THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 12, 1994 TAG: 9408120715
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
If you were hoping to ride out Day One of the baseball strike by catching the Washington Redskins on television or radio tonight, think again.
The Redskins' exhibition game with Kansas City won't be televised in Hampton Roads and is scheduled to be broadcast only in part by Norfolk radio station WTAR (AM-790).
Moreover, if the Norfolk Tides baseball team plays into extra innings, the Skins might not hit the airwaves at all.
WTAR carries the Tides and Redskins, and unfortunately for Skins fans, both play tonight. The Tides are at Columbus at 7. The Redskins host Kansas City at 8.
WTAR will carry the Tides game, then pick up the Redskins broadcast in progress, as it did on Monday when Washington played at Buffalo.
But unlike Monday, tonight's contest isn't on television.
That has riled some Redskins fans, who aired their complaints Thursday on Virginia Beach radio station WGH (AM-1310), which has an all-sports format and is WTAR's chief competitor for local sports programming.
WGH program director John Castleberry called Capital Sports Network, which syndicates Redskins broadcasts, on Wednesday and Thursday to offer to carry tonight's game. His offers were rejected.
``Even if it's just a one-time thing, we'd like to do it,'' said Castleberry, whose station was unsuccessful in bidding for the rights to all Redskins contests and carries regular-season broadcasts of the archrival Dallas Cowboys instead.
Castleberry said Redskins exhibition contests would fill a void at WGH caused by the baseball strike. The station carries the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs.
``It would be ideal for us because of the strike,'' he said. ``And it would be great for Redskins' fans. I'm sure there will be some ticked off fans when they try to turn on their radio tonight.''
However, WTAR sports director Jack Ankerson says those fans will get much of what they want.
``They'll get the end of the third quarter, the fourth quarter and all of the post-game interviews,'' he said. ``We wish there wasn't a conflict, but there is and we're making the best of it.''
Stay tuned for more. There are similar conflicts in the Redskins final two exhibition games.
``We'd love to do those games as well,'' Castleberry said.
Ankerson said he will consider placing those Redskins games on one of two FM stations owned by WTAR. But he won't give up rights to those games to WGH.
``We've been the Redskins station for more than a decade,'' he said. ``I see no reason to put (exhibition) games on other stations.'' ILLUSTRATION: GAMEWATCH
TIME: 8 p.m.
SITE: RFK Stadium.
TV: None.
RADIO: WTAR AM 790, with Frank Herzog, Sam Huff and Sonny
Jurgensen. (Joined in progress after Tides game.)
REDSKINS COACH: Norv Turner, career preseason record: 0-1.
CHIEFS COACH: Marty Schottenheimer, 10th season, 94-56-1 record.
TURNER'S HOME DEBUT: It's the first home game for Redskins coach
Norv Turner. He spent several days there as an assistant coach for
the Rams and Cowboys.
``There are a lot of firsts taking place this year, but this one
is special,'' Turner said. ``When I came here before, I wondered
what it would be like to have those fans on our side. Now, we'll
find out.''
SHULER'S, TOO: Heath Shuler, the quarterback who was the team's
top draft choice, has never been to RFK Stadium before. He is
scheduled to play the entire second half.
``It's going to be exciting,'' Shuler said. ``Living in North
Carolina most of my life, I've seen mostly Redskins games on TV.
``This starts something new. We're trying to re-establish some
traditions. I remember the Hogs Era, John Riggins and Joe Theismann.
We want to keep the things that were traditional, but make some new
traditions, too.''
IN: Middle linebacker Kurt Gouveia, who has been nursing a
fractured left thumb, is expected to play tonight.
OUT: Injuries have removed the following Redskins from action:
Tight end Ethan Horton; defensive linemen Leonard Marshall, Tim
Johnson and Martin Hochertz; cornerback Alvoid Mays; offensive
linemen John Gesek and Ray Brown and running back Reggie Brooks.
PRESEASON SERIES: 4th meeting, Washington leads, 2-1.
by CNB