The Nationals have signed a two-year deal to shift their flagship local radio home to the CBS Radio-owned WJFK-FM, beginning this season, formalizing a long-rumored move. The pact includes a significant co-marketing partnership element in which the club and WJFK will combine on a variety of shoulder programming, promotional events and other activities. "This is really much more, much broader than just a broadcast rights deal," said Nationals COO Andrew Feffer. "We're talking about a variety of promotion, original programming, offseason events, and so forth that really makes this more of a full-fledged, integrated partnership. I definitely see this deal going well beyond these initial two years." Financial terms were not disclosed, and the club is still finalizing other affiliate radio agreements. The Nationals formerly had their flagship radio home on the Bonneville Int'l-owned WFED-AM, and recent DC-area rumors have suggested the club may still be heard this season on that station. Feffer declined to address the status of WFED. The shift to the Manassas, Va.-based WJFK, however, gives the Nationals a strong FM signal, placement on an all-sports radio format and on a station that fills in some key geographic pockets of Northern Virginia that had not been fully served in the club's prior radio footprint. Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler will remain the club's primary radio broadcast announcers. The Nationals-WJFK shoulder programming will include a twice-weekly, hour-long in-depth segment on the team in season to complement customary daily pre- and postgame shows. WJFK is constructing a studio set behind Section 106 of Nationals Park, designed to correspond to its FM dial position of 106.7, where it will broadcast the pre- and postgame coverage and special live broadcasts of some of its sports talk programming.
