Cleveland Browns Radio Network
The Cleveland Browns Radio Network is an American radio network composed of 26 radio stations which carry English-language coverage of the Cleveland Browns, a professional football team in the National Football League (NFL). Cleveland market stations WKNR (850 AM), WKRK-FM (92.3 FM), and WNCX (98.5 FM) serve as the network's three flagships. The network also includes 24 affiliates in the U.S. states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, and Oklahoma: 12 AM stations, nine of which supplement their signals with a low-power FM translator; and 12 full-power FM stations, one of which supplements its signal with a low-power FM translator. Jim Donovan is the current play-by-play announcer, while Doug Dieken serves as color commentator.[2][3][4] In addition to traditional over-the-air AM and FM broadcasts, network programming airs on SiriusXM satellite radio; and streams online via SiriusXM Internet Radio, TuneIn Premium, and NFL Game Pass.[5][6][7]
 | |
| Type | Radio network |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio |
Broadcast area | Ohio Pennsylvania (limited) West Virginia (limited) New York (limited) Oklahoma (limited) |
| Owner | Cleveland Browns |
| Established | 1940s[1] |
| Affiliation(s) | NFL |
| Affiliates | 27 (including 3 flagships) |
Official website | Browns Radio Network |
History
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The Cleveland Browns Radio Network dates back to the 1940s[1] when team founder and namesake Paul Brown served as coach, and the team itself played in the now-defunct All-America Football Conference. As of the 1974 Browns season, WHK/Cleveland served as the flagship station for a network of 34 total affiliates, including three stations in Pennsylvania; all but five stations broadcast on the AM band.[1][8]
Following reactivation of the Cleveland Browns franchise in 1999, flagship rights were awarded to Cleveland oldies station WMJI, then owned by Jacor Communications (later absorbed by Clear Channel); "secondary programming", including a weekly show featuring the Browns head coach, aired on AM sister station WTAM. By 2002, FM coverage had shifted from WMJI to rock station WMMS. Most games were also simulcast on WTAM during this period. In March 2013, WKNR owner Good Karma Broadcasting (now Good Karma Brands), together with WKRK-FM/WNCX owner CBS Radio (now Entercom), announced a new "long-term deal" with the team.[9][10][11] On October 5, 2018, it was reported that Oklahoma radio station KREF was joining the network for the remainder of the 2018 Browns season to provide fans of former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield a chance to follow him during his rookie season.[12]
In April 2020, Crain's Cleveland Business reported that the Browns, WKRK-FM/WNCX owner Entercom, and WKNR owner Good Karma Brands agreed to extend their radio partnership.[13]
Station list
| Callsign | Frequency | Band | City | State | Network status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WKNR | 850 | AM | Cleveland | Ohio | Flagship |
| WKRK-FM | 92.3 | FM | Cleveland | Ohio | Flagship |
| WNCX | 98.5 | FM | Cleveland | Ohio | Flagship |
| WAKR | 1590 | AM | Akron | Ohio | Affiliate |
| W228EL | 93.5 | FM | Akron | Ohio | n/a (WAKR relay) |
| WONE-FM | 97.5 | FM | Akron | Ohio | Affiliate |
| WHBC | 1480 | AM | Canton | Ohio | Affiliate |
| WHBC-FM | 94.1 | FM | Canton | Ohio | Affiliate |
| WKKI | 94.3 | FM | Celina | Ohio | Affiliate |
| WMJK | 100.9 | FM | Clyde | Ohio | Affiliate |
| WTOH | 98.9 | FM | Columbus | Ohio | Affiliate |
| WWCB | 1370 | FM | Corry | Pennsylvania | Affiliate |
| WZLR | 95.3 | FM | Dayton | Ohio | Affiliate |
| W266BG | 101.1 | FM | Dayton | Ohio | n/a (WZLR relay) |
| WJER | 1450 | AM | Dover | Ohio | Affiliate |
| W265DL | 100.9 | FM | Dover | Ohio | n/a (WJER relay) |
| WPSE | 1450 | AM | Erie | Pennsylvania | Affiliate |
| W296BW | 107.1 | FM | Erie | Pennsylvania | n/a (WPSE relay) |
| WFOB | 1430 | AM | Fostoria | Ohio | Affiliate |
| W289CP | 105.7 | FM | Fostoria | Ohio | n/a (WFOB relay) |
| WKKY | 104.7 | FM | Geneva | Ohio | Affiliate |
| WQFX-FM | 103.1 | FM | Jamestown | New York | Affiliate |
| WWSR | 93.1 | FM | Lima | Ohio | Affiliate |
| WRGM | 1440 | AM | Mansfield | Ohio | Affiliate |
| W294CK | 106.7 | FM | Mansfield | Ohio | n/a (WRGM relay) |
| WJAW-FM | 100.9 | FM | Marietta | Ohio | Affiliate |
| WKST | 1200 | FM | New Castle | Pennsylvania | Affiliate |
| KREF | 1400 | AM | Norman | Oklahoma | Affiliate |
| K257DA | 99.3 | FM | Norman | Oklahoma | n/a (KREF relay) |
| KAKC | 1300 | AM | Tulsa | Oklahoma | Affiliate |
| K272DQ | 103.7 | FM | Tulsa | Oklahoma | n/a (KAKC relay) |
| WBTC | 1540 | AM | Uhrichsville | Ohio | Affiliate |
| W270CI | 100.9 | FM | Uhrichsville | Ohio | n/a (WBTC relay) |
| WKKX | 1600 | AM | Wheeling | West Virginia | Affiliate |
| W251CY | 98.1 | FM | Wheeling | West Virginia | n/a (WKKX relay) |
| WQKT | 104.5 | FM | Wooster | Ohio | Affiliate |
Gray background indicates low-power FM translator
Network maps
References
- Huler, Scott (October 8, 1989). "A Howling Success". The Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. p. 24 - The Plain Dealer Magazine.
Mason has never lived in Cleveland. But as a child living in Houston in the 1940s, Manson heard the Browns on Paul Brown's Browns radio network...
- Kleps, Kevin (March 27, 2013). "Get ready for saturation radio coverage of the Cleveland Browns this year". CrainsCleveland.com. Crain Communications. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
Multiple sources have confirmed what The News-Herald first reported Tuesday night: WKNR-AM, 850; WKRK-FM, 92.3; and WNCX-FM, 98.5 will split the rights to broadcast Browns games this season.
- Finnan, Bob (September 6, 2011). "Jim Donovan discusses returning to Browns' radio booth". News-Herald.com. The News-Herald. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
He'll join color analyst Doug Dieken behind the microphone for the Browns-Bengals game on the Browns radio network... Donovan is starting his 13th year of doing the Browns on the radio.
- "Cleveland Browns gain radio voice in Columbus". CrainsCleveland.com. Crain Communications. May 22, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
Columbus radio station WZOH-FM, 95.5, will join the Cleveland Browns Radio Network starting in 2013.
- Legard, Ron (June 4, 2013). "Browns add two radio affiliates in Akron". Akron Beacon Journal via Ohio.com. The Akron Beacon Journal. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
The Browns announced two Akron radio stations (WAKR 1590-AM and WONE 97.5-FM) will be part of the team's radio network.
- Kiesewetter, John (September 13, 2013). "Cleveland Browns games on WHIO-AM, FM". The Cincinnati Enquirer via Cincinnati.com. Cincinnati.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
Dayton's WHIO-AM (1290) and WHIO-FM (95.7) picked up the Cleveland Browns radio network for this season.
- Legard, Ron (June 4, 2013). "Browns add two radio affiliates in Akron". Akron Beacon Journal via Ohio.com. The Akron Beacon Journal. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- Press release (September 3, 2014). "SiriusXM Announces Programming for 2014 NFL Season". Investor.SiriusXM.com. SiriusXM. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
Throughout the season every NFL game is available on all Sirius radios, and on XM radios with either a Premier or All Access package.
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/10/12/nfl-teams-up-tunein-radio-broadcasts/73811658/
- https://www.nfl.com/gamepass
- "Where to hear the Browns' games". The Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. September 7, 1974. p. 5E.
The following are the stations on the Cleveland Browns' radio network, headed by flagship WHK-1420 in Cleveland...
- Brown, Roger (January 26, 1999). "WMJI to Carry Browns Games: Oldies Station Signs 3-Year Deal". The Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. p. 1A - National.
The Browns and Jacor Communications, the Kentucky company that owns WMJI, agreed yesterday on a three-year deal for the station to air the games. ... Most of that secondary programming... will be on WTAM, Meltzer said yesterday.
- O'Connor, Clint (September 22, 2002). "At the Controls: Clear Channel Programmer Rules Radio in Cleveland". The Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. p. J1 – Sunday Arts.
... Clear Channel moved the Browns games there this season from WMJI. Revenue goes to the Browns Radio Network... Meltzer first brought Metheny to Cleveland in June 1998 as operations director at WTAM when they both worked for Jacor, later absorbed into Clear Channel.
- Reed, Tom (March 27, 2013). "Browns Switch Radio Stations, Get Wider Game-day Coverage". The Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. p. D3 – Sports.
... the Browns are entering into a long-term deal to have their games broadcast on WKNR AM/850, WKRK FM/92.3, and WNCX FM/98.5. ... The new deal allows the Browns to be aired on AM and FM stations without worries of a conflict with Indians games. That occasionally was a problem on WTAM.
- Staff reports (October 5, 2018). "Oklahoma Scene: Norman radio station to broadcast Browns games". The Oklahoman. NewsOK.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
Norman's KREF (SportsTalk 99.3 FM and 1400 AM) announced Friday it will broadcast all Cleveland Browns games for the remainder of the season, giving Oklahoma fans the opportunity to follow former Sooner quarterback Baker Mayfield.
- Kleps, Kevin (April 12, 2020). "Browns are taking lessons from the governor, nearing new radio deal during busy work-from-home period". CrainsCleveland.com. Crain Communications, Inc. Archived from the original on April 12, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
... the Browns, Entercom Communications (which operates The Fan) and Good Karma Brands (ESPN Cleveland's parent company) have agreed to extend their partnership.
- Kleps, Kevin (April 14, 2020). "Browns exec says team hopes to have 'more to share in the coming months' on future of FirstEnergy Stadium". CrainsCleveland.com. Crain Communications, Inc. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
The Browns will soon announce a new radio deal with Entercom Communications (the parent company of WKRK-FM, 92.3) and Good Karma Brands (which operates WKNR-AM, 850).
- Kleps, Kevin (April 14, 2020). "Browns exec says team hopes to have 'more to share in the coming months' on future of FirstEnergy Stadium". CrainsCleveland.com. Crain Communications, Inc. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.