Radio Daze

According to several sources, Infinity Broadcasting, the current owner of KFRC, is selling the station to Harold Camping, a religious zealot who owns one of the larger FM stations in the Bay Area. His MO is to sell his radio stations in swaps to make money; a buy low sell high strategy. He also is very enclosed when it comes to outside programming on his radio stations.

With respect to the A's partnership with KFRC, the question is whether the station changes hands immediately. If it does, then the A's should find a new station as soon as possible. And as it just so happens, KGO 810 happened to break off negotiations with the 49ers for their upcoming season.

UPDATE: The official FCC sale documents have been released; notice the part in the Covenants section that "...classify the Station as a noncommercial educational station, such reclassification to be effective no earlier than the completion of the 2005 Major League Baseball season." The question remains whether the A's have the ability to leave the station for another one. Al Davis and the Raiders will able to find a new station in no time after they left KNBR 1050.

But another aspect of this remains with the future of the team; while the A's are partners with KICU for the next 3 seasons, there are no long term obligations, especially with one year stadium lease options starting in 07. So the type of contract the A's get will be telling as to how they view their future in the Bay Area.