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| JMW. Kent Sterling, Jake Querty (top right, Derek Schultz (bottom) |
As 3 p.m. hits each weekday, fans with an insatiable appetite for Indianapolis sports talk have choices. Three local drive-time radio shows commence, each claiming to have a special recipe for success, according to
The Indianapolis Star.
For the Kent Sterling Show on WXNT, it's all sports all the time, no veering into pop culture. On The Ride with JMV on The Fan, Lady Gaga (and almost anyone else) is fair game. Query & Schultz on WNDE, the only two-man show in the time slot, is somewhere in between with a twist — banter sparked by their differing viewpoints.
How many people are listening to the local shows? In Indianapolis, the 40th largest among U.S. radio markets, JMV's station leads the way. Nielsen audio rankings for the individual shows were not available, but Emmis'
WFNI 107.5 FM / 1070 AM ESPN garnered a 2.9 rating in January. Query & Schultz on iHM's
WNDE 1260 AM received a 0.4 rating and Entercom's
WXNT 1430 AM CBS Sports Radio, where Sterling airs, finished the month with a 0.1 rating.
In a market such as Indy, home to the Colts, Pacers, IU, Purdue and Butler, there is room for plenty of sports talk. But is there enough room for this much? Or is it just a matter of time until one falls off the airwaves?
"I think there's room. I sure hope there is," said Jeff Smulyan, founder and CEO of Emmis Communications, which owns WFNI. He's also the man who invented the format, launching the first 24-hour sports talk station in New York in July 1987. "Ultimately, it's up to what the audience wants."
The hosts of the three shows say that there is a market for all to survive. All three shy away from talking ratings. In fact, all say that they don't even consider one another competitors, and that the more high-quality shows there are, the better.
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