ForumsIMG College/Vol Network, the University of Tennessee and 104.5 The Zone (WGFX-FM) in Nashville have announced a five-year partnership in which the station will become the radio home of University of Tennessee athletics in Middle Tennessee beginning with the 2010-11 season.
The Zone will air every University of Tennessee football game, every men’s basketball game, Vol Calls, daily updates from University of Tennessee play-by-play voice Bob Kesling, and other weekly Vol Network programming beginning in August.
104.5 The Zone is currently the flagship home for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans and NHL’s Nashville Predators. The Vol Network had previously been on AM 1510 WLAC in Nashville for 17 years.
“We are extremely excited about our partnership with 104.5 The Zone,” said Mike Hamilton, UT Director of Athletics. “Not only does this give us tremendous visibility in the Middle Tennessee market, but it’s a great opportunity for Tennessee basketball to be aired on one of the top sports radio stations in the country. We look forward to a great partnership for years to come.”
“The Vol Network is very proud and excited that 104.5 The Zone will be the new home of the Tennessee Volunteers in the state capital,” said Steve Early, General Manager of IMG College/Vol Network. “The Zone’s sports commitment and dominance in the marketplace made it ‘the’ choice for UT athletics and Vol Network programming. We are very excited about the daily exposure and coverage this will bring the University of Tennessee and a huge fan base in Middle Tennessee. The Vols and The Zone are going to be a terrific partnership and association.”
“We are excited to partner with the most popular collegiate brand in the state of Tennessee and a program with such a rich history,” said Brad Willis, Program Director of 104.5 The Zone.
About IMG Media
IMG Sports Media is the world’s largest independent distributor of sports programming, distributing over 18,000 hours of content to major global broadcasters annually. This content originates from more than 200 clients and events including Wimbledon, The Australian Open, The ATP Masters Series, The R&A, governing body and organizer of The Open Championship, International Rugby Board (IRB), Moto GP, National Football League (NFL) and International Volleyball Federation (FIVB). IMG Sports Media operates from over 30 offices worldwide and has daily exchanges with over 4,000 key media contacts. IMG Sports Media distributes across all forms of media including TV, Audio, Fixed Media, Inflight and Closed Circuit, Broadband and Mobile. IMG Sports Media also maintains the world’s largest sports archive with more than 250,000 hours of footage. IMG Sports Media has two leading joint venture partnerships with Sports News Television (SNTV), the world’s largest sports news agency and European Tour Productions, a joint venture between IMG and the European Tour and the world’s most prolific producer and distributor of golf programming with an annual output of 700 hours.
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Will WLAC still carry the Vols? We can barely if at all pick up either station here in southern Middle Tennessee (Fayetteville) to be specific.
The one thing I like about WLAC was that no matter where you go in the Eastern U.S., it was audible at least somewhat, at night.
I don’t believe WLAC will carry the Vols any longer.
I am very disappointed that WLAC is no longer a member of the Vol network. I reside in Asheville, North Carolina and can no longer get a Vol broadcast except during daylight hours from a very small AM station in Waynesville, North Carolina. I feel the university has lost a valuable station for the fans of the Southeast as well as a helpfull recruiting tool for the school. Like everything else in todays society, I am sure it was all about the money with no consideration for the multitude of fans.
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