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March 31, 2006Tigers moving to WCCW AM-1310All-sports network set to broadcast 24 hours a dayTRAVERSE CITY - New season, new radio station for the Detroit Tigers.After 65 years on WTCM, the Tigers will move to WCCW AM-1310 beginning with their season opener on Monday. Even bigger news for northwest Michigan sports fans - AM-1310 ESPN expects to become a 24-hour station later this week or next. "It's extremely exciting. It's been a long time coming," Brian Hale, WCCW operations manager, said Thursday. "Hopefully it's the start of great things for AM-1310." Hale said that AM-1310 is waiting for FCC approval to broadcast 24 hours, 7 days a week. Currently, it signs off the air every evening. "We're not sure when that approval will come," Hale said. "It could be Saturday, it may be next week... We just hope we're there by next Thursday (when the Tigers play Texas in their first night game of the season)." With the jump to 24-hour programming, AM-1310 will expand its ESPN schedule and also carry more live games. The station already broadcasts the Detroit Lions and Michigan State football and basketball games, but will add the Detroit Red Wings, as well. The Wings will continue to be broadcast on AM-580 through the end of the regular season, then they will move to AM-1310 for the playoffs. Hale said other national games may be added as they become available, as long as they don't conflict with AM-1310's contracts with the Tigers, Lions, Wings and Spartans. Jack O'Malley, operations manager for WTCM, said switching the Tigers to AM-1310 is easier to take because WCCW is also part of Midwestern Broadcasting. "I'm a traditionalist, so there's a little pang to the thought that after 65 years the Tigers are leaving WTCM. We're the longest running affiliate in the state," O'Malley said. "But it's staying in the family. The Tigers aren't leaving, they're just moving to another spot on the dial. "It makes a lot of sense," he said. "Over the years AM-580 has become quite a good and powerful talk station, and we've had to interrupt that programming for the Tigers and other sports. Now we won't have to anymore. "The company has spent a lot of time and money to upgrade AM-1310 into a 24-hour, 7-day a week station that focuses on sports. Ross Biederman (owner/general manager) made a huge financial commitment to our listeners. "Now sports will be on the sports station and talk will be on the talk station."
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