ESPN 1490 WWSW Now On FM

[Mr. Jones]

Gazette:

West Virginia Radio Corporation has added an FM station to air sports talk in Kanawha and Putnam counties, according to company vice president Mike Buxser.

The station is already on the air at 104.5, according to Buxser, and will simulcast the same content as the company's 1490-AM station.

"We've wanted to do full-service sports for a long time,'' Buxser said.

In addition to purchasing the frequency, the company has put together a new afternoon sports talk show, which will debut on Aug. 23.

According to Buxser, the show, which will be called "The Drive,'' will air from 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Frank Giardina will be the host on Mondays. The rest of the week, former South Charleston, Marshall and NFL football standout Carl Lee and the company's EPSN program director Wes Ryan will be the hosts.

The 104.5-FM station, as with the 1490-AM station, will feature 90-second locally produced sports updates. Around those features will be national ESPN shows already heard on 1490 as well as local broadcasts of the West Virginia Power.

Buxser said although the FM station is already up and running, its presentation will become clearer.

"We're using a temporary signal,'' Buxser said. "We're awaiting a piece of equipment that will give the listeners a much clearer signal.''

Buxser said he hopes to have the equipment by the end of this week.

http://wvgazette.com/Sports/201008030984