Wichita’s top-rated local sports radio show is moving from its drive-time spot
It’s Wichita’s top-rated local sports radio show, and people tune in weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m. not only to hear former Wichita Eagle sports columnist Bob Lutz share his thoughts on happenings in the sports world but also to hear his spirited banter with his son and co-host, Jeff Lutz.
But soon, “The Drive with Bob and Jeff” on KFH radio will be moving away from the drive-time slot it’s had since its 2015 launch. (KFH can be found at 97.5-FM and 1240-AM.)
Starting on Monday, March 14, the show will air live from 2 to 4 p.m., a move that the co-hosts requested, said Bob Lutz.
Bob Lutz, the founder of League 42, said that he needs his late afternoons free to focus on the growing youth baseball league. Later this year, the League 42 Foundation will launch a new youth education initiative called Kids First Campaign, which will include after-school tutoring that will run from roughly 4 to 6 p.m.
And Jeff, who has a full-time job as a digital producer at KWCH news, gets off work each day at 1:30 p.m., and it’s more convenient for him to head straight for the radio show.
Bob Lutz said the duo approached station management and asked for the change, and they were “very cordial to do that for us.”
Because the show will no longer be aired during traditional drive-time, when most people are heading home from work, the show’s name will likely change from “The Drive” to something more like “The Bob and Jeff Show,” Bob Lutz said.
When the show’s hosts shared the news on social media earlier this week, their many listeners were divided, with some saying they won’t be able to listen anymore. Both Lutzes have been encouraging those listeners to embrace modern technology and listen to the show via the app Audacy, where it can be streamed any time. The show also can be found in podcast form at KFHradio.com.
“Some people are in the mode of they want to listen to our show on their drive home, which is why it was called ‘The Drive,’” Bob Lutz said. “But in this day and age, with the technology that’s available, if you want to listen to something badly enough, you’ll find a way. If you want to listen to our show on your drive home, we’ll be available on the Audacy app, on KFHradio.com and on Apple Music.”
KFH program director Tony Duesing said he was happy to accommodate his popular hosts and will tweak the afternoon schedule come March 14.
The station will shave an hour off CBS Sports Radio’s “Maggie & Perloff,” which now airs from 2 to 4 p.m., and air it from 4 to 5 p.m. Then, Zach Gelb’s CBS Sports Radio talk show, which now airs from 6 to 9 p.m., will get an extra hour and run from 5 to 9 p.m.
“They do really well because not only do they bring in sports fans but they also bring in other people who want to hear Bob and Jeff talk,” Duesing said. “They have great personality together.”
Bob Lutz said that some people have actually said the new time will be more convenient for them. But he gets that for others, that’s not the case.
“A lot of people are kind of in that habit of just going to the radio dial, and if it’s not convenient, they’re not going to go to all the trouble to find it,” he said. “We understand that, but we hope over time that those who don’t want to listen in the digital way will come back.”
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 2:11 PM.
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