Sorry Elton John, more like thirty.
WFAN just celebrated its thirtieth anniversary as the first full time sports station in the nation. Originally on 1050 AM, then 660, (the last several years simulcasting on 101.9 FM), the station has been a huge ratings and revenue success since the late eighties.
But the benchmark has led to speculation that sports talk radio won’t be around thirty years from now.
I’ve long maintained that while some formats will die and some will morph into something unrecognizable, two-way sports talk will be a survivor. As long as the country is transfixed by competitive sports, people will want to talk about it. And as long as people drive cars, they will have a hard time tweeting or texting their views, (unless self driving cars become the new standard).
This is not to say that the platform won’t change. AM radio is in trouble. FM is healthier but its long term prognosis is in doubt. Streaming is taking over. But how will that be delivered? Via satellite, cable, fiber optic or some transponder network yet to be invented?
All we are talking about is a delivery system. These have evolved, from the Pony Express, t
he US Mail, to UPS and FedEx, eventually drones. From in-person conversation, to telegraphs, to telephones to various uses of the internet.People don’t care how the product gets there, as long as its affordable, convenient, reliable and fast.
Over the air TV once ruled. Cable was considered a joke. Who would pay for something they could get for free? Now, we don’t even know the OTA channel designations, or the times our favorite shows originally air. DVRs have made that notion obsolete.
People do want to know what their peers are thinking and have the ability to weigh in with their own opinions. Sports talk radio gives them that opportunity. However it is delivered, it will live on for a long time. 6/27/17
