The Akron Aeros (Class AA; Eastern League) have renewed its broadcast partnership with Fox Sports 1350, WARF-AM, while the Tucson Padres (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are switching to 1290 AM The Source.
In Akron, All 142 Aeros games, both home and road, will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1350. Games will also be live streamed on the new MiLB application for the 2013 season and online at akronaeros.com.
The 2013 season will mark the 11th that Fox Sports 1350 has been the flagship station for the Akron Aeros. They have been the flagship station for all four of the Aeros’ Eastern League Championships, beginning in the first year of the partnership in 2003.
“The Aeros are proud and excited to extend our agreement with Fox Sports 1350. They have proven to be an excellent partner and the go-to destination for everything Akron Aeros on the radio.This agreement will strengthen new team owner Ken Babby’s goal of connecting with the community and offering first-class, exciting, and affordable family fun,” said Jim Pfander, Akron Aeros general manager and chief operating officer.
“There is nothing better than sitting in the backyard listening to baseball in the summer. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Akron Aeros,” said Keith Kennedy, regional programming manager, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment.”
The 2013 season will be the second for the broadcast team of Jim Clark and Dave Wilson on Fox Sports 1350.
It will be the 21st season for Clark as the Voice of the Aeros. He started with the franchise in 1990 when it was the Canton-Akron Indians (1990, 1992-94) and has been behind the microphone all 16 years since the team moved to Canal Park and became the Akron Aeros in 1997. For the past 31 years, Clark has also served as the sports information director at Walsh University, where he has broadcast basketball games for all 31 years and 18 years of football. In addition, he has worked for WAKR radio and Akron’s TV-23, as well as broadcasting for Time-Warner for LeBron James’s senior season at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.
Wilson returns for his second year as a member of the Aeros’ broadcast team. Since 1991, he has logged over 16 years calling the play-by-play for over 2,000 minor league baseball games, including four years with the Lake County Captains (Low Class A; Midwest League) and three years with the Louisville Redbirds. Wilson does radio play-by-play for Kent State women’s basketball and Case Western Reserve football, while also working basketball and baseball state championship games on the OHSAA Radio Network. On the television side, Wilson is the play-by-play announcer for Time Warner Cable’s high school football and basketball “Game of the Week.”
Fox Sports 1350 is Akron’s only all sports station featuring Dan Patrick, Jay Mohr, Akron sports talk with Joe Dunn, plus live coverage of the University of Akron Zips, Kent State Golden Flashes, and Akron Aeros baseball.
In Tucson, the new agreement gives fans an opportunity to follow the T-Pads on a sports-based station, while making the station the exclusive home of baseball in Tucson, as 1290 AM The Source also carries University of Arizona baseball action.
“This new radio deal is exciting news for our fans,” said Mike Feder, Tucson Padres General Manager. “1290 AM The Source has a strong signal and airs sports programming all day. It is a great fit for us.”
1290 AM The Source is the exclusive home of University of Arizona Athletics. The station is a CBS Sports Radio affiliate and is southern Arizona’s home for The Dan Patrick Show, The Doug Gottlieb Show, The Jim Rome Show and Arizona Cardinals football. The station also features In the House with Kevin Woodman and Rob Lantz each weekday from 3:00-6:00 pm.
“Cumulus Radio Tucson and 1290 AM The Source are extremely excited about our broadcast partnership and being the new home of the Tucson Padres for the 2013 baseball season,” said Ken Kowalcek, Market Manager for Cumulus Radio Tucson. “All of us at Cumulus Radio and 1290 AM The Source look forward to ‘hitting one out of the park’ this season by partnering with Mike Feder and his team at the Tucson Padres.”
Most Tucson Padres games will air live. When the T-Pads are playing at the same time as the Arizona Wildcats, Padres games will air on tape delay after the Wildcats game. All Padres games will stream live via www.tucsonpadres.com.
Play-by-play broadcaster Tim Hagerty returns for his third season as voice of the Tucson Padres and his tenth season in Minor League Baseball. All game broadcasts will have ten minute pre-game and post-game shows.