WEEI Vs. WBZ: The War?

(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images for NASCAR)

A few weeks ago, I heard the only mention of this new station on the airwaves of AM 850 WEEI.  They called it ‘the war’ because then WBCN morning hosts Toucher and Rich were taking shots at the hosts of the Big Show in WEEI’s 2-6PM slot.  They said it only a few times, each time it was met with genuine laughter from everyone on the air.

Many sports junkies in the area are watching with interest, wondering which station (if either) will dominate the other.  Some have a favorite, some don’t.  Personally, I could not care less.  Both stations have their strong points, both have irritating shortcomings.

But the fact is, WEEI is going to win this ‘war.’  It is so one-sided that I don’t expect it to take a full year.  Here are 10 reasons why.

10. The Whiner Line

It’s a small part of a day’s programming.  It is not very substantive, nor is it labor intensive for the station.  But let’s face it; the Whiner Line is the best 15 minutes of sports radio in the market every Monday through Friday.

WBZ doesn’t have it, WEEI does.  Quite simply, people will not give up the Whiner Line, even if they switch to WBZ for the other 11:45 a day.

9. Entrenched Relationships with Important People

WEEI has friends in high places.  Terry Francona does a weekly segment with Dale and Holley while his team is playing.  Bill Belichick does the same with the Big Show.  Various players, past and present, count themselves ‘friends of the station’ and will simply not interview with anyone from WBZ.

Some large members of the media such as Ken Rosenthal have connections to the station and will feel the same loyalty.  WEEI will continue to bring in the A-list guests while WBZ rounds up whatever is left.

8. Team Broadcast Contracts

The Red Sox and Celtics call WEEI home.  WBZ gets the Patriots and Bruins.  In any other sports town, you probably give the nod to WBZ because they have an NFL radio contract.  Even more importantly, they have the contract for a successful NFL team.

In any other town, you’d be right.

But this is Boston.  It has been a baseball-first town since 1967.  The Red Sox built WEEI.  Of course they didn’t literally build it, but they were the reason for it.  There is no one team in this country that has as many avid followers in one radio market as the Boston Red Sox.  Yes there are more Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Lakers fans than there are Boston Red Sox fans.  But the Sox fans can all be reached by one, two or maybe three radio frequencies.

If the Red Sox are the rock upon which WEEI built its church, they will stand as long as they have the Red Sox contract.

7. WEEI.com

So I did my homework on this piece.  Or at least, I tried to.  I still don’t know what WBZ 98.5’s homepage is.  There is a shoddy looking website where you can listen online.  There are a handful of online station reviews.  But there is nothing that even approaches what WEEI.com was two years ago.  That was before Rob Bradford was put in charge and asked to revamp the entire thing.

Now, WEEI.com is a juggernaut.

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