In a first for big league professional sports, the 2010-2011 season radio play-by-play broadcasts of the New York Islanders will not be broadcast by a commercial radio station. Rather, the NHL team’s radio contract has been awarded to a non-commercial station, Hofstra University’s WRHU-FM.
WRHU broadcasts at 88.7 MHz with 470 watts from a 55-meter tower. The signal covers much of the most populated area in the west end of Long Island, but not the much larger land mass to the east. Barnstable’s WMJC-FM and WHLI-AM had carried the Islanders games last season.
AS the games move to WRHU, former color commentator Chris King will move over to the play-by-play position and various Hofstra broadcast students will have the opportunity to serve as the color analysts and sideline reporters throughout the season.
“Radio Hofstra University and our students are honored to join in this unprecedented partnership between the New York Islanders and its academic neighbor,” said Bruce Avery, WRHU General Manager.
The unusual arrangement means that the Islanders will not be able to sell commercial spots to air during the game. Rather, the team would be under the same FCC sponsorship rules that apply to all noncommercial stations.
