DC's WJFK-FM will be “awash with baseball coverage" throughout the Nationals' playoff run, according to Dan Steinberg of the WASHINGTON POST. The station plans to air a "three-hour Nats pregame show before every playoff game.” Two-and-a-half hours will be hosted by Holden Kushner and Danny Rouhier, while the final half-hour will be hosted by Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler. Following the games, there will be “three more hours of Nats talk” -- 45 minutes hosted by Phil Wood and the remaining time hosted by Bill Rohland. WJFK Program Dir Chris Kinard in an e-mail said, “Nationals coverage will take priority over any other programming. If the Nats play on the same day as the Redskins, we’ll mix our coverage to an extent, but will mostly focus on the Nationals.” Steinberg noted WJFK has been "criticized by a segment of DC fans for catering to the NFL crowd." WJFK's "local rival" -- ESPN Radio 980 DC -- also will be broadcasting Nationals playoff games, meaning radio listeners "will have their choice of local or national coverage during playoff games.” ESPN 980 is the local home for Orioles games, so the station “will also carry the O’s playoff broadcasts.” It additionally is the flagship station for the Redskins and airs NFL game coverage on Mondays and Thursdays. Steinberg wrote while the Redskins “would obviously not budge off 980, the Monday and Thursday night broadcasts could be shifted” to WSPZ-AM to "accommodate Nats and Orioles game coverage" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 10/1).
SEEING IS BELIEVING: In Baltimore, David Zurawik reported the audience on MASN for the Red Sox-Orioles game Sunday, during which the Orioles clinched their first postseason appearance in 15 years, "was almost twice as large as the one for last year's home finale." The game drew a total of 91,000 viewers, a 94% increase from the 47,000 for last year's final home broadcast (BALTIMORESUN.com, 10/1).
