KNOXVILLE -- The Vol Network’s newest radio program, “Big Orange Countdown”, debuts Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern time (7 p.m. Central) across the state of Tennessee. Hosted by Bob Kesling and former Vol and NFL quarterback Pat Ryan, “Big Orange Countdown” will be a one-hour, primetime Tennessee football preview show focusing on the Vols upcoming game. The show airs during football season for 15 consecutive weeks and will be the bookend compliment to Monday night’s “Vol Calls” program.

Thursday’s initial program will be from the studio, but following week (Sept. 6), the show originates from Market Square in downtown Knoxville from the site of the “Big Orange Blast,” a free-to-the-public UT pep rally and concert. Beginning Sept. 13, the show settles into its home at the popular Wild Wing Café in West Knoxville near the Turkey Creek shopping district for the remainder of the season.

Fans can call in and ask questions beginning with the Sept. 6 show by dialing 800-688-8657, or Tennessee customers of Verizon Wireless can dial *UT. Fans are encouraged to check with their local Vol Radio Network affiliate to find out if the station is carrying “Big Orange Countdown.”

VOL NETWORK ANNOUNCES NEW MEMPHIS RADIO AFFILIATE AM 680
Host Communications/Vol Network and the University of Tennessee are proud to announce that AM 680 will be the new Vol Radio Network affiliate in Memphis beginning with the 2007 season.

AM 680 will be the new home in Memphis and West Tennessee for University of Tennessee football, men’s basketball and the network’s Monday-night prime time coaches call-in show, “Vol Calls.” AM 680 is owned and operated by Entercom Radio of Memphis.

“We are extremely excited to be partnered with AM 680 as the new home of the Tennessee Volunteers in Memphis,” said Glenn Thackston, Director of Operations Host/ Vol Network. “The station has the commitment to programming and the signal and coverage area to service the large number of Tennessee alumni and fans in located Memphis/Shelby County and the surrounding area. We have been very impressed with the station’s enthusiasm for carrying the Vols and equally impressed with the leadership and direction of the station by market manager Clint Sly and his staff.”

AM 680, WSMB is a 10,000-watt station covering a large portion of West Tennessee and deep into Mississippi and Arkansas. In addition to being the radio affiliate for UT athletics in Memphis, the station will be a marketing and promotional partner with the Vol Network and the University of Tennessee.

AM 680 is the latest anchor to one of the largest collegiate radio networks in the country. The network boasts more than 70 affiliates located in three different states, blanketing the state of Tennessee and covering a large portion of the Southeast. The Vol Network has the strongest lineup of radio stations in the country with five 100,000-watt FMs, a clear channel 50,000-watt AM station and, now counting AM 680, two 10,000-watt AM stations among its ranks.
Entercom is one of the nation's largest radio broadcasters, with operations in San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Denver, Sacramento, Portland, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Austin, Norfolk, Buffalo, New Orleans, Providence, Memphis, Greensboro, Rochester, Greenville/Spartanburg, Madison, Wichita, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Springfield and Gainesville/Ocala.

Local contact (Memphis) Cindy Debardelaben, Director of Marketing, Entercom Radio Memphis
Dennis Fuller, Program Director, AM 680 WSMB

(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)