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Aircheck ALERT: Final Pirates game on KDKA 1020 AM is tomorrow 10/1

J

Jul

Guest
Tomorrow will mark an end of an era in Pittsburgh radio. After 51 years KDKA 1020 AM will broadcast its final Pirates baseball game. Please roll tape and record this broadcast on Sunday. I do not know what time will the baseball coverage start, if anyone know, please post it but I know first pitch of the game will be at 1:35 PM EDT on Sunday.
 
This is sad that this had to happen, KDKA ditching the Pirates. I guess we should blame CBS radio for this. anyway roll tape on this broadcast today on 1020 AM. Thanks
 
I haven't always lived in Pittsburgh and don't right now.

But when I was a kid I could not wait for the sun to go down so I could listen to the Pirates.

Maybe those days are over. Maybe now with so many games on TV and Sportscenter and the internet there is less of a need for a 50KW signal.

But still- it's much easier to try and pull in a 50KW station at night than to wait for your Real Audio to load and as we all know its much more mobile.

I hope with Clear Channel getting the rights WWVA becomes and affiliate for all the transplanted Pittsburghers. There will be a disconnect- however large or small- if they are not.
 
If anyone can post audio highlights of the final broadcast after the game is over, post it.
 
Pittsburgh radio will have the pirates i think on 1047 fmnews talk next year.
 
Julius May said:
If anyone can post audio highlights of the final broadcast after the game is over, post it.
Click to expand...

What's the difference? The broadcasts are going to sound the same next year, they'll just be on a different station.
 
FYI, not too much to report on the final broadcast. Although I only listened from inning 8 forward, I did not hear any mention of the change from the booth. Greg Brown and Bob Walk called the last inning (which surprised me at first as I think Lanny is the kind-of-guy that would have liked the heritage). But Lanny was on the field to do a post-game ceremony for Freddie Sanchez, who won the NL batting title. Lanny did a great job on that...full of excitement and well-geared to serve the live and radio audience. This ceremony included a thanks to the fans and a more general thanks to Pittsburgh...and *could have* (from my perspective) included a thanks to the 51-year flagship, even without a direct acknowledgement of "the situation". But it did not.

Chris Moore, ever the journalist (and I mean that), did point out the historical nature of the day when he opened his talk show at about 4:20 p.m. by stating something on the order of "Well, this will be the last time that I'll be following Pirates baseball..." and went on to talk a bit about the changing nature of broadcasting. Professional, short, sweet. In essence, he acknowledged -- but did not overplay -- the elephant in the room.

Perhaps I missed a mention during the play-by-play -- I didn't hear it all.
 
Once the split was official, KDKA put the games on delay and was prepared to dump out at any mention of the move to CC.

I think the Pirates decided not to make any big deal on the air about wrapping up on KDKA. It was kind of a mutual "good riddance" by the time it ended. Michael Young did an op-ed piece in the Post-Gazette basically saying KDKA didn't want the Pirates any more.

And, as noted before, this really isn't a big farewell from the listeners' perspective. They'll have the same announcers, the games will just be on a different station.
 
Audio of final Pirates game on 1020 AM

I would like to hear how it sounded, if anyone recored the game or Chris Moore's show after the game, please post the audio highlights here. Thanks
 
Chris Moore

Boss, I'd beg to differ. No offense, but in that he has only 3 or 4 hours/week on Sunday afternoon at KDKA, I'm just wondering what the basis for your conclusion is.

Have you actually ever listened to Chris Moore as a talk show host on KDKA or other stations? FWIW, he's one of the most well-respected in the country and frequently is called upon to do national work. He also is heavily involved in the local community, works his tail off, holds multiple Emmies and actually cares.
 
Since the Pirates will still have a large hand in the broadcasts next year I would strongly believe that outside of Pittsburgh there won't be that many changes to the affiliate lineup. The Pirates don't really care if CC would put the games on WWVA or not (they won't anyway). In fact the ballclub would rather they not and force a few more ex-patriot Pittsburghers to go sign up for XM before next season since the team gets a cut of the revenue.

The bitterness in the end was on the Gateway Center side of the equation, not on the Northshore.

A once great relationship ends with a whimper not a bang. Then again this was a relationship built by a great radio station and a great baseball franchise. Nothing could be farther from the truth today.
 
Uh, the folks on the North Shore weren't all that pleased to discover the games had been placed on a seven-second delay by KDKA after the split was announced. Nor were they happy about Young's "We didn't want them anyway" piece in the P-G.
 
Re: Chris Moore

GrizzledVet said:
Boss, I'd beg to differ. No offense, but in that he has only 3 or 4 hours/week on Sunday afternoon at KDKA, I'm just wondering what the basis for your conclusion is.

Have you actually ever listened to Chris Moore as a talk show host on KDKA or other stations? FWIW, he's one of the most well-respected in the country and frequently is called upon to do national work. He also is heavily involved in the local community, works his tail off, holds multiple Emmies and actually cares.
Click to expand...

I've heard him. He's dull and he's a one-trick pony. He's doing national work for whom? The same people who employ Bev Smith? Talk radio -- unless you're on NPR -- is about being entertaining, first and foremost. Moore is not.
 
If someone can post audio of the final broadcast, please do so. That is what this topic is about.
 
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