WBNS-FM


WBNS-FM is a radio station in Columbus, Ohio, United States, airing a sports radio format. The station is owned by Tegna Inc., along with WBNS and WBNS-TV. The WBNS radio stations' studios and offices are located in Columbus's Brewery District neighborhood; WBNS-FM's transmitter tower is co-located with WBNS-TV on Twin Rivers Drive, behind the WBNS Television studios and west of Downtown Columbus.
WBNS-FM features a combination of local programming and ESPN Radio programming. Along with sister station WBNS, it is the FM flagship of the Ohio State IMG Sports Network, the exclusive flagship for the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Columbus affiliate for the NFL on Westwood One.

History

experimented with FM as early as 1940 with station W8XVH, which became W45CM and later WELD, but took the station off the air in the early 1950s. The modern-day station debuted as WBNS-FM in 1957, and in 1970 began airing a music format. In the mid-1970s, an Easy Listening music format was adopted.
In November 1991 the station moved from Easy Listening, to Oldies, and the station became "Oldies B-97.1". Almost ten years later, in July 2001, WBNS-FM moved to Modern AC as "The New 97.1", with a mix of pop alternative music.
Eventually, the station evolved with a Hot AC format as "97.1-More Music, More Variety." In August 2005, the station adopted the Hot AC-friendly "Mix" name and became "Mix 97.1-80s, 90s, Now."

Conversion to sports format

On January 26, 2009, at 2 PM, the station began a simulcast of AM sister station WBNS, airing a sports format, as 97.1 The Fan. The final song played on Mix 97.1 was "Leave Out All The Rest" by Linkin Park.
On June 11, 2019, Dispatch announced it was selling its broadcasting assets, including the WBNS stations, to Tegna Inc. for $535 million in cash. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019, pending Federal Communications Commission approval. The sale was completed on August 8.