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| SPORTSLINE is a Cable-TV sports talk show that began more than 40 years ago, prompted by listeners of WKPA Radio, New Kensington, Pa., as a forum to debate local sports issues. - Mike Rice, former basketball standout at Duquesne University, now color analyst for the NBA Portland Trailblazers, was the first host of the weekly show. - When Rice left the show, my broadcast partner, Joe Falsetti, took over as host. Eventually, both Joe and I would act as co-hosts and soon the program was carried as a simulcast with Comcast Cablevision, also in New Kensington. The live show originated across the street in the TV studios. - When the radio station was sold, Joe and I continued as TV co-hosts and the program moved to an evening prime-time slot. With sponsors waiting in line, a second weeknight program was added. - A two-hour sports trivia show became part of the mix on the first Saturday of each month. All of this on top of our weekly play-play-play of high school games in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, wrestling and more. - The program filled a void and Joe and I worked well together for some four decades until his passing in 2006. I believe the only program that has been on TV longer than SPORTSLINE is MEET THE PRESS. I think we've surpassed the many GUNSMOKE episodes. Click on the PHOTOS page for visual references. - The program continues on Comcast today and recently, I went back on radio to relate nostalgic sports stories on WAVL, Apollo/Pittsburgh, Pa., 910 on the AM dial (5,000 watts). The half-hour show airs Saturday mornings at 10:00. - This radio program has gone to syndication with the addition of radio station WEPM, Sportsradio 1340, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The program there is scheduled Saturday mornings at 9:30. To listen to the program at that time, click here, then click on "listen live". | ||||||||||
