City Columbus, Ohio Branding 97.1 The Fan | Broadcast area Columbus, Ohio First air date 1957 | |
Slogan Your #1 Source for Sports Frequency 97.1 MHz (also on HD Radio) | ||
WBNS-FM (97.1 FM, 97.1 The Fan) is a radio station in Columbus, Ohio, United States, airing a sports radio format. The station is locally owned by the Dispatch Broadcast Group, along with WBNS (1460 AM) and WBNS-TV (channel 10). WBNS-FM's studios, offices and transmitter are located west of Downtown Columbus, near the confluence of the Olentangy and Scioto rivers.
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WBNS-FM features a combination of local programming and ESPN Radio programming. Along with sister station WBNS (AM), it is the FM flagship of the Ohio State IMG Sports Network, the exclusive flagship for the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Columbus affiliate for the NFL on Westwood One.
History
WBNS-AM experimented with FM as early as 1940 with station W8XVH, which became W45CM and later WELD, but took the station off the air in the early 1950s. The modern day station debuted as WBNS-FM in 1957, and in 1970 began airing a music format. In 1979, an Easy Listening music format was adopted.
In November 1991 the station moved from Easy Listening, to Oldies, and the station became "Oldies B-97.1". Almost ten years later, in July 2001, WBNS-FM moved to Modern AC as "The New 97.1", with a mix of pop alternative music.
Eventually, the station evolved with a Hot AC format as "97.1-More Music, More Variety." In August, 2005, the station adopted the Hot AC-friendly "Mix" name and became "Mix 97.1-80s, 90s, Now."
Conversion to sports format
On January 26, 2009, at 2 PM, the station began a simulcast of AM sister station WBNS ("1460 The Fan"), airing a sports format, as 97.1 The Fan. The final song played on Mix 97.1 was "Leave Out All The Rest" by Linkin Park.
Local programming on WBNS-FM includes "Tim and Beanie" with Tim Hall and former OSU and NFL running back Beanie Wells, from 10:00am to 12:00pm, "Carpenter & Rothman" with former OSU and NFL linebacker Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Rothman from Noon to 3:00pm, "Common Man and T-Bone" with Mike Ricordati and Jonathan "T-Bone" Smith from 3:00pm to 6:00pm, and "The Buckeye Show" with Mark "The Shark" Howell from 6:00pm–7:00pm.