Panther sports will now be broadcasted by Icicle Broadcasting stations KOHO and Z-country instead of Cherry Creek Radio station KPQ, the broadcaster for WHS sports for nearly 50 years.

Former athletic director and current Dean of Students BJ Kuntz was approached by KOHO Radio last year, seeking coverage of Panther sports. Icicle Broadcasting was given permission to cover Panther sports, but KPQ was not cut off. This decision was made by Kuntz and the incoming Athletic Director Jim Beeson. According to Kuntz, there has not been a specific process in the past to approve radio coverage of sports.

“We saw an opportunity to start covering [Wenatchee High School] sports and felt that it was a good fit,” Elliott Salmon, General Manager of Icicle Broadcasting, said. Icicle Broadcasting already covers some Leavenworth, Chelan, and Brewster high school sports.

“We were able to answer the need to provide a consistent home for the games and will be happy to also add girls’ basketball to the lineup,” Salmon said. “We think the school and community members will be happy with the change.”

KPQ was not notified that Icicle Broadcasting would also be covering Panther sports.

“To me, [allowing Icicle Broadcasting to cover Panther sports] was kind of a non-issue,” Kuntz said. “There was no intent to keep anything from anybody at any time.”

There was no financial gain by WHS or the school district to have media coverage, and WHS does not pay for radio coverage, according to Kuntz.

According to Cherry Creek Radio manager Kevin Andrus, an advertising customer told Cherry Creek Radio that Icicle Broadcasting was selling sponsorships to a Wenatchee High School football show. When Cherry Creek Radio contacted the high school broadcast team for information, they were told that they were “not going to get in the middle of this.”

Andrus then attempted to contact Wenatchee School District’s Kuntz, Principal Bob Celebrezze, and Superintendent Brian Flones. Kuntz said that she did not receive a call from Andrus.

“It was about this time that a large sign went up on Icicle Broadcasting’s building claiming themselves as the new home for Wenatchee (High School) sports,” Andrus said in an email.  According to Salmon, this sign is still up. When Andrus contacted the superintendent’s office, they were “confused and totally unaware of a broadcasting partner change.” Assistant Superintendent Jon DeJong said in an email that the district did “look into it” and he asked some questions.

Andrus then met with DeJong.

“We were offered an apology from the school district because there were some individuals who made an agreement with the other broadcast company – all done without approval from the administration’s office,” Andrus said. Andrus did not release these names, but said that Cherry Creek Radio never received a letter, phone call, or email to make them aware that a change was needed for radio coverage of Panther sports.

DeJong verified that an apology was made as well as a proposition for Cherry Creek Radio to broadcast alongside Icicle Broadcasting. However, many of the advertisers had already bought sponsorships from Icicle Broadcasting, which would have “made it very difficult to to cover our costs to air the games, so we passed,” Andrus said.

“It saddened all of us at Cherry Creek Radio and KPQ who have been such a big supporter of Wenatchee High School athletics for nearly 60 years,” Andrus said. “We continue to root for WHS.”

Z-Country 94.7 FM will cover all of the varsity football games and KOHO 101.1 FM will cover all of the varsity girls and boys basketball games during the season. KPQ will no longer be broadcasting these games, but the same radio show hosts will anchor coverage on the new networks.

Games will also be broadcast via Icicle Broadcasting’s websites, zcountry947.com and kohoradio.com, for listeners who live outside of the radio listening area.