If you’ve ever sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the 405, you know the sound. It’s that familiar crackle and the high-energy debate echoing through the cabin. For sports fans in Southern California, KSPN 710 AM Los Angeles isn't just a frequency on the dial; it’s basically the soundtrack to our daily frustration and celebration.
Radio is supposed to be dead, right? Everyone has a podcast now. Your cousin has a podcast. Your dog probably has a Spotify link. But in LA, the signal at 710 AM keeps chugging along. It’s owned by Good Karma Brands these days, but it’s still the ESPN Radio affiliate that carries the weight of the Lakers, the Rams, and the Angels. It’s a weird, beautiful, chaotic mix of local legends and national voices.
The Lakers Factor: Why 710 AM is Purple and Gold
Honestly, you can't talk about KSPN 710 AM Los Angeles without talking about the Los Angeles Lakers. They are the sun that everything else orbits. When the Lakers are winning, the phones at the station melt down with joy. When they lose—especially when they lose in that spectacular, dramatic way only LeBron-era teams can—the airwaves turn into a giant therapy session.
It’s about the legacy.
John Ireland and Mychal Thompson are the voices people wait for. Ireland has that frantic, passionate energy of a guy who actually grew up loving this stuff, and Mychal? Well, Mychal is just "The Maaaaaan." Their chemistry isn't something you can manufacture in a corporate boardroom. It’s years of travel, thousands of flights, and probably too many late-night meals at arenas. That’s what makes the 710 AM broadcast different from just watching a game on mute with a podcast playing. You’re hearing people who live and breathe the Laker brand.
Mason and Ireland: The Dynamic You Can't Script
Steve Mason and John Ireland have been doing this together for over 25 years. Think about that for a second. In radio time, that’s several lifetimes. Most shows don’t last through a single presidential term, let alone through the Shaq-Kobe era, the Pau Gasol years, and the current transition into whatever the Lakers are becoming next.
They don't just talk stats. Who cares about True Shooting Percentage when Mason is talking about his latest trip to the movies or Ireland is stressing out about his golf game? It’s personality-driven radio. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you stay in your car for an extra five minutes after you’ve already parked in your driveway. That’s the "drive-way moment" every program director dreams of.
They argue. They laugh at each other. Sometimes they genuinely seem annoyed by one another. It feels like a real conversation between two people who know way too much about sports and even more about each other's quirks.
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Moving the Needle Beyond the Lakers
While the Lakers are the flagship, KSPN 710 AM Los Angeles had to diversify to survive the hyper-competitive LA market. The addition of the Los Angeles Rams was a massive pivot. When the Rams came back from St. Louis, 710 AM became their home. It gave the station a reason to exist in the "dead" months of the NBA offseason.
Then you’ve got the Angels. It’s a bit of an uphill battle sometimes, being an Angels fan in a Dodgers town, but 710 provides that refuge.
The lineup has shifted a lot lately. We saw the departure of some long-time staples and the rise of the "Sedano & Kap" show. Jorge Sedano brings that national ESPN polish but keeps it local, while Scott Kaplan brings a high-octane energy that feels like he’s permanently caffeinated. They balance the "old school" vibe of Mason and Ireland with something a bit more modern.
The Good Karma Era: A New Way of Doing Business
In 2021, Disney (which owns ESPN) decided to stop managing the local stations directly in some markets. They handed the keys to Good Karma Brands. People were worried. Would the station lose its identity? Would it become a shell of its former self?
Actually, the opposite happened.
Good Karma seems to understand that local radio needs to be local. They leaned into the events. They leaned into the "Mase and Ireland" awards (The Landys). They realized that in a world of infinite digital content, the only thing a radio station has is its connection to the community. You can’t get that from a generic national feed coming out of Bristol, Connecticut.
Why 710 AM Struggles (and Wins) Against 570 AM
The rivalry is real. 570 AM (KLAC) is the home of the Dodgers. In Los Angeles, the Dodgers are arguably more popular than the Lakers on a day-to-day basis because they play 162 games a year.
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KSPN 710 AM Los Angeles has to work harder. They have to be louder. They have to be more provocative. While 570 has the blue-collar, traditional baseball vibe, 710 feels more like the "showbiz" side of sports. It’s flashier. It’s more about the superstars and the drama.
It’s also about the signal strength. AM radio has its issues. If you’re driving under a bridge or near certain power lines, the signal gets wonky. That’s why the station has pushed so hard into the ESPN LA app and the digital stream. They know that the future isn't just a tower in a field; it's the phone in your pocket.
Surprising Facts About the 710 Frequency
Did you know that 710 AM wasn't always sports? Decades ago, it was KMPC, a legendary station that featured some of the biggest names in radio history. The frequency has a ghost-like history of legendary broadcasters.
When it finally flipped to the ESPN brand, it changed the landscape of Southern California media. It forced other stations to step up their game. It created a 24/7 cycle where you could hear about a missed free throw at 3:00 AM if you really wanted to.
- The Power: It’s a 50,000-watt station. That’s the maximum allowed by the FCC.
- The Reach: During the day, you can hear it clearly from San Diego up to Santa Barbara.
- The Digital Pivot: A huge chunk of their "listeners" now come through the YouTube live stream of the shows. Seeing the guys in the studio—seeing Mason’s hats or Sedano’s outfits—adds a layer that audio alone can’t match.
Misconceptions About Local Sports Radio
A lot of people think sports radio is just guys yelling at each other about who the G.O.A.T. is. And okay, there’s a fair amount of that. But it’s also about companionship.
For a lot of people working delivery jobs or driving Uber in LA, these hosts are their coworkers. You spend eight hours a day with them. You know their kids' names. You know their favorite places to eat in the Valley. That’s the nuance that people overlook. It’s not just "analysis." It’s a relationship.
Also, people think it’s only for "old people." While the demographic skews older, the station’s heavy push into social media and video has started to pull in a younger crowd that wants to see the "clips" of the arguments rather than listen to a four-hour block.
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How to Get the Most Out of KSPN 710 AM Los Angeles
If you’re new to the area or just trying to get into the local sports scene, don’t just listen to the games. The games are great, but the real "juice" is in the mid-day and afternoon blocks.
- Download the ESPN LA App: The AM signal can be hit or miss in the canyons. The stream is crystal clear and includes "podcenter" versions of the shows so you can skip the commercials.
- Follow the Twitch/YouTube Streams: Watching the hosts' reactions during a commercial break is often funnier than the actual show.
- Check the Lineup Changes: Sports radio is volatile. Hosts move. Shows get cancelled. Stay updated on the 710 AM social media pages to know who is on when.
- Engage with the "Circle of Trust": That’s what the Mason and Ireland listeners call themselves. It’s a community. If you call in, don't just have a boring stat. Have a "take."
The reality of sports in 2026 is that we are drowning in information. We have more data than we know what to do with. But we lack context. We lack the feeling of being in a crowd. KSPN 710 AM Los Angeles provides that context. It tells you not just what happened, but how you should feel about it as a frustrated, hopeful, or ecstatic Angeleno.
The station has survived the rise of the internet, the fall of traditional media, and the chaos of the pandemic. It’s still here because it knows exactly what it is: the voice of the fan. Whether they are arguing about the Lakers' trade deadline moves or debating the best taco stand in East LA, they are doing it with the same passion as the person listening on their way home from work. That’s something an algorithm can’t replicate.
If you want to stay connected to the pulse of the city, keep the dial set. Or better yet, just bookmark the stream. You’ll eventually realize that the sports are just the excuse to hang out with people who love this city as much as you do.
Next Steps for the Savvy Listener
To really dive into the world of LA sports radio, your first move should be to check out the "Mason & Ireland" podcast archives. It's the quickest way to understand the inside jokes and the "lore" of the station. After that, set a notification for the Lakers post-game show on the ESPN LA app. Even if you didn't watch the game, the immediate reaction from the callers and the hosts provides a more honest look at the state of the city than any newspaper column or TV highlight reel ever could.