Otters, Cumulus Media Erie Announce Multi-Year Partnership
Erie, Pennsylvania – The Erie Otters Hockey Club and Cumulus Media Erie announced today a new three-year partnership making CBS Sports Radio 96.3 FM and 1260 AM WRIE the exclusive flagship station for Erie Otters game broadcasts.
“We are very excited about our new exclusive broadcast partners in Cumulus Corp,” Erie Otters Senior V.P. & C.O.O. Roy Mlakar said. “This multi-year agreement will provide our fans with the first Otters Radio network with flagships CBS Sports Radio 1260 teaming up with 96.3 FM.”
The multi-year deal will add an FM broadcast for the first time in team history with WRIE’s simulcast on CBS Sports Radio 96.3 FM and 1260 AM, featuring both stations carrying every regular season and playoff Erie Otters game live. The partnership also includes the creation of Otters Hour, a weekly one-hour show dedicated to the team that will feature exclusive insider content giving fans an off the ice view of the Erie Otters.
“We’re thrilled to become the new broadcast home of the Erie Otters,” said Jim Riley, VP/Market Manager Cumulus Media Erie. “This is the next step in an ongoing process of improving the radio listener’s experience in the Erie region. Earlier this year, Cumulus made a significant enhancement to AM1260 WRIE when we acquired and built 96.3FM and began simulcasting WRIE on 96.3FM and 1260AM 24 hours a day. Listeners have been enthusiastic about the ability to get all their sports, talk and play by play, on the FM band. On FM, the listener should be able to hear the skates on the ice and the crack of the puck on the stick. I think it will be a much more vivid broadcast experience. I think everyone will be very happy to hear the Erie Otters on FM this season.”
Play-by-play announcer Aaron Cooney will return for his fifth season as the “Voice of the Erie Otters” and will call the OHL action all season long on CBS Sports Radio 96.3 FM and 1260 AM WRIE. Cooney will also serve as the host of Otters Hour, and will be joined by special guests throughout the year, giving fans the inside scoop on the Otters and an extensive look throughout the OHL. Otters Hour will air exclusively on CBS Sports Radio 96.3 FM and 1260 AM WRIE on Wednesday afternoons.
The Erie Otters open the 2017-18 regular season on the road when the visit the Peterborough Petes Thursday, September 21st at 7:05pm as part of OHL Opening Week. They’ll open their home schedule Saturday, September 30th when the Otters host the Kitchener Rangers at the Erie Insurance Arena at 7pm, featuring the raising of the 2017 OHL Championship Banner.
