Sports talk radio that focuses on the things that make sports good shouldn’t be such a novelty.
But this is a radio market dominated by WEEI, whose callers and hosts fill the airwaves with criticism of players, coaches and general managers.
But without the likes of Glen Ordway, perhaps the approach of Bill Carpenter, Dominic Domiano and Bob Bladd wouldn’t be so refreshing.
Bill Wilhelm, Damiano and Bladd host sports talk radio shows that feature interviews with local amateur athletes, and they also encourage listeners to add their voice to the broadcasts by calling in during the show.
“The overall purpose is to highlight youth groups and high schoolers in the southeastern Mass area,” said Damiano. “We hear enough about the punks that are causing trouble. These are the kids trying to keep themselves up and trying to grab that scholarship.
“And if they don’t, at least they can hopefully say they had a good experience on our show.
“Every coach that comes on, every athlete, they’ll shake my hand, and they’re just overwhelmed by happiness.”
Damiano and his co-host, Del Lane, began their Saturday morning broadcasts of 4 Deep Sports Talk on WVBF 1530 AM just a couple of months ago, but have already built an audience that is estimated to be between 12,000-14,000 listeners.
Bladd is also a fresh voice on the airwaves. His show, “The QCU Sports Corner,” which is part of 1510 The Zone’s Sunday morning broadcast schedule, is also less than a year old.
“With kids, it’s a challenge for me to interview them over the air because they can get nervous,” Bladd said. “It’s a challenge, that’s for sure, but it’s a fun challenge.
“The parents are listening, there’s a buzz around the school, the kids are psyched that they actually can call into the show. The feedback that we’re getting is outstanding, to tell you the truth.”
Yet, Bladd hasn’t received many on-air call-ins, something he finds curious. And, despite the overall excitement that his program has generated in Quincy, Bladd is struggling to find advertisers willing to invest in his show, leaving the future of “QCU Sports Corner” in jeopardy.
Wilhelm’s show, “The Sports Exchange,” has been running for three decades. It airs Sunday evenings on WATD 95.9 FM., and Wilhelm estimates that it reaches approximately 50,000 listeners.
“We have a lot of fun doing it, and as long as it remains fun, I’ll keep doing it,” said Wilhelm. “I believe every kid deserves a pat on the back every day.”
Carpenter’s voice can be heard broadcasting Brockton High School games on 1460 AM.
“It doesn’t pay a whole lot of money,” he said. “One of our running jokes used to be if we did a road game and stopped for dinner, we probably lost money for the day.
“It’s something you do as a hobby because you enjoy doing it, and it’s a labor of love.”
All four men recognize the significance of sports, not only in the lives of the athletes themselves, but in their surrounding communities as well.
“During football season, everywhere I go, every day of the week, people stop me and ask about the team,” Carpenter said.
“Sometimes I have to remind them that I’ve never played a down of football at Brockton High School. It just goes to show you how much widespread interest there is in it.”
But perhaps more importantly for Wilhelm, Damiano, Lane, Carpenter and Bladd, these shows serve as an outlet for something about which they are passionate.
“Sports is the greatest thing in the world,” said Wilhelm. “Sports bring people together, and you meet a lot of nice people through sports. If you want to become part of your community, just go and attend one of the local high school games.”
