In DC, Scott Allen noted the city will "soon have three sports talk radio stations," as Cumulus Media and ESPN have announced the July 1 launch of ESPN Radio 630 DC. The "syndicated weekday lineup" on the station will include national ESPN Radio programming, "as well as shows 'hosted by local personalities.'" The station's launch "will signal the end" of WTEM-AM's status as an ESPN Radio affiliate, but the Urban One-owned station "will remain the flagship home of Redskins broadcasts on the Redskins Radio Network" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/15).
SAY ANYTHING: In Chicago, Phil Rosenthal writes ESPN's "Wired" segments during last night's Cubs-Dodgers game were "useless," as the highlights from a mic'd up Dodgers 1B Cody Bellinger were an "inquiry to umpire C.B. Bucknor about postgame travel plans and a reminder to manager Dave Roberts about the microphone." The high point was "either Bellinger’s grunt before homering off Jose Quintana in the sixth or when he praised bacon ranch-flavored sunflower seeds" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 6/17).
WORKING OUT THE KINKS: In Omaha, Aaron Sanderford notes ESPN viewers "missed an early part" of Royals-Tigers on Thursday due to a "loss of power to an ESPN truck that collected camera feeds from inside TD Ameritrade Park," which was hosting its first-ever regular-season MLB game. A "regulator that powered the ESPN TV truck failed." The issue "forced crews" from ESPN and the Omaha Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority to "execute a backup plan." MECA Dir of Communications Kristyna Engdahl said that ESPN "briefly used MECA’s in-house stadium feeds until the network got its own equipment working again" (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 6/17).
