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Published on Tuesday, 28 August 2012 08:30
CBS Radio Chicago and WSCR-AM/670 The Score have signed a two-year deal with Northern Illinois Athletics and its multimedia rights holder, IMG College, to remain the Chicago radio home of Northern Illinois University (NIU) Huskies Football broadcasts. 670 The Score has been broadcasting Huskies' football games since 2005.
The veteran broadcasting team of Bill Baker and Mark Lindo will announce the games, with Casey Kahler returning as sideline reporter.
With its powerful 50,000 watt transmitter located in west suburban Glendale Heights, WSCR-AM easily reaches the majority of the northern half of Illinois, as well as northwestern Indiana and southern Wisconsin. The signal can be heard on radios in multiple states, giving NIU football fans all across the Midwest an opportunity to hear most of the games.
There will be some weekends, especially in the month of September, where WSCR-AM will be unable to air the NIU broadcasts, due to contractual obligations to air the Chicago White Sox games. According to the new agreement, if any part of the NIU football games cannot be heard live due to WSCR-AM's other commitments, the entire game is to be heard on an alternate Chicago station. CBS Radio Chicago and WSCR-AM have secured a deal with Salem Radio Chicago's WYLL-AM 1160 to air the broadcasts in this eventuality. The Huskies' season opener on September 1st, being broadcast live from Soldier Field, will be on WYLL-AM.
In addition to the NIU football game broadcasts, each Saturday morning, 670 The Score will air "NIU Weekly." This show is a 30-minute interview program hosted by NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Jeff Compher and co-host Andy Garcia, and featuring Huskies' Head Coach Dave Doeren and various other NIU coaches. "NIU Weekly" will air for 18 weeks, beginning on opening day, September 1st.
Athletics Director Compher said in this week's statement: "The Score has been a tremendous partner for Northern Illinois Athletics and a wonderful home for our football radio broadcasts over the past seven seasons. WSCR gives us a coverage area that is unmatched in this part of the country, and NIU provides Score listeners with some of the most exciting college football action in the nation. Compher added: "I am extremely happy that thanks to the efforts of the Score's Mitch Rosen and Mike Dodson of our multimedia rights holder IMG College, Huskie fans and college football fans throughout the region and beyond will be able to hear Northern Illinois football games on the Score over the next two seasons."
"The Score and CBS Radio Chicago are proud to continue our partnership with Northern Illinois University Athletics, specifically NIU Football," Mitch Rosen, WSCR-AM Program Director, said. "This is more than an on-air carriage agreement, this is a friendship-partnership with Jeff Compher and his athletic staff. We are proud to say that the state of Illinois' number one college football team plays on Chicago's number one sports radio station, The Score."
For fans in the DeKalb area, close to the NIU campus, the NIU football games can also be heard on the Huskies' flagship station, WLBK-AM 1360, which is now simulcasting on WLBK-FM 98.9. WLBK-AM has carried NIU sports broadcasts for 22 consecutive years. In southern Wisconsin, NIU football games can be heard on WSCR-AM, as well as on Janesville, WI's WTJK-AM 1380.
The NIU Huskies' football schedule for this year can be seen at this link
HERE.
