NFL says Cleveland pact marks first time rival stations banded together to win broadcast rights
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns will make NFL broadcast history next season through a new radio partnership announced on Thursday morning.
But will an unprecedented “triple cast” allow fans to hear Jim Donovan scream “Touchdown – Browns,” no matter where they are listening in the Cleveland area? The club and the stations involved in the unique business arrangement said Wednesday that coverage gaps are a non-issue.
The Browns have awarded their game-day broadcast rights to ESPN’s WKNR AM/850 and CBS Radio’s WKRK FM/92.3 and WNCX FM 98.5. The franchise’s games had been aired on Clear Channel Communication stations, WMMS FM/100.7 and WTAM AM/1100, since they returned in 1999.
Contract terms were not revealed, although it’s believed the stations have the right to carry Browns games for at least five seasons.
“We really think this is a great deal and we got to that point through the creativity and intelligence of our partners,” Browns president Alec Scheiner said. “We had a vision for what the Cleveland Browns needed in terms of content and exposure and programming. CBS and ESPN got together and delivered all the things we wanted jointly. I will give them all the credit for coming up with this structure.”
The fact rival sports talk-show stations (WKNR and WKRK) would unite for the winning bid speaks to the Browns’ immense local popularity despite their losing ways. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Plain Dealer that both the triple cast and competing networks joining forces are each “first-of-its kind” according to league research.
Historical context aside, some fans are more worried about their radio signal fading out as Brandon Weeden fades back for a critical fourth-quarter pass.
WTAM has a 50,000-watt signal in the day and evening. WKNR broadcasts are 50,000 watts during the day, but drop to 4,700 watts at night, which could have an impact on prime-time games and also late-season 4:15 p.m. kickoffs. The two FM stations are both less than 50,000 watts.
As news of the agreement leaked late Tuesday, some local fans took to message boards and wrote emails citing anecdotal evidence of dead zones within the area. But the Browns and representatives from the stations said at least one, if not more, of the three stations will always have a clear signal for games.
There’s also the Browns Radio Network for fans traveling statewide. The affiliates, which operate on one- and two-year deals, have not been released for the 2013 season. There were 24 affiliates on the network this past season. Live streaming will be available on the team and station’s web sites, according to the Browns, as well as the club’s mobile phone app.
“Just the combination of the three stations will reach Northeast Ohio clearly, cleanly and with many options for listeners,” said Tom Herschel, senior vice president and markets manager for CBS Radio in Cleveland.
The Browns plan to keep the broadcast tandem of Donovan and Doug Dieken intact. The club and teams declined to discus how they will divide advertising revenue.
Beyond game days, the club will nearly double its Browns auxiliary programming to 1,000 hours annually. The new deal kicks off at the NFL Draft (April 25-27) as WKRK will supply live broadcasts on the first two nights with WKNR providing coverage on the final day. The stations will simulcast a coach’s show and also promote philanthropic events sponsored by the Browns.
“We wanted our fans to be able to listen to a great deal of programming,” Scheiner said. “By being on a number of stations we feel as though we are broadening the number of people who can hear our content and we believe a lot of it will be unique to what others can provide.”
Scheiner said the 1,000 hours of annual programming -- which will include an expanded Cleveland Browns Daily show -- is comparable to the Dallas Cowboys’ agreement. Scheiner worked for the Cowboys prior to his arrival in Cleveland in late December.
While negotiations did not heat up until January, WKNR and WKRK formed their alliance in mid-October. Craig Karmazin, founder of Good Karma Broadcasting, which owns the ESPN affiliate, said the two sides quickly got past their status as rivals. He knew CBS had a history of forging bonds with competitors, citing the network’s willingness to work with Turner Broadcasting on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
“We talked about (the rivalry) in our first conversations,” Karmazin said. “But the Browns are such a great community entity we knew could make it work. We thought working together would send a really powerful statement for the Browns.”
A representative for WTAM did not return a message seeking comment on Wednesday.