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University of Maine sports broadcasts will have a new home next fall and not everyone is thrilled about the move. In an agreement announced last week, broadcasts will move from WZON 620 AM to a network of Clear Channel owned stations highlighted by flagship WVOM 103.9 FM beginning with the 2007 football season.
Complicating matters is that WZON is owned by perhaps UMaine’s most famous alum, Stephen King. WZON officials called the negotiation process unfair and the General Student Senate resolved to stand against the move.
“The negotiations provided both sides with opportunities to sign on as our partner,” said UMaine athletic director Blake James. “Clear Channel ultimately agreed to the offer that was presented and we feel it’s great for the program. I think it’s important to note that both sides had a number of proposals put in front of them.”
General Student Senate further resolved that it was unprofessional for James to “speak of the Kings as just another number on a page,” apparently referring to a quote in the Bangor Daily News. Student Government Vice President Bill Pomerleau suggested that a lack of communication between James and King was to blame for what he called, “the dishonor of not even being privy to the contract negotiations.”
But the negotiations were handled by Black Bear Sports Properties, a division of Missouri-based Leerfield Sports which handles marketing for UMaine sports teams.
“I wasn’t directly involved in the process and I’m fairly certain Stephen King wasn’t involved in the process,” James said. “Obviously, I recognize the important figure that [the Kings] are and we appreciate everything they’ve done for the university and the Greater Bangor-Orono area.”
Pomerleau demanded that James apologize to the Kings for a “lack of empathy and compassion” and called UMaine shameful for “[allowing] staff to spew off disrespectful statements about our beloved alumni.”
“I’m not sure what they’re suggesting that I apologize for. I’d be interested to see what quote they’re referring to. Obviously I understand all that the Kings have done,” James said, noting that he first heard of the remarks from Kash Kiefer – a member of the football team in attendance Tuesday night – and would be happy to meet with GSS officials to clarify things.
At the heart of the matter is the new radio deal, which will place all Black Bears sports on WVOM and WGUY in Bangor. UMaine has already secured sister stations in Augusta and Rockland and is looking to have complete statewide coverage in place, and WVOM carries twice as much the wattage (100,000) as WZON (50,000).
An initial concern was that at present, WVOM does not stream their broadcasts over the Internet. WZON does, and out-of-state UMaine fans would be in the dark if the games were not available on-line.
Mike McCollumn, general manager of Black Bears sports properties, confirmed that the games will in fact be available over the Internet when the agreement takes effect in September.
“We will have streaming,” James concurred. “We haven’t worked out what site it will come out of yet, but we will have Internet streaming available.”
Fans also expressed concern over the nature of the broadcasts, as WZON has provided extensive coverage of road games over the year. McCollum said that the new agreement stipulates the broadcast of all football, hockey, and men’s and women’s basketball games as well as a minimum of 25 baseball games, five softball games, and a show featuring men’s hockey coach Tim Whitehead.
“The bottom line is we’ll have more broadcasts and programming across the entire state of Maine than ever before,” McCollum said.
Black Bear sports properties will handle hiring on-air talent such as play-by-play announcers, dispelling the notion that Clear Channel will choose its own out-of-state and out of touch staff.
“Hopefully many of the current announcers can get on board,” James said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you hear some of the same voices next year.”
In addition, Black Bear coaches and players won’t be exclusively available to only WVON and its Clear Channel affiliates, meaning the coaches’ normal appearances on WZON’s morning show are not in jeopardy.
“WZON is the sports radio leader in the area, and fans will continue to listen,” James said. “I hope they will still have us be a part of their programming and I’d encourage our coaches to continue to be a part of it.”
With many initial concerns over programming dispelled, a number of people remain upset over the way the negotiation with WZON was handled, citing a perceived lack of loyalty to the station and overemphasis on financial concerns.
The Kings released a statement saying, “We understand that monetary considerations were a prime consideration, but feel the Athletic Department in particular and the University in general may not understand that making money the prime consideration in any dealing is usually short-sighted. My wife and I feel that may prove to be the case here; we feel that what UM Athletics has gained for their programs may be offset by a loss in the area of community relations.”
James acknowledged that the new deal puts UMaine in a better financial situation, but also emphasized the expanded coverage as a key facet of the package.
“WZON was a great partner of ours and if it was possible we’d have continued with them,” he said. “I also recognize that if we can expand our coverage and at the same time it works better with our financial model, that’s something we would really have to look at.”
Negative feedback is to be expected with any turnover of this magnitude, but James stressed that the process was fair and that in the end, UMaine will benefit from its partnership with Clear Channel.
“[The amount of negative feedback] has been about what I expected,” he said. “There are some people upset with the change but there also some who feel that it’s the right thing to do for our program.”
Bangor Daily News