DAILY MAIL SPORTS EDITOR
An assist on the increased radio clout Marshall Universityathletics will be getting in the Kanawha Valley came from a locationthat would surprise many in the Mountain State.
It was Morgantown. It happened because West Virginia Universitywas willing to change FM locations in Charleston.
Last week, Marshall and its media rights holder, InternationalSports Properties, announced that the Thundering Herd had landed afive-year contract for football and basketball broadcasts on a formerWVU outlet, WKAZ (107.3 FM).
It was a major move for the Herd in its bid to increase itsexposure in the Kanawha Valley.
It also wouldn't have happened if WVU hadn't previously agreed tochange West Virginia Radio Corporation outlets. The MountaineerSports Network broadcasts are moving to WVAF (99.9, marketed as V-100), which has higher market ratings than WKAZ.
WVU's nine-hour game-day programming will remain on longtimeaffiliate WCHS (580) on the AM dial.
Sean Banks, the general manager of the West Virginia RadioCorporation's Charleston stations, said WVAF is the No. 2 station inthe market (Kanawha and Putnam counties), behind BristolBroadcasting's WQBE (97.5 FM).
WKAZ is No. 5 in the market (share of listeners age 12-plus), justbehind WCHS, the only AM station in the market's top nine.
Banks said V-100 has "at least double the average listeners perquarter hour" of WKAZ. He said WVAF ranks first in the local marketin audience share with listeners age 25-54. That's why WVU liked theidea of moving.
"When we had the possibility of getting Marshall on KAZ, Idiscussed the possibility of moving to V-100 with WVU," Banks said."It was up to them and they loved the idea. They were all for it, butI wasn't going to make the move unless we got a contract fromMarshall.
"It's a fantastic opportunity for both schools. It's win-win forus. V-100 is our (corporation's) No. 1 station in the market.Marshall gets one of the best power sites we have in KAZ. Both KAZand V-100 are 50,000-watt stations.
"What's happening here is better for both. WVU and Marshall bothwin."
Banks and Dale Miller, president of West Virginia RadioCorporation, said WVU Deputy Athletic Director Mike Parsons made thecall on moving the Mountaineers on Charleston FM radio, freeing theWKAZ availability for the Thundering Herd.
"We wanted the Marshall property," Miller said. "In Charleston, wehave the Reds, we have the Yankees, we have the World Series, theKentucky Derby and we've had the Mountaineers and will continue tohave them.
"Now, we've got the Herd, but we couldn't have made the movewithout WVU's willingness to change stations. (Parsons) was graciousto move over to make room for Marshall. He knew what moving to V-100means, too.
"Our company has carried WVU broadcasts every year since the '40s,except one. We used to have Marshall and now the Herd is back with usin Charleston. It's a plus for both."
Besides the switch in radio homes for the Herd, WVU women'sbasketball broadcasts will be coming to the Kanawha Valley, too.
The West Virginia Radio Corporation will carry games from CoachMike Carey's program on WSWW (1490 AM).
Miller said his company's three-year contract with WVU ends afterthe 2004-05 year. It's a deal that basically has rolled over throughrenewals since 1961.
Sports Editor Jack Bogaczyk can be reached at 348-7949 or by e-mail at jackb@dailymail.com
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