U," Gaskins says. Gaskins got his start in journalism while attending Nebraska. He worked for the college newspaper for 3½ years. He worked for KLIN-Radio, the flagship station for the university, as a reporter and talk show contributor. And he hooked on with KLKN-TV, the ABC affiliate in Lincoln, as a reporter and photographer doing feature packages. When the weekend sports anchor at KLKN left before his contract was up, Gaskins was handed the job while still in college. "I was thrown on the air as an anchor a little early, but it was fun and I gained invaluable experience," Gaskins says. A couple months later, he obtained his degree in journalism from Nebraska and in July of 2002 he joined KTVL. Gaskins declines comment as to why he’s no longer at KTVL, other than to say he fulfilled his two-year contract. He doesn’t rule out returning to television at some point of his career. "I feel like I can do all three (TV, radio and newspaper reporting), and right now I’m pursuing the radio end of it," he says. Gaskins’ sports talk show won’t run Fridays due to another new show called "SOC Game Night." That program will be hosted by Tom Ersepke from 5-6:30 p.m. and will have insight on the high school football games around the Rogue Valley and the state. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? 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