PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley Basketball program will return to its original local television provider during the 2010-11 season as PBS affiliate WTVP will carry a minimum of 10 men's basketball games and two women's basketball games this season, according to a joint announcement from WTVP and Bradley this morning.
"WTVP is pleased to once again have the opportunity to provide coverage for the Bradley Braves," said WTVP President and CEO Chet Tomczyk. "Bradley Basketball is so meaningful to the community and we view the opportunity to televise games for both the men's and women's programs as a tremendous service to the community."
WTVP has agreed to broadcast a minimum of 10 men's basketball games and two women's games during he 2010-11 season and will air the games on WTVP World. The broadcast schedule and announcing teams will not be determined until early next month after the Missouri Valley Conference has completed its negotiations with ESPN and FS Midwest for the league-wide television package. WTVP World is available over the air on channel 47.2 and on the digital tier of the local Comcast and Mediacom base cable packages: Comcast Digital Cable channel 218 in Peoria, Morton, Pekin, Canton, Bloomington/Normal and Galesburg areas; Mediacom Digital Cable channel 121 in Fairbury, Atlanta, LeRoy, Heyworth and McLean County.
"The opportunity for Bradley's men's and women's basketball fans throughout Central Illinois to see the Braves has grown considerably through our partnership with WTVP," said Bradley Director of Athletics Dr. Michael Cross. "The ability to have our games available both in a traditional, over-the-air broadcast format, as well as on basic packages through the region's two major cable providers, will expand our visibility and reach to areas that we were not previously able to service."
WTVP provided the first local television broadcasts of Bradley Basketball by airing the first three home games of the 1979-80 season beginning with the Dec. 12 game versus Portland State. More recently, WTVP has broadcast five Bradley games the last four years, including the Feb. 2, 2010 game versus Drake on WTVP World (47.2). In addition, WTVP has been the local television home of the Bradley women's basketball program since 1996, televising 61 women's games the last 14 years.
WTVP is the PBS affiliate for Central Illinois and is available to more than 700,000 viewers in the 22-county region surrounding Peoria, Bloomington/Normal and Galesburg. Its three channels include WTVP 47.1 in high definition, 47.2 the World channel and 47.3 the Create channel. WTVP is currently seeking sponsorship partners from area businesses and organizations. Interested parties should contact Phil Zeni, Vice President of Development at (309) 495-0561 or phil.zeni@wtvp.org.
