1970 NFL Season
As originally written by Tim Brulia and Jimmy Delach:
This was a landmark season for the NFL as its ranks swelled from 16 teams to 26 teams as the merger with the AFL took effect. The Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers shift from what would be the NFC to the AFC, which consisted of the 10 former AFL teams. Due to the merger, the NFL signed huge four year contracts with all three networks. The breakdown as follows:
CBS: All Sunday NFC games, all Sunday interconference games in which the NFC team was the away team, one Thanksgiving Day game and two late season Saturday games. Postseason: All NFC playoff games, Super Bowls VI and VIII, the Pro Bowl following the 1970 and 1972 seasons.
NBC: All Sunday AFC games, all Sunday interconference games in which the AFC team was the away team, one Thanksgiving Day game and two late season Saturday games. Postseason: All AFC playoff games, Super Bowls V and VII, the Pro Bowl following the 1971 and 1973 seasons.
ABC: 13 prime time Monday Night games (weeks 1-13), without regard to Conference affiliation.
Exceptions: Games outside of these windows were up for bid for local channels of the visiting team. Sunday games that conflicted with NBC coverage of postseason baseball games could be bid upon by local channels of the visiting team.
One last note: To the joy of most, the Playoff Bowl is eliminated from the schedule.
National Television
PRESEASON
Friday 7/31: Chiefs-College All-Stars (Chicago), 9:30, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bud Wilkinson, Don Meredith
Friday 8/14: Colts-Chiefs, 8:30, NBC. Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Saturday 8/22: Vikings-Oilers, 9:30, CBS. Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Frank Glieber
Friday 8/28: Giants-Steelers, 8:00, ABC. Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
Sunday 8/30: Packers-Raiders, 6:00, CBS. Don Criqui, Frank Gifford, Gil Stratton
Sunday 8/30: Jets-Vikings, 9:00, NBC. Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Saturday 9/5: Chiefs-Cowboys, 9:00, NBC. Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Sunday 9/13: Jets-Cowboys, 9:00, CBS. Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Frank Glieber
WEEK 1, 1970 - NBC Doubleheader:
Friday 9/18:
Cardinals-Rams, 11, KMOX-St. Louis, Bob Wilson, Ollie Raymond, Jim Bolen
Saturday 9/19:
Bears-Giants, 8, WBBM-Chicago, Brent Musburger, Jerry Kramer
Sunday 9/20:
Cowboys-Eagles, 1, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Andy Musser
Broncos-Bills, 1, NBC, Bill Enis, Johnny Morris
Oilers-Steelers, 1, NBC, Jay Randolph, Dave Kocourek
Dolphins-Patriots, 1, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Raiders-Bengals, 1, NBC, Charlie Jones, George Ratterman
Falcons-Saints, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Jim Thacker
Lions-Packers, 2, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Bruce Roberts*
Colts-Chargers, 4, NBC, Ross Porter, Willie Davis
Chiefs-Vikings, 4, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Redskins-49ers, 4, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Gil Stratton*
Monday 9/21:
Jets-Browns, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 2, 1970 - NBC Doubleheader:
Sunday 9/27:
Rams-Bills, 1, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Bill Mazer*
Jets-Patriots, 1, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Falcons-Packers, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins, Dick Stockton*
Bengals-Lions, 2, NBC, Jay Randolph, Johnny Morris
Dolphins-Oilers, 2, NBC, Bill Enis, George Ratterman
Saints-Vikings, 2, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald*
Giants-Cowboys, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Frank Clarke*
Eagles-Bears (Evanston, IL), 2, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Bruce Roberts*
Redskins-Cardinals, 2, CBS, Jack Drees, Andy Musser, Jim Thacker*
Browns-49ers, 4, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Raiders-Chargers, 4, NBC, Charlie Jones, Dave Kocourek
Steelers-Broncos, 4, NBC, Ross Porter, Willie Davis
Monday 9/28:
Chiefs-Colts, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 3, 1970 - CBS Doubleheader:
Saturday 10/3:
Raiders-Dolphins, 8, KTVU-Oakland, Don Klein, Dave Kocourek
Steelers-Browns, 9, WIIC-Pittsburgh, Red Donley, Dave Hart, Sam Nover
Sunday 10/4:
Colts-Patriots, 1, NBC, Dave Martin, Willie Davis
Oilers-Bengals, 1, NBC, Ross Porter, George Ratterman
Jets-Bills, 1, NBC, Bill Enis, Kyle Rote
49ers-Falcons, 1, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Jim Thacker*
Redskins-Eagles, 1, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins, Dick Stockton*
Cowboys-Cardinals, 2, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Frank Clarke*
Giants-Saints, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Bill Mazer*
Chiefs-Broncos, 4, NBC, Jay Randolph, Johnny Morris
Vikings-Packers (Milwaukee), 4, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Bruce Roberts*
Chargers-Rams, 4, NBC, Charlie Jones, Al DeRogatis
Monday 10/5:
Bears-Lions, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 4, 1970 - CBS Doubleheader:
Saturday 10/10:
Dolphins-Jets, 8:45, WCKT-Miami, Jay Randolph*, Morris McLemore
Sunday 10/11:
Bills-Steelers, 1, WBEN-Buffalo, Chuck Healy, Dick Rifenberg
Bengals-Browns, 1, WCPO-Cincinnati, Jack Moran, Otto Graham
Lions-Redskins, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, John Fitzgerald*
Eagles-Giants, 1, CBS, Frank Gifford, Frank Clarke, Dick Stockton*
Falcons-Cowboys, 2, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Jim Thacker*
Vikings-Bears, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins, Bruce Roberts*
Saints-Cardinals, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Bill Mazer*
Colts-Oilers, 4, NBC, Bill O’Donnell, George Ratterman
Patriots-Chiefs, 4, NBC, Charlie Jones, Kyle Rote
Broncos-Raiders, 4, NBC, Ross Porter, Willie Davis
49ers-Rams, 4, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton*
Monday 10/12:
Packers-Chargers, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 5, 1970 - CBS/NBC Doubleheader:
Sunday 10/18:
Colts-Jets, 1, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Lions-Browns, 1, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald*
Dolphins-Bills, 1, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Giants-Patriots, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Bill Mazer*
Cardinals-Eagles, 1, CBS, Andy Musser, Eddie Le Baron, Dick Stockton*
Rams-Packers, 2, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton*
Steelers-Oilers, 2, NBC, Ross Porter, Willie Davis
Chargers-Bears, 2, NBC, Jay Randolph, Johnny Morris
Falcons-Broncos, 4, CBS, Jack Drees, Frank Clarke, Jim Thacker*
Cowboys-Vikings, 4, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Bruce Roberts*
Chiefs-Bengals, 4, NBC, Charlie Jones, George Ratterman
Saints-49ers, 4, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins
Monday 10/19:
Redskins-Raiders, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 6, 1970 - CBS Doubleheader:
Sunday 10/25:
Bills-Jets, 1, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Bengals-Redskins, 1, NBC, Charlie Jones, Dave Kocourek
Browns-Dolphins, 1, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Saints-Falcons, 1, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Jim Thacker*
Cardinals-Giants, 1, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Dick Stockton*
Patriots-Colts, 2, NBC, Bill O’Donnell, Johnny Morris
Lions-Bears, 2, CBS, Jack Drees, Eddie Le Baron, Bruce Roberts*
Eagles-Packers (Milwaukee), 2, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Bill Mazer*
Cowboys-Chiefs, 4, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Frank Clarke
Broncos-49ers, 4, NBC, Jay Randolph, Gordie Soltau
Oilers-Chargers, 4, NBC, Bill Enis, George Ratterman
Steelers-Raiders, 4, NBC, Ross Porter, Willie Davis
Monday 10/26:
Rams-Vikings, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 7, 1970 - NBC Doubleheader:
Sunday 11/1:
Bills-Patriots, 1, NBC, Bill Enis, Dave Kocourek
Bears-Falcons, 1, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins, Jim Thacker*
Vikings-Lions, 1, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Bruce Roberts*
Giants-Jets, 1, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Bill Mazer
Chargers-Browns, 1, NBC, Charlie Jones, George Ratterman
Oilers-Cardinals, 2, NBC, Jay Randolph, Johnny Morris
Rams-Saints, 2, CBS, Gil Stratton, Eddie Le Baron, Dick Stockton*
Dolphins-Colts, 2, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Eagles-Cowboys, 2, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Frank Clarke*
Packers-49ers, 4, CBS, Jack Drees, Andy Musser
Raiders-Chiefs, 4, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Redskins-Broncos, 4, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald*
Monday 11/2:
Bengals-Steelers, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 8, 1970 - NBC Doubleheader:
Sunday 11/8:
Bengals-Bills, 1, NBC, Bill O’Donnell, Dave Kocourek
Cowboys-Giants, 1, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Bill Mazer*
Dolphins-Eagles, 1, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Vikings-Redskins, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Dick Stockton*
Jets-Steelers, 1, NBC, Charlie Jones, Johnny Morris
Patriots-Cardinals, 2, NBC, Jay Randolph, Gordie Soltau
Lions-Saints, 2, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Jim Thacker*
Oilers-Chiefs, 2, NBC, Bill Enis, George Ratterman
49ers-Bears, 2, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Bruce Roberts*
Falcons-Rams, 4, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins, Gil Stratton*
Browns-Raiders, 4, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Broncos-Chargers, 4, NBC, Ross Porter, Willie Davis
Monday 11/9:
Colts-Packers (Milwaukee), 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 9, 1970 - NBC Doubleheader:
Sunday 11/15:
Falcons-Eagles, 1, CBS, Jack Drees, Andy Musser, Dick Stockton*
Browns-Bengals, 1, NBC. Jay Randolph, Johnny Morris
Chiefs-Steelers, 1, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Saints-Dolphins, 1, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Jim Thacker*
Chargers-Patriots, 1, NBC, Ross Porter, Willie Davis
Redskins-Giants, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Bill Mazer*
Bills-Colts, 2, NBC, Bill Enis, Dave Kocourek
Bears-Packers, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins, Bruce Roberts*
Lions-Vikings, 2, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald*
49ers-Oilers, 2, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Frank Clarke*
Jets-Rams, 4, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Raiders-Broncos, 4, NBC, Charlie Jones, George Ratterman
Monday 11/16:
Cardinals-Cowboys, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 10, 1970 - CBS Doubleheader:
Sunday 11/22:
Colts-Dolphins, 1, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Patriots-Jets, 1, NBC, Bill O’Donnell, Dave Kocourek
Cowboys-Redskins, 1, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Frank Clarke*
Oilers-Browns, 1, NBC, Bill Enis, Johnny Morris
Rams-Falcons, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Jim Thacker*
Steelers-Bengals, 1, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
49ers-Lions, 1, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins, John Fitzgerald*
Bills-Bears, 2, NBC, Charlie Jones, George Ratterman
Broncos-Saints, 2, NBC, Jay Randolph, Gordie Soltau
Packers-Vikings, 2, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Dick Stockton*
Cardinals-Chiefs, 4, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Bruce Roberts*
Chargers-Raiders, 4, NBC, Ross Porter, Willie Davis
Monday 11/23:
Giants-Eagles, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 11, 1970 - CBS Doubleheader:
Thursday 11/26:
Raiders-Lions, 1, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Packers-Cowboys, 3:30, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Bruce Roberts*
Sunday 11/29:
Patriots-Bills, 1, NBC, Charlie Jones, George Ratterman
Browns-Steelers, 1, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Vikings-Jets, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Bill Mazer*
Saints-Bengals, 1, CBS, Jack Drees, Andy Musser, Jim Thacker*
Giants-Redskins, 1, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Gifford, Dick Stockton*
Bears-Colts, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins, Bruce Roberts*
Broncos-Oilers, 2, NBC, Bill Enis, Dave Kocourek
Eagles-Cardinals, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, John Fitzgerald*
Chargers-Chiefs, 2, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Rams-49ers, 4, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton*
Monday 11/30:
Dolphins-Falcons, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 12, 1970 - CBS Doubleheader:
Saturday 12/5:
Bears-Vikings, 1, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Bruce Roberts*
Sunday 12/6:
Patriots-Dolphins, 1, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Bills-Giants, 1, NBC, Charlie Jones, George Ratterman
Packers-Steelers, 1, CBS, Dick Stockton, Eddie Le Baron, Bruce Roberts*
Raiders-Jets, 1, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Cardinals-Lions, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, John Fitzgerald
Broncos-Chiefs, 2, NBC, Ross Porter, Dave Kocourek
Eagles-Colts, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins, Bill Mazer*
Falcons-49ers, 4, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Jim Thacker*
Bengals-Chargers, 4, NBC, Bill Enis, Willie Davis
Saints-Rams, 4, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Gil Stratton*
Redskins-Cowboys, 4, CBS, Jack Drees, Andy Musser, Frank Clarke*
Monday 12/7:
Browns-Oilers, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith
WEEK 13, 1970 - NBC Doubleheader:
Saturday 12/12:
Cowboys-Browns, 1, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Bruce Roberts*
Chiefs-Raiders, 4, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Sunday 12/13:
Vikings-Patriots, Noon, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins, Dick Stockton*
Colts-Bills, 1, NBC, Ross Porter, Willie Davis
Eagles-Redskins, 1, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Andy Musser*
Steelers-Falcons, 1, NBC, Jay Randolph, Johnny Morris
Bengals-Oilers, 2, NBC, Bill Enis, Dave Kocourek
Packers-Bears, 2, CBS, Jack Drees, Eddie Le Baron, Bruce Roberts*
Giants-Cardinals, 2, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Bill Mazer
49ers-Saints, 2, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Jim Thacker*
Jets-Dolphins, 4, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Chargers-Broncos, 4, NBC, Charlie Jones, George Ratterman
Monday 12/14:
Lions-Rams, 9, ABC, Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell
WEEK 14, 1970 - CBS Doubleheader:
Saturday 12/19:
Jets-Colts, 3, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
Sunday 12/20:
Patriots-Bengals, 1, NBC, Bill Enis, Johnny Morris
Bills-Dolphins, 1, NBC, Bill O’Donnell, Dave Kocourek
Packers-Lions, 1, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Don Perkins, Bruce Roberts*
Rams-Giants, 1, CBS, Frank Gifford, Frank Clarke, Bill Mazer*
Vikings-Falcons, 1, CBS, Andy Musser, Johnny Sauer, Jim Thacker
Steelers-Eagles, 1, NBC, Charlie Jones, George Ratterman
Cardinals-Redskins, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Tom Brookshier, Dick Stockton*
Bears-Saints, 2, CBS, Jack Drees, Eddie Le Baron, John Fitzgerald*
Oilers-Cowboys, 2, NBC, Jim Simpson, Al DeRogatis
Browns-Broncos, 4, NBC, Ross Porter, Willie Davis
Chiefs-Chargers, 4, NBC, Jay Randolph, Gordie Soltau
49ers-Raiders, 4, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton*
DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS:
Saturday 12/26:
Bengals-Colts, 1, NBC, Charlie Jones, Al DeRogatis
Lions-Cowboys, 4, CBS, Frank Glieber, Frank Gifford, Dick Stockton
Sunday 12/27:
49ers-Vikings, 1, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Andy Musser
Dolphins-Raiders, 4, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Sunday 1/3:
Raiders-Colts, 2, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote, Charlie Jones
Cowboys-49ers, 5, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier
SUPER BOWL V From Miami:
Sunday 1/17: Colts-Cowboys, 2, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote, Bill Enis
PRO BOWL From Los Angeles:
Sunday 1/24: NFC-AFC, 4, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Tom Brookshier
Local TV Crews
Originally written by garretta
Now let's look at television in the AFC Central for 1970:
Oilers: Preseason TV plans had yet to be worked out at press time. KHOU-TV will carry the CBS network telecast pf the Oilers' August 22 game against the Vikings at the Astrodome. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 PM Central, with Jack Buck and Pat Summerall calling the action and Frank Glieber in CBS Control.
Steelers: KDKA-TV will carry four preseason games. Station sports director Dick Stockton, who will work with CBS's NFL team during the regular season, will handle play-by-play. Sponsors were unknown at press time. WTAE-TV will carry ABC's national telecast of the team's home game against the Giants on August 28. Kickoff is set for 8PM Eastern, with Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, and Howard Cosell calling the action.
WIIC-TV will televise the team's Week 3 game against the Browns in Cleveland on Saturday, October 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 9PM Eastern, with Red Donley and Dave Hart calling the action and Sam Nover acting as a sideline reporter.
Browns: WKYC-TV will air the Browns' August 8 preseason game against the Rams in Los Angeles, while WEWS-TV will the August 29 home game against the Bengals and their September 12 game against the Giants in New York. The games will be sold to participating advertisers. No announcers have been named.
Bengals: WLWT-TV Cincinnati and WLWD-TV Dayton (Ohio) will carry the team's August 15 game against the Dolphins in Miami and their August 22 game against the Cardinals in St. Louis. WLWI-TV Indianapolis (Indiana) may carry one of the two games: it's not known whether WLWC-TV Columbus (Ohio) will carry either one. Phil Samp and Omar Williams are expected to call the action.
WCPO-TV will televise the team's Week 4 game in Cleveland against the Browns on Sunday, October 11. Game time is 1PM Eastern, with Jack Moran and Otto Graham calling the action.
Now for the AFC West on television in 1970:
Broncos: KOA-TV will televise two preseason games, one of them in color. Sponsors for a quarter apiece will be the Greater Denver Ford Dealers and First National Bank of Denver. Texaco and Coca-Cola are also participating advertisers. Pregame and postgame shows, including a coach's show with head coach Lou Saban, are planned but still awaiting sponsors.
Chargers: KCST-TV has signed a two-year contract to televise Chargers preseason games. Five of the six preseason games will be televised, all in color. Two road games will be carried live, while three home games will be shown on tape delay. Bob Chandler will call the action. No pregame or postgame shows are planned, but KCST will televise a one-hour special on the team before the season starts and will air a weekly show with head coach Charlie Waller and general manager Sid Gillman.
Raiders: KTVU-TV is still negotiating to carry two preseason games as well as Raiders programming during the season. The preseason games would be televised over a two-station network.
The Raiders' home preseason game against the Packers on Sunday, August 30 will be nationally televised by CBS. Kickoff is scheduled for 3PM Pacific, with Don Criqui and Frank Gifford calling the action. Gil Stratton will be in CBS Control.
Chiefs: KMBC-TV will televise four preseason games. Sponsors of each game for a quarter apiece are Wilson Meats, Sears, Roebuck and Company, Falstaff Beer, and Kansas City Power and Light. Charlie Jones and John Sanders will split the play-by-play, with Galen Fiss handling color.
Three Chiefs preseason games will be nationally televised. As world champions, they'll represent the NFL in the College All Star Game at Soldier Field in Chicago on Friday, July 31. Kickoff is set for 8:30 PM Central, with Keith Jackson, Bud Wilkinson, and Don Meredith on the call for ABC. The second will be on Friday, August 14, when the Chiefs welcome Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts. kickoff is set for 7:30 PM Central, with Curt Gowdy and Kyle Rote on the call for NBC. The Peacock will also televise the Chiefs' visit to Dallas on Saturday. September 5. Details on that game coming up in the NFC East section.
Now let's look at the AFC East in 1970. For a change, we'll start with television:
Patriots: No preseason telecasts are scheduled.
Bills: WKBW-TV will carry three preseason games, all on the road. This is the station's fifth year of carrying Bills preseason games. Rick Azar will call the play-by-play; he will also host a weekly Bills Highlights show on Saturday nights that will recap the previous week's game. There are no firm sponsorship details. but there are plans for a three-station network in upstate New York.
WBEN-TV will carry the team's Week 4 game at Pittsburgh against the Steelers on Sunday, October 11. Kickoff is set for 1PM Eastern, with Chuck Healy and Dick Rifenberg calling the action.
Jets: WOR-TV will air four of the team's six preseason games, including their game against the Giants at the Yale Bowl in New Havwn, Connecticut on Sunday, August 23. Two of the four telecasts will be on a one-day tape delay. Don Criqui will call the play-by-play; the color analyst has yet to be determined. Sponsors are Ballantine Beer, BP Oil Corporation, Hertz, Seven-Up, Bristol Myers, Volkswagen, Alka-Seltzer, and the Yellow Pages.
The other two Jets preseason games will be nationally televised. The August 30 game against the Vikings in Bloomington, Minnesota will be televised nu NBC, while their September 13 trip to Dallas to face the Cowboys will be televised by CBS. I'll provide more details in the appropriate posts.
Colts: The team's preseason TV rights are held by Dennis Dunn Inc., which plans to televise three games on WMARTV: August 22 against the Broncos in Denver, August 29 against the Dolphins in Miami, and September 5 against the Lions in Raleigh, North Carolina, Sponsors will be Schaefer Beer. STP, and the local Coca-Cola Bottlers. Jim Karvellas and Tom Gorman will call the games.
The Colts' August 14 preseason game in Kansas City against the Chiefs will be nationally televised by NBC, as described in the AFC West section,
Dolphins: Two preseason games will be televised. WPLG-TV will air the August 8 game against the Steelers in Jacksonville, while WCKT-TV will televise the September 5 game against the Redskins in Tampa. The August 8 game will be sponsored by First National Bank and Johnny and Mack Auto Services; ads for the September 5 game will be sold on a participation basis. Bob Dahlgren will call the action on August 8, while Ray Scott and Morris McLemore do the honors on September 5.
WCKT-TV will also televise the Fins' Week 4 game against the Jets at Shea Stadium in New York on Saturday night, October 10. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:45 PM Eastern. Our research shows that Morris McLemore was definitely the color commentator; our best guess for play-by-play man is Jay Randolph. I don't have a better one except to say that it probably wasn't Ray; he called 49ers-Rams the next day for CBS.
Now let's look at the NFC Central in 1970. We begin with television:
Bears: WBBM-TV will televise all six preseason games. One telecast will be live; the rest will be on tape delay. All advertising will be sold on a participating basis. Lindsey Nelson and Jerry Kramer will call the action.
WBBM will also televise the Bears' Week 1 game against the Giants at Yankee Stadium in New York on Saturday, September 19. Kickoff is scheduled for 7PM Central. Brent Musburger will replace Nelson on play-by-play opposite Kramer.
Lions: WJBK-TV will air four road preseason games. Marathon Oil will sponsor half of each game, with Ford and Hamm's Beer each sponsoring a quarter. Van Patrick and J.P. McCarthy are your announcers.
Packers: WBAY-TV will package five preseason games for airing on a five-station network. The package will be a mixture of tape-delayed games and live games, but the article doesn't specify which will be which. WBAY will sell its advertising for the games on a participating basis. Bill Howard will call the play-by-play. The other preseason game at Oakland on August 30 will be nationally televised by CBS. as I detailed in an earlier post.
WBAY will also air The Phil Bengtson Show featuring the Packers' head coach twice a week. Sponsors weren't set at press time.
Vikings: KSTP-TV St. Paul will televise four preseason games. Sports director Ed Cain will call the play-by-play; a color analyst had yet to be named at press time. One-third of each game will be sponsored by Northwestern National Bank; all other advertising will be sold on a participating basis.
Other Vikings programming on KSTP includes a weekly half-hour show, Vikings Countdown, that will debut August 1 and the weekly Bud Grant Show, which will debut on September 20 at 10:30 PM Central and will include filmed portions of the game played earlier that day. Cain will co-host the show with Coach Grant.
Two Vikings preseason games will be nationally televised. The first will be on August 22 at Houston, as I detailed in an earlier post. The second will come on Sunday, August 30, as the Vikes host Broadway Joe Namath and the New York Jets at Metropolitan Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8PM Central on NBC, with Curt Gowdy and Kyle Rote on the call.
Now for the NFC West in 1970. Let's begin with television:
Rams: KNXT-TV will air all six preseason games in color on tape delay. There will be no regional network nor any pregame or postgame shows. Gil Stratton and Don Paul are your announcers.
Falcons: WAGA-TV will air five preseason games. Four of them will be aired live; the August 29 home game against the Kansas City Chiefs will be aired on tape delay the following afternoon. WAGA sports director Ed Thilenius will call the games as he did last year, with Johnny Sauer providing color commentary. Sponsors have not been determined as of press time. There will be no regional network.
49ers: KTVU-TV Oakland will carry all six games and feed them to two other stations. Four of the telecasts will be live, with the other two airing on tape delay because of San Francisco Giants baseball telecasts. No announcers were named in the article.
Saints: WWL-TV will televise all preseason games, as they did last year. Announcers weren't yet known at press time. Sponsors include Bank of New Orleans, Bob McKinnon Chevrolet, Jax Beer, Rex Root Beer, and King Cotton meat products.
Now let's look at 1970 in the NFC East. We'll begin with television:
Redskins: WTOP-TV will carry all six preseason games. Ray Scott will do play-by-play, with Warner Wolf handling color. Sponsorship hasn't been finalized yet but will be on a participating basis. (I didn't know that Ray did local sports in Washington, but the article says that he's been working at WTOP since earlier in 1970.)
Eagles: WCAU-TV will carry five preseason games, four on a tape-delayed basis. Tom Brookshier, WCAU's sports director, will do color commentary and host the half-hour pregame show. Ballantine Beer, Household Finance, and Oldsmobile will each sponsor a quarter of each game, with the other quarter being sold on a participation basis,
Cowboys: Local preseason television isn't set; Glenn Advertising of Dallas is currently lining up sponsors and a station. last year, KRLD-TV carried three preseason games live and two on tape delay.
Two preseason games will be nationally televised. On Saturday, September 5, the Boys welcome the world champion Kansas City Chiefs to the Cotton Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 8PM Central on NBC, with Jim Simpson and Al DeRogatis describing the action, Then, on Sunday, September 13, Joe Namath and the New York Jets come to town. Kickoff is again scheduled for 8PM Central, this time on CBS. Ray Scott and Pat Summerall will call the action, with Frank Glieber reporting from CBS Control.
Cardinals: KMOX-TV will televise five preseason games. Southwestern Bell, Laclede Gas, and Falstaff Beer will each sponsor a quarter of each game, with the other quarter sold to participating advertisers. Bob Wilson will handle play-by-play.
KMOX will also televise the Cards' Week 1 regular-season games against the Rams in Los Angeles on Friday, September 18. Kickoff is scheduled for 10PM Central, and Wilson will be joined by color analyst Ollie Raymond and sideline reporter Jim Bolen. Sponsorship arrangements are the same as in preseason.
Giants: WCBS-TV will carry five of the six preseason games. Three will be tape-delayed; two will be carried live. Sponsors for a quarter of each game are U.S. Steel, BP Oil, Hertz Rent-A-Car, and Ballantine Beer. Frank Gifford will call play-by-play for the first two games, then do color commentary for the final three. Jack Whitaker will be his play-by-play man, while Pat Summerall serves as his color commentator. WCBS will also present a half-hour pregame show before the Giants-Jets game on November 1. (The article has this game taking place at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut, but it was a Jets home game. It was the preseason game between the two teams that was played in New Haven.)
Local Radio Crews
Originally written by garretta
I'm a little pressed for time today, so I'm going to start 1970 with a look at the AFC Central. We begin with radio:
Oilers: Majestic Advertising of Milwaukee is in the third year of its three-year contract to produce and distribute Oilers games. The entire schedule, both preseason and regular season, will be carried by a twenty-five-station network. which is an increase over previous years. A flagship station has yet to be found. Schlitz Beer will be one of the sponsors, but how much time they or any other sponsor will buy is unknown at press time.
Bengals: WLW-AM is in the third year of a three-year contract. It will head a network of approximately thirty-six stations. The sponsor lineup is the same as last year: Burger Brewing, Tessler-Comet Gasoline, and the local Chrysler-Plymouth Dealers will each sponsor a quarter, with the other quarter split between Union Central Life Insurance and Ohio Appliances. Phil Samp and Jimmy Crum are your announcers.
All three pregame shows from last year return as well: Preview. sponsored by Cinderella Cleaners; Coach's Corner, sponsored by First National Bank of Cincinnati; and Warmup, sponsored by Partridge Meats. The two halftime features have been renewed by Shillito's Men Store and Central Trust Bank. The postgame highlights show will again be sponsored by Carter's Restaurants, and the Star of the Game show will again be sponsored by First National Bank of Covington, Kentucky. The pregame and halftime shows will only be heard on WLW.
WLW also heads an eight-to-ten-station network that will carry The Paul Brown Show on a daily basis for twenty-six weeks. Sponsorship will be sold locally.
Browns: WHK-AM will lead a network of approximately fifty stations that will carry all scheduled games, preseason and regular season. There will be five in-game sponsors, and each of their ads will air in each quarter. Duquesne Brewing is definitely renewing on the full network, while Sohio is considering renewal, also on the full network. Locally, Household Finance is a definite renewal, and the local Chevrolet Dealers are joining. The other fifth is unsold. Gib Shanley and Jim Graner will describe the action.
The pregame Blanton Collier Show and the postgame Scoreboard show are unsold. The Locker Room Report will be co-sponsored by Union Carbide and East Ohio Gas. The Halftime News is unsold, but the Halftime Sports will be sponsored by the local Chrysler-Plymouth Dealers.
Steelers: WTAE-AM takes over as the flagship of a network that's expected to number between forty and forty-five stations. Sponsors were unknown at press time but half of the advertising time has been sold. Empire Sports Productions of McKeesville, New York is handling both game production and sales. Jack Fleming will call the play-by-play, while Myron Cope will provide color.
(Everything I've heard over the years suggests that the Steelers moved to WTAE because they were sick of playing second fiddle to the Pirates in September. I believe that the article from 1968 said that they were farmed out to WJAS-AM; when there were baseball conflicts in 1969, KDKA put them on KDKA-FM, which at the time was a beautiful music station that was almost totally automated.
That was nowhere near good enough for Dan Rooney, who had an inkling of how big the team could be if Chuck Noll's rebuild and the then-brand new Three Rivers Stadium worked out, As was so often the case in the seventies, he was right. Even though they lost KDKA's fifty thousand clear channel watts, they gained a station that put them above everything else aired, especially during the season. The hiring of Myron Cope was icing on the cake.)
Now let's look at the AFC West
Broncos: KOA-AM is the new flagship station and will be the flagship of a forty-three-station network consisting mostly of Intermountain Network affiliates. Bob Martin will call the play-by-play; no color commentator was listed in the article. Each of the following advertisers will sponsor one-eighth of each game (approximately half a quarter): Sigman Meats, State Farm Insurance, Majestic Savings and Loan Association, Texaco, Schlitz, Red Seal Potato Chips, Public Service Company of Colorado, and the Greater Denver Ford Dealers.
Chiefs: KCMO-AM is in the final year of a three-year contract to be the flagship of a fifty-five-station network covering seven states that will carry all scheduled games. The local Schlitz Wholesalers and Vickers Oil Company will each sponsor one fifth of each game on both KCMO and the network. Interstate Securities will sponsor one-fifth of each game on KCMO and one-tenth on the network. Fairmont Country Club Dairy will sponsor one fifth of each game on KCMO, and U.S. Supermarkets will sponsor one-tenth, also on KCMO. By my count, that leaves one-tenth still open on KCMO and one-half still open on the network. Tom Hedrick will call play-by-play, while Bill Grigsby handles color.
There will be two pregame shows on KCMO. Fans in the Stands will have Falstaff Beer and Michaels Clothing as alternate sponsors. Scouting the Chiefs will be sponsored by City National Bank. There will also be two postgame shoes: a locker room show sponsored by Aamco Transmission and the Locker Room Show, which will be sponsored by Skil Tool and Swift Dodge.
Chargers: KDEO-AM El Cajon is in the second year of a five-year contract to head a sixteen-station network in California, Nevada, and Arizona that will carry all scheduled games. Texaco will sponsor a quarter of each game, while First Federal Savings and Loan Association, Volkswagen, and Household Finance will each sponsor one-eighth. leaving three-eighths open. Stu Nahan and Emil Karras will call the action.
Karras will also host the postgame locker room show, while Ron Reina hosts the pregame show. There will also be a pre-pregame coach's show with head coach Charlie Waller. The pregame shows will be sponsored by Reading Dynamics and Pickwick Book Stores; the postgame show will be sponsored by Sears.
Raiders: KNEW-AM heads a fifteen-station network in California and Nevada that will broadcast all scheduled games. Sponsoring a quarter of each game apiece are Union Oil, Smith's Clothiers, Central Valley National Bank, and United Vintners. Bill King and Scotty Stirling are your announcers.
A twenty-minute pregame show and a half-hour of postgame material will be produced by the network and sold locally. The pregame show is sponsored by Kilpatrick's Bread (half), C. Marcus Hardware (a quarter), and Pacific Southwest Airlines (a quarter). The ten-minute postgame Hi-Lites show is fully sponsored by Treesweet Juices, while the twenty-minute locker room show will bs co-sponsored by Canadian Pacific and the local Toyota Dealers.
Now here's radio in the AFC East for 1970:
Bills: WBEN-AM is beginning its eleventh year as the radio home of the Bills. It heads a network that has grown from twenty-five stations in upstate New York last year to thirty-five this year. Play-by-play man Van Miller will host the fifteen-minute pregame show, Buffalo Bill Forum, while color analyst Stan Barron hosts the fifteen-minute postgame Locker Room Show. All commercial time for both shows has been sold.
Game sponsors include Mobil Oil, the local Ford Dealers, M&T Bank, and Utica Club Beer. Twenty percent of each game remains unsold. Dick Rifenburg will act as a sideline reporter. (The article makes sure to mention that WBEN-FM has the same sponsors for its broadcast as the rest of the network.)
Patriots: WBZ-AM is in the second year of a five-year contract. It will lead a seven-station network that will carry all regular season games and five preseason games. Bob Starr will call the play-by-play, while Gil Santos provides color. The announcers will also host a fifteen-minute pregame show and a ten-minute postgame show, No sponsors have been announced yet.
Dolphins: WIOD-AM is the team's flagship station and will originate all games. As of July 1, seven stations had joined the team's radio network, and the number was expected to grow significantly by the start of the season. Last year's network was made up of ten stations.
The only sponsor that will buy time on every network station is STP. All other slots are to be filled by local businesses from each community (in other words, participating advertisers). Sponsors on WIOD include Johnnie and Mack Auto Services. Household Finance, Ballantine Beer, and Eveready Batteries. Former Colts play-by-play man Joe Croghan, who's now the sports director at WIOD, will call play-by-play, with Henry Barrow and Larry King (yes, that one) providing color.
Colts: WCBM-AM will carry all scheduled games. A regional radio network is being formed at press time by Dennis Dunn Inc., who also holds the team's preseason TV rights. Last year's network numbered forty stations. Coverage during the regular season starts with a ten-minute segment featuring Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas. Jimmy Orr will host pregame and postgame locker room shows before all games. Sponsors for these segments are unknown at this time. Game sponsorship has been sold in five equal shares to Black and Decker, Commercial Credit Corporation, Humble Oil and Refining Company, National Brewing Company, and Black and Decker.
Ted Moore, who was previously the radio voice of the Packers for eleven years, will call play-by-play, Retired Colts defensive lineman Ordell Brasse and Neal Eckman, a columnist from the Baltimore News-American and a sportscaster for WCBM. will handle color.
Jets (Regional): The Jets' regional network is being packaged by Ttrans National Communications of New York, which handled last year's regional network for the Giants. The network has grown from forty-five stations last year to sixty this year covering New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Sponsors signed so far include Mobil detergent gasoline, English Leather, and Ballantine Beer; one quarter of each game is still unsold. Jim Gordon, Joe Hasel, and Dick Lynch will call the action. There will also be a five-minute Ween Ewbank Show with the Jets' head coach.
Jets (Local): WABC-AM is in the last year of a six-year contract to broadcast all games. Sponsors for a quarter of each game are Schaefer Beer, Chevron Oil, Manufacturers Hanover Trust, and the Buick Dealers of Greater New York. There are plans for a ten-minute pregame show, Jet Huddle, with Howard Cosell and a ten-minute postgame show, Locker Room Huddle, with color analyst Sam DeLuca. Merle Harmon will call the play-by-play.
Now to look at radio in the NFC Central for 1970:
Bears: WGN-AM will air all regular-season games plus two preseason games; a regional network is still being organized at press time. The Standard Oil Division of American Oil holds the team's radio rights for the twenty-fifth consecutive year and will sponsor a third of each game. G. Heileman Brewing Company will sponsor a third of each game as well, with Household Finance taking the final third. The halftime and scoreboard shows are still for sale, but the pregame warmup show will be sponsored by Robert Hall Clothes. Jack Brickhouse and Irv Kupcinet are your announcers.
Packers: WTMJ-AM Milwaukee, which has carried the Packers in all but two years since 1929. is the flagship of a network consisting of about thirty-six stations that will carry all scheduled games. Seven stations are considered the basic network, with others considered a bonus network. (The article doesn't say which stations are which, nor does it explain the difference between a basic station and a bonus station.) The pregame show is still for sale, but the postgame show. Playback, will be sponsored on WTMJ by Ruby Chevrolet. Both features will be fed to setwork stations, who will sell them locally.
Thorp Finance will sponsor half of each game, with Blatz Beer and Humble Oil sponsoring a quarter apiece. Gary Bender and Jim Irwin will describe the action.
Lions: WXYZ-AM has exercised its third-year option and will again head a network of over fifty stations that will carry all scheduled games. The team retains its radio and preseason TV rights; WXYZ provides radio and TV promotion and engineering facilities. The pregame and postgame shows will be sold on a rotating participation basis; the pre-pregame show with Lions coach Joe Schmidt remains unsold. Marathon Oil will sponsor half of each game; Ford and Hamm's Beer with sponsor a quarter apiece, Van Patrick and Bob Reynolds will call the regular season games, with Dave Diles replacing Patrick in the preseason.
Vikings: Northwestern National Bank of Minneapolis has acquired the Vikings' radio rights for the next three seasons; as a result; their radio flagship station has switched from WCCO-AM to KSTP-AM. The network has expanded to more than sixty stations in seven states and will carry all scheduled games. Northwestern National Bank will sponsor half of each game on KSTP, and its affiliated banks will be primary sponsors in other local markets. G. Heileman Brewing Company will sponsor a quarter of each game on the network; the other quarter has been sold to a sponsor that wants to remain anonymous for competitive reasons. Jim Morse and Paul Hornung will describe the action.
The pregame Bud Grant Show will be sponsored by Rock Springs Beverages. The pregame show featuring fans in the stands, which doesn't have a title yet, will be sponsored by Twin Cities Federal. (It's interesting to me that Northwestern National Bank would allow another bank as a sponsor, even if it's only for part of the pregame show.) The halftime show will be sponsored by Stephens Buick and Buerkle Buick. The postgame Paul Hornung Show will be half-sponsored by Union Carbide, with the other half still up for sale,
New this year will be KSTP's "Vikings Day" concept. For three hours before each game, listeners will hear pretaped interviews, helicopter traffic reports, parking lot interviews with tailgaters (when available), and other related features. (Almost every local pregame show in the league is like this today, and some are much longer than three hours.)
Now to look at radio in the NFC West for 1970:
49ers: KSFO-AM heads a twelve-station network that will carry all games. Sponsors signed so far for a quarter of each game are United Vintners and the Northern California Chrysler-Plymouth Dealers. (The article specifies that these sponsors signed for the preseason games, but they've each sponsored regular season broadcasts of the Niners in the past, so I would think that they'd stick around.) Household Finance will be a partial sponsor of the pre- and postgame shows. Lon Simmons and Hugh McElhenny will call the action.
Saints: WWL-AM holds the team's radio rights but says that their plans for the season weren't firm as of press time. Last year, WWL led a regional network of about forty-five stations.
Falcons: WQXI-AM will be the flagship of a network that already has twenty-six affiliates throughout the Southeast. According to WQKI general manager Harold Blum, about sixty stations will ultimately carry five preseason games and all fourteen regular-season games. This is the first year of a three-year contract.
The pre-pregame Norm Van Brocklin Show, which will feature the Falcons' coach. will be sponsored by Miller Beer. The pre- and postgame shows will be sponsored by Gordy Tire Company and Tapes Unlimited (I'm assuming that this was a music store of some sort). The time before the opening kickoff and after the final gun has been sold to Ellman's Jewelry Company. A quarter of each game will be sponsored by Citgo Products, First National Bank of Atlanta, and the Atlanta Ford Dealers. A quarter of each game, as well as both halftime commercial breaks, remain for sale. Jack Hirst and Alex Hawkins will call the games. All pregame and postgame programming will be fed to the network.
Rams: KMPC-AM will head a twenty-three-station network that will stretch from Arizona to Alaska. All scheduled games will be fed by KMPC, although three preseason games will be broadcast on KABC-AM because of KMPC's commitments to California Angels baseball. Dick Enberg will call the play-by-play, with Dave Niehaus and Steve Bailey providing color. Sponsors for games at a quarter apiece are Household Finance, Continental Airlines, Schlitz Beer, and the local Chrysler-Plymouth Dealers.
There will be two five-minute pregame shows: The George Allen Show, featuring the Rams' head coach, and Rams Warm-Up, which will be hosted by the announcers. A Rams report show of flexible length will follow each game. Sponsors for these programs include Grodins Clothes, Adohr Dairy (spelled in the article as "Diary"), Sears, Pacific Telephone, Langendorf Bakeries, Pan American Insurance, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
(A question for those of you in Southern California: Did KFC ever do business under the name of "Colonel Sanders" out there? The article refers to the restaurant chain in question this way, and I'm wondering if this was a regional rebranding experiment that failed to catch on or if the editors of Broadcasting were just trying to save space by using a shorter name that they knew most people would recognize anyway.)
Now let's discuss radio in the NFC East for 1970:
Cardinals: KMOX-AM will be the flagship of a network that numbers some forty stations in six states. This is the tenth year that KMOX will broadcast Cardinals games. On KMOX, STP, Busch Bavarian Beer, and General Finance Corporation will each sponsor a quarter of each game. with one quarter still open. On the rest of the network, STP will sponsor half of each game.
There will be two pregame features on KMOX: The Charley Winner Show, featuring the Cardinals' coach, will be sponsored by St. Louis County National Bank. The Larry Wilson Show, featuring the team's star defensive back, is still unsold. The postgame Star of the Game show will be sponsored by Steak-N-Shake. Ray Geracy will call the play-by-play, with Jim Butler providing color.
Redskins: WMAL-AM/FM are in their sixth year as the Redskins' flagship stations. This year, it will feed the games to a thirty-two-station network with stations in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Sponsors of a quarter of each game are the local Ford Dealers, National Brewing Company, Household Finance, and Washington Gas Light Company. Steve Gilmartin and Mal Campbell are your announcers.
There will be separate pregame shows on WMAL-AM and WMAL-FM. The AM show will be hosted by Campbell and sponsored by Union Carbide; the FM show will be sponsored by Heathkit Electronics. The halftime newscast will be sponsored by Tool Shed and Hickory Farms. and the postgame show (also hosted by Campbell) will be sponsored by Utz Potato Chips. Locker Room Reports with Chris Hanburger will be sponsored by Koons Ford.
Giants (Regional): Hughes Sports Network replaces Trans National Communications as the packager of the team's regional network. Approximately fifty stations in the Northeast are expected to join, Sponsors have yet to be announced.
Giants (Local): WNEW-AM is in its tenth year of airing Giants games. All games will be carried. Sponsors for a quarter apiece are Schaefer Ver, Getty Oil, Manufacturers Hanover Trust, and the Buick Dealers of New Jersey. Sal Marciano and Chip Cipolla will call the games.
Marciano will also host a half-hour pregame show, while Cipolla will host the fifteen-minute postgame Locker Room Report. Sponsors for both shows are Union Carbide and American Express.
Cowboys: The team retains its own radio rights but has a profit-sharing arrangement with the Texas State Network Games are fed by TSN for free in exchange for half the advertising time; the other half goes back to the stations for local sale. Two advertisers have signed to sponsor the games: Schlitz Brewing and Texaco, All other sponsorships are still being negotiated.
Last year, the games were fed to approximately 145 stations; this year, 122 stations in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New Mexico have signed to carry the games. with more expected to do so before the season starts.
Eagles: WIP-AM will carry all games and feed them to a six-station network in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Last year's network numbered fifteen stations, but this year's network has stations in the area's biggest markets: Scranton, Allentown, Reading, and Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) and Atlantic City (New Jersey).
Game sponsors for a quarter apiece are Merit/Saveway Gas and Oil, Abbots Dairy, Gerard Bak, and Schaefer Beer. Charles Swift and Al Pollard will call the action. They'll also host the five-minute pregame show, Eagles Warmup.
There will also be two postgame shows: a ten-minute show hosted by Clarence Peaks and a fifteen-minute show, Around the NFL. hosted by John Deignan. Pre- and postgame sponsors are Cottman Transmission, Penn-Jersey Stores, and Lianerch Gun Shop.