Gow Media is moving its programming from 1560 AM to 94.1 FM according to the Houston Chronicle. The change is expected to take place starting October 1st.
By making the change, Gow will be able to offer sports radio programming in Houston on two FM frequencies. The company already operates on 97.5 FM with its ESPN Houston brand.
The radio lineup will not be altered. Current personalities Charlie Pallilo, Sean Salisbury, Barry Warner, Nate Griffin and Patrick Creighton, are expected to remain in their current dayparts once the move becomes official.
“Listenership has migrated to the FM band, and we think we can carve out a distinct strategic position with two stations on the FM band,” Gow told the Chronicle. “We can cross-promote our shows and lock up listeners for more time.”
The call letters for 94.1 FM have yet to be decided but the on-air branding will switch from SB Nation Radio 1560 AM to SportsMap 94.1 FM. The change helps the company create stronger synergy with its upcoming website SportsMap.com.
Previously 94.1 FM had offered Spanish music programming. The signal is owned by Latino Broadcasting Corp. of Houston. Gow plans to lease 1560 AM to an undisclosed group. The company will not transfer the KGOW call letters to 94.1 FM.
“I like both of our programming lineups and liked the notion of having two local stations, one of which will air some of our own national network,” Gow added. “I’ve always been more bullish on the size of the sports listenership and fan base than Nielsen has reported. The turnout we get for our advertisers suggests that we have a large listenership.”
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
