ESPN programming currently is heard on 1250 ESPN, but that station is changing format (and name) Dec. 31 and will be replaced by Radio Disney.

According to the web site radioinsight.com, ``970ESPN.com was registered by Clear Channel (the owner of 970) last week.''
It previously had been believed that contractual ageements would prohibit Fox Sports Radio 970 from carrying national ESPN programming. That is not the case, which makes ESPN programming a natural fit for 970.

* It provides the station with better and more recognizable national programming.

* It offers significantly stronger competition to the region's other all-sports station, The Fan (KDKA-FM, 93.7). Clear Channel owns six stations in the Pittsburgh area and its biggest competitor is the CBS Group, which owns The Fan and three other stations.

Under the new format, which begins Jan. 1, 970 will maintain two of its own programs -- ``The Locker Room with Tunch and Wolf,'' and ``The Joe Bendel Show.''

Although the times for those shows were not specified, it looks like ``Tunch and Wolf,'' currently on 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will start an hour earlier and still run for two hours. Bendel, heard 3 p.m. to 7 p.m, will go 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The station's other original programming, ``The Greg Linnelli Show,'' heard 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., will be replaced by ``Mike and Mike in the Morning,'' the most popular of the ESPN national shows.

``The Scott Van Pelt Show,'' 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., will be part of the station's new lineup as will ``The Jim Rome Show,'' noon to 2 p.m.