SYRACUSE -- Taking a jab at its competition by promising "Syracuse basketball coverage that’s NOT controlled by the University’s network," Cumulus Media sports-talker The Score 1260 (WSKO) said it will offer special pre-game and post-game coverage surrounding the Syracuse University men's basketball team's Final Four appearance tomorrow night.
Cumulus Media Operations Manager Tom Mitchell tells CNYRadio.com the coverage begins with a 45-minute pregame show tomorrow, from 5:30pm to 6:45pm, hosted by Jimmy Morgan in-studio and Alex Plavin live at the Georgia Dome.
Even though The Orange won't tip-off until closer to 9:00pm, the station also carries Syracuse Crunch hockey, and the AHL squad will be on the road, facing-off against the Hershey Bears at 7:00pm. Morgan and Plavin will be back on the air immediately after the SU basketball game ends, for a live postgame show.
If Syracuse wins tomorrow night, Plavin will remain in Atlanta, and he and Morgan will be host a live, two-hour pregame show starting at 7:00pm, leading up to the NCAA championship game. Mitchell didn't say if the pair would also offer a post-game show on Monday, but we'll assume that they will be.
That quote from Cumulus in the very first line of the story appears to question the objectivity (or a percieved lack thereof) within coverage by other local radio stations which have sent talent to Atlanta. Galaxy's TK99/105 (WTKW/WTKV) is the flagship of the Syracuse University sports radio network and sister station ESPN Radio 97.7/100.1 (WTLA/WSGO) is broadcasting live from Atlanta as well, as reported here last night. The game will also be broadcast by NPR affiliate WAER 88.3, which is owned by Syracuse University.
In the past, Clear Channel's Newsradio 570 WSYR had hosted its own pregame and postgame call-in shows surrounding SU games, but we have neither heard on-air nor seen anything online to indicate the station has any such plans for tomorrow (or the potential championship game on Monday).
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Interesting that WSYR has no plans. Wouldn't want to interrupt the constant spewing of political blather. After all, it's much more important to hear what Michael Savage has to say than to cover our first NCAA Final Four in 10 years.