Type | Radio network |
---|---|
Country | |
Headquarters | Cincinnati, Ohio |
Broadcast area | Ohio Kentucky Indiana (limited) West Virginia (limited) |
Owner | Cincinnati Bengals |
Affiliation(s) | NFL |
Affiliates | 42 (including 3 flagships) |
Official website | Bengals Radio Network |
The Cincinnati Bengals Radio Network is an American radio network consisting of 37 radio stations which carry coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals, a professional football team in the NFL. Three Cincinnati radio stations—WCKY (1530 AM), WEBN (102.7 FM), and WLW (700 AM)—serve as the network's flagship stations; WLW also simulcasts over a low-power FM translator. The network also includes 39 affiliates in the U.S. states of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia: 27 AM stations, 18 of which extend their signals with one or more low-power FM translators; and 12 full-power FM stations. Dan Hoard is the current play-by-play announcer, while Dave Lapham serves as color commentator.[1][2][3] In addition to traditional over-the-air AM and FM broadcasts, the Bengals are available on SiriusXM satellite radio, and online with NFL Audio Pass.[4][5]
Following the 1996 Bengals season, the team ended its radio partnership with Jacor Broadcasting. Jacor had also been responsible for overseeing a network of 35 stations for the team, which had been fronted by WLW (the flagship station from 1968 to 1981 and from 1993 to 1996). Citing a desire to "control content... outside the parameters of gameday broadcasts", the Bengals opted for a new three-year agreement with Chancellor Media. Cincinnati sports talk WKYN and country station WUBE-FM took over as flagship stations for a new network also run by Chancellor. Soon, however, both Chancellor and Jacor would be acquired by Clear Channel, and in 1999, the team itself signed a six-year contract with the radio giant. The team renewed this agreement with Clear Channel in 2005; Cincinnati stations WSAI (which was WCKY (1360 AM) prior to 2005; WSAI's programming and co-flagship rights were transferred to WCKY (1530 AM) in July 2006) and WOFX-FM continued to share flagship duties for the Bengals Radio Network, which by this time included 23 stations in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.[6][7] Former network flagship WLW served as a co-flagship station when it did not conflict with game broadcasts over the Cincinnati Reds Radio Network, a practice which continues to the present day. As WLW and WCKY are both 50,000-watt clear-channel stations, their combined footprints allow Bengals night games to be heard across almost all of North America.
Rock station WEBN became the network's new FM flagship in 2008, a change resulting from Clear Channel's sale of WOFX-FM to Cumulus Media (the U. S. Department of Justice had required the sale of WOFX-FM and WNNF to approve a leveraged buyout of Clear Channel itself). The team subsequently renewed its agreement with Clear Channel (now iHeartMedia) again in 2011 and 2014.[8][9]
Callsign | Frequency | Band | City | State | Network status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
WLW | 700 | AM | Cincinnati | Ohio | Flagship |
W233BG | 94.5 | FM | Cincinnati | Ohio | WLW relay |
WCKY | 1530 | AM | Cincinnati | Ohio | Flagship |
WEBN | 102.7 | FM | Cincinnati | Ohio | Flagship |
WCMI | 1340 | AM | Ashland | Kentucky | Affiliate |
W227CI | 93.3 | FM | Ashland | Kentucky | WCMI relay |
WATH | 970 | AM | Athens | Ohio | Affiliate |
W247DR | 97.3 | FM | Athens | Ohio | WATH relay |
WRBI | 103.9 | FM | Batesville | Indiana | Affiliate |
WDNS | 93.3 | FM | Bowling Green | Kentucky | Affiliate |
WCSM-FM | 96.7 | FM | Celina | Ohio | Affiliate |
WBEX | 1490 | AM | Chillicothe | Ohio | Affiliate |
W224BR | 92.7 | FM | Chillicothe | Ohio | WBEX relay |
WZCB | 105.3 | FM | Columbus | Ohio | Affiliate |
WTUE | 104.7 | FM | Dayton | Ohio | Affiliate |
WBVI | 96.7 | FM | Findlay | Ohio | Affiliate |
WSRW | 1590 | AM | Hillsboro | Ohio | Affiliate |
W268CC | 101.5 | FM | Hillsboro | Ohio | WSRW relay |
WRVC | 930 | AM | Huntington | West Virginia | Affiliate |
W231BS | 94.1 | FM | Huntington | West Virginia | WRVC relay |
WLOH | 1320 | AM | Lancaster | Ohio | Affiliate |
W283BO | 104.3 | FM | Lancaster | Ohio | WLOH relay |
WBVX | 92.1 | FM | Lexington | Kentucky | Affiliate |
WIMA | 1150 | AM | Lima | Ohio | Affiliate |
WLGN | 1510 | AM | Logan | Ohio | Affiliate |
W257EQ | 99.3 | FM | Logan | Ohio | WLOH relay |
W277CX | 103.3 | FM | Logan | Ohio | WLGN relay |
WKRD | 790 | AM | Louisville | Kentucky | Affiliate |
WWXL | 1450 | AM | Manchester | Kentucky | Affiliate |
WMOA | 1490 | AM | Marietta | Ohio | Affiliate |
W267CQ | 101.3 | FM | Marietta | Ohio | WMOA relay |
WMRN | 1490 | AM | Marion | Ohio | Affiliate |
WDLR | 1270 | AM | Marysville | Ohio | Affiliate |
W244DV | 96.7 | FM | Marysville | Ohio | WDLR relay |
WTIG | 990 | AM | Massillon | Ohio | Affiliate |
WMPO | 1390 | AM | Middleport | Ohio | Affiliate |
W279CE | 103.7 | FM | Middleport | Ohio | WMPO relay |
W265DJ | 100.9 | FM | Mount Vernon | Ohio | WQIO-HD2 relay |
WMON | 1340 | AM | Montgomery | West Virginia | Affiliate |
WCLT | 1430 | AM | Newark | Ohio | Affiliate |
W254CT | 98.7 | FM | Newark | Ohio | WCLT relay |
WIOI | 1010 | AM | New Boston | Ohio | Affiliate |
W294CN | 106.7 | FM | New Boston | Ohio | WIOI relay |
WKYH | 600 | AM | Paintsville | Kentucky | Affiliate |
WPTW | 1570 | AM | Piqua | Ohio | Affiliate |
W251BC | 98.1 | FM | Piqua | Ohio | WPTW relay |
WMOV | 1360 | AM | Ravenswood | West Virginia | Affiliate |
W228DJ | 93.5 | FM | Ravenswood | West Virginia | WMOV relay |
W295DM | 106.9 | FM | Point Pleasant | West Virginia | WMOV relay |
WTLO | 1480 | AM | Somerset | Kentucky | Affiliate |
W249DF | 97.7 | FM | Somerset | Kentucky | WTLO relay |
W275CT | 102.9 | FM | Somerset | Ohio | WLOH relay |
WJYP | 1300 | AM | St. Albans | West Virginia | Affiliate |
WKID | 95.9 | FM | Vevay | Indiana | Affiliate |
WAMW-FM | 107.9 | FM | Washington | Indiana | Affiliate |
WCHO-FM | 105.5 | FM | Washington Court House | Ohio | Affiliate |
WHIZ | 1240 | AM | Zanesville | Ohio | Affiliate |
W272EE | 102.3 | FM | Zanesville | Ohio | WHIZ relay |
Blue background indicates low-power FM translator.