By Dave Hughes, DCRTV.com

Superstar pitcher Stephen Strasburg generated record ratings for MASN during his June 9 debut with the Nationals.

Overnight Nielsen ratings show that the Nationals game on MASN2 set a new high rating for the Baltimore-based regional sports network, earning a 7.1, meaning that more than 165,000 households in the Washington region tuned in to watch the historic pitching performance. Among the key demographic of adults aged 25-54, the game earned a 4.4, also a MASN record.

"For a Tuesday night in June against the Pirates, these ratings are simply stunning" MASN spokesman Todd Webster told the Examiner’s Jim Williams.

Strasburg went seven innings and struck out 14 in his much anticipated Major League debut. Five days later -- Strasburg's second start -- DC’s Channel 50/WDCW says it achieved its highest Nationals ratings as the Nats beat the Cleveland Indians, 9-4. Channel 50 is in its second year of running Nationals games from MASN.

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Despite playing terrible baseball, the Baltimore Orioles are drawing a larger TV audience this year than they did in 2009. From early April through early June, the Orioles games on MASN earned a 3.8 household ratings, compared with 3.4 rating for the same period last year. That's about 41,420 area households in the Baltimore TV market -- an increase of 12 percent over last year.

"The Orioles' improved ratings shows the depth of commitment Orioles fans have for their team," Webster told the Baltimore Sun’s David Zurawik. "The history and tradition of Orioles baseball is a part of the fabric of Baltimore and Washington, as more fans are tuning in.

"Demand for advertising is also stronger than last season, as marketers see the value of associating with Orioles baseball. Led by the automotive sector, year-over-year ad sales are up by double-digits, not only because of the improving economy but also because MASN and the Orioles can offer so many solutions, from TV spots to in-game and in-park sponsorships, from hospitality to radio."

According to the Sun, when the MASN games are simulcast on Channel 13/WJZ, the combined audience is a 5.4 rating, about the same as last year.

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Back in April, Redskins great John Riggins began doing a radio show via the HD Radio digital HD2 channel of all-news WTOP, 103.5 FM, in Washington, D.C. And, back then, there were rumors that the show might soon get a TV partner, such as MASN. Now, it's official.

Riggins' afternoon show will get carried on MASN starting in July. Back when he was on DC's old Triple X sports talker - before its owner, Redskins owner Dan Snyder, bought DC's WTEM -- Riggins' radio show was carried on MASN from 2006-08.

Still no word about how this addition will affect MASN's current carriage of Scott Garceau's radio show from Baltimore's 105.7 The Fan, WJZ-FM. Fans could get two hours of Garceau and two of Riggins, or four hours of Riggins. Stay tuned.

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Comcast SportsNet will air the 10-game regional TV schedule of the Washington Mystics for the 2010 WNBA season. CSN's high-def coverage began June 12, when the Mystics hosted the New York Liberty at DC’s Verizon Center.

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Julie Donaldson, who previously worked as a sports anchor and reporter at Boston's WHDH-TV, has appeared on Comcast SportsNet's Mid-Atlantic network in that same capacity. Donaldson also worked for SportsNet New York, which she joined when that network launched in 2006. Both CSN and SNY are owned by Comcast.

Donaldson showed up on CSN earlier this month, but it's a temporary, fill-in gig. Next, she heads to CSN's Philadelphia network.

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Cable sports giant ESPN's latest network, ESPN 3D, launched successfully on June 11th with the stereoscopic 3D broadcast of the 2010 FIFA World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa. It's carried locally on Comcast channel 980.

Posted June 17, 2010