Blasphamy on WHKW!

[vjm]

So I'm flipping around the dial, I come across WHKW 1220...and they're running Michigan Wolverines football!

I'm like WTF?!?!?

Then I look up the U of M's affiliate list, and sure enough WHKW (and Youngstown sister station/WHKW clone WHKZ) are affilates, and have been so all year long!

Buncha traitors!

 

[dannykewl]

Goes to show you most stations now are programmed from a galaxy far, far away with no knowledge of what the local inhabitants really want. Looks like no local oversight or input whatsoever, I thought the FCC stated the station has to serve the local community/area it's licensed to. Boycott these stations.

 

[1sttimecaller]

Because there couldn't possibly be Michigan Fans in Ohio.

Not everybody gets Buckeye Tattoos around these parts.


Go Blue.

 

[vjm]

Because there couldn't possibly be Michigan Fans in Ohio.

Not everybody gets Buckeye Tattoos around these parts.


Go Blue.

Please, go blue...and don't come back.

 

[redsfan1966]

Believe it or not, Columbus, Ohio (my hometown, and of course, home of THE Ohio State Buckeyes) had a U of M affiliate for one season...AM 1230...but the real reason they did it was so they could promote they had the OSU/Michigan game and to 'tick off' the actual flagship of OSU Football at the time (AM 1460).

 

[KeyTimes950]

Over the years, I've seen some strange examples of radio stations thinking they could sell some particular sports attraction. Nothing quite on the level of Michigan football in Buckeye country, but I seem to recall a Pittsburgh area station once was part of the University of Pennsylvania's network (as in Ivy League football).

 

[DrC]

Over the years, I've seen some strange examples of radio stations thinking they could sell some particular sports attraction. Nothing quite on the level of Michigan football in Buckeye country, but I seem to recall a Pittsburgh area station once was part of the University of Pennsylvania's network (as in Ivy League football).

Rochester, NY used to have a Cleveland Browns Radio Network affiliate in the early 2000s. I'm 95% sure they still do.

 

[vjm]

Over the years, I've seen some strange examples of radio stations thinking they could sell some particular sports attraction. Nothing quite on the level of Michigan football in Buckeye country, but I seem to recall a Pittsburgh area station once was part of the University of Pennsylvania's network (as in Ivy League football).

Rochester, NY used to have a Cleveland Browns Radio Network affiliate in the early 2000s. I'm 95% sure they still do.

No they don't.

A look at the Browns affiliate list on their website shows the only out of state affiliate they have is WRIE in Erie, PA (which is no man's land betwixt and between Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo).

Though interestingly, the Browns are also on WONE (AM) 930 in Dayton. This is somewhat strange as you'd think Dayton is considered Bengals territory. (Coincidentally, WONE (FM) 97.5 in Akron is also an affiliate in conjunction with sister station WAKR 1590)

And in something even more odd, the Steelers are heard on Sandusky/Vacationland area station WOHF 92.1, and Toledo station WCWA 1230. (Though that can maybe be attributed to NW Ohio native Ben Rothlesberger as QB).

 

[VODood]

I programmed a talk station in Toledo. Sports sister station had Buckeyes. I nabbed UM football. Toledo has a huge number of Blue fans. Made sense strategically. I produced a promo that started out with "Ohio State sucks!... now that we have your attention.." Riled up a lot of people. Plenty of complaints. Which means it worked.

As for WHKW...good for them. There's plenty of UM fans in C-Town skulking about

 

[vjm]

I programmed a talk station in Toledo. Sports sister station had Buckeyes. I nabbed UM football. Toledo has a huge number of Blue fans. Made sense strategically. I produced a promo that started out with "Ohio State sucks!... now that we have your attention.." Riled up a lot of people. Plenty of complaints. Which means it worked.

As for WHKW...good for them. There's plenty of UM fans in C-Town skulking about

I assume this station you're referring to is WTOD "Supertalk" 1560 which at the time was a Cumulus news/talk station (now it's WWYC - a CSN owned Christian outlet).

I also remember that then sister station WLQR 1470 "The Ticket" carried the Buckeyes (they still do BTW...though now 1470 is a news/talk station with ESPN Radio moving to sister station WLQR-FM 106.5...which due to being a Cumulus station will switch over to CBS Sports Radio come January).

And unfortunately I know there are UM fans lurking around here (though "plenty" is overselling it)...just like there are Steelers fans infiltrating our fair city.

Fortunately, NFL rules are stricter than NCAA rules regarding broadcasting territory, or I'm sure some frickin station around here would carry Steelers games.

 

[KeithE4]

Fortunately, NFL rules are stricter than NCAA rules regarding broadcasting territory, or I'm sure some frickin station around here would carry Steelers games.

AFAIK, there are no NFL territorial rights for radio. Out here in Phoenix, we used to get Cowboys and Bears games on local radio at various times, despite having the Cardinals in town. I don't think any out-of-town teams are carried at the moment, though. But I don't think the league would prevent an Ohio station from carrying Steelers games if they wanted to (and if advertiser support was there, of course).

 

[vjm]

Fortunately, NFL rules are stricter than NCAA rules regarding broadcasting territory, or I'm sure some frickin station around here would carry Steelers games.

AFAIK, there are no NFL territorial rights for radio. Out here in Phoenix, we used to get Cowboys and Bears games on local radio at various times, despite having the Cardinals in town. I don't think any out-of-town teams are carried at the moment, though. But I don't think the league would prevent an Ohio station from carrying Steelers games if they wanted to (and if advertiser support was there, of course).

Steelers games are carried in Ohio...I already mentioned the stations in Sandusky and Toledo (due to NW Ohio native son Rothlesberger), then there's WMNI AM/FM in Columbus (no man's land between Cleveland, Cincy, and Pittsburgh), and WNIO in Youngstown (dead center between Cleveland and Pittsburgh).

All these situations are kinda "no man's land" scenarios in towns with no NFL team of their own. The Browns also have affiliates in C-Bus and Y-Town, The Bengals have a C-Bus station (meaning C-Bus has 3/4 of the AFC North covered), and the Lions have a Toledo affiliate.

If I'm wrong about the NFL's rules, then I'll own it, but I always had the assumption that pro teams wanted to make sure that their "turf" wasn't infringed upon, especially in markets where there is a team.

 

[KeithE4]

If I'm wrong about the NFL's rules, then I'll own it, but I always had the assumption that pro teams wanted to make sure that their "turf" wasn't infringed upon, especially in markets where there is a team.

The territorial restrictions apply only to TV. And even then, with Sunday Ticket, all games are available nationwide - local blackout rules apply, of course.

 

[vjm]

If I'm wrong about the NFL's rules, then I'll own it, but I always had the assumption that pro teams wanted to make sure that their "turf" wasn't infringed upon, especially in markets where there is a team.

The territorial restrictions apply only to TV. And even then, with Sunday Ticket, all games are available nationwide - local blackout rules apply, of course.

Ahh--there's where I went wrong.

I was thinking TV, but applying it to radio.

But back to the point at hand...a UM affilate in OSU country just ain't right...just like if some local station around here were to pick up the Steelers...shudder.

 

[Tim L]

WCER-900 used to carry the Steelers in Canton up to this last season..Not mentioned here before, but WCER's license was deleted by the FCC sometime in October..

As far back as the 1970's WOIO-1060 carried the Bengals..WTIG-990 Massillon still does, though it's sort of a nod to Massillon Native Paul Brown, who founded the Bengals after leaving The Browns..

 

[redsfan1966]

Currently, Columbus Ohio also has a Steelers Radio Affiliate (103.9 FM) complete with Pittsburgh related commercials....nothing like hearing a commercial for "Eat N'Park" (ugh) right here in CBus....

 

[schmave]

Because there couldn't possibly be Michigan Fans in Ohio.

Not everybody gets Buckeye Tattoos around these parts.

Go Blue.

Not enough to warrant a radio affiliate anywhere outside Toledo, and even if there are, this is Ohio and any station that picks them up is just desperate for listeners (not to mention that the fans usually just root for Michigan in order to tick off OSU loyalists). These affiliates didn't really pop up until WJR lost the games anyway.
I *do* think there are territorial restrictions for NFL radio. Texans owner Bob McNair once pitched a fit that Cowboys games aired on a Houston station back around 2006, and the NFL almost immediately ordered the station to stop airing those games. There used to be a Browns affiliate in Cincinnati as well, and it's been gone since the old version of the Browns left.
Columbus isn't exactly no man's land, either. The Browns are the most popular team here, but the Bengals are close behind. I'd say the Steelers probably have 10-15 percent of the market, but it's a very vocal minority.

 

[DrC]

I *do* think there are territorial restrictions for NFL radio. Texans owner Bob McNair once pitched a fit that Cowboys games aired on a Houston station back around 2006, and the NFL almost immediately ordered the station to stop airing those games. There used to be a Browns affiliate in Cincinnati as well, and it's been gone since the old version of the Browns left.

That Cowboys story surprises me, although I don't doubt it. I used to live in Williamsport, PA which had full time FM affiliates of the Eagles and Steelers radio networks (the area was roughly 60/40 Eagles to Steelers fans in my observation, with a couple NY Giants fans scattered about). Closer to here, Youngstown also has full time Browns and Steelers FM affiliates (although the Steelers affiliate is based out of Grove City, PA).

I'd say the Steelers probably have 10-15 percent of the market, but it's a very vocal minority.

That sentence could be used to describe the Cleveland metro, too...especially east of 77.