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New York Mets Radio Network

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The New York Mets Radio Network, referred to on air as the Mets Radio 880 Network, is a radio network owned by Audacy, Inc. (previously CBS Radio) that broadcasts New York Mets baseball games. It consists of 2 AM stations in the states of Florida and New York. A Spanish-language broadcast airs separately from the English-language network.

The network's English-language flagship is WHSQ, also owned by Audacy but licensed to Good Karma Brands to operate as an affiliate of ESPN Radio. WHSQ inherited the radio broadcast rights to the Mets from WCBS (AM), its predecessor, and is operating under a contract signed with Audacy predecessor Entercom that began in 2018 and is scheduled to run until 2025.[1] The Mets had previously aired their games on WFAN beginning in 1987, when the station signed on at 1050 AM a replacement for WHN; WHN had been the radio home of the Mets from 1983 on. The Mets would eventually move with WFAN down the dial to 660 AM in 1988 and would remain there for over two decades.

After WFAN signed on to be the flagship for the New York Yankees beginning in 2013, the Mets moved their broadcasts to a new flagship, WOR.[2][3] The Mets were the first professional sports team in a decade to call the station home, after the New Jersey Nets left for WFAN in 2004.[4]

Howie Rose serves as play-by-play and color commentator on the broadcasts, alternating these roles with another broadcaster. Most recently this was Josh Lewin, who called games alongside Rose from 2012-2018. Wayne Randazzo replaced Lewin as co play-by-play commentator and serves as post-game host. Ed Coleman previously hosted the pre-game and post-game shows, which were called Mets Extra by WFAN, and served as a substitute broadcaster when necessary (usually for Lewin, who, in addition to his Mets duties, was the radio voice of the San Diego Chargers and was forced to miss weekend games in September in order to fulfill those duties). However, in January 2014 it was announced that Coleman would not be part of the WOR broadcasts as he has been employed by WFAN since its inception. (Although WFAN personalities Chris Carlin and Marc Malusis have been heard on WOR through its broadcasts of Rutgers University sporting events, WOR does not produce Rutgers' games and is instead an affiliate of its radio network.) Coleman returned to the Mets' booth as pre-game host in 2019

On April 1, 2019, Entercom announced that it had discontinued the Mets' radio network and would be carrying games only on WCBS for the 2019 season. The Mets cited the loss of some of its affiliates prior to the season (among them WROW in Albany) and the relative expense of satellite space for the discontinuation.[5] At least one station, WTLA in Syracuse (the city that houses the Mets' AAA affiliate), expressed objection to the cancellation, as that station had an affiliation deal that ran through 2020 and will not be honored.[6] WHSQ, a maximum-power clear-channel station that can be received in most of the Eastern United States at night, now exclusively airs all games.

On March 31, 2022, the Mets announced that the WCBS stream on the Audacy app would stream Mets games in full to make up for the radio network's shortfall throughout the Mets' home territory, and also be made available on the team's website under the same restriction. The team and Audacy will also produce and stream the team's Spanish-language broadcast, which will return to WEPN after a one-year interregnum on TelevisaUnivision's WQBU-FM (a sale of that station to a religious broadcaster required a move in rights over the offseason).[7]

Good Karma Brands began operating WCBS as WHSQ on August 26, 2024, under a local marketing agreement with Audacy, with the station carrying ESPN Radio as a replacement for WEPN-FM. Good Karma holds no relationship to the Mets or its radio network, as Audacy remains the official rightsholder, and is responsible for the advertising time during Mets broadcasts.[8][9] Likewise, the stream for Mets games remains on the Audacy app under the "Mets Radio" branding, with Infinity Sports Network programming streamed at all other times.

Flagships (2 stations)

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Affiliate (1 station)

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Florida (1 station)

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Former flagships (18 stations)

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Map of radio affiliates in 2016

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  • 570/WMCA: New York City (1978–1982)
  • 620/WSKQ: Jersey City, New Jersey (1990–1996)
  • 660/WFAN: New York City (1988–2013)
  • 710/WOR: New York City (2014–2018)
  • 770/WABC: New York City (1962 & 1963)
  • 970/WJRZ: Hackensack (1967–1971)
  • 1050/WHN: New York City (1964–1966, 1972-1974, 1983-1987)
  • 1050/WFAN: New York City (1987–1988)
  • 1050/WEPN: New York City (2013–2020)
  • 1130/WNEW: New York City (1975–1977)
  • 1280/WADO: New York City (1997–2009)
  • 1380/WBNX: New York City (1982-August 31, 1984)
  • 1380/WKDM: New York City (September 1, 1984-1986)
  • 1480/WHOM: New York City (1962–1974)
  • 1480/WJIT: New York City (1987–1989)
  • 92.7/WQBU-FM: Garden City, New York (Spanish flagship) (2010–2012, 2021)
  • 101.9/WFAN-FM: New York City (2013)
  • VENE International Network (1975–1981)

Former affiliates (19 stations + 2 translators)

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "New York Mets Move Radio Broadcasts to WCBS/Entercom".
  2. ^ [http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/yankees-wfan-verge-broadcast-deal-article-1.1450938 "Yankees close in on deal WFAN, New York City FC games included in $150-200 million contract". The New York Daily News: September 10-11, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  3. ^ "Sources: Mets close to radio deal with WOR".
  4. ^ Northeast Radio Watch “Play Ball-With Some Voices Missing”; April 4, 2022; retrieved April 4, 2022 from Fybush.com.
  5. ^ Mets abandon upstate radio network for 2019 season from the Times-Union of Albany, NY; April 1, 2019
  6. ^ New York Mets radio blackout a ‘middle finger’ to CNY fans, CEO says, from The Post-Standard of Syracuse, NY (April 1, 2019)
  7. ^ Venta, Lance (31 March 2022). "Audacy App To Carry New York Mets Broadcasts". RadioInsight. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  8. ^ Axelrod, Scott R (2024-08-26). "Farewell, WCBS 880: One of NYC's last all-news radio stations signs off after almost 60 years on-air". silive. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  9. ^ "WCBS-AM Bids Farewell To New York City With Final Tribute". Radio Ink. August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  10. ^ List of flagship stations on Mets360.com. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  11. ^ WMML becomes a Mets affiliate
  12. ^ Mets page on the WAVZ website. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
  13. ^ WKIP carrying Mets Story Date February 20, 2016.
  14. ^ Mets page on WLAD website. Retrieved July 8, 2017
  15. ^ Newsday; March 4, 2014; "Mets Radio Gets East End Outlet" by Neil Best. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
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