Columnist Ron Kantowski: Wolf Pack invading Rebels’ air space on KSHP

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 | 9:33 a.m.

Ron Kantowski is a Las Vegas Sun sports writer. Reach him at ron@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4088.

If there is a boundary dividing north from south in the UNLV-UNR sports rivalry, most would draw it in the vicinity of Tonopah. A Las Vegas radio station wants to extend it farther south.

KSHP 1400-AM is in negotiations to air nine Nevada-Reno football games to its Southern Nevada audience in the fall, which would make it the only radio station in the Silver State to have a relationship with both of its Division I schools.

Although KSHP also carries Lady Rebels basketball and UNLV baseball, general manager Brett Grant doesn't see a conflict, just a good business opportunity, in adding Wolf Pack sports.

"It's a nice market for us to be in because there are a lot of people in Las Vegas who attended school in Reno," Grant said. "It's just a good time, with Chris Ault coming back (as UNR football coach) and with the breakthrough season the basketball team had. It's kind of like the glory days are back."

For the record, nobody at UNLV seems to upset by the situation. But at least one person I spoke to in the athletic department seemed less than thrilled -- not so much that KSHP was adding UNR to its lineup, but that several of the UNR telecasts will air opposite UNLV games on ESPN 920. In addition to listeners, the stations could also could wind up battling for the same advertising dollars.

Grant said KSHP also may join the UNR network in basketball -- the departure of coach Trent Johnson to Stanford notwithstanding. But if that happens, he said the Lady Rebels would receive priority in the event of a scheduling conflict. This will be the final year of KSHP's three-year contract to air UNLV women's basketball.

That's why UNR football is a good fit for KSHP, which is also part of the Brigham Young and Southern Cal football networks. Most of those games air during the day while UNR plays mostly at night.

Grant said KSHP would defer to ESPN 920 when the Rebels and Wolf Pack meet Oct. 2.

"We'll protect UNLV's rights. We won't carry the UNLV game, just like we don't carry the BYU game (when the Rebels and Cougars play)," he said.

Around the horn

One of the most remarkable aspects about Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak is that after it was stopped, the Yankee Clipper embarked on another mini streak of 16 games. That won't be the case for the Smoky Chucker, Cimarron-Memorial grad Brad Thompson, who finally gave up a run last week at Double-A Tennessee, ending his minor league record for consecutive innings pitched at 57. Thompson (7-1) was roughed up for seven runs on nine hits, including three home runs, and was chased in the fifth inning as the Smokies lost 12-4 at Carolina Monday night. ...

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