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Sports to replace KNX News simulcast at 97.1 FM

I’m trying to find it. But, I said a couple of years ago that I didn’t feel KNX on FM was the long term play and everyone said I was wrong and that KNX would be on 97.1 for 100 years as initially promised
 
hotpatrick2004 said:
I wonder how long Audacy's little sports experiment on 97.1 in Los Angeles will last???
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It’ll likely result in at least one FM sports station from here on out. Audacy choosing to build from scratch a sports station here says to me they see money being left on the table. I know there’s the trope of LA not being as “die hard” as other sports talk markets, but with 570 and 710 actively battling for as long as they have, I think the desire is there and it will be interesting to see just how an FM option impacts those two. It’s never been done here before, right? Seeing what happened in Philly when WPEN moved to FM and how relatively quickly Audacy then found WIP a home, we could see something similar here. I don’t think it’ll be KSPN as GK has made it pretty clear their interests are sitting on their AM properties and prioritizing streaming, so depending on the rating impact we may see KLAC get an FM simulcast in the next ~five years. Could LA handle two FM sports talkers? We could then see 97.1 fold or KLAC go back to AM-only, but once The Fan launches next Tuesday, I believe it’ll be a page-turning moment for LA radio where the concept of sports on FM here will no longer be met with “if” but “who”.
 
Frequency1 said:
KNX is now saying the change will happen on May 18.
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Correct. Their press releases have all been revised with May 18th:

LOS ANGELES, CA – April 28, 2026 – Audacy announces the launch of 97.1 The Fan, the first-ever FM all-sports audio brand in Los Angeles history. Debuting May 18 at 6:00 a.m. PT, the station will provide in-depth coverage of the area’s professional and college teams, breaking news, and engaging sports conversation, tailor-made for the Southern California sports fan, including the market’s only all-live, local weekday sports lineup.
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Jstnpspck said:
It’ll likely result in at least one FM sports station from here on out. Audacy choosing to build from scratch a sports station here says to me they see money being left on the table. I know there’s the trope of LA not being as “die hard” as other sports talk markets, but with 570 and 710 actively battling for as long as they have, I think the desire is there and it will be interesting to see just how an FM option impacts those two. It’s never been done here before, right? Seeing what happened in Philly when WPEN moved to FM and how relatively quickly Audacy then found WIP a home, we could see something similar here. I don’t think it’ll be KSPN as GK has made it pretty clear their interests are sitting on their AM properties and prioritizing streaming, so depending on the rating impact we may see KLAC get an FM simulcast in the next ~five years. Could LA handle two FM sports talkers? We could then see 97.1 fold or KLAC go back to AM-only, but once The Fan launches next Tuesday, I believe it’ll be a page-turning moment for LA radio where the concept of sports on FM here will no longer be met with “if” but “who”.
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This is a good move for Audacy. Sports may now be the last profitable (sort-of-mass-appeal) format on radio.
 
I understand the reasons for the creation of an all-sports FM station in the Los Angeles Market but I read recently that KNX stated that since it began simulcasting the station on FM 2 years ago their audience share shot up 25%! -Do they honesty think that all those listeners will head "back" to 1070 AM when apparently they weren't there to begin with! If I had a station whose audience increased by 25% I would have left it alone and considered some other alternative, as there is always an alternative. But then again the Suits "always" know best- "it's one size fits all, regardless",

In terms of an exception, it's actually amazing that although apparently all of Cumulus' country stations are called "Nash Country", the highly rated KHAY here in So Cal (before Cumulus' acquisition and afterward) is still called "California Country". Appropriately so--If it ain't broke-you don't fix it!!
 
TomásEstefan said:
In terms of an exception, it's actually amazing that although apparently all of Cumulus' country stations are called "Nash Country", the highly rated KHAY here in So Cal (before Cumulus' acquisition and afterward) is still called "California Country". Appropriately so--If it ain't broke-you don't fix it!!
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The "Nash" experiment ended a few years ago now - most of the stations they rebranded as Nash either returned to their original names, rebranded to something else, or flipped away from country altogether.
 
Surely there’s no way KSPN will allow the Rams to leave 93.1 for 97.1? They’ve been partners on the radio deal for the last 10 years. I can’t see how they’d share rights with a, now, competitor
 


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