From the better-late-than-never department, Bangor television station WVII’s two-year pursuit of the rights to New England Patriots preseason games in the Bangor market finally culminated in the acquisition of the Pats’ fourth and final game last Thursday.

The game was aired, albeit on a tape-delayed basis at 11 p.m., on Bangor’s WCKD (Ch. 30, 10 on Adelphia cable systems). WVII programs and operates the station as part of a local marketing agreement with original owner WBGR of Bangor (Ch. 33, Adelphia 9).

So after all the hurdles, roadblocks and phone calls that were never returned, what key factor made it a reality?

“Your impetus was the big factor,” said WVII (Channel 7, 8 on Adelphia cable) director of sales and programming Mike Palmer, referring to a few phone calls from the NEWS after several readers called to find out why Pats preseason games were never aired in this market.

“It all kind of started with an e-mail we got from a local viewer suggesting we show the games,” Palmer added. “We didn’t know anything about it. We’d never even thought about it before.”

The idea gained steam after attempts to acquire Boston Celtics and Bruins games were suspended because the cost (rights fees) was too expensive for WVII.

That was almost the case with the Patriots too, but officials at Boston’s WCVB – the Pats’ preseason flagship station for the last seven seasons – relented on the asking price when Palmer sold them on the value of reaching more viewers in an untapped market.

“We’re not going to be able to make any money on it, but we’re just happy to be able to do it,” Palmer said. “I just wish we could’ve gotten it done two or three weeks ago.”

This should be a big step toward acquiring rights to all preseason Patriots’ games next year as well.

“Yeah, I’d say that’s probable. We certainly want to,” said Palmer. “They also have a coaches show, which maybe we can pick up next year as well.”

The games have done well in the Boston market as WCVB (Ch. 5) earned a 12.3 rating and 22 share for the Patriots first exhibition game, against the New York Giants Friday, Aug. 10. It earned a 6.2 rating for pregame and 3.9 for the postgame (Fifth Quarter) show.

Share measures the percentage of TV viewers actually watching a particular program, while the rating for a program calculates the percentage of all TV households, both those using and those not using TV, making it a larger number. Each rating point represents 1,008,000 homes.

Jerry Glanville and Don Criqui handle color and play-by-play duties, respectively for the Pats.

Deadline day for UM radio sports

The deadline for radio stations to submit proposals for the rights to University of Maine sports contests is the end of business day Wednesday. Radio stations have been given requests for proposals by the four-member UMaine bid selection committee for a new, five-year contract, which would take effect during the 2002 fall season.

The contract gives exclusive radio rights to UMaine sporting events – specifically football, men’s and women’s basketball, hockey and baseball – through the 2004-2005 season with two more option years, which would further extend the deal through the 2006-2007 season.

Bangor all-sports station WZON (620 AM) has had exclusive UMaine radio rights since 1996 and has carried UMaine sports in some capacity continuously since 1992.

Radio ready for some football

Bangor radio station WABI (910 AM) will again be the voice of the Bangor Rams football team this fall. Another Bangor station, all-sports WZON, will be airing selected local games from the LTC Class B and C and Pine Tree Conference ranks either on Friday or Saturday. Depending on the remaining Red Sox schedule, the high school games will be heard over the air, on the internet (Zoneradio.com) or both.

Andrew Neff’s On the Air column is published each Tuesday. He can be reached at 990-8205 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net.