Charlotte Radio: NBA Hornets, WFNZ Renew Broadcast Deal

The Charlotte Hornets and Entercom’s WFNZ 610 AM/102.5 FM The Fan announced Monday a new multi-year partnership for WFNZ to remain the team’s flagship radio station.

“We are excited to have WFNZ once again serve as the ‘radio home of the Charlotte Hornets’ with this multi-year partnership,” said Hornets President & COO Fred Whitfield. “In addition to broadcasting all Hornets games, our fans will benefit from the increased hours of additional Hornets programming, including extended pregame and postgame shows. We look forward to working with all of the talented people at WFNZ for many years to come.”

“The Hornets are an outstanding organization in a great sports town,” said Matthew R. Hanlon, VP/GM Entercom/Charlotte. “It makes so much sense for WFNZ to be the flagship station for the Hornets’ radio network. We’re very proud to be a part of the growth and success of the Charlotte Hornets.”

The partnership between the Hornets and WFNZ features more Hornets programming and content on WFNZ than ever before. All Hornets preseason, regular-season and postseason games will be broadcast on WFNZ. The WFNZ game broadcast will also be available to fans on the Hornets app. Each broadcast will now include an expanded 30-minute pregame show and a 20-minute postgame wrap-up show. Following the wrap-up show, WFNZ will host a 30-minute call-in postgame show hosted by WFNZ talent.

WFNZ will also add a weekly 60-minute Hornets show to its lineup on Thursdays at 6 p.m., and daily Hornets features will air on both WFNZ and its sister station WBT 1110 AM during the NBA season. Hornets fans will receive insight from players, coaches and front office members as they will be featured prominently as guests across all of WFNZ’s shows.

Additional marketing elements of the partnership include the ability for WFNZ to broadcast shows live from Spectrum Center on Hornets game days, the WFNZ game broadcast being available to fans throughout the arena and concourses and WFNZ receiving in-arena LED ribbon-board exposure.

Steve Martin, who has served as a radio or television broadcaster for NBA basketball in Charlotte since the Hornets arrived in 1988, returns as the radio play-by-play voice of the team. Martin will call all the action for both home and road games. Former NBA player Matt Carroll will join Martin on the broadcasts and serve as the Hornets radio analyst for all home games at Spectrum Center.