Sources: Mets close to deal to air games on WOR
David Wright celebrates with his team after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field. (Sept. 29, 2013) Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Mets are close to completing a deal with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment that would move their games to WOR-AM (710) starting in 2014, four people familiar with the discussions said Friday.
The team's games had been heard on WFAN since that station's inception in 1987, but the Yankees will move from WCBS-AM to WFAN next season after signing a contract last month with CBS Radio, which owns WFAN.
WOR is a 50,000-watt clear-channel station with a broad reach similar to that of WFAN.
Terms of the deal with Clear Channel were not available. The Mets had been a money-loser for WFAN in recent seasons.
Clear Channel also owns five prominent FM stations in New York with a broadly diverse demographic reach, which, under the deal being discussed, it would use to market the Mets and their games through programming and promotion. The stations are WHTZ (Z100), WLTW (Lite FM), WKTU, WAXQ (Q104.3) and WWPR (Power 105.1).
There are no current plans to carry games on an FM outlet. In 2013, Mets games were heard on both AM and FM for WFAN.
Longtime announcer Howie Rose is likely to move up the radio dial with the team; it is less clear whether his partner, Josh Lewin, will remain in the Mets' booth.
Clear Channel was a serious bidder for the Yankees' radio rights earlier this year before CBS Radio secured a renewal of its deal with the team.
It is unclear what other options the Mets had. ESPN New York Radio was believed to have potential interest.
