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]

UK Sports Network
TypeRadio network
Television network
Country
HeadquartersLexington, Kentucky
Broadcast area
Kentucky and neighboring states
OwnerJMI Sports (UK Sports & Campus Marketing)
EstablishedSeptember 1968
Affiliation(s)Kentucky Wildcats
Affiliates44 (Radio)
5 (Television)
Official website
Radio and television affiliates

History

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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

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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:

  • Radio rights to UK's football, men's and women's basketball and baseball games (Television rights are covered by Southeastern Conference broadcasting arrangements, including the SEC Network);
  • Stadium and arena corporate signage and game programs for all home UK events. (Prior to 2018, Rupp Arena corporate signage was managed by Learfield Sports (Rupp Arena Sports and Entertainment Properties) under a contract with the Lexington Center Corporation (LCC), who manages the arena for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. In 2018, control of all multimedia rights for the Lexington Center (including Rupp Arena), including naming rights, were turned over to the university, who subsequently awarded those rights to JMI.);
  • Naming rights to university athletics facilities and premium areas;
  • Sponsorship on UKathletics.com;
  • Game sponsorships and game promotions;
  • Coaches' endorsements;
  • Pre and postgame television shows and specials and postseason highlight DVDs;
  • Video features on video boards;
  • Opportunities to develop UK Athletics Corporate Partnership Program; and
  • The potential, at the university's discretion, to market campus multimedia rights, creating the potential for an integrated approach to multimedia rights and marketing.[3]

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

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Current

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  • Tom Leach – play-by-play commentator (football 1997–present, men's basketball, 2001–present)
  • Jack "Goose" Givens – game analyst (men's basketball, 2022–present)[6]
  • Jeff Piecoro – game analyst (football)

Former[6]

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  • Claude Sullivan, play-by-play commentator (men's basketball and football 1948–1967)
  • Cawood Ledford, play-by-play commentator (1953–1992)
  • Ralph Hacker – color analyst (1973–1993), play-by-play commentator (men's basketball 1993–2001, football 1993–1997)
  • JB Faulconer, play by play commentator (1944–1953) men's basketball (Rupp), men's football (Bryant)
  • Neil Price – play-by-play commentator (women's basketball, 2005–2017)
  • Mike Pratt – color analyst (men's basketball and football 2001–2022)[6]

Over-the air television affiliates

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Current

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City of license (Market) Station Channel Primary affiliation Notes
Bowling Green WBKO
WBKO-DT2
13.1
13.2
ABC
Fox
Johnson City, TN WJHL 11.1 CBS
Lexington WLEX-TV 18.1 NBC Flagship station of the network's television division
Louisville WHAS 11.1 ABC
Paducah WPSD 6.1 NBC

Former

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City of license/Market Station Channel Primary affiliation Notes
Cape Girardeau, MO KBSI-DT2 22.2 MyNetworkTV Simulcast of WDKA/Paducah
Evansville, IN WTVW 7.1 The CW
Hazard WYMT-TV 57.1 CBS Semi-satellite of WKYT/Lexington
Hopkinsville WKAG-CA 43 America One This station went defunct in 2011.
Huntington, WVA (Charleston) WSAZ 3.1 NBC
Lexington WKYT-TV 27.1 CBS Acted as the network's television flagship until 2020.
Louisville WDRB 41.1 Fox Replaced by WBKI in 2016.
Salem, Indiana (Louisville) WBKI[7] 58.1 The CW Formerly WMYO; replaced the original WBKI in 2017.

Radio

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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]

Callsign Frequency Band City State Network status
WLAP 630 AM Lexington Kentucky Flagship
WBUL-FM 98.1 FM Lexington Kentucky Flagship
WCMI 1340 AM Ashland Kentucky Affiliate
WCBL 1290 AM Benton Kentucky Affiliate
WLFX 106.7 FM Berea Kentucky Affiliate
WMMG 1140 AM Brandenburg Kentucky Affiliate
WMMG-FM 93.5 FM Brandenburg Kentucky Affiliate
WGGC 95.1 FM Bowling Green Kentucky Affiliate
WSEK-FM 93.9 FM Burnside-Somerset Kentucky Affiliate
WKDZ 1110 AM Cadiz Kentucky Affiliate
WKDZ-FM 106.5 FM Cadiz Kentucky Affiliate
WCKQ 104.1 FM Campbellsville Kentucky Affiliate
WAIN 1270 AM Columbia Kentucky Affiliate
WAIN-FM 93.5 FM Columbia Kentucky Affiliate
WCTT 680 AM Corbin Kentucky Affiliate
WCTT-FM 107.3 FM Corbin Kentucky Affiliate
WCMI-FM 92.7 FM Catlettsburg-Ashland-Huntington Kentucky Affiliate
WFLE 1060 AM Flemingsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WFLE-FM 95.1 FM Flemingsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WFRT 103.7 FM Frankfort Kentucky Affiliate
WUGO 99.7 FM Grayson Kentucky Affiliate
WCBL-FM 99.1 FM Grand Rivers-Benton-Calvert City Kentucky Affiliate
WLGC-FM 105.7 FM Greenup Kentucky Affiliate
WKYA 105.5 FM Greenville Kentucky Men's basketball
WXBC 104.3 FM Hardinsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WFSR 970 AM Harlan Kentucky Affiliate
WTUK 105.1 FM Harlan Kentucky Affiliate
WSGS 101.1 FM Hazard Kentucky Affiliate
WSON 860 AM Henderson Kentucky Affiliate
WHOP 1230 AM Hopkinsville Kentucky Affiliate
W237BV 95.3 FM Hopkinsville Kentucky n/a (WHOP simulcast)
WHOP-FM 98.7 FM Hopkinsville Kentucky Affiliate
WJRS 104.9 FM Jamestown-Russell Springs Kentucky Affiliate
WIFX-FM 94.3 FM Jenkins-Pikeville-Hazard Kentucky Affiliate
WRNZ 105.1 FM Lancaster-Danville Kentucky Affiliate
WKHG 104.9 FM Leitchfield Kentucky Affiliate
WFTG 1400 AM London Kentucky Affiliate
WWEL 103.9 FM London Kentucky Affiliate
WHAS 840 AM Louisville Kentucky Football/men's basketball
WKJK 1080 AM Louisville Kentucky Women's basketball
WKTG 93.9 FM Madisonville Kentucky Affiliate
WKLB 1200 AM Manchester Kentucky Affiliate
W283AH 104.5 FM Manchester Kentucky n/a (WKLB simulcast)
WLLE 102.1 FM Mayfield Kentucky Affiliate
WNGO 1320 AM Mayfield Kentucky Affiliate
W238AN 95.5 FM Mayfield Kentucky n/a (WNGO simulcast)
WFTM 1240 AM Maysville Kentucky Affiliate
WFTM-FM 95.9 FM Maysville Kentucky Affiliate
WFTM 101.7 FM Monticello Kentucky Affiliate
WIVY 96.3 FM Morehead Kentucky Affiliate
WMSK 1550 AM Morganfield Kentucky Affiliate
WBKR 92.5 FM Owensboro Kentucky Affiliate
WOMI 1490 AM Owensboro Kentucky Affiliate
WKYX 570 AM Paducah Kentucky Affiliate
WSIP 1490 AM Paintsville Kentucky Affiliate
WSIP-FM 98.9 FM Paintsville Kentucky Affiliate
WPKE 1240 AM Pikeville Kentucky Affiliate
WDHR 93.1 FM Pikeville Kentucky Affiliate
WDOC 1310 AM Prestonsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WQHY 95.5 FM Prestonsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WWKY-FM 104.9 FM Princeton Kentucky Affiliate
WPKY 1580 AM Princeton Kentucky Affiliate
WREF 97.7 FM Sebree-Madisonville Kentucky Affiliate
WAKY-FM 103.5 FM Radcliff-Elizabethtown-Fort Knox Kentucky Football/men's basketball
W243CU 96.5 FM Sebree-Henderson Kentucky n/a (WSON simulcast)
WSFC 1240 AM Somerset Kentucky Affiliate
WMSK-FM 101.3 FM Sturgis-Morganfield Kentucky Affiliate
WXKQ-FM 103.9 FM Whitesburg Kentucky Affiliate
WTCW 920 AM Whitesburg Kentucky Affiliate
WEZJ-FM 104.3 FM Williamsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WNKR 106.7 FM Williamstown-Dry Ridge Kentucky Affiliate
WCKY 1530 AM Cincinnati Ohio Affiliate
WKYX-FM 94.3 FM Golconda Illinois Affiliate
WRVC 930 AM Huntington West Virginia Football
WEKX 102.7 FM Jellico-Williamsburg Tennessee Affiliate
WDXC 102.3 FM Pound, Virginia Virginia Affiliate

Notable former affiliates

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City of license
(Area served)
Station[8] Frequency Notes
Bowling Green WBGN AM 1340 Affiliate 1983-19??[11]
WLBJ AM 1410 This station went defunct in 1991
Lexington WVLK AM 590 Flagship station, 1968–2000
Russellville WRUS AM 610 Affiliate, 1968-198?
WAKQ FM 101.1 Affiliate, 1974–1984;[12] operations relocated to Nashville in 1994.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "UK Sports Network". University of Kentucky Athletics. University of Kentucky. Retrieved 2022-02-19. Scroll to the "TV Affiliates" section for television affiliates or "UK Sports Network Radio Affiliates" section for radio affiliates.
  2. ^ a b Nash, Francis M. (1995). Towers Over Kentucky: A history of Radio and TV in the Bluegrass State.
  3. ^ UK Athletics Awards Multimedia Rights to JMI Sports
  4. ^ JMI Buys Out Contract at UK
  5. ^ "It's Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center as naming rights agreement rebrands Lexington's premier spot". Northern Kentucky Tribune. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  6. ^ a b c 2015–16 Kentucky Basketball Media Guide, page 5
  7. ^ "Big Blue Sports Network Will Air "Before the Madness" Special Friday Evening |". 12 October 2016.
  8. ^ a b 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. ^ "WBGN Radio joining UK network". Park City Daily News. May 29, 1983. p. 16-A – via Google Books.
  12. ^ Turner, Jim (January 13, 1977). "Logan Countians prove loyalty to University of Kentucky". News-Democrat and Leader. Russellville, Kentucky. p. 7. Retrieved February 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.