WCCM To Air Lowell Spinners Baseball

["Mark" <markwats@netway.com>]

It was announced today that WCCM in Lawrence will be airing Lowell Spinners
baseball games this year.The Spinners are the New York-Penn League
affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.WLLH had been carrying Spinners' games for
the past 3 seasons(this coming season is the team's 4th in Lowell) but with
the sale to Mega Broadcasting that should be finalized sometime in mid to
late April,the Spinners were left without a radio home till today.WCCM is
planning to air 65 of the team's 80 game schedule.WCCM also announced that
they have hired WLLH's news and sports director Bob Ellis,who will work
full time for WCCM in addition to continuing in his play by play role for
Spinners' games.Lowell Sun sports writer Chaz Scoggins will be doing color
for many of the 65 games WCCM plans to air.Ellis will join WCCM sometime in
April.
And if that wasn't enough news from Pat Costa,it was also announced that
WCCM will be setting up a studio in Lowell,to be in operation sometime in
the near future.WCCM plans to originate some news coverage from this
facility.Costa said that WCCM will broadcast news and events of the
Lowell,Lawrence and Haverhill areas,and with WLLH flipping to Spanish
shortly,he feels this is a perfect time to establish a presence in Greater
Lowell.
Oh,(yes,more from Pat Costa) WHAV will be airing some Lowell Spinners games
in Spanish this season,details and exact number of games to be aired still
in the works.
So what happened to WCAP??? I'm surprised they didn't land the Spinners.And
with Bob Ellis going to WCCM,I wonder if they will carry U Mass Lowell
Hockey,which WLLH had for many years(Ellis called those games also).WCCM
has been carrying Merrimack College hockey,basketball,and High School
basketball in the Winter.Is there room for more??WCAP has the Lowell Lock
Monsters AHL games,so they probably won't have any room for U Mass Lowell
hockey.Maybe some local businesses,(or even a few $$$ from a local radio
outlet) can donate some money to enable WJUL,the U Mass Lowell station to
carry some or all of the hockey games next season.I don't believe WJUL has
carried many,if any,games in recent years.I'm sure with phone line costs
for road games,WJUL probably couldn't do too many road games,but they do
have a Marti and the Tsongas Arena is within a short walk from their
studios.Just a thought.
Mark Watson

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