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How much does Bangor television station WABI (Channel 5) like University of Maine sports? Enough to air what’s believed to be a record number of UMaine games and extend its TV contract another two years with the state’s highest profile university.
WABI has picked up the rights to broadcast Maine’s Hockey East quarterfinal series game against UMass Lowell Saturday night at 7, bringing the total number of UMaine sportscasts on WABI this academic year to 17.
“Overall, it probably is the most UMaine broadcasts we’ve had,” said WABI program director Steve Hiltz. “UMaine sports telecasts have become a staple of our programming because it represents what we are as a local station.”
WABI’s 10th UMaine hockey telecast of the season was made possible via officials at Hockey East and New England Sports Network (NESN). NESN holds exclusive rights to Hockey East playoff broadcasts but granted WABI a waiver. For the first time since Hockey East established its exclusivity rules, local stations are being allowed to air games when there is no regional NESN Hockey East game.
NESN’s exclusivity rules had prevented stations from airing HE games during the same time period another HE telecast was being aired by the league’s regional carrier or even when no other games were being broadcast.
“I guess someone at NESN or Hockey East figured out that it didn’t make any sense for them to block someone from picking up a game when there were no games being broadcast at all,” said Hiltz. “We understand exclusivity, but when you have a Hockey East playoff game and the interest level is so much higher, why would you invoke it when you’re not doing any games?”
Friday’s Maine-UMass Lowell game is not available for broadcast because NESN is airing a HE quarterfinal involving Boston University and Providence.
Bangor all-sports radio station WZON (620 AM) will provide live coverage of both Black Bear hockey games – and a potential deciding game three on Sunday, if necessary. Black Bear Radio Network stations WEGP (1390 AM) in Presque Isle and WLOB (1310 AM) of Portland will also air all three games.
WABI is currently at the end of the third year of a three-year contract with UMaine, but has picked up the two option years included in the original contract, extending the deal through the 2006-07 season and its exclusive association with UMaine to 10 years.
In addition to Maine hockey, WABI has aired five UM football games, one women’s basketball game, and one men’s basketball game since August.
Polar Bears skating on the Net
The NCAA Division III first round women’s hockey tournament game between Bowdoin College and Plattsburgh State at 7 p.m. Saturday will be broadcast live on the Internet by Plattsburgh, N.Y. station WIRY. The broadcast will be available on wiry.com.
If Bowdoin’s women’s basketball team wins its NCAA Division III sectional playoff game with William Smith College and the University of Scranton knocks off Messiah College Friday night, Saturday’s 7 p.m. sectional final will be broadcast live on the Internet by WUSR at www.scranton.edu/wusr.
Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net
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