WBNS-FM - Wikipedia

WBNS-FM
Columbus, Ohio

Broadcast area	Columbus, Ohio
Frequency	97.1 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding	97.1 The Fan
Programming
Format	Sports
Affiliations	Columbus Blue Jackets NFL on Westwood One Ohio State IMG Sports Network
Ownership
Owner	RadiOhio Incorporated (RadiOhio Incorporated)
Sister stations	WBNS, WBNS-TV
History
First air date	1957
Call sign meaning	Wolfes' Banks News and Shoes
Technical information
Facility ID	54701
Class	B
ERP	20,500 watts
HAAT	238 meters
Transmitter coordinates	39°58′16.0″N 83°01′40.0″W / 39.971111°N 83.027778°W / 39.971111; -83.027778
Links
Website	97.1 The Fan

WBNS-FM (97.1 FM, 97.1 The Fan) is a radio station in Columbus, Ohio airing a sports radio format. The station is locally owned by Radiohio Incorporated, along with WBNS (1460 AM). WBNS-FM's studios, offices and transmitter are located west of Downtown Columbus, near the confluence of the Olentangy and Scioto rivers.

WBNS-FM features a combination of local programming and ESPN Radio programming. Along with sister station WBNS (AM), it is the FM flagship of the Ohio State IMG Sports Network,^[1] the exclusive flagship for the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets,^[2] and the Columbus affiliate for the NFL on Westwood One.

History

WBNS-AM experimented with FM as early as 1940 with station W8XVH, which became W45CM and later WELD, but took the station off the air in the early 1950s. The modern day station debuted as WBNS-FM in 1957, and in 1970 began airing a music format. In 1979, an Easy Listening music format was adopted.

In November 1991 the station moved from Easy Listening, to Oldies, and the station became "Oldies B-97.1". Almost ten years later, in July 2001, WBNS-FM moved to Modern AC as "The New 97.1", with a mix of pop alternative music.

Eventually, the station evolved with a Hot AC format as "97.1-More Music, More Variety." In August, 2005, the station adopted the Hot AC-friendly "Mix" name and became "Mix 97.1-80s, 90s, Now."

Conversion to sports format

On January 26, 2009, at 2 PM, the station began a simulcast of AM sister station WBNS ("1460 The Fan"), airing a sports format, as 97.1 The Fan. The final song played on Mix 97.1 was "Leave Out All The Rest" by Linkin Park.

Local programming on WBNS-FM includes "Tim and Beanie" with Tim Hall and former OSU and NFL running back Beanie Wells, from 10:00am to 12:00pm, "Carpenter & Rothman" with former OSU and NFL linebacker Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Rothman from Noon to 3:00pm, "Common Man and T-Bone" with Mike Ricordati and Jonathan "T-Bone" Smith from 3:00pm to 6:00pm, and "The Buckeye Show" with Mark "The Shark" Howell from 6:00pm–7:00pm.^[3]

References

External links

97.1 The Fan
WBNS in the FCC FM station database
WBNS in Nielsen Audio's FM station database

Links to related articles

Radio stations in the Columbus, Ohio, metropolitan area

By AM frequency

By FM frequency

LPFM	91.9 92.7 96.7 98.5 102.1
Translators	92.9 W225CM W225CS 94.1 95.9 96.7 98.3 98.7 99.3 W257CU W257EQ 102.9 104.5 W283BO W283CL 104.7 105.3 W287CL W287CP

Digital radio
by frequency & subchannel

By call sign

Defunct

Nearby regions: Cincinnati; Dayton; Lima/Findlay; Mid-Ohio; Southern Ohio; Parkersburg-Marietta

See also: List of radio stations in Ohio

Notes: 1. Now internet-only

v t e Sports radio stations in the state of Ohio
Ashtabula WFUN Cincinnati WCKY WSAI Cleveland WARF WKNR WKRK-FM Columbus WBNS WBNS-FM WMNI Dayton WING WONE Fostoria WFOB Lima WWSR Mansfield/Mid-Ohio WNCO WRGM Marietta/St. Marys WV WJAW Massillon/Canton WTIG Middleport/Pomeroy WMPO Portsmouth WNXT Toledo WCWA WQQO-HD2 Wellston WYPC Youngstown WBBW WNIO
See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Ohio See also ESPN Radio Fox Sports Radio CBS Sports Radio NBC Sports Radio Sports Byline USA SportsMap Radio

v t e ESPN Radio stations in the state of Ohio
Full-time affiliates	Ashtabula WFUN Cincinnati WCKY Columbus WBNS WBNS-FM Cleveland WKNR Dayton WING Lima WWSR Logan WLGN Mansfield WRGM Marietta/St. Marys WV WJAW Massillon WTIG Middleport WMPO Portsmouth WNXT
Part-time affiliates	Archbold WMTR-FM Bellefontaine WBLL Celina WCSM Centerville WKBV Findlay WFIN Marietta WMOA Paulding WKSD Uhrichsville WBTC
See also List of ESPN Radio affiliates See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Ohio See also ESPN Radio Fox Sports Radio CBS Sports Radio NBC Sports Radio Sports Byline USA SportsMap Radio

Template:Dispatch Printing Company

v t e Columbus Blue Jackets
Founded in 2000 Based in Columbus, Ohio
Franchise	Team General managers Coaches Players Captains Draft picks Expansion draft Seasons Current season
History	Records Award winners Broadcasters
Personnel	Owner(s) John P. McConnell General manager Don Waddell Head coach Vacant Team captain Boone Jenner Current roster
Arena	Nationwide Arena
Affiliates	AHL Cleveland Monsters
Media	TV Bally Sports Ohio Radio Columbus Blue Jackets Radio Network
Culture and lore	Stinger "The Sweep" Death of Brittanie Cecil Matiss Kivlenieks "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" 2025 NHL Stadium Series
Category WikiProject Commons

v t e Ohio State Buckeyes football
Venues	Recreation Park (1890–1897) Ohio Field (1898–1921) Ohio Stadium (1922–present) Woody Hayes Athletic Center (practice)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Illinois: Illibuck Trophy Michigan (The Ten Year War) Penn State
Culture & lore	History Block O Brutus Buckeye "Across the Field" "Buckeye Battle Cry" "Carmen Ohio" "Hang On Sloopy" Marching band Neutron Man The Ten Year War Snow Bowl (1950) 1969 Michigan game 1973 Michigan game The Kick Holy Buckeye 2005 Texas game 2006 Michigan game 2016 Penn State game
Media	WBNS-TV WBNS WBNS-FM Ohio State Sports Network
People	Head coaches All-Century Team NFL draftees Statistical leaders Retired numbers
Seasons	1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

v t e Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball
Venues	The Armory (1897–1918) Fairgrounds Coliseum (1918–1956) St. John Arena (1956–1998) Value City Arena (1998–present)
Rivalries	Michigan
Culture & lore	Brutus Buckeye Buckeye Nuthouse WBNS WBNS-FM Ohio State Sports Network
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1897–98 1898–99 1899–1900 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics