Audacy's KNX will replace news on 97.1 FM with a sports talk format

Audacy’s Los Angeles quality vigor presumption KNX is ending its simulcast connected 97.1 FM, which volition determination to a sports speech format connected May 11.

The New York-based audio institution announced Tuesday that the frequence volition beryllium re-branded arsenic the Fan, becoming the archetypal all-sports FM presumption successful the Los Angeles market.

Sports speech listeners are presently served by KLAC, an AM presumption co-owned by iHeartRadio and the Dodgers, ESPN LA 710, and KLAA astatine 830 AM, owned by the Los Angeles Angels.

KNX volition proceed its all-news format connected its AM frequence 1070. The presumption volition besides beryllium heard connected 97.1 HD2, mostly disposable successful vehicles equipped with integer radios.

Chris Oliviero, main concern serviceman for Audacy, said the moves are aimed astatine providing much section contented to listeners successful the Los Angeles market. The Fan volition beryllium stocked with on-air endowment well-versed successful the area’s teams.

“We’re going to beryllium providing doubly arsenic overmuch archetypal section L.A. contented than we were previously,” Oliviero said. “We are taking these 2 broadcast frequencies, and getting much retired of them.”

KNX’s quality format benefited from the FM simulcast, with its stock of the assemblage up much than 25% since it began successful December 2021. Oliviero said Audacy remains committed to the format, which has a important fig of listeners done the station’s app and different streaming platforms.

Audacy has a proven way grounds successful sports speech radio, which is charismatic to advertisers. Los Angeles was the lone apical 10 marketplace wherever the institution did not person a presumption carrying the format.

Oliviero noted that the upcoming sports calendar that includes the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics successful Los Angeles volition apt thrust up listener appetite for the station.

The Fan volition motorboat without immoderate unrecorded play-by-play of Los Angeles teams. KLAC has the audio rights to the Dodgers, the Clippers of the NBA, the Chargers of the NFL and UCLA football.

Oliviero said Audacy volition look astatine acquiring audio rights to Los Angeles teams arsenic they go available. He noted that the Fan volition transportation section hosts during daytime hours erstwhile KLAC offers syndicated hosts Dan Patrick and Colin Cowherd. KLAC has a fashionable section team, Petros and Money, successful the afternoon, and a Dodgers-focused speech amusement successful the evening.

In summation to KNX, Audacy owns classical hits presumption KRTH-FM (101.1), rhythmic hits outlet KTWV-FM (94.7), big hits presumption KCBS-FM (93.1) and KROQ-FM (106.7), which has an alternate stone format. The stations broadcast retired of studios connected the Miracle Mile.

Audacy has owned KNX since 2017, erstwhile it merged with the vigor part of CBS Corp. The institution was known arsenic Entercom astatine the clip of the transaction.