PORT Adelaide great Kane Cornes has promised the new 1629 SEN SA sports radio station will bring balance to the state’s footy media coverage.

The Power champion-turned-media personality is the local face of the new 24/7 AM radio network, which will launch on December 6 with Cornes’ debut breakfast show followed by radio coverage of the first day of the Adelaide Oval Test match.

Cornes, who will be joined by a yet-to-be-named co-host for the weekday 6am-8.30am timeslot, said the station will deliver an even-handed look at sport in SA, in particular the Crows-Power rivalry.

“It’s really exciting and a little bit nerve-racking as well. First and foremost it’s really exciting for South Australian sports lovers to have an alternative out there,” The Advertiser columnist said.

“I think this state is far too heavily weighted, on the other sports stations, in the direction of the Crows.

“We’ll be really focused and aware of having that balance.

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“The station will also appeal to an Adelaide audience who may not just want Port and Crows, but who may want a wider range of sports and cross-section of AFL.”

A local drivetime show will be part of over five hours a day of SA-produced content, with interstate shows from broadcasters Gerard Whateley and Andy Maher also included in the SA line-up.

Whateley will lead the AM station’s cricket coverage, which includes the Australia v India Test series and 59 Big Bash matches across the summer.

It’s a second coming into the SA market for Melbourne-based SEN, with the station initially launching in Adelaide in early 2005 as SEN 1323.

Just months later it went into voluntary administration.

“I don’t think we’re under any illusions that it’s going to be a real challenge for us, particularly the breakfast timeslot, you know how competitive that is,” said Cornes, who will leave Adelaide radio station FIVEaa where he hosted Sportsday SA with Malcolm Blight.

“I think this time around it’s going to be a patient build... I think we’re up for the challenge.

“We’re not aiming to take over the market from day one but we’ll do it right and over time we’ll be able to make some really solid inroads.”