You’re stuck in traffic on the 101, the sun is dipping behind the Santa Cruz mountains, and the San Francisco Giants are about to lead off. You fumble with the dial. Static. More static. It’s the ultimate Bay Area frustration. Figuring out what radio station is the giants game on shouldn’t feel like solving a Rubik's Cube, but between the daytime signals, the nighttime power downs, and the FM simulcasts, it gets confusing.
KNBR 680 is the "Sports Leader" for a reason. It has been the home of the Orange and Black since 1979. If you are anywhere near the Bay, that’s your primary target. But 680 AM is a funny beast. During the day, that signal screams across Northern California, reaching all the way up to Redding and down past Monterey. Once the sun goes down, the FCC makes them "directionalize" the signal to avoid interfering with other stations on the same frequency in places like Alaska or Texas. This is why you might hear the game crystal clear at 4:00 PM in San Jose, only to have it fade into a hum of white noise by the seventh inning.
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The KNBR Network and Your Best FM Options
Luckily, the Giants and Cumulus Media got smart a few years back. They started simulcasting the games on 104.5 FM. This is a game-changer for anyone living in the city or the immediate Peninsula where AM signals bounce off skyscrapers and turn into mush. If you've got an FM tuner, go there first. The audio quality is better, you don't get that weird AM "crackle" when you drive under an overpass, and it stays consistent after dark.
But what if you aren't in San Francisco? The Giants Radio Network is actually massive. It’s one of the largest in Major League Baseball, spanning across three states. In Sacramento, you’re looking for KHTK 1140 AM. If you're up in the North Coast, KATA 1340 AM in Eureka has you covered. Down in the valley? Try KFIG 940 AM in Fresno. The network exists because the Giants know their fan base isn't just tech bros in SoMa; it's farmers in Modesto and hikers in Tahoe.
Honestly, the "day-night" power shift is the biggest reason people lose the feed. It’s a technical quirk of AM radio. AM waves travel along the ground during the day, but at night, they bounce off the ionosphere. To prevent one station from drowning out the entire country, many stations have to lower their wattage or change the direction their towers are pointing. If you’re in a "fringe" area like the outer East Bay or deep South Bay, 680 AM might just vanish at sunset. That is exactly when you want to switch to the FM side or pull up an app.
Why You Can't Just Use Any Radio App
Here is where it gets annoying. You open a generic radio app, find KNBR, and hit play. Instead of Jon Miller’s legendary voice, you get a syndicated talk show or a loop of sports updates. Why? Blackout rules. MLB is fiercely protective of its broadcasting rights. While KNBR owns the terrestrial radio rights (the stuff coming through the air), they don't necessarily own the digital streaming rights for every device.
If you want to stream the game on your phone, you basically have two legit options. The first is the MLB App. Yes, it requires a subscription (MLB At Bat), but it’s usually pretty cheap for the whole season—roughly the price of two beers at Oracle Park. This gives you the home and away feeds for every single game with no blackouts for audio. The second option is SiriusXM. If you have a satellite radio subscription, the Giants game is always on there, usually on the "Home" or "Away" dedicated channels (800-series for the app).
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The Magic of the Broadcast Team
Let’s be real: we care about what radio station the Giants game is on because of the guys behind the mics. We are spoiled. Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, Duane Kuiper, and Mike Krukow. It’s the "Core Four" of broadcasting. Even when Kruk and Kuip are doing the TV side for NBC Sports Bay Area, they often swap over or their energy carries the whole organization.
Jon Miller is a Hall of Famer for a reason. His cadence, his "Adios, Pelota!" call, and his ability to describe the fog rolling in over right field make the radio experience arguably better than watching on TV. When you're listening on the radio, you’re forced to paint the picture yourself, and Miller is the best brush-wielder in the business. Dave Flemming has grown into one of the best play-by-play guys in the country, often pulling double duty on national ESPN broadcasts. When you tune in to 680 or 104.5, you aren't just getting scores; you’re getting a masterclass in storytelling.
Dealing with the "Lag"
If you are at the stadium and trying to listen to the radio to hear the commentary while watching the live action, you’re going to run into the "digital delay." If you listen through an app, the sound will be 30 to 60 seconds behind the actual play. You’ll see a home run, and a minute later, you’ll hear the crack of the bat in your earbuds. It’s maddening.
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The only way to get real-time audio at the yard is a dedicated portable AM/FM radio. Old school, right? But it works. Because the signal travels at the speed of light through the air, there is almost zero latency. You see the pitch, you hear the call. Most of the veterans at Oracle Park still carry those little Sony walkmans or transistor radios for this exact reason.
Emergency Frequencies and Alternative Coverage
Sometimes, things go sideways. Maybe KNBR is covering a 49ers game or a Warriors playoff run that overlaps with a Giants Tuesday night game in May. Usually, the Giants take precedence, but occasionally the "overflow" game moves to KKSF 910 AM. It doesn't happen often, but if you tune to 680 and hear Steph Curry highlights instead of Logan Webb’s stat line, check 910.
For the Spanish-speaking community, 1170 AM KEMR (or occasionally 1510 AM) is the place to be. Erwin Higueros and Tito Fuentes bring a level of energy that is frankly unmatched. Even if your Spanish is shaky, listening to a walk-off win called by Tito is a religious experience for a baseball fan. They bring a different flavor to the game, focusing on the rhythm and the passion of every pitch.
Checking the Schedule for Day Games
Day games are a staple of San Francisco baseball. "Businessperson Specials" on Wednesdays or Thursdays mean the game is happening while you’re likely at your desk or in your car. This is when 680 AM is at its strongest. The daytime signal is a beast. You can often pick it up as far north as Medford, Oregon, if the weather conditions are right.
Keep in mind that the pre-game show starts exactly one hour before first pitch. If the game starts at 7:05 PM, tune in at 6:00 PM for "Giants Warmup." Marty Lurie is the king of the weekend pre-game, and his encyclopedic knowledge of baseball history is the perfect appetizer for the actual game. He’s the guy who will spend twenty minutes talking about a backup catcher from the 1962 Giants, and you’ll find yourself listening to every word.
Actionable Steps for the Season
To make sure you never miss a pitch, follow this quick checklist:
- Program your presets: Set 680 AM and 104.5 FM as your first two buttons in the car.
- Get a backup: Download the KNBR app, but remember it might be blocked during games depending on your location. The TuneIn Radio app often has similar restrictions.
- The Gold Standard: If you’re a die-hard, just pay for the MLB At Bat audio. It’s cheap, it works everywhere (even on airplanes with Wi-Fi), and you can choose the Giants' hometown broadcast every time.
- Hardware hack: If you attend games in person, buy a cheap analog pocket radio. Digital tuners in phones often have too much processing lag.
- Check the affiliate list: If you’re traveling through Northern California or Nevada, keep a list of the Giants Radio Network affiliates (like 1140 AM in Sac or 1270 AM in Reno) so you can hand-off the signal as you drive.
The Giants are a team built on tradition. Part of that tradition is the crackly, warm sound of the radio broadcast. Whether the team is in a pennant race or a rebuilding year, the voices of Miller and Flemming are the soundtrack of summer in the Bay. Find your frequency, settle in, and enjoy the game.