Pippins to become first WCL Team to Broadcast Games in Spanish
May 7, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
YAKIMA, Wash.- The Yakima Valley Pippins have reached an historic agreement with Radio KDNA 91.9 FM of Granger, WA to have twenty-one home games from the inaugural 2014 season broadcast live on the station in Spanish language. This is the first such agreement in the history of the West Coast League, and believed to be among the first such relationships in all of summer collegiate baseball.
"The Yakima Valley has a rich history of strong Latino families making great contributions to community," said Pippins President/COO Zachary Fraser. "The opportunity to work with the KDNA team in Granger to create a medium to connect with and an integral part of our community was one that was very important to our organization. Because education - getting a college degree - is a necessary requirement to play in the WCL, our organizations are aligned in using radio to share the message of the importance of education creating opportunity, especially with youth."
"We are very excited to be working with Pippins Baseball not only because they are a great group to work with but also because Yakima will have a baseball team," said Gilbert Alaniz, Director of Special Projects for NCEC/Radio KDNA.
In this pilot season, KDNA will carry 21 2014 Pippins home games live on the air. In addition to the live broadcasts, the team and KDNA will have segments each week discussing the team, its performance on the field, and the role of education in the lives of Pippins players among other topics. In addition to creating a medium to communicate with and serve in the Hispanic community, the relationship with create jobs, as both the broadcaster and the studio producer will be paid seasonal members of the Pippins communications team.
"Ricardo Garcia was an important person in getting this relationship created," said Fraser. "He has a passion for community, and happens to love a great pitchers' duel." Garcia was the founding general manager of KDNA and is currently a member of the community advisory board for the station, with over 40 years of contributing to education and quality of life in the Yakima Valley.
For businesses and organizations interested in working with the Pippins and Radio KDNA to underwrite this project, they can contact Pippins GM Danny Tetzlaff (danny@pippinsbaseball.com ) or Gilbert Alaniz (galaniz@kdna.org ) with Radio KDNA.
The voice of Pippins in Spanish will be announced shortly.
Radio KDNA is a 20K watt station that has been serving the Spanish-language community since the 1970s, and is the only full-time educational and information Spanish-language station in the Yakima Valley. Broadcasting on a frequency of 91.9 FM from studios located in Granger, Washington, KDNA is owned by, and licensed to, the Northwest Communities Education Center, a not-for profit corporation. The station is governed by a minority Board of Directors representative of its listening community.
Northwest Communities' Education Center (NCEC) and KDNA-FM (Radio Cadena), celebrated 34 years of community and radio outreach service to Latino residents of the Yakima Valley. NCEC, through Radio KDNA, serves the men, women and children of the Central Washington geographic area, by majority economically and educationally disadvantaged farm workers, immigrants, warehouse packers and small business entrepreneurs. NCEC has used KDNA to educate, inform, motivate, encourage, and mobilize the listening audiences to learn the English language and become involved citizens. Radio KDNA also provides religious programming to the community from the different churches in the area.
The Yakima Valley Pippins Inaugural Season will commence at Yakima County Stadium on June 6th, 2014 at 7:05 P.M. against the Wenatchee AppleSox. Tickets are now on sale for the 2014 season, including full-season and partial-season packages, as well as select team merchandise, and single-game tickets. You can reach the Pippins Front office by calling 509-575-HITS (4487) or emailing us at info@pippinsbaseball.com .
Pippins gear is also available at the Pippins Front Office, the entire retail line can be seen at www.pippinsbaseball.com/pippinsgear, while ordering and purchasing can be done in person on via phone at 509-575-HITS (4487).
GAME BROADCAST SCHEDULE:
1. June 6 - Wenatchee AppleSox
2. June 7 - Wenatchee AppleSox
3. June 8 - Wenatchee AppleSox
4. June 20 - Klamath Falls Gems
5. June 21 - Klamath Falls Gems
6. June 22 - Klamath Falls Gems
7. June 30 - Walla Walla Sweets
8. July 1 - Walla Walla Sweets
9. July 2 - Walla Walla Sweets
10. July 17 - Wenatchee AppleSox
11. July 18 - Wenatchee AppleSox
12. July 19 - Wenatchee AppleSox
13. July 22 - Bellingham Bells
14. July 23 - Bellingham Bells
15. July 24 - Bellingham Bells
16. August 1 - Kelowna Falcons
17. August 2 - Kelowna Falcons
18. August 3 - Kelowna Falcons
19. August 4 - Cowlitz Black Bears
20. August 5 - Cowlitz Black Bears
21. August 6 - Cowlitz Black Bears
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- Prep Standouts Complete AppleSox Roster - Wenatchee AppleSox
- Pippins to become first WCL Team to Broadcast Games in Spanish - Yakima Valley Pippins
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