For the third straight year, WABI’s loss is WBGR’s gain and everyone – both stations, local viewers and even CBS – couldn’t be much happier.

Due to scheduling conflicts with live University of Maine sports and high school basketball tournament broadcasts, Bangor station and CBS affililiate WABI (Channel 5) was unable to clear several NCAA basketball telecasts over the coming weeks.

Enter fellow Bangor station WBGR, a PAX Network affiliate which has enjoyed a cooperative effort with WABI for the last six years, specifically in relation to local Boston Red Sox broadcasts.

Representatives of CBS called WBGR general manager James McLeod to offer the games – seven total including four regular season, one conference playoff, and two NCAA Tournament second round contests -to WBGR.

Quite a turnaround from three years ago, when CBS officials were a little less inclined to hand any network broadcasts off to another station.

“WBGR did a good job with the games last year and we thought it would be a good thing to do and that’s a departure from early on, when the network was a little reluctant to send the games out to another station,” said WABI program director Steve Hiltz. “And now they’re calling me and asking us if we’re OK about offering games to somebody else.”

Last year, WBGR picked up two NCAA tourney regional championship games after WABI’s acquisition of TV rights to a Maine NCAA hockey playoff game threatened to knock both hoop games off the air in the Bangor market. In 1999, WBGR aired a Final Four game from CBS, again due to a conflict with a Maine hockey telecast.

“We’ve kind of provided back-up service and this way, everyone gets a chance to see what they want to see,” McLeod said. “Obviously the relationship has worked out well enough that it’s benefitting everybody and it’s a pleasant situation.”

The uncommon business relationship originated five years ago when WBGR and WABI entered into a trial arrangement to provide Boston Red Sox coverage. WABI had first choice of how many and which Sox games it would broadcast, leaving WBGR everything else.

“Our on-air date was Aug. 28, 1995 and it wasn’t too long after that we were trying to acquire the Red Sox,” McLeod said. “The first year we tried, it didn’t work out, but it’s been a growing relationship ever since.”

“It’s benefitted both stations,” Hiltz explained. “It even changed how we did things in some respects.”

For instance, with WBGR as an able partner, WABI was able to guarantee clearance for all the Red Sox games available in this market, significantly improving WABI’s bargaining position.

The first of the CBS games to air on WBGR will be Sunday’s Michigan at Indiana game at 1 p.m. WABI is airing the New Hampshire at Maine women’s basketball game instead. WBGR will also air another regular season game March 3, a Big Ten Conference semifinal playoff game on March 10, and two NCAA tourney games March 17.

“The bottom line is everyone’s a winner with this arrangement … The network, us, WBGR, and the viewing audience,” Hiltz said.

More football, to the Extreme

If you haven’t already had your fill of raucous announcers, gratuitous camera shots of scantily-clad cheerleaders, and on-field action that ranges from sublime to ridiculous, then be sure to tune in to The Nashville Network on Sunday.

That’s right, TNN joins NBC and UPN as official networks of the XFL with nine telecasts, starting with Sunday’s Birmingham at New York-New Jersey game. All nine telecasts will air Sundays at 4 p.m.

TGC puts new spin on golf

The Golf Channel will showcase an innovation in televised golf coverage as it airs Canadian Tour coverage starting Feb. 22.

The four-round telecast of the Myrtle Beach Open, the first CT event ever produced and broadcast by an American TV network, features four golfers who are specially fitted with TGC microphones. At various points along the course, viewers will be able to watch and listen in as the golfers discus hole strategy, shots, and club selection.

Coverage of the Myrtle Beach Open kicks off a 10-year agreement between The Golf Channel and the Canadian Tour.