Less than a week following layoffs across the country, iHeartMedia has pulled sports talk off their 97.3FM signal in Milwaukee. Barrett Media first reported last week that the company under new local leadership decided to make the move as part of a restructure in conjunction with the company’s reduction in force.
This afternoon at noon local time, the 97.3FM frequency flipped from broadcasting sports to AC format B97.3 FM.
“We’re still doing a show for the rest of the state. We’re on the iHeartRadio app,” said sports director Doug Russell during Monday’s episode of DnD. “We’re on 1070 the game in Madison. But if you did miss the news, 97.3 The Game in Milwaukee, is now a music station.”
The change takes the AC mantle from Milwaukee Radio Alliance’s “B93.3” WLDB as that station awaits the closing of its sale to K-Love Inc. The flip happened following closing remarks on the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers NLCS game one preview with a switch to Pharell Williams “Happy”.
Current 97.3 The Game talent will still be hosting shows on the company’s Madison sports radio signal 1070 The Game, and streaming on the 97.3 The Game iHeartMedia app channel.
Green Bay Packers and University of Wisconsin football broadcasts will now be heard on 95.7 Big-FM.
97.3 The Game launched in November 2018 as the third Sports FM in the market. It’s competitors include Good Karma Brands’ ESPN Milwaukee 94.5FM and Audacy’s 105.7 The Fan. The 97.3 The Game website no longer contains a daily on air lineup, instead offering a number of podcasts hosted by current Game employees.
“We’re still on in Madison, we are still around. We’re still on around the rest of the state,” said Russell. “We’re still on the iHeartRadio app. So we soldier on, as they say.”
The format flip comes less than a week after the station laid off morning hosts Steve Czaban and Brian Butch. Czaban joined 97.3 The Game in 2019, just six months after the iHeartMedia owned station flipped from contemporary hits music to sports talk. He hosted nationally syndicated programs for FOX Sports Radio, Yahoo Sports Radio, Sporting News Radio, and ESPN Radio among others.
Butch joined Czaban in mornings early in 2024. The former professional basketball player from Wisconsin also serves as an analyst on the Big Ten Network and FOX Sports. He also serves as an analyst on the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball broadcasts.
The station also cut 97.3 Program Director Tim Scott after signing a new multi-year contract earlier this year. Scott was with the company since 1998, serving in several roles, as well as a key figure in bringing the broadcast rights for the Green Bay Packers to iHeartMedia beginning in 2022.
Also exiting 97.3 The Game is Matt Schneidman, who hosted an evening show alongside Doug Russell focused on the Green Bay Packers.
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THIS IS A BUNCH OF CRAP!!! BRING BACK OUR LOCAL SPORTS RADIO AND PACKER BROADCASTS!!!
This is total BS!!! We now only have one choice for local sports talk radio, 94.5, and they are not completely local. Way to go management team!!!! 😖
Try AM1250…
Removing 97.3 from my presets. Horrible timing, on top of a terrible decision.
97.3 was by far the best sports talk radio in the Milwaukee Area. Huge mistake. I have now ripped 97.3 off the dial!
try The Fan. working on making it better. John Kuhn and Mason Crosby on it
– As a listener to the station most every day, I a disappointed. What a poor decision.
Wow, I can’t imagine the packers are happy being flipped around on the dial.
Since this was likely a business decision then I wonder If advertising dollars
can’t support the sports talk radio how will they ever support Music when there
you have so many more choices.
The beginning of the end for live radio for sure.
But never fear SUBSCRIPTION service is coming!
Sorry to see this show go it began a down slide when they let John Kuhn go . Then the termination of Mike Heller who truly was one of the best sports talk host around. Leaving only Steve and Brian as real radio personalities on the station. Now it has become just another music station with music I don’t even listen to
good by to you I won’t be listening to you.
Bad taste in my mouth about this. Shocking and disappointing change.
F the fans , its all about the money. I deleted 97.3 from my preset.
This was a terrible decision!,!, I enjoyed listening to Drew and KB on afternoon drive home. Great sports talk channel! What bad decision.
I can find 00’s bubble gum rock, which I don’t listen to, anywhere. 97.3 canned show’s I had listened to daily, no reason to listen anymore, total Bullshine!
This is just ridiculous. The Packers used to be on 620 WTMJ for decades and are now along with their fans treated like crap! Right in the middle of the season switching stations you have got to be kidding me. Then today the best local racing show which aired on 920 WOKY LTN radio Network is shown the door also after 40+ years. WTF! This apparently is now the new normal. I guess this is the radio version of big corporations buying up everything to shut down the competition all in the name of profits type of thing.
I wont support anything Barrett Media is involved with from now on. That team did an awesome job of growing the channel only to be let go.
Greg, we cover the industry on this website. We have zero to do with the decisions made by media companies regarding their brands, talent, markets, etc..