Multiple reports have 890 ESPN shutting down sometime this weekend. The writing has been on the wall for some time now, and in way, it’s pretty amazing that they’ve been around since 2005, when they enlisted Michael Felger to go head-to-head with Glenn Ordway on afternoon drives. (Sound familiar?)

The 890ESPN.com domain is aleady inactive. With the new ESPNBoston.com set to launch on Monday, there have been a lot rumors floating around out there that ESPN is looking for a stronger local signal to serve as a platform for their national ESPN Radio programming.

Could Entercom sell 680 and ESPN take over there? I don’t see that happening, but who knows…

Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.

14 thoughts on “Farewell, 890 ESPN”

  1. 890 ESPN is a joke. Bad programming (Mike & Mike are awful), terrible signal.

    Love the new Sports Hub. I never go to WEEI after 9 am anymore. Haven’t heard Ordway in a month. The Trupiano and Hardy show on the weekends is excellent.

    The Hub has to get rid of Toucher and Rich. Unlistenable.

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    1. At least T and R like sports. D and C hate anything that takes them away from their lily white golf courses and makes them stay up past their bed times.

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    2. T&R are not your average sports talk hosts, which makes them great. After being subjected to D&C for so long, how could you not like what T&R are trying to do. You can tell they actually put time in and plan their shows. That’s unlike D&C, where they think keeping a notebook next to them while watching a game is show prep. Talk about fat and lazy. They’ve had it too good for too long. Nice to see some new blood. I’ll bet you they win the first ratings battle, too.

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      1. While it is my opinion that T&R are atrocius, it is a mortal lock that they will get their asses kicked in the ratings battle. It won’t even be close. What are you smoking?

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        1. Every hint I have read on the internet is that T&R did very well in their demo, whether it was in the afternoon or in the morning.

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    3. 890 didn’t choose M&M. All affiliates have to carry it. I think the pairing was awful and ESPN played up the wacky, these guys are so different angle to nauseating proportions, but, and this is true of all ESPN programming, the focus on interviews and having people on who know what they are talking about makes the shows listenable.

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  2. If Entercom would sell 680 and its associated maximum allowable power output/footprint (isn’t 680 a clear channel frequency?) to the biggest, richest sports programming entity in the country, which happens to be looking to better establish itself in the Boston market that Entercom currently leads…. well, I guess they’re dumber than I thought.

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  3. I highly doubt WRKO is a clear channel. There are stations in Binghamton, NY; Toronto, Baltimore, and Charlotte NC on that frequency. They have to switch their signal at sundown as a result.

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    1. I’ll miss Mike & Mike – at least they knew and talked about sports. I got so tired of those whiny D&C characters on 850. They and the afternoon drive show are unlistenable now. Though I like Dale & Holly mid-day. Hoping the new ESPN station comes soon as I need an alternative. I guess I’ll be forced to check out the Sports Hub now.

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  5. There are way too many of these Sports blowhards around here. Would not bother me to see ALL of these stations go off the air. Do yourself a favor and just watch the games. SportsTalk radio will rot your brain…..stay away from it at all costs.

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    1. I generally agree. These sports media hacks have Ivy-league opinions even though they only have high-school diplomas. The self-importance dripping from these media elites is a big reason why they are derided so savagely by me and others. As long as they behave the way they do, I’ll happily continue bludgeoning them.

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  6. Globe is saying ESPN is in talks with WEEI. They could put ESPN on 850 nights and weekends and eventually WEEI could move to FM (97.7 and 93.7? 99.5 with a sale or LMA?) with ESPN landing on 850. WEEI on FM in Boston means any sports that get bumped (Celts, Revs, college sports) could wind up on 850. Or MLB playoffs. Wouldn’t that mean WEEI would be competing against itself? Well, most would probably still tune to WEEI on FM and they’d get a bit of gravy via 850 doing ESPN. As has also been said some like the idea of national figures on ESPN adding to WEEI’s platter…

    Oddly enough if this were to happen quick enough, Fox Sports could then find a full time home on…890!

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