Michigan Sports Network

Last updated

Michigan Wolverines Sports Network
Type Radio network
Country
United States
Headquarters Ann Arbor, Michigan
Broadcast area
Michigan
Ohio (limited)
Owner Learfield IMG College
Affiliation(s) Michigan Wolverines
CBS Radio
Affiliates 46 (including 1 flagship)
Official website
 Michigan football affiliates
Michigan basketball affiliates

The Michigan Wolverines Sports Network is an American radio network consisting of 46 radio stations which carry coverage of Michigan Wolverines football and men's basketball. WCSX (94.7 FM) and WMGC-FM (105.1 FM), both in Metro Detroit, serve as the network's flagship stations. The network also includes 44 affiliates in the U.S. states of Michigan and Ohio: 27 AM stations, four of which extend their signals with low-power FM translators; and 17 full-power FM stations ( WQQO Toledo generally only broadcasts Michigan content over its HD Radio digital subchannel). [1] [2] [3] Games are also available on Sirius XM satellite radio and online via TuneIn.

Contents

Announcers

Football

Doug Karsch does play-by-play and Jon Jansen does color commentary for football. [4]

Basketball

Brian Boesch currently serves as play-by-play announcer for men's basketball, joined by color analyst Terry Mills. [5]

History

Michigan's relationship with IMG College dates back to March 2001 when the school signed a five-year deal with Host Communications, Inc., a sports marketing firm based in Lexington, Kentucky; the deal was predicated to generate $7.5 million in advertising revenue from Michigan football and men's basketball radio broadcasts through 2005–06 (this partnership with Host would ultimately remain in place for the next seven years). In 2007, IMG College purchased Host Communications; in August 2008, IMG announced a new 12-year media rights deal with Michigan reportedly worth $86 million, including gameday radio broadcasts. [6] [7]

WJR/Detroit had served as the network flagship station for Michigan football since 1976 (with sister station CKLW serving as backup for those times when Detroit Tigers baseball games took precedence) and men's basketball since 1997. In October 2005, WJR announced a new deal to broadcast rival Michigan State football and men's basketball, while simultaneously dropping its long partnership with Michigan. The news came as a surprise to the Michigan athletic department, including director Bill Martin, who claimed the school had acted "in good faith" throughout months of negotiations with the station. Michigan soon signed a new five-year deal with CBS Radio and CHUM Limited (later CTVglobemedia), owners of WOMC/Detroit and CKLW/Windsor, respectively. In August 2011, new Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon announced a five-year contract extension with CBS Radio, with the majority of network flagship coverage shifting to WOMC's AM sister station WWJ. [8] [9] [10]

Play-by-play announcer Jim Brandstatter and analyst Dan Dierdorf both announced their retirements prior to the commencement of the season-opening Michigan Wolverines Football game on September 4, 2021. The Duo sat side-by-side in the Michigan booth for 7 seasons. [11]

Station list

CallsignFrequencyBandCityStateNetwork status
WCSX 94.7FM Birmingham - Detroit MichiganFlagship (Football only)
WMGC 105.1FM Detroit MichiganFlagship
WQBX*104.9FM Alma MichiganNetwork affiliate
WFYC**1280AM Alma MichiganNetwork affiliate
WZTK*105.7FM Alpena MichiganNetwork affiliate
WTKA 1050AM Ann Arbor MichiganNetwork affiliate
WWWW-FM 102.9FM Ann Arbor MichiganNetwork affiliate
WBXX*104.9FM Battle Creek MichiganNetwork affiliate
WFAT**930AM Battle Creek MichiganNetwork affiliate
W274AQ**102.7FM Battle Creek Michigann/a (simulcasts WFAT)
WSJM-FM*94.9FM Benton Harbor MichiganNetwork affiliate
WQON*99.3FM Beulah Michigann/a (simulcasts WQON)
WKAD 93.7FM Cadillac MichiganNetwork affiliate
WKYO**1360AM Caro MichiganNetwork affiliate
WIDL*92.1FM Cass City MichiganNetwork affiliate
WGTO**910AM Cassopolis MichiganNetwork affiliate
W266BS**101.1FM Cassopolis Michigann/a (simulcasts WGTO)
WMKT 1270AM Charlevoix MichiganNetwork affiliate
W272CR 102.3FM Petoskey Michigann/a (simulcasts WMKT)
WHKW*1220AM Cleveland OhioNetwork affiliate
WXYT-HD2
WXYT-HD3*		97.1 HD2
97.1 HD3		FM Detroit MichiganNetwork affiliate
WDBC 680AM Escanaba MichiganNetwork affiliate
WBNZ**92.3FM Frankfort MichiganNetwork affiliate
WOOD 1300AM Grand Rapids MichiganNetwork affiliate
WQON 100.3FM Grayling MichiganNetwork affiliate
WKHM 970AM Jackson MichiganNetwork affiliate
WQLR 1660AM Kalamazoo MichiganNetwork affiliate
WQTX 92.1FM Lansing MichiganNetwork affiliate
WKZC 94.9FM Ludington MichiganNetwork affiliate
WMIM 98.3FM Luna Pier MichiganNetwork affiliate
WOOD-FM 106.9FM Muskegon MichiganNetwork affiliate
WNBY 1450AM Newberry MichiganNetwork affiliate
WNIL**1290AM Niles MichiganNetwork affiliate
WWTH 100.7FM Oscoda MichiganNetwork affiliate
WMBN 1340AM Petoskey MichiganNetwork affiliate
WHLS*1450AM Port Huron MichiganFootball only
W288BT*105.5FM St. Clair Michigann/a (simulcasts WHLS)
WPHM**1380AM Port Huron MichiganBasketball only [12]
WHAK 980AM Rogers City MichiganNetwork affiliate
WHAK-FM 99.9FM Rogers City MichiganNetwork affiliate
WSGW**790AM Saginaw MichiganBasketball only [13]
WSGW-FM*100.5FM Saginaw MichiganFootball only [14]
WKNW**1400AM Sault Ste. Marie MichiganNetwork affiliate
WBET 1230AM Sturgis MichiganNetwork affiliate
WTCM*580AM Traverse City MichiganNetwork affiliate
WCCW**1310AM Traverse City MichiganNetwork affiliate
WHKZ*1440AM Youngstown OhioNetwork affiliate
Gray background indicates low-power translator
* football only
** men's basketball only

Network map(s)

References

  1. ↑ Press release (August 8, 2011). "Michigan Signs Five-Year Extension With CBS Radio". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 19, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2014. WWJ Newsradio 950 AM will serve as the flagship station for football and men's basketball starting this season.
  2. ↑ Quinn, Brendan F. (August 30, 2014). "It's Gameday! Michigan opens against Appalachian State, with 2007 still a fresh memory". MLive.com . MLive Media Group. Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2014. Radio: Michigan IMG Sports Network, WTKA-AM (1050) in Ann Arbor, WWJ-AM (950) in Detroit...
  3. ↑ Vuolo, Art Jr. (October 7, 2011). "Michigan Football returning to Detroit FM via HD". Michiguide.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2014. ... WXYT-FM, which already has WWJ-AM (950) on their HD-2 channel, has now fired up a HD-3 channel with a simulcast of WXYT-AM (1270) which recently flipped to all-talk... but when the University of Michigan is playing football the pre-game, the game itself, and the post-game show will all be on WXYT-FM HD-3!
  4. ↑ 2022 Football Broadcast Information MGoBlue.com
  5. ↑ 2022-23 Men's Basketball Broadcast Information MGoBlue.com
  6. ↑ Blade wire reports (March 21, 2001). "UM Guaranteed $7.5M". The Toledo Blade . Block Communications. p. C4 - City. The University of Michigan said yesterday that it has signed a deal guaranteeing the school $7.4 million in advertising revenue for its football and men's basketball radio broadcasts. The deal with Host Communications Inc. of Lexington, Ky., would pay the university a minimum of $1.3 million for the 2001-2 season, rising to $1.6 million for 2005-6, Michigan said in a news release.
  7. ↑ Heuser, John (August 5, 2008). "University of Michigan inks $86 million deal with IMG College to manage sports marketing". MLive.com . MLive Media Group. Archived from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved November 5, 2014. The University of Michigan athletic department has struck a marketing and media rights deal with IMG College that will bring the department at least $86 million during the 12-year length of the contract. ... Last fall, IMG College purchased Host Communications, which has controlled Michigan's radio broadcast rights the past seven years. In addition to the game day radio broadcasts, IMG College will manage and market rights associated with...
  8. ↑ Blade staff (October 16, 2005). "Coyotes' Hull puts end to career - Scored 741 goals in 19-plus seasons". The Toledo Blade . Block Communications. p. C3 - Sports. Detroit radio station WJR (760 AM) has announced a five-year deal to broadcast Michigan State football and basketball games beginning in 2006. WJR's announcement apparently took University of Michigan officials by surprise. The radio station has broadcast Michigan football games since 1976 and UM basketball games since 1997.
  9. ↑ "CKLW, WOMC Ink Michigan Football Deal, Beckmann Remains Voice". AllAccess.com. All Access Media Group. May 25, 2006. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2014. ... despite the team's move from WJR to crosstown Chum Ltd. Talk CKLW-A and CBS Oldies WOMC for the 2006 season.
  10. ↑ Meinke, Kyle (August 8, 2011). "Michigan athletic department announces 5-year radio deal with CBS less than month before football opener". The Ann Arbor News . MLive Media Group. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2014. The University of Michigan athletic department announced today it has reached a five-year contract extension with CBS Radio. ... The agreement comes less than a month before the Wolverines will face Western Michigan in its football opener Sept. 3. Michigan's previous five-year deal with CBS, which was signed in 2006, had been allowed to expire.
  11. ↑ "Jim Brandstatter and Dan Dierdorf retire -". whatradiostation.com. January 31, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  12. ↑ "WPHM Schedule".
  13. ↑ "U of M Basketball".
  14. ↑ "U of M Football Schedule".
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