ESPN and Good Karma Brands have confirmed the previous reports and have officially announced new programming lineups for the national ESPN Radio and “98.7 ESPN” WEPN-FM New York.
WEPN-FM will move early morning hosts Rick DiPietro and Dave Rothenberg from 5-8am to 6-10am to better compete against WFAN’s “Boomer & Gio”. Current national ESPN Radio 12-3pm show hosted by Bart Scott and Alan Hahn will move back to being New York only. “Bart & Hahn” had moved from WEPN-FM to the national lineup in January 2021. The changes will give WEPN-FM sixteen hours of local programming weekdays with only Mike Greenberg’s “Greeny” from 10am to 12pm and overnights consisting of national programming.
The new WEPN-FM schedule will feature DiPietro & Rothenberg from 6-10am, Greeny from 10am-12pm, Bart & Hahn from 12-3pm, The Michael Kay Show from 3-7pm, Dan Graca from 7-10pm, and Larry Hardesty & Gordon Damer from 10pm to 12am.
Replacing Bart & Hahn on the national ESPN Radio lineup will be Jason Fitz and former NFL wide receiver Harry Douglas. Fitz moves from the 7-9pm eastern show he currently co-hosts with Sarah Spain, who announced she will be leaving the radio network last week.
Joe Fortenbaugh, who hosts the Daily Wager for ESPN and previously worked at “95.7 The Game” KGMZ San Francisco, and attorney Amber Wilson, who hosted at “790 The Ticket” WAXY Miami from 2014 to 2020 will be teamed together in a new 7-9pm show emphasizing sports betting.
ESPN today announced a new schedule for ESPN NY 98.7 FM featuring an expansive 16 hours of local studio programming between 6 a.m. and midnight every weekday beginning Jan. 3. The new schedule begins with the expansion of DiPietro & Rothenberg to four hours each morning from 6-10 a.m. Rick DiPietro and Dave Rothenberg will continue to bring fans authentic reaction, expert insight and engaging conversation hitting all the headlines from the previous night and a look at the day ahead.
The new lineup also features the continuation of fan-favorite Bart & Hahn in the 12-3 p.m. slot, with the duo now exclusive to 98.7 and focused entirely on New York. Former New York Jets linebacker, NFL Pro Bowler and current co-host across Jets gameday coverage on SNY, Bart Scott and five-time Emmy Award winning broadcaster with MSG Network’s New York Knicks coverage, Alan Hahn will be connecting with local fans on the most impactful and timely storylines across New York sports both on and off the field.
“We are always looking for the best ways to serve sports fans and we are excited to bring even more New York flavor and content to local fans throughout their day on 98.7,” said Scott McCarthy, vice president, ESPN Audio. “Expanding DiPietro & Rothenberg in morning drive and being fortunate enough to have Bart & Hahn as a local New York-focused show will create consistency for listeners and give our hosts a greater opportunity to engage with audiences, and each other, on the day’s top stories.”
The rest of the day on ESPN NY 98.7 will retain the same great shows, featuring Greeny (10 a.m.-12p.m.), the legendary Michael Kay Show (3-7 p.m.), Dan Graca (7-10 p.m.) and Hardesty & Damer (10 p.m.-12 a.m.). ESPN’s national radio lineup including Keyshawn, JWill & Max, will continue to be available on 1050AM ESPN New York and digitally on SiriusXM, TuneIn and the ESPN App.
On Tuesday, Jan. 3, ESPN’s national network lineup will debut two new shows featuring signature hosts in the afternoon and evening windows.
Joe & Amber (7-9 p.m.)
Daily Wager host and contributor Joe Fortenbaugh and ESPN radio host and practicing attorney Amber Wilson – who both previously hosted local radio shows in San Francisco (2014-20) and Miami (2016-21), respectively, and have made regular appearances across ESPN Radio programming – will make their daily ESPN Radio weekday debut with a new show from 7-9 p.m. Monday-Friday. Fortenbaugh and Wilson will bring their expert perspectives to all the night’s events with a lean into all the sports betting angles, playing off Fortenbaugh’s role across other ESPN platforms.
Thursday, December 1, Spain & Fitz will air its final episode. Sarah Spain and Jason Fitz have set the table daily for the night’s games and discussed the biggest issues in sports for the past four-plus years. They’ll have a few special guests and surprises to celebrate their time together.
Upon her exit as a daily radio host, Sarah Spain – an Emmy and Peabody Award winner who has been a key part of ESPN Radio since 2010, beginning with ESPN 1000 – will be taking on an expanded role with ESPN with details to be announced soon.
Jason Fitz – a multi-platform host across the network – will continue with ESPN Radio in a new 12-3 p.m. timeslot. Fitz will also continue his role with digital and social shows surrounding some of the biggest events in sports, including SportsCenter on Snapchat, Rankings Reaction, Monday Night Tailgate and The College Football Show.
Fitz & Harry (12-3 p.m.)
Fitz will move to the afternoon with ESPN analyst and former 10-year NFL veteran Harry Douglas. Douglas, a contributor across various ESPN studio shows, digital football shows including hosting Countdown to College GameDay, and a mainstay across the radio network in weekend and fill-in roles, will make his daily ESPN Radio debut. Fitz and Douglas – who have worked together on ESPN’s digital shows – will bring their high-energy style, unique perspective, strong opinions and urgency to the network lineup.
Fitz & Harry move into the Bart & Hahn timeslot as Bart & Hahn shifts its focus to a fully-local, three-hour show in New York on 98.7.
“Both of these shows create exciting new opportunities for signature voices across ESPN’s platforms to bring their expertise to the radio audience every weekday,” said Amanda Gifford, vice president, sports content strategy & ESPN Audio. “We know these shows will be a great addition to our strong existing lineup, led by our signature morning show Keyshawn, JWill & Max.
Original Report 11/30: The New York Post reports that ESPN Radio and Good Karma Sports “98.7 ESPN New York” WEPN-FM New York will make lineup changes to start 2023.
WEPN-FM will move early morning hosts Rick DiPietro and Dave Rothenberg from 5-8am to 6-10am to better compete against WFAN’s “Boomer & Gio”. The report also states that the current national ESPN Radio 12-3pm show hosted by Bart Scott and Alan Hahn will move back to being New York only. “Bart & Hahn” had moved from WEPN-FM to the national lineup in January 2021. The changes will give WEPN-FM sixteen hours of local programming weekdays with only Mike Greenberg’s “Greeny” from 10am to 12pm and overnights consisting of national programming.
The Post report hints at potential changes coming to the national morning show currently hosted by Keyshawn Johnson, Jay Williams and Max Kellerman without getting into specifics. It also states that current 7-9pm eastern host Jason Fitz and former NFL wide receiver Harry Douglas are the lead candidates to move into the national 12-3pm slot, while former WAXY Miami host Amber Wilson and former KGMZ San Francisco host and ESPN Sports Betting analyst Joe Fortenbaugh will likely take the evening show.