"People have said, 'Four sports stations?' " said Granato, who will be the primary morning on-air personality. "But I don't think we have enough sports talk. I think there's room for more."More from The Chronicle's David Barron:Granato was wooed to the station by David Gow, a Houston investor who pooled his money with about a dozen other people to buy KILE for $8.4 million earlier this year. After deciding on a sports-talk format, the group focused on getting high-profile personalities who would draw advertisers.
In addition to Granato, who also is vice president of programming at KILE, the station has signed Houston Chronicle columnist Ken Hoffman.
Granato's show will air 6-9 a.m. weekdays followed by Hoffman, who will continue to write for the Chronicle and previously was featured on The Michael Berry Show on KPRC (950 AM)
RELATED - (blogHOUSTON) CONTACT: Leave me a Houston or Texas media news tip | COMMENT: Click to leave your thoughts on this post hereGow also said Chronicle columnist Ken Hoffman will host a show on 1560 but would not confirm reports that Granato's co-host will be Sean Pendergast, the once (and future) Houston businessman who has five times won the annual smackoff on Jim Rome's radio show.
"Sean is a great talent. I've enjoyed listening to him on the Rome show for years," Gow said while dismissing reports that Pendergast will work as Granato's co-host as "speculation." He also declined to confirm reports that KILE will carry the syndicated Erich "Mancow" Muller show but did say it was likely the station will have new call letters when it launches its new format.
