Document text
52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, April 7, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 5, 2005 Listeners respond to loss of ESPN-Radio By KEVIN GOFF Mail Tribune The departure of ESPN-Radio, Southern Oregon’s only national sports radio outlet, left many listeners in the dark as to what happens next. At midnight Sunday, Radio Medford’s KTMT (580-AM) parted ways with ESPN-Radio, ending the station’s 10-year run with the national affiliate. Instead, KTMT is carrying Radio Lazer and its Mexican format programming. The Mail Tribune received a number of calls and e-mails from curious listeners wondering what happened and when, or if, there would be another all-sports format station. Radio Medford got the same kind of response. "Any time you make a change, folks are going to express their concern," said Radio Medford Vice President and General Manager Ron Hren. "But I think all in all, we’ve had a really tremendous, positive response to the move to a Hispanic station." Advertisement Local high school, University of Oregon and Southern Oregon University sporting events will still be on the air, Hren said, but the coverage of professional sports like NBA basketball or major league baseball will not. National sports talk shows, such as the Dan Patrick and Jim Rome shows are also off the air. "I’ll miss it a lot," said Chris VanDeWeghe, a longtime ESPN-Radio listener. "That’s all I listen to on my lunch break, the Dan Patrick Show. "I know a lot of people who are pretty upset by this." VanDeWeghe’s friend and fellow ESPN listener, James Lucas, also expressed his dismay. "I was very surprised," said Lucas. "I work outside, so I listen to the station all day. "I understand they’re wanting to get another radio station for the growing Latino population. But not to replace it with another (sports formatted) program ... I just think it is wrong." Hren said there are no plans to bring in another national sports product. "No we don’t have any plans of doing that," he said. "We were pleased with the ESPN feed and the station. For sure, it was a great national product. "In evaluating local markets, we came to the conclusion that the Hispanic market plays a more important and bigger role." Jay Reese, the host of the Grants Pass based KAJO (1270-AM) Southern Oregon Sports Talk program for the last 16 months, is now the only local sports talk host in the Rogue Valley. His show airs weekdays from 4-5 p.m. and can be picked up in parts of Jackson County. "I think it’s unfortunate what happened there," said Reese of the loss of ESPN-Radio. "There’s a market there for sports radio. If you give it enough attention, then it will succeed." "It can work and it does work," added Reese, noting the surge in ratings of his show. "I feel sorry for the local listeners. Radio Medford just didn’t get it." Reese, within the next few weeks, will have his show available on the Web at www.sosportstalk.com . Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Fasa Advertisement s