Beginning at midnight, the area's local ESPN radio station will be found on WSMY at the 1400 dial.
First Media Radio General Manager Al Haskins said the station will be called 1400 ESPN All Sports and will include the same programming currently available on AM 1230 The Score.
That programming includes Mike and Mike, Colin Cowherd, Redskins football and ACC and other college games. The locally produced Gattis Hodges Thursday afternoon show will continue to be broadcast.
The move to WSMY comes after First Media sold WCBT to Jimmy Johnson of Tarboro, who will change the format of that station, which can be found on the 1230 dial.
Haskins said the move to WSMY will be good for the many fans of ESPN radio in terms of clarity and reach. “I can assure you WSMY will be even better.”
First Media has aired ESPN radio since 2004 and the response has been overwhelming. “It's outstanding. It's got a strong male audience. People tell me every day they're glad we've got it.”
Another show that will remain on WSMY is the David Glenn show, which airs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and focuses on ACC and North Carolina sports.
The move to have a sports radio station was part of a plan to provide diversified programming, Haskins said. “We've got seven radio stations now. What we do on all seven is different formats.”