D-C Radio: Audacy Stations To Air Wizards, Capitals

For the first time in seven years, Washington Wizards radio broadcasts will be heard on a sports-talk station, reports The Washington Post.

Monumental Sports & Entertainment on Tuesday announced WTEM Team 980 AM as the new flagship home of the franchise and that play-by-play man Dave Johnson and analyst Glenn Consor will return to the booth.

Johnson is preparing for his 25th consecutive season calling Wizards games and his 15th alongside Consor, co-host of what listeners of the team’s game broadcasts have come to know as the “Radio Party.”

Monumental also announced it is extending its deal with WJFK 106.7 the Fan as the flagship home of the Washington Capitals, with play-by-play man John Walton and analyst Ken Sabourin returning in the same roles. Walton is entering his 11th season calling Capitals games, while Sabourin will begin his 19th. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

WFED 1500 AM became the flagship home of Capitals and Wizards broadcasts before the 2016 season. The Capitals returned to 106.7 the Fan the following year and have been on WJFK ever since. WFED remained the flagship home of the Wizards, whose games appeared on WNEW 99.1 FM the previous two seasons. Wizards broadcasts last appeared on a sports-talk station during the 2013-14 season, when they were on 106.7 the Fan.

Both 106.7 the Fan and the Team 980 are owned by Audacy, which acquired WTEM in a swap with Urban One in November 2020.

WTEM, which will broadcast all 82 Wizards regular season games in 2021-22, has been the flagship home of the team before, most recently in 2009. First-year coach Wes Unseld Jr. and General Manager Tommy Sheppard will make regular appearances on the station as part of the new partnership.