TheChicago Cubs Radio Network (known since 2024 as theSouthwest Airlines Cubs Radio Network for sponsorship reasons) is the network of radio stations that broadcast Cubs games on 30 stations in six states.[1]
Veteran broadcasterPat Hughes has been theplay-by-play announcer since 1996. From 1996 to 2010, Hughes was partnered withRon Santo. After Santo's death,Keith Moreland took over ascolor analyst through 2013.Ron Coomer took over color analyst duties in 2014.Zach Zaidman handles theCubs Central pre- and post-game shows and takes over the play-by-play for the fifth inning of most games.
All 162 regular seasonbaseball games, somespring training games, and allpostseason games are broadcast by the network, though not all affiliates distribute the entire slate. The games are transmitted to stations viaC-Band satellite service on AMC-8.
From 1925 to 2014 (continuously from 1958 to 2014), the Cubs'flagship station wasWGN, 720 AM, the lone radio station of theTribune Company (which for many years simultaneously owned the Cubs, TV stationWGN-TV and itsnational superstation, and the local newspaper from which it gets its name, theChicago Tribune). When it was part of the Tribune Radio Network, the network's non-sports programming included theNational Farm Report, a farm news feature hosted byOrion Samuelson;Samuelson Sez (a weekly commentary hosted by Samuelson); andFarming America, a farm news feature hosted by Steve Alexander (previously byMax Armstrong).
In 2015, the Cubs' broadcast rights moved toCBS Radio (later Entercom, thenAudacy) after Tribune declined to renew its longstanding broadcast rights.[2] The 2015 season was broadcast byWBBM. After sister stationWSCR's loss of radio rights to broadcast theChicago White Sox games toWLS in July 2015, it was widely expected that the Cubs would move to WSCR as a replacement. This move was confirmed by CBS Radio on November 11, 2015[3][4] and finalized before the start of the 2016 Cubs season. Through WSCR, the games also air on the FM dial viaHD Radio through WSCR's subchannel onWBMX (104.3-HD2).
| State | City | Station | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | Champaign | WGKC | FM 105.9 |
| Chicago | WSCR WBMX-HD2 | AM 670 (Flagship Station) FM 104.3-2 | |
| Decatur | WDZ | AM 1050 | |
| Lawrenceville | WAKO W257DW | AM 910 FM 99.3 | |
| Lawrenceville | WAKO-FM | FM 103.1 | |
| Monmouth | WRAM | AM 1330 | |
| Peoria | WZPN WHPI | FM 101.1 FM 96.5 | |
| Springfield | WFMB | AM 1450 | |
| Sterling | WSSQ | FM 105.5 | |
| Indiana | Boonville | WBNL | AM 1540 |
| Lafayette | WASK | AM 1450 | |
| Marion | WBAT | AM 1400 | |
| Elkhart | WTRC | AM 1340 | |
| Iowa | Boone | KWBG | AM 1590 |
| Bloomfield | KUDV | FM 106.9 | |
| Carroll | KCIM | AM 1380 | |
| Cedar Falls | KCNZ | AM 1650 | |
| Cedar Rapids | KGYM | AM 1600 | |
| Des Moines | KRNT | AM 1350 | |
| Dubuque | WDBQ | AM 1490 | |
| Elkader | KADR | AM 1400 | |
| Fairfield | KMCD | AM 1570 | |
| Harlan | KNOD | FM 105.3 (pending) | |
| Iowa City | KGYM | FM 106.3 | |
| West Burlington | KCPS | AM 1150 | |
| Michigan | Kalamazoo | WTOU | AM 1660 |
| Petoskey | WWMN | AM 1110 | |
| Traverse City | WJNL | AM 1210 | |
| Minnesota | Sauk Rapids | WBHR | AM 660 |
| North Dakota | Fargo | WDAY (AM) | AM 970 |
| Nebraska | Omaha | KIBM | AM 1490 |
| South Dakota | Vermillion | KVTK | AM 1570 |
| Wisconsin | Madison | WTSO[5] | AM 1070 |