Bangor-area college football television viewers have been tackled for a loss this season. After a seven-year run on low-power Bangor TV station WBGR (Ch. 33), CBS college football broadcasts of late Saturday afternoon games have not aired on WBGR, or primary CBS affiliate WABI, this… Read More
It’s hard to believe it was ever a tough task to convince athletes and celebrities to appear on ESPN-TV’s now-famous “This is SportsCenter” promotional ads. These days, an appearance in a long-running commercial campaign is considered not only a mark of achievement but also validation… Read More
Hurricane Ike made its presence felt locally, but last week’s two days of unusually balmy weather weren’t the only things it gave us. As nice as the weather was, those same high temperatures caused a big headache for Kennebunk-based Blueberry Broadcasting’s radio network. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
A decision by officials at Bangor television station WABI (Channel 5) to hit a passing shot on U.S. Open tennis coverage to digital sister station WABI-DT (better known as “The CW”) this week drew some foul calls from some fans. WABI was caught flat-footed by… Read More
The Sports Zone is getting some competition. Bangor radio stations WABI (910 AM) and WWBX (97.1 FM) are making the switch to all-sports programming as affiliates of Boston sports radio giant WEEI (850 AM), effective Sept. 1. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Bangor all-sports radio station WZON (620 AM) came away from the annual Maine Associated Press (AP) Broadcast Association awards banquet last month with an .833 batting average. The Sports Zone left with three firsts, a second, and two thirds, winning prizes for six of the… Read More
Starting in 1995, officials at Bangor television station WVII have contacted the New England Patriots with the same apprehension Charlie Brown has while running up to kick the football Lucy Van Pelt is holding for him. And almost every year, after asking about the possibility… Read More
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Sean McDonough has a lot more free time – and a lot less hair – these days, but he’s still a voice of the boys of summer. The longtime Boston Red Sox television play-by-play man hasn’t called Sox games for New… Read More
When the University of Maine and Learfield Communications awarded radio broadcast rights to Clear Channel last year, Black Bear sports weren’t the only losses for Bangor all-sports station WZON. The fallout of Learfield’s decision to end a 14-year relationship with WZON (620 AM) has continued… Read More
New England Sports Network drops the puck tonight on its fifth straight season and 23rd overall of Hockey East television coverage with the debut of Hockey East Friday Night. The first game of the HEFN schedule is No. 8-ranked New Hampshire at No. 5 Massachusetts… Read More
Just three weeks after Evans Boston signed off for the final time as Bangor television station WVII’s sports director, the Bangor ABC affiliate has hired his replacement. Say hello to Sean Cryan of North Attleboro, Mass. The Bay State native has worked the last six… Read More
A year ago, Bangor television station WABI (Channel 5) scheduled a record number of University of Maine men’s hockey game broadcasts. Another year, another record. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More
Twenty-one months after coming back to his home state, Evans Boston is going home. The sports director for Bangor television station WVII (Channel 7) will host ABC-7’s Friday Night Sports Blitz for the final time tonight and drive two hours south for his first day… Read More
Time Warner Cable has good news and bad news for NFL fans as the 2007 season opens in earnest this weekend. First, the good. Both Bangor ABC television affiliate WVII (Channel 7) and sister station/Fox affiliate WFVX (Ch. 22) are now available on Time Warner… Read More
As far as fans of the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and even the Boston Red Sox were concerned, this was a big strike against cable television. There was no abrupt cut to the start of “Heidi” the movie Monday night, but… Read More
It will be a homecoming of sorts for ESPN senior operations producer Kevin Hendel when he arrives in Bangor on Friday afternoon. The 16-year veteran of the all-sports cable and satellite television network moved from Bristol, Conn., two years ago to work at ESPN’s Charlotte,… Read More
Cable television sports network giant ESPN will train its cameras on Bangor next week as the Senior League World Series championship game will be televised live for the first time. The live broadcast is the result of a new, eight-year TV contract between Little League… Read More
The Black Bear Radio Network has welcomed a Portland all-sports station to the fold, but the still-uncertain status of one of its primary members could still shake things up a bit. Portland’s WLOB (1310 AM) has signed on to do University of Maine football and… Read More
Bangor all-sports radio station WZON (620 AM) and Dover-Foxcroft sister station WDME (103.1 FM) came back from the annual Maine Association of Broadcasters awards with the lion’s share of sports broadcasting honors. Aside from second and third place in the sports feature division, WZON and… Read More
Two Mainers have been honored with New England Emmy Award nominations this year, and they both work at Fox Sports Net New England. Addison native and Narraguagus High School graduate Barry Alley has received his third New England Emmy nomination and Rumford native Gary Tanguay… Read More
For veteran sportscaster Gary Thorne, taking a job as Baltimore Orioles’ television play-by-play announcer is almost like returning to his roots. No, not his geographic roots. It does, however, hearken back to the Old Town native’s broadcast roots. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
The identity of a potential new owner of Clear Channel radio stations in Maine could be announced at any time now. Bids were due a few weeks ago for the cluster of Maine stations, which include University of Maine Black Bear radio flagship station WVOM… Read More
While the position on the radio dial and the station call letters are changing, the voices for future University of Maine sports broadcasts may not. Two weeks after announcing a new five-year contract agreement with the University of Maine for exclusive radio broadcast rights to… Read More
Don Orsillo will try to keep a straight face for at least another three years after signing a contract extension with New England Sports Network. The affable Orsillo – known for his inability to keep from giggling uncontrollably, usually due to an ad-libbed comment by… Read More
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… Read More
Bangor High School basketball fans won’t have to travel to see their Rams tonight. Despite the fact the games are on the same time as Eastern Maine Class C semifinal games in Bangor, Friday’s Eastern Maine Class A games will be aired live on local… Read More
The tip-off to the annual eight-day event known as the Eastern Maine Tournament is tonight, but for many of the media members assembled for this rite of late winter, it’s more of a reunion than a work assignment. So, what’s the main allure of Maine’s… Read More
It’s not the Fox Network, but it’s easy to understand why the creator of The Maine Channel feels a bit like Rupert Murdoch – without the multi-million dollar fortune. Two years after Andrew Eldridge proposed the channel to a faculty member, the soon-to-be-graduating University of… Read More
This winter season, the Black Bears are a Maine attraction on New England Sports Network’s collegiate sports broadcast schedule. And no, unlike past seasons, it’s not just the men’s hockey team carrying the University of Maine’s banner on NESN. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
If 2005’s state championship Saturday numbers were considered a touchdown by station officials, last fall’s must be a touchdown plus a successful two-point conversion. The ratings for November’s weekend high school football tripleheader are in and – for the second consecutive year -Bangor television station… Read More
The last time Jerry Trupiano faced the prospect of not attending spring training was waaayyyy back in 1992. Fifteen years later – and 14 seasons as one-half of the Boston Red Sox radio broadcasting duo – Trupiano not only won’t have a spring training press… Read More
Talk about shuffling your lineup… What would have been the fourth annual “Evening with Joe and Jerry” hot stove session is now basically the first annual “WZON Hot Stove Baseball Night.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
It’s only the second time in the last 21 years that Gary Thorne has faced the prospect of going through an entire winter and spring without calling any NHL action. His life as a professional broadcaster is no less hectic, but things have been unsettling… Read More
While still pondering which number will be higher – the number of people who watched the Texas Bowl on the NFL Network or the number of people who actually attended the MPC Computers Bowl on New Year’s Eve – I can’t help but offer a few resolutions that… Read More
A week after being honored for his longevity as the University of Maine hockey team’s radio voice, Dan Hannigan will make the transition to television this weekend. He and business partner Eric Frede will begin the second season of the “America East on Campus,” a… Read More
It’s arguably collegiate hockey’s broadcast booth version of the Boston Red Sox left- field legacy. For more than three decades, the Sox had a line of greatness when it came to left fielders: Hall of Fame players Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski, and Hall of… Read More
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… Read More
There may be some change brewing for the Boston Red Sox radio network next season, but one thing won’t change for at least another five years. Officials at Bangor all-sports station WZON (620 AM) and Red Sox radio flagship station WEEI (850 AM) have agreed… Read More
Lost in the reaction, retrospection and recognition following the death of Boston Celtics patriarch Arnold “Red” Auerbach last weekend was the anniversary of another famous New England sports figure exclusively linked to the Celtics. Wednesday marked the start of Tom Heinsohn’s 50th year as a… Read More
Guess you could say New England Sports Network is a big hit when it comes to baseball. For the third consecutive season, NESN is the highest-rated regional sports network in baseball, according to network promotions and public relations director Gary Roy. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
For Husson College’s New England School of Communications, it’s the culmination of a three-year drive toward the total revamping and modernization of its broadcasting program. For Rodney Verrill, NESCOM’s executive director of video productions, it’s almost the equivalent to the birth of a baby. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
How can you broadcast a newscast when there’s nobody in the studio? Bangor television station and ABC network affiliate WVII (Channel 7) will answer that question next week as it takes a new approach to its late night newscasts. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
At least when it comes to hockey, the University of Maine is turning into a marquee attraction, sports’ silver screen version of Matthew McConaughey. The Black Bears will appear in almost 33 percent of the Hockey East games being televised this season, and that’s saying… Read More
The office of Cod Rock Media Productions now has an impressive pair of bookends. Former Bangor television and radio reporter Dan Hannigan – now co-owner of Cod Rock Media Productions in Kittery and radio play-by-play voice of the University of Maine hockey team – has… Read More
Bangor all-sports radio station WZON (620 AM) came away with recognition in three of the five awards categories at the annual Maine Association of Broadcasters dinner in Portland last weekend. The Sports Zone was first in the sports feature category and also took a second… Read More
Barring a two-minute drill that would impress even Tom Brady, former Adelphia and Comcast cable television subscribers will be tackled for a loss this weekend. Today is the Federal Communications Commission-imposed deadline for both the NFL Network and Time Warner Inc., to negotiate a deal… Read More
If Rumford’s Gary Tanguay wasn’t hosting Fox Sports Net New England’s Mohegan Sun Sports Tonight sports show, he’d be trying to figure out a way to call in. Of course, the twice-daily weeknight program is not a call-in show, but it does have that kind… Read More
The leaves haven’t even begun to show a tinge of color yet, but fall officially arrives tonight in the form of high school football and area radio stations are ready for kickoff. Foxcroft Academy, Dexter, Mount Desert Island, and Stearns of Millinocket are getting extra… Read More
Judging from the ratings numbers, viewers will no longer have to wonder what if New England Sports Network’s original special is never aired again. The groundbreaking initial episode of NESN’s “What If…” special concerning then-Red Sox manager Grady Little’s decision not to relieve Pedro Martinez… Read More
A local radio station will auction off everything from a triple-chocolate cake to VIP accommodations for a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, homemade blankets and a replica World Series ring to raise money for cancer research next week. Bangor all-sports station WZON (620 AM)… Read More
BOSTON – Bob Davis has been doing the same job for 38 years – more than half of his life. At age 61, the Topeka, Kansas, native not only has no plans to switch jobs, he wants to keep increasing that percentage as he gets… Read More
BOSTON – It dawned on Don Orsillo fairly early on that his chances of becoming a pro ballplayer were slim and none. So rather than give up on his dream, he simply substituted it for a new one. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
The New England Patriots Rock Radio Network will roll along on I-95 this season. After kicking around locally on Clear Channel Communications station WNSX (97.7 FM) of Winter Harbor the last three seasons, the Patriots are hooking up with a new partner now that Cumulus… Read More
Ever wonder what might have happened if Len Bias hadn’t died two days after being drafted by the Boston Celtics, and he and Reggie Lewis played together for many seasons before retiring? How about if the trade of Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox… Read More
Area soccer fans wanted to give Bangor television station WVII (Channel 7) a red card Sunday morning as they turned on their TV sets to watch a World Cup match only to find nothing resembling soccer. Instead of the first round game between Croatia and… Read More
Bob Montgomery knows as well as anyone about the loyalty and long memories of New England sports fans. Even a catcher who served as a backup for all 10 of his Major League Baseball seasons (1970-79) and never played more than 88 games in any… Read More
When you’re averaging almost 12 awards a year over a 12-year period, the only surprising thing this time of the year is if your station doesn’t haul in at least five. Well, nobody at Bangor all-sports radio station WZON (620 AM) is surprised or disappointed… Read More
University of Maine alumnus and Fox Sports Net New England sportscaster Gary Tanguay is going Hollywood. A few months after landing a supporting acting role in “Stiffs,” a black comedy following the plight of a proud Italian-American hearse driver, Rumford native Tanguay just finished filming… Read More
Apparently, Sox sells… Even in New York. The proof is in the ratings, but evidently officials at Fox Sports Net New York are convinced there is enough demand and enough of a market for New England sports and Red Sox-based highlights. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Perhaps the most famous – and shortest – sportscasting exclamation of the TV era didn’t start off by accident, haphazardly, or as a result of divine inspiration. It was borne of intent and purpose. Fifty years in the sportscasting/broadcasting business later, the simple, two-word trademark… Read More
ORONO – A recently negotiated deal between the University of Maine and Learfield Communications Inc. has generated some uneasiness among officials at UMaine’s television and radio flagship stations, but Learfield’s local representatives say there’s nothing to worry about. “It’s pretty much business as usual for… Read More
When the chips were down, Jason House simply raised the stakes. The Presque Isle commercial banking officer earned himself a place in the finals and a chance at a $5,000 payday with his aggressive playing style in the Skillful Poker Showdown, Maine’s first-ever televised poker… Read More
Unusually low water conditions for Saturday’s Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race may have knocked Bangor television station WABI’s broadcast coverage overboard, but Bangor all-sports radio station WZON’s plans are still afloat. “We were out Tuesday to test our equipment and it was amazing how shallow it… Read More
For lifelong New England sports fan Jon Carson, getting a chance to shake the hand of NBA Hall of Fame player Tommy Heinsohn was a unique opportunity. But as memorable as that experience was, it was what the former Boston Celtics great had in his… Read More
When Gary Thorne last sat behind the microphone while calling a University of Maine hockey game, Ron Hellen and Neil Johnson were the team captains and the late Shawn Walsh was in his second season as head coach. The year was 1986 and the Black… Read More
The 13th season of operation for the Portland Sea Dogs will bring with it some changes in the broadcast booth. The Boston Red Sox Double-A affiliate will have a slightly new sound during its radio broadcasts. Veteran broadcaster Mike Antonellis will take over as primary… Read More
Those of you University of Maine hockey fans unable to accompany the Black Bears to Boston this weekend can still watch the action. New England Sports Network is broadcasting both Hockey East Tournament semifinals tonight live with the Bears scheduled to take the ice at… Read More
A longtime auto racing enthusiast, Elgin Traylor is motoring his way south and trading pine trees for peach trees. Traylor – a Palmyra native who has served as intern, part-time sports reporter, full-time reporter, and interim sports director the last five years at Bangor station… Read More
Now that almost a week has gone by since the conclusion of the first total tournament week (all four classes playing the same week), it’s a good time to review a list of the most overused tourney words and phrases used by radio and television announcers. Read More
Twenty-five years and six broadcasting partners after he first sat down courtside at the Bangor Auditorium to call his first high school basketball tournament game, Joe Gould has called it a career. Actually, the Bangor native’s broadcasting career spans 38 total years as he first… Read More
After becoming synonymous with Eastern Maine Classes B, C and D tournament basketball coverage for 24 years, Maine Public Broadcasting Network jumped in with the big boys and added Class A tourney coverage to its already ambitious endeavor in 2003. Four years later, the landscape… Read More
The official tipoff for Eastern Maine Tournament basketball action is still a bit more than a week away, but local television stations are in fast-break mode to prepare tourney preview shows. Three Bangor TV stations – WVII (Channel 7), WFVX (Ch. 22), and WLBZ (Ch. Read More
Filming, acting and the whole set atmosphere of a production weren’t new to Gary Tanguay, but the Rumford native and University of Maine alumnus had to admit it was pretty exciting. “I absolutely love it. I love getting an inside view of the whole thing. Read More
Rumford native and University of Maine alumnus Gary Tanguay wants to give someone their big break in the movie biz. The former radio and TV broadcaster for WABI in Bangor has landed a role in a locally produced independent film titled “Stiffs” as a reporter… Read More
BANGOR – One hundred and three days after the final out of the American League first-round playoff series between the Chicago White Sox and Boston, Red Sox radio announcers Jerry Trupiano and Joe Castiglione are ready to get back to work. Sure the offseason is… Read More
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It’s three hours before kickoff, but all the message screens, video displays, and “ribbon boards” are already creating a multi-colored, animated, high-definition, surround-sound atmosphere at Gillette Stadium. It’s all part of the multi-media, game-day environment at your typical NFL venue. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Bangor television station WVII (Channel 7) has a new sports director. Although he’s a Maine native with family roots in the York area that go back more than a century, he may have to answer more than a few questions about his name. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
‘Tis the season … for recollection, review, and resolutions. The year 2005 was a significant one in the local, regional and national telecommunications arena. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
The numbers are in, and although executives at Bangor television station WABI (Channel 5) are still poring over them, they’ve done nothing to diminish the holiday spirit at 35 Hildreth Street. WABI’s live, high school state championship football tripleheader back on Nov. 19 – the… Read More
A new, monthly television show featuring the America East athletic conference will have a strong Maine flavor for its debut episode Monday evening, but succeeding episodes will also have a Pine Tree State influence. “America East on Campus” is a feature-oriented, half-hour show produced by… Read More
Pity the unfortunate employee saddled with the daunting task of counting up all of Bangor all-sports radio station WZON’s locally produced broadcasts since the station went on the air in the fall of 1993. He or she must have really ticked someone off. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
While many of his friends dreamed of lacing up the skates in the NHL, Jeff Mannix had an eye on the broadcast booth. “I’ve wanted to be a hockey broadcaster for about as long as I can remember,” said the 24-year-old Presque Isle native. “I’ve… Read More
BOSTON – Transportation to the T.D. BankNorth Garden: Anywhere from $10 to $100. Floor-level admittance to a Boston Celtics game: $350 or more. A chance to rub elbows with famous pro athletes courtside and get a head start on a potentially lucrative, exciting, and unique… Read More
After spending six years of his life in cold climates, Tim Baier has decided to head back to the south. The sports anchor at Bangor television station WVII (Channel 7), who was born in New Jersey but grew up in Atlanta, has accepted a producer’s… Read More
When you’re a former star player for the Boston Celtics, a member of the NBA Hall of Fame, and a former NBA coach who led his team to two NBA championships, nobody’s going to question your hoops IQ. But even if you’re Tom Heinsohn, who… Read More
It seems that reports of the demise of Marcus Davis’ fighting career have been greatly exaggerated. The Bangor native, one of 18 men picked to compete in Spike TV’s second season of the 13-episode “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, is back in the ring and… Read More
What is the only college sports media company that broadcasts college sports exclusively and is now in its third year of operation? No clue? Well, you’re probably not the only one. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
Apparently, Boston Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo can pick a guitar at least as well as he can pitch a baseball. Yeah, yours truly was one of the doubters. As a matter of fact, after getting his latest CD (“Covering the Bases”) for a possible… Read More
There’s only one thing to complain about regarding “City of Champions, The Best of Boston Sports,” a newly-released DVD celebrating Boston sports moments, figures, and games. Even with the extra 48 minutes of bonus features included, the 60-minute program just isn’t long enough. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Many citizens of Patriots Nation were ready to sack CBS headquarters and/or Bangor television station WABI’s studios Sunday. They were ready for some Patriots football, but alas, the network was not … At least not for a little while. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Thanks to some late schedule manipulation and a request from the local ABC network television affiliate, Monday night’s “early” NFL game is available on local noncable and nonsatellite TV sets from start to finish. The rescheduled game between the New York Giants and New Orleans… Read More
Fifty years ago, a Cleveland native who split his formative years between Jacksonville, Fla., and New York City had a choice to make: Take a stable office job in a New York shipyard, close to friends and family in a familiar area, or strike out… Read More
Local football fans have a few options they can run in order to watch Saturday night’s television broadcast of the University of Maine’s season-opening game on the road against Nebraska. Those who are DirecTV or Dish Network satellite TV subscribers can purchase the pay-per-view broadcast… Read More
Hampden Academy graduate Jesse McCue’s quest to play professional basketball will be dramatized on television this fall. “Inside the Game,” a weekly, hour-long reality TV series produced by Charlotte, N.C.-based Urban Sports and Entertainment Group, will feature McCue and 14 other members of the Team… Read More
You can say one thing about John Anderson’s hosting assignments for ESPN this summer, they’re off the sports world’s beaten path. Not to say the ESPN SportsCenter anchor minds offbeat, unique, and memorable events or destinations during his national sports network’s “SportsCenter Across America: 50… Read More
Let’s see… 38 days, 18 mixed martial arts fighters, six weeks, four bedrooms, two Jacuzzis, pool and foosball tables, and a pool – all under one roof. Sounds like the ingredients for another reality TV series. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
WVII lands preseason Pats’ games First game scheduled for station’s Fox Network affiliate on Aug. 12
For the sixth time since the station’s first foray into professional preseason pigskin programming back in 1995, Bangor’s WVII (Channel 7) will air New England Patriots exhibition games. Only this time, the playbook has changed. The games will be aired live. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
If you have a spare 35 hours and 10 minutes to relive all of the glory and excitement from the Boston Red Sox 2004 season, or you’re looking to get a gift for the Sox fan who has everything, Major League Baseball Productions has just the thing. Read More
If it wasn’t for bad timing, Cumberland native Dave Ahlers might have none at all. The University of Maine graduate and longtime radio voice of the Portland Pirates decided early last year that it was time for a change. With an eye increasingly focused on… Read More
Longtime Maine resident Tiffany Nelson is enjoying a banner year as a professional billiards player, and her success isn’t going unnoticed. The 1998 Madawaska High School graduate will get some solid air time on ESPN and ESPN2 in July after finishing second in the Women’s… Read More