March 17, 2009

By Nate Lundy

As someone who spent 17 years of my life working in radio, I have always believed that the original "social network" happened for decades on your radio. I always loved that as an nine-year-old I could call in to the local station and request the latest song by The Police, or maybe decide that it was time to hear "Billie Jean" just one more time. The DJ would actually talk to you, maybe even put you on the air live. They gave away prizes. I didn't care that it was a t-shirt three sizes too big--I won!!! You knew what was happening in your city from the local station.

Then, the evolution of talk radio brought a whole new meaning to the idea of a social network. Now I wasn't just calling in to request a song, lucky to get 5 or 10 seconds of airtime.  Now it was about a dialogue. Discussion. Debate. Laughter. Entertainment. The idea of a two-way conversation took on a whole new meaning in the media. Fox News Channel? It's simply talk radio put to pictures. The social network was created because I shared a common bond with the fans of a particular host. Message boards were seeded with topics that came directly from what was said on the air.

Now, of course, the idea of a two-way conversation in the media has taken on a whole new meaning.  Jon Stewart can interview Jim Cramer on "The Daily Show" to great ratings, but the moment it shows up on the web, a whole new conversation begins. The flickering lights of the TV become truly alive once the topic hits the internet. Podcasts, live streaming, and Twitter are now the discussion...even above and beyond news and sports talk radio. And when my favorite host is only on the radio for three hours a day, I now have a connection to him 24/7 as well as the fans that share my passion.

Well, as you know from following our blogs as well as Peter Moore's, the EA SPORTS conversation with our fans and our community is being redefined and expanded. And as the head of the Live Production Team I'm pleased to announce today the launch of another way we're reaching out to the community. 

Welcome to EA SPORTS Live. 

We invite you to tune in weekdays at 3:00pm Eastern as we broadcast live from the Tiburon Studios of EA SPORTS in Orlando, Florida. The streaming audio programming is designed to bring EA SPORTS insight and entertainment to you daily. The show is hosted daily by Jason and Rob Thompson of EA SPORTS World and will feature numerous guests, from EA SPORTS producers and designers to sports celebrities.  We'll be talking about upcoming game releases, tips and tricks to be a better player, and talking about the real world sports action too. The popular EA SPORTS simulations will be featured year-round as we use our technology to predict the outcome of the biggest games each week. Occasionally we'll even crank up the video and let you spy on us during the broadcast. 

Now, we're not a 24/7 network, so I hope you'll be able to find the time to tune in at 3pm Eastern each day to listen live. But, if you miss a day don't worry. The best stuff each week will be available archived or as podcasts. (If you haven't subscribed to our iTunes podcast, you can do that here.) We use our Tivo as much as you do, so we want to make sure our shows are available to you on your schedule as much as ours.

Finally, as with everything we're doing, your input helps shape the content. So, please provide your comments and suggestions anytime. We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for listening and thanks for being a part of the EA SPORTS community.

EA SPORTS Live: Link to Broadcast