Dodgers off the air in Las Vegas

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, April 3, 2002 | 10:18 a.m.

Short of driving roughly 300 miles to Dodger Stadium or cruising past the Nevada state line to listen to Vin Scully, Ross Porter and Rick Monday call Los Angeles Dodgers games on the radio, Southern Nevada Dodgers fans will have every reason to feel blue this season.

The Dodgers' blues.

For the first time in at least 35 years, it appears Dodgers broadcasts will not be heard locally this season.

KSFN 1140-AM carried the games last season, but did not renew its option with the Dodgers this year.

"We're trying to establish the format (programming) we have," KSFN program director Gavin Spittle said.

KBAD 920-AM will carry ESPN's Sunday night baseball, selected Major League Baseball holiday games, playoff games and the Las Vegas 51s.

The station also was approached by XTRA 1150-AM, the Dodgers' L.A. flagship station. But an agreement could not be reached.

Some radio representatives were blunt about the situation.

"There's a price on making things work for us business-wise for the Dodgers to be in this market and they have not met that yet," said John Hanson, program director for KENO and KBAD. "They're in big business, they like to make money, and we are in the business of making money.

"The way that this town works is teams that get on the air are paid to get on the air. With a 162-game schedule, that's a lot of air time we could be selling. There's a price for it that they don't want to meet."

KDWN 720-AM carried Dodgers games from 1980-2000. Prior to that, KBAD, formerly KORK 920-AM, had the games dating to the mid-1960s.

"Effective last year, they ceased paying stations to carry the games," KDWN's Buzz Jones said. "Some stations carried them free because they needed the time.

"It's a good broadcast to carry. But it's about blocking out about four hours of your day and if you're not receiving any compensation for it, it's not worth it.

"Even though it is a quality product, for a station in Las Vegas to take four hours where you have limited time to sell (advertising) makes it a little rough."

A call to XTRA was not returned.

Major League Baseball radio broadcasts in Las Vegas are at an all-time low this season.

Last year, the Dodgers, Anaheim Angels and world champion Arizona Diamondbacks could be heard locally.

The Diamondbacks still can be heard on KSHP 1400-AM and in Spanish on KRLV 1340-AM, the station that carried the Angels last season. But the Dodgers and Angels have not found new homes.

Not having the Dodgers on the radio puts a snag in the Las Vegas 51s' plans to improve its relationship with its parent club according to longtime broadcaster Bob Blum, who also is an assistant to 51s president and general manger Don Logan.

"We would like to see a closer relationship with the Dodgers and have a closer identification with the team," Blum said. "A lot of fans here are Dodgers fans.

"It all boils down to money. But it isn't fair for the fans. What helps the Dodgers would help the 51s."