Golden State Warriors staying with KNBR

Bay Area Sports Guy September 05, 2012

The Golden State Warriors announced this morning that they have re-upped their deal with KNBR, which will remain the team’s flagship radio station. Here’s the press release from the club:

WARRIORS AND KNBR SIGN MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION

KNBR 680 To Continue As Flagship Radio Station, Marking Team’s 37th Season On “The Sports Leader”

OAKLAND, Calif. – The Golden State Warriors have signed a multi-year contract extension with their flagship radio station, KNBR 680, the team announced today. The 2012-13 NBA campaign will mark the Warriors’ 29th consecutive season on “The Sports Leader” and the 37th year on KNBR overall. As part of the contract, KNBR 680 will serve as the flagship station for all Warriors radio broadcasts through the 2015-16 NBA season.

“We are really excited to continue on our long-standing partnership with KNBR,” said Warriors President & COO Rick Welts. “This new agreement will enable the Warriors and KNBR to enter our fourth decade together during a period of time that is very compelling for our fans and our entire organization for a number of reasons, including, most importantly, the product on the floor. We’re eager to venture down this road with The Sports Leader.”

The Warriors began their affiliation with KNBR during the 1976-77 season and, with the exception of the 1983-84 campaign, have been carried by the Bay Area station since that time.

Under terms of the new agreement, KNBR 680 will broadcast all 82 regular-season contests each season – including the addition of games in the Midwest and Eastern time zones – with the exception of a minimal number of games to be broadcast on KNBR 1050. A minimum of four preseason games will also be broadcast each year, as well as all playoff games. Additionally, the team’s pre-game show has been expanded and will now run for 30 minutes leading-up to the station’s game broadcasts. KNBR 680 will also continue to air the Warriors Weekly Radio Show and the Mark Jackson Show once a week throughout the NBA season.

Tim Roye, who is entering his 18th season as the voice of Warriors radio, will once again handle radio play-by-play duties during the 2012-13 NBA campaign.

“Under the ownership group headed by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, the Warriors are a franchise on the rise,” said Cumulus San Francisco VP/Market Manager Bill Bungeroth. “KNBR is proud to continue our 36 year partnership with the Warriors, and as a sign of our commitment, we’re increasing our Warriors programming to the fans throughout Northern California.”

A few interesting things in this release:

1. This arrangement only lasts through 2016, around the same time the Warriors hope to move into a new arena in downtown San Francisco. The Warriors may be hoping that the added buzz from a potential move gives the team more leverage in the next round of negotiations.

2. Buried in the middle of the fourth paragraph is this line: “with the exception of a minimal number of games to be broadcast on KNBR 1050.” What does “a minimal number” mean? Fewer than before?

3. Not surprisingly, Roye stays on as the lead play-by-play guy (as he should). No mention of Bob Fitzgerald’s relationship with the team and/or his current arrangement with KNBR, but one has to figure he’s sticking around from noon-to-3.

This isn’t mentioned in the release, but 95.7 “The Game” was unsuccessful in its bid to lure the Warriors away from KNBR. Then again, we don’t really know if the Warriors ever seriously considered moving due to the reasons I laid out when it was announced that Ric Bucher was joining Brandon Tierney on “The Drive.”:

Does this mean the Warriors will follow Steinmetz and Bucher, leaving KNBR behind in the process?

I’m still not totally buying it. There’s certainly a chance the Warriors could move to The Game, and they’re probably tempted by the idea of a station propping up the Warriors as their No. 1 programming priority.

HOWEVER, 95.7 still has some issues to iron out in terms of signal strength. Plus, even though KNBR has shuffled several Warriors games off to 1050 over the years, quite a few have been carried on 680 —a far better lead-in than The Game could provide, at least for the foreseeable future. Changing flagship stations would mean the Warriors would go from serving as a bit player to anchoring the daily lineup.

About the Author

Otherwise known as Steve Berman (no, not the guy from the Eminem skits), BASG started Bay Area Sports Guy in January of 2008 with the help of his then-girlfriend (now wife). Since then he's covered college football for CSN Bay Area, gained media access to the Giants, Warriors and 49ers, and built Bay Area Sports Guy into the No. 1 independent Bay Area sports blog. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

25 comments

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Brooklyn Logic

Can we all agree that the term "move the needle" is already a tired, overused cliche?

Otis Byrd III

This is great news! I agree that if the Warriors would've moved to 95.7, that wouldn't have been good for them because 95.7 doesn't have a strong signal like KNBR does, and as has been mentioned, when A's season starts next season, where would the Warriors games be moved to then? Hopefully the Warriors will have most of their games on 680 though. Yeah, maybe they could put some of the lesser Warriors road games like the road games at Cleveland, at Detroit, at Toronto, at Charlotte, and I guess at Orlando now, on 1050, but most of the Warriors East Coast and Midwest road games, really should be on 680. No offense to Tom, but is his show good enough to trump a Warrior East Coast or Midwest road game? But yes, hopefully most of te Warriors road games will be on 680. I wonder if this was the deal breaker that factored into the decision for the Warriors to stay on KNBR. But yes, this is great news!

Fitz's Future Unemployment Check

I'd much rather listen to Tom than Warriors vs. Bobcats, ANYDAY.

The Game would be better off trying to get the Sharks. They regularly make the playoffs which is vastly more than you can say for the Warriors... and if the Sharks tank held 21,000, they would outdraw the A's.

Tru

The NHL just doesn't move the needle. Even after 15 years of winning, they're still a niche team. If the Warriors or A's or the NFL teams did that they'd have a massive following. Not so much with the Sharks.

Tru - They may be a niche team. However, that niche team has led the NHL in merch sales a few times. That niche team sells out every game. And I do not like using "what ifs" but if the Tank a 4000 more seats, they would outdraw the Warriors and the A's. Either way, who cares? It will never happen. And let's be honest... if the ratings continue to flat line, the Game in its current stage, probably won't be around that long. I would bet that if 95.7 just played simulcasted programming from Yahoo sports radio or a different syndicated sports group, the ratings would not change from where they are now. Hell, they would probably get better.

Fitz's Future Unemployment Check

If they really wanted them, they could probably get them from their sister station. One big issue is hockey on the radio just isn't very good. Baseball translates really well, and football does good enough because of all the pauses from play to play. Hockey and basketball just aren't very good for listening, although I do love Dan Rusanowsky.

Slam

Didja hear the Warriors slogan for this season ? : " IF BOGUT AND CURRY STAY HEALTHY !"

Fitz's Future Unemployment Check

Who is surprised by this? The Warriors would have been complete idiots to move to 95.7, although stupid moves have defined this franchise for years. My favorite part was the part about KNBR carrying playoff games. That's cute, it really is.

http://richliebermanreport.blogspot.com/2012/09/warriors-stay-with-knbr-why-because.html

Stan

So,Comcast is the TV employer of Fitz..who is so popular with fellow media they dare never have him on any Comcast at 5 show. That's bizarre. Or,the Warriors pay for PBP,with no Comcast input,and enjoy Fitz's reputation as company mole,spy and apologist. You pay him and he will say the Nazi's were the best team on the field..it was the injures!

Slam

I like Fitz talking about Jarrett Jack like he's LeBron James. The guy has no shame

C-Doh

The Warriors only move over to 1050 when there is a Giants game happening on 680. The Warriors would have had the same problem at 95.7 with the A's, but where would there games have been moved to then? The game doesn't stand a chance.

3rdKing

The golden state dodgers can suck it The la dodger basketball team should move to anaheim Go home gruber

dubs49ersgiants

I'm a warrior and sf giants fan and basically I do not really care that guber is part owner of the dodgers. Pro sports nowadays is more of a business than team loyalty to some of these owners. And besides guber does not make player/management decisions for both teams anyway, he's probably in charge of the in-game entertainment side. If Larry Baer were to buy a minority stake in a team outside the Bay Area, i would not think less of the giants nor Baer. Sadly but surely sports is a business where owners can generate lots of revenue.

SixPat

Worst part of the deal is that Fitz will be staying with KNBR.

paperback writer

Missing in the article and posts , so far, is the fact that Fitz' association with the Warriors as a broadcaster is on TV - Comcast, not KNBR, Perhaps Warriors-Comcast will make an announcement, or update note on their contract clarifying this. Of course those rumors that the W's pay KNBR for Fitz' show are strong, but un-proven? I really thought the game had a shot at this, it really looked like they were primed for it with Tierny's background, adding Steinmatz, Bucher - did they get jobbed by the Warriors and punked by KNBR? Looks that way to me.

ReggieWrite

Unless I'm missing something, the press release says nothing about Fitz or his future at KNBR.

Slam

Fitz asked his friend Greg Papa to introduce him to the Warriors/Comcast ( then Sports Channel ) people ... Papa hooked him up, then Fitz groveled behind his back and stole his job. Which is why Papa does Raiders, A's, and the San Antonio Spurs ... Papa still will not speak with him. Fitz is a weasel

Otis Byrd III

Yeah, I heard about that. I think this happened around 1997? Greg Papa and Fitz do talk to each other now when Greg Papa hosts the Warriors postgame show on CSN Bay Area, and at the beginning of the postgame show, they toss it back to Fitz and Barnett to basically recap that night's Warrior game. I'm not 100% sure that Greg Papa and Fitz are cool with each other again, but this could probably be a start, even though they have to do this. I wonder what they say to each other if anything, if/when they bump into each other at Bay Area sports media events. But yeah, that's kind of messed up if that's the way Fitz took Greg Papa's Warriors job. It's a great point you guys bring up about Fitz not being on Chronicle Live. I think he's the only Bay Area play-by-play guy who hasn't been on that show yet. That says a lot, and probably shows that Fitz might not really be well liked amongst Bay Area media circles.

Fitz is a back-stabber. Papa wanted to do TV only after suffering a throat problem but the little back-stabber stole the tv gig by going behind his back. Papa was great on radio. He was very good especially during the run TMC days.

Slam

Tim Roy is a consumate professional. The Warriors suck. The Drive is nothing

Jeff

I wonder who will be hosting the extended pre-game show? Roy, Tolbert, or Woodson - I think those would be the only three options.

I think Tolbert will do it . Roy already has his pre-game routines.

>>including the addition of games in the Midwest and Eastern time zones This is key here. How many more games? No post game call-in shows ? Lacob just chickened out. The Game 95.7 has to fix their signal or they will never get a team.