Radio never stops, even during trying times the medium is relied on to offer information and solace to the general public. But as Covid-19 spreads across the globe and begins to severely impact the United States, radio hosts’ safety must be considered, which is why ESPN Radio prioritized letting shows derive from hosts’ homes.
“As soon as the COVID-19 virus started impacting sports, we began working together with groups across ESPN, planning for multiple contingencies,” senior director, Programming and Operations for ESPN Radio, Justin Craig told Front Row. “Paramount was keeping our teams safe and healthy while fulfilling our mission to serve fans.
Covid-19’s impact on sports happened fast. Last Wednesday morning, the idea of NBA games being played in an empty arena still seemed like a reach, by day’s end, the league suspended play indefinitely. Less than a week later, federal and state governments are taking action to enforce social distancing, keep people home and reduce the spread of coronavirus.
“We made sure the production teams around each show and every commentator were all healthy and in a position to keep ESPN Radio on the air,” Craig added. “The management team (Amanda Gifford, Pete Ciccone, Liam Chapman and Mike Urrunaga) created a plan to minimize control room staffing to one producer and one board operator.”
Golic and Wingo, The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, First Take, Your Take, The Will Cain Show, Spain and Company and Freddie and Fitzsimmons will be heard and broadcast from the host’s homes thanks to remote audio kits.
“All other show personnel will continue to contribute from home setups, utilizing video conferencing and instant messaging so all participants remain a critical piece to each show unit, regardless of their physical location,” Craig added.
“The kits allow hosts to get on the air from just about anywhere and include microphones and headphones. The unit can either set up through a home router or through WiFi/cell service,” Craig said. “Coordination and collaboration among show teams was paramount to make sure everyone had all they needed. The strong teamwork of everyone involved to handle all the possible scenarios and moving parts was what made this option possible when the time came. All of our ‘just in case’ planning turned in to a communal preparedness to handle a difficult situation.”