List of Detroit Tigers broadcasters

The following is a list of Detroit Tigers broadcasters, past and present:

Radio

Current

The current flagship radio station for the Tigers is WXYT-FM, at 97.1 FM. ^[1] Dan Dickerson calls play-by-play.^[2] Bobby Scales and Andy Dirks rotate as the primary color analysts as of the 2024 season.^[3] The games are available online as well via Audacy. If a scheduling conflict occurs, WWJ is a substitute for its sister station.

Former flagships

WJR was the Tigers' radio flagship from 1964 to 2000. Other former Tigers flagships include WXYT (currently known as "The Bet Detroit") and WKMH (currently known as WDTW).

Former radio announcers

Ty Tyson (1927–1942, 1951)
Harry Heilmann (1934–1950)
Paul Williams (1951)
Van Patrick (1952–1959)
Dizzy Trout (1953–1955)
Mel Ott (1956–1958)
George Kell (1959–1963)
Ernie Harwell (1960–1991, 1993, 1999–2002)
Bob Scheffing (1964)
Gene Osborn (1965–1966)
Ray Lane (1967–1972)
Paul Carey (1973–1991)
Rick Rizzs (1992–1994)
Bob Rathbun (1992–1994)
Frank Beckmann (1995–1998)
Lary Sorensen (1995–1998)
Jim Price (1998–2023)
Al Kaline (2009, substitute analyst for select road games)^[4]
John Keating (2009, substitute analyst for select road games)^[5]
Dan Petry (2012, 2019, 2021–2022, substitute analyst for select games)^[6]
Ken Kal (2013, 2016, 2018, substitute play-by-play for select games)
Dan Hasty (2021, substitute play-by-play for one road game)
Austin Jackson (2021–2022, substitute analyst for select road games)
Craig Monroe (2021–2023, substitute analyst for select road games)
Alex Avila (2022, substitute analyst for select road games)
Doug Fister (2022, substitute analyst for road doubleheader)

Broadcasters by year

2020s

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary
2024	WXYT-FM	Dan Dickerson (primary) Greg Gania (substitute)	Andy Dirks (home) Bobby Scales (away)
2023		Dan Dickerson	Jim Price
2022
2021
2020

2010s

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary
2019	WXYT-FM	Dan Dickerson	Jim Price
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010

2000s

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary
2009	WXYT-FM	Dan Dickerson	Jim Price
2008	WXYT-FM
2007	WXYT
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002		Ernie Harwell Dan Dickerson	Jim Price
2001
2000	WJR

1990s

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1999	WJR	Ernie Harwell	Jim Price
1998		Frank Beckmann	Lary Sorensen (April–June) Jim Price (June–September)
1997			Lary Sorensen
1996
1995
1994		Rick Rizzs	Bob Rathbun
1993		Rick Rizzs Ernie Harwell
1992		Rick Rizzs
1991		Ernie Harwell	Paul Carey
1990		Ernie Harwell	Paul Carey

1980s

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1989	WJR	Ernie Harwell	Paul Carey
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980

1970s

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1979	WJR	Ernie Harwell	Paul Carey
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972			Ray Lane
1971
1970

1960s

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1969	WJR	Ernie Harwell	Ray Lane
1968
1967
1966			Gene Osborn
1965
1964			Bob Scheffing
1963	WKMH	George Kell	Ernie Harwell
1962
1961
1960

1950s

Year	Flagship stations	Play-by-Play	Color Commentary/Secondary Play-by-Play
1959	WKMH	Van Patrick	George Kell
1958			Mel Ott
1957
1956
1955			Dizzy Trout
1954
1953
1952
1951	WXYZ	Ty Tyson	Paul Williams
1950	WXYZ	Harry Heilmann

Television

Current

The television rights are currently held by Bally Sports Detroit (formerly Fox Sports Detroit). Jason Benetti serves as the primary play-by-play announcer beginning in 2024,^[7] while Craig Monroe is color commentator.

Pre-game and post-game show hosts and reporters include John Keating, Mickey York, Trevor Thompson, Justin White, Cameron Maybin, and Johnny Kane, while Dan Petry provides studio analysis.

Former TV outlets

The Tigers have spent most of their broadcast televised history across two of Detroit's heritage "Big Three" network stations, WJBK (Channel 2, Fox; formerly with CBS from 1948 to 1994) and WDIV (Channel 4, NBC; originally WWJ-TV from 1947 to 1978), as well as two of the market's former legacy independent stations, WMYD (Channel 20, formerly WXON-TV and WDWB) and WKBD (Channel 50). Channel 4 was the original Tiger television outlet, carrying games from 1947 to 1952, and again for a twenty-season run from 1975 to 1994. Channel 4, at least during a time when NBC's ratings were sagging during the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, was one of a handful of the network's affiliates that was either a primary outlet or an affiliate of the local/regional baseball team.

Significant in the Tiger broadcasting network were television stations owned by Tigers' owner John Fetzer, including WKZO-TV (now WWMT) in Kalamazoo, WLNS in Lansing, WJRT in Flint, WWTV and WWUP-TV in northern Michigan, and even some television stations in Nebraska, namely KOLN-TV in Lincoln and its satellite in Grand Island, Nebraska.

WJBK took over the Tigers telecasts starting with the 1953 season, and carried games until the end of the 1974 season; since 2007, the station simulcasts the team's home opener each season from Fox Sports Detroit. WKBD, for many years known as Detroit's leading independent TV station, as well as the longtime over-the-air TV home of the Red Wings and Pistons, televised Tigers games starting in 1995 (when it was an UPN owned-and-operated station) until 2003. WMYD televised selected Tigers games only for the 2006 season, and as WXON-TV and the local affiliate of the ONTV subscription TV service, Channel 20 also showed the team's games from 1981 to 1983.

Pro-Am Sports System (PASS), originally started in 1982, became the regional cable outlet for the Tigers starting in 1984, after the network was purchased by then-Tigers team owner Tom Monaghan. Monaghan sold PASS to Post-Newsweek Stations (now Graham Media Group) in 1992, after he sold the Tigers to local pizza magnate and Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch. PASS, thereafter, re-located its operations to the WDIV studio/office facility in Downtown Detroit. PASS shut down operations in 1997, after the Red Wings, Tigers, and Pistons all elected to sign-with and helped launch Fox Sports Detroit.

Former TV announcers

Ty Tyson (1947–1952)
Harry Heilmann (1947–1950)
Van Patrick (1953–1959)
Dizzy Trout (1953–1955)
Mel Ott (1956–1958)
George Kell (1959–1963, 1965–1996)
Ernie Harwell (1960–1964, 1994–1998)
Bob Scheffing (1964)
Ray Lane (1965–1966, 1999–2003)
Larry Osterman (1967–1977, 1984–1992)
Don Kremer (1975–1976)
Al Kaline (1976–2001)
Joe Pellegrino (1977–1978)
Mike Barry (1978–1979)
Larry Adderley (1981–1983)
Hank Aguirre (1981–1983)
Norm Cash (1981–1983)
Bill Freehan (1984–1985)
Jim Northrup (1985–1994)
Jim Price (1993–1997)
Fred McLeod (1995–1997)
Josh Lewin (1998–2001)
Frank Beckmann (1999–2003)
Tom Paciorek (2000)
Lance Parrish (2002)
Mario Impemba (2002–2018)
Rod Allen (2003–2018)
Jack Morris (2015–2016, 2019–2022)
Matt Shepard (2019–2023)