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Could the end be near for conservative radio talkers Frank Beckman, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and Mark Levine on Detroit Radio? WJR 760 AM is in serious contention to become a sports station and is looking to reclaim the broadcast rights for the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings.
WJR's re-entry into Tigers radio discussions indicates the
station is
serious about returning to a sports landscape it once dominated. The
Tigers were a WJR staple from 1964-2000, when a 50,000-watt station, with its
clear channel (no other stations enjoy a frequency of 760) could be heard in 35
states and half of Canada.
At issue for the Tigers and any potential radio partner are
raw rights fees, which are affected by ratings that have soared dramatically
during the past decade.
With a string of four consecutive division championships,
and two World Series appearances in the past nine years, Tigers broadcast
ratings — television and radio — have rocketed. The Tigers own the
second-highest ratings, per capita, of any market in the major leagues.


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