The Mike Tirico Show to Debut Sept. 20 on ESPN Radio at 1 p.m. ET; Stephen A. Smith to Host 3-4 p.m. Weekdays

Versatile
sportscaster Mike Tirico, the Monday Night Football commentator who has hosted
or served as play-by-play voice for many of ABC and ESPN’s marquee events, will
host ESPN Radio’s weekday 1-3 p.m. ET program slot beginning Thursday,
Sept. 20. Additionally, Stephen A. Smith of 1050 ESPN Radio in

New York, will host the
network’s 3-4 p.m. hour. Both shows can be heard live, daily on ESPNRadio.com.

“With
Monday Night Football, the NBA Finals and now a daily radio platform, Mike
Tirico has arrived at the pinnacle of sports broadcasting with premier
assignments in television and radio,” said Norby WIlliamson, executive
vice president, studio and remote production.

Added
Traug Keller, senior vice president, production, business divisions: “Having a
daily radio show hosted by Mike Tirico will cement our position as the sports
listen of record in mid-day talk radio. And, Stephen A. Smith’s
strong voice will be a welcome addition for our national radio audience.”

Tirico’s
ties to ESPN Radio date to its January 1992 debut when he served as an original
host. He most recently has handled the network’s play-by-play
responsibilities for the Conference Finals and NBA Finals, assignments
that will continue. He has also anchored The NFL on ESPN Radio (1993-96),
was the first host of The NBA on ESPN Radio (1995, 1996), and was the voice of
ESPN Radio’s weekday afternoon drivetime “SportsBeat” segments (2004).

“It is a
thrill to return to my roots in two different ways as radio is the medium where
I started my career during my college days at WAER in

Syracuse, and I remember being part of the
team the first weekend ESPN Radio hit the air in January of 1992,” Tirico said.
“I am really looking forward to returning to the day-to-day sports conversation
that is talk radio.”

Tirico
will be joined on a regular basis by other ESPN commentators to be announced at
a later date.

The
Stephen A. Smith Show

Smith, who
previously hosted 1050 ESPN Radio’s Stephen A. Smith Show noon-2 p.m. weekdays,
will now host New York’s 2-4 p.m. slot, with the final hour going national on
ESPN Radio. Smith is an ESPN NBA analyst, appearing on many of its platforms,
as well as a regular Sunday morning SportsCenter contributor. He is a former
reporter and columnist for the New York Daily News and Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I’m
elated for this tremendous opportunity and I appreciate the faith ESPN has
shown in me,” Smith said. “

New York
listeners and NBA fans have gotten a taste of my no-holds-barred mentality, and
now the rest of the country is about to find out as well.”

Smith will
continue to be joined by Mike Missanelli, a former Philadelphia Inquirer
sportswriter. Prior to joining 1050 ESPN Radio, he was talk host at all-sports
610 WIP-AM in Philadelphia where he also served as nightly sports anchor at
WPHL-TV, winning a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award.

ESPN RADIO
WEEKDAY PROGRAMMING All Times ET

6-10
a.m.
Mike & Mike in the Morning

10 a.m.-1
p.m.
The Herd
with Colin Cowherd

1-3
p.m.
The Mike Tirico Show

3-4
p.m.
The Stephen A. Smith Show

4-6:30
p.m.
SportsBash with John Seibel

6:30-7
p.m.
Best of Pardon the
Interruption

7-9
p.m.
The Pulse with Doug Gottlieb

9 p.m.-2
a.m.
Game Night

2-6
a.m.
AllNight with Jason Smith