Originally published Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Sources: KIRO-AM to shift to all sports
Seattle to gain a second all sports-talk station on KIRO-AM (710)
Seattle Times staff reporter
KIRO-AM (710) will become an all sports-talk radio station on April 1, according to multiple sources.
A news conference is scheduled for Thursday to announce the move.
KIRO, which is owned by Bonneville International, ditched its music format in August on its FM dial and began simulcasting the AM station's news/talk programming. The simulcast is expected to continue until the sports programming debuts on AM in April. The FM station will keep its news/talk programming.
The Mariners will return to KIRO in 2009, signing a three-year contract in July. The station already carries Seahawks games, and program director Rod Arquette said KIRO will do some work with the Sounders FC, the new Major League Soccer team. Storm games are broadcast on KKNW-AM (1150).
Although Bonneville International laid off six newsroom employees and one engineer on Monday, the station is expected to hire an assistant program director who would format the sports lineup. Sources said ESPN will leave KJR-AM (950) to air some of its syndicated shows on KIRO. But everyone agrees in order to compete with the only current all sports-talk station there will have to be local programming.
Arquette would not confirm the plan to go all-sports on the AM dial, saying, "come Thursday." Carl Gardner, vice president/market manager of Bonneville Seattle, will be joined by Seahawks and Sounders CEO Tod Leiweke and Mariners president/CEO Chuck Armstrong at the news conference Thursday.
The station's layoffs were not related to the change in programming. In fact, some of those laid off hope there might be room to return under the sports umbrella.
"It was just cost-cutting moves that were made due to the economy," Arquette said. "It's the same thing that a lot of companies are doing across the country these days."
Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
NEW - 8:52 PM
Michigan high school wins first game after star player dies
NEW - 9:30 PM
NW Briefs: Eastern Washington dismisses Kirk Earlywine as men's basketball coach
'Gift' lifts Carl Edwards to title in Las Vegas
Iditarod mushers set out for Nome

general classifieds
Garage & estate salesFurniture & home furnishings
Electronics
just listed
***Stunning Akc POMERANIAN baby girl W/ FUL...
12 U Select Baseball Coach Wanted
1994 WIn 1901
More listings
POST A FREE LISTING
- Lakewood cop accused of embezzling $150K meant for slain officers' families
- 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
- Agency set to investigate handling of 911 call about Josh Powell
- Quick decisions: How Washington hired its new football staff
- Historic day for gay marriage as another fight looms
- Justin Wilcox's versatile defensive style is the right fit for Huskies | Jerry Brewer
- It's Terrence Time: Enigmatic Ross leads Huskies
- Social worker recounts minutes before Powell fire
- $25B settlement reached over foreclosure abuses
- Club promoter convicted in brutal 2010 murder of Des Moines prostitute
- Gay-marriage bill passes House, awaits Gregoire's signature
434 - Historic day for gay marriage as another fight looming
346 - Sheriff's office unhappy with 911 dispatcher in caseworker's call
282 - 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
235 - Source: NY, California to sign mortgage settlement
208 - Oregon live game thread
153 - Pac-12 picks ... including the UW game
140 - Lakewood cop accused of taking donations for slain officers' families
114 - Department of Justice owes the Seattle Police Department an apology
88 - Thursday morning links --- and a video!!!
72
- 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
- State Medicaid program to stop paying for unneeded ER visits
- One man's audacious pursuit of sailing history
- Darren Berg gets 18-year sentence for Ponzi scheme
- $25B settlement reached over foreclosure abuses
- A wandering gene's destructive path | Book review
- 'Gauguin and Polynesia': dazzling mix-and-match | Art review
- UW opening incubator facility for startups
- Controversial principal at Lowell Elementary takes job in Tacoma
- Lakewood cop accused of embezzling $150K meant for slain officers' families
