WDEA continues affiliation with Sox

The high school basketball season isn’t over yet, but sports fans’ thoughts are already turning to spring and the Boston Red Sox.

New England Sports Network and Ellsworth radio station WDEA (1370 AM) are no exception. NESN has already aired Daisuke Matsuzaka’s first spring training press conference live, and will air his first start live at 6 p.m. tonight.

WDEA will also air the game live as the second of 15 spring training broadcasts. Wednesday night’s game against Minnesota was the first.

This year’s spring training broadcast schedule is the biggest in WDEA’s long association with Red Sox baseball.

“Through contract, we have to carry all the regular-season games, but with the level of fanaticism by Red Sox fans in this area, we take all the games they offer,” said Chris Popper, account executive for Cumulus Radio, WDEA’s parent company.

The Ellsworth station recently signed a long-term contract renewal with Red Sox radio flagship WRKO (680 AM) in Boston.

“I think we’re the station with the longest-running association with Red Sox radio in Maine,” said Popper. “We certainly do market the fact that we’re a Red Sox station, and it’s become traditional along with [morning host] Rick Foster. They’re both staples for us.”

Popper wasn’t sure how many consecutive seasons his station has been a Red Sox radio affiliate, but WDEA will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year and the Sox have been on the air for at least two-thirds of that run.

The Sox are a big draw for advertisers as well.

“Last year we sold out and this year, we’re well on our way to doing the same thing,” Popper said. “When we bring the package out, there are advertisers who are automatic renewals who realize the benefit of being on Red Sox broadcasts.

“Red Sox baseball crosses all demographics, so there’s not a better buy to reach a whole cross section of people in the MDI, Bar Harbor Ellsworth area. There’s nothing else that can compete with that kind of broad-based appeal as far as our programming.”

NESN will also be airing a special Red Sox preseason special called “Nation Building: The 2007 Red Sox Season Preview” on Friday, March 30 (7 p.m.); Saturday, March 31 at 9 p.m.; and Sunday, April 1 at 1 p.m.

Listeners will get to hear the new three-man announcing rotation with Joe Castiglione, now in his 25th season; ESPN Monday Night Baseball Dave O’Brien; and former San Diego Padres radio voice Glenn Geffner.

NESN is also producing a new, 10-episode series called Sox Appeal which will start up in July. The show matches men and women for two-inning blind dates at Fenway Park.

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