Three Eagles Communications confirmed Thursday that ESPN 1480 will return by March 8, maybe sooner.

The Lincoln-based company had dropped sports talk in favor of oldies music at the radio station (KLMS 1480 AM) during the last week in January.

"We listened to the public," Three Eagles general manager Joy Patten said. "We decided to make that decision."

KLMS had been a sports talk station -- Lincoln's only one -- since 1997 and an ESPN affiliate since 2000. Patten said Three Eagles made the switch to music for financial reasons.

But since the change, several listeners have called and e-mailed Three Eagles to express their disappointment, Patten said.

"Which was good," she said. "We want to hear from the community. We are a locally oriented company."

The KLMS lineup will be the same as before, including Jim Rome, who is not an ESPN personality. His show is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks.

The station also will continue to carry Lincoln Stars hockey and Kansas City Royals baseball.

Patten said there will be no live, local show, but the station is open to producing another one. Its previous live show featured former Nebraska football player Jason Peter.

"We're going to work on that," she said.

"Nebraska Outdoors" may or may not return to the station, Patten said. Produced by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the outdoor show currently has a new home at 6 p.m. Thursdays on KFOR (1240 AM).