Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Detroit Lions Radio Network

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Detroit Lions Radio Network

The Detroit Lions Radio Network is a radio network that broadcasts all of the NFL's Detroit Lions games and related programming. All preseason, regular season, and postseason games are aired live throughout the network. WJR is its flagship station. The current announcers are Dan Miller with play-by-play and Jim Brandstatter with color commentary.

Contents

Satellite radio

Games are also aired on Sirius XM Radio

Internet radio

Games are also broadcast online on NFL Field Pass.

History

  • Dan Miller has been the radio play-by-play voice of the Lions since 2005. Miller succeeded Mark Champion, who had called play-by-play for the team from 1989-2004.
  • Van Patrick called play-by-play from 1950 until his death in 1974.
  • Other past announcers for Lions radio include Frank Beckmann and Bob Reynolds.
  • Jim Brandstatter has been the Lions' radio color commentator since 1987.
  • Tony Ortiz has been providing Lions sideline reports since 2001 from 2016. He produced Lions games broadcasts from 1991-1994.
  • WXYT-AM was the sole flagship station of the network from 1998-2004.
  • In 2005, the Lions' flagship became an FM station for the first time in their history, when a long term agreement was signed with WKRK (now WXYT-FM).
  • Detroit's WWJ was the team's flagship station prior to 1998, and continued to simulcast WXYT-AM's broadcasts prior to the team's move to WKRK. Prior to 1989, WJR had served as the Lions' radio flagship.
  • Former names of the network include "The WXYT 1270 Detroit Lions Radio Network", "The WKRK Detroit Lions Radio Network", and "The Live 97.1 Detroit Lions Radio Network" (WKRK-FM is WXYT-FM's former callsign, and Live 97.1 is one of its former brandings).
  • WXYT-FM was the Lions' flagship from 2004–2015.
  • On November 20, 2015, it was announced that the Detroit Lions would move to WJR beginning in the 2016 NFL season, ending the team's 20-year relationship with CBS Radio. Officials stated that CBS had dropped the team over demands that it censor on-air content that was critical of the team. In particular, the Lions specifically demanded that flagship station WXYT-FM fire popular on-air personality Mike Valenti as a condition of any extension to its broadcast rights since Valenti has had a history of making remarks critical of the Lions and their poor performance. WXYT-FM refused to do so, and he remains at the station.

    • References

    Detroit Lions Radio Network Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA