Hendersonville’s Tykel Landrum (7) and the Bearcats will be part of the season’s first live-televised game on WMYA-TV (40).
After a little negotiating, live TV is back on the table for Western North Carolina football this season.
Local station WMYA-TV (40) announced Wednesday that it will go forward with a plan to carry 10 regular-season games.
The scheduled broadcasts, all on Thursday nights, start with an Aug. 25 game between Hendersonville and West Henderson (at West).
The lineup for “Bojangles’ Thursday Night Lights” was released in June.
However, a contractual issue with Charter Communications arose shortly after that. Charter owns Time Warner Cable which broadcasts games in the central and eastern parts of the state. Charter owns exclusive rights to live-televised NCHSAA football per a contract with the state association.
WMYA has since worked out an agreement with Charter and the NCHSAA. WMYA is the sister station of WLOS and was able to show four WNC games in 2015 without any special allowance — Mitchell at Polk County, Erwin at Roberson, Owen at Hendersonville and Asheville at North Buncombe.
“This is a major initiative that has been received incredibly well by school administrators, parents and players all over Western North Carolina,” WLOS/WMYA general manager Jack Connors said.
WMYA also broadcasts Upstate South Carolina games on Friday nights.
Here is the TV schedule for this upcoming season:
Aug. 25 Hendersonville at West Henderson
Sept. 1 Asheville at Pisgah
Sept. 8 Robbinsville at Christ School
Sept. 15 Cherokee at Smoky Mountain
Sept. 22 North Buncombe at Enka
Sept. 29 Brevard at TuscolaOct. 6 Polk County at Mitchell
Oct. 20 East Henderson at FranklinOct. 27 Roberson at Reynolds
Nov. 3 Asheville at Erwin
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