Yahoo! Sports Radio

Yahoo! Sports Radio
Type Sports
Country United States
First air date
August 1, 2011
Parent Gow Broadcasting

Yahoo! Sports
Webcast Listen Live
Official website
Yahoo! Sports Radio

Yahoo! Sports Radio is a sports radio network that is distributed by Gow Broadcasting.[1] The network premiered on Monday, August 1, 2011, rebranded from Sporting News Radio.[2] Programming is broadcast in the United States on local radio affiliates. It is also streamed and available for download at YahooSportsRadio.com, with the Yahoo! Sports Radio mobile application, and on the websites of affiliates.[3]

Based in Houston, Yahoo! Sports Radio reaches an estimated five million people each week on a network of more than 500 terrestrial stations, Sirius Satellite Radio, and mobile platforms. The 24-hour network features top sports personalities, including Steve Czaban, Travis Rodgers, Marty Hurney, Sean Salisbury, Geoff Ketchum, Leigh Steinberg and more.

Yahoo! Sports Radio programming and hosts include:[4]

History

SEN (1991–1993)

Originally, the network was called the Sports Entertainment Network and was headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. Founded in 1991, it was the third all-sports radio network in the United States. Enterprise Sports Network existed briefly in the late '70s and early 1980s, while a small, national network called RTV Sports operated out of Mashpee, Massachusetts (on Cape Cod) in 1987 and 1988 on 27 stations across the U.S. RTV's owner, Tom Star, abruptly shut it down and absconded with the assets and paychecks suddenly in the summer of 1988 without a word to the staff and talent.

One on One Sports (1993–2001)

One on One Sports, based in Chicago, Illinois, was founded in 1991 and delivered innovative closed-circuit broadcasts to spectators attending premier sporting events such as golf tournaments and auto races, utilizing custom radio receivers, coupled play-by-play commentary with special programming for the listeners on site.

In 1993, One on One Sports bought Sports Entertainment Network, moved it to Northbrook, Illinois, and it became One on One Sports. One on One Sports had sports updates every 20 minutes, that it called "One On One Sports Flash".

One on One eventually bought owned and operated radio stations. By the time of the Sporting News purchase, it had owned WJWR (now WSNR) in New York City, WIDB (now WNTD) in Chicago, KCTD (now KMPC) in Los Angeles, California and WNRB (now WMEX) in Boston, Massachusetts.

Sporting News Radio (2001–2011)

One On One Sports was bought by The Sporting News magazine in 2000, and thus the network was renamed Sporting News Radio in early 2001. The only real change SNR made since being renamed was in August 2005, when it received an updated program clock and music package.

In 2006, SNR owner Paul Allen (best known as the co-founder of Microsoft) sold SNR and The Sporting News. The network and magazine went to American City Business Journals of Charlotte, North Carolina, while the three remaining stations (KMPC, WWZN, and WSNR) were then re-sold to other companies.

In 2007, Sporting News Radio moved its network headquarters from Northbrook, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. In 2010, the network headquarters were relocated once again to Houston, Texas.

Yahoo! Sports Radio (2011-Present)

Following the sale of the radio network and magazine separately, there was no longer an official relationship between the two Sporting News entities. In early 2011, new network owner Gow Communications and California-based Yahoo! entered into a long-term marketing and branding agreement, resulting in Sporting News Radio being renamed Yahoo! Sports Radio on August 1, 2011. The network continues to operate out of its Houston headquarters and shares office and studio space with flagship station KGOW AM 1560.


References

  1. "Yahoo! Sports and Gow Broadcasting Hit the Radio Airwaves with Yahoo! Sports Radio". Yahoo!. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  2. David Barron (August 1, 2011). "Sporting News Radio becomes Yahoo Sports Radio". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  3. "Affiliates". Yahoo! Sports Radio. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  4. "Show Schedule". Yahoo! Sports Radio. Retrieved 13 November 2012.