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]
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 |
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.
The Bengals and iHeartMedia Cincinnati announced today they have extended the agreement to broadcast the team's games on radio through the 2019 NFL season. ... ESPN 1530 and 102.7 WEBN will serve as the broadcast flagship stations for all Bengals games. 700 WLW will also carry all games for which there is no conflict with Cincinnati Reds baseball broadcasts.
The NFL's Cincinnati Bengals have named Dan Hoard as their new radio play-by-play voice, replacing Brad Johansen, who has called the games for the last 11 years.
Dave Lapham is a former NFL Offensive Lineman who is now a play by play commentator for the Bengals Radio Network.
Coverage on the Bengals Radio Network, led by a 'triple cast' on Cincinnati flagship stations...
Alan Cutler is rejoining the Cincinnati Bengals radio network as studio host
Dave Lapham of the Bengals Radio Network came on to talk about the Monday Night Showdown in Cincinnati...
Throughout the season every NFL game is available on all Sirius radios, and on XM radios with either a Premier or All Access package.
Plans & Pricing... Season Plus: Listen to every NFL Game live - including Playoffs and Super Bowl XLIX.
One of Chancellor's first tasks will be assemble a Bengals Radio Network similar to the 35-station network that Jacor created for the team. That network included stations in Columbus, Dayton and Cleveland in Ohio, as well as stations in Lexington, Ky., and Huntington, W. Va.
The Bengals and Clear Channel Cincinnati announced Tuesday that they have renewed and extended their agreement for the rights to the team's radio broadcasts. Clear Channel has broadcast Bengals games for the past six seasons. WSAI-AM (1360) and WOFX-FM (92.5) will continue to serve as the flagship stations for the Bengals radio network. ... The Bengals radio network includes 23 stations in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia.
Cincinnati Bengals football will remain on the Clear Channel/Cincinnati stations under a new three-year deal. The games will air on Sports WCKY-A (ESPN 1530) and Rock WEBN, and will also air on Talk WLW-A when there is no conflict with Cincinnati Reds baseball.
Clear Channel needed a new FM affiliate because the U.S. Justice Department ordered the company in February to sell WOFX-FM and WNNF-FM (Radio 94.1) for the company to be acquired by a private equity investor.