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| Dale Duff photo credit: Bangor Daily News |
In a recent article dated May 31, 2012, Bangor Daily News Staff writer, Larry Mahoney, discusses King’s decision to terminate sportscasters Dale Duff and Clem Labree from the WZON staff.
King hired Duff 19 years ago tobe the sports director, and it was Stephen King himself who delivered the news Thursday to Duff and LaBree.
The article quotes Duff, “He said we were losing too much money. He said it didn’t have anything to do with broadcast quality. He thanked us for our hard work.” He also said that there wasn't another station in Maine that did what they did "sports-wise."
Mahoney also notes that the 24 hour sports format was ditched recently in favor of a liberal talk show format in November 2010. He gives these short headlines of recent news at WZON and other King stations:
The Zone Corp. has undergone a number of changes in recent years.
The 24-hour, all-sports format was ditched in favor of a progressive liberal talk show format in November 2010.
Duff and LaBree had their 6-9 a.m. sports talk show shifted to 4-6 p.m.
The FM station, 103.1 The Pulse, has been simulcast with WZON-AM although sports broadcasts were carried exclusively on the AM station.
Rock station WKIT-FM 100.3 also is part of the Zone Corp.
In 2008, WZON lost the broadcast rights for University of Maine games to Clear Channel and Learfield Communications.
King signed a three-year contract to broadcast Boston Red Sox games this past offseason, but that represents the only sports on the station.
Duff and LaBree have broadcast a number of high school games in addition to Husson University contests up until Thursday.
In fact, Duff, LaBree and Toby Nelson combined to do a pair of high school baseball games on Wednesday.
“I can’t say I’m devastated. I don’t know how I feel,” said Duff, who was composed but obviously disappointed.
WZON-AM was chosen by The Associated Press as the state’s best station on two occasions and won 135 awards.
“I think we served the community well sportswise,” said Duff, who is president of Bangor East Side Little League. “It’s all about local sports now. When we were doing University of Maine games, we did 120 Maine games and 150 high school games in one year. We carried every [Boston] championship including two Boston Red Sox World Series championships, last year’s Bruins Stanley Cup title, the Celtics’ championship in 2008 and the Patriots’ [three] Super Bowl wins.
“There isn’t a station in Maine that did what we did, sportswise,” he added.
The 54-year-old Duff, a Houlton native who has been a fixture in the Bangor media for 34 years including a stint as sports director/anchor at WLBZ-TV Channel 2, said he isn’t sure about his future but he would like to stay in sports.
WZON-AM was chosen by The Associated Press as the state’s best station on two occasions and won 135 awards.
The full article is HERE.
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