January 24, 2006
SEATTLE - The Seattle SuperSonics organization today announced its signing of a multi-year agreement with Entercom Radio Group. Beginning in the 2006-07 season, all Sonics games will be broadcast on 770 AM KTTH.
“We’re looking forward to 770 AM KTTH as our new home of Sonics Basketball,” said Sonics & Storm President and CEO Wally Walker. “KTTH and its six sister stations align the Sonics with our ticket buyers and listening-audience demographics. This partnership offers us a more broadly based marketing platform for our broadcasts and greater opportunities for promotions.” Entercom Seattle radio stations also include 710 KIRO, 97.3 KBSG, 99.9 KISW, 103.7 The Mountain, 100.7 The Wolf and 107.7 The End.
The Sonics will be the exclusive professional sports broadcasts on 770 AM KTTH – the team’s new Seattle flagship station. The partnership agreement includes Sonics pregame and postgame shows accompanying KTTH’s radio broadcasts, as well as a weekly head coach’s show.
“The Sonics have a strong heritage in the community, a winning tradition and a large, loyal fan base,” said Dave Pridemore, VP/General Manager of 770 KTTH. “We are excited to be a part of the Sonics team and look forward to bringing all of the Sonics games to radio listeners in the Pacific Northwest.”
The new partnership between the Sonics and Entercom Seattle will mark the end of the team’s longstanding simulcast arrangement and will create two separate broadcasts. Nineteen-year veteran Sonics play-by-play announcer Kevin Calabro will continue to handle the television play-by-play duties with Sonics partner FSN Northwest. The Sonics organization will add broadcast talent to handle the radio responsibilities. Calabro will remain the primary play-by-play broadcast talent for radio-only, regular-season games and Sonics playoff games.
“I’ve had a longstanding relationship with KJR and played a part in it becoming the Sonics flagship station,” said Calabro. “I started broadcasting Sonics games at KJR with Bob Blackburn in August of 1987, and although it’s a tough decision to part ways with KJR, the partnership with KTTH is favorable to the Sonics from a business standpoint. I look forward to working with KTTH and the Entercom team.”
For the last 21 NBA seasons, Sonics games have been broadcast on Sports Radio 950 KJR AM.
"It was a difficult decision to change stations," said Walker. "The Sonics are proud to have been a part of KJR’s emergence as one of the country’s premier radio stations.”
Under the new agreement, all elements of the radio broadcasts will be Sonics-produced. The Sonics organization will continue to own its radio-broadcast rights and will sell the game broadcasts’ inventory.
