WBGR to televise high school hoop Bangor TV station teams up with WHCF, WHMX radio

Remember the last time you were listening to a tight high school basketball game on the radio and found yourself wishing you could see the action yourself?

Thanks to a unique partnership between a Bangor television station and two local radio stations, listeners may get that chance this winter.

For the first time in at least a decade, regular season high school basketball games from the Greater Bangor area and beyond will be on television this winter.

Thanks to a joint effort by Bangor TV station WBGR (Channel 33, Ch. 10 on Adelphia cable systems), Bangor radio station WHCF (88.5 FM), and Lincoln radio station WHMX (105.7 FM), at least 30 games will air on both radio and TV.

“I’m old enough to remember when there was a guy named Tug White at Channel 7 and he and Steve Curry went all over Eastern Maine taping games back along,” said Wayne Frost, general manager of WHCF-WHMX. “We’re excited to be able to provide what we feel is a big public service.”

The total schedule for the three stations encompasses 49 games, not including postseason games that station officials expect to carry as well.

The partnership also involves St. Croix Video Productions as owner Maurice Brown will produce all the game broadcasts. Brown has been producing high school athletic broadcasts for the last 10 years.

“I’ve been looking into this for about a year or so, but this worked out great because we all know each other and had the same interest,” said Brown.

“Our philosophy is three things: Highlight the key games on the schedule, focus on natural rivalries, and guarantee all the schools in the Greater Bangor are on at least four times,” said Frost.

Judging from the proposed schedule, their mission will be accomplished.

WBGR will air 30 regular season games – 16 of which will air on both WHCF and WBGR – on a tape-delay basis (games will be broadcast on TV approximately one to three hours after they’ve finished).

During broadcasts which will air on both radio and TV, WHMX announcers will provide the play-by-play and game analysis on the TV rebroadcasts. Announcers like Frost and Tim Collins will be live on radio and taped on TV.

WBGR will also air 14 games independent of WHCF and WHMX. Frost and Collins will also call the action for these broadcasts.

Brown anticipates using at least two and maybe three cameras and all-digital equipment for each broadcast. Counting on-air personnel, each broadcast will require five workers.

“I’m excited about this. I’m glad to be part of something to show this area what we did in the Calais area and it gives us a chance to expose some of the kids around here who have never had a chance to be on TV,” Brown said.

The partnership resulted after Frost, who has known WBGR president James McLeod since he was a coach and McLeod was a student at Bangor Christian High School in the mid-1980’s, approached McLeod at church one day and told him about his idea.

“Wayne and I go back a long way,” McLeod said. “He was the one who encouraged me to start a career in radio which eventually led me into TV. He was a bit of a mentor for me.”

Frost was the radio voice of Mount Desert Island High School and Maine Lumberjacks basketball while at Ellsworth’s WDEA, called basketball and football at WHCF, and then became manager of the Asia-South Pacific radio segment of Trans World Radio, which he worked for the last 14 years.

McLeod is also optimistic about bringing high school hoops back to local television.

“I think it fills a niche in this area and I think it will be well received,” he said.

Wall-to-wall Hall

New England Sports Network will air tape-delayed coverage of the 2002 Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame ceremony at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Sean McDonough, Joe Castiglione, and Jerry Trupiano will host the ceremony. This year’s inductees include players Duffy Lewis, Tex Hughson, Dave “Boo” Ferris, Jim Lonborg, Rick Burleson, Fred Lynn, and club executive John Harrington.

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600, or aneff@bangordailynews.net