September 18, 200421 yr September 3, 2004 BASEBALL: No Tigers on radio this weekend FROM STAFF REPORTS TRAVERSE CITY - The Detroit Tigers will find out today if Hurricane Frances will keep them from traveling to Tampa Bay to play a weekend baseball series against the Devil Rays. Even if the games are played, however, Detroit fans won't be able to hear them on the radio. And they can thank New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for that. Jack O'Malley, operations manager for local Tigers affiliate WTCM AM-580, said he was told by club officials earlier this week that a "turf war" has broken out between officials from the Devil Rays and Yankees. Steinbrenner, a Tampa resident, began broadcasting Yankees games in Florida this season, and the Devils Rays believe he is infringing upon their established territory. "Each major league team grants its broadcast rights to the other teams, and the Devil Rays have revoked rights from any team that has allowed the Yankees to broadcast games from their park - which is virtually everyone," O'Malley said. "They've said, 'Hey, this is our market,' and they're putting their foot down. "This is something that the commissioner (Bud Selig) is going to have to decide." Calls to Cliff Russell, the Tigers' senior director of communications, were not returned Thursday. TIGERS UNPLUGGED # The local affiliate on the Detroit Tigers Radio Network is prohibited from airing the team's weekend road series against the Tampa Devil Rays due to an ongoing legal dispute over broadcast rights in the Tampa, Fla., market, WMFN-AM (640), program director Jeremy Bolker told The Press. The source of the dispute? Yep, the New York Yankees. The Tigers' three games set for tonight, Saturday and Sunday will be blacked out in West Michigan, Bolker said, since Detroit flagship station WXYT-AM (1270) has not been granted permission to distribute those broadcasts to affiliates more than 50 miles from the home ballpark. Fox Sports Net is scheduled to televise tonight's game at 7 and Sunday's game at 1 p.m.
September 18, 200421 yr Author Looking at the Rays' schedule, the next teams that will be blacked out from doing away radio on most of their networks are: Kansas City Toronto Boston Detroit
September 18, 200421 yr Author you realize that article was 15 days old? its dated the 3rd, FYI. 563509[/snapback] yes, but this has been developing for almost 5 years and it just bubbled over. The article was the last press I could find on it.
September 22, 200421 yr This gives me even more reason to believe that Steinbrenner plans to use the Devil Rays as his major-league farm club.
September 23, 200421 yr This gives me even more reason to believe that Steinbrenner plans to use the Devil Rays as his major-league farm club. 568434[/snapback] No thats the Expos and Royals. Get it right.
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