The A's are "still without a radio deal after a bitter breakup with their broadcast partner" of many years, KGMZ-FM, in October, according to a front-page piece by Susan Slusser of the S.F. CHRONICLE. A's COO Chris Giles said that the team is "exploring some unusual avenues" because they are "committed to a strong radio presence for their fans." Slusser notes if one thing is "all but assured," it is that the team is "unlikely to receive any money for the rights to air the games" for the first time since '78. The A's are now "looking into purchasing their own station or paying for their airtime." The A's departure from KGMZ was "acrimonious" as there was "almost no A's talk" on the station outside of games. The A's official Twitter account after last season "published video of A's gear wheeling away" from the station with the caption, "It's not us, it's you." That tweet "did not sit well" with Entercom, which owns KGMZ and "several other properties that might have had interest in A's broadcasts." A source said of the tweet, "That was a big middle finger to their media partner -- no one in this industry liked that." The most likely scenario is that the A's will "purchase airtime" on KGO-AM or another station with a "debt-ridden parent." If a team was to "outright buy the time for 162 games, plus pre- and postgame shows and some spring training games," the cost could run over $1M, depending on signal strength. That cost would then be "offset by ad sales." The A's "do not envision streaming games themselves for the coming season, but as the format evolves, that possibility might exist down the line" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/8).
