The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced a contract extension with Entercom Sports “93.7 The Fan” KDKA-FM Pittsburgh to remain as home of the franchise’s radio broadcasts.
KDKA-FM has carried Pirates games since 2012 following a five year run on then Clear Channel News/Talk 104.7 WPGB. From 1955 through 2006 the team’s games aired on 1020 KDKA, and for the first time since then, the franchise will one again be heard there. KDKA and new translator 100.1 W261AX Pittsburgh will simulcast the broadcasts of select games including Opening Day and all weekday afternoon games. KDKA was also home of the first radio broadcast of a Major League Baseball game in 1921.
Entercom and the Pittsburgh Pirates have announced today a multiyear radio broadcast contract extension. 93.7 The Fan (KDKA-FM) will continue to be the Pirates flagship radio station, as it has since 2012, airing all Spring Training and regular season baseball games.
New to the partnership, Entercom will now air all Pirates weekday afternoon games on both sister stations KDKA News Radio 100.1 FM and 1020 KDKA-AM. Entercom will also simulcast a select number of games, including Opening Day and the Pirates home opener across all three frequencies – 93.7 FM, 100.1 FM and 1020 AM.
“The Pirates and KDKA are part of the fabric of our city. We are thrilled to be able to carry on that tradition while ushering in a new era of expanded reach of Pirates programming,” said Michael Spacciapolli, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Pittsburgh. “This expanded partnership allows us to leverage the Pirates brand and great package of game programming on KDKA News Radio 100.1 FM and 1020 AM to raise further awareness of the new KDKA simulcast.”
“This expanded coverage is a homecoming for us and our fans. Ever since the nation’s first ever baseball game, a Pirates game versus the Philadelphia Phillies, was broadcast on KDKA in 1921, KDKA and the Pirates have been synonymous with each other,” said Travis Williams, President, Pittsburgh Pirates. “This agreement honors that true Pittsburgh tradition of day games on the KDKA-AM airwaves, but also that same sense of innovation from more than a century ago as we look to bring even more Pirates programming to fans across the cluster of Entercom Pittsburgh stations.”