Orioles Headed Back To WBAL

After a four-season run on 105.7 The Fan, the Orioles have decided to return their radio rights to WBAL-AM 1090, the Hearst-owned station that has had a partnership with the club for much of the past six decades, The Baltimore Sun reports citing multiple sources.

The financial arrangements of the multiyear deal haven’t been disclosed.

The decision, which comes after several months of the organization's shopping its radio rights, is somewhat surprising, considering the rocky parting between the Orioles and WBAL after the 2006 season.

WBAL had served as the club’s flagship station for 19 consecutive years when the club moved to the CBS-owned 105.7 for the start of the 2007 season, the first time in nearly 40 years the Orioles weren’t heard on the AM dial.

At the time, team officials cited the exposure the organization could get on CBS’ wide range of stations as one of the determining factors in the move. The club liked that 105.7’s sister stations, which include WJZ-ESPN 1300 AM, Mix 106.5 FM and WLIF 101.9 FM, crossed different demographics.

The prevailing thought was that the Orioles would remain with 105.7 despite their four-year deal expiring after the 2010 season. The two sides did engage in several rounds of negotiations, but they were unable to hammer out a deal.

That led to the Orioles’ return to WBAL, the team’s radio home for 41 of its 57 seasons in Baltimore. WBAL partnered with the Orioles from 1957 to 1978 and again from 1988 to 2006.

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