News
Braves partner with Dickey Broadcasting
Club issues five-year radio rights to Atlanta-based outletBy Adam Rosenberg / MLB.com
07/23/09 1:42 PM ET
ATLANTA -- The Braves will have a new radio home next year when they enter a five-year contract with the Dickey Broadcasting Company, the club announced Thursday morning. Dickey Broadcasting will begin serving as the Braves' radio rightsholder beginning with the 2010 season."We're thrilled that Atlanta-based Dickey Broadcasting Company, partnering with Cumulus, has come aboard and brought with them both the leading sports talk station in town and their highly rated rock station to air our games in Atlanta," said Braves executive vice president of sales and marketing Derek Schiller. "We are looking forward to hearing Don Sutton and Jim Powell on their new home in 2010 and on the largest radio network in sports."
Dickey Broadcasting will carry Braves games on its two Atlanta flagship radio stations, 680 the Fan (WCNN-AM) and Cumulus' Rock 100.5 (WNNX-FM). It will also manage the Braves' radio network, which includes at least 150 radio stations throughout the Southeast.
"We've enjoyed the largest radio network in sports for years," Schiller said. "We are confident that this deal will help us get Braves coverage to more fans. I would expect there to be a lot more supplemental programming beyond just the broadcasts."
Fans can expect a more comprehensive range of Braves coverage next season, including Braves call-in shows, expanded pregame and postgame shows and highlight shows. Dickey says the presence of experienced sports talk personalities, including former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone, will enhance the network's coverage of the Braves.
"The Atlanta Braves are the most popular sports team in Atlanta, and we're ecstatic to add them to our market-leading programming on 680 The Fan and Rock 100.5," said David Dickey, president of Dickey Broadcasting Company. "We will provide the most comprehensive coverage of the Atlanta Braves, from Spring Training to the postseason, and bring you the team like never before. We are the leader in Atlanta sports programming and this helps us widen the gap."
For Dickey, the deal also provides an opportunity to further implant the Braves as an Atlanta institution and help further the state of Georgia's reputation as a baseball hotbed.
"The Braves have done a great job in relation to inspiring young baseball players in this region," Dickey said. "From the Gwinnett Braves to the great youth baseball in the state, a lot of these kids grow up wanting to be Braves. We want to further that."
Adam Rosenberg is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
