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Browns games no longer on in Dayton

Got this response from @WHIORadio Twitter last night: WHIO Radio @WHIORadio: We have had scheduling programming conflicts with airing UD basketball that prevent us from carrying all Browns games on WHIO Radio. However, we will continue to carry select pre-season and regular season games on WHIO TV.

I guess they couldn't move their games to 95.3 but also maybe the ratings just weren't good so they didn't feel the cost was necessary.
 
I wonder when this decision was made? I like listening to the Browns' games as well and am not sure what it means about conflicts with U.D. basketball as those are basically rare and the station could still carry most of the Browns' games. There are many who are out of the house during games and can tune in on their car radios or have a portable with them when they are at other venues.

This also means that southwestern Ohio does not have a radio station carrying the Browns.
 
That very well could be. Personally, I thought outside of 50 miles from a particular team's stadium any station could carry whatever NFL team they wanted. The Bengals have aired on WTIG in Massillon forever even though that part of Ohio is firmly Browns country.
Does seem like a weird decision, however. Those games 1290 and 95.7 could not carry easily could go to 95.3, which has a much lesser signal but still is better than nothing.
The station in Columbus that carries the Browns (98.9) has no prayer of being heard in Dayton ... it's weak but moreso, 99.1 would drown it out completely. Can't think of any other affiliates whose reach would extend to Dayton either.
 
microbob said:
105.9 would be a good fit for the Browns.
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It certainly would be and that station would work well at night or on late fall and winter afternoons when the games go past local sunset and some AM stations have to reduce power and/or go directional. That station has good power which gets into Cincinnati and into northern Kentucky. However, might it be subject to any NFL regulations about stations who are in or close to cities with another NFL team?

WONE (980-AM) had the Browns' games for many years, but stopped a few years ago when there were some changes in the make-up of the team's radio network. WING (1410-AM) carries the Reds' games which makes it unavailable for Sunday afternoons until at least the end of September. Anyone have thoughts on any other stations - particularly those who can be heard over some distance?

For the first two Browns' pre-season games, I have been able to hear the radio coverage on-line. I have noticed it is basically 35 seconds behind what is happening on the field. Unfortunately, this still doesn't help make it easy enough to take with a listener in a car or elsewhere as easily as a portable radio would be.
 
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Radio doesn't seem to work the way TV does; I think there was even a Browns affiliate in Cincinnati at one time (one of the smaller AMs maybe?). Could it be there wasn't enough advertiser interest to keep the games on WHIO?
 
At one time, yes, there was a Browns affiliate in Cincinnati but I don't think that has been the case since before the original team moved. I want to say it was WCVG.
There are some radio regulations for games. I remember when I lived in Houston, Westwood One games were not carried when the Texans played at home, and some long-timers on that board seem pretty confident that rules are in place that prevent Cowboys games from being carried in Houston (if there were none, a station there most certainly would pick up Dallas games as they are an extremely strong No. 2 in that market). During a discussion last year, one person mentioned a 50-mile radius. In my experience living in or traveling to different markets, that seems accurate. Dayton, of course, falls just outside that 50-mile range from Paul Brown Stadium.
There might have been a lack of advertiser interest, especially considering the Browns are coming off that 0-16 season. Dayton is at best a fringe Browns market. Here in Columbus, there's no way the Browns would be off the radio for long.
 
The Cincinnati-area station that was on the Browns' network was WCLU 1320-AM in Covington, Ky. in the period of 1978 - 1980. That station is now WCVG. Prior to that WZIP 92.5-FM in Cincinnati carried the Browns from 1968 - 1970. This was no doubt before the "50-mile rule" that has been mentioned here. Since that time, WHIO (1971-1979 & 2014-2017 and WONE (early-1980's-1995 & 1999-2013) were the Dayton stations who had the Browns. WOXY in Oxford, Ohio also had them in 1980 and perhaps 1981.

I can't agree that Dayton is anywhere close to a "fringe Browns market". There are many in and near the Gem City and south to Cincinnati who are very dedicated fans of the team and have been for many years.

It's in times such as this when Browns' ownership should take a look at the gap in its over-the-air radio coverage in the southwest, southeast and far northwest portions of the state and approach some of the radio stations in those areas about getting the team on stations there.
 
Cincinnati Kid said:
The Cincinnati-area station that was on the Browns' network was WCLU 1320-AM in Covington, Ky. in the period of 1978 - 1980. That station is now WCVG. Prior to that WZIP 92.5-FM in Cincinnati carried the Browns from 1968 - 1970. This was no doubt before the "50-mile rule" that has been mentioned here. Since that time, WHIO (1971-1979 & 2014-2017 and WONE (early-1980's-1995 & 1999-2013) were the Dayton stations who had the Browns. WOXY in Oxford, Ohio also had them in 1980 and perhaps 1981.

I can't agree that Dayton is anywhere close to a "fringe Browns market". There are many in and near the Gem City and south to Cincinnati who are very dedicated fans of the team and have been for many years.

It's in times such as this when Browns' ownership should take a look at the gap in its over-the-air radio coverage in the southwest, southeast and far northwest portions of the state and approach some of the radio stations in those areas about getting the team on stations there.
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It's definitely not a fringe market for the Browns. There are two Browns Backers organizations in the area that are very active. Both of those I am a member of. I was told that a few years back that the Browns-Bengals split was 50-50 in Dayton. I didn't now know the history of the Browns radio in Dayton Cincinnati Kid so thanks for filling in the gaps for me. I really just believe that the Browns need a radio affiliate here because of the fans that are here and the fact that they have been on the radio since 1980 and really even before that based on the post above.
 
I remember the Browns being on WONE for the 1961 season. Interestingly enough, in that season, no Cincinnati radio station carried their games so WONE was the place to go to hear them that year. By the way, the Browns Backers are a very good organization. I once went to one of their gatherings in Richmond, Virginia to watch a game.
 
WCLU ran the games through the 1986 season. I was the one running them in '86 and there was no restriction on airing the games against the Bengals. Browns fans couldn't hear any night games, since we were a daytimer then. I think WCVG picked them up under the Plessingers some time after that, but I was gone by then.
 
The problem WHIO had was potential conflicts with UD because the Browns wanted any affiliate to carry all the weekly coaches shows and other junk to get the games.
I'm not sure why any conflicts couldn't be dumped off to 95.3, maybe the network wouldn't allow it. Or it just didn't sell when they had the games.
The Browns got blackballed from iHeart stations after they pulled the flagship role from WMMS.
 
I don't doubt that is why some other stations aren't in the network is because they didn't want to carry other shows as a part of any agreement to be able to air the game broadcasts. It seems as though their network has many fewer affiliates this season than just a few years ago.
 
I have found that WKNR - 850-AM in Cleveland - can be heard in southwestern Ohio for a period of time from late afternoons until near sunset when they reduce their power. That does provide some form of listenable radio coverage of the Browns in this area which could, of course, depend on what area you are listening in along with current weather conditions.
 
schmave said:
During a discussion last year, one person mentioned a 50-mile radius. In my experience living in or traveling to different markets, that seems accurate. Dayton, of course, falls just outside that 50-mile range from Paul Brown Stadium.
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Agree, there must be some sort of rule. If you look at a map of the Bears and Bengals radio networks, together they form a ring around Indianapolis. There are a couple of Bears affiliates more than 50 but less than 60 mile from Indy. And a couple of Bengals affiliates about 75 miles from Indy.

But I think there is also a maximum distance by league rule. Otherwise I'd expect some station owner in Iowa would have joined up with one of the most popular teams in the league, like Pittsburgh or New England or a station in Arizona with Green Bay. But no network I can find has stations more than 250 miles or so from the franchise city.
 
Cincinnati Kid said:
I don't doubt that is why some other stations aren't in the network is because they didn't want to carry other shows as a part of any agreement to be able to air the game broadcasts. It seems as though their network has many fewer affiliates this season than just a few years ago.
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Going 1-31 the last 2 years may have something to do with it...
 
I am not sure about the maximum distance thought ... otherwise, a lot of Texas would go unserved by the Cowboys radio network.
As far as my earlier "fringe" comment about Dayton, that was meant purely in a geographical sense. If someone drew a rough sketch of what would be considered Browns country, Dayton would be on the southwestern edge. It was not a commentary on the number or loyalty of Browns fans in southwest Ohio. Other than not having a radio affiliate in Dayton, Browns fans down there have it pretty good for being in the home or secondary market of another team, let alone a division rival.
 
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