Clovis station switches to news format

CLOVIS — Area listeners will have to look elsewhere for their sports talk now that KCLV-AM 1240 in Clovis dropped its ESPN Radio programming.

KCLV switched to a talk radio format on Jan. 1.

Rick Keefer, general manager of Zia Broadcasting, said ESPN Radio had been on KCLV for 10 years.

“It garnered a small, but very loyal audience and the key to that is being very small and loyal,” Keefer said. “It had very few listeners, but they listened for a long period of time.”

Keefer said sports radio usually doesn’t do well in small communities such as Clovis and takes it cities with a quarter of a million or more people for ESPN Radio stations to be successful.

KCLV is planning to continue broadcasting the NFL playoffs as well as Clovis Wildcats football and basketball games. Meantime, KCLV-FM will continue to follow the Lady Wildcats.

“KCLV through the years has carried live sports,” Keefer said. “We’ve carried the Clovis Wildcats for something like 57 years, as well as and professional football.”