UMaine evaluating radio bids WABI bows out, citing Internet requirement

The University of Maine’s bid selection committee is still evaluating the formal bids submitted by area radio stations back on Sept. 5.

A little more than six weeks after the deadline for requests for proposals for radio rights to UMaine sports broadcasts passed, committee chairman Bob Eslin says no decision is imminent, although the committee will be meeting this week.

“We expect to have a meeting in a couple of days and there could be something that comes out of that,” said Eslin, who is also UM’s director of purchasing. “It’s the first time we’ve really been able to get together to go over what we have since the deadline, so the meeting may just raise more questions.”

One bid the four-member committee won’t have to evaluate is from Bangor station WABI (910 AM), which has aired Black Bear football, basketball, and baseball for the better part of the last 50 years and as recently as 1996.

“We did not bid on University of Maine sports because the RFP for Maine was a bit of a surprise from what we thought they wanted to do,” said station manager and sports director George Hale. “Their RFP virtually said they wanted one station to do all the games, and also threw in a condition to have Internet broadcast capability.”

Hale had anticipated submitting a bid which would have given UMaine sports virtually statewide coverage through the 22-station empire owned by Clear Channel Radio, WABI’s parent company.

“If you look at what we’re offering here, we range from a 5,000-watt station in Bangor up to 100,000 watts with WVOM [103.9 FM, Howland] and most are in the 50,000-watt category with wide-area coverage, but we had zero interest in being an Internet broadcaster,” Hale explained. “What surprised us is they seem to be going with localism for the immediate Bangor market.”

The Internet broadcast capability condition would seem to suggest that UMaine will be re-upping with Bangor all-sports station WZON (620 AM), which has been the exclusive radio carrier for Black Bear sports since 1997. WZON has been airing both college and high school broadcasts on its Internet site (Zoneradio.com) regularly since December.

“I’m not going to argue with them either way, but we think broadcasts belong on radio stations,” said Hale. “We want people to hear the games in their cars and homes, if they want.”

WCKD in Fox’s ball game

Bangor low-power station WCKD (Channel 30), a United Paramount Network affiliate, is carrying all postseason baseball games carried by the Fox Network, according to station officials at Bangor’s WVII (Ch. 7).

WVII programs and operates WCKD as part of a local marketing agreement with WCKD parent station WBGR (Ch. 33) of Bangor.

There was some question whether WCKD would be able to clear Fox’s weeknight Major League Baseball playoff broadcasts, since they interfere with UPN’s prime time lineup, but WCKD is airing all games on either Fox or Fox Net, which includes the remainder of the American League Championship Series plus the World Series.

WCKD is currently available only on non-cable and non-satellite TV sets on Channel 30. WCKD was on Adelphia Cable’s lineup, but was dropped earlier this month in favor of Fox Net so Adelphia could continue to offer Fox programming to its subscribers.

NESN shows Pride of Connecticut

New England Sports Network will air a one-hour special on Connecticut women’s basketball titled “UConn Hoops: Pride of Connecticut” on Sunday, Nov. 4. The 7 p.m. premiere will profile Geno Auriemma’s Huskies hoop program through the eyes of its coach and players such as Rebecca Lobo, Kara Wolters, Shea Ralph, Nykesha Sales, and Jen Rizzotti. The program also features game highlights and interviews concerning the team’s rise to prominence.

Andrew Neff’s On the air column is published each Tuesday. He can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net.