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Orlando Magic Announce FM 96.9 The Game as New Flagship

Y2kTheNewOldies

Y2kTheNewOldies

https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n35704

Iheart outlet in Orlando is named to be this seasons broadcast partner for the Magic.

The Orlando Magic ink a deal with iHeartMedia's W245CL (FM 96.9 The Game)/Orlando to serve as the new flagship home for the Magic Radio Network. Every preseason, regular season and postseason Magic game is broadcast on the Magic Radio Network, with radio affiliates across the state of Florida. In addition, games can be heard on WYGM-AM (740). Dennis Neumann will provide the play-by-play for every game, Richie Adubato takes on the color analyst duties for all home games, while Brandon Kravitz serves as pregame, halftime and postgame host for all games and will provide sideline reports for all home contests.
"We are extremely excited to continue our relationship with iHeartMedia and expand upon it by naming FM 96.9 The Game our new flagship station for the Magic Radio Network," said Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins. "iHeartMedia and FM 96.9 The Game will bring our product to our fans and stakeholders in a first-class manner. We thank ESPN 580 Orlando for 27 excellent years of serving as the radio home of the Magic."
"We are thrilled about this expansion of our partnership with the Orlando Magic and iHeartMedia," added iHeartMedia Division President Linda Byrd. "This is an exciting time to be a Magic fan and an exciting time for FM 96.9 The Game. Adding Orlando Magic games to our programming lineup truly solidifies our radio station's position as Orlando's Sports Leader!"
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This press release is amazing. WYGM 740 is a 50,000 watt sports station. W243CL is its 250 watt FM translator. The press release makes it sound like the translator is the primary station and WYGM is an afterthought.

Perhaps the Orlando Magic management should have done a bit more research to understand that 96.9 can only be heard in Orlando and its adjacent communities, while WYGM covers much more territory. But it's iHeart's fault primarily by naming the station "96.9 The Game." Not 740 and 96.9, not even 96.9 and 740. The station's moniker only mentions the translator. Maybe if it's a youth appeal music station, you only mention the translator. But this is spoken word all-sports.
 
Gregg. said:
This press release is amazing. WYGM 740 is a 50,000 watt sports station. W243CL is its 250 watt FM translator. The press release makes it sound like the translator is the primary station and WYGM is an afterthought.

Perhaps the Orlando Magic management should have done a bit more research to understand that 96.9 can only be heard in Orlando and its adjacent communities, while WYGM covers much more territory. But it's iHeart's fault primarily by naming the station "96.9 The Game." Not 740 and 96.9, not even 96.9 and 740. The station's moniker only mentions the translator. Maybe if it's a youth appeal music station, you only mention the translator. But this is spoken word all-sports.
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That seems to be the way it is for the 2 cheap channel AM stations here in Orlando. 540 WFLF rarely mentions 540 and focuses on the 102.5 translator. 740 WYGM mentions 740 a little bit more, but they too focus primarily on the 96.9 translator. Neither one of them mention the call numbers of the HD subchannels they're on, just the call letters during the legal ID. One would think in this day and age where stations live and die based on their ratings that they would at least promote once or twice an hour everywhere you could pick them up. Someone driving who just discovers the station via it's translator may lose it soon and not know that there are other options to receive it. In Tampa it's different, 620 WDAE mentions everywhere you could get them quite often.
And BTW I know that it's been I-heart media for a few years now, but polish a turd, it's still a turd, they will always be cheap channel.
 
One word: Branding.

Stick an "FM" behind the calls and BOOM! Because...AM sucks or something.

G
 
Come on, they want you to listen on the App so they can provided targeted advertising, like repeating the Quip Electric Toothbrush ad twice a break, and the nearby Tampa jewelry store.
 
Also if ESkip kicks in then you have Jax or Fort Myers blasting away on the signal. 740 is not the best at night unfortunately. It does well in Altamonte. 580 has slightly better audio quality for AM but 740 is fine as well. I'm a Magic fan either way so will stick with them no matter what channel they are on.
 
I find it funny as well that the most powerful AMs on the dial in central Florida image themselves as the translators. What's even more crazy is I personally know people who HAVE HD RADIOS IN THEIR CARS.... and they still try and listen to 96.9 and 102.5; because that's the only imaging that's being "advertised" to them.... all they while they could be listening crystal clear HD on either 101.1 or 107.7. I mean.... I get it if you're some low powered AM that has crap night coverage... go ahead and run with the FM imaging... but 540 and 740 are no slouches... and honestly are better signals in much of the metro (especially in buildings) compared to the translators. I mean come on... 102.5 WHPT Sarasota / Tampa Bay drowns out WFLF easily SW of Orlando. And correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Bud Hedinger reference the "50,000 watt porch" regularly during his morning show on what's actually a "250 watt translator"? That sounds foolish to the average listener who also tunes into 96.5 WDBO or Real Radio 104.1 as comparison.

The real question here is why has Cox dumped them or what caused them to leave after 27 years? Is that the real story here? Because I find it really hard to believe that the Magic decided to move all on their own. I'm gonna guess that Cox offered to keep em on 580 but drop em from News 96.5. Anyone else got a guess here?

Side question.... why isn't Cox running 580 on 92.3, 96.5 or 98.9's HD2 signals? Why isn't the HD2 being utilized on those frequencies? Doesn't make much sense to me.
 
billalm said:
I find it funny as well that the most powerful AMs on the dial in central Florida image themselves as the translators. What's even more crazy is I personally know people who HAVE HD RADIOS IN THEIR CARS.... and they still try and listen to 96.9 and 102.5; because that's the only imaging that's being "advertised" to them.... all they while they could be listening crystal clear HD on either 101.1 or 107.7. I mean.... I get it if you're some low powered AM that has crap night coverage... go ahead and run with the FM imaging... but 540 and 740 are no slouches... and honestly are better signals in much of the metro (especially in buildings) compared to the translators. I mean come on... 102.5 WHPT Sarasota / Tampa Bay drowns out WFLF easily SW of Orlando. And correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Bud Hedinger reference the "50,000 watt porch" regularly during his morning show on what's actually a "250 watt translator"? That sounds foolish to the average listener who also tunes into 96.5 WDBO or Real Radio 104.1 as comparison.

The real question here is why has Cox dumped them or what caused them to leave after 27 years? Is that the real story here? Because I find it really hard to believe that the Magic decided to move all on their own. I'm gonna guess that Cox offered to keep em on 580 but drop em from News 96.5. Anyone else got a guess here?

Side question.... why isn't Cox running 580 on 92.3, 96.5 or 98.9's HD2 signals? Why isn't the HD2 being utilized on those frequencies? Doesn't make much sense to me.
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Bud has been referencing the 50,000 watt front porch long before that translator signed on. I guess the 250 watt front porch doesn't sound as good.

My guess is that the Magic stink as a basketball team and cox doesn't want to have anything to do with them anymore. I believe most (if not all) of the games were only on 580.

As for WDBO 580, they are indeed on WDBO-FM's HD2, but its the reverse of what cheap channel does with their AM's. The TOH says WDBO, WDBO-FM HD2 Orlando faster then the speed of light (but the sponsor that immediately follows sounds normal). No FM call numbers are mentioned. Again you would think they would want their listeners to know everyplace ESPN 580 could be picked up. cox should be ashamed of themselves the way they id the station, but I guess the legal id sponsorship is more important then telling listeners where and how they could pick them up. Enjoy that 1.0 share.
 
I did hear the biased 96.9/740 claim, that they have 9-hours live Orlando Sports Talk every weekday, that would lead into the Magic games. Now with the Magic, they'll have days of 12+hours "Orlando" sports. As for WDBO-AM, does the ESPN feed and 1.0 share keep it a viable money maker, or do they dump and go back to simulcasting the FM News - I can't imagine they'd image themselves as the Orlando Home to the Tampa Bay Rays and Lightning ... and also the O'town Solar Bears.
 
I was quite surprised by the move myself. Now they are claiming a big announcement at 4 PM tomorrow (Monday) on 580. I'm going to miss Scott Anez pregame but it's all good. Again I'm not complaining because I have wanted to hear the Magic on FM for quite some time. Yes I'm crazy I know but I'm a die hard fan. Actually I have gotten 740 many times at night in Brandon as well. 580 was a hard catch from there.
 
A bit OT but i was in a friend's car last night and was surprised to find out that 740 does not come in well in Sanford at all. This was the night pattern for 740 BTW. Not sure if 96.9 would have done any better.... Unless if it was my friend's car radio. It is a 2014 BMW but not sure of the model.
 
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