Another high school basketball postseason of fantastic finishes and memorable performances also had its upsets, but this year, it wasn’t just the tournament teams and players who were upset. Some viewers weren’t too happy either.

“We got relatively few negative comments about the coverage, but most we did get were about disappointment that the quarterfinals weren’t on, and then later that the [Class A] semifinals weren’t on because of funding problems with the state,” said Dick Durost, Maine Principals’ Association executive director.

Maine Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) took over broadcasts of Class A tournament action this year after the MPA and Bangor television station WABI (Channel 5) ended a 50-year relationship over their inability to agree on contract terms.

At the invitation of the MPA, Maine Public Broadcasting then stepped in and agreed to carry both Eastern and Western Maine Class semifinals and finals action live, plus both A state games. This meant the East quarterfinals would not be aired for the first time in half a century.

“I guess the only question repeated over and over again was people asking about why the coverage had to change,” Durost said. “There were two reasons. They [WABI] didn’t have interest in quarterfinals anymore and we couldn’t agree on the way the games were carried, with the number of TV timeouts, and the amount of the rights fees.”

Maine PBS also was not interested in quarterfinal coverage from a cost standpoint, but did agree to take over coverage of the semis and beyond. That was before the state’s budget shortfall resulted in five separate cuts of Maine PBS’ appropriations totaling $114,947 (4.7 percent of Maine PBS’ $2.4 million budget), according to Morin.

The cuts forced Maine PBS to cancel plans to air eight (four in each region) semifinal games.

After already being told the 2004 budget will be cut as well, Morin said the new deal will almost certainly have to include a contingency clause as well.

“We’re hoping to have initial conversations perhaps in a couple weeks. The longer lead time we have for this, the better chance we have of raising the money so [Maine PBS vice-president of TV services] Kate Arno wants to have these talks very soon, this spring definitely.

“If we can raise the funds to cover the costs, then the semifinals would be something we would air. Our ability to show those games would be contingent on private fundraising.”

Those funds would come primarily from businesses in the form of donations or grants, or individuals in the form of donations or pledges.

Both parties would like to sign a two-year deal in order for the A tourney coverage to coincide with Maine PBS’ B-C-D coverage, which runs two more years before the three-year contract runs out. Maine PBS has been airing B-C-D tourney coverage since 1970.

Stations head downstream

Both Bangor all-sports radio station WZON (620 AM) and Bangor television station WABI (Ch. 5) will provide live coverage of Saturday’s running of the 37th annual Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race.

WZON is airing race action live for the ninth time in the last 10 years while WABI is broadcasting the race for the seventh straight year.

The Sports Zone is airing continuous race coverage from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., while WABI will be live from 10 a.m. to noon.

WMTW makes up with Dogs

Portland TV station and ABC affiliate WMTW (Ch. 8) will air Friday’s 6 p.m. Eastern League baseball game between New Britain and the Sea Dogs at Portland.

The game is a makeup telecast for the April 3 Dogs’ home opener, which was postponed due to snow. This is the first of six WMTW game telecasts on the schedule this season.

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