TV reporter gains job with radio> Pearch to work with Hale

You could call it the ultimate moonlighting gig for an aspiring broadcast reporter.

Two months after being hired as a part-time sports reporter by Bangor television station WABI (Channel 5), Melissa Pearch has landed another job as a news reporter for two Bangor radio stations.

Pearch’s first day as a reporter and on-air news anchor for WABI (910 AM) and WWBX (97.1 FM) was Wednesday.

“She’ll be on in the morning starting next week doing morning newscasts and updates on both AM and FM,” said WABI station manager and longtime sports broadcaster George Hale. “I think she has a lot of potential and she’ll have the best of both worlds, getting real world experience in both radio and TV.”

Pearch, a Bluffton, Ohio, native and Bowling Green State University alumnus, had been working in a real estate office before taking the WABI radio job, which will keep her busy during the early part of the day.

In the afternoon, Pearch will continue to be a reporter and weekend sports anchor at WABI-TV.

“I enjoy the challenge of teaching and I’m looking forward to working with her,” Hale said.

If and when the Boston Celtics start their season this November, fans will have to change the channel to catch their away games.

Boston University-owned WABU-TV (Channel 68) and the Celtics have agreed to a three-year broadcast deal which calls for both parties to co-market and sell broadcast advertising, Celtics’ officials told the Associated Press Tuesday.

The deal ends the reign of WSBK (Ch. 38) as the Celtics’ road game station. Home games are broadcast by Fox Sports New England.

As yet, no stations have contracted with WABU to air games in Maine, but Bangor stations WABI (Ch. 5) and WBGR (Ch. 33) have been airing WABU’s Boston Red Sox broadcasts the last two years.

WBGR owner and general manager James McLeod said he would be interested in Celtics games.

“I hadn’t heard about [the deal], but we have an excellent relationship with WABU and I will certainly talk to them about getting the Celtics,” McLeod said.

WABU’s game announcers will be former Celtics Tom Heinsohn and Bob Cousy.

The NBA and its players are currently involved in a contract dispute and the owners have locked out the players.

Boxing fans will need to put a crying towel next to their beer, soda, and munchies Tuesday night as the USA Network broadcasts it final edition of USA Tuesday Night Fights.

Despite good ratings, USA decided to end its Tuesday Night Fights show after a 17-year, 600-bout run.

“The network is going in a different direction,” said USA publicist David Schwarz. “Boxing is skewed toward older viewers and the network is geared more toward a younger audience with its programming.

USA – currently the No.1-ranked cable network, according to Schwarz – has enjoyed success with hit shows like La Femme Nikita and Silk Stalkings plus new original productions like The Net and Pacific Blue.

“The ratings were good and the announcers were great, but the demographic was skewing toward older males,” said Schwarz about TNF. “We’ve received thousands of cards, letters, and E-mail, but it’s a done deal and it couldn’t be saved.”

Tuesday’s final card features Eric “Butterbean” Esch vs. Tim Pollard and a look back at some of the more memorable TNF bouts.

Al Albert, half of USA’s announcing duo for the entire 17-year run, is weighing employment offers. Sean O’Grady, Albert’s broadcast partner the last 12 years, has been working fights for the Fox Network.

A clarification on a previous item about Fox Sports International’s pay-per-view broadcasts of English Premier League Soccer this fall:

In the event PPV games are not available on your local cable system, subscribers with Fox Sports New England may still be able to watch selected Saturday EPL matches, which will be made available by Fox Sports World. The games will air live on Sunday and/or on a tape-delayed basis Sunday night.

FSNE will also have access to FSW’s live Monday broadcasts of English Premier League games.