Good Seats Still Available

354: Sports Phone - With Scott Orgera and Howie Karpin


Listen Later

New York sports broadcast veterans Scott Orgera and Howie Karpin ("976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground") join to help us wax nostalgic about the ground-breaking 1970s telephone service Sports Phone.   From the dust jacket of "976-1313":

"Sports Phone set out to change the way scores and breaking news were consumed, and in turn ended up setting the tone for the up-to-the-second updates we take for granted today. Found among those who called the service home are some of the most well-known broadcasters, reporters, public address announcers, and other prominent media figures — as well as several who’ve been successful in Hollywood and the music industry. A veritable breeding ground for these now-polished professionals, the dial-up platform that once handled 50 million calls in a year churned out talent at a level likely not seen before or since.

"Brought to you by media veterans Scott Orgera and Sports Phone alum Howie Karpin, "976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground" features never-before-told tales of triumph and tragedy, a mix of hilarity, inspiration, and regret from the broadcasting hopefuls and sports junkies that comprised the brains and voices behind the pioneering operation. If you were assembling an All-Star team of media personnel, you’d only have to look as far as Sports Phone’s ranks.

"As colorful as that cast of characters was, those who dialed 976-1313 regularly had their own yarns to spin. They form a tapestry of hardcore fans, award-winning actors, well-known comedians, impulsive gamblers, Broadway singers, and infamous mobsters, each with captivating stories told within these pages."

+ + +   SUPPORT THE SHOW:
  • "Good Seats" Show & Defunct Team Merch:  http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY
  • Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable
  SPONSOR THANKS:
  • Royal Retros (promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2
  • Old School Shirts.com (promo code: GOODSEATS) https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats
  READ EARLY AND OFTEN:
  • 976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground (2024): https://amzn.to/4dlrtp6
  FIND AND FOLLOW:
  • Website: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/
  • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/
  • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Good Seats Still AvailableBy Tim Hanlon

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

102 ratings


More shows like Good Seats Still Available

View all
Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

Stuff You Should Know

77,846 Listeners

Hang Up and Listen by Slate Podcasts

Hang Up and Listen

995 Listeners

WTF with Marc Maron Podcast by Marc Maron

WTF with Marc Maron Podcast

29,346 Listeners

Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast by Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley

Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

2,574 Listeners

Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast by FOX Sports

Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast

1,102 Listeners

The Bill Simmons Podcast by The Ringer

The Bill Simmons Podcast

30,136 Listeners

The Press Box by The Ringer

The Press Box

3,111 Listeners

Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review by Shat on Entertainment

Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review

1,435 Listeners

Sports' Forgotten Heroes by Warren Rogan

Sports' Forgotten Heroes

29 Listeners

The Rewatchables by The Ringer

The Rewatchables

13,744 Listeners

Sports Media with Richard Deitsch by Audacy

Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

745 Listeners

Everything 80s by Jamie Logie | 1980s Pop Culture & Nostalgia

Everything 80s

346 Listeners

60 Songs That Explain the '90s by The Ringer

60 Songs That Explain the '90s

1,036 Listeners

Men in Blazers: Early Kick Off by Men in Blazers Media Network

Men in Blazers: Early Kick Off

399 Listeners

Is This A Great Game, Or What? by Tim Kurkjian, Jeff Kurkjian

Is This A Great Game, Or What?

213 Listeners