KIIC Gets Statewide Gig
Joe Milledge/KIIC Studios (submitted photo)
Learfield Communications – the national sports production behemoth behind the production of Hawkeye football and some 120+ other collegiate schools – has contracted with local radio station KIIC to produce a statewide high school football scoreboard show for its Radio Iowa affiliates this fall. The show will originate from new studios at KIIC that resemble something of an ESPN set – complete with neon lights, TV monitors and feeds coming in from games all over the state. “Learfield noticed what we were doing for high school sports in the state and approached us last year to discuss the possibility of producing a statewide football scores and sideline reports show with one condition – they wanted to get 25 affiliates committed by June 1st” according to Oskaloosa resident and KIIC owner Joe Milledge. “They ended up with 33 commitments, so it quickly became apparent that we had to get busy” Milledge added.
KIIC immediately went out and hired Tony Atzeni – an Iowa High School Hall of Fame broadcaster who is no stranger to high school athletics. “Tony knows these schools, the coaches and the story lines behind the teams, so we are lucky to have him. We also grabbed John Martenson – a 25-year sports broadcast veteran from Grinnell and local businessman and sports nut Wyndell Campbell to round out our studio crew.”
KIIC already produces live football play by play audio streams of 9 area football games with over 25 people working every Friday night. “We follow area teams that don’t have local radio stations, and provide free access to fans not able to go to the game,11 pm,” Milledge said. “So rather than landing in a town for an occasional game – we are there every Friday night in towns like Eddyville, Sigourney, New Sharon, Bussey, Corydon, Chariton, Eldon, and Moravia helping to build fan loyalty via our web and smartphone apps. This is our 10th year of Friday Night Lights and each year we try to add another school – so our existing effort provided a bit of a springboard for what Learfield and their Radio Iowa news bureau were asking.”
The show will originate from KIIC, be transmitted to Jefferson City Missouri where Learfield will then uplink it on satellite for its affiliates all in real time. Some notable affiliates include WMT-AM 600 in Cedar Rapids and ESPN Sports Radio KRNT 1350 in Des Moines. Locally, the show will air on KIIC 96.7 FM f11 pm to 12:30 am following their live 10p-11p Coaches Locker Room show.
