Broadcasting companies with near or complete monopolies on sports play-by-play

[KeithE]

With the White Sox and possibly the co-owned Bulls moving to WSCR, that would give Infinity a near-monopoly on pro sports play-by-play in Chicago, with 4 of the 5 teams on Infinity stations:  The Sox, Bulls, & Black Hawks on WSCR and the Bears on WBBM.  Unless WGN lands the Bulls (a slight possibility), only the Cubs will be on a non-Infinity station.  That, of course, won't change since the Tribune Company owns both the team and the station.

Phoenix is now in a similar situation, with Bonneville stations carrying 3 of the 4 pro teams here, as well as Arizona State University football and men's basketball.  KTAR has the Diamondbacks & Suns, KMVP has ASU men's hoops, and both will carry the Cardinals & ASU football simultaneously.  Only ASU baseball and Coyotes hockey will be on a non-Bonneville station.  Both are on Sandusky's KDUS.  ASU women's hoops was orphaned when KMYL went dark a couple of weeks ago, but that station was supposed to switch to Spanish-language talk anyway.

Any other markets where one company carries most or all of the local teams?

[nate81]

> With the White Sox and possibly the co-owned Bulls moving to
> WSCR, that would give Infinity a near-monopoly on pro sports
> play-by-play in Chicago, with 4 of the 5 teams on Infinity
> stations:  The Sox, Bulls, & Black Hawks on WSCR and the
> Bears on WBBM.  Unless WGN lands the Bulls (a slight
> possibility), only the Cubs will be on a non-Infinity
> station.  That, of course, won't change since the Tribune
> Company owns both the team and the station.
>
> Phoenix is now in a similar situation, with Bonneville
> stations carrying 3 of the 4 pro teams here, as well as
> Arizona State University football and men's basketball.
> KTAR has the Diamondbacks & Suns, KMVP has ASU men's hoops,
> and both will carry the Cardinals & ASU football
> simultaneously.  Only ASU baseball and Coyotes hockey will
> be on a non-Bonneville station.  Both are on Sandusky's
> KDUS.  ASU women's hoops was orphaned when KMYL went dark a
> couple of weeks ago, but that station was supposed to switch
> to Spanish-language talk anyway.
>
> Any other markets where one company carries most or all of
> the local teams?
>

An easy one: Cleveland, OH.

Clear Channel, via 50KWer WTAM/1100, has flagship rights to the three relavant sports franchaises in town: the Cleveland Indians, Browns and Cavaliers. Plus WW1's Monday Night Football and some Notre Dame games. (Note that sister station WMMS/100.7 is designated as the TRUE flagship for the Browns; WTAM carries the Browns after the Indians season ends in September - a common occurance of late)

WTAM is CC's solo AM signal in the market. It also is a (ahem) N/T - though virtually all of their local hosts are sports/talkers, or had prior experience in the world of sports.

Oh, and competition? Salem Communications owns alleged sports/talker WKNR/850, which carries the Ohio State Buckeyes, and, well... ummm... ESPN Radio?

- nate81

______________
Nathan Obral
University Partership Representative
Student Senate
Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio

http://www.lorainccc.edu

[Pratte4Life]

The Steelers, Penguins and Panthers on WDVE/WBGG-AM.

KDKA, owned by Infinity, has the Pirates.

What this does is in Pittsburgh, the ESPN Radio affiliate, which has no PBP contract except with Penn State and whatever game ESPN is putting on (or whoever buys the time- the Wheeling Nailers- for instance), then has a nearly "rip-everything" motto and prides itself on being uncensored. Sounds good, but after awhile their "Sky is Falling" trademark wears you down.

However, they put their money into coverage- they always have a reporter or whatever at a press conference- while WBGG-AM has spent all their money securing those PBP contracts and therefore has nobody who fills that role and only one true full-time local sports talk show host.

But that doesn't bother me as much as what has happened to the high school games. I'm a PBP wannabe- and it used to be that I could always count on finding a station that needed a guy to call their high school games for $50 a game or so. I could focus on a single team and cover it well.

Sadly, now what they have are a few computer based networks that have essentially gone to all of the stations and offered to do their local teams for them- providing the network announcers and internet feed.

And for the most part, now the local broadcast teams are gone, left for guys who have to learn a new roster and read the paper for any inside info rathter than gather it from actually watching the team and talking to coaches.

And for a guy like me, it also makes it much more difficult to get a local PBP job, or to get a decent wage for it.

That Clear Channel has three of our four major PBP contracts doesn't bother me. What does is the true little guy is out, and even if he does get in with the network, he then has to go through a corporate ladder to call friggin' Woodland Hills football!

[mjdecastro]

Infinity dominates Philadelphia's major sports teams.

WIP is the flagship for the Sixers and Flyers.

WYSP is the flagship for the NFC Champion Eagles.

WPHT is the flagship for the Phillies, after a few seasons' hiatus on Greater Media's 950-WPEN.

[ShawnHill]

...the Lakers, UCLA basketball and football, local rights to the Raiders, and Avengers arena football (all on KLAC--XTRA Sports 570), and the Clippers (at least for now) on K-TALK 1150 (the former home of XTRA Sports in L.A.).  USC sports are on Sporting News' KMPC (1540 The Ticket), plus it serves as a back-up for Westwood One sports coverage (including all the NCAA basketball tourament).  ESPN's KSPN 710 has the Angels, Kings hockey, and all the ESPN Radio play-by-play coverage.  Infinity's KFWB is home of the Dodgers, plus  Westwood One's NFL coverage (the Sunday Night games are on sister station KLSX 97.1).

[MikeFromIndiana]

> ...the Lakers, UCLA basketball and football, local rights to
> the Raiders, and Avengers arena football (all on KLAC--XTRA
> Sports 570), and the Clippers (at least for now) on K-TALK
> 1150 (the former home of XTRA Sports in L.A.).  USC sports
> are on Sporting News' KMPC (1540 The Ticket), plus it serves
> as a back-up for Westwood One sports coverage (including all
> the NCAA basketball tourament).  ESPN's KSPN 710 has the
> Angels, Kings hockey, and all the ESPN Radio play-by-play
> coverage.  Infinity's KFWB is home of the Dodgers, plus
> Westwood One's NFL coverage (the Sunday Night games are on
> sister station KLSX 97.1).
>
In Cincinnati Clear Channel has The Reds on WLW, Bengels on WSAI/WOFX(October-December games also on WLW), Mighty DUcks till they went on Hiatus were on WSAI, KEntucky on WCKY, Xavier on either WLW, WKRC or WSAI, UC on WLW, ESPN Baseball and WW1 Football and NCAA on WSAI.

CC has the Virtue Monopoly of all the sports contracts in Cincinnati

[nate81]

> > ...the Lakers, UCLA basketball and football, local rights
> to
> > the Raiders, and Avengers arena football (all on
> KLAC--XTRA
> > Sports 570), and the Clippers (at least for now) on K-TALK
>
> > 1150 (the former home of XTRA Sports in L.A.).  USC sports
>
> > are on Sporting News' KMPC (1540 The Ticket), plus it
> serves
> > as a back-up for Westwood One sports coverage (including
> all
> > the NCAA basketball tourament).  ESPN's KSPN 710 has the
> > Angels, Kings hockey, and all the ESPN Radio play-by-play
> > coverage.  Infinity's KFWB is home of the Dodgers, plus
> > Westwood One's NFL coverage (the Sunday Night games are on
>
> > sister station KLSX 97.1).
> >
> In Cincinnati Clear Channel has The Reds on WLW, Bengels on
> WSAI/WOFX(October-December games also on WLW), Mighty DUcks
> till they went on Hiatus were on WSAI, KEntucky on WCKY,
> Xavier on either WLW, WKRC or WSAI, UC on WLW, ESPN Baseball
> and WW1 Football and NCAA on WSAI.
>
> CC has the Virtue Monopoly of all the sports contracts in
> Cincinnati

...and of AM stations in Cincy - WLW/700, WKRC/500, WSAI/1360 and WCKY/1530. No one else in the market comes CLOSE. By comparison, WTAM/1100 is CC's ONLY Cleveland AMer.

WLW's relationship with the Reds, IIRC, dates back to when the Crosley family owned both properties back in the 30's, a la WGN and the Cubs. (Yes, I know the Reds were on more than one station - WLW, WKRC, WSAI and WFBE - back in the 30's and 40's, and AM 1530 (then WCKY) was the flagship for a while back in the 60's...)

- nate81

______________
Nathan Obral
University Partership Representative
Student Senate
Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio

http://www.lorainccc.edu