In 2022, Milwaukee sports-talk station WSSP-AM (1250) made a significant change by dropping all of its local programming and local on-air hosts in favor of CBS sports content. However, Audacy, the station’s parent company, has now decided to bring back a local show to their lineup.
WSSP will air “Wisconsin Sports Daily” from 2 to 5 p.m. on weekdays starting on April 15. The show will be hosted by Steve “Sparky” Fifer, a local sports-talk veteran who remained at the station as assistant program director after the changes were made. This move may provide a mix of local sports coverage and CBS content for listeners in the Milwaukee area.
The addition of a local show to WSSP’s programming could be a welcome change for sports fans in Milwaukee who missed the local perspective and connection that on-air hosts provide. With Sparky Fifer leading “Wisconsin Sports Daily,” listeners can expect an experienced and knowledgeable voice discussing all things Wisconsin sports during the afternoon drive time slot. This move could help WSSP regain some of its local audience and maintain relevance in the competitive sports-talk radio market.
The decision by Audacy to replace WSSP’s local on-air lineup with national CBS sports content led to the lay off of 12 on-air personalities in 2022. Despite this, it is clear that there is still demand for locally produced content among listeners in Milwaukee.
Radio Insight reported that WSSP will air “Wisconsin Sports Daily” from 2 to 5 p.m. on weekdays starting on April 15th. The show will be hosted by Steve “Sparky” Fifer, who has been with the station since its early days as an assistant program director and has continued to work there despite the recent changes.
The addition of “Wisconsin Sports Daily” to WSSP’s programming could be seen as an attempt by Audacy to cater to both their national audience and those in Milwaukee who desire more locally produced content.
It remains to be seen how successful this new approach will be for WSSP in terms of ratings and audience engagement, but it is clear that there is still demand for locally produced content among listeners in Milwaukee.
