Hey, kids, guess what?
January 19, 2010
CBS just made the official announcement, confirming the worst-kept secret in Pittsburgh radio: 93.7 is going all-sports as of Feb. 15.
Much of the music from the current “B-94” WBZW-FM will move to co-owned “Star 100.7” WZPT-FM (100.7, licensed to New Kensington) when KDKA-FM “The Fan” debuts just before the 2010 Winter Olympics.
(And PBRTV doffs its propeller-beanie and bows to the Post-Gazette‘s Bob Smizik, who had this thing nailed to the wall.)
. . .
“The Fan” will share resources with flagship AM news-talker KDKA (1020), including KDKA sports director Jeff Hathhorn, who will take over the same duties for the new FM outlet and provide field reporting with Kalena Bell, late of Oregon State, and Jim Colony, long a familiar voice to listeners of WTAE/WEAE.
The announcement was made by Michael Young, senior vice president and market manager of CBS Radio Pittsburgh, who said the station was being built for “Pittsburgh’s sports fans, who are simply the best in the country.”
Terry Foxx, former program director of ESPN Radio at the network’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn., is coming to Pittsburgh to program KDKA-FM, Young said, along with Mark Mason, who helped create the country’s first all-sports radio station, New York’s WFAN (660), in 1987.
. . .
A complete on-air line-up will be announced before the station’s official launch, but Young said the personalities would be “an array of opinionated, compelling and very talented local talk-show personalities.”
“The on-air presentation will be unique to our market, and our presence will be felt on game days and at major sporting happenings all over town,” Foxx said in a prepared statement.
. . .
Many of B-94’s core artists are moving to Star effectively immediately, CBS, including Lady Gaga, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson and the Black Eyed Peas, CBS said.
B-94 morning-show co-host Bubba will join the WZPT morning team along with current hosts J.R. Randall and Shelley Duffy, while B-94’s Melanie Taylor will join Scott Alexander on WZPT middays.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a super pop music station,” said Keith Clark, vice-president of programming for CBS Radio Pittsburgh, a prepared statement. “If you like B-94 and you like Star but flip back and forth, you will love this blended station.”
