With just one day to go before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, the Phillies finally have announced their radio affiliate for 2016. Phillies fans will continue to be treated to the continued banter of Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen in 2016 on a strong FM signal. But there appears to be one major change.
According to a press release by the club:
“This is an exciting time for the future of Phillies baseball," said David Buck, Phillies Senior Vice President Marketing and Advertising Sales. "Thanks to our long-time partner CBS RADIO, fans will be able to follow all of the action from spring training through the regular season on SportsRadio 94WIP.”
Added David Yadgaroff, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, CBS RADIO Philadelphia, “We are happy to continue the tradition of broadcasting Phillies baseball. SportsRadio 94WIP is proud to be the radio home of the fightin’ Phils and we look forward to an exciting 2016 season.”
The release mentions nothing about WPHT 1210 AM.
WPHT has been suffering from poorer ratings in recent years, despite one of the strongest AM signals in the country. The Phillies seemingly stuck with WPHT for emotional reasons; the Buck family is known to have enjoyed listening to the signal from a vacation home. But, with dawn of internet and satellite radio, the need for a duplicate station just does not exist anymore. All Phillies broadcasts are available online through Phillies.com and on Sirius XM.
The move comes incredibly last-minute, as Phillies pitchers and catchers are set to report to Spring Training tomorrow. CBS Radio and the Phillies announced a one-year extension in September 2014, stating hopes to sign a long-term deal by summer. That extension did not occur, and the release does not indicate how long this extension appears to be, though it reads as if it is for one year.
The Phillies have long been heard on 1210 AM, dating back to WCAU radio in the 1960s. The Phillies spent 2004 on 950 WPEN-AM, but returned to 1210AM the following season.
