Courtesy Montgomery Advertiser

(April 4, 2010) An obvious question arises regarding last week's sto ry on the new all-sports radio station in Montgomery, WTXK (FM 107.5 and AM 1210). The station is syndicating WJOX programing in the morning and early afternoon.

What it is not syndicating is the crown jewel of the WJOX menu, The Paul Finebaum Radio Network.

It's not a question of "Why not?"; the show already airs in Montgomery on WMSP-AM 740. The real question is, will Paul Finebaum's show follow the other WJOX programs to WTXK?

Finebaum's folks talked a lot this week about loyalty, and in the case of SportsRadio 740, the talk is sincere. WMSP was the first affiliate of the Finebaum show, which is strong enough to work its own syndication deal separate from the station. That is not insignificant.

But the simple fact is, sports talk radio -- and talk radio in general -- is fleeing from AM stations like they have the plague. A family member who visited me recently could not believe there's not an FM station in this market that carries Rush Limbaugh's show.

Talk radio on AM is dying everywhere, and that's going to be the case here eventually. Already, the talk shows that had been on WACV-AM 1170 have moved to a sister affiliate on FM.

So, even though Finebaum and WMSP recently celebrated their 10th anniversary, don't be surprised to see the show moving to WTXK in the near future. I know WTXK owner Al Stroh wants the show badly and actually courted Finebaum before WTXK was up and running.

Finebaum Network director Pat Smith chose his words carefully this week, but it's easy to read between the lines.

"Radio is an evolving business and the current trend nationwide is to put news and sports talk stations on FM signals," he wrote in an e-mail. "We've been on FM in Birmingham for three years and have shown tremendous growth. Currently our affiliate in Huntsville went FM to join our other FM affiliates in Tuscaloosa, Dothan, Mobile, Selma, Florence and Tallassee."

If Smith were an athletic director talking about his embattled football coach, you'd be wondering if the coach was going to be fired this week or next.

It might take longer than two weeks, but it's hard to believe Finebaum won't be on FM in Montgomery sooner rather than later.

Maybe then those of us in the areas surrounding Montgomery won't lose the show at sunset.

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