It’s been just over a month since the city of Los Angeles officially welcomed its first FM all-sports station in 97.1 The Fan. The FM sports addition to Southern California was Audacy’s latest push to breathe new life into sports radio on the FM dial. The idea itself was not new. In fact, the concept had been years in the making. Following the end of his MLB career, Cody Decker was searching for his next chapter. It was a chapter he had dreamed about as a child growing up in the area.
“I grew up listening to morning radio in LA. Kevin and Bean, plus Mark & Brian at KLOS. Also, I’d listen to Howard Stern on 97.1,” explained Decker. “I was a spoiled kid when it came to listening to top radio talent. The only problem was we didn’t have the sports channels… It drove me nuts that my only options were New York radio in LA.”
When Decker took an internship with Audacy following his retirement in 2019, he brought an idea to Audacy regional president Jeff Federman. The concept was simple.
“I mentioned this to Jeff [Federman] in 2019 when I was at KROQ and Radio.com Sports. I pulled him aside and asked why we don’t have a WFAN in Los Angeles. He didn’t have an answer for me but said we needed one,” said Decker.
Over time, and through several other opportunities, Decker remained in touch with Federman about the idea of launching a local sports talk radio brand in Los Angeles. Despite stops in New York City working for Fox Sports alongside Craig Carton and later at SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio, the vision never left his mind.
Then the idea began to gain traction in the fall of last year.
Joining 97.1 The Fan
“Last September was when I had my first conversation about it. But at the time, it was a pie in the sky idea still. Then things kept going, and the conversations kept continuing,” explained Decker. “Then one day, Jeff [Federman] gave me a call and referenced our initial conversation. He then asked if I wanted to do it. You better believe I want to do it. To me, it’s a dream job.”
Last month, 97.1 The Fan launched across the second-largest market in the United States. The station features a full FM signal and an all-sports format, with much of the weekday schedule dedicated to live and local programming. For Decker, it marked his first opportunity to host morning drive in a market he called home. It was a homecoming years in the making and a chance to return to the local radio roots he cherished.
“Radio has always been my personal favorite medium. Radio may not have the same positive stigma it once did, and is looked at more of a grind now-a-day. I don’t see it that way,” said Decker. “Somehow it always seems to go this way with the industry. What is old becomes new again. I feel like radio will once again become the new thing at some point.”
Decker is the lead host of the station’s flagship morning show, Derek & Decker, alongside five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher. It was the daypart he desires most. Giving him the opportunity to be the first voice waking up Los Angeles each morning. Decker wasn’t shy about expressing that desire to station management. In fact, he says he was adamant about holding down such an important role on the startup.
The approach to the show is straightforward. Have fun, share a laugh, and provide a unique perspective on the sports conversations that matter most to Los Angeles fans.
Crafting Their Own Lane In LA
Despite the large number of professional and collegiate teams in the surrounding area, many industry observers do not view Los Angeles as a sports radio mecca. Compared to similarly sized markets, Los Angeles-based sports stations have rarely generated audience shares comparable to their counterparts. Still, Decker remains optimistic about the future and the opportunity for 97.1 The Fan to carve out its own identity.
“This is a sports city that has 13 professional sports teams. Plus, you have massive fanbases from all around the country. There’s very passionate people from sports markets that now live here,” explained Decker. “It’s a very unique sports city. This is a city that’s very prideful with its homegrown teams. But also oddly prideful for the teams of commuters who moved to this city.”
To spread the word about the new station, Decker has made a conscious effort to immerse himself in Los Angeles sports culture. He attends games both on his own and alongside Fisher. A highly motivated personality by nature, Decker has brought that same energy to promoting the station at games and establishments throughout the city.
He doesn’t mind serving as a walking billboard, seeking out conversations whenever opportunities arise. There’s a sense of purpose behind the approach in a city he proudly calls home.
“LA sports is an extremely important thing to me. I don’t feel LA Sports has been covered the way it should have been for the last couple decades,” says Decker. “There’s a stigma around LA sports. We’re more Hollywood and bandwagon fans here in LA. Because it’s such a well known commuter city, people around the country may not realize that all the teams here are extremely loved and supported. The LA fans’ voice has not been heard as much as it should have in the past.”
New Beginnings
Now, Decker welcomes the opportunity to help challenge that stigma. However, the opportunity didn’t arrive without obstacles. The past year brought uncertainty about his future in sports media. Following a run of less than two years co-hosting middays on SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio with Michelle Beadle, Decker became the subject of a very public departure from the channel.
Reflecting on the moment he learned of his firing by listening to Howard Stern rather than hearing it directly from station management, Decker said he wouldn’t change anything about how he handled the situation.
“I don’t know what I did wrong. I showed up to work, and someone showed up on Howard Stern and sais I was fired. It was very interesting, because that’s not what I was told,” says Decker. “This industry is a very weird place… I’m appreciative of all the people who had mine and Michelle’s [Beadle] back through that whole process. It was a needlessly public thing that happened, and I won’t understand it for the rest of my life.”
If there was a lesson from the experience, Decker said it was learning to trust fewer people. While also valuing those who have earned that trust. To this day, he considers Beadle not only a close friend but also someone he would welcome the chance to work with again.
Following their program’s public dismissal from SiriusXM, the pair launched a YouTube version of the show to keep their on-air chemistry sharp. That chemistry also caught the attention of Audacy executives as plans for 97.1 The Fan began to take shape.
“When we [Audacy, Decker] first started talking, plenty of conversations were being had. I know they were also interested in a show [Beadle & Decker] that I had already had at one point, but things just kept evolving as time went forward,” says Decker. “I do believe that Michelle [Beadle] had a conversation or two, but I don’t know the details or how far those conversations went.”
Decker considers himself fortunate that Audacy remained interested in him despite not ultimately bringing Beadle aboard.
As for the YouTube show, it’s currently on a “summer vacation,” according to Decker. However, the plan is for both Decker and Beadle to reconnect later this summer and discuss a possible relaunch. Decker also said conversations have taken place regarding the possibility of bringing the show under the Audacy podcast umbrella.
Embracing Home
For now, Decker’s primary focus is helping build a community around Los Angeles’ all-sports FM radio destination. A startup faces immediate pressure to generate ratings and revenue, and those realities remain top of mind. For Decker, however, the most important measure of success is whether the show continues to entertain listeners while remaining enjoyable to create.
“The best success for myself personally is if Derek [Fisher] and I continue to show up every day excited to do four hours of sports radio here in Los Angeles over any amount of time,” said Decker. “That’s something that gets lost with a lot of people. In the end it’s the most important thing to aim for.”
Whether 97.1 The Fan ultimately becomes a ratings success is unknown. Building a sports radio station from scratch in Los Angeles was never going to be easy. The market is crowded while listener habits become more fragmented. Sports radio has spent years fighting for relevance in an increasingly digital media landscape.
For Decker, though, the opportunity represents something bigger than ratings books or revenue targets.
For years, he wondered why Los Angeles lacked a true full-market FM sports radio destination. Today, he’s helping build one. After experiencing the highs of professional baseball and the lows of a very public radio exit, Decker has returned to the city he loves. Each morning, he wakes up Los Angeles listeners while trying to provide local sports fans with a platform he believes they have long deserved.
The dream Decker pitched years ago in a hallway conversation is no longer just an idea. It’s on the air every morning across Southern California.
What happens next will determine whether 97.1 The Fan becomes a permanent part of Los Angeles sports culture.
For Decker, however, simply having the opportunity to help write that story already feels like a victory.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
