ESPN BottomLine

ESPN Bottom Line is the name for a lower-third sports information ticker graphic used on the ESPN family of networks.

SportsCenter

SportsCenter debuted a new graphics package on April 6, 2009, with the "rundown" graphic (shown during the daytime editions) moved to the left side of the screen. A new BottomLine was also released that day on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN CLASSIC and ESPNU but it was quickly removed and reverted to the old BottomLine (which had been used since April 2003) due to an equipment failure. However, this ticker was successful for the 2009 NFL Draft and the 2009 NBA Draft. The problem was later fixed and the new BottomLine returned on July 8. A revamped ESPN BottomLine was introduced at 11 PM ET on June 22, 2014 along with a redesign of the SportsCenter studio.

ESPN2

In 1995, ESPN2 debuted a sports news ticker, dubbed by Production Assistant Onnie Bose as the "BottomLine." It is a persistent ticker which stayed at the bottom of the screen at all times during most programming, unlike ESPN, who only showed their own at the :28 and :58 of each hour (accompanied by an audio cue, which has since been adapted as the alert tone for ESPN's mobile apps) and during select programming. ESPN2's sports telecasts were also among the first to regularly use a scoring bug. In later years, ESPN2 would also participate in “Full Circle” telecasts, productions of a single game aired across multiple ESPN services to provide additional features and angles.

ESPN

ESPN (originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is a U.S.-based global cable and satellite television channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which operates the network) and the Hearst Corporation (which owns a 20% minority share).

ESPN broadcasts primarily from studio facilities located in Bristol, Connecticut. The network also operates offices in Miami, New York City, Seattle, Charlotte, and Los Angeles. John Skipper currently serves as president of ESPN, a position he has held since January 1, 2012. While ESPN is one of the most successful sports networks, there has been much criticism of ESPN, which includes accusations of biased coverage,conflict of interest, and controversies with individual broadcasters and analysts.

As of February 2015, ESPN is available to approximately 94,396,000 paid television households (81.1% of households with at least one television set) in the United States. In addition to the flagship channel and its seven related channels in the United States, ESPN broadcasts in more than 200 countries, operating regional channels in Australia, Brazil, Latin America and the United Kingdom, and owning a 20% interest in The Sports Network (TSN) as well as its five sister networks and NHL Network in Canada.

2espn

2ESPN is a text response service from ESPN. Users can text a keyword to the shortcode 23776 (2ESPN) and receive a response with appropriate information. This service was started in 2009.

Sports Covered

Keywords Accepted

References

KSTP (AM)

KSTP (1500 AM; "1500 ESPN Twin Cities") is a Sports radio station. It is the flagship AM radio station of Hubbard Broadcasting, which also owns several other television and radio stations across the United States and some other media properties. It is the ESPN Radio affiliate for Minneapolis-St. Paul. KSTP operates at a power of 50,000 watts and shares clear-channel, Class A status on 1500 AM with WFED in Washington, D.C.

The station's studio facility, located on the boundary line between St. Paul and Minneapolis, is shared with sister stations KSTP-FM (94.5 FM), KSTP-TV (channel 5), KTMY (107.1 FM), and KSTC-TV (channel 45). The station's transmitter is located in Maplewood. On weekdays, KSTP airs local sports shows from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and carries ESPN programming late nights and in the early morning. Some of KSTP's shows are simulcast on other Sports Radio stations in the region.

History

KSTP's AM signal at 1500 kHz is the product of a 1928 merger between two other Twin Cities stations. WAMD ("Where All Minneapolis Dances") and KFOY had each started broadcasting a few years earlier. Stanley E. Hubbard's WAMD went on the air for the first time on February 13, 1925, originally broadcasting live dance music from a local ballroom. It is claimed that this was the first radio station to be completely supported by running paid advertisements. KFOY radio first took to the air on March 12, 1924 in St. Paul.