After scoring big with its broadcast of all three state championship high school football games last year, Bangor television station WABI (Channel 5) wasn’t about to fumble a chance to do so again.

WABI will kick off a football tripleheader at 11 a.m. Saturday with the Class A state title game between Lawrence of Fairfield and Gorham. WABI may be the only TV station to air all three games, but not the only station.

Fox Sports Maine radio stations WRKD (1450 AM) of Rockland, WIGY (97.5 FM) of Madison and WFAU (1280 AM) of Gardiner will broadcast all three games live for the fourth straight year.

Last year’s first-ever effort, in which a local TV station aired all three games in one day, was a winner in terms of viewer feedback, ratings, and – most importantly – sponsors.

“It was, big time. That was a major component in our decision to bring it back,” WABI program director Steve Hiltz said of the three-telecast undertaking which won all but one time slot from 11 a.m through 8 p.m. “We appreciate the comments from the public and all, but it was the ratings and advertising that really made this a big winner for us.”

That being the case, station officials weren’t about to radically alter their successful playbook this time around.

“I don’t think we’re going to do anything drastically different,” Hiltz said. “Last year, it took us longer to set up because we wanted to get it right technically. This year, it shouldn’t take quite so long because we really streamlined the communication process.

“We’re more prepared for knowing what we need. In fact, we’re ready to go already.”

The main pre-game issues last year involved securing all the statistical and roster information from all six competing teams in time for technicians to integrate them into WABI’s graphic displays.

Other problems included program format and the commercial log, which initially had too many breaks per quarter for the producers’ liking.

“This year, all that stuff is already resolved. At this time, we have no issues,” Hiltz said while knocking on wood.

WABI will employ 25 people for the day-long effort, which also involves the Class C title game rematch between Lisbon and Foxcroft Academy at 2:30 p.m. and the Class B clash between Winslow and Mountain Valley of Rumford at 6 p.m.

“We find it to be very similar to having tournament week compacted into one day, but we also have the travel element involved,” Hiltz said.

Tim Throckmorton, Keith Erickson and Jon Small will alternate play-by-play, color and sideline reporter duties for all three telecasts.

WRKD-WFAU-WIGY will also employ a rotation of sorts for announcers. Program director Don Shields and Don Brown will work two games apiece while Rick Dugal and Ray Brown will work one each.

Shields said he initially decided to air all three games four years ago because he was convinced Bangor would be one of the teams playing.

“Ironically, they didn’t make it, but we still had good advertising support,” said Shields.

Advertising has never really been a problem for Shields.

“I think we lost a little money that first year, but every year since, we’ve made money,” he said. “It’s really worked out well for us.”

No other TV or radio stations, even those in the Portland market, are simulcasting the signals from WABI or WRKD-WIGY-WFAU.

“It’s interesting to me that no one in that area is taking the signal for the games,” Hiltz said. “I have to believe a lot of that is the network schedule and conflicts with it, plus our unique status as kind of being grandfathered in terms of pre-emptions. Plus with the changes of ownership down there, it’s more corporate policy in deciding on things like this.”

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