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Dallas Sports Teams and Flagship Radio Stations

R

rok

I'm new to this board and would like to ask a question that I have wondered about for many years.

Why aren't the Cowboys, Rangers and Mavericks on one of the big AM stations like WBAP or KRLD?

I can't find the Rangers on a strong station this year. I pick them up, but the signal fades in and out. However most nights, I can pick up Cardinal games on KMOX and it has a stronger signal than the Ranger station.

I can only hear Maverick games when they play San Antonio and I listen to the SA station.

I know the Mavericks and Cowboys are on FM stations, but the Mavericks FM signal is weak.

The Cowboys is the only signal I can pick up decently. I live in the Desoto/Lancaster area.

But my main question is why aren't these teams on a strong station? KMOX still has the Cardinals and Blues. And I can hear Saints games on WLS. So in some markets the big pro teams are still on powerful AM stations.

Why is that not the case here in DFW?

thanks in advance,

ROK
 
The biggest reason is MONEY! (in most cases/markets) -whoever pays the most, usually gets the rights. AM or FM. Coverage means very little in this day and age. It is the check written to the franchise and the ancillary profits that can be gained with little or no effort on the part of the team.

Nowadays, most radio groups find themselves in a losing proposition with big team sports. In some cases, the teams find themselves with all the marbles, most if not all of the in-game inventory, and few options when it comes to clearances-there is just not enough money in it-for all they have to shell out for the 'privilege' of being a flagship station.
 
As you will see discussed here repeatedly, there is a major move of sports and talk stations to FM nationwide, in light of younger listeners abandoning AM and oodles of other cited reasons. Complicating the issue of FMs often/usually having lesser reach, the Rangers and Mavs have as their Dallas flagship KESN, which is licensed to Allen but has its transmitter even farther north, just south of a line between Sherman and Gainesville. (In fact this station is a move-in -- originally located in Commerce, east of the Metroplex, but moved to the best open/available location nearer Dallas to reach a larger audience.) Presumably the folks at ESPN made the best offers to the Rangers and Mavs. Anyhow, as the KESN stick is on the far north fringes of the Metroplex, you being on the south side will have signal issues.

In contrast, KRLD-FM, which has the Cowboys, has its transmitter in Cedar Hill on the south side of Dallas. Not only is that location close to you, it's much closer in than KESN and seems to cover the Metroplex well.

By the way, while I agree that coverage means far less these days, I think that it's given too little value, especially when you miss a large portion of your market. Being able to reach fans does have value, promotionally and in maintaining interest and loyalty. I wonder if offering games to low-rated AMs or rimshots on the opposite side of the market for a pittance (or nothing) to fill in signal gaps would be of value, without losing the ability for the big check. Airing games on KBEC, to pick a signal for example, wouldn't touch KESN's ratings.
 
Another piece is that with the NBA and MLB having partnerships with ESPN nationally (tv and radio), which also o&o KESN, I'm sure there is an advantage behind the scenes locally. With the increase of dedicated all sports stations, teams have migrated to them since there is more opportunity to increase marketing, i.e. longer pre and post games and dedicated weekly programming.

As far as signal coverage is concerned, unfortunately like with all other programming, as long as it covers north of I-30 it is good enough. That is where the "prime" demo is :-\. Ironically the Ranger's flagship doesn't reach where thier games are played.
 
Most teams take their Radio rights in-house. Meaning they market, sell and produce the games themselves. The station gets maybe one or two minutes in-game inventory and maybe some of the pre-game/post-game inventory. The Rockets and the Astros are not on an ESPN affiliated station. Most deals are struck because a station may want the prestige of being a flagship, but then some teams may not want to be a second banana on a station. The Mavericks at one time were upset they got bumped of WBAP for the Rangers. So they moved to KLIF. Now on KESN they are the top dog, and when there is a Mavericks/Rangers conflict, the Rangers have to move. In Houston, the Rockets got tired of being moved off of KILT when the Texans would play. So the Rockets found a new home on KBME. Now I don't know what will happen when Univ. of Houston plays, but I would like to know who has 790 in that conflict.
 
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