Crown Point Internet Radio USA-365 Inks Sports Programming Deal with WWLO, 89.1 FM

by Dave Woodworth

CROWN POINT, IN (9-11-2006) - Meyer Multimedia Services, today announced an agreement to air Crown Point High School football games on WWLO (89.1) FM, Lowell, in addition to Internet Radio www.USA-365.com.

Friday's Portage-Crown Point game will be the first broadcast of Crown Point football over WWLO, which is a Christian radio station broadcasting programming of the American Family Radio (AFR) network 24 hours a day. Meyer Multimedia Services is a division of Meyer Broadcasting Corporation, which is owned by John Meyer, the former owner of WWJY (103.9) FM in Crown Point. Meyer has purchased the time on Friday nights so CP football can be heard throughout Northwest Indiana.

WWLO (89.1 MHz, 2.4-KW @ 253' HAAT) can be heard throughout Lake, Porter, Jasper and Newton County and the station will air all remaining Crown Point football games. This is not unusual. While Northwest Indiana radio stations have schedules and go from team to team, many large Indiana schools (Penn, LaPorte, Roncalli, Chatard, Plymouth, East Noble) have their entire broadcast schedule carried on one station. Initial plans are to rerun the game immediately after the post-game show so all who play in or attend the game can hear it on the way home.

The first high school football game to be aired on American Family Radio's WWLO, 89.1 FM will be this Friday's game featuring Portage at Crown Point, beginning at 6:30 p.m., CDT. The Internet Radio production team plans to record the game and immediately replay all four quarters after the game, beginning about 9:30 p.m. each Friday night through the remainder of the season.

Meyer is excited about this new FM outlet for his Internet sports programming, and feels it is the culmination of a goal he set not long after selling the former WWJY in April of 1993.

"It's a chance to serve the Crown Point community again," said Meyer. "We've been providing that with Internet Radio on USA-365.com, and now this alliance with American Family Radio will provide us with a consistent and professional sports programming source that has been missing from the South Lake County area for many years now."

"We looked at the opportunity for FM service and the strength of the signal," adds Meyer. "We'll be able to cover all of Northwest Indiana very well."

Coverage map for WWLO, 89.1 FM, Lowell has an interference-free contour of about 10-miles, good car radio reception for 15+ miles. (Source: www.radio-locator.com. )

USA-365.com, now in its third year of Internet audio streaming of Crown Point High School football games, will continue streaming in a simulcast mode with the broadcast signal of WWLO. Plans are to continue the FM sports coverage on Friday nights into the winter basketball season and beyond.

"We're looking at this as a long term investment in building a solid relationship with American Family Radio in order to provide this level of community service," said Meyer. "We know they don't do this with many of their stations around the country, so we count it a privilege to be able to offer our sports programming for local broadcast."

Veteran broadcasters Mark Smith and Dave Woodworth anchor the CPHS live play-by-play coverage, with assistance from technology specialist Jim Goodall. Additional staff will be added to provide logistical support.

More than a half dozen business underwriters have already signed on to support the Crown Point High School Sports programming on the noncommercial educational frequency. Businesses interested in becoming a sponsor may contact Fred Triezenberg at (219) 793-6308 or Joey Bothan at (219) 661-9140. The e-mail is sales@indiana-sports.com.

In addition to live Internet audio streaming, USA-365.com posts podcasts (mp3 audio file downloads) of Crown Point sports at www.USA-365.com. The web site has also been posting high school sports stories the past three years covering primarily the high schools in South Lake County, including Crown Point, Lowell, Hanover Central, Boone Grove and Andrean.

CPHS football game broadcasts on WWLO and www.USA-365.com begin each Friday with a 30-minute pregame show at 6:30 p.m. and include a halftime report and postgame analysis.