THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 21, 1996 TAG: 9606210658
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 27 lines
The Hampton Roads Admirals have signed a three-year deal with WTAR radio that guarantees all 70 regular-season games and the playoffs will be broadcast by the AM station.
The Admirals have been on WTAR for all of their seven seasons, but the contract expired after last season and the Admirals radio future was in question after both the team and the radio station were sold last month.
However, Virginia Beach businessman Mark Garcea, who along with Page Johnson purchased the Admirals from long-time owner Blake Cullen, said it didn't take long for them to forge a deal with Bob Sinclair, general manager of Sinclair Communications, which purchased WTAR.
``It's going to cost us a little more money,'' Garcea said. ``But they need to make money to put our games on the air.''
Garcea said he hopes to retain Pete Michaud as the team's radio voice. Michaud is also radio voice of the Vero Beach Dodgers baseball team in the Florida State League.
The contract gives WTAR the region's two most popular local teams - the Admirals and the Norfolk Tides - as well as the Washington Redskins and University of Virginia football and basketball. by CNB