Two months ago, Bob Ramsey left sports-talk radio station KFNS to enter the news-talk format for the first time in his lengthy sportscasting career. He made the switch because of what he said was “security” at his new employer, KTRS.
Ramsey’s move proved to be fruitful, as KFNS (590 AM) dropped its local programming last week in a cost-cutting measure as owner Dave Zobrist looks for a buyer. Longtime St. Louis sportscaster Frank Cusumano stayed at KFNS until the end, and like Ramsey is moving from jock-jabber to the general news-talk format. He’s set to join Wendy Wiese on KTRS (550 AM) from 10 a.m.-noon weekdays — the same slot he had at KFNS — beginning Aug. 5. He replaces Jennifer Blome, who recently retired.
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“I don’t think it will be a tough transition,” said Cusumano, who also is the sports director at KSDK (Channel 5) and has been on the air in the market for three decades. “I’ll still get my sports fix by working 50 hours a week at KSDK. This will be a refreshing alternative.”
KTRS general manager Mark Dorsey said Thursday that while the show Cusumano will be on currently touches on a wide range of non-athletics topics, there will be occasions when he’ll discuss sports.
“There will be a blend of that here and there,” Dorsey said. “We think he’ll excel at this (format) and show St. Louis just how versatile he is. We’ve had our eye on Frank, we like what he does on TV and what he has done on the radio.”
He’ll be working with Wiese, who has plenty of experience sharing airtime with a sportscaster. She teamed with Bill Wilkerson for many years.
“I’ve worked with lots of ‘sports guys,’ I even married one,” Wiese said. “Frank is a great guy with such wide-ranging interests. I know the conversations are going to be fun. We’ve already bonded over (the TV series) ‘Suits!’”
Cusumano said he talked to several other stations about a job but that 550 is the best fit for him.
“I went in with an open mind,” he said. “Then the day after I spoke with Mark Dorsey, I woke up and looked at the clock and it was 5:50.”
He said he woke up his wife, Monique, to discuss the omen but “she just went back to sleep.”
He said he also talked to Ramsey about making the move from sports to general talk, and Ramsey was positive about that. There also were other selling points.
“It’s the perfect time slot for me,” Cusumano, 62, said. “The station has an incredibly powerful signal and I’m surrounded by a bunch of people who are standout broadcasters for decades. I want to play a nice role on a real good team. ... I’d like this to be my last radio job.”
Dorsey added that Cusumano is not necessarily the final KFNS alum who might join KTRS this summer.
“We shall see,” he said.