Cox Media Group Birmingham Has Game Plan to Launch New 24-Hour Sports Talk

BIRMINGHAM – Tuesday Aug. 30 is game day forCox Media Group (CMG) Birmingham when it makes history by launching its new 24-hour sports-talk station.
The new station, which will be called “The Zone,” will be carried on 97.3 FM, and it will include a weekday 6 to 9 a.m. morning show co-hosted by Alabama radio play-by-play announcer Eli Gold and Auburn color analyst and former Auburn Tigers quarterback Stan White. Additionally, long-time sports radio fixture Matt Coulter, who previously worked at WJOX, will be on air noon to 3 p.m. The station also will carry Tim Brando’s syndicated show.
“We’re excited to give Central Alabama a great new choice for sports talk,” said CMG Birmingham’s VP and General Manager David DuBose. “College football is the leading topic all year in Alabama, and we’re giving sports fans a station with the biggest names in college football: Eli Gold and Stan White; host of the College Football Today on CBS Tim Brando; and a great local talent Matt Coulter. The Rick and Bubba Show, two football nuts, will be on every afternoon. Plus, we’ll be an affiliate of one of the biggest sports brands there is – Yahoo Sports Radio. We have a unique station that sports fans will love.”
The Zone will also be home to the Atlanta Falcons, now the home team for former Alabama players Mike Johnson, Julio Jones and John Parker Wilson; select Thursday night college football games; NFL games every Sunday and on several Monday and Thursday nights; high school Football Fridays, including a live game of the week beginning at 6:30p.m.; Saturday and Sunday fishing, hunting and golf programs; weekend health and fitness shows; and weekend car shows.

About Cox Media Group
Cox Media Group, Inc. is an integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital media company that includes the national advertising rep firms of Cox Reps. With $1.8 billion in revenue, the company operations include 15 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 85 radio stations, eight daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services. Additionally, CMG owns and operates Valpak, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America. For more information about Cox Media Group, please check us out online at www.coxmediagroup.com.