Last week, when I spoke to FM 104.3/The Fan's program director, Tim Spence, for a blog entitled "What's behind Irv and Joe's move from 104.3/The Fan to ESPN Radio?," Spence made it clear that the Denver Post's Jim Armstrong, who had been partnering with the aforementioned Irv Brown and Joe Williams in the Fan's afternoon-drive slot, would be sticking around the station rather than moving to KEPN/1600 AM. However, Armstrong's new partners are surprising: Sandy Clough and Mike Evans, the Fan's longtime morning personalities, known collectively as the Sports Guys. The trio is set to debut from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, October 20 -- the same day Irv and Joe bow at KEPN from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. As a result, these former colleagues will become de facto competitors for two hours every weekday even though their paychecks come from the same parent company, Lincoln Financial Media Company.
It gets weirder. The new Fan a.m. show is Mike & Mike in the Morning, the syndicated program featuring Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic that's long been a staple of ESPN Radio outlets like KEPN. Indeed, Mike & Mike has been running on KEPN since it embraced the ESPN format -- although in the past week or so, its timing's been tweaked. During the 6 a.m. hour that had previously spotlighted Greenberg and Golic, KEPN has aired something called SportsCenter Express -- essentially a series of canned (and really irritating) update snippets recorded the night before. Don't know if that's what will be heard on KEPN next week in that slot, since The Fan's press release doesn't even bother to mention the morning show on the other signal. But I'm guessing it will, and if so, that's not good news. Sports-radio listeners are losing a locally produced morning staple, and depending on their commute times, many of them will be forced to choose between Fan favorites on the drive home in the afternoons. Not exactly a win-win situation.
After the jump, read the press release about the Mike & Mike/Spots Guys swap. -- Michael Roberts
MIKE & MIKE ARE COMING TO FM SPORTSRADIO 104.3 THE FAN!DENVER, CO - Lincoln Financial Media Company of Colorado is proud to announce the addition of ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike in the Morning to its weekday lineup on FM Sportsradio 104.3 The FAN! Beginning Monday, October 20th, 2008, you'll be able to hear Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg from 6am-10am on FM Sportsradio 104.3 The FAN.
"ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike in the Morning is the #1 Sports Morning Show in America," says FM Sportsradio 104.3 The FAN Program Director, Tim Spence. "Adding ESPN Radio's Top Show to FM 104.3 The FAN creates the perfect combination of sports entertainment in Denver."
With the addition of Mike & Mike in the Morning, FM Sportsradio 104.3 The FAN is also happy to announce the move of Mike Evans and Sandy Clough to afternoon drive. You can hear The Sports Guys, along with Jim Armstrong, beginning Monday, October 20th, 2008 from 3-7pm on FM Sportsradio 104.3 The FAN.
