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What should ESPN 1250 do?

As a general rule, if a sports station does any local programming, PM drive is the time slot for it. Mid-morning tens to get the #2 show (Junker and Crowe) and mornings are filled third.

Like him or not, there's a reason Jim Rome (or Rush Limbaugh, for that matter) ,runs noon-3, that's a time slot that can get national clearance (because it's 9-noon out west and also doesn't touch a drive time). I actually always thought he would have done well on 1250 as the lead-in to Madden, but ESPN wasn't going to let them not carry Dan Patrick when he was there.
 
Remember that the new boss at 1250 came from a variety of stations in the past and ESPN corporate.
He built two of the more successful sports stations in the country as their first PD in The Ticket in Dallas and then The Fan in Atlanta.
From what I have heard his reputation is to mix guys with name recognition and to develop his own fresh talent.
I saw it done here in Atlanta when 680 was relaunched in 2000 against 790. Everyone said that 680 would be off the air in a year or so due to the 790 dominance when they had no competition. He brought in a guy named Max Howell that was known in the market as a college football guru. He signed on Buck Belue who was a legend as QB at Georgia. He added a guy who was a relative unknown in John Kincade who does afternoon drive with Belue. If I am not mistaken he came right from being in corporate America and working part time at 790. Kincade is part of the top show in the market and a fixture with ESPN Radio on Cowherds show and his own weekend gig. He grabbed a guy who was a caller and running a restaurant named Perry to join the station.
After 3 years the tide turned and now his creations dominate 790. I can tell you that being associated with the top talker in town, we never felt that 680 was going to compete long term let alone win.
Thompson is a risk taker and he has never been predictable in his hires.
 
Madden and Ellis Cannon (then teamed with brother Henry) had no radio experience before they were hired by the old 1250.

Ed Bouchette has co-hosting duties for a couple of shows next week. Ed is the P-G Steelers beat writer, a 1250 contributor and used to co-host his own talk show back in the WTAE days.
 
For that matter, Myron was a writer for Sports Illustrated and somewhat dumbfounded that anyone thought he should be on the radio.

Successful sports talk hosts more often come from other lines of work than from the radio business, because knowledge and passion (not necessarily in that order) matter more than the pure quality of one's voice and the other inside radio stuff.
 
Judging by the lack of responses since early June maybe no one cares anymore. Maybe Maddens balloon has burst causing him to lose 200 lbs. with the lack of compasion he has received.
 
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