Let’s take a Broncos radio trip from 1960 to 2009.
Anyone remember Bill Reed and Jerry Groom?
Reed, the longtime voice of the Denver Bears, and Groom, an All-America center at Notre Dame in 1950, were the first Broncos announcing team on KBTR 710 AM during the initial season of the American Football League.
Fred Leo, a longtime Denver sports personality, replaced Groom in 1961, and Reed then worked with Al Helfer, who had a national radio network background, for two years.
The games then shifted to KTLN 1280 AM with the legendary Bob Martin working with Joe Finan, a controversial liberal talk-show host.
Next up for a year on KTLN: Finan and Joe McConnell for one season.
The broadcasts then moved to KOA 850 AM, where Martin worked for several seasons with Dick Carlson.
When Carlson left to become the radio voice of the Kansas City Chiefs, Martin and Larry Zimmer began a 19-year radio partnership.
After Martin’s death in 1990 — he was a cancer victim at age 57 — Zimmer worked mostly with Dave Logan.
After Zimmer departed, Logan teamed with Scott Hastings and more recently with David Diaz-Infante.
This time journey takes us to the new season that begins Aug. 14 when the Broncos play the 49ers at San Francisco in a preseason contest.
The new KOA broadcasting team: Logan and committee.
Lee Larsen, president and general manger of Clear Channel in Denver, said two months ago that freelance talent Diaz-Infante would not be back because of tight economic conditions.
KOA planned to fill the position internally.
Such thinking evidently has changed, as Larsen now says the likely scenario will be to use a variety of staff talent and “an outsider or two.”
Names were not mentioned.
Such a plan is a curious way to provide Broncos broadcast coverage.
A major strength in any sports broadcasting radio booth is teamwork: two professionals working together on a yearly — or a least — weekly basis.
Footnote: Anybody know how Groom, who died in Florida in February 2008, got the Broncos’ announcing job?
No one has provided a definitive answer. Speculation is that Groom was a friend of the late Bob Howsam, the first owner of the Broncos.
Birthday party.
ESPN will celebrate its 30th anniversary Sept. 6-7 with special programming featuring Bob Ley, Chris Berman and John Saunders.
Ley, one of the network’s first employees, joined during the first week. Berman signed on a month later. Saunders has been at the network since 1986.
Around the bases.
The incomparable Vin Scully will return in 2010 for his 61st — and final — season as a Dodgers announcer. Scully, 81, told the Los Angeles Times that his good health prompted the decision to work in 2010.
• The Rockies, absent all season from national TV exposure, will be seen Saturday on the MLB Network against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Coverage, aired locally on FSN Rocky Mountain, will be blacked out here on the MLB.
• The MLB Network today will recall the 30th anniversary of events surrounding the plane crash death of Thurman Munson, Yankees catcher and team captain. Several teammates will recall his career. The salute premieres at 4 p.m. and will be repeated throughout the evening
Fearless prediction.
Vic Lombardi told his CBS4 audience last week that the Broncos’ Kyle Orton will win more games during the 2009 season than the Bears’ Jay Cutler.
The Kingery file.
As fans are well aware, KOA’s Jeff Kingery has been broadcasting Rockies road games, even though team management banished him from traveling on the team airplane and bus.
While Kingery pays his travel expenses, KOA covers per diem charges, including hotel rooms and meals.
So Kingery probably will be traveling for the rest of the season.
Rockies officials recently banished Kingery because of an incident June 29 in Los Angeles, after a loss to the Dodgers.
Several sources said Kingery berated the team bus driver after he made a wrong turn.
Lee Larsen, president and general manager of Clear Channel in Denver, said the Rockies’ decision “in no way affects Jeff’s role at the station,” adding that Rockies management also has no quarrel with Kingery’s on-air work.
While KOA pays Kingery and broadcasting partner Jack Cor- rigan, both work with the approval of Rockies management.
Such deals are commonplace in college and professional broadcasting contracts.
Longtime Denver journalist Dusty Saunders writes about sports media each Monday in The Denver Post. Reach him at tvtime@comcast.net.
