WCBS-AM/New York The New Home Of ESPN
• Audacy and Good Karma Brands (GKB) have entered into an LMA, effective August 26. As part of the LMA, GKB will be responsible for the programming heard on 880 AM/New York (currently All-News WCBS-AM), which is excellent timing, as Good Karma’s current lease deal with Emmis to broadcast ESPN content on 98.7 WEPN/New York expires at the end of the month, so GKB will use 880 AM as the new home of ESPN New York, replacing the 50-year-old all-news format on WCBS-AM. Audacy will continue to own the frequency, and, pending FCC approval, change the call letters to WHSQ-AM.
Audacy will now focus its commitment to delivering premium news content to Tri-State listeners exclusively on 1010 WINS@92.3 FM, and Audacy New York will continue to serve as the exclusive rights holder and flagship audio home of the New York Mets. Audacy-produced broadcasts will continue to air on 880 AM and stream on the Audacy app.
“New York has always been proudly unique in supporting two all-news radio brands, but the news business has gone through significant changes,” said Chris Oliviero, Market President, Audacy New York. “The headwinds facing local journalism nationwide made it essential to strategically reimagine how we deliver the news for the most impact. WCBS 880 has been one of the most respected radio stations in history, with a legacy cemented by the hundreds of world-class journalists, on and off the air, who willed it into existence over the decades. If it happened in New York or the world, you heard about it on WCBS 880. Today, 1010 WINS@92.3FM, equally iconic, moves forward as New York’s only 24/7 all-news station with the best distribution platform, the largest audience and the most recognized brand in the industry. All-news is a pillar of Audacy, and this decision, though difficult, fortifies that leadership position for generations to come.”
Audacy expanded the reach of 1010 WINS, now in its seventh decade, with a simulcast on 92.3 FM in October 2022. Since the FM launch, Audacy reports that 1010 WINS@92.3FM’s listenership has grown significantly in numbers and geographic reach, with a distribution platform better suited to go deeper into the surrounding Tri-State suburbs of Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester and Connecticut. Across FM, AM and digital platforms, nearly two million people a week come to 1010 WINS@92.3FM to get their news, traffic and weather.
To honor WCBS 880’s meaningful impact, the station will broadcast a live commemorative special, WCBS 880 News: The People, the Moments, and the Events that Shaped our Lives, on Thursday, August 22 from 10am to 1pm ET. This special edition of NEWSLINE with Brigitte Quinn will include interviews and historical clips.
