SALT LAKE CITY - Real Salt Lake today announced details regarding its English- and Spanish-language radio broadcast agreements, with 36 games airing locally on both RSL's new flagship English radio KALL 700 and returning Spanish partner La Bonita 1600 AM. The 36 games include 32 regular-season and four exhibition matches during the 2006 season.
"We are excited to continue broadcasting all our games over the air with our new sister company, KALL 700, and La Bonita 1600 AM," said RSL General Manager Steve Pastorino. "We are committed to the Utah community and expect these partnerships to provide fans across the Wasatch Front - and those worldwide listening via the web - with an avenue to listen to their RSL heroes."
The KALL 700 partnership kicks off Sunday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. MT LIVE from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., with Ryan Hatch calling the play-by-play action and Wayne Scholes providing the color commentary. The two-hour game broadcast will be supplemented by one-hour extended pre- and post-game shows, bringing RSL's English-language radio block to an unprecedented four hours each game night. The extended pre-game and caller-driven post-game shows debut next Saturday, April 8, when RSL visits FC Dallas.
KALL will also host a Weekly Coach's Show with Head Coach John Ellinger, hosted by RSL television broadcast play-by-play commentator Bill Riley, each and every Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. MT, beginning April 6 LIVE from a location to be announced on Monday.
RSL's parent company, Sports Capital Partners, LLC, acquired KALL 700 AM, a heritage signal branded locally as "Hot Ticket 700" and formerly owned/operated by Clear Chanel Corporation, on Feb. 9. KALL currently broadcasts the Jim Rome Show, as well as all University of Utah football and men's and women's basketball games.
RSL and La Bonita 1600 AM enter the second year of their Spanish-language radio partnership, returning this Sunday when RSL faces CD Chivas USA. Salvadoran baritone Luis Rivas calls the play-by-play action and Telemundo news and sports anchor Nelson Moran provides the color commentary. The two-hour game broadcast will also be supplemented by 15-minute pre- and post-game shows.
The mission of Bustos Media Group is to provide "Good Radio for a Great Community" by building and managing the premier independently/owned, Spanish-language network and radio group serving the fast-growing mid-tier Hispanic markets in the United States. In order to accomplish the mission, Bustos seeks to attract and retain experienced on-air talent, sales people and a management team committed to deliver to a growing audience the best entertainment, and to advertisers, high-quality service and results, all with high financial efficiency.
Bustos' efforts are focused on reaching, through stations and affiliates, a substantial share of the Hispanic audience, and gain, as a result, an equitable proportion of the advertising dollars invested in the markets where it operates. An essential element of their mission is to provide long-term employment stability to the staff, and a substantial return to our equity holders and investors.
IN-DEPTH WITH THE BROADCASTERS: Hatch, currently the Program Director for 1280 AM The Zone, returns as the radio play-by-play voice for Real Salt Lake following a heralded inaugural season alongside color analyst Wayne Scholes. Hatch can be heard each Monday through Friday from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. during the "Hatch and Hollywood" show, with co-host Dave Fox.
Hatch brings an energy and perspective that is unique to the Utah market, where he is known as one of the most passionate and knowledgeable sports voices. The Salt Lake native has also hosted numerous University of Utah, BYU and Utah Jazz post-game shows for years, bringing nearly a decade of sports radio experience to the RSL English-radio booth.
Scholes enters his second season as Real Salt Lake's radio color commentator alongside his on-air counterpart Hatch. The England native was recently hired as the Virgin Entertainment Group Director of Strategic Marketing in Los Angeles, Calif. He also recently moved his family from Draper, Utah, his home of eight years.
Scholes is a soccer fanatic and has been involved in soccer from a youth, attending the famed Liverpool Football Club of the English Premier League at Anfield in Liverpool, England. He is a huge England National Team fan, but is rooting for the U.S. Men's National Team's success in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany. Scholes emigrated to the U.S. in 1998 and is a dedicated family man who is married to Amber with three brilliant children, Bethia (3), Luke (2) and newborn Bradley.
Rivas provided the play-by-play commentary for RSL's Spanish radio during the 2005 season and returns this year alongside Moran. Rivas currently can be heard on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. on "Hablando de Deportes" on Bustos Media's La Bonita 1600 AM alongside co-host Nelson Moran. Prior to his current assignment, Rivas worked for La Fiera radio based out of Orem, Utah, and has 14 years of industry experience.
He started his career in El Salvador, where he worked for Cadena Horizonte for three years. He spent the next six years working for Cadena de Oro followed by five with YSKL, both in El Salvador. Rivas spent some time with KGRB in Los Angeles, Calif. before moving to Utah in 2003 to work for La Fiera. The El Salvadorian native has broadcasted three FIFA World Cups including the 1982 Cup in Spain, the 1986 Cup in Mexico and the 1990 Cup in Italy. His two-hour RSL broadcasts are supplemented by 15-minute pre- and post-game shows.
Moran provided the color commentary for RSL's 2005 inaugural campaign alongside Rivas and is returning for his second season. Moran, a sports reporter for Telemundo 50/51/57, will serve as Luis Rivas' partner in the RSL booth adding 15 years of experience with sports broadcasting. Moran also partners with Rivas on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. on "Hablando de Deportes" on La Bonita 1600 AM. Moran began his career as a production manager for Supersonido Records in El Salvador. While a production manager, Moran was a disc jockey for Radio 1230 AM and Radio Mil-80 101.7 FM both in El Salvador.
