Northwestern State, Elite Radio Group announce two-year partnership for athletic broadcasts

NATCHITOCHES – The voices of Northwestern State sporting events will sound the same in the 2019-20 season.

Where you can hear them will change.

The Northwestern State Athletics Department announced Tuesday a two-year agreement with Elite Radio Group to be the home of Demon and Lady Demon athletics on radio in and around Natchitoches.

“The NSU-Elite broadcasting partnership will provide the same broadcast quality which our fans have become accustomed to while, at the same time, adding new wrinkles that will enhance the listening experience while also expanding the brand of our teams and student-athletes,” Northwestern State Director of Athletics Greg Burke said.

“Bill Vance (market manager for Elite Radio Group and the Natchitoches Parish Journal) has been a friend of our athletic department for many years, and that will certainly make the flagship station transition smoother. He is appreciated for his investment of time and energy as we worked through the details of an agreement that would be a ‘win-win’ for both NSU and Elite. Our athletic media and marketing staff are looking forward to working with Bill’s staff to promote NSU Athletics in the Natchitoches community and well beyond as well.”

Elite Radio Group is a Natchitoches-based conglomerate that operates three stations – 92.3 The Fox, 94.9 The River, 95.9 Kix Classic Country and 1450 AM. It also publishes the Natchitoches Parish Journal, which reaches more than 40,000 readers per day.

“It’s with great pleasure that we welcome NSU sports to our Elite Radio Group family of stations,” Vance said. “With 92.3 The Fox, 95.9 Kix Classic Country, 94.9 The River and the Natchitoches Parish Journal, we can deliver NSU sports to every listener no matter where they are. Elite Radio Group and NSU sports have just one goal together – to deliver sports programming to one location – yours.”

The details of the agreement keeps the same structure for NSU Athletics broadcasts as has been the case under the previous contract with Baldridge-Dumas Communications.

Elite will air all audio broadcasts of every Northwestern State football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball game. It also will broadcast select baseball and softball games.

Demon football’s new home will be on 94.9 The River while men’s basketball (95.9 Kix Classic Country) and women’s basketball (92.3 The Fox) also will have dedicated radio homes. Spring sports will continue to operate under the same auspices as the previous contract, splitting the spring broadcast schedule. Kix Classic Country will air Demon baseball games while NSU softball transitions to its new home on The Fox.

Broadcasters Patrick Netherton and Tony Taglavore will maintain their roles for all sports.

The move to Elite concludes Northwestern State’s professional relationship with Baldrige-Dumas Communications, which dates back two-plus decades.

“All of us at NSU can never express enough gratitude to Tedd Dumas and his Baldridge-Dumas Communications staff for all their commitment to Demon and Lady Demon athletics through the years,” Burke said. “We wish them all the best and also look forward to staying connected to them.”