L.A. Williams and Ray Tsosie, both award-winning broadcasters, will call the action in Navajo on KTNN 660 AM. Photo by Rebecca Corman.
For the seventh consecutive season, KTNN 660, the Voice of the Navajo Nation, will broadcast a Raiders game to their audience in the four-corners of the Southwest this Sunday when the Oakland Raiders take on the Detroit Lions at O.Co Coliseum. Raider games have been broadcast in Navajo 12 previous times over the past six seasons through an agreement with KTNN 660 AM – one each in 2010 and 2009, two in 2008, four in 2007, two in 2006 and two in 2005. L.A. Williams and Ray Tsosie, both award-winning broadcasters, will again call the action.
"We salute the Navajo Nation and are honored and proud to broadcast Raiders games in Navajo," said Oakland Raiders Chief Executive Amy Trask. "Broadcasting our games in Navajo is part of our commitment to reaching our global fan base in a variety of languages and furthers the efforts of the Navajo Nation to preserve this important and valuable language."
Williams, KTNN's sports and rodeo director began her broadcasting career with KTNN in 1993 and since then has broadcast a variety of sports including football, basketball and volleyball. Williams recently brought home a gold medal for Outstanding Media Coverage at the North American Indigenous games in Denver. Tsosie, who's considered a Navajo Nation radio icon, was named outstanding newscaster in 1999 by the Arizona Broadcasting Association for his work in broadcasting Navajo news. Tsosie burst upon the broadcasting scene when he took the opportunity to host the KTNN 660 AM morning show.
Williams and analyst Ray Tsosie translate the action on the field to their listeners in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. In addition to Raiders games, the KTNN crew has covered the Super Bowl, the NBA's Phoenix Suns and the Winter Olympics. KTNN, "The Voice of the Navajo Nation," broadcasts a 50,000-watt clear channel signal from its Window Rock, Ariz. studio that reaches the entire western United States and Northern Mexico.
The Raiders have long been pioneers in global outreach and now have more international language web properties than any other pro sports team and will continue to be the leader in multicultural initiatives. The Raiders publish web content in six languages: English, Spanish, Tagalog, Japanese, Chinese and German. The Raiders have increased the popularity of NFL football worldwide by playing in American Bowls in London, Barcelona, Tokyo and Mexico City.
