By Dave Hughes, DCRTV.com

CBS Radio is very happy about the latest quarterly ratings numbers for the new Baltimore FM sports-talk station, 105.7 The Fan.

WJZ-FM launched last fall, and it's now in third place among men aged 25-54, going from a 3.9 to a 6.1 demo share since the winter diary-method radio ratings. Also, in the same demo, the station placed first in afternoon drive with Scott Garceau and Anita Marks’ show, third in middays and fourth in mornings with Ed Norris.

Achieving its highest ratings since shock jock Howard Stern jumped to satellite radio in 2006, the coupling of solidly informational Garceau with the more provocative Marks has been gold for 105.7 and MASN, which relays the show.

“The MASN audience can see that this is the perfect storm," said local sports media guru Jim Williams. "While the two get along both on and off the air, it often looks like a good old-fashioned father-daughter battle with Garceau’s old school feelings vs. Marks more new age thinking. Whatever the dynamic, it clearly works.”

Baltimore’s other sports talkers didn’t fare too well in the spring numbers from ratings firm Arbitron.

WNST, 1570 AM, ranked 28th in the overall aged 12-and-over demo, while WJZ-AM, 1300, which relays ESPN’s national radio schedule, placed 31st. Fox 1370, WVIE, didn’t show up in the overall spring numbers.

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After much anticipation, it appears Tony Kornheiser is about his return to the regional airwaves since getting bounced from “Monday Night Football.”

Starting Sept. 8, he’ll be heard in late mornings on DC sports talker ESPN 980, WTEM.
ESPN 980’s signal can be heard in the Baltimore area, as well the station’s Frederick, Md., relay on 92.7. Kornheiser worked at WTEM many years ago before it got bought by Redskins owner Dan Snyder.

No word yet if Kornheiser’s show will also be heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, but that’s a likely possibility. The former longtime Washington Post sports columnist will still be doing his afternoon “PTI” show for ESPN TV.

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More WTEM news: Washington Times sports columnist Thom Loverro pairs with sports radio personality Kevin Sheehan for a midday show called "Sports Fix."

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Voice man Zach Martin adds Baltimore sports talker WNST as his latest imaging client. He's based at CBS Radio sports talker WFAN in NYC.

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The Washington Capitals signed a "multi-year" radio deal to stay DC’s 1500 AM/820 AM, WFED. Steve Kolbe will continue to serve as the team's radio play-by-play voice.

Posted July 30, 2009