One of sports radio’s longest tenured duos will continue entertaining listeners as ESPN Los Angeles 710 announced a multiyear contract extension with midday hosts Steve Mason and John Ireland.
The announcement was made the same day that Ireland returned as co-host of his midday show following a three week hiatus. Ireland, who is employed by the Los Angeles Lakers as their television play-by-play voice, was off-air since the Lakers reached an agreement to acquire Anthony Davis. Unable to talk about the trade until it was finalized, Ireland returned to ESPN LA’s airwaves this week after the deal was made official by the NBA on July 6th.
“We could not be more excited about the fact that Steve and John will continue with ESPNLA for years to come,” said Scott McCarthy, vice president and general manager of ESPNLA. “While the two of them are singlehandedly responsible for the lion’s share of my high blood pressure, they are the best in the business. It’s amazing, and incredibly rare, to see a radio duo delivering their highest numbers ever after 25 years together.”
ESPN LA’s longtime midday hosts first teamed up in 1994 on San Diego’s XTRA 690. After five years together, Steve Mason, an Ohio native moved to New York City to join WNEW. Mason and Ireland reunited from 2003 – 07 on KSPN 710 in Los Angeles, and again in 2008 where they’ve remained as ESPN LA’s midday duo.
“It’s a privilege to work at ESPN and it’s an honor to be the OG of sports talk radio in Los Angeles,” Steve Mason said in the press release. “Special thanks to all the program directors that have worked with us. Can’t wait to meet the next one (after the current guy),” Mason joked. Dan Zampillo has been the ESPN LA program director since 2016.
“Mason and I always say that to succeed in life, you need talent, a strong work ethic, and most of all, luck,” added Ireland. “We feel extremely lucky that ESPN is allowing us to continue with the show.”
Mason and Ireland broadcast each weekday from noon – 3pm PT on ESPN LA, usually extending their show about 30 minutes into the 3 o’clock hour, for what’s known as “purgatory,” their crosstalk segment with afternoon host Jorge Sedano.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.