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WFNI/WNDE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL COVERAGE

J

jughead

I thought 1070 WFNI was Indy's ESPN affiliate.

If that is so why is WNDE carrying the Sunday Night Baseball and it also sounds like WNDE will have the playoffs and World Series.

I thought WNDE was Fox and WFNI was ESPN. Shouldn't WFNI carry everything ESPN Radio has and not the Fox Sports Radio station?

It's just so confusing trying to keep what sports station has what in this town anymore.
 
This is just a guess, but I would assume that WFNI doesn't want to bring in a board op to run the ESPN Sunday night games. It's too easy to just let the regular ESPN programming run off the bird and not have someone in to change the sat. receiver (the games come in on a separate channel) and run the local spots. Plus, WFNI carries Indiana Fever games which are often on Sunday nights. Again, that's just a guess.
 
ESPN automates the MLB games. And the requirement of MLB games to carry is pretty low.
 
It goes back to when WNDE was the ESPN affiliate in town [part of which included my time as a lowly board monkey at 1260].

ESPN's MLB and NBA packages are separate agreements from the 24/7 network coverage. These packages -- when they first become available -- are offered to network affiliates first. If the network affiliate declines or can't meet the required clearance percentage on games [usually 70% regular season and 100% playoffs], ESPN Radio will offer the package to other "suitable" stations within the market [meaning other Sports or News/Talk stations].

Once a station becomes an affiliate for one of these special packages, it retains right of first refusal on that package for the following season. Even when the MLB affiliate is not the network affiliate, it still holds first option on retaining the MLB package. This continues for every subsequent season. Once you have the package, you effectively get to keep it as long as you want it and can fulfill the terms of the agreement. This is the case with WNDE; even when ESPN Radio's network coverage was dropped, the MLB package was retained and has been renewed every season since. That's why MLB on ESPN Radio never appeared on WXLW and probably won't be on WFNI anytime soon.

The only "package" that doesn't follow this arrangement is the BCS/Bowl package because ESPN Radio replaces some network programming with lesser bowl games like the New Orleans, the Emerald Bowl, etc. Network affiliates -- and I've programmed two of them -- are pretty much forced into a must-carry situation on the bowls.
 
PTBoardOp94 said:
ESPN automates the MLB games. And the requirement of MLB games to carry is pretty low.
Click to expand...

Just because the games are automated by ESPN Radio doesn't mean an affiliate can automate on its end.

It requires an entirely separate receiver from the network setup. Not all affiliates have the technology or space to accommodate the additional receiver. This was the case when I was PD at KTGR in Columbia, MO; I had to have a human board op for all the games.

I also wouldn't characterize 70% clearance as "low."
 
Why ESPN baseball on AM 1260

1070 The Fan has a heavy PxP schedule already -- Indy Racing League (flagship), Colts (co-flagship), Pacers, Indiana University football.

If you haven't guessed, 1070 The Fan is the Home of the Indianapolis 500 with a homepage clock counting down to the green flag. Go Danica!
 
and when WNDE was the ESPN affiliate. WIBC/WFNI has always had the rights to the NBA on ESPN radio package. I Believe thats because NBA Radio back in the day and now NBA on ESPN Radio wants the NBA games on the flagship station of the market's NBA team if at all possible if they want to clear the games. thats why NBA radio/espn NBA package moved from WNDE to WIBC when the pacers switched back over to WIBC in the Mid 90's
 
Once a station becomes an affiliate for one of these special packages, it retains right of first refusal on that package for the following season. Even when the MLB affiliate is not the network affiliate, it still holds first option on retaining the MLB package. This continues for every subsequent season. Once you have the package, you effectively get to keep it as long as you want it and can fulfill the terms of the agreement. This is the case with WNDE; even when ESPN Radio's network coverage was dropped, the MLB package was retained and has been renewed every season since. That's why MLB on ESPN Radio never appeared on WXLW and probably won't be on WFNI anytime soon.

Now wait a second RR...The MLB package was on WXLW/W(whatever the call letters were for the oldies format in Franklin) because I listened to the Sunday Night games on the FM of Pilgrim/Raven on Sunday nights on my way home from church. Then when the playoffs began I listened to 950 because they broke away from Colin Cowherd at the noon hour to air game 1 of the divisional playoff series.

Why does it have to be so darn confusing? I guess that's what happens when corporate takes over, huh?
 
jughead said:
Why does it have to be so darn confusing? I guess that's what happens when corporate takes over, huh?
Click to expand...

When you don't agree with something going on in radio, blame corporate.

What does it matter, even 1070's signal is aweful after dark.
 
jughead said:
Now wait a second RR...The MLB package was on WXLW/W(whatever the call letters were for the oldies format in Franklin) because I listened to the Sunday Night games on the FM of Pilgrim/Raven on Sunday nights on my way home from church. Then when the playoffs began I listened to 950 because they broke away from Colin Cowherd at the noon hour to air game 1 of the divisional playoff series.

Why does it have to be so darn confusing? I guess that's what happens when corporate takes over, huh?
Click to expand...

Since they don't show well in the Indy ratings, ESPN considers 95.9 just a Franklin station. Plus, they are on FM. Add to that WXLW is a Cubs affiliate so when the Cubs make the playoffs, it changes the rules slightly without affecting the MLB on ESPN package.

"Confusing" is a good word for it. In Columbia/Jeff City/Fulton, I had to orchestrate the coverage involving five stations, some of which were MLB on ESPN affiliates, some were Cardinals affiliates and one that was both. I earned my salary just sorting all that out.
 
"This is just a guess, but I would assume that WFNI doesn't want to bring in a board op to run the ESPN Sunday night games. It's too easy to just let the regular ESPN programming run off the bird and not have someone in to change the sat. receiver (the games come in on a separate channel) and run the local spots."

ESPN has a separate automated receiver for NBA/MLB games so a board op is not necessary. I agree that conflicts with paid pbp like the Fever and then Pacers in the fall is likely the cause.
 
Confirmed: No baseball on 1070 The Fan

1070 The Fan does air NBA games from ESPN Radio per the network's website. The Pacers connection helps in that regard.
 
gr8oldies said:
Take it no one runs the Reds anymore in Indy, and apparently the Cubs are only on the Franklin signal?
Click to expand...
WNDE runs the Reds in Indy, most games anyway. If theres a NASCAR conflict, I assume NASCAR wins and the Reds get bumped.
 
jughead said:
Once a station becomes an affiliate for one of these special packages, it retains right of first refusal on that package for the following season. Even when the MLB affiliate is not the network affiliate, it still holds first option on retaining the MLB package. This continues for every subsequent season. Once you have the package, you effectively get to keep it as long as you want it and can fulfill the terms of the agreement. This is the case with WNDE; even when ESPN Radio's network coverage was dropped, the MLB package was retained and has been renewed every season since. That's why MLB on ESPN Radio never appeared on WXLW and probably won't be on WFNI anytime soon.

Now wait a second RR...The MLB package was on WXLW/W(whatever the call letters were for the oldies format in Franklin) because I listened to the Sunday Night games on the FM of Pilgrim/Raven on Sunday nights on my way home from church. Then when the playoffs began I listened to 950 because they broke away from Colin Cowherd at the noon hour to air game 1 of the divisional playoff series.

Why does it have to be so darn confusing? I guess that's what happens when corporate takes over, huh?
Click to expand...
If it was late in the season, perhaps WNDE was not carrying the Sunday night baseball games because of Sunday night football? And they probably picked (ugh) Rome over carrying an early afternoon weekday playoff game.
 
Jughead is correct on last year's Sunday MLB games. As far as the Reds go, when you can pick up the BIG ONE at night while driving does it matter if WNDE is carrying the games? Only on weekend day games perhaps. Also, the Cubs are on WXLW-AM unless WXLW is carrying an Indians game that conflicts on the weekend. WFDM picks up those weekend games.
 
During May the only times the cubs are actually on WXLW is a grand total of 11 times out of 31 days, even though WXLW's website shows 13 times. Some how they must have f'ed up when they put a couple of the cubbies sunday games that air at the same time as the Indians. The Indians have priority on WXLW since WXLW is the flagship of the indians
 
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