Wfan will be joining its sports-talk competition on your FM dial.
CBS Radio announced yesterday that WFAN will be simulcast on 101.9 FM in the late fall. The move comes four months after ESPN Radio went from the notoriously static-filled 1050 AM to 98.7 FM. In that time ESPN Radio’s ratings, which have consistently lagged well behind WFAN, have doubled.
Even though WFAN is well-established and has a clear signal, the chance to reel in more listeners may have been difficult to resist. It also could improve its position when it comes to retaining the Mets’ radio rights this offseason.
CBS Radio owns WFAN and WCBS, which have the Mets and Yankees games, respectively. Both were set to expire after this season, but the Yankees re-upped with WCBS at the end of August, keeping John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman in the booth.
CBS purchased the rights to the signal from Merlin Media for $75 million.
The 24-hour sports station will continue to air on both AM and FM signals until a plan is developed for 660.
“This is an extremely exciting opportunity to expand our radio presence in the nation’s largest market,” CBS Radio President Dan Mason said in a statement.
“Sports is a very popular format and a huge growth category for our business. As a result of this new asset, we look forward to The FAN building on its position as the leading sports radio franchise in the country.”
According to Mason, 101.9 cannot reach 25 states at night, like WFAN-AM can, but that it has a strong signal that emanates from the Empire State Building.
“Anyone would tell you that these two are outstanding signals,” Mason said.
WFAN will continue to be heard on 660 AM “for the foreseeable future,” CBS spokeswoman Karen Mateo said, adding, “For decades, listeners have tuned to WFAN on 660 AM, and we anticipate many of them will continue to do so even after this move.”
WFAN began broadcasting on July 1, 1987 at 1050, replacing country music station WHN. In October 1988, the station moved to 660, a spot previously held by WNBC.