Courtesy the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

(September 27, 2010) According to multiple industry sources, 1250 ESPN will cease to operate in its current manner at the end of next week and most if not all full-time employees will be fired. The station will continue with a sports format until the end of the year and then switch to Radio Disney.

Present plans, according to sources, have the station carrying ESPN national programming almost exclusively until Dec. 31. On Jan. 1, the station will switch to Radio Disney, a format for pre-teens and younger that has been hugely successful and features talent such a Hannah Montana, Justin Bieber and Selana Gomez.

The Walt Disney Company, which owns ESPN, has been running Radio Disney at 540 on the AM dial (WWCS in Canonsburg). Disney's lease with WWCS expires at the end of the year. At that time, Radio Disney will move to 1250, sources say.

The station has been losing money for years, as much as $2 million a few years back. It has made significant cuts in personnel, beginning with the firing of Mark Madden in 2008, but nothing has stemmed the losses.

The Madden firing was not for financial reasons, but it took the station's largest salary off the books. There were multiple firing for economic reasons in May of 2009, most notably news anchor Jim Colony, and more in June of 2010. Those fired this year include on-air personality Eddy Crow and news anchors Joe Destio and Eartha Jackson.

Sources said the station has been for sale for some time but with the down economy and the weak 1250 signal, 5,000 watts, no buyer could be found.

The entry into the market of The Fan (KDKA-FM, 93.7) caused the station to lose more money as some listeners and advertisers left 1250. Sources maintain, however, that The Fan is not the reason for this move and that the station has been headed in this direction for several years. ESPN continues to hold a ratings lead, sometimes large, during the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. time slot.

According to sources, 1250 ESPN will continue to carry Penn State football and shows involving Steelers linebackers James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley and Larry Foote. Those shows all make a profit for the station. Presumably, part-time talent will be brought in to host the shows.

When 1250 switches to Disney Radio, it will not mean the end of ESPN national programming in Pittsburgh, In all likelihood, Clear Channel, which operates six stations in the Pittsburgh market, will take on the ESPN programming at Fox Sports Radio 970.

1250 ESPN currently carries three regularly scheduled weekday shows: ''Stan and Guy,'' with Stan Savran and Guy Junker from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; ''The Drive,'' with Scott Paulsen, Mike Logan and Chris Mack from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and ''Stillers 360,'' with Ken Laird.

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