Guaranty adds sports show in light of Clear Channel format change

Guaranty Broadcasting Company has added a new sports show hosted by Charles Hanagriff to its 104.5 FM ESPN station lineup following Clear Channel’s decision to change the format of its 1210 AM station from sports talk to gospel. “We were actually going to add another sports show in August, but with the flip they made at Clear Channel and the big stage we have this week with the BCS game, it was just a perfect time to launch,” says Gordy Rush, Guaranty market manager. The Sports Today show debuted Thursday. It is currently airing from noon to 2 p.m. but will be on from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning Tuesday and will remain on that schedule thereafter, Rush says. Jimmy Ott, one of the contracted hosts who was dropped from 1210 AM in the format change, will co-host Sports Today with Hanagriff two days a week, Rush says. Clear Channel Regional Programming Manager Bob Murphy cited a saturated sports talk market and lower-than-desired ratings as the main reasons for the format change at 1210 AM. Though Rush says he thinks Clear Channel made the right decision for its station, he believes there’s still room for one more sports talk show in Baton Rouge. “This is a huge sports market, and our ESPN station has always done better, ratings- and revenue-wise,” he says. “I think it will be very successful.” —Steve Sanoski