The A's and 95.7 the Game

[Unregistered]

I've heard the A's deal with 95.7 the Game has expired. Will the A's renew with the Game? Is it worth it to the A's to renew with a low rated station that has a poor signal and reps the A's like an afterthought? Is it worth it to the Game to renew the A's who don't do much to boost ratings?

 

[HenryOchs]

I wouldn't be surprised if the A's don't end up on any radio station next season and also predict that 95-7 will change formats after the end of the Raiders football season!

 

[CharlotteListener]

You can guarantee that they will be on radio.
MLB is still a valuable property to a station.

 

[CTListener]

Wasn't it the '80 or '81 A's that wound up on a 10-watt college station for the first part of the season because no commercial station thought the rights were worth anything after Charlie Finley dismantled the roster?

 

[HenryOchs]

It was 1980 when the A's ended up on a 10-watt college radio station before winding up on 1310 KDIA for the remainder of that season. 560 KSFO secured the A's broadcast rights prior to the 1981 season and stayed there until the end of the 1992 season.

 

[onairb]

It was 1980 when the A's ended up on a 10-watt college radio station before winding up on 1310 KDIA for the remainder of that season. 560 KSFO secured the A's broadcast rights prior to the 1981 season and stayed there until the end of the 1992 season.

Actually, 1977 was the year the A's started the season on KALX(I believe Larry Baer was one of the student announcers!) Charlie Finley had tried to move the A's to Denver that year(and would continue to try until selling the team in 1980), and so he neglected to renew the team's lapsed deal(I think it was with KNEW). After about 30 games, the team went back to KNEW.
In 1980, prior to Finley's selling the team in late August, the flagship station was 1310 AM, although I think they were trying out a news-talk format, and the calls were KFYI (they reverted to KDIA and soul music soon after).

 

[Thomps2525]

Oakland fans may be stuck with listening to games on KHTK-1140 from Sacramento. Henry, why do you think KGMZ will change formats? Sports formats attract men in their 20s, 30s and 40s, a demographic that is much coveted by advertisers. If the station makes any changes, my guess is that some of the live-and-local daytime programs will be replaced by ESPN network programming. That would save Entercom some money!

 

[HenryOchs]

Maybe Entercom should buy an AM radio station here in the Bay Area, maybe KLOK in San Jose, then move the Game's sports format to the 1170 frequency and then change 95.7's format to Active Rock! I know that the Bay Area should get an Active Rock radio station.

 

[LKellerIII]

Oakland fans may be stuck with listening to games on KHTK-1140 from Sacramento. Henry, why do you think KGMZ will change formats? Sports formats attract men in their 20s, 30s and 40s, a demographic that is much coveted by advertisers. If the station makes any changes, my guess is that some of the live-and-local daytime programs will be replaced by ESPN network programming. That would save Entercom some money!

Yes - there's a thread (on the LA board, I think) explaining why sports formats really don't need to get big ratings, or even decent ratings - to be profitable.

 

[nebraskan]

I can remember at least one year their flagship station was KEEN 1370 in San Jose.

 

[HenryOchs]

I think 1370 KEEN in San Jose was the A's flagship station in the early 1970's

 

[xkxrx]

When I was working at KXRX in San Jose in the late 70's or early 80's it became the flagship station a few games into the season. Hal Ramey did the play-by-play, but I forget who the color guy was.

 

[HenryOchs]

It was Red Rush that did the play-by-play and Hal Ramey did the color commentary.