WZON: all-sports format in; Limbaugh, King out

Executives at Bangor radio station WZON (620 AM) got a quick start on their New Year’s resolutions as the station format officially became all-sports on Monday.

Gone are the Rush Limbaugh show and Larry King Live – two popular national talk shows filling six hours of programming time. In their places are Tim Neverett’s Sports Around America and The Sports Party With Al Bernstein.

“This is something we’ve been building toward,” said Dale Duff, sports and programming director at WZON. “This is what sports programming is.”

Duff said the station has been aiming for an all-sports format since it debuted the new format in August. He feels the change is necessary for a station that prides itself on its sporting theme.

“I would say the main reason for this was having the Red Sox, plus Winter Olympic coverage, wall-to-wall (high school basketball) tournament coverage, and other daytime sports events made it the right thing to do.”

The new afternoon lineup features Neverett’s show from noon to 3 p.m., Bernstein’s show 3-5 p.m., and an expanded Sports Talk With Fred Wallin from 5 to 7 p.m.

“We’ve had a lot of positive comments from local sports fans,” said Duff. “And we’ve gotten negatives from Rush Limbaugh and Larry King fans.”

But Limbaugh listeners who are also sports fans can now have their Rush and sports fix too because Limbaugh’s show has merely changed position on the radio dial. Limbaugh can be heard on Bangor’s WSNV (103.9 FM).

No local station has yet picked up King’s show.

The decision to drop both shows seems to fly in the face of good financial sense as both shows attract large radio audiences – both locally and “Yes, they are popular shows, but so are the call-in shows,” Duff countered. “We’re hearing a lot of people from this area call those shows.”

Duff explained that on this basis alone, WZON can boast to potential advertisers that not only do they have a loyal listener following, they have a following of active listeners who take time to pick up the phone and call.

Time – and the annual radio ratings period in the spring – will tell whether the change was a good one. – – –

The New Year’s Day bowl games brought their usual amount of excitement, pageantry, controversy… and memorable sound bites.

Among the more memorable of those are the following:

Most misinformed announcer: Although he’s my favorite NFL quarterback and usually a top-notch NFL and collegiate analyst, Dan Fouts won this one with comments made during CBS’ broadcast of the Carquest Bowl.

Fouts mentioned twice that Doug Flutie was burning up the CFL with the B.C. (British Columbia Lions) after burning up the CFA with the B.C. (Boston College) Eagles. Flutie played his last game for the B.C. Lions in 1991 and has gone on to win two straight CFL MVP awards a quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders.

Best scoop: This goes to NBC reporter Paul Sunderland. During the Fiesta Bowl, he reported that Arizona running back Chuck Levy would turn pro early. Many thought he would stay with the Wildcats another year.

Most outspoken: ABC’s Keith Jackson won this hands down with his comments during a fight on the field in the Rose Bowl game. Jackson said he had “no interest in participating in a sport behaving like this” and said “they (officials) should just kick them (players) out of the game” after a fight erupted between UCLA and Wisconsin players resulting in two players from each team being ejected.

Honorable mention to NBC’s Bob Trumpy, who has always been both candid and unafraid of controversy. Trumpy strongly challenged many of the calls made by Big East officials in the Orange Bowl and called others questionable.

Best replay: Has to be NBC’s coverage of the lone Florida State touchdown against Nebraska in the Orange Bowl that wasn’t. NBC cameramen caught the play from four different angles – the last one being the one to clearly show the ball was fumbled before it reached the end zone.

Best observation: NBC strikes again as Trumpy and partner Dick Enberg both noticed Bobby Bowden brought in tall Florida State wide receiver Kevin Knox for a defensive special teams play specifically to try and block the potential game-winning field goal attempt by Nebraska’s Byron Bennett. Enberg noted Knox had the highest vertical leap on the team.

Most humorous quote: Surprisingly, this goes to normally restrained Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne. While talking to NBC’s O.J. Simpson at halftime, Osborne asked him, “Do you want to come out and play? We could use you.” The Juice declined the offer. – – –

New England Sports Network has expanded its NESN SportsDesk – The Morning Edition show to include an hour-long afternoon update. Kim Walden hosts the show from noon to 1 p.m..