92.3 broadcasting NCAA basketball

[CleveRadioInsider]

Now all they need is Major League Baseball to round it out. Probably won't get it since ESPN does the games.

 

[vjm]

Now all they need is Major League Baseball to round it out. Probably won't get it since ESPN does the games.

ESPN Radio has the rights to the NBA, MLB, and the BCS (major college football bowl games), so those will be staying on KNR for a good while.

This makes sense for The Fan to pick up, since they're in business with Dial Global anyway with their NFL package.

As far as local college hoops go, OSU is on 850 (as well as all the usual affiliates in surrounding counties), CSU is on 1220/1420, Akron is on WARF 1350, and Kent State is on WHLO 640.

KNR and KNR2 1540 will also have the MAC Men's and Women's Tournaments from the Q in early March.

 

[1sttimecaller]

ESPN has the BCS for TV.

Dial Global/Westwood One and Compass Media networks have the BCS for radio.

Different deals for TV and Radio.

 

[vjm]

ESPN has the BCS for TV.

Dial Global/Westwood One and Compass Media networks have the BCS for radio.

Different deals for TV and Radio.

Nope.

ESPN Radio carries the BCS and other lower level bowl games

Here's the proof:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/story?page=cfbonespnradio

Now Dial Global and Compass do have regular season college football packages (both of which are carried by 92.3 The Fan), and ESPN Radio also has regular season college football (airing on KNR -- depending on Buckeyes coverage -- and/or KNR2).

But the National Championship Game and all of the major bowls (which comprise the BCS) are locked down by ESPN both on TV and radio

 

[vjm]

Here's a complete listing of sports coverage airing on Cleveland radio stations, just so it's all straight.

Local:
Indians - WTAM
Browns - WTAM/WMMS
Cavs - WTAM
Monsters - WHKW/WHK and WKNR/WWGK (split coverage)
Gladiators - WKRK
CSU - WHKW/WHK
OSU (football and basketball) - WKNR

National:
MLB (ESPN Radio) - WKNR/WWGK
NFL (Dial Global) - WKRK
NBA (ESPN Radio) - WKNR/WWGK
Notre Dame football - WTAM
NASCAR (MRN/PRN) - WKNR/WWGK
NCAA Football (ESPN Radio; which includes BCS) - WKNR/WWGK
NCAA Football (Dial Global/Compass) - WKRK
NCAA Basketball (Dial Global/Compass; including March Madness) - WKRK

 

[1sttimecaller]

The night Notre Dame played Alabama the coverage on

92.3 The fan
104.5 WQKT
1350 WARF
1480 WHBC

was all from the DIAL GLOBAL/Westwood One Radio Network.

 

[vjm]

The night Notre Dame played Alabama the coverage on

92.3 The fan
104.5 WQKT
1350 WARF
1480 WHBC

was all from the DIAL GLOBAL/Westwood One Radio Network.

92.3 The Fan didn't carry the game, 850 did. (1100 couldn't carry it due to a Cavs game)

1350 is listed as part of the ND radio network (though a lot of times ND gets bumped due to the Zips, which take priority as WARF is the flagship), so that explains them carrying the game

QKT and HBC either aired the ESPN feed or the ND network feed (which airs via IMG Sports).

But as I said before ESPN Radio is the national rights holder, so Dial Global couldn't carry the game.

It was either through the ESPN or ND feed that someone could air the game.

 

[schmave]

I was wondering if the Notre Dame radio broadcast was restricted to South Bend because of ESPN Radio, a la the World Series. I guess it was not.

 

[vjm]

I was wondering if the Notre Dame radio broadcast was restricted to South Bend because of ESPN Radio, a la the World Series. I guess it was not.

Notre Dame is the only university that has it's own national syndication deal.

For decades they were distributed by what was then Westwood One (now Dial Global), but in '07 or '08 they switched to IMG Sports as their distributor.

If you are an ND football affiliate, you can carry all their games. Here in Cleveland, WTAM is the Irish's affiliate, but because there was a Cavs game that night (when there's a conflict, the Cavs/Tribe take priority over ND due to 1100 being the flagship of both teams), they couldn't carry the game. Akron sister station WARF is also an ND affiliate, and they did carry the game.

WKNR being the ESPN Radio affiliate carried that particular feed, as the four-letter network owns both the TV and radio rights to the National Championship game and all the major bowl games (aka the Bowl Championship Series or BCS)

If the Buckeyes were to make a major bowl or National Championship game (please-please-please), KNR and all the other 60 or so OSU affiliates would be able to hear Paul Keels and Jim Lachey on the call, regardless of the national deals.