THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 13, 1996 TAG: 9607130301
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 29 lines
Virginia Tech finally has a Hampton Roads home for all of its football and basketball games.
WNIS (AM-850) picked up the Hokie broadcasts this week, the first of what general manager Bob Sinclair said could be a broader foray into sports programming for the station. Sinclair Communications also owns WTAR (AM-790) - the home of Virginia football and basketball, Norfolk Tides baseball, Hampton Roads Admirals hockey and the Washington Redskins.
WGH (AM-1310) had carried Tech football and basketball. But the all-sports station originates Old Dominion basketball, which bumped some Hokie games off the air. The company that syndicates Tech athletics wanted to clear all the Hokie games with its Hampton Roads affiliate.
``Conceptually it was wonderful being on a sports station, but during the basketball season we were playing second fiddle to Old Dominion,'' said Dave Martin, the senior account manager for International Sports Properties.
WGH programming director Pete Medhurst said four or five Hokie basketball games did not air last year because of scheduling conflicts. ``Obviously Virginia Tech will not get the promotion and constant mention on our station that they normally would when we're carrying them,'' Medhurst said. ``We're disappointed we lost it because they out-did Virginia 3-to-1 in the ratings last year.'' by CNB