Michigan Radio & TV Buzzboard

I tuned into WKZO to listen to the Tigers game, and I heard them talk about how they have been broadcasting the Tigers for over 50 years. So, being the history buff, I wondered if there was anybody who's been doing it for longer. I know that Fetzer owned the Tigers and WKZO in the 50s, but I think that it might go back even farther. I'm looking at some info that says that WKZO was part of the Michigan Regional Network, and was broadcasting the games since 1934.

Can somebody prove me wrong?

WSGW in Saginaw has been carrying the Tigers for over 50 years

Didn't WJR carry them for a while?

This is probably the worst thread in this forum's history.

Matt wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 29, 2019 7:43 am

This is probably the worst thread in this forum's history.

You’re one of the most negative posters around here... what’s your point?

WKMH carried the Tigers until it became Keener 13 in '64 (actually Oct. 31,1963) then WJR,which until then broadcast the Tigers' night games because of WKMH's weak signal after dark,aired all the games until about 2010,I believe. (Perhaps a few years earlier.)

WJR lost the Tigers games while Ernie was still broadcasting.

WSGW celebrated 50 years of the tigers back in 2017. Other longtime affiliates that come to mind are WDBC Escanaba, WPHM Port Huron, and WNBY Newberry.

I believe WBRN in Big Rapids has been airing the Tigers since the early to mid 60's. I remember listening to the tigers on BRN when we were in the area on vacation. AM went off at sunset, but the games continued on the FM.

WMPX/WMRX in Midland, MI debuted this year on Sunny 97.7 FM!!!

originalzzmfmjock wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 29, 2019 11:05 pm

I believe WBRN in Big Rapids has been airing the Tigers since the early to mid 60's. I remember listening to the tigers on BRN when we were in the area on vacation. AM went off at sunset, but the games continued on the FM.

I remember when the Tigers were on 97.3 WDEE in Reed City. My grandpa tried to pull that in whenever there was a Tigers game on the radio as the Ludington/Manistee area didn't have a Tigers affiliate at that time. So there had to be a few years in which WBRN didn't have the Tigers

So, this is what my digging has found.

First tigers game was broadcast on WWJ in 1927. Ty Tyson was the announcer. That fact is well known.

The Wikipedia article on tiger announcers actually lists two announcers starting in 1934. Harry Heilmann shows up. I googled his name and the Tigers and found out from the baseball HOF, "In 1934, Heilmann turned to broadcasting with Detroit radio station WXYZ, otherwise known as the Michigan Radio Network. Heilmann was one of the first retired players to enter the booth."

I also found a book called "The Tigers and Their Dens" which says that George Trendle paid the Tigers $25,000 to broadcast the games on 5 outstate stations he called the "Michigan Broadcast Network". And that he appointed Heilmann to do the play-by-play.

Georget Trendle is a name I know from the Lone Ranger history on WXYZ. And I know the stations that he got together in 1933 to broadcast that program. It consisted of WXYZ Detroit, WOOD-WASH Grand Rapids, WIBM Jackson, WELL Battle Creek, WKZO Kalamazoo, and WFDF Flint. (Which is 6 stations, but I'm guessing that the author of the book got confused, since 5 of the 6 are not in the detroit area and could be considered out of market)

So I'm pretty sure that in 1934, there were 7 stations broadcasting the Tigers. WWJ, WXYZ, WOOD-WASH, WIBM, WELL, WKZO, WFDF. I think that I can rule out WWJ, WELL, and WFDF, because they are not on the currently list of tiger broadcasters. So, We've got WXYZ (Now WXYT) in Detroit, WOOD up in GR, WKZO in Kalamazoo, and WIBM in Jackson.

And this is where I lose steam. I'm guessing that WXYT didn't broadcast the games when WJR had the rights from 1964-2000, but I'm not sure. And I know that Fetzer was part of the organization since 1956, so WKZO is a lock from 1956 onward. But I don't know of the between years of 34-56. And I don't know the history of WOOD, and WIBM all that well.

So that is where I sit.

I know for a fact WJR was the sole broadcaster for the Tigers in Detroit for years, so WXYZ(T) is out.

The Tigers in Grand Rapids were on a Fetzer owned station WJEF-AM 1230 when I first started listening to the games on radio around 1959. They continued on 1230 after Fetzer sold the station and it became WCUZ until sometime in the late 80's or so. The Tigers have also been heard through the years on WMFN-AM 640, They were on LAV-FM for several years until WOOD got the contract about 3 years ago.

originalzzmfmjock wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 15, 2019 4:31 pm

The Tigers in Grand Rapids were on a Fetzer owned station WJEF-AM 1230 when I first started listening to the games on radio around 1959. They continued on 1230 after Fetzer sold the station and it became WCUZ until sometime in the late 80's or so. The Tigers have also been heard through the years on WMFN-AM 640, They were on LAV-FM for several years until WOOD got the contract about 3 years ago.

I know WBBL did have the Tigers at one point, at least as a secondary affiliate to WLAV-FM. Also, my parents recall listening to Tigers games on WKJF-FM in the 1980s (WKJF was owned by Fetzer)