A station in Nebraska’s Tri-Cities is adding daytime sports talk shows from Omaha while retaining its current Rock playlist at other times.
Legacy Communications/Grand Island Family Radio’s “Thunder 97.7” (KMTY Gibbon) announced that it will become “97.7 The Zone” on March 16, simulcasting the daytime lineup from “1620 The Zone” (KOZN Bellevue-Omaha).
The lineup will include Conner Happer and Mike Schaefer from 6 to 10 a.m., Matt McMaster from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and “Unsportsmanlike Conduct” with by John Bishop and Josh Peterson from 2 to 6 p.m.
“Sports fans in Central Nebraska are incredibly passionate,” said Alan Usher of G.I. Family Radio in a news release. “With 97.7 The Zone, we’re excited to bring live Nebraska sports talk to this market every day while keeping the station energized with the rock music listeners already know and love.”
The Sports Talk lineup will compete with Flood Communications Tri-Cities “ESPN Tri-Cities,” heard on two AM stations and two FM translators.
The switch comes a few months after Legacy flipped KMTY’s former simulcast partners, K259CZ/99.7 and KRGI-FM-HD3 (Grand Island), to Contemporary Christian.
Usher Media, owned by Alan and Joanna Usher, is operating KOZN and four other Omaha-market stations under a local marketing agreement while it awaits formal FCC approval of its purchase of the stations from NRG Media.
Usher Media is also awaiting approval to buy five other stations in the Tri-Cities from NRG. An FCC filing said Alan Usher will resign from his management position with Legacy/G.I. Family Radio and the couple will divest their current minority interest in the company when the sale is complete.