ESPN NH New Flagship Stations For U Mass Lowell Hockey

[Bill O'Neill]

On 10/12/2013 9:27 AM, Mark Watson wrote:
>    In my opinion, U Mass Lowell striking a deal with a station in Nashua is a slap in the face to WCAP. Unless they tried to work a deal with 'CAP first and it didn't pan out, or they weren't interested in flagship status.
>
>
I'd have to say (disclosure, I'm a 91.5 alum) that the bigger slap in 
the face is that the student-run station, an FM with solid coverage 
throughout the "network" footprint, is deleted from the mix. Bob Ellis' 
role signaled the university's aim to shift the station away from 
student control. Those efforts failed in a global station sense, but 
it's this move that sends a message.

When I was involved with the station in the 80s, there was an 
expression, "Sports pays the bills." In that spirit, the students (and 
supportive alumni) saw the importance of putting on a good program. In 
fact, Carey Pahigian was PBP in the early years of the "Chief's" 
broadcasts, Lou Marcel provided the voiceovers, and a cycle of students 
cut their teeth behind the mic at the rink. These opportunities for 
learning have ceased.

And now, even the live broadcasts are silenced over the station's 1.3 kW 
student activity fee funded signal.

Bill O'Neill

  Bill O'Neill