Birmingham sports fans looking for a new sports talk show can find it starting next Wednesday on 97.3 FM The Zone. Eli Gold will fill a spot on the new Cox sports radio station. The deal to bring the Voice of the Crimson Tide back to sports talk radio was reached late Thursday evening.

Gold launched the first sports talk radio program in Alabama in 1979 when WERC aired “Calling All Sports.” The show featured a wide range of sports talk covering a diverse set of sports ranging from college football, the NHL, major league baseball and pro football.

“We did something very different back then,” Gold said. “We talked about sports.”

And that is what Gold wants to bring to his new radio show in Birmingham—real sports talk.

“Sports talk is talking about sports, “Gold said. He also said “craziness” was not his brand of talk radio early in his career, and that same philosophy would guide his show today. Gold said a few radio stations like WFAN in New York exemplify this type of programming, as well as others around the country.

One thing is certain—this will shuffle sports radio in Birmingham. And in a good way.

While the Eli Gold situation is settled, other options remain in limbo.

Cox is waiting on the outcome of Paul Finebuam’s lawsuit against Citadel Broadcasting. Cox covets Finebaum’s market dominance, but looks like it is moving forward while Finebaum’s availability remains unclear. (Cox has registered a new domain name for 97.3 The Zone.)

Details of Finebaum’s lawsuit against WJOX’s corporate parent were sealed, but Friday morning redacted court filings are expected to be available for the press. Check back tomorrow for details on the lawsuit.

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