View source for WBNS-FM

{{short description|Sports radio station in Columbus, Ohio}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WBNS-FM
| logo = FanLogo-WBNS-FM-Columbus-Ohio.png
| city = [[Columbus, Ohio]]
| country = US
| area = [[Columbus metropolitan area, Ohio|Columbus metropolitan area]]
| branding = 97.1 The Fan
| frequency = {{Frequency|97.1|[[Hertz#SI multiples|MHz]]}} {{HD Radio}}
| airdate = {{Start date|1959|6}}
| format = [[Sports radio]]
| subchannels = {{ubl|HD2: Simulcast of [[WBNS (AM)|WBNS]] (Sports radio)|HD3: [[BetMGM Network]] (Sports gambling)}}
| erp = {{val|20500|u=watts|fmt=commas}}
| haat = {{convert|238|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class = B
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| facility_id = 54701
| coordinates = {{coord|39|58|16.2|N|83|1|39.6|W|type:landmark_region:US-OH|display=inline,title}}
| callsign_meaning = Derived from sister station [[WBNS (AM)|WBNS]]
| affiliations = {{hlist|[[Infinity Sports Network]]|[[Cincinnati Reds Radio Network]]|[[Cleveland Browns Radio Network]]|[[Columbus Blue Jackets Radio Network]]|[[Columbus Crew]]|[[NFL on Westwood One Sports]]|[[Ohio News Network|ONN Radio]]|[[Ohio State Sports Network]]|[[WBNS-TV]]}}
| owner = {{ubl|[[Tegna Inc.]]|''(sale to [[Nexstar Media Group]] pending<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Mark K. |date=August 19, 2025 |title=Nexstar Buying Tegna For $6.2 Billion |url=https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/nexstar-buying-tegna-for-6-2-billion/ |access-date=August 19, 2025 |website=TV News Check |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250819205146/https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/nexstar-buying-tegna-for-6-2-billion/ |archive-date= August 19, 2025}}</ref>)''}}
| licensee = RadiOhio, Incorporated
| sister_stations = {{hlist|[[WBNS (AM)|WBNS]]|[[WBNS-TV]]}}
| webcast = {{TuneIn|The-Fan-971-s27545}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.971thefan.com}}
}}
'''WBNS-FM''' (97.1 [[Hertz|MHz]]) – branded ''97.1 The Fan'' – is a [[commercial radio|commercial]] [[sports radio]] station in [[Columbus, Ohio]]. It and [[WBNS (AM)|WBNS]] (1460 AM) are the only two radio stations currently owned by television company [[Tegna, Inc.]] The studios are co-located with [[WBNS-TV]] (channel 10) on Twin Rivers Drive, west of [[Downtown Columbus, Ohio|Downtown Columbus]].

WBNS-FM is a [[list of broadcast station classes|Class B]] station. It has an [[effective radiated power]] (ERP) of 20,500 watts. It shares a [[transmitter]] [[radio masts and towers|tower]] with WBNS-TV, the tallest [[WBNS TV Tower|free-standing structure]] in Columbus. It is adjacent to the studios on Twin Rivers Drive near [[Interstate 670 in Ohio|Interstate 670]].<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/info/WBNS-FM Radio-Locator.com/WBNS-FM]</ref> WBNS-FM broadcasts using [[HD Radio]] technology.

==Programming==
WBNS-FM airs local sports talk shows during weekdays and early evenings. It carries the [[radio syndication|syndicated]] [[Infinity Sports Network]] late nights and weekends. Its [[sister station]], WBNS 1460 AM, runs [[BetMGM Network]] and Infinity Sports Network most hours.

WBNS-FM is the FM [[Flagship (broadcasting)|flagship]] for the [[Ohio State Sports Network]],<ref>[http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/radio-network.html OSU Radio Network - Ohio State Buckeyes.com]</ref> the [[Columbus Blue Jackets Radio Network]],<ref>[http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=48232 Blue Jackets Radio Network - Blue Jackets.com]</ref> and the [[Columbus Crew]], and the market affiliate for the [[Cleveland Browns Radio Network]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=97.1 The Fan is the new radio home for the Cleveland Browns|url=https://www.10tv.com/article/sports/football/971-the-fan-is-the-new-radio-home-for-the-cleveland-browns/530-e2fe8b57-b7a0-4038-bcd3-d45e05567f3f|access-date=2021-08-11|website=10tv.com|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Cincinnati Reds Radio Network]], the ''[[NFL on Westwood One Sports]]'' and Indinity Sports Network, the latter in a shared affiliation with WBNS (AM).

==History==
===Previous stations===
[[File:WBNS-TV and WBNS-FM transmission towers-2011 07 12 IMG 0867.JPG|thumb|left|WBNS-FM transmission tower (right), next to the [[WBNS-TV]] tower.]]

[[File:WBNS HD.png|thumb|left|200px|WBNS-FM's [[HD Radio]] Channels on a SPARC Radio with [[Program-associated data|PSD]].]]

WBNS's sister station, [[WBNS (AM)|WBNS]] (AM 1460), was established in 1922. It is one of Ohio's oldest stations. In 1929, it was acquired by the Wolfe family, the owners of the market-leading newspaper, ''[[The Columbus Dispatch]]''. WBNS began FM broadcasts as early as 1940 with experimental station W8XVH.

In 1941, it became commercial station W45CM, and later [[WELD (Ohio)|WELD]] (FM stations were disallowed from sharing their AM sister's calls at the time). Management suspended operations in July 1953 due to low listenership as few affordable FM receivers were available<ref>"Only 3 FM stations Left Operating Here", ''Columbus Dispatch'', July 19, 1953, page 19.</ref> WELD was formally [[dark (broadcasting)|deleted]] on July 14, 1953.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcastingtele45unse/page/n385/mode/1up "For the Record: Existing FM Stations: Stations Deleted"], ''Broadcasting'', July 20, 1953, page 118.</ref>

===Beautiful music===
WBNS-FM [[sign-on|signed on]] the air in {{Start date and age|1959|6}}. It used the same frequency, 97.1&nbsp;MHz, previously used by co-owned WELD. At first it largely [[simulcast]] WBNS 1460 AM.

In 1970, it broke away from the simulcast. It began airing a [[beautiful music]] format, playing quarter-hour sweeps of instrumental [[cover version]]s of popular songs, [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] and [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] [[show tune]]s. In the 1980s, the station began playing more [[Adult contemporary music|soft adult contemporary]] vocals, in an effort to appeal to a younger audience.

===Oldies and AC===
In November 1991 the station moved from [[easy listening]], to [[oldies]], calling itself "Oldies B-97.1". The [[playlist]] was made up of [[Top 40]] hits of the 1960s, along with a few songs from the late '50s and early '70s. Almost ten years later, in July 2001, WBNS-FM moved to [[Adult contemporary music|modern AC]] as "The New 97.1", with a mix of pop alternative music.

Eventually, the station evolved with a [[Adult contemporary music|hot AC]] format as "97.1-More Music, More Variety." In August 2005, the station began using the "Mix" name and became "Mix 97.1-80s, 90s, Now." Meanwhile, co-owned WBNS 1460 AM had good ratings as an all-sports AM station, as more cities were getting FM sports outlets. Management decided to capitalize on its sports franchise.

===Sports format===
On January 26, 2009, at 2 PM, WBNS-FM began a simulcast of AM sister station WBNS "1460 The Fan." WBNS-FM became "97.1 The Fan." The final song played on Mix 97.1 was "Leave Out All The Rest" by [[Linkin Park]].

On June 11, 2019, The Columbus Dispatch announced it was selling its broadcasting assets, including WBNS-AM-FM-TV, to [[Tegna Inc.]], for $535 million in cash. The deal was expected to close in the third quarter of 2019, pending [[Federal Communications Commission]] approval. The sale was completed on August 8.<ref>[https://www.tegna.com/tegna-completes-acquisition-of-dispatch-broadcast-groups-leading-top-ranked-stations-in-indianapolis-in-and-columbus-oh/ "TEGNA Completes Acquisition of Dispatch Broadcast Group’s Leading, Top Ranked Stations in Indianapolis, IN and Columbus, OH"], [[Tegna Inc.]], August 8, 2019; Retrieved August 8, 2019.</ref>

Over time, WBNS-FM became the exclusive home of local Columbus-based sports shows, while WBNS 1460 AM airs the national ESPN Radio Network feed. The AM station is also heard on one of WBNS-FM's [[HD Radio]] [[digital subchannel]]s. In May 2024, the [[BetQL Network]], carrying sports gambling shows, began airing on WBNS-FM-HD3.<ref>[https://www.insideradio.com/free/news-bites-rich-shertenlieb-betql-network-kfxn-minnesota-lynx-wbal-wrjn/article_942a5752-12fd-11ef-bfa2-27448263716e.html InsideRadio.com "News Bites - BetQL Network" May 15, 2024.]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://971thefan.com 97.1 The Fan]
*{{FM station data|54701|WBNS}}
* [https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=80122 FCC History Cards for WBNS-FM] (covering 1957–1980)

{{Columbus OH Radio}}

{{Navboxes
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{{Columbus OH Radio}}
{{Sports Radio Stations in Ohio}}
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}}

[[Category:Tegna Inc.]]
[[Category:Dispatch Broadcast Group]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Columbus, Ohio|BNS-FM]]
[[Category:Sports radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1957]]
[[Category:1957 establishments in Ohio]]
[[Category:ESPN Radio stations]]