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Why Tigers Left WJR?

C

Cincinnati Kid

I know it happened a few seasons back, but why did the Tigers broadcasts leave WJR? I assume the games went with one of those all-sports stations, but in doing so, they lost being on a station that can be heard for hundreds of miles. For many years, I listened to the games on WJR with Ernie Harwell and company here in the Cincinnati suburbs even during the day.
 
Very simple: money and increased promotions.

After the 2000 season, WXYT offered the Tigers (and the co-owned NHL Detroit Red Wings) more moo-la-di -- $50 million for a six-year contract, since renewed -- to end their long relationship with WJR. The result: WXYT went from a news/talk format to all-sports, and from a 5000-watt signal to 50,000 watts, albeit directional.
 
Signal_Faded said:
It still just doesn't seem right that they are not on WJR though.
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Agreed. I live south of Toledo, and there is NO stations carrying the Tigers. Whomever made that prize winning decision did the team a great disservice to those of us in Ohio that follow the Tigers.
 
FredRichards said:
Agreed. I live south of Toledo, and there is NO stations carrying the Tigers. Whomever made that prize winning decision did the team a great disservice to those of us in Ohio that follow the Tigers.
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How far south are we talkin' here? Depending on where you are, 96.1 WMTR out of Archbold usually has the Tigers.
 
Radiofreewill said:
How far south are we talkin' here? Depending on where you are, 96.1 WMTR out of Archbold usually has the Tigers.
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WMTR usually fades south of Findlay. I'm a little further south and I can't get them dependably down here.
 
The Tigers have not always been on WJR. They started out on WWJ and then on WXYZ (their current home, now WXYT). For a time they were on WKMH (1310) and WJBK (1500) neither of which covered the entire metro area well. Now WXYT is simulcast on FM and MLB has already started migrating to FM. WJR's night coverage is no longer a factor; out of market fans can listen online. Probably Selig and company would prefer people listen online since MLB charges a subscription fee for their audio streams.
 
FredRichards said:
WMTR usually fades south of Findlay. I'm a little further south and I can't get them dependably down here.
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That's what I figured.
 
Interestingly, there is a WMTR-AM in Northern New Jersey that simulcasts Knicks and Rangers games aired on 1050 ESPN/New York due to their weak directional night signal. So the Archbold station should do their legals as "WMTR-FM".
 
Julius Leonard Marx said:
The Tigers have not always been on WJR. They started out on WWJ and then on WXYZ (their current home, now WXYT). For a time they were on WKMH (1310) and WJBK (1500) neither of which covered the entire metro area well. Now WXYT is simulcast on FM and MLB has already started migrating to FM. WJR's night coverage is no longer a factor; out of market fans can listen online. Probably Selig and company would prefer people listen online since MLB charges a subscription fee for their audio streams.
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Therein lies the problem. Those of us in the car and with a portable radio in the garage get screwed.

MLB is being very short sighted. While they appear to be cashing in on the web-heads listening on line at the present, there is a whole new generation that is not going to care about baseball in the future because they have restricted delivery of the product.

In my household there are three Tigers fans, whom have at time treked up to Detroit to watch a game in person after listening to a few games on the radio. I guess it's time to just stop supporting the team if we can't listen to the games.
 
I'd recommend following the Mud Hens. Why waste money and gas on a bunch of over-priced prima donas (this applies to all of major league baseball - all professional sports - not just the Tigers)? The Toledo Mud Hens (or any minor league team) give you the best seats for the price of a movie ticket and baseball played by guys who are still having fun, are happy to be there and don't think they are too good to talk to kids before the game.
 
WMTR usually fades south of Findlay. I'm a little further south and I can't get them dependably down here.
Well, that's one plus for living south of Findlay...
 
Corky Marlowe said:
WMTR usually fades south of Findlay. I'm a little further south and I can't get them dependably down here.
Well, that's one plus for living south of Findlay...
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:D I'll have to listen sometime when driving up in NW Ohio and see if Max Jr has an airshift.
 
Um, yes he does...Morning drive, no less...And Larry Christy still delivers the total sports package that includes coughing during pre-recorded sportscasts.
 
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