Editing Washington Capitals (section)

==Broadcasters==
[[Monumental Sports Network]] (MSN) has carried Capitals games locally since its founding as Home Team Sports (HTS) in 1984.<ref name="bs">{{cite news|title=HTS, Channel 20 to air 54 Caps games|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/08/21/hts-channel-20-to-air-54-caps-games/|work=The Baltimore Sun|date=August 21, 1991|access-date=April 19, 2018|archive-date=April 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420074123/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-08-21/sports/1991233073_1_wdca-tv-channel-20-hts|url-status=live}}</ref> The channel was later rebranded into Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (CSN) from 2001 through 2017, and then NBC Sports Washington from 2017 to 2023.<ref>{{cite web|title=NBC Sports Washington is Becoming Monumental Sports Network|url=https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/nbc-sports-washington-is-becoming-monumental-sports-network/c-344952710|website=Washington Capitals|date=June 21, 2023|accessdate=June 23, 2023}}</ref> MSN's commentators are [[Joe Beninati]], [[Craig Laughlin]], "Inside-the-Glass" reporter [[Alan May]], and rinkside reporter Al Koken.

The Capitals' flagship radio station is [[WJFK-FM]] (106.7 FM); commentators are [[John Walton (sports broadcaster)|John Walton]] and [[Ken Sabourin]]. The team's radio network consists of stations in Washington, [[Virginia]], [[Maryland]], [[West Virginia]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[North Carolina]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Caps Radio 24/7|url=https://www.nhl.com/capitals/multimedia/caps-radio-247|website=Washington Capitals}}</ref>

Mike Vogel has been covering the team online for the Washington Capitals on its website since the 1995–96 season, writing daily game stories and analysis. Vogel, who also participates in podcasts and in-stadium video presentations as well as guesting on various Washington DC radio and television programs, has been described as "the most interesting man in Caps media".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/washington-capitals/capitals-faceoff-podcast-mike-vogel-most-interesting-man-caps-media|title=Capitals Faceoff Podcast: Mike Vogel, the most interesting man in Caps media|last=Machir|first=Troy|date=August 24, 2017|website=NBC Sports Washington|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227172149/https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/washington-capitals/capitals-faceoff-podcast-mike-vogel-most-interesting-man-caps-media|archive-date=December 27, 2019}}</ref>

===Historical===
[[WUSA (TV)|WTOP-TV]] (channel 9) picked up television coverage for the Capitals' first three seasons, covering 15 road games in the 1974–75 season. Sportscaster [[Warner Wolf]] was the commentator for the first season. Team radio broadcaster Ron Weber moved to the TV booth for telecasts in the second and third seasons.<ref name="weber">{{cite web|title=10 Questions for the Dean of D.C. Hockey, Ron Weber|url=https://onfrozenblog.wordpress.com/2006/11/09/10-questions-for-the-dean-of-d-c-hockey-ron-weber/|website=On Frozen Blog|date=November 9, 2006}}</ref> WTOP-TV's coverage was sporadic and poorly received, to the point of being called "revolting" by the ''[[Washington Post]]''; game broadcasts were scheduled around network commitments and often joined live in progress or tape-delayed entirely. Station management had little interest in the games and said they received far more complaints about the preempted [[CBS]] shows. Before the 1977–78 season, the Capitals signed a five-year deal with [[WDCA]] (channel 20), which had regional cable carriage and as an independent station was able to commit to more expansive live coverage.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fachet |first1=Robert |title=TV-20 to Cover Caps |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1977/06/03/tv-20-to-cover-caps/9544cfb0-a714-418e-8b9d-f155a19c4bed/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 3, 1977}}</ref>

WDCA later split games with HTS/CSN upon its founding in 1984. The 1991–92 season illustrates a typical arrangement: WDCA showed 20 road games and any road playoff games, while HTS picked up 34 home games and any home playoff games, leaving 28 regular season games not televised.<ref name="bs" /> After 18 seasons on WDCA, the Capitals moved their over-the-air broadcasts to [[WDCW|WBDC]] (channel 50) for the 1995–96 season.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Carmody|first1=John|title=The TV Column|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1995/09/12/the-tv-column/64ef0510-8962-44ff-b06e-acd2b1f42f9e/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 12, 1995}}</ref> All 82 games were televised for the first time in the 2001–02 season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Caps popularity draws more TV coverage|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2001/sep/20/20010920-025509-8421r/|work=The Washington Times}}</ref> The Capitals have not aired any games over-the-air locally since the end of the 2005–06 season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sabres 4, Capitals 0|url=https://www.japersrink.com/2005/09/sabres-4-capitals-0.html|work=Japers' Rink|access-date=April 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420073932/https://www.japersrink.com/2005/09/sabres-4-capitals-0.html|archive-date=April 20, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

WTOP (1500 AM) was the Capitals' first radio home through the 1986–87 season. After nine years on [[WSBN|WMAL]] (630 AM), the games returned to 1500 AM for the 1996–97 season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fanfare|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1986/06/12/fanfare/4b4bafd3-cf07-4834-97c9-e2aaa64c36c1|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 12, 1986}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Fisher|first1=Marc|title=Radio Waives News|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/05/06/radio-waives-news|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 6, 1997}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> [[Ron Weber]] was the first announcer, and never missed a game through his retirement at the end of the 1996–97 season.<ref name="weber" /> WJFK-FM began airing postseason games during the [[2008 Stanley Cup playoffs|2008 playoffs]]. 1500 AM, since renamed [[WFED]], remained the flagship station until 2012, when WJFK took over all coverage. WFED continues to broadcast games as a network affiliate.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Williams|first1=Jim|title=Caps radio has the region rockin' the red|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/caps-radio-has-the-region-rockin-the-red|work=Washington Examiner|date=April 5, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Capitals 2012–13 Regular-Season Schedule|url=https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/capitals-2012-13-regular-season-schedule/c-649956|publisher=National Hockey League}}</ref> This is primarily to take advantage of its 50,000-watt clear-channel signal, which brings Capitals games to the entire eastern half of North America at night.

Weber rejoined current announcers Walton and Sabourin for the first period of game 4 of the [[2018 Stanley Cup Finals]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Scott |title=Ron Weber will join Caps radio booth for Game 4: 'We needed to have him be a part of it' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2018/06/04/ron-weber-will-join-caps-radio-booth-for-game-4-we-needed-to-have-him-be-a-part-of-it/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 4, 2018}}</ref>

WJFK-FM attracted controversy when it elected to drop the Capitals in the 2016–17 season, leaving the Capitals to air solely on WFED. However, WFED's signal is unusable in some portions of the Washington suburbs at night, since it is directed north–south to protect co-channel [[KSTP (AM)|KSTP]]. The [[Washington Wizards]] also took priority over the Capitals on WFED in case of a conflict, leading to some games in which the only home broadcast was available via Internet streaming. The team responded to fan complaints by reaching a temporary deal in January 2017 to place the rest of its games on [[WWDC (FM)#HD radio and former translator|WWDC-HD2]], which is available metro-wide to those with [[HD Radio]]s and has a low-powered analog signal that covers the city itself.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Steinberg|first1=Dan|title=Capitals broadcasts return to FM radio|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/01/23/capitals-broadcasts-return-to-fm-radio/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> The Capitals reached a deal to return to WJFK-FM for the 2017–18 season.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Steinberg|first1=Dan|title=Capitals radio broadcasts will return to 106.7 The Fan this season|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/10/04/capitals-radio-broadcasts-will-return-to-106-7-the-fan-this-season/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 4, 2017}}</ref>