University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Panthers Radio Home Moves To WRRK-FM, Channel 97
6/30/2000 12:00:00 AM | General
June 30, 2000
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh and Steel City Media have reached a long-term agreement to have Panthers' football and basketball games broadcast on 45,000-watt WRRK-FM (96.9) beginning this fall, Athletic Director Steve Pederson has announced.
Blanketing Western Pennsylvania and reaching into West Virginia, Eastern Ohio and beyond, Channel 97 is the farthest reaching flagship station the Panthers have had in at least three decades.
"We are extremely excited to partner with Steel City Media and WRRK to bring Panther fans unprecedented coverage of University of Pittsburgh football and basketball," Pederson said. "We know that the years ahead will be fun and we are glad that Steel City Media will be a part of our program. Channel 97 will bring our fans closer to the Panthers than ever before."
"The entire Steel City Media family is excited about our new partnership with University of Pittsburgh athletics," said Steel City Media vice president and general manager Gregg Frischling. "Our association with the Panthers has provided us with a new swagger. We are going to promote and present college athletics like it has never been done before in the city of Pittsburgh. It will be fun for our listeners and Panther fans alike."
Pittsburgh football and basketball action will once again be called by play-by-play man Bill Hillgrove, the longtime "Voice of the Panthers." Bill Osborn will continue to handle color analyst duties for football, while Dick Groat will do the same for basketball.
Steel City Media is the only locally owned and operated media company in Pittsburgh. Founded in 1984, it includes WLTJ-FM (92.9) in addition to WRRK. In 1998, Steel City Media became the first media company to bring together broadcasting and publishing divisions under one roof with the addition of Pittsburgh City Paper, an entertainment and news weekly with a circulation of 70,000.
