Radio duo plans to air local baseball games

Two radio announcers want to make sure local high school sports don't go off the airwaves.

Richard Howell and Milton Baker bought airtime from HRN Broadcasting to announce Cherryville High School basketball games on WCSL 1590-AM and plan to do the same for high school and American Legion baseball, Howell said Monday.

Citing tough economic times, HRN general manager Lanny Ford said in a Gazette article last week that the company, which operates five radio stations in the Gaston-Lincoln-Cleveland area, planned to shelve high school basketball and baseball broadcasts. However, he didn't rule out the possibility of selling airtime to individuals who want to broadcast those games.

Howell and Baker have already purchased airtime for 10 Cherryville basketball games. To cover their expenses, they obtained First Baptist Church in Cherryville as a title sponsor in addition to at least six other sponsors, Howell said.

Howell and Baker plan to purchase airtime on WLON 1050-AM for 10 regular-season high school baseball games and 15 to 20 regular-season American Legion baseball games, Howell said.

"Even though the rest of the station considers basketball and baseball financially minor sports, Milton and I realize how important these sports are to the culture of the Lincoln and Gaston County area," Howell said.

You can reach Phillip Gardner at 704-869-1843.