Twins leave WCCO, move to KSTP

Much of the Minnesota conservative blogging world is listening to Sean 'GOP talking point' Hannity right now and may have missed the announcement on KSTP, AM1500. But the Strib also has story.

After 46 years on WCCO, the baseball team will handle all aspects of production and be heard on 1500 AM
...
After teasing listeners about a big announcement for most of the day, KSTP made the news official during the opening moments of Joe Soucheray's afternoon radio show. Soucherary described the Twins move-well reported by some local media-as the "worst kept secret in the history of broadcasting."

It is a different deal than the Twins are used to. In fact they will be gaining more revenue than before.

The new contract differs dramatically from the deal WCCO had: KSTP will not receive any revenue from ads broadcast during games, and it has agreed to pay the Twins an escalating fee that will eventually reach $1 million each season. WCCO paid the team $3 million annually but kept all ad revenue.

Now, one aside here. It has been said in a critical manner that the media (Star Tribune, KFAN & WCCO) had an undisclosed conflict of interest in pushing for a stadium for the Vikings and Twins. The fact that WCCO is bitter about the Twins move to KSTP kind of reinforces that conflict.

The divorce was ugly. WCCO personalities railed against the move, claiming that the station had helped the Twins get a new stadium.

They thought they were going to reap financial benefits from the new stadium through the Twins...and now are bitter. This is something that the Strib, WCCO and KFAN should have disclosed in all of their pitches for the stadium!! You should feel used like a cheap lady-of-the-night...because that is exactly how those 3 outlets treated you, the public.

Back to the Twins.

The Twins-WCCO partnership started in 1961, the year owner Calvin Griffith moved the franchise from Washington, D.C. Over the years, the relationship grew more fractious, especially after WCCO was sold to the CBS radio network.

In 1998, the Twins nearly jumped to KSTP, and three years ago the team appeared to have a deal with Clear Channel-owned KFAN before deciding to go back to WCCO at the last minute.

Well, I am happy to see the Twins leave a station that I have no other reason for putting my radio dial on. I have not listened to a Twins game since moving to Minnesota. I do not like any of the programming otherwise found on 'CCO and do not want to forget to switch a radio away after a Twins game and be stuck (out of laziness, really) with 'CCO. With this move I will be able to watch my #1 team (the Dodgers) via mlb.com and listen to my #2 team on KSTP.