• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Gentleman's Agreement Between Astros and Rangers

9

93-3TheSurge

Guest
Does anyone know if there is a "gentleman's agreement" in place regarding the fact there is no affiliate of the Astros Radio Network in the DFW Metroplex?

In 2003, the Astros Radio Network had KFXR 1190 as an affiliate, but that was the last year.

I know there is an agreement between the Cowboys and Texans, unsure about the Astros an Rangers.

Astros fans in the Metroplex can listen to KBBW 1010 out of Waco, but after approximately 8:18pm, KBBW cuts the power.
 
93-3TheSurge said:
Does anyone know if there is a "gentleman's agreement" in place regarding the fact there is no affiliate of the Astros Radio Network in the DFW Metroplex?

In 2003, the Astros Radio Network had KFXR 1190 as an affiliate, but that was the last year.

I know there is an agreement between the Cowboys and Texans, unsure about the Astros an Rangers.

Astros fans in the Metroplex can listen to KBBW 1010 out of Waco, but after approximately 8:18pm, KBBW cuts the power.


======================================================

Just guessing but probably not. If you had a DFW station, unless someone was buying the time to air the games, how many listeners do you think you would generate by carrying the games of one of the three (if not THE) worst teams in baseball???

======================================================
Click to expand...
 
Not being a winning team does hurt listenership. But it is usually still quite profitable to run MLB games. Advertisers like being associated with a major league sports team, even if their record isn't successful.

However, teams usually don't have affilates in the home market of other teams. (Obviously we're not counting markets with two teams, NYC, LA, Chicago and SF.) There are no Yankees or Mets affilaties in Philadelphia, even though they're only 90 miles from New York.

So for KFXR to have run Astro games really is an exception to the usual practice.
 
93-3TheSurge said:
Astros fans in the Metroplex can listen to KBBW 1010 out of Waco, but after approximately 8:18pm, KBBW cuts the power.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about the power change, it is part of the license. This month we go to night power at 8:00 PM. In May at 8:15, June 8:30, July 8:30, August 8:15 and in September 7:30.

With the Astros going to the American League West this year, more games will be late games than in previous seasons.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me directly: ryan[at]kbbw[dot]com. Thanks for listening... as long as you can anyway.
 
Today a lot of sports teams buy time on the stations....retaining income from advertising sales. This is true from the pros down to the high schools.
 
If you have satellite TV, you can normally watch the Astros on one of the FSSW alt channels. I think you can also get all the MLB games on one of the satellite radio providers.
 
MLB also streams most games on the Internet as well.

R
 
The At Bat App is $20 a year. That's how I listen to the 'Stros.

KVNN 1340 in Victoria does a good job carrying the Astros, but at night the station fades shortly after you cross the DeWitt County Line.
 
Triple Fake Jerry said:
If you have satellite TV, you can normally watch the Astros on one of the FSSW alt channels. I think you can also get all the MLB games on one of the satellite radio providers.
Click to expand...

Not anymore. Fox Sports does not hold Astros rights anymore. You have to have Comcast Sports Network Houston. Right now its not available on Direct TV, Time Warner, Dish or any of the telcos. Folks in Houston can't watch them either unless you have Comcast cable.
 
I think it's Major League Baseball regulations and not a "gentleman's agreement" that may now keep Houston Astros games off of Dallas/Fort Worth radio stations.

I'm pretty sure that there is an MLB rule that prevents stations within 35 miles of a MLB team's home city from carrying games of a team outside that radius.

The reason Houston Astros games may for years have been heard in the Metroplex may have been that the Astros came into being in 1962; it was not until a decade later that the old Washington Senators moved, becoming the Texas Rangers. The situation had likely been grandfathered to allow Astros' games to continue to be heard in the DFW area.

I believe a similar grandfathering exists in Washington so Baltimore Orioles games can still be heard on local radio in that market, despite the fact that there is now a team called the Washington Nationals.

If the situation in Dallas/Fort Worth is still grandfathered, the reason why no local radio station is carrying the Astros this year may be because no local radio station wants the Astros, given their terrible 2012 season when the Astros finished with the worst record in baseball. The Texas Rangers made the playoffs.

That too may have come into play.
 
Astros also finished with the worst record in 2011 as well, if I recall correctly.

R
 
Joseph_Gallant said:
I think it's Major League Baseball regulations and not a "gentleman's agreement" that may now keep Houston Astros games off of Dallas/Fort Worth radio stations.

I'm pretty sure that there is an MLB rule that prevents stations within 35 miles of a MLB team's home city from carrying games of a team outside that radius.

The reason Houston Astros games may for years have been heard in the Metroplex may have been that the Astros came into being in 1962; it was not until a decade later that the old Washington Senators moved, becoming the Texas Rangers. The situation had likely been grandfathered to allow Astros' games to continue to be heard in the DFW area.

I believe a similar grandfathering exists in Washington so Baltimore Orioles games can still be heard on local radio in that market, despite the fact that there is now a team called the Washington Nationals.

If the situation in Dallas/Fort Worth is still grandfathered, the reason why no local radio station is carrying the Astros this year may be because no local radio station wants the Astros, given their terrible 2012 season when the Astros finished with the worst record in baseball. The Texas Rangers made the playoffs.

That too may have come into play.
Click to expand...

You can watch Rangers games on FSSW in Houston, so there is no gentlemans agreement. It could be that no station in D/FW wants to be part of the Astros Radio Network. There is no Rangers affiliate in Houston. The closest station is in College Station. KZNE.
 
All the territorial rights issues rules in MLB regarding broadcasts are about over the air radio & tv broadcasts....the cable channel deals with the clubs are not governed by MLB...
 
It's been my understanding, at least in recent years, that MLB imposes a small blackout zone for out-of-market radio broadcasts that includes the county in which the home team's stadium is located and any adjoining counties. In theory, at least, that would bar the Astros from signing radio affiliates licensed to communities in Tarrant, Dallas, Ellis, Johnson, Parker, Wise and Denton counties. I'm not sure how long this rule has been in effect, and whether there is/was grandfathering for stations that might have been carrying the Astros previously.
 
Cable deals are governed by MLB. The Rangers and Astros share the exact same territory.

longtimelistener said:
All the territorial rights issues rules in MLB regarding broadcasts are about over the air radio & tv broadcasts....the cable channel deals with the clubs are not governed by MLB...
Click to expand...
 
stod said:
Cable deals are governed by MLB. The Rangers and Astros share the exact same territory.

longtimelistener said:
All the territorial rights issues rules in MLB regarding broadcasts are about over the air radio & tv broadcasts....the cable channel deals with the clubs are not governed by MLB...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

That's news to me. Thanks!
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.
Back
Top Bottom