Bradford City and BBC Radio Leeds have agreed a broadcasting rights deal for the home and away commentary of matches for the next three seasons, starting with the club's Sky Bet League One opener on Saturday 6th August against Port Vale.
The Pulse will continue as the club’s commercial radio station with home and away commentary continuing on their frequencies, but the re-introduction of BBC local radio at Valley Parade is something that James Mason, Chief Operating Officer at the club believes can only improve the club’s communication channels with fans locally, nationally and even internationally.
He said: "Many Bradford City fans will be familiar with radio commentaries coming from BBC local radio in years gone by and we welcome back the station at a time when the club is growing day to day in its profile and the more exposure we can get from our media partners can only help us grow as a club.
"Having two local radio stations covering games should lead to a healthy competitive edge and stronger output, which can only benefit the listener’s experience. This is an ambitious project in which the station have clearly set out their plans for coverage, but we also plan to maximise our side of the bargain which will see Bradford City as more of a community asset than just a football club on a Saturday afternoon.’
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"Yes people will still be able to hear the much desired commentaries, but also Radio Leeds’ 24 hour broadcasting schedule means listeners will be able to hear about everything that the club do in the community on a day to day basis."
BBC Radio Leeds’ Sports Editor Gareth Jones (pictured right in main article image) added: "We are thrilled to once again be providing commentary, home and away for every single Bradford City match. It is great to strengthen our relationship with a club that has such wonderful fans, dedicated hard-working staff, and a strong, bright future.
"This deal means, as well as match day commentary, we will be further increasing our non-match day output across the week. This means much more Bradford City content across West Yorkshire for fans to enjoy."