MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A homecoming on the air.
WVRC Media, along with the WVU Athletic Department and Learfield Mountaineer Sports Properties announced an agreement Wednesday that will bring Mountaineer games, coaches shows and other featured programming to several WVRC Media stations.
“Our stations in Morgantown, Clarksburg, Martinsburg, Elkins, Cumberland, Keyser, and Berkeley Springs will all join the Mountaineer Sports Network and be the home for Mountaineer sports,” WVRC Media and CEO George Pelletier said in an announcement made Wednesday morning on the radio stations and MetroNews Television.
Mountaineer Sports Network General Manager Evan Hawkins said this is a very important opportunity to expand one of the most popular sports networks in the state. He commented that the addition of those stations will improve the experience for Mountaineer fans in the state and beyond.
“For us, we’re excited about the opportunity to expand our network, the opportunity to be able to offer this to our corporate partners,” Hawkins said. “The majority of our corporate partnerships include radio.”
The agreement brings the Mountaineers back to WAJR Radio in Morgantown, the original flagship station of Mountaineer sports. It’s sister station, WVAQ-FM, will also be the flagship affiliate. The stations were last part of the network 13 years ago.
WVU Athletics Director Wren Baker said WVU is excited to welcome the new stations that will improve the gameday experience for fans no matter what the WVU sport. This move will be a multiplier for the existing network across the state.
“It just makes a ton of sense, and we definitely are the biggest preeminent entertainment brand in the state, and WVRC Media is the premier entertainment network in the state, so it’s something we’re excited about,” Baker said.
WVU play-by-play announcer Tony Caridi said radio plays a key role in West Virginia and access to WVU sports.
“This has been a product, West Virginia sports, that people listen to whether they’re transplanted West Virginians or still in the state,” Caridi said. “I think fans would find it really interesting that the MSN is consistently in the top three of all schools when it comes listenership.”Pelltier added fans driving to Morgantown will have uninterrupted opportunities for pregame coverage. Fans across the state will have added opportunities to get quality coverage of all WVU athletic events and coaches shows.
Information released Wednesday said the agreement includes:
–In Morgantown, WVAQ-FM (101.9) will be the new home for football and men’s basketball broadcasts. WAJR-AM/FM (1440/104.5) will broadcast WVU football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and the weekly coaches’ shows of Rich Rodriguez, Ross Hodge and Mark Kellogg. WVAQ and WAJR return as the flagship stations of the Mountaineers for the first time in 13 years.
–WBRB-FM (101.3) in Clarksburg will feature Mountaineer football, men’s basketball and weekly coaches’ show broadcasts, while WFBY-FM (93.5) will air women’s basketball and baseball.
–In Elkins, WDNE-FM (98.9) will broadcast football, men’s basketball and the coaches’ shows. Women’s basketball and baseball will switch to WFBY-FM (93.5).
–WVRC Media stations in the Martinsburg/Berkeley Springs area include WEPM-AM/FM (1340/93.7), WXDC-FM (92.9), WCST-AM (1010) and W228DU-FM (93.5). Those five stations will air MSN’s full schedule of programming to include WVU football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball and weekly coaches’ shows.
–Current WVRC Media stations on the network in WKLP-AM (1390) – Keyser, WVMD-FM (101.1) in Romney, WVMD-FM (99.9) in Cumberland, Maryland as well as WCMD-AM (1230) in Cumberland will also return in the new agreement.