Monumental Sports Network (MNMT) has carried Capitals games locally since its founding as Home Team Sports (HTS) in 1984.[1] Monumental Sports Network was known as NBC Sports Washington from 2017 to 2023, and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (CSN) from 2001 through 2017. MNMT's commentators areJoe Beninati,Craig Laughlin, "Inside-the-Glass" reporterAlan May, and rinkside reporter Al Koken.
The Capitals' flagship radio station isWJFK-FM (106.7 FM); commentators areJohn Walton andKen Sabourin. The team's radio network consists of stations in Washington,Virginia,Maryland,West Virginia,Pennsylvania, andNorth Carolina.[2]
WTOP (1500 AM) was the Capitals' first radio home through the 1986–87 season. After nine years onWMAL (630 AM), the games returned to 1500 AM for the 1996–97 season.[3]Ron Weber was the first announcer, and he never missed a game through his retirement at the end of the 1996–97 season.[4] WJFK-FM began airing postseason games during the2008 playoffs. 1500 AM, since renamedWFED, remained the flagship station until 2012, when WJFK took over all coverage. WFED continues to broadcast games as a network affiliate.[5][6] This is primarily to take advantage of its 50,000-watt clear-channel signal, which brings Capitals games to the entire eastern half of North America at night.
Weber rejoined current announcers Walton and Sabourin for the first period of Game 4 of the2018 Stanley Cup Finals.[7]
WJFK-FM attracted controversy when it elected to drop the Capitals in the 2016–17 season, leaving the Capitals to air solely on WFED. However,WFED's signal is unusable in some portions of the Washington suburbs at night, since it is directed north-south to protect co-channelKSTP. TheWashington Wizards also took priority over the Capitals onWFED in case of a conflict, leading to some games in which the only home broadcast was available via Internet streaming. The team responded to fan complaints by reaching a temporary deal in January 2017 to place the rest of its games onWWDC-HD2, which is available metro-wide to those withHD Radios and has a low-powered analog signal that covers the city itself.[8] The Capitals reached a deal to return toWJFK-FM for the 2017–18 season In 2020 a deal was signed through January 3rd, 2026 allowingWDCH 99.1 -- to be an overflow station whenWJFK andWFED are taken by another prioritized event.[9]
| Years | Play-by-play | Color commentators |
|---|---|---|
| 1974–79 | Ron Weber[10] | Jack Doniger (home games) |
| 1979–80,1981–91 | Ron Weber | |
| 1980–81 | Ron Weber | Frank Daly (home games) |
| 1991–94 | Ron Weber | Shawn Simpson (home games) |
| 1994–97 | Ron Weber | Joe Beninati (when not on TV) |
| 1997–02 | Steve Kolbe[11] | Craig Laughlin (when not on TV) |
| 2002–11 | Steve Kolbe | Ken Sabourin |
| 2011–present | John Walton (primary) Grady Whittenburg orZack Fisch(during Walton's NHL on NBC assignments) | Ken Sabourin |
WTOP-TV (channel 9) picked up television coverage for the Capitals' first three seasons, covering 15 road games in the 1974–75 season. SportscasterWarner Wolf was the commentator for the first season. Team radio broadcaster Ron Weber moved to the TV booth for telecasts in the second and third seasons.[4] The Capitals moved to longtime homeWDCA (channel 20) in the 1977–78 season. WDCA later split games with HTS/CSN upon its founding in 1984. The 1991–92 season illustrates a typical arrangement: WDCA showed 20 road games and any road playoff games, while HTS picked up 34 home games and any home playoff games, leaving 28 regular-season games not televised.[1] After 19 seasons on WDCA, the Capitals moved their over-the-air broadcasts toWBDC (channel 50) for the 1995–96 season.[12] All 82 games were televised for the first time in the 2001–02 season.[13] The Capitals have not aired any games over-the-air locally since the end of the 2005–06 season.[14]
| Years | Play-by-play | Color commentator |
|---|---|---|
| 1974-75 | Hal Kelly | Warner Wolf |
| 1975–77 | Ron Weber | Jack Doniger |
| 1977–78 | Lyle Stieg | Roger Crozier[15] |
| 1978–79 | Jim West | Jack Doniger |
| 1979–80 | Jim West | Nick Charles |
| 1980–81 | Jim West | Jack Lynch |
| 1981–83 | Jim West | Yvon Labre |
| 1983–84 | Scott Wahle | Danny Gallivan |
| 1984–90 | Mike Fornes | Al Koken |
| 1990–92 | Jeff Rimer | Craig Laughlin |
| 1992–93 | Kenny Albert(HTS) Jeff Rimer(WDCA) | Craig Laughlin |
| 1993–94 | Kenny Albert(HTS) Jeff Rimer(WDCA) | Craig Laughlin(HTS) Shawn Simpson(WDCA) |
| 1994-2014 | Joe Beninati | Craig Laughlin |
| 2014–present | Joe Beninati | Craig Laughlin Alan May("Inside-the-Glass" reporter on all home games) |
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