On Thursday morning sports talk radio fans in San Diego may have been a little bit confused. Some because the shows they’re used to hearing were on a different station. Others because they were hearing something for the very first time.
The artist formerly known as XTRA 1360 moved a few spots down the dial but several miles up the coast, rebranding as San Diego Sports 760. If you’re wondering how big a deal that is consider the signal strengths of the two stations.
1360 broadcasts at 5,000 watts, making it difficult to reach all of San Diego County. 760 is a 50,000-watt behemoth that easily covers America’s Finest County and plows into Riverside, Orange, and L.A. counties as well.
“It’s amazing. I've had such a difficult time balancing my emotions, even on air. Privately, this has been one of those moments from where you’re overcome at times,” says Rich Ohrnberger, co-host of Big Rich, TD & Fletch from 6am-9am Monday through Friday. “On the air I have to catch myself talking about it because it’s that important. We’re going to be heard. For years, people have been reaching out to us on the text line, on the iHeart Radio app, who are within the San Diego County limits who can’t hear us over the air. They all can hear us now. It’s an investment in the community and I’m so glad the station made that investment. It feels amazing.”
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That sentiment is shared up and down the San Diego Sports 760 lineup.
“The excitement level is through the roof moving from 1360, which was hard to hear throughout San Diego, to the massive signal that 760 has and the history it has with San Diego sports fans,” says Jim Russell, co-host of Jon & Jim from 3pm-6pm Monday through Friday. “It’s going to help the shows tremendously. If you’re a Padres or Aztecs fan that wanted to listen to any of our shows but lived in Temecula or Oceanside and couldn’t hear us, now you can. Reaching all of San Diego sports fans was the goal and now it’s a reality.”
The 760 signal has been around in San Diego since the early 1940’s and over the years been the home of the Chargers and Padres. It’s now the flagship station for San Diego State athletics and carries Las Vegas Raiders games.
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The conservative news and politics format that was on 760 is now The Patriot 1360 AM. This move has been in the works for a while now. In 2020, iHeartMedia purchased 760 and started toying with the idea of changing formats.
“When iHeart acquired 760 am three years ago this was something that everyone at 1360 thought could happen,” says Russell. “There were many days we thought it was never going to, especially throughout the pandemic, but it’s a credit to iHeart management and (program director) Brian Long for sticking with a vision and to invest in sports talk radio In San Diego.”
The daily lineup now looks like this:
6 a.m. – 9 a.m. : Big Rich, TD & Fletch
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. : The Herd with Colin Cowherd
12 p.m. – 3 p.m. : Darren Smith and Marty
3 p.m. – 6 p.m. : Jon & Jim
6 p.m. – 6 a.m. : FOX Sports Radio
That first show is also new. Ohrnberger and Ben Fletcher are being joined by radio veteran Travis Dale for the morning show because a San Diego broadcasting legend has decided to step away from the microphone.
Steve Hartman is moving into semi-retirement. Hartman helped launch the first iteration of XTRA sports in 1990, then known as The Mighty 690, in San Diego. It was the first all-sports radio station in Southern California.
Over the years Hartman has been one of the most respected and beloved broadcasters, sports or otherwise, in our town. A virtual encyclopedia of knowledge and history, his style of mixing stats with practical experience and a sense of humor (and humility) made him the voice of the San Diego sports fan. Steve is still doing national weekend shows of Fox Sports Radio.
