July 30, 2003
stlblues.com

The St. Louis Blues announced today that the club and radio station KTRS have extended their broadcast rights package for three years, effective immediately through the 2005-2006 season.

The three-year extension again calls for all Blues regular season and playoff games, as well as preseason games, to be carried without pre-emption on "The Big 550," KTRS AM. The broadcast package again includes a 30-minute Blues pregame show, extensive Blues postgame programming, internet broadcasts of Blues games on the KTRS website, Blues specialty shows, Blues fan activities and numerous other considerations intended to promote and increase the profile of Blues hockey throughout the year.

"The decision to continue with KTRS as our radio flagship station was a natural for the St. Louis Blues," said Jim Woodcock, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the hockey team. "When we awarded our radio rights to KTRS three summers ago, we challenged the station to develop into something more than simply a medium for Blues game broadcasts. KTRS has more than met the challenge. The scope of hockey programming KTRS delivers in addition to our games is second to none in the NHL, and for that our fans are clearly the winners."

"KTRS is pleased and honored to continue as the radio and Internet voice of the St. Louis Blues," said Tim Dorsey, general manager, KTRS. "It is our privilege to provide Blue fans with the highest level of coverage. The Blues have become an integral part of our programming and Blues fans can continue to expect wall-to-wall Blues coverage."

As part of the agreement, the Blues also extended the contracts of Blues radio play-by-play broadcaster Chris Kerber and radio analyst Kelly Chase. The popular duo will describe the action for all games on KTRS and continue to team up to host the highly acclaimed "Battler and the Broadcaster" show on Friday nights as well as on-location postgame shows following home weekend games.

New to the KTRS team this season will be Blues legend Bob Plager, who will join KTRS personalities following home weeknight games for postgame shows in 14th and Clark, the sports bar inside Savvis Center.

KTRS is the flagship station of the The Blues Radio Network, which includes 21 radio stations throughout Missouri and Illinois, including WSIE FM at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.