Fine Tuning Upstate Sports Radio

Wednesday, 01 June 2011 00:00

In early March, hours before making a decision that would trigger a local sports radio shuffle, Score Sports Radio Partner/Marketing Director, Rita Hunter and premiere host Will Merritt met with Gary Bryant, Owner of three popular radio stations in the Upstate. Their mission was to join forces and add the Score to WRIX FM, 103.1 and WANS AM, 1280 beginning June 6, 2011.

Score Sports Radio Show (SSR) is leaving WCCP FM, 104.9, one of their radio affiliates for 3 years. Score Sports Radio Show will now cover South Carolina with six radio affiliates and they are on the way to adding more in the Southeast. “SSR has enjoyed being affiliated with WCCP for the last 3 years; however, when the opportunity for much larger tower strength in the same market, not to mention the offer from ESPN, this decision was an absolute no brainer to accept the proposal in the quest to be the largest sport talk radio show in South Carolina,” says Will Merritt.

SSR is overly pleased to offer this much larger geographical area. Hunter says, “As we all know in this economy, it’s all about “bang for the buck” and the Score is offering to advertisers more for their money than any other media outlet in sports marketing.” Currently, the Score broadcasts in most of the major cities of SC.

Extended coverage area and clearer signals in a marketplace now driven by multiple full-time sports talk stations, with more to come, the game has changed. The Score is broadcasting where there will be the best opportunities for listeners and advertisers. The Score has a growing online presence and a variety of programming options.

"As the business of college athletics and professional sports continues to evolve, we view this decision as a strategic step to combine great radio coverage for Score fans with the very best promotional opportunities for our listeners and advertisers,” says Will Merritt. There's a laundry list of reasons the Score is changing locations on the radio dial. They're looking for more than just affiliates. They're looking for strategic partners, a more viable demographic and multiple platforms for promoting the Score.

"It's all about the information," said Rita Hunter, "It's about the hosts, the guests, the fan base, all the social networking and all the listener loyalty. It's perfect. Syndicating sports radio shows is not about competition. It’s about finding the best partners and providing a product that performs. The big winner is the listener.”

“Sports programming is about destination listening and fans will find the show quickly on the new frequencies. This move is exactly in line with our business model to continue growth.” says Jill Fletcher, Partner/Score Sports Radio Show.