For the fourth time in the last six years, Bangor television station WVII (Channel 7) will broadcast University of Maine basketball in cooperation with the America East Conference.

WVII will air a men’s/women’s doubleheader Sunday as part of the America East-produced TV package. The women’s game will start things off at 1 p.m. as Stony Brook hosts Maine. The men’s game, also at Stony Brook in New York, is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start. The women’s game will air live on WVII and Metro Channel New York, while the men’s game will be on WVII and Fox Sports Net New York.

The women’s game action will be called by play-by-play man Bob Picozzi and analyst Leah Secundo. Picozzi will team up with former America East player of the year Ron Perry for the men’s broadcast.

This is the first time since 1999 that WVII has aired a live UMaine basketball broadcast. The games are available through a cooperative arrangement between America East, which takes care of distribution and rights assignments, and ESPN Regional Services, which handles production and broadcasting responsibilities.

Bruins ready to roar on NESN

New England Sports Network will air its first of four Providence Bruins hockey telecasts live on Friday night as Providence hosts the Hershey Bears. Former Portland Pirates radio voice Tom Caron will call the action and longtime NESN analyst Bob Norton will provide color commentary for all four games. The other three telecasts are scheduled for Friday, Feb. 1; Wednesday, March 13; and Friday, March 29. All four games start at 7 p.m.

First, second chance for specials

New England Sports Network will air a new Front Row special titled Behind the Mask – Goaltending in the NHL, Sunday at 7 p.m. The one-hour program focuses on what it’s like to be a goaltender in the National Hockey League.

Besides taking a look at some of the greatest goalies in professional hockey history, the program also follows Boston Bruins goalie Byron Dafoe through practice, in the locker room, and on the ice. Top equipment outfitters in New England and Canada will also be featured.

New England viewers will get another chance to catch three of NESN’s most popular Front Row specials from 2001 this month. Since all three specials first aired before NESN switched from a premium to basic cable service in July, this may be the first chance some viewers have to see these one-hour shows.

The first rebroadcast – Ringmasters: New England Pro Wrestling – will air Sunday night. The second (Rush: Thrill Seekers in New England) will air Sunday, Jan. 13 and the final show (The Pedro Martinez Show) will be rebroadcast Sunday, Jan. 27. All three shows will air at 9 p.m.

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.