Nearsports to Air Beebe Badgers, Agreement Reached

[NEARsports.com]

The Beebe School Board voted to grant broadcast rights to the Badger Radio Network, an affiliate of Nearsports Radio, to broadcast Beebe Badgers Sports beginning with Badger Football this fall.

Shane Smith, longtime voice of the Badgers, has joined Nearsports Radio as the Voice of the Badgers. Nearsports Radio will braodcast Football, Basketball, Baseball and softball for Beebe this coming school year. This becomes Nearsports 2nd 5A East affiliate, joining The Eagles Sports & Activity Network. The Eagles Sports Network will carry Greene County Tech Golden Eagles Football, basketball and Baseball this coming school year along with other sporting events and activities

Join Shane and the Rest of the Nearsports Crew beginning this fall and listen to the Beebe Badgers on Nearsports Radio!

[ss1971]

Hi friends, my name is Shane Smith, and I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself to all of the sports fans in northeast Arkansas. I am very excited to join NEARSports and the Badger Radio Network as a new era in Beebe Badger broadcasts is about to begin. I am not a stranger to northeast Arkansas, as the Badgers had been members of the 5A East for many years, and of as next year, we will be back in the East, where we have made many friends. This season will officially mark my 10th season as being the voice of the Badgers. Last season would've been #10, unfortunately, my former radio employers chose to let me go without an explanation, and I was relegated to being off-air. I began my career in 1999 on a 6,000 watt FM station that is not even a commercial radio station anymore. I worked for that station for two years, doing Badger football. Then, after the station was sold in 2001, the new owner decided to go in a different direction, and I was relegated to being "temporarily retired". In 2002, a local TV station out of Searcy got the broadcast rights for Beebe and I went from broadcasting just football, to doing football, basketball, baseball, and softball. A well known Little Rock auto dealer bought a number of radio stations, in addition to the TV station I was working for, and starting in 2003-04, I simulcasted the live radio broadcasts for football & basketball with tape delayed cable TV broadcasts and did so through the 2007-08 school year. On July 19, I received a phone call from management telling me that I was no longer the voice of the Badgers, and a month later, my wife told me that she wanted a divorce. My divorce will be final this month, yet, we split amicably. Last year was a tough year for me personally and professionally, but I believe that all of this has made me a stronger, and hopefully, a better person. I am a person that lives life day to day, and am very thankful for all opportunities that I have. I am very grateful and thankful to NEARSports for taking a chance on covering Beebe sports. I look forward to meeting all of my co-workers at NEARSports and please do not hesitate to contact me if I can help in any possible. I am a positive, passionate, and professional announcer who does not apologize for being that way. I strive to make the Badger broadcasts the best around. I am looking for a color commentator for the Badger football broadcasts. If you, or anyone else is interested, please send me a PM through here and we'll talk. Once again, many thanks to NEARSports and I look forward to a long and prosperous partnership between the Badgers and NEARSports. Go Badgers!!!!

Shane Smith, voice of the Beebe Badgers on the Badger Radio Network/NEARSports