sports

Familiar voices and radio stations will call and carry the action of Northwestern State football again this fall, beginning Saturday evening as the Demons kick off the season against the University of Houston Cougars.

With the network flagshipped by 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches, affiliate stations remain the same in Shreveport-Bossier City (92.1 FM KSYR) and Alexandria-Pineville (104.3 FM The Tiger, KEZP), along with Many-Zwolle's 99.9 KTEZ FM.

The broadcasts will also be provided free of charge on the internet through the www.nsudemons.com website, by using the "listen to the game" button, so fans around the world can hear every Northwestern game this season.

"Our Demon Sports Network broadcasts reach an extensive potential audience for many miles in every direction around Natchitoches, and then outward from the key markets we serve in Shreveport-Bossier City and Alexandria-Pineville. This is the core of our student population, our alumni base and our recruiting area so it's a huge part of the audience we want to reach to promote NSU and Northwestern State athletics," said director of athletics Greg Burke.

"Providing our broadcasts online through provides listeners around the world the enjoyment of following the excitement of NSU sports as the plays unfold," said Burke. "We have heard from alumni and friends around the nation and beyond who appreciate that we provide this free of charge."

Back for his seventh year as the primary play by play announcer for Northwestern athletics is Shreveporter Patrick Netherton, who will lead the game broadcast in football and handle men's basketball and baseball/softball. Returning for his second season as color analyst is veteran Shreveport broadcaster Tony Taglavore, a KSLA-TV sportscaster for 12 years. Taglavore will also call Lady Demon basketball games again this season and will handle some baseball and softball broadcasts.

Two more veterans round out the on-site Demon Sports Network football crew: sideline reporter Jack "Britt" Brittain Jr., a four-year letterman from 1974-78 and part of the team since 1997, and engineer/statistician Davey Antilley, on board since the early 1990s.

"We're very proud of the people involved with the Demon Sports Network," said Burke. "We have a tremendous broadcast team to bring the excitement of Northwestern State football to listeners again this fall. We hear from fans of opposing teams who have praise for the call of our games when they are listening online, and that says a lot. NSU fans enjoy listening, but so do sports fans in general, and even fans of the other team."

The stations in Natchitoches and Many-Zwolle are operated by Baldridge-Dumas Communications, a longtime partner of Northwestern State athletics.

"We appreciate our affiliate partners, and the local sponsors, in Shreveport-Bossier and Alexandria-Pineville," said Burke. "We're fortunate to have a network host in Tedd Dumas, Ed Baldridge, and Baldridge-Dumas Communications that provides us with a great flagship station whose staff works hard to ensure a high quality product each game."

All Northwestern game broadcasts will be aired on those stations, including a 30-minute pregame show and a 15-minute postgame recap that will feature live interviews with Demons' coach Bradley Dale Peveto and NSU players.