BOB-FM's HD-2 version switching to sports betting format

With the sports betting craze rising to new heights in popularity, highly rated 96.9 BOB-FM (WRRK) is switching the HD-2 version of its programming from music to a 24/7 sports betting format. The HD-1 format will remain the same.

The “full-flip,” as the station’s owners are calling it, takes place Friday at 7 p.m., two days before Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals in Los Angeles.

BOB-FM is a highly rated variety hits radio station owned by Saul Frischling through licensee WPNT Media Subsidiary LLC. There is an HD-1 version of BOB-FM which carries identical programming, while the HD-2 version has carried a slightly altered music format.

The content for the sports betting format will be provided by the Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSIN) and the station will be rebranded as Bet Sports Radio. It will deliver news and analysis from sports betting experts and bookmakers for the increasing number of people betting on sports.

“As sports betting expands within Pennsylvania and across the country, there’s a real appetite for credible sports betting content,” said Michael Frischling, vice president of Steel City Media, owners of BOB-FM.

Hosts will include oddsmakers such as Trafford native Jimmy Vaccaro and iconic sportscaster Brent Musburger who will deliver “Action Updates” three times a day on weekdays.

“VSIN is thrilled to work with Steel City Media to bring relevant, 24/7 sports betting coverage to sports fans in Pittsburgh for the first time,” said Musburger, founder and CEO of VSIN.

“The new Bet Sports Radio has a strong signal in a great sports town located in one of the top sports betting markets in the country,” he said. “As the leading voice in sports betting, this is a great opportunity for us to deliver the insights and analysis Pittsburgh sports bettors need to make more informed sports wagers.”

In recent years, states like Pennsylvania have legalized sports betting and last September, USA Today reported that Goldman Sachs projects online sports betting could grow 40% annually over the next decade.

“With some of the highest-rated independent stations in the market, we saw this unique format as a great compliment to our programming,” said Gregg Frischling, general manager of Steel City Media. “With the incredible growth sports betting has seen in recent months, we saw this as a great opportunity to monetize the specialized content VSIN delivers.”