• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, April 9, 2012

ESPN’s efforts to give consumers behind-the-scenes access to its operations -- and dial up self-promotion -- now include podcasts. The company has launched the “Front & Center” discussions, with the most recent being an interview with president John Skipper about the network’s coverage of Major League Baseball.

The podcasts are available on an ESPN Radio microsite and iTunes.

They are affiliated with ESPN’s “Front Row” blog, which launched about a year ago. ESPN media relations executives write entries, while conducting interviews with ESPN executives and personalities, offering information on new distribution platforms and details about upcoming events. 

The blog links the “Front & Center” podcasts, which carry the tagline “telling our story from the inside out.” An April 4 podcast featured an interview with ESPN investigative journalist Don Van Natta, Jr. and offered an in-depth look at the author’s recent profile of the Penn State scandal, as well as insight into the journalist himself.

Late Monday, the most recent blog item was about a new ad campaign for the NASCAR Nationwide series with driver Austin Dillon. Front Row also has a Twitter feed with 1,300 followers and Facebook page with 2,600 “likes.”

A year ago, Front Row started with an attempt to chronicle in words and pictures 24 hours in “the life of ESPN.”