The Josh Innes Show - Will Sports Radio 610 Moving To FM Be A Big Win?

Episode Date: August 6, 2026

If you haven't heard, Sports Radio 610 in Houston is moving to FM. Admittedly, I'm jealous. Why? Well, with the talent we had there 15 years ago, we'd have become one of the top sports stations in the country on FM. With that said, in 2026, does it even matter? Will this benefit the audience? What would have happened if the station flipped in 2012?

All right, let me see here. My Twitter is currently pregnant with people tweeting me about 975. I got to do is tweet one thing about 975 or Philly Radio. One person retweets it and then all the sudden you're getting inundated with McDougal tweets all day. Most of which are not ripping me anymore. I've hit that point now where people don't rip me as much anymore in Philly. I'm like a piece of nostalgia to people, you know? Like they think radio there is so bad that they're like.

like, we want you back, you know, which again, I'm never going back. I could. I very well could. In fact, I know for a fact, I could. And if I didn't have a job right now, like, you know, it's amazing about jobs, you know, like, nobody wants to hire you or nobody calls you when you have a job or when you don't have a job, you know, when you're out of work, it's like you're calling people looking for work. Second, you get a job. It's like, hey, here's eight other jobs you could have. So I'll put it this way. I know for a fact, I could be important. I could be employed in Philadelphia today. I know for a fact I could. But anyway, that's neither here nor there. Let me play a couple commercials. I don't have, I can't find the text that I got or the

tweet I got to give credit to who it was. Might have been Rolando who asked about, uh, the stuff with, uh, 610 in Houston. So let me play a few commercials and we'll do that. All right. So 610 in Houston. The question was like, what does it mean for the listeners or is it good for us that the station's on FM? Yeah, it's not bad. It's not. It's not. There's no bad about going from a dinky f.m. signal to an FM signal. There's nothing wrong with that. That's a positive. My issue is, and it's just because I'm a jealous person and you guys know this. If you listen to me, I get bitter about things. I do not believe we are in the golden era of sports radio 610 in Houston, right? Like, I just don't think we're in a good era of sports radio in general in Houston.

I think there was a great moment in time. And maybe I'm giving myself too much credit here. but there was a time when John and Lance, the whole thing happened where they started 1560 and there was that moment in time that 1560 was this really hot thing and they were kind of renegades and they were saying fuck the establishment and that was kind of a cool fucking thing. So people were like listening to that and saying fuck 610, whatever.

And this was like kind of right around the time Gavin got there right before Gavin got to 610. And so they kind of had their brief moment of people listening to that station. It was really cool. I think Gavin came in and said fuck them. They're nothing. Let's go beat everybody. So then Gavin's got Mark Vandemar there.

He hires John Lopez. I want to say I was probably like the third person that was hired by Gavin. I know he hired John. They needed someone to work with Mark and John. They hired me to work with Mark and John. Matt Jackson eventually left to go to 790 because that's what 790 did. Their whole thing was just take whoever worked it was making less money over at 610, pay them to go to 975 or rather 790 and see what would happen.

and nothing never really happened. But in that era, where it was still competitive and people were still into it, you had us, they had eventually hired Mike Meltzer, you had John Rich Lord, John Lopez. Then you'd go over there and Charlie was over on 790, and never been a fan of Charlie, but Charlie was a name and you had him. And you had 975, which was still kind of in playing. Carl Dukes was there.

I mean, look at the number of people who were on the race. in that 2009 to like 2013 window in Houston that have gone on to other things. I've gone on to other things and had some successes and some shitty situations. Carl Dukes left 97-5 and eventually went on to Atlanta to basically launch this FM sports station and he's been there for damn near two decades, I think, now at this point, and he's doing fucking awesome. He's basically the guy on that station and he's killing it. Whether you like Nick or not, he's on Fox. Melzer still does shit on Sirius XM.

John, or Lance Zerlein, rather, is on NFL network doing shit and still has a radio show. You know, Van der Mears the voice of the Texans. I mean, just go down the list of people who were involved with the radio in that era. You know, Paul went on to do mornings. Bootsie went on to do mornings in fucking Seattle. Like, that era was a good era of talent. And that's mostly because Gavin hired talented. people and wasn't afraid to look out of the city to hire talented people.

So, and I'll give Matt Thomas. They brought in Matt Thomas, who I think does a really good job, you know. Like, they have talented people. That was kind of the, to me, that 09 to 13, and am I saying that because I was part of it, sure, but the 09 to 13 window there of sports talk radio in Houston was very good. And then it coincided with the Texans getting good for the first time. And it coincided with good management because Gavin was the manager of that. and he was fucking fantastic,

and there were so many good things going on. I feel like that was the apex. And even as an AM station, we were pulling really good fucking ratings for an AM radio station. We were consistently, and I wasn't as deep in the ratings in because Gavin wouldn't show me them because I'm a psycho, so I never got to see them as much.

But we were consistently a damn strong, highly rated afternoon radio show, and the whole station was highly rated for an AM station, right, in that era. And if they would have moved that station to FM, it pretty much would have killed everybody else and 790 would be an afterthought right now 975 is an afterthought

they're all basically afterthought especially after this move happens but anyway point being in this when you look at what could have happened had they made the decision to flip one of those FM stations to sports in say 2012 Texans are coming off their first playoff year

Gavin's still there me and Richard kicking ass I think at that point maybe Nick is doing mornings. Now, what also hurt them is they let Nick run the station into the ground because it became MSNBC. Like if you want to go into a deep dive, and this isn't even a personal thing against Nick. Like I don't, I've buried a lot of hatchets that I have with a lot of people. I don't hold grudges as much anymore, you know. If Adam Clanton came up to me today and said, what's up?

I'm not going to fist fight the guy. I'm going to say, shit happened, whatever. You know, like, I'm not operating in that way. I'm damn near 40 years old and I don't feel the need to have to fight with people all the time, right? life's too short for that shit. It doesn't mean that I'm not bitter about shit. Doesn't mean that I'm not a curmudgeon about shit. But I don't feel the need to fight with people or not forgive people about certain things.

Unless you're someone I think is a total non-talent that pissed me off. Like, I don't think I'll ever forgive Cody Stutes. This is so random. Like, these are the kind of people I hold grudges against. And I think I've told to this story, but Cody Stutes eventually worked on 610. But when I was on 610 and we were killing it, Cody Stutes would message me about how much I sucked in how much 1560 was awesome and they kicked our ass and we were losers and we were homers and fuck you. And then he eventually worked at 610 and I will never like those kind of people I say can eat all the shit.

Like fuck that guy. And I know that's a random guy to feel that way about. Like Adam Clanton I legitimately had like beefs with and you know it cost us jobs and everything. If Adam Clanton walked up to me today and was like bury the hatch and I'd be like, I don't give a fuck, fine, whatever, you know. It was what it was. But like if a dingus like Cody Stutes comes up. to me after talking all that shit about me. Like, I don't like the hypocrisy.

You talked all that shit about me for working at 610, and then you take a job at 610. Eat shit. Anyway, that's either here nor that. I digress. But if that radio station would have gone to FM in that era, I think it would have become one of the biggest radio stations in America. Now, do I think it would have been, you know, the sports hub in Boston?

No. Do I think it would have been WFAN? No. Do I think it would have been WIP? No. But could it have been on a level of, say, the score in Chicago, a station that just recently went to FM? Sure. Could it have been like the fan in Dallas or the ticket in Dallas?

Maybe not the ticket in Dallas, because the ticket's got this weird phenomenon where they're just this juggernaut of a radio station and I don't get it. But could it have been on a level of Gavin's station in Dallas where he is now? Yeah. And by the way, if Gavin would have never left to go to Dallas, I don't believe that radio station would have become what it became. We would have been a bigger radio station than that one. I believe we would have been in terms of sound. I believe in terms of reach, because we're already in a huge city, Market 6 at that point. It wouldn't have been on the level of fan, WIP, or Sports Hub.

Outside of that, I think Sports Radio 610 in Houston on FM in 2012 would have been one of the five biggest sports radio stations in the country. And I think it would have sounded better probably than any of them maybe outside of the Sports Hub. I think it would have been a better sounding station than the fan in New York. I think it would have been a better sounding station than WIP. It would have been a good radio station. But they never did that. They just kept it on AM. And it's still on AM, I guess, until tomorrow.

Was it the 7th? Do they flip it on the 7th? Or have they already done it? I don't know. So the question was, how does it impact us? Is it good for us as listeners? It's not bad. I mean, it's crystal clear.

It's on FM cool. But I have a. actually was texting Jim mud about this and he's like, you're too bitter. And I'm like, okay, fine, Jim. But I told him that I found it funny that they were making such a huge deal out of going to FM. It's 2026, you know, podcast. I mean, people have been listening to your shows on podcasts for 15 years. They've heard it crystal clear. I feel like they're late to the party. Now, better late than never, right? Like, I mean, it's better to be on FM now than it would be to be, you know, still on AM. But I think they, they miss the window is, I think, what,

happen. I think if they would have, it'll still be impactful. I think it hurts, I mean, because the big picture is money, right? Now, what they have to find a way to do is generate money for not only the sports station, but they have to make up for the revenue they're losing from the music station they're replacing. So basically, 610 to try to, you know, to get in the weeds a little bit here, 610 will have to basically double their revenue to make up for the fact that that company, Odyssey, is losing however much money each month they're bill. from the music station. So, like, just to throw out two random numbers

because I don't know the numbers that these radio stations generate. But let's say in a yearly basis, 610 generates $5 or $6 million a year in revenue. Okay, sales, all that, $6 million. I don't know, that might be low. Very well could be.

I'm just throwing out random numbers for the sake of a comparison here and for a talk here. So let's say they generate $6 million. And let's say the music station they're replacing, generated four. So that's $10 million between two stations. Well, now that station that was generating $4 million is going away. But you can't get rid of 610. You still have the AM frequency all that.

So you still have that station. So 610 in the programming on 610, which was generating $6 million a year in this example, now you have to make up for the $4 million that you're losing from that other station. A little business talk, a little radio business jargon for you. So then in theory, that station would didn't have to generate $10 million to make up for the revenue you were losing. Now, could it? Maybe. I think it would have 15 years ago. Again, that's bitter old Josh who's angry that they never put the station on FM and they waited too long to do it. But will they be able to do that?

How does that impact you as the listener? That doesn't impact you at all. That's a business thing. From a listener standpoint, there is no negative about being on FM. And Jim was making fun of me and kind of saying, Josh, you're being saying, so bitter about this, you would have been throwing a parade if we were on FM, and now you're ripping them for throwing a parade for being on FM. Yes, but I think they waited too long to do it. I don't think it's as impactful in 2026. If I'm a listener and I'm like, oh my God, they're moving

to FM. It's like, well, I listen to you on a podcast or a stream anyway. I listen to you on the I heart radio app. I listen to you on the Odyssey app. You know what I'm saying? You sound crystal clear to me already. Do you think I'm dependent upon you being on AM for me to listen to you? Do you think I flip Like I'd like to know how many people just flip on the AM dial and listen to the straight up AM dial to listen to that station anyway. So as a listener, I don't think it's that much of a difference. 15 years ago, I think it would have been. And I think 15 years ago, that was a better radio station 15 years ago.

I left Seth out of that too. I think Seth is good. And Seth was part of that station back in the later stage of that era, too. I don't know if he was there when Gavin was there. I think he was there for a little bit of Gavin maybe. But anyway, point being is Seth is also very good. And I have nothing against, like I think that Sean Pendergast is a good guy, and I have nothing against him.

But that cast of characters they have on that station right now is inferior to what we had then. And I know that sounds like old man yells at Cloud, and that's fine. This is just an observation. I would tell you if I thought this show was better than the show. I don't believe that show for show there's one show that is on there, now that is better than what 610 was putting out 15 years ago. So I'm bothered by it only because I wanted to be part of it.

So I acknowledge that. The bitterness is because I wanted to be part of it. The bitterness is if we were on FM in 2011, who knows, maybe Gavin doesn't leave. If we're on FM in 2011, maybe I never leave because maybe by 2013 we're a juggernaut on FM. and we're generating tons of cash and life is good. Or maybe I was just destined to go to Philadelphia anyway. Who knows? But big picture, that's where I'm bitter.

So when I got dingus as like Jim Mud telling me, oh, Josh, you're just bitter and you would have been super excited that had we moved to FM. Yes, I would have. But if we would have moved to FM in that era, like I love a good what if, right? We talk about what ifs all the time on here. It's one of my favorite things.

What if, what if? What would have this one happen? Think about this one. what if in 2011, fresh off the Texans' first playoff run, they're going into 2012, they end up winning, what, 12 games that year? If we go to FM prior to the 2012, even prior to 2013, because remember the hype was still high going into 2013, and they won the first two games of 2013, one of which was like a 30-point comeback on Monday night football to start the year, I think, against San Diego.

And then the shop pick six has started happening. but if let's just say before the 2013 season let's say in let's say August 7th August 7th of 2013 that radio station goes to FM what happens July of 2013 if it goes what happens you know so and I wonder that I but I don't because I know it would happen it would have become one of the biggest radio stations in the country as of right now it's a little AM station that's now putting programming that isn't as good on FM. Look, it's still going to dominate there. Fine, but it's not dominating like it was when we were there. And I get it. I'm a bitter old man. And I'm like, what about my era guy? I get it. But anyway, to answer the question, I think that was Rolando who asked that question. I don't think it makes your listening experience exponentially better, especially if you listen via podcast or listen by a, you know, HD radio or

stream anyway. I think it helps them in sales because I think you can sell an FM sports station better than an AM. Like you go into a client today and you're like, listen, we're in crystal clear FM 100,000 watts. Let's go. Do you want to go spend your money on some dinky AM station? Or do you want to spend it on a hundred thousand watt flame thrower? Like that helps. But I do wonder, and I'm skeptical of if they're going to be able to make up the money they're going to lose from getting rid of the music station. Because again, you have to basically double your revenue at that point. So we'll see.

Anyway, more to come.