Courtesy KMOX

(January 31, 2011) KMOX and the Cardinals made a lot of people happy on September 1, 2010, when it was announced that this station would once again broadcast baseball games on its 50,000-watt signal, continuing one of the long-standing sports relationships in broadcast history.

Tonight, the home of the Cardinals, Blues and Mizzou will debut a new program: ”The Sports Hub.” It will air from 9:00 PM to midnight on KMOX, featuring an array of guests, features and commentary, continuing a tradition of compelling sports talk in St. Louis.

We’ve brought in credible, experienced talent to handle the hosting duties: Chris Kerber, the radio voice of the Blues; Cardinals TV play-by-play man Dan McLaughlin; longtime St. Louis sports radio host Mike Claiborne; and host/reporter/college play-by-play announcer Scott Warmann. The four of them carry the KMOX tradition of creating, through hard work, the insightful sports coverage that our listeners expect. And all four understand the historical significance of this move.

KMOX is a pioneer of sports talk radio in America, having created the nation’s first sports talk show, “Sports Open Line,” in the early 1960′s. What followed was a parade of sports radio programs and stations – some classic, some raucous — but none that could quite replicate “Sports Open Line” and the connection it had with its listeners.

And none of them could outlast “Sports Open Line.” It still airs nightly from 6:15-9:00 on America’s Sports Voice, hosted by Kevin Wheeler, a brilliant sports enthusiast whose best attribute is his ability to challenge conventional sports thinking. Joining Wheeler on select shows is the venerable Ron Jacober, a St. Louis Radio Hall of Famer with decades of hosting and play-by-play duties touching his storied career. The show will continue to follow the classic format of topic-driven discussion among hosts, guests and callers.

The sports talk landscape is also changing. There are more ways to voice your opinion, get your news and follow your favorite team. “The Sports Hub” will combine all of those elements into a live three-hour show that will move quickly and deliver timely, impactful and thought-provoking sports content. It’s a glimpse into the future of sports radio, while in many ways serving as a tribute to those who built KMOX into a sports powerhouse.

Jack Buck, Harry Caray and Joe Garagiola. Bob Broeg and Bob Burnes. Bob Costas and Dan Dierdorf. Dan Kelly and Bob Starr. Gary Bender, Bill Wilkerson and Joe Buck. And the person responsible for setting the standard for sports talk in this country: Robert Hyland.

When we roll out “The Sports Hub” tonight, we’ll tip our cap to the names of the past. They not only made it acceptable to talk sports on the radio, they made it a wildly successful endeavor. We’ll honor them with a lineup that includes Cardinals play-by-play voices Mike Shannon and John Rooney, Kerber, McLaughlin, Wheeler, Jacober, Claiborne and Warmann. Mike Kelly, the voice of the Missouri Tigers, hosts weekly “Tiger Talk” programs from Columbia, Mo. KMOX golf editor Dan Reardon chips in with analysis and coverage.

What sets them apart? They make up the only sports department in St. Louis that routinely travels with the teams, providing behind-the-scenes access and exclusive interviews. And they all truly enjoy their interaction with you.

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