Radio One to Flip KROI/Houston to ''News 92 FM''

RADIO ONLINE | Saturday, October 29, 2011 | 1:45am CT

Radio One has announced plans to flip Gospel KROI-FM (Praise 92.1)/Houston to News/Talk as "News 92 FM" beginning the week of November 14. The Gospel format moves to co-owned Urban KMJQ-FM (Majic 102)'s HD2 multicast channel. The new 24/7 news outlet will utilize ABC News Radio and Associated Press Platinum along with a programming team led by veteran News Director Denise Bishop.

The morning news will be anchored by Texas Radio Hall of Famers J.P. Pritchard and Lana Hughes, who served the Houston market as a broadcast duo for over 27 years. Additional duties throughout the day will be handled by Mike Barajas, Scott Braddock, Carolyn Campbell, Kevin Charles, Brent Clanton, Lanny Griffith, Laurie Kendrick, Martha Martinez, Bonnie Petrie, Matt Sampsell, Pattie Shieh, Meteorologist Dr. Joe Sobel, Craig Roberts and Jorge Vargas.

Radio One Regional VP Doug Abernethy said, "Our review of Houston's broadcast landscape told us that those listeners interested in local news as well as national news were being poorly served, so we decided to make a commitment to delivering the news in a dependable fashion. People want to hear about news as it happens, and they shouldn't have to wait until their radio station 'catches up'. We'll deliver the news as it unfolds."

Ed Shane, founder and President of Houston-based Shane Media Services, is serving as Project Manager on the format flip. "We're going to give people the facts without the biased opinions that dominate so-called news stations," added Shane. "We've assembled an A-list of broadcast journalists whose mission is to report the news and let people make up their own minds."