For Ky. Fans, Basketball Is Just Phone Call Away

University of Kentucky basketball fans too far away to pick up Wildcat radio broadcasts won’t have to scramble any more to listen; they can let their fingers do the walking.

With Host Communications, owner of broadcast-television rights, and originating station WVLK, the university is offering seven games via a 900 number.

Listeners will have to pay 75 cents for the first minute and 45 cents for each minute thereafter to dial 900-903-3700 to get the Wildcats live by telephone.

“It’s going to be really interesting,” said Ralph Hacker, executive general manager of WVLK. “The best idea would be to get a bunch of buddies together to help share the cost, then put it on a speaker phone.”

Approximate cost of listening to a two-hour game broadcast is $54.30. Also available will be several shows, featuring call-ins, Coach Rick Pitino, game stars and scoreboard reports, before and after the game, extending the presentation to as long as 5 1/2 hours. The cost of listening to it all would be about $148.80.

Mike Dodson, network coordinator for Host, said Kentucky fans have gone to great lengths to get radio broadcasts.

“They’ve driven around and parked under a bridge, angled their car one way and their antenna another, rolled down the window and told the dog in the back seat not to move,” he said.

Hacker said several fans have called during pregame talk shows to ask about the service.

“Two calls were from Florida and one from Texas,” he said. “A lot of fans go down to Florida to spend the winter.”

Fans need not subscribe in advance.

Games on the 900 service will be Florida on Jan. 10, Alabama on Jan. 17, Tennessee on Jan. 20, at Florida on Feb. 12, at Alabama on Feb. 17, at Tennessee on Feb. 21 and at Notre Dame on March 5.