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. 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.

History

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. 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.

Station list 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 WKXO 1500 AM Berea Kentucky Affiliate W278CC 103.5 FM Berea Kentucky WATH relay WDNS 93.3 FM Bowling Green Kentucky Affiliate WCSM-FM 96.7 FM Celina Ohio Affiliate WZCB 105.3 FM Columbus Ohio Affiliate WTUE 104.7 FM Dayton Ohio Affiliate WBVI 96.7 FM Findlay Ohio Affiliate WRVC 930 AM Huntington West Virginia Affiliate W231BS 94.1 FM Huntington West Virginia WRVC relay WKTN 95.3 FM Kenton Ohio Affiliate 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 WDLR 1270 AM Marysville Ohio Affiliate W244DV 96.7 FM Marysville Ohio WDLR relay WTIG 990 AM Massillon Ohio Affiliate WYRO 98.7 FM McArthur 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 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.

Network maps

References

External links Cincinnati Bengals Radio SiriusXM.com: Cincinnati Bengals NFL Audio Pass