Milwaukee's Best: Brewers, WTMJ-AM Agree To Contract Extension

Brewers, WTMJ-AM Extend Radio Deal

The Brewers and WTMJ-AM Thursday "renewed their current four-year deal," which was set to expire at the end of this season, according to Bob Wolfley of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. While the length and financial terms of the new contract were not disclosed, an industry source said that the rights fee in the new contract will be a "significant increase over the current deal, which bucks a trend in which local rights fees have been falling in recent years." The current deal pays the Brewers $2M annually. No changes are planned for the announcers, as Jim Powell and Bob Uecker will continue to call games. Meanwhile, former MLBer Jeff Cirillo has joined FSN Wisconsin and "will serve as the primary studio analyst starting in mid-April" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/4).

SWAN SONGS: In N.Y., Bob Raissman reports announcers on YES Network and SNY have "become preoccupied with dropping stuff in game telecasts about the final seasons" at Yankee and Shea stadiums. Raissman: "The content of the broadcast sometimes has the feeling of a commercial. ... It's reasonable to expect, during a three-plus hour telecast on YES or SNY, that there will be talk about the stadiums and what the end for both means. When this talk is combined with commercials, urging fans not to miss the final season, it amounts to relentless promotion designed to stimulate ticket sales" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/4).