UK Sports Network explained

Established:September 1968
Type:Radio network
Television network
Country:United States
Headquarters:Lexington, Kentucky
Broadcast Area:Kentucky and neighboring states
Owner:JMI Sports (UK Sports & Campus Marketing)
Affiliation:Kentucky Wildcats
Affiliates:44 (Radio)
5 (Television)
Website:

The UK Sports Network, historically known as the Big Blue Sports Network (BBSN) and also formerly known as the UK IMG Sports Network, is the radio and television network of the University of Kentucky Wildcats men's and women's sports teams. It consists of five over-the-air television affiliates and 44 radio stations in Kentucky and neighboring states.[1]

History

The radio network was established in September 1968[2] for the purpose of broadcasting football and basketball games to select radio stations across the state of Kentucky. Prior to this, individual stations in central Kentucky each held their own coverage of the games. The original group rightsholder was Host Communications. Later on, the broadcast syndicator of the UK Sports Network was Sports Productions, a joint venture of Host Communications, CBS television affiliate WKYT-TV of Lexington, and radio stations WVLK of Lexington and WHAS of Louisville. Cawood Ledford and Ralph Hacker were the first play-by-play commentators for the network.[2]

In 2007, HOST Communications, a college sports marketing company based in the university's home city of Lexington, that had operated the Big Blue Sports Network, was purchased by the entertainment management company IMG. However, the name of the network did not change until the 2010–11 academic year.

Sale of media rights to JMI Sports

On June 23, 2014, University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart announced that JMI Sports, owned by former San Diego Padres owner John Moores, had been awarded the multimedia rights to all University of Kentucky sports teams. UK's contract with JMI Sports was to initially begin upon the expiration of the university's contract with IMG College in April 2015. The university's contract with JMI include:

On October 27, 2014, JMI Sports announced that they had bought out the final year of IMG's contract with the University of Kentucky. As part of that agreement with IMG, JMI immediately took over management of the entire University of Kentucky's Sports Marketing program, including the UK Sports Network.[4]

On January 27, 2020, it was announced that Lexington Center's overall naming rights were sold to Central Bank, a local community bank, by the Lexington Center Corporation and JMI Sports. The Rupp name will continue to receive primacy in the fourteen-year agreement for the arena portion of the complex, and be known as "Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center".[5]

On-air personalities

Current

Former[6]

Over-the air television affiliates

Current

City of license (Market)StationChannelPrimary affiliationNotes
Bowling GreenWBKO
WBKO-DT2		13.1
13.2		ABC
Fox
Johnson City, TNWJHL11.1CBS
LexingtonWLEX-TV18.1NBCFlagship station of the network's television division
LouisvilleWHAS11.1ABC
PaducahWPSD6.1NBC

Former

City of license/MarketStationChannelPrimary affiliationNotes
Cape Girardeau, MOKBSI-DT222.2MyNetworkTVSimulcast of WDKA/Paducah
Evansville, INWTVW7.1The CW
HazardWYMT-TV57.1CBSSemi-satellite of WKYT/Lexington
HopkinsvilleWKAG-CA43America OneThis station went defunct in 2011.
Huntington, WVA (Charleston)WSAZ3.1NBC
LexingtonWKYT-TV27.1CBSActed as the network's television flagship until 2020.
LouisvilleWDRB41.1FoxReplaced by WBKI in 2016.
Salem, Indiana (Louisville)WBKI[7] 58.1The CWFormerly WMYO; replaced the original WBKI in 2017.

Radio

All listed radio stations are sorted by city of license. Areas served by these stations will vary. Most affiliates air coverage of football and men's basketball, unless otherwise specified.[8] [9] [10]

CallsignFrequencyBandCityStateNetwork status
WLAP630AMLexingtonKentuckyFlagship
WBUL-FM98.1FMLexingtonKentuckyFlagship
WCMI1340AMAshlandKentuckyAffiliate
WCBL1290AMBentonKentuckyAffiliate
WLFX106.7FMBereaKentuckyAffiliate
WMMG1140AMBrandenburgKentuckyAffiliate
WMMG-FM93.5FMBrandenburgKentuckyAffiliate
WGGC95.1FMBowling GreenKentuckyAffiliate
WSEK-FM93.9FMBurnside-SomersetKentuckyAffiliate
WKDZ1110AMCadizKentuckyAffiliate
WKDZ-FM106.5FMCadizKentuckyAffiliate
WCKQ104.1FMCampbellsvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WAIN1270AMColumbiaKentuckyAffiliate
WAIN-FM93.5FMColumbiaKentuckyAffiliate
WCTT680AMCorbinKentuckyAffiliate
WCTT-FM107.3FMCorbinKentuckyAffiliate
WCMI-FM92.7FMCatlettsburg-Ashland-HuntingtonKentuckyAffiliate
WFLE1060AMFlemingsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WFLE-FM95.1FMFlemingsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WFRT103.7FMFrankfortKentuckyAffiliate
WUGO99.7FMGraysonKentuckyAffiliate
WCBL-FM99.1FMGrand Rivers-Benton-Calvert CityKentuckyAffiliate
WLGC-FM105.7FMGreenupKentuckyAffiliate
WKYA105.5FMGreenvilleKentuckyMen's basketball
WXBC104.3FMHardinsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WFSR970AMHarlanKentuckyAffiliate
WTUK105.1FMHarlanKentuckyAffiliate
WSGS101.1FMHazardKentuckyAffiliate
WSON860AMHendersonKentuckyAffiliate
WHOP1230AMHopkinsvilleKentuckyAffiliate
W237BV95.3FMHopkinsvilleKentuckyn/a (WHOP simulcast)
WHOP-FM98.7FMHopkinsvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WJRS104.9FMJamestown-Russell SpringsKentuckyAffiliate
WIFX-FM94.3FMJenkins-Pikeville-HazardKentuckyAffiliate
WRNZ105.1FMLancaster-DanvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WKHG104.9FMLeitchfieldKentuckyAffiliate
WFTG1400AMLondonKentuckyAffiliate
WWEL103.9FMLondonKentuckyAffiliate
WHAS840AMLouisvilleKentuckyFootball/men's basketball
WKJK1080AMLouisvilleKentuckyWomen's basketball
WKTG93.9FMMadisonvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WKLB1200AMManchesterKentuckyAffiliate
W283AH104.5FMManchesterKentuckyn/a (WKLB simulcast)
WLLE102.1FMMayfieldKentuckyAffiliate
WNGO1320AMMayfieldKentuckyAffiliate
W238AN95.5FMMayfieldKentuckyn/a (WNGO simulcast)
WFTM1240AMMaysvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WFTM-FM95.9FMMaysvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WFTM101.7FMMonticelloKentuckyAffiliate
WIVY96.3FMMoreheadKentuckyAffiliate
WMSK1550AMMorganfieldKentuckyAffiliate
WBKR92.5FMOwensboroKentuckyAffiliate
WOMI1490AMOwensboroKentuckyAffiliate
WKYX570AMPaducahKentuckyAffiliate
WSIP1490AMPaintsvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WSIP-FM98.9FMPaintsvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WPKE1240AMPikevilleKentuckyAffiliate
WDHR93.1FMPikevilleKentuckyAffiliate
WDOC1310AMPrestonsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WQHY95.5FMPrestonsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WWKY-FM104.9FMPrincetonKentuckyAffiliate
WPKY1580AMPrincetonKentuckyAffiliate
WREF97.7FMSebree-MadisonvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WAKY-FM103.5FMRadcliff-Elizabethtown-Fort KnoxKentuckyFootball/men's basketball
W243CU96.5FMSebree-HendersonKentuckyn/a (WSON simulcast)
WSFC1240AMSomersetKentuckyAffiliate
WMSK-FM101.3FMSturgis-MorganfieldKentuckyAffiliate
WXKQ-FM103.9FMWhitesburgKentuckyAffiliate
WTCW920AMWhitesburgKentuckyAffiliate
WEZJ-FM104.3FMWilliamsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WNKR106.7FMWilliamstown-Dry RidgeKentuckyAffiliate
WCKY1530AMCincinnatiOhioAffiliate
WKYX-FM94.3FMGolcondaIllinoisAffiliate
WRVC930AMHuntingtonWest VirginiaFootball
WEKX102.7FMJellico-WilliamsburgTennesseeAffiliate
WDXC102.3FMPound, VirginiaVirginiaAffiliate

Notable former affiliates

City of license
(Area served)		StationFrequencyNotes
Bowling GreenWBGNAM 1340Affiliate 1983-19??[11]
WLBJAM 1410This station went defunct in 1991
LexingtonWVLKAM 590Flagship station, 1968–2000
RussellvilleWRUSAM 610Affiliate, 1968-198?
WAKQFM 101.1Affiliate, 1974–1984;[12] operations relocated to Nashville in 1994.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UK Sports Network. 2022-02-19. University of Kentucky Athletics. University of Kentucky. Scroll to the "TV Affiliates" section for television affiliates or "UK Sports Network Radio Affiliates" section for radio affiliates.
  2. Book: Nash, Francis M.. 1995. Towers Over Kentucky: A history of Radio and TV in the Bluegrass State.
  3. http://www.jmisports.com/uk-athletics-awards-multimedia-rights-jmi-sports/ UK Athletics Awards Multimedia Rights to JMI Sports
  4. http://www.jmisports.com/jmi-buys-contract-uk/ JMI Buys Out Contract at UK
  5. News: It's Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center as naming rights agreement rebrands Lexington's premier spot. 27 January 2020. Northern Kentucky Tribune. 30 January 2020.
  6. 2015–16 Kentucky Basketball Media Guide, page 5
  7. Web site: Big Blue Sports Network Will Air "Before the Madness" Special Friday Evening |. 12 October 2016.
  8. 2014–15 Kentucky Men's Basketball Media Guide, page 8.
  9. 2015–16 Kentucky Men's Basketball Media Guide, page 6.
  10. 2015 Kentucky Football Media Guide, page 199.
  11. News: WBGN Radio joining UK network. Park City Daily News. May 29, 1983. 16-A. Google Books.
  12. News: Logan Countians prove loyalty to University of Kentucky. January 13, 1977. 7. Jim. Turner. News-Democrat and Leader. Russellville, Kentucky. Newspapers.com. February 5, 2022.

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