Report: 47 Cumulus Stations Switching From ESPN Radio To CBS Sports Radio

Adds Former ESPN Affiliates

In the wake of CUMULUS MEDIA's alliance with CBS RADIO to distribute CBS SPORTS RADIO, the NEW YORK POST is reporting that 47 CUMULUS stations are dropping ESPN RADIO to affiliate with the new CBS offering.  The move will bring CBS SPORTS RADIO to a list of about 100 stations for its JANUARY 2nd launch of around-the-clock programming.

“ESPN affiliates are in small markets. Maybe you find that adds up to a lot of audience,” CBS RADIO Pres. DAN MASON told the paper's CLAIRE ATKINSON. “Don’t forget that CBS RADIO owns most of the top-10 sports stations in the US, and with CUMULUS that’s formidable.  ESPN has had the market much to themselves, we’re the new entry and we think we put together formidable talent."

ESPN SVP TRAUG KELLER told the POST that the move "has no material effect on us. There’s only three or four [Cumulus] stations in the top 50.”  He said that a replacement for departing affiliates WFOM-A (ESPN RADIO 1230 THE FAN 2)-WCNN-A (680 THE FAN)/ATLANTA has already been found and also cited the previously-reported replacement of WJOX (JOX 94.5)/BIRMINGHAM with COX MEDIA GROUP Sports WZNN (97.3 THE ZONE)-WENN-A-W294BL as an affiliate.

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