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Celts, 98.5 working out deal

Ent. didn't want to risk more Celtics seasons on EEI. Now if this happens 98.5 will have 3 of 4 major teams. Conflicts could be put on another CBS property.
 
That's 1/3 of the Celtics season that won't be heard on the flagship. Not exactly very promising.

The Celtics are arguably the weakest play-by-play franchise. Without the WEEI network, there are only 10 affiliate stations, plus 1 flagship. Compare that to the 26 stations that air the B's, the 36 or so that air the Pats, and and the 61 or so that air the Sox.

It'd be an okay move for the hub, but I don't necessarily see it as a bad move for WEEI.
 
Reelyreal commented: said:
That's 1/3 of the Celtics season that won't be heard on the flagship. Not exactly very promising.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily.

While I do expect that they will be bumped by the Patriots three times (as per above), I think there will be times when the Celtics will bump the Bruins to another CBS-owned station.

I suspect what will---and what should---determine which game goes where in "conflict" situations is who is at home. This way, if the Celtics are home and the Bruins are on the road, WBZ-98.5 would carry the C's and another station would carry the B's. Likewise, if the B's are home and the C's are playing on the road, the B's would stay on "The Sports Hub".

If both are on the road, then whichever game is more important would be on "The Sports Hub". Say, the Bruins are in Montreal and the Celtics are in Charlotte, then the Bruins would stay on 98.5. Conversely, if the Celtics were in Miami and the Bruins were at the Islanders, then the Celtics would remain on 98.5.
 
Back in the day in Hartford with CBS (then ARS) WTIC was the flagship station of the UCONN Men, UCONN Women, and the NHL Whalers. A couple of times all 3 were playing at once. UCONN Men on WTIC 1080 (News/Talk), UCONN Women on WTIC-FM 96.5 (HOT AC), and The Whalers on WZMX 93.7 (which was Classic Rock at the time).

To this day the rare times the UCONN Men & Women are playing the same time the Men are on WTIC AM and the woman on WTIC-FM.
 
What happens will depend on money and contract language. The Bruins were signed first and presumably have a bigger sponsor base at this point. In all likelihood, with or without preferential contract language, the B's will take precedence over the C's. Similarly, the Pats probably trump the B's and C's should a conflict arise. The C's are the last in with the smallest revenue base so they will get bumped to the alternate station. I haven't read the contract, but I suspect this is how it will go based on my experience and what I hear.
 
Joseph_Gallant said:
Not necessarily.

While I do expect that they will be bumped by the Patriots three times (as per above), I think there will be times when the Celtics will bump the Bruins to another CBS-owned station.

I suspect what will---and what should---determine which game goes where in "conflict" situations is who is at home. This way, if the Celtics are home and the Bruins are on the road, WBZ-98.5 would carry the C's and another station would carry the B's. Likewise, if the B's are home and the C's are playing on the road, the B's would stay on "The Sports Hub".

If both are on the road, then whichever game is more important would be on "The Sports Hub".
Click to expand...

Will the Celtics play a single "important" game this season, other than the one that clinches the best chance in the lottery?
 
raccoonradio said:
C's should be happy they'd be on 98.5 and not on 1510 with a lot of its signal going out to the fishies
Click to expand...

For that matter,,the Celtics are glad they are not on WILD AM 1090 on WROL 950 because the C's were never going to be on AM 1510. Blackstrap had no interest in obtaining the games unless the Celtics were going to buy the time on 1510 and that had as much chance as you being named the next Celtics pbp announcer. . You can add another senseless comment to your scrapbook of posts.
 
It's now been a week since CSN-NE broke this news but no official announcement yet. In the words of Judge Smails (Ted Knight) from
Caddyshack, "Well??....we're WAITING!!" :)
 
That Comcast-Sports-NE article was on Sept 12; so far no official announcement though it said "An announcement of the new deal is expected to be made as early as next week.". First C's preseason game is Oct 7. Grande and Maxwell work for the team and could well be back unless they (as some suggested) decide to simulcast CSN-NE's TV coverage (again, I'd doubt that). No, most likely it would be the same as before only on a new station (pre game, postgame et al).
 
Could today be the day? Tweets:

@GlobeChadFinn: Not sure formal announcement will come today, but C's-to-98.5 is happening. T's to cross, I's to dot.

@bostonradio: Also,yesterday was a big day for Nets-WFAN deal.I'm sure CBS didn't want to take spotlight away from that w/C's announcement / 98.5 is broadcasting from Celtics' Foundation Golf tourney in Milton this AM./ 8:07am. Sean Grande is on the phone.

@mneff2: T&R teasing Celts big wigs coming by in 9am hour.
@bostonradio: They just had Danny on. Nothing official yet. I'm sure it will be one of the owners who'll spill the big news.
 
OK: We know Entercom declined to re-up with the Celtics on the flagship, WEEI, presumably for economic reasons (the team is not as popular, and not doing as well, and they didn't want to commit). Now:

--Entercom owns three of the four stations: WWEI-FM 105.5 Easthampton,
WVEI 1440 Worcester, and WVEI-FM 103.7 Westerly, RI. Entercom may want to do the same with these--run talk with Mike Adams (and in some cases Red Sox games when there are conflicts)
--The other is owned by Qantum I believe, WEII-FM licensed to Dennis. Who knows if they would continue to run C's under the new Sports Hub Celtics network.

For all we know the Entercom stations in Western MA, the Cape,
and Worc. may stay with the C's but maybe Entercom wants talk or the Sox.
It's up to Qantum to decide what they want on WEII. I thought maybe Entercom
didn't want the C's to air on their other stations as well...

WCRN may indeed be a good substitute for Worcester. Cape Cod? The two AMs simulcast public radio and there are many music stations on FM which could carry the C's if WEII doesn't. Springfield/Hartford area, Clear Channel owns WPOP 1410 (Fox Sports) and WUCS-FM 97.9 Windsor Locks (ESPN). Either could pick them up,
and in Springfield Cumulus owns WHLL 1450 (CBS Radio; the calls refer to
the Basketball HaLL of Fame)

Other options for Hartford exist too like some FM
music stations, etc. And WTIC 1080, that longtime Sox affiliate, is owned by...
CBS! Hmm!
 
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@bostonradio tweets:
>>Preseason games are normally heard on the flagship only and not normally aired by affils. First game is on Oct.30. On 'ZLX.
>Also, all C's radio games will be available on-line at http://celtics.com They could also offer C's to current B's/Pats affils. Besides, they have a whole month to line up the network.
 
I could see WTIC-1080 in Hartford not only broadcasting some Celtics' games, but some Bruins' games as well, even though they are the flagship for University of Connecticut sports.

Here's how 'TIC can do it:

(1) Carry all Celtics' home games not in conflict with U/Conn sports events.

(2) Carry all Bruins' home games not in conflict with U/Conn games.

(3) Carry Celtics' away games not in conflict with either Bruins home games or U/Conn games.

(4) Carry Bruins' away games not in conflict with either Celtics home games of U/Conn games.

Even with a full schedule of U/Conn football, men's basketball, and women's basketball games, WTIC probably could still carry about 50 games each of the Bruins and Celtics.
 
Someone on Boston-radio-interest noticed the C's game on 103.7; a reply by Kevin, I believe noted that the WEEI-related properties are indeed still carrying the team (Worcester 1440, Dennis 96.3, Easthampton 105.5, Westerly 103.7)--complete with all the tags for the Sports Hub Celtics Radio Network...
 
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