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Newsradio 970 AM WFLA Mobile News Unit SUV (with the previous 970 WFLA logo on the side of vehicle).

970 WFLA is a Fox News Radio-affiliated conservative news/talk radio station in Tampa, Florida that airs mostly syndicated programming. It has long been the dominant force in talk radio in the market. The station once had one of the largest radio news staffs in Florida. It has since had worker layoffs in newsroom and traffic reporting towards the end of 2007. While the station formely provided hourly newscasts, WFLA has ceased some evening newscasts.

The station's image names are "Newsradio 970 WFLA," "Fox News-radio 970 WFLA," or simply "970 WFLA." The station is owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications, Inc., the largest U.S. radio owner.

The station's locally-focused morning show is the area's most listened to information program in the morning. It's hosted by veteran Tampa Bay broadcasters Jack Harris, Tedd Webb, and Sharon Taylor. The station is also the home and flagship for Todd Schnitt, and features programs hosted by Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Jeff Fisher, Eben Brown, and Earl Pitts Uhmerikun.

National news is provided, as the name implies, by Fox News Radio. Features from the CBS Radio Network also are heard on the network.

970 WFLA is perhaps best known nationally as the station that gave nationally syndicated hosts Beck and Lionel their starts in talk radio. Other prominent alumni under different WFLA ownership include Bob Lassiter, Jay Marvin and Jack Ellery.

The station is the home of University of South Florida Bulls football games. Jim Louk is the play-by-play announcer, and Mark Robinson serves as color analyst. Both Jim Lighthall and Jeff Fisher serve as pregame, halftime, and postgame hosts of the broadcasts.

The station was not the first Tampa AM radio station to do talk radio; it has since become the market's most successful talk radio station after its owner, Clear Channel, sold competing stronger signals to religious and Hispanic broadcast concerns, leaving only weaker signals for other local talk stations. WWBA (AM), another Tampa station had attempted local afternoon programming but has a much weaker signal and wasn't able to generate audience interest.

WFLA in the past was known for featuring local hosts who talked about local, state and national issues; today, the station carries no local weekday call-in shows, a fact not missed by other observers. Tampa is one of the largest U.S. radio markets without having any local weekday talk shows.

• 970WFLA Home Page
• Query the FCC's AM station database for WFLA
• Radio Locator Information on WFLA
• Daniel Ruth Show Blog
• Listen to WFLA Online
• Programming Schedule