The flagship radio station of the Washington Commanders is no more, and in announcing the end of its partnership with the team, it cited a need to be able to provide honest commentary -- which it presumably couldn’t do while in a financial relationship with the club.
The team’s flagship station, 980 AM, which used to be owned by Commanders owner Dan Snyder and is now owned by the media company Audacy, made the announcement today.
“The organization and the company disagreed on the value of the broadcasts and the station believed it was also important to continue to be able to provide honest, objective information, analysis, and commentary about the Commanders,” Audacy said in a statement, via the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The statement suggests that it’s impossible to be honest and objective about the team while in business with Commanders owner Dan Snyder. The statement also points to the reality of conflicts of interest in sports media, where many outlets also have business relationships with the teams and leagues they cover.
The Commanders also recently lost their sponsorship with Anheuser-Busch, and other local companies have signaled they’re done being in business with the team, which has struggled on the field and been the subject of sexual harassment investigations off the field. It is unclear which local radio station will carry Commanders games this season.
