After adding an FM simulcast for “Arizona Sports” 620 KTAR Phoenix in January, Bonneville will complete the move of the format to FM exclusively in September.
On September 15, KTAR will become “ESPN Phoenix” with the national ESPN Radio feed around the clock. The local sports format will continue on 98.7 KMVP-FM. Local play-by-play broadcasts will be split between 620 and 98.7 to minimize conflicts. Bonneville holds the rights to all four major league franchises in the Phoenix market along with Arizona State University Football and Basketball.
Bonneville Phoenix Thursday announced the launch of ESPN Phoenix (620 AM), which will take place Monday, September 15th, 2014.
Arizona Sports, which has been simulcasting on radio at 620 AM and 98.7 FM, will be heard exclusively on its FM dial position beginning the same day.Bonneville Phoenix Vice President and Market Manager Scott Sutherland said the move helps meet both audience and advertiser demand.
“It’s the best of both sports worlds,” said Sutherland, “as we’ll now be providing world-class local programming on Arizona Sports 98.7 as well as full time programming from the worldwide sports leader on ESPN Phoenix 620.”
Sutherland also noted that ESPN Phoenix 620 will attract many Valley sports fans who now live in Arizona but closely follow sports news from their hometowns. “This now gives our advertising community a chance to leverage the power of sports marketing from a local, national and even global perspective,” he said.
The ESPN Phoenix 620 show lineup will include Mike & Mike, The Herd with Colin Cowherd and The Dan Le Batard Show, along with signature programs like ESPN Gameday and broadcasts of the Major League Baseball playoffs, the NBA Finals and other significant sporting events.
Both Arizona Sports 98.7 and ESPN Phoenix 620 will air play-by-play broadcasts of the Arizona Cardinals, the Arizona Diamondbacks, The Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Coyotes and ASU Football and Basketball to maximize audiences and reduce scheduling conflicts.
Joseph_Gallant 
theoutsider 
Dr. Akbar 
Only semi-related: Aren’t the Phoenix Suns going to be re-named the Arizona Suns by the time their training camp opens this Fall??
No, the NHL team is changing their name from the Phoenix Coyotes to the Arizona Coyotes.
“…Both Arizona Sports 98.7 and ESPN Phoenix 620 will air play-by-play broadcasts of the Arizona Cardinals, the Arizona Diamondbacks, The Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Coyotes and ASU Football and Basketball to maximize audiences and reduce scheduling conflicts.”
Huh? Does this mean they’ll be simulcasting on both AM & FM all php games, or continuing their policy of using each station separately when a conflict arises? And what about Sports Parkinglot 8~Sixty? They gotta feel like chopped liver over there, being choice #3 for php. Heck, they’re not even the radio home of the Phoenix Mercury!