ORU Athletics Renews, Expands Radio Agreement with Clear Channel Communications

[Guest Blevins]

ORU Athletics Renews, Expands Radio Agreement with Clear Channel Communications

For Immediate Release: July 10, 2006

TULSA?Oral Roberts University Athletics and Clear Channel Communications have renewed their men?s basketball radio broadcasting agreement for the 2006-07 season, while also expanding coverage to include women?s basketball and baseball.

For the third consecutive season, all ORU men?s basketball games will be carried live on Clear Channel?s AM 1430 The Buzz (KTBZ). Veteran play-by-play man Mark Neely will also return for his third season calling Golden Eagles basketball.

Additionally, women?s basketball and baseball, which both spent the previous six years on KCFO, will be carried on Clear Channel?s AM 1300 KAKC with select baseball games also on The Buzz.

?We are excited to bring all of our on-air events to the Clear Channel family,? said Associate Athletic Director Scott Higgins. ?Both KTBZ and KAKC are strong stations which match our demographics. Leaving KCFO was difficult after six great years of service, but we?re thrilled with to have all our events with Clear Channel.?

The Buzz will once again serve as the host of the weekly ORU Coaches Hour during basketball season. The ORU Coaches Hour is broadcast live from Pepper?s Grill at 91st & Delaware and is hosted by women?s basketball and baseball play-by-play voice Geoff Haxton.

--ORU--

[tmh8286]

Timely and concise post as always, Blevins!  Settles the discussion of the previous thread.

[ORUTerry]

The next question is: will Mark Neely and Jeff Haxton be back?

[oru86alum]

The press release stated Mark Neely would be back for his 3rd season.  Any reason to doubt it???

[ORUTerry]

Oops.... did not read all the way through the press release. 

[tmh8286]

It took me a little while to get used to Geoff Haxton (Blevins, I love you, man!), but once I did I came to REALLY like his broadcasts.  He just did a great job, both women's basketball and baseball.  I loved his last broadcast for the season at Clemson, when he said something to the effect that it was going to be nice to get out of that snake pit!  While there wasn't a whole lot of talk about it on the message board, I suspect that A LOT of ORU fans felt the same way about the Clemson experience.

Anyway, the one thing that I miss about Neely and Haxton is that fans don't have the opportunity to communicate with them like we did with Dave Garrett and that other guy - who was it - oh, yeah, Cris Belvin!  I've heard others say the same thing.  It would be nice if those guys, particularly Geoff during baseball, would be on line again.  I think baseball lends itself better to fan interaction by the announcer.  Plus, it gives them a chance to know who's listening to their broadcast.

[ORUTerry]

I heard a rumor that Geoff Haxton might be in line for a radio show on 97.1/1550 (the Sports Animal).... he would be on in the morning - probably from 9:00 to 11:00. Hope this is true. It would be a nice gig for Haxton.