BROADCAST INFORMATION
RADIO COVERAGE – 1280 AM KWSX
The Thunder and 1280 AM KWSX, home of Thunder hockey, with Mike Benton returning for his eighth season as play-by-play announcer, joined by color commentators Derek Eisler and Cam Gore for most home broadcasts. The broadcasts aired in their entirety will begin 15 minutes prior to the opening face-off with the “Thunder Forecast” pre-game show.
KWSX is a 1,000 watt station with a signal that can be heard throughout the San Joaquin County, including areas such as Stockton, Lodi, Manteca, Tracy and stretching as far west as Livermore, where many Thunder supporters reside and conduct business. KWSX is a growing leader in live Stockton sports coverage, additionally serving as the radio play-by-play home of Stockton Ports minor league baseball and Pacific athletics.
INTERNET BROADCAST – AMERICA ONE
The Thunder and America One have partnered for the eight consecutive season to offer all 72 Thunder regular season home, away and Kelly Cup Playoff games to be webcast via an audio link available through our website for a charge of $9 per game or $110 for a season pass.
A live, streaming video simulcast of each home game and select road games will also be available through the Thunder’s website, on a Pay-Per-View basis. A high-speed internet connection and Windows Media Player, version 11 or higher, are required to view the Thunder webcasts.
AmericaOne is the Official Broadband Broadcast Provider to the ECHL and a premier provider of reliable and secure international television and pay-per-view broadcasting systems. AmericaOne’s worldwide network of arenas, stadiums, local venues and data centers are currently in use to distribute live sports and events to personal computers, television screens, mobile devices and commercial venues around the world. Working with organizations such as the ECHL, National Lacrosse League, the United States Hockey League, the North American Hockey League, Arena Football Leagues and selected NCAA and NAIA conferences and member institutions, AmericaOne has established itself as a leader in innovative global direct to home, mobile and television broadcasting. For more information about AmericaOne, visit AmericaOne.com.
MEET THE THUNDER BROADCAST TEAM
MIKE BENTON – Radio Play-by-Play
Mike Benton brings his passionate style back for his eighth season as radio play-by-play voice of the Stockton Thunder, calling all Thunder home, away and playoff games on 1280 AM KWSX and online through AmericaOne. In addition to his on-air duties, Mike oversees the organization‟s digital media content, serves as the liaison between the team and all media contacts and administers all Thunder audio and video broadcast functions as the team‟s Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations.
Mike, 31, has been selected as a broadcast voice for national radio coverage of three ECHL All-Star Games (2007, 2008, 2010) and has been behind the broadcast mic since the team‟s inception. His work includes contributing reports for the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers official websites and he has served in webcast color commentary and rinkside reporting roles at the Vancouver Canucks YoungStars Tournament including coverage at sportsnet.ca. In 2009 he was the recipient of the ECHL Media Relations Award of Excellence as determined in voting by members of the media, league media relations directors and broadcasters.
Mike has been active in the Central Valley sports broadcasting community for additional sports coverage, most notably as radio play-by-play announcer for the arenafootball2 league‟s Stockton Lightning from 2006-09. For nearly three years, he was heard on AM 970 ESPN Radio in numerous co-host and “SportsCenter” anchor roles and has also called baseball games for the Stockton Ports as a fill-in radio play-by-play announcer. He has also provided play-by-play call in minor league baseball with the Dayton Dragons and High Desert Mavericks and in women‟s college basketball for University of California-Riverside.
A graduate in May 2004 from Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies and a native of Azusa, Calif., Mike also served as a correspondent/field producer on ESPN2′s Los Angeles-area “Valley Sports2″ magazine show while enrolled in school.
An avid golfer, Mike currently resides in Manteca with his wife, Amy.
DEREK EISLER – Radio Color Commentator
An established figure of the Northern California hockey community, Derek Eisler brings his expertise and insight into his fifth season in the Thunder radio broadcast booth, teaming with play-by-play announcer Mike Benton as color commentator for most home games on 1280 AM KWSX and online through B2 Networks.
Eisler began his radio stint serving as color commentator on select Thunder broadcasts in 2006-07 and has coaching experience at every level. From 2007-09, Eisler served as Head Coach of the China Sharks, an Asian League owned-and-operated subsidary of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.
Currently serving in numerous teaching roles with the Sharks at various grassroots levels, Eisler’s experience has covered the San Jose and Stockton areas, most notably as Director of Coaches and Head Coach at the Midget ‘AAA’ level for the San Jose junior Sharks program. He has also assisted with various hockey camps at Stockton’s Oak Park Ice Arena.
Eisler, who has 18 years of experience as a coach or scout in the NHL, college and junior ranks, was an assistant coach on Kevin Constantine’s staff with the San Jose Sharks from 1993-96, helping guide the Sharks to their first two Stanley Cup Playoff berths in franchise history in 1994 and 1995. In his time with the Sharks, Eisler helped serve in all areas of coaching, development and staff organizational structure.
Eisler resides in Stockton with his wife Renee and three daughters, Sidney (13), Hanna (10) and Abby (6).
CAM GORE - Radio Color Commentator
Cam Gore, a native of Toronto, Ontario, enters his third season in the Thunder radio booth as color commentator for select games.
He additionally serves as an online beat reporter for Sharks coverage at www.hockeybuzz.com. He also contributes with on-air and online NHL reports for the Chris Townsend radio show, heard throughout the Bay Area.
Gore and his wife, Kate currently reside in Fremont.
