My name is Mark Ellison. I am a senior Mass Communitcations major and History minor who is hoping to graduate in May of 2011. I grew up and currently live in Powder Springs, Georgia and I love to follow sports. I am a big baseball and football enthusiast and I keep up somewhat with basketball. In addition to watching sports, I enjoy reading.
Being the sports enthusiast that I am, rarely a day passes that I have not stopped by the ESPN channel on television or jumped onto its website online. I love to stay on top of the current headlines, such as the latest trades, hirings/firings, promotions, and more. ESPN, which of course is an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, launched this very date in 1979 at 7:00 PM. This sports news and entertainment company offers 24/7, round-the-clock coverage across several platforms. On cable television, its channels are ESPN, ESPN2 (launched in 1993), ESPNEWS (launched in 1996), ESPN Classic (purchased in 1997), ESPN Deportes (launched for Spanish speakers in 2004), and ESPNU (a college sports-themed channel launched in 2005). ESPN programming can also be seen on broadcast television on ABC. In addition to television, ESPN exists in radio (ESPN Radio-1992 and ESPN Deportes Radio-2005), online (ESPN.com-1995), in print (ESPN The Magazine-1998), and in wireless products (such as ESPN Mobile TV-2007). In addition to their media, ESPN has a sports venue in the Walt Disney World Resort (ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex) as well as several bar and grille restaurants (ESPN Zone).
ESPN is possibly just as popular with their advertising as with their product. Their long running "This Is SportsCenter" commercials began airing in 1994 and typically involve an entire cast of characters from all different sports.
