Newly Created WJZ-FM Is Baltimore's First FM Sports Station

WHFS-FM, the radio home of the Orioles, "changed its format yesterday from news talk to sports talk, giving Baltimore its first FM sports station," according to Chris Kaltenbach of the Baltimore SUN. From 10:00am-11:00pm ET, the new WJZ-FM "will feature local sports-talk programming, with hosts including such familar names as Mark Viviano, Scott Garceau, Bruce Cunningham and Anita Marks." The new station will be advertised as "Sports Radio 105.7 The Fan." WHFS-FM sister station ESPN 1300, "which had been host to shows featuring Viviano and Marks, as well as other local sports talk programming, will shift completely to ESPN Radio programming." Its call letters were changed from WJFK-AM to WJZ-AM, "reflecting its ties" to WJZ-CBS in Baltimore. The announcement "marked the latest effort to improve ratings at the former WHFS, which finished" Q3 of '08 tied for 13th place in the ratings among Baltimore radio stations. Kaltenbach notes the Orioles are coming off their 11th consecutive losing season and "have not been the ratings powerhouse CBS officials had hoped for." Although the new WJZ-FM "will be Baltimore's only FM sports station," three AM stations, including WBAL, WNST and WVIE, "will continue with their sports programming" (Baltimore SUN, 11/4). CBS Radio Baltimore Senior VP & Market Manager Robert Philips said that CBS' two local sports stations "will give Baltimore's strong sports following more choices when picking and choosing what they want to listen to" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/3).