This Day in Sports History: The Launch of WFAN Radio in New York

As everyone else is worrying where Lebron James will go, SnatchSPORTS will be starting a new column, “This Day in Sports History”. Each day we will give you some sports history for the day. It can be a moment, an anniversary, or even a birthday.

Today, we salute Sports Radio 660, the WFAN in New York City. This day 23 years ago was the beginning of sports talk radio as we know it today. The WFAN provided around the clock sports talk with “Drive time” call in shows for fans to vent and give an opinion whether it was a trade idea or random thought.

The WFAN has hosted many big time, nationally syndicated shows, which include, Mike and the Mad Dog and Imus in the Morning. It has also hosted (and still does) many well-known personalities which include  Greg Gumbel, Ed Randall, Rich Eisen, Boomer Esiason, Mike Francesa, Chris Russo and many others. Mike Francesa and Chris Russo, hosts of Mike and the Mad Dog, set a precedent in sports radio that was never matched until they eventually went there separate ways in 2008. During the last couple of years the show was simulcast nationally on the YES Network. Mike Francesa has kept the drive-time spot hosting, Mike’d Up: Francesa on the WFAN.

Since the inception of the WFAN during the late 80′s, Sports Talk Radio has been the leader in sports talk radio. In the late 1990′s sports talk become mainstream with ESPN personalities having their own shows like Mike and Mike in the Morning, The Herd, and The Scott Van Pelt Show. Sirius Radio has also become a big players in sports radio. They host many of their own shows like Chris Russo Unleashed. They also have a deal with ESPN Radio to host their programs.

During Super Bowl XXV between the Giants and Bills, the WFAN was the only radio station  at the Super Bowl to cover the event. This past year’s Super Bowl yielded nearly 200 Radio stations. A “Radio Row” has been created in recent year’s for Media Day for Super Bowl participants, celebrities, and other athletes to talk to many programs at once.

The impact of the WFAN gave fans a voice when they didn’t really have one. Today, fans vent through other forms of media including twitter and blogging.

Happy Birthday to the WFAN. Your mark has clearly been felt.