Cincy Reds Rebuilding Their Radio Brand

Critical tool in ascent is local radio

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The Reds Radio Network, which totaled 115 affiliates during the glory years of the Big Red Machine, had shrunk to 45 by the time Bob Castellini & Co. brought the network back under house control in 2008 (he bought the club in 2006).

According Joe Erardi at Cincinnati.com, over the past five years, the Reds have doubled the number of affiliates (the total number of affiliates is up to 93) and recently added more coverage in Indianapolis, a two-team pro town that holds a lot of potential, being that it is within 100 miles of Great American Ball Park.

The Reds, who went 15 years between postseasons (1995-2010), are now waging a multi-front crusade for hearts and minds – and eyes and especially ears – as the club tries to return to baseball’s mountaintop.

Brandon Phillips boards Caravan bus

The Reds’ three-bus caravan that kicked off Thursday had been led by Jay Bruce, who did a show Saturday morning in Indy, where a Reds official said it was announced that WXNT 1430 AM, would be carrying 145-155 Reds games this season. (WXNT is is Indy affiliate for CBS Sports Radio.)

It is considered a plum of an add, because it’s been so long since the Indianapolis Indians’ Triple-A farm team was a Reds affiliate (1968-83 and 1993-99). Indy is a big-league city of its own now, with the Colts and Pacers. But there’s room in Indy for major league baseball fans to have an “our team” heartbeat, and the Reds want to make sure they are it.

WXNT logo

This is what getting a local station to carry most of the Reds games is all about, as opposed to Indy residents simply picking up the powerful night-time signal of WLW-AM (700).

Besides the games, local stations get Reds-produced programming (four on-air features per week) and promos for every series and whatever game highlights they want. The local affiliates also get the use of a pressbox-level suite at GABP, a bank of tickets for promotions and an annual luncheon hob-knobbing with the Reds brass to provide an insiders’ feel.

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