The Chicago Cubs Radio Network (known since 2024 as the Southwest Airlines Cubs Radio Network for sponsorship reasons) is the network of radio stations that broadcast Cubs games on 30 stations in six states.[1]
Veteran broadcaster Pat Hughes has been the play-by-play announcer since 1996. From 1996 to 2010, Hughes was partnered with Ron Santo. After Santo's death, Keith Moreland took over as color analyst through 2013. Ron Coomer took over color analyst duties in 2014. Zach Zaidman handles the Cubs Central pre- and post-game shows and takes over the play-by-play for the fifth inning of most games.
All 162 regular season baseball games, some spring training games, and all postseason games are broadcast by the network, though not all affiliates distribute the entire slate. The games are transmitted to stations via C-Band satellite service on AMC-8.
From 1925 to 2014 (continuously from 1958 to 2014), the Cubs' flagship station was WGN, 720 AM, the lone radio station of the Tribune Company (which for many years simultaneously owned the Cubs, TV station WGN-TV and its national superstation, and the local newspaper from which it gets its name, the Chicago Tribune). When it was part of the Tribune Radio Network, the network's non-sports programming included the National Farm Report, a farm news feature hosted by Orion Samuelson; Samuelson Sez (a weekly commentary hosted by Samuelson); and Farming America, a farm news feature hosted by Steve Alexander (previously by Max Armstrong).
In 2015, the Cubs' broadcast rights moved to CBS Radio (later Entercom, then Audacy) after Tribune declined to renew its longstanding broadcast rights.[2] The 2015 season was broadcast by WBBM. After sister station WSCR's loss of radio rights to broadcast the Chicago White Sox games to WLS in July 2015, it was widely expected that the Cubs would move to WSCR as a replacement. This move was confirmed by CBS Radio on November 11, 2015 [3][4] and finalized before the start of the 2016 Cubs season. Through WSCR, the games also air on the FM dial via HD Radio through WSCR's subchannel on WBMX (104.3-HD2).
Affiliates
| State |
City |
Station |
Frequency
|
| Illinois
|
Champaign |
WGKC |
FM 105.9
|
| Chicago |
WSCR WBMX-HD2 |
AM 670 (Flagship Station) FM 104.3-2
|
| Decatur |
WDZ |
AM 1050
|
| Lawrenceville |
WAKO W257DW |
AM 910 FM 99.3
|
| Lawrenceville |
WAKO-FM |
FM 103.1
|
| Monmouth |
WRAM |
AM 1330
|
| Peoria |
WZPN WHPI |
FM 101.1 FM 96.5
|
| Springfield |
WFMB |
AM 1450
|
| Sterling |
WSSQ |
FM 105.5
|
| Indiana
|
Boonville |
WBNL |
AM 1540
|
| Lafayette |
WASK |
AM 1450
|
| Marion |
WBAT |
AM 1400
|
| Elkhart |
WTRC |
AM 1340
|
| Iowa
|
Boone |
KWBG |
AM 1590
|
| Bloomfield |
KUDV |
FM 106.9
|
| Carroll |
KCIM |
AM 1380
|
| Cedar Falls |
KCNZ |
AM 1650
|
| Cedar Rapids |
KGYM |
AM 1600
|
| Des Moines |
KRNT |
AM 1350
|
| Dubuque |
WDBQ |
AM 1490
|
| Elkader |
KADR |
AM 1400
|
| Fairfield |
KMCD |
AM 1570
|
| Harlan |
KNOD |
FM 105.3 (pending)
|
| Iowa City |
KGYM |
FM 106.3
|
| West Burlington |
KCPS |
AM 1150
|
| Michigan
|
Kalamazoo |
WTOU |
AM 1660
|
| Petoskey |
WWMN |
AM 1110
|
| Traverse City |
WJNL |
AM 1210
|
| Minnesota
|
Sauk Rapids |
WBHR |
AM 660
|
| North Dakota
|
Fargo |
WDAY (AM) |
AM 970
|
| Nebraska
|
Omaha |
KIBM |
AM 1490
|
| South Dakota
|
Vermillion |
KVTK |
AM 1570
|
| Wisconsin
|
Madison |
WTSO[5] |
AM 1070
|
See also
- List of XM Satellite Radio channels
- List of Sirius Satellite Radio stations
References
- ^ "Affiliate List". cubs.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2011.
- ^ Marek, Lynne (May 30, 2014). "WGN America to drop Chicago sports". Chicago Business. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
- ^ "Cubs make their radio move to WSCR official". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- ^ Sherman, Ed (July 23, 2015). "Bulls, White Sox deals put WLS-AM back in the game in a big way". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- ^ "Brewers games on Bally Sports Wisconsin will look similar, but some streaming services lack deals". March 8, 2021.
|
|---|
- Established in 1874
- Formerly the Chicago White Stockings, Chicago Colts and the Chicago Orphans
- Based in Chicago, Illinois
|
| Franchise | |
|---|
| Ballparks | |
|---|
| Culture | |
|---|
| Lore | |
|---|
| Rivalries | |
|---|
| Key personnel | |
|---|
World Series championships (3) | |
|---|
National League championships (17) | |
|---|
Division championships | | East (2) | |
|---|
| Central (6) | |
|---|
| Wild Card (4) | |
|---|
|
|---|
Minor league affiliates | |
|---|
| Broadcasting | |
|---|
Seasons (152) |
|---|
| 1870s | |
|---|
| 1880s | |
|---|
| 1890s | |
|---|
| 1900s | |
|---|
| 1910s | |
|---|
| 1920s | |
|---|
| 1930s | |
|---|
| 1940s | |
|---|
| 1950s | |
|---|
| 1960s | |
|---|
| 1970s | |
|---|
| 1980s | |
|---|
| 1990s | |
|---|
| 2000s | |
|---|
| 2010s | |
|---|
| 2020s | |
|---|
|
Sports broadcast radio networks in the United States |
|---|
| National |
- Infinity
- ESPN
- Fox
- Sports Byline USA
- Sports Radio America
- Sports USA Radio Network
- TUDN
|
|---|
| Defunct |
- ESPN Deportes
- NBC
- Sports Fan Radio Network
- SportsMap
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
| AFC | | East |
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
|
|---|
| North |
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
|
|---|
| South |
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
|
|---|
| West |
- Denver Broncos
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Las Vegas Raiders
|
|---|
|
|---|
| NFC | | East |
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
|
|---|
| North |
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
|
|---|
| South |
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|
|---|
| West |
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
|
|---|
|
|---|
|
National Basketball Association radio networks |
|---|
Eastern Conference | | Atlantic |
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- New York Knicks
- Philadelphia 76ers
|
|---|
| Central |
- Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Milwaukee Bucks
|
|---|
| Southeast |
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Miami Heat
- Orlando Magic
- Washington Wizards
|
|---|
|
|---|
Western Conference | | Northwest |
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Utah Jazz
|
|---|
| Pacific |
- Golden State Warriors
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
|
|---|
| Southwest |
- Dallas Mavericks
- Houston Rockets
- Memphis Grizzlies
- New Orleans Pelicans
- San Antonio Spurs
|
|---|
|
|---|
|
National Hockey League radio networks |
|---|
| |Western Conference | | Pacific Division |
- Anaheim Mighty Ducks
- Los Angeles Kings
- San Jose Sharks
- Seattle Kraken
- Vegas Golden Knights
|
|---|
| Central Division |
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Colorado Avalanche
- Dallas Stars
- Minnesota Wild
- Nashville Predators
- St. Louis Blues
- Utah Hockey Club
|
|---|
|
|---|
| Eastern Conference | | Atlantic Division |
- Boston Bruins
- Buffalo Sabres
- Detroit Red Wings
- Florida Panthers
- Tampa Bay Lightning
|
|---|
| Metropolitan Division |
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- New York Rangers
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Washington Capitals
|
|---|
|
|---|
|
Major League Soccer radio networks |
|---|
- Seattle Sounders Radio Network
|
|
Minor leagues' radio networks |
|---|
| Baseball | |
|---|
| Hockey | |
|---|
|
Auto racing |
|---|
- IndyCar
- NASCAR (Motor Racing Network)
- Speedway Motorsports (Performance Racing Network)
|
|
|
|---|
| America East |
- Maine Black Bears
- New Hampshire Wildcats
|
|---|
| ACC |
- Boston College Eagles
- California Golden Bears
- Clemson Tigers
- Duke Blue Devils
- Florida State Seminoles
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Louisville Cardinals
- Miami (FL) Hurricanes
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- North Carolina State Wolfpack
- Pittsburgh Panthers
- Syracuse Orange
- Virginia Cavaliers
- Virginia Tech Hokies
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons
|
|---|
| A-10 |
- Rhode Island Rams
- VCU Rams
|
|---|
| Big South | |
|---|
| Big Ten |
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Michigan Wolverines
- Michigan State Spartans
- Minnesota Gophers
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Northwestern Wildcats
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Oregon Ducks
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Purdue Boilermakers
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- UCLA Bruins
- USC Trojans
- Washington Huskies
- Wisconsin Badgers
|
|---|
| Big 12 |
- Arizona Wildcats
- Baylor Bears & Lady Bears
- Colorado Buffaloes
- Iowa State Cyclones
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Kansas State Wildcats
- TCU Horned Frogs
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- West Virginia Mountaineers
|
|---|
| C-USA |
- Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
- Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Lady Techsters
- North Texas Mean Green
- UAB Blazers
- Western Kentucky Hilltoppers & Lady Toppers
|
|---|
| MVC |
- Southern Illinois Salukis
|
|---|
| Pac-12 | |
|---|
| SEC |
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Arkansas Razorbacks
- Auburn Tigers
- Florida Gators
- Georgia Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs
- Kentucky Wildcats
- LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers
- Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Missouri Tigers
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Ole Miss Rebels
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Vols
- Texas Longhorns
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Vanderbilt Commodores
|
|---|
| Summit League | |
|---|
| Sun Belt |
- Appalachian State Mountaineers
- Arkansas State Red Wolves
- Georgia State Panthers
- Texas State Bobcats
|
|---|
|
- See also
- American broadcast radio
|
|
|---|
National networks | |
|---|
International networks |
- BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra (2004–present)
|
|---|
| General media | |
|---|
Local broadcasters | |
|---|
News radio series |
|
|---|
Broadcasters by event |
|
|---|