Raider Radio On-The-Air

Dust off those portable AM radios because Raiders games are back on the air! For most of its 68-year history, the late Gary Suhr could be heard calling the play-by-play of Raiders games on Saturday nights. That all changed a few years ago when WRJN was sold and Raiders broadcasts not only were off the air, but up in the air.

During the COVID- 19 suspension of play last year, Raiders broadcaster Don Wadewitz led the efforts to have all the games streamed live on the Raiders YouTube channel. However, for those at the game, listening on their smart devices, there was one little problem: what was heard via streaming, was already history on the field. The delay could be anywhere from one to several seconds because of the way the Internet works.

Old technology comes to the rescue. Raiders board member Tom Christensen located a micro-power, Federal Communications Commission-approved transmitter. After testing and tweaking, Raider Radio AM 1620 went on-the-air broadcasting its first game on June 19, 2021, when the Raiders hosted the Lincoln-Way Patriots.

So, what exactly is Raider Radio? Well, two things it isn’t: 1) a licensed, full-service 24/7 station and, 2) an illegal “pirate” or “bootleg” station. Raider Radio broadcasts on 1620 Khz on the AM band and operates in accordance with FCC rules Part 15. Under these rules, the station can legally operate without a license, but is restricted on output power and antenna size. Obviously, with only a tenth of a watt of power, the signal won’t cover the entire city, but it will cover the area around Historic Horlick Athletic Field up to about one mile. At a home game, the station will go on the air about an hour before kickoff. During the game, Don Wadewitz will be doing the play-by-play of the action on the field and you will hear it live as it happens. Then, after the game, you’ll be able to hear Don do the recap of the game as you’re walking out to your car.

Raider Radio AM 1620 will be on-the-air only for home games at Horlick Athletic Field. For the road games, streaming of the game on the Raiders YouTube channel will bring you the action. Believe it or not, you still can get a portable AM/FM radio at a reasonable price. So, pick one up, bring it with you to the game, and tune in to Raider Radio AM 1620. The Raiders are also explorer options to have the broadcasts on AM 1620 simulcast in the concessions area and in the restrooms at Historic Horlick Athletic Field.