Audacy announced Tuesday it will end the FM simulcast of KNX News on 97.1 and launch an all-sports station on that frequency, while KNX will continue its all-news format on its AM signal.
The new station, branded as The Fan, is scheduled to debut May 11 at 6 a.m., according to the company.
Audacy said the outlet will focus on Southern California sports with local talk programming and what it described as an all-live, local weekday lineup.
KNX will continue broadcasting on AM 1070 and will also remain available on 97.1 HD2 and via the Audacy app and other streaming platforms.
“Los Angeles is the epicenter of the sports world, and 97.1 The Fan is its new voice,” Jeff Federman, regional president of Audacy West, said in a statement. “With legendary franchises and global events like the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics on the horizon, the time was right to bring our industry-leading sports programming to this market.”
The move gives Audacy an FM sports presence in Los Angeles, where sports talk listeners are currently served by AM station KLAC.
“Adding Los Angeles — one of the most passionate and influential sports markets in the country — completes our presence across the top 10 markets and meaningfully expands our reach and scale,” said Audacy’s Chief Business Officer Chris Oliviero.
The station will launch without live play-by-play coverage, although the company said it will pursue rights agreements with local teams as they become available.
Andrew Williams has been named brand manager and will oversee the station’s programming rollout, officials said.
Audacy acquired KNX in 2017 as part of its merger with CBS Corp.’s radio division.