Dodgers switch radio stations, keep announcers

The Dodgers will switch their flagship radio station next month with their broadcast team of Vin Scully, Rick Monday and Charley Steiner intact.

On the day that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt announced a deal that would make KABC 790 the team’s flagship station, the club revealed that Monday and Steiner were signed to contract extensions through the 2009 season.

The deal with KABC was made official Monday morning on the station’s “McIntyre in the Morning” program, with McCourt noting, “What an appropriate time to do it -- on our 50th anniversary of the team’s arrival in L.A.”

KABC was the Dodgers’ radio home from 1973 to 1997.

KFWB 980 served as the Dodgers’ flagship for the last five seasons.

The new contract with KABC is guaranteed for three seasons and has mutual single-season options for 2011 and 2012. KABC General Manager John Davison said the deal could be extended beyond 2012 but wouldn’t specify how.

The contract, which will take effect Nov. 1, grants KABC the broadcasting rights for 162 regular-season and 15 spring-training games. There also will be a three-hour call-in talk show Sunday nights, as well as several “specials” over the course of the season.

The Sunday call-in show doesn’t yet have a time slot, start date or host, but the program is expected to launch next month.

Davison said that the station would work with the Dodgers “on all aspects of the broadcast,” including the pregame and postgame programming, but emphasized it would maintain its journalistic independence.

Financial terms of the agreement weren’t revealed, but Davison said the Dodgers aren’t being paid a flat fee for broadcasting rights.

“Both the station and the team have a vested interest in the success of the radio deal,” Davison said. “There are no caps. The sky is the limit.”

The Dodgers will receive a share of the advertising revenue generated by the broadcasts. Advertisers will have the option of buying advertising in packages that cover multiple mediums, including on Spanish-language broadcasts on KHJ 930 and signs in Dodger Stadium.

-- Dylan Hernandez

Baseball investigator George Mitchell has received an extensive paper trail documenting performance-enhancing drugs sent to players by former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski, a person familiar with the probe said.

Among the documents Mitchell and his staff have obtained are invoices detailing the substances sent to players, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because Mitchell hasn’t authorized details to be made public.

Mitchell probably will issue his report on steroids in baseball by the end of the year, lawyer Thomas Carlucci said during a conference call with club officials Friday. Carlucci told them they should assume the report will name names.

New York Yankees officials headed to Florida for the start of meetings today that will determine whether Joe Torre is asked to remain as manager.

Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez was in California to consult with agent Scott Boras on his negotiating strategy.

Rodriguez has until the 10th day after the World Series to decide whether to opt out of his record $252-million, 10-year contract and become a free agent.

Joel Pineiro agreed to a $13-million, two-year deal with St. Louis after thriving with the Cardinals down the stretch. The right-hander went 6-4 in 11 starts with St. Louis after being acquired from Boston at the trade deadline.