ST. LOUIS -- Comparing the move to other recent tectonic shifts in one of baseball's most venerable franchises, the Cardinals announced Wednesday that they will change flagship radio stations for the first time in more than 50 years.

Gone at the end of the 2005 season is the Cardinals' generations-long affiliation with legendary KMOX. Taking over atop the Cardinal Radio Network will be KTRS 550 AM, as the team also buys a 50-percent stake in the station.

It was a controversial decision, as generations of Cardinals fans across not just the Midwest but North America have felt a connection to KMOX. But team president Mark Lamping asked fans to take a long view of the move.

"What I would ask fans to do is to think about their feelings the day that Anheuser-Busch announced that they were going to sell the team," Lamping said. "Think about the feelings when the Cardinals announced they were leaving [Spring Training home] St. Petersburg after 50 years. When we announced that we were going to replace Busch Stadium.

"There were doubters about each of those three moves. But one of the good things is with the passage of time, you have the ability to evaluate whether they were the right decision or not."

None of which is to say this is not a momentous move.

"As everyone knows, KMOX has been a terrific partner and friend of the St. Louis Cardinals and our many generations of fans," said the team's principal owner, William O. DeWitt Jr. "We've been proud to be associated with KMOX for more than five decades, and we thank everyone at the station, both past and present, for the many years we've shared together."

KTRS will move its studios from western St. Louis County into downtown St. Louis, occupying a space in the to-be-built Ballpark Village adjacent to the new Busch Stadium. In addition, the station and the team pledged an increase in the amount of time dedicated to baseball and Cardinals talk.

The Cardinals believe that the business side of their move justifies any sentimental downside, as well as the loss of free radio coverage in parts of the country. Fans will still be able to receive the signal from MLB.com Gameday Audio, as well as on XM Satellite Radio. Lamping emphasized that a major priority would be to ensure free access to Cardinals games throughout the Midwest.

"We have a very, very well-developed radio network," he said. "This isn't something that we're creating overnight. We have been involved in the management and the administration of that radio network for a long time. There are 110 stations and we will continue to upgrade. We've got a great partner in Bud Sports, that's going to assist us in this endeavor.

"Our commitment is that fans throughout the Midwest, in the traditional Cardinal Radio Network territory, they will be able to listen to the games free of charge."

For spots in the immediate area around St. Louis not covered by KTRS, the Cardinals announced the addition of WSMI, 106.1 FM in Litchfield, Ill., to their network. Lamping also said that the club and XM are planning to announce a special deal for Cardinals fans, but did not divulge the details.

Wayne Hagin and Mike Shannon will remain as the radio voices of the Cardinals even with the station change. Hagin said that his contract has been renewed for the 2006 season, ensuring a fourth season for the current broadcast team.

Shannon, who has called Cardinals games since 1972, hailed the switch.

"It's been a wonderful relationship over the years with KMOX and the Cardinals, and I think both have benefited over the years," he said. "I'm so excited, though, about the ownership. The confidence that I have in this ownership to do the proper things for this city and this organization, there's no doubt in my mind about that."

One point that the Cardinals and KTRS representatives repeatedly hit on was the increase in coverage that will follow with the move.

"We're going to cover Cardinal baseball like Cardinal baseball has not been covered before," said Tim Dorsey, the president of KTRS. "Our ownership group, we are baseball fans. We are passionate baseball fans. ... It is the premier event in St. Louis and we will treat it as such."

The new partnership begins with Spring Training 2006, and it is an eight-year pact. KMOX will carry Cardinals games through the remainder of the 2005 season.