As some of you may know, I have been real out spoken on the problems of local sports radio stations here in Seattle, ESPN 710 and sports radio KJR. The problems are there are zero African Americans on the air as regular sportscasters on both of the stations. Not only that there are none in sales, producers and in management.

What is also going on is these stations interview African Americans sports stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp for big ratings. Otherwords “using” African Americans for interviews but will not hire them.

KJR has been on the air for about twenty years and has had ONE African American on the air as a sportscaster on a “semi-regular” basis, Rick Dupree. And that is all. 710 ESPN which has been the air for about two years has not had any African Americans on the air on a regular basis.

Why is it when African Americans and people of color dominate the three major sports, these stations cannot hire one? It is the “ole boy network” going on at sportsradio KJR and 710 ESPN here in Seattle.

It is a severe problem. I heard the WORST interview I ever heard when sportscaster Dave Mahler of KJR tried to interview one of my idols in the sports world Kareem. Mahler brought up what he is doing these days and Kareem brought up a book he has done on a African American team back in the days.

Mahler did not have any insightful follow up to what Kareem was talking about. If a African American was doing the interview that would have been different in my opinion. This kind of stuff has went on time and time again on these radio stations. Guys interviewing people they cannot relate to.

I will continue to use my site to discuss this topic of exclusion of African Americans on sports radio KJR and 710 ESPN. Next I will write about the “Bigger Dance” held by sportscaster Mitch Levy of KJR.  Gordon Curvey