May 23, 2001
Looking Back on ESPN Radio 1490
By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist
It was four years ago this month that the all-sports station which would become ESPN Radio 1490 went on the air. But
the station fell about seven weeks short of its anniversary when the format was changed during the NCAA Final Four
Weekend to Gospel 1490.
The decision, which caught many listeners by surprise, was apparently made for business reasons. The Man from Iowa,
who had taken over as the station's general manager, believed that the gospel format would be more profitable and
more popular that all-sports. And he may be right. But it certainly won't be as much fun.
During the four years that our Sports Team worked on 1490, there was excitement, controversy and, most of all, lots of
good conversation. We broadcast Cape-Atlantic League football, college basketball and high school basketball,
including some of the great moments of the late 1990s - arguably the greatest period in the history of the CAL.
But, most of all, we tried to have fun.
Not fun at the expense of someone not involved in the conversation (with the exception of our constant attacks on Dean
Michalski) but fun in the form of information and disagreement.
We had fun with a listener who used the air name of Butch Cassidy and went on to be our first winner in NFL Challenge.
There was Anthony, a cab driver from Pleasantville, who called us from a pay phone, frequently needing to interrupt his
opinions to take an assignment from his dispatcher. Not to mention A.J., the former high school football player, who told
us stories about his yearly trips to a big-time NCAA football game. Or Steve, who owned a bakery in Northfield and
frequently stopped creating cakes and cookies long enough to rant about the Flyers or the Phillies.
Steve Coates of the Flyers was a frequent guest. We talked to Pat Croce, Dick Weiss, Harry Kalas, Larry Bowa, Larry
Brown, Bobby Clarke, Mike Schmidt and many more, including most of the big names in South Jersey high school
sports.
But, in the end, the fun, the live play-by-play and the solid information and opinions were not enough. The people at
Arbitron, the audience rating company whose unique and suspect diary system is currently underway again for the
Spring survey, determined there were not enough people listening to ESPN Radio 1490. At least, not enough to give the
station's sales force the necessary ammunition to line up advertising.
Radio, especially in smaller markets like Atlantic City, should serve the area. It should be involved with the community
and we made every effort to do that within budget restraints at ESPN Radio 1490. It is possible that Gospel 1490 will be
involved in the community - that will be up to the Man from Iowa. But the change was made purely in hopes of improving
the bottom line.
Our Sports Team will move on. We have two more remote broadcasts from The Flagship Suites Resort in Atlantic City,
one in early June with the CAL Athletes of the Month for May. The second one will be in late June with all the monthly
winners when the athletes of the year are announced. These broadcasts will be heard on 1490.
Soon after that, Bud Rinck, Tom Getzke, Steve Parker, Jim Schafer and Dennis Smith will join me at 98.7-The
Coast (WCZT-FM) where we will present play-by-play of the same high school football and basketball games, plus
basketball at Richard Stockton College and Atlantic Cape Community College, that we've covered the last few years.
We'll be joining the play-by-play coverage of the teams in Southern Cape May County already provided by Brian Cunniff
and Scott Wahl to create full CAL coverage.
And, since 98.7-The Coast can be heard in virtually all CAL communities, we can truly become the league's station. All
fans will be able to listen to us. You can also expect to hear our coverage of other local events and some of the fun we
had with contests like NFL Challenge.
Any successes we have had broadcasting sports is in direct proportion to the skills, knowledge and dedication of Bud,
Tom, Steve, Jim and Dennis. It is, and always has been, a pleasure to work with them, not only at ESPN Radio 1490 but
at other stations. You can look back with us at some of those stations at
www.primeevents.net.
The ESPN Radio national hosts you may have enjoyed - Mike Golic, Tony Kornheiser, Dan Patrick - are still talking on
the new ESPN Radio 1580 in Hammonton. The Man from Iowa said that his surveys showed that there are bigger sports
fans in Hammonton than down here. Those surveys need to be done again.
You can occasionally hear the Hammonton station down here during the day, though it comes in better to the west of
Hammonton. But at night - forget it. The signal is just seven watts. Your best bet is to listen over the Internet.
Before closing the book on ESPN Radio 1490, we should thank some people who gave of their time and talents. Luci
Jones, whose skill and dedication will spark her continued success, is still working regularly at WIP in Philadelphia. Her
weekend partner, the knowledgeable and opinionated Frank Lotierzo, continues to write boxing for a number of websites.
Special thanks also to Matt Puma, Colin Hause, Mike Petrock, Eric Hess and William Aloysius Becker - five talented
producers who always went that extra yard to improve a broadcast.
And thanks to those who listened and participated - from Rich in Egg Harbor Township, to Bill in Ocean City, to Whitey in
Atlantic City, to John in Absecon, and the hundreds of others who became regular parts of our programming.
Coaches frequently tell their teams to give it their best. There is, after all, nothing more you can do than your best.
Those of us who were part of the four years of sports radio on 1490 like to feel we did our best. And all of you who
listened (even though Arbitron tells us there weren't enough of you) made it a great experience.
We're looking forward to talking with you again very soon.
GO TO OUR FORUM TO
EXPRESS YOUR OPINION ABOUT THIS COLUMN, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S ON YOUR MIND!