Miami, FL Feb. 23, 2011 – ESPN has reached a two-year agreement with Navetter Broadcasting Company whereby ESPN Radio will be aired on ZSR-FM (103.5) from the Bahamas, it was announced by Bernard Stewart, vice president, ESPN Caribbean and Maritime Media and Vann Ferguson, general manager of Navetter Broadcasting. This is the first ESPN Radio agreement in the Caribbean.
“This is another step in ESPN’s goal to deliver to sports fans in the Caribbean top quality sports entertainment wherever they are,” said Stewart.
“Bahamians are as fanatical about the NBA, NFL and NCAA as Americans and enthusiastically follow sports on TV,” said Ferguson. “Our carrying ESPN programming on radio is an added treat for fans to stay informed and hear games when they are unable to catch them on TV.”
A 5,000-watt station, ZSR-FM is based in the Bahamian capital of Nassau on the Bahamas’ most populous island of New Providence (270,000 people). The station’s coverage extends to the entire island.
Games, special features and overnight programs are among the popular ESPN Radio content ZSR-FM will add to its daily line-up, including SportsCenter weekend shows, ESPN Radio Game Night, All Night with Jason Smith, and ESPN Radio Weekends.
ZSR-FM’s daily local line-up currently features 12 hours of programs, including call-in shows and interviews with special guests. Programming will be expanded to include local sporting events such as regattas, the CARIFTA Games, high school nationals and adult softball leagues.
Sports Radio 103 is the Bahamas’ first and only sports radio station. The Bahamas is home to Olympians The Golden Girls, former Laker Mychal Thompson and playground to sports celebrities with an avid American sports fan base served by a combination of local sports and ESPN Radio.
ZSR 103.5FM broadcast 24 hours daily from the capital city Nassau and found on the web at www.bahamassportsradio.com. The General Manager is Vann Ferguson.
ESPN International has grown to include ownership — in whole or in part — of 46 television networks outside of the United States, as well as a variety of brand extension businesses, which allow ESPN to reach fans in over 200 countries and territories.
ESPN Caribbean is part of ESPN International, a division of ESPN, Inc. ESPN International Media contacts are: Marcia Erskine, (876) 960-3170, merskine@cwjamaica.com and Gabriela Nunez, (212) 456-6392, Gabriela.Nunez@espn.com
ESPN International business entities include television, radio, print, internet, broadband, wireless, consumer products, and event management. ESPN International and its holdings maintain offices or production facilities in key locations around the world including Bangalore, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Delhi, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Mexico City, Miami, Montpellier, Mumbai, Paris, São Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taiwan, and Toronto. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN. The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer products.
