Hounds sign new three-year radio deal

NEWS RELEASE

SOO GREYHOUNDS HOCKEY CLUB

********************* Hounds/Q104 announce new broadcast agreement

Wednesday, May 03, 2006 - The Soo Greyhounds Hockey Club and Q104 (a division of Rogers Broadcasting) are very pleased to announce that a new broadcast deal has been reached between the two parties.

The new three-year deal will see all 68 regular season Greyhound games and playoff games remain on the Number One-rated radio station in Sault Ste. Marie through the 2008/2009 OHL season.

Scott Sexsmith, general manager of the Rogers Sault Ste. Marie Radio Group, says this new three-year deal provides stability for both organizations at a very exciting time.

"We consider the Greyhounds to be a very important part of the community landscape in Sault Ste. Marie and certainly a large part of our fabric at Q104. We wanted Greyhound hockey to continue to play a significant role in our strategic plan, not just from a programming perspective, but from a sense of community perspective as well.

"Frankly it wouldn't be a hockey season without Gerry and Spanky on our station calling every goal and save. Going into a new arena this fall and also knowing how exciting this team is, and certainly will be after Saturday's draft, we wanted to make sure that a long-term deal that satisfied both parties got done, and I'm happy to say we accomplished that."

Sexsmith added that the two organizations will put a lot more emphasis on joint promotions over the next three seasons.

"We want to see our relationship be more than that of a hockey team and a rights holder. We want to see it expand to include more listener participation and interaction and certainly help the team build on what has become a very successful brand."

Greyhounds General Manager Dave Torrie expressed his pleasure in having this long-standing partnership continue as well.

"We are very pleased to have reached this deal with Q104 Radio to continue broadcasting our games. This partnership has been very rewarding and beneficial to our club, the radio station, and most importantly, our loyal fans. We look forward to expanding our partnership with Q104 and further promoting Greyhound hockey within the Algoma District."

With both parties putting emphasis on further coverage of the Hounds on Q104, Hounds play-by-play man Gerry Liscumb Jr. is excited to get things started.

"This is definitely an exciting time for Spanky and myself. We both have our first year behind us and to see both parties (Greyhounds and Q104) committed to expanding the partnership is very exciting. We have talked this past year about wanting to improve on things and get more creative and I think this deal will allow us to accomplish that. We're still over four months away but we will be ready and fans should notice some differences in the upcoming broadcasts."

The first game of 2006/2007 is expected in mid-September and you can hear all the action on 104.3 FM on your radio dial.

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