Greg Roberts is switching radio stations.

Roberts, who has hosted a sports call-in talk show on WGMN-AM 1240 in Roanoke since 1999, said Monday he is moving to WFIR-AM 960 beginning Aug. 27.

"This was an ... opportunity I couldn't turn down," Roberts said.

Gary Burns, who has owned WGMN since June, said Roberts informed him in a July 27 e-mail -- after his show that day -- that he was "going on to other opportunities."

"It was a very manly thing to do," Burns said sarcastically of the e-mail.

Roberts will host a sports call-in show on WFIR from 5-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as a weekend show. His former WSLS-10 colleague, Justin Ditmore, will co-host the weekend program with him.

"It'll be fun," Ditmore said. "We're good buddies."

Roberts said he reached an agreement in principle with WFIR on July 25, two days before his final WGMN show. WFIR is a Roanoke talk-radio station that airs Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and other conservative hosts.

"It's a little bit of a shift for us in terms of the afternoon, but [Roberts] is a really strong talent," WFIR majority owner Leonard Wheeler said.

Burns and Roberts said it was Roberts' choice to leave. Roberts had not been under contract since Burns' 3 Daughters Media bought WGMN from Clear Channel Communications. Burns said he had planned to meet with Roberts this week or next to hammer out a formal agreement.

Roberts, though, said he left because of "uncertainty" over his future with Burns.

"I'm not sure what his plans were," said Roberts, a former WSLS sports director. "We weren't in discussions nor negotiations."

Roberts' show aired from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday on WGMN, an ESPN Radio affiliate. It was simulcast on WVGM-AM in Lynchburg.

Burns had been talking to Roberts about also doing his show Mondays. Since buying WGMN and WVGM, Burns had also simulcast Roberts' show on two other stations he owns, WBLT-AM in Bedford and WMNA-FM in Gretna/Danville. Burns had talked of trying to syndicate the show to other stations.

Advertising played a part in Roberts' exit. Roberts said some of his Roanoke sponsors weren't happy being charged more to be on in Bedford and Danville because they didn't have customers there. If sponsors were to leave, Roberts would have been hurt financially because he has always shared the ad revenue with his employer.

"These [sponsors] are the people who write my paycheck," Roberts said. "They are Roanoke-based companies, so it benefits me to be a Roanoke-based program. That's what I'll be with WFIR."

Roberts said he had always been scheduled to be on vacation last week, with Ditmore scheduled to sub for him. Ditmore hosted the show for three days last week. WGMN will now air ESPN Radio programming in Roberts' slot until Burns finds a new local host.

"We might try out some different shows," Burns said. "Some of the people that we're talking to are currently employed at other media facilities and it would be out of place for me to start giving out names."

Burns said Ditmore has turned down the chance to be the new host.

Burns said he offered Ditmore the chance to host the show from his home.

"I needed some things in order to make it work for me and we couldn't come to an agreement," said Ditmore, who was let go as WSLS sports director last year.

"Justin has some family commitments and he's not available to do it on a full-time basis," Burns said.

Roberts used to broadcast out of Clear Channel's studios in Roanoke. After Clear Channel sold WGMN, Roberts did his show out of his Roanoke home because he didn't want to commute to the 3 Daughters Media studios in Forest. Roberts will broadcast his new shows out of the WFIR studio.

WFIR currently airs Hannity's show live from 3-6 p.m. It airs Paul Harvey on tape from 6:05-6:20 p.m., followed by a rebroadcast of part of Hannity's show until 7 p.m. Michael Savage airs from 7-10 p.m.

Once Roberts comes aboard, WFIR will continue to air the first two hours of Hannity's show live. Whether the third hour of Hannity will air on tape at a different time has yet to be decided. Harvey's program will move to a time yet to be determined.