In a pact that could forge a link, albeit only indirectly, between Portland Beavers manager Rick Sweet and singer "Sweet Baby" James Taylor, Portland Family Entertainment has landed a broadcasting deal with Portlandıs largest radio group.
PFE said it has entered a four-year "strategic relationship" with Infinity Broadcasting Corp., home to six local radio stations, including KINK-FM, KKJZ-FM and KUFO-FM. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Infinity's KUPL-AM will carry all Portland Beavers Class AAA baseball games and most Portland Timbers A-League soccer games.
The agreement also calls for Infinity to promote PGE Park events, including at least three concerts, on its six Portland stations. Infinity is a division of media giant Viacom, which owns nearly 180 stations in 22 states.
Stan Mak, vice president and general manager of KINK, said the group will work to bring three concerts that Infinity will co-promote with PFE to the renovated stadium. The radio group will also host several yet-to-be-determined community events at the park. PFE can host up to eight concerts a year.
PFE Chairman Marshall Glickman said several stations expressed interest in a PFE radio deal. Infinity won the contract in part because its six stations can host a variety of concerts, ranging from the "smooth jazz" KKJZ genre to the heavy-metal stylings of bands heard on KUFO.
Also, Glickman said, Infinity expressed interest in using the park for a series of unspecified nonsports ventures.
"This thing is going to blossom into a very unique and special partnership that will result in things we do together outside of baseball," Glickman said.
The "Schonz" returns
Longtime Blazer broadcaster Bill Schonely will serve as play-by-play announcer for all Beavers games. Schonely began his career in baseball, calling games for the Seattle Rainiers in the Pacific Coast League and the American League Seattle Pilots, which played one year in 1969 before moving to Milwaukee.
Schonely also will host pregame and postgame shows. The pregame show, to be called "Sweet Talk" will feature segments with manager Sweet. Schonely will interview players immediately after each PGE Park game.
Glickman said PFE is still looking to hire a color commentator to join Schonely, as well as radio broadcasters for the Timbers.
Infinity, Mak said, will devote around 700 hours of programming, including 144 Beavers games and 30 Timbers games.
Mak said the "community events" called for in the contract might include such seasonal offerings as turning the park into a fund-raising haunted house in the fall.
PFE, which is overseeing the parkıs renovation and operating it for the city, signed a ³good neighbor agreement² with neighbors last spring that essentially requires PGE Park concerts to fall below certain noise decibels.
"Obviously we are mindful and respectful of sound regulations that the good neighbor agreement put into play," Mak said. "Based on what we know, it shouldn't get in the way of putting on concerts at PGE Park. Weıll be respectful to neighbors."
The concerts, Glickman said, will most likely resemble festivals in nature in that theyıll feature performances by multiple acts with booths that line the music area's periphery.
Schonely said he's looking forward to getting back into baseball.
"I'm just now finding out who we have here," he said. "I'm going down to spring training in a few days to spend some time with (the San Diego Padres, the Beavers' parent club). And when we have our first broadcast on April 5, hopefully, I'll know everybody." Schonely said he could be available for some of the PFE/Infinity community service events, too.
"I've been doing community service events pretty much nonstop for 30 years," he said. "I guess I'll just keep doing it."
Glickman said PFE is about two-thirds of the way toward reaching its goal of attracting 30 companies to sponsor events at PGE Park.
The Beavers' first game is April 5 in Tucson, Ariz. The team's first eight home games will be played in Pasco, Wash., beginning April 13 against the Memphis Redbirds.
The first home game at PGE Park is scheduled for April 30 against the Fresno Grizzlies.
Contact Andy Giegerich at agiegerich@portlandtribune.com.
