Radio World Buyer’s Guide articles are intended to help readers understand why their colleagues chose particular products to solve various technical situations. This month’s articles focus on products that support remotes and sports broadcasting.
Across the U.S., the fall high school sports season is an exciting time not just for the student athletes but for the communities their teams represent.
Most of us are aware of the “Friday Night Lights” phenomenon that brings together small towns all over America. Recently, 102.7 KPGZ(FM) in Kearney, Mo., helped amplify that community spirit with a live broadcast of the Kearney High School Bulldogs’ boys football team on their quest to claim the Missouri High School MSHSAA Show-Me Bowl 2025 Football State 4A Championship.
The varsity boys football team went undefeated in 2025. KPGZ aimed to capture the momentum.
“All of our high school athletes do a wonderful job of representing their school and it reflects so well on the community,” said Brian Watts, KPGZ’s general manager.
Just as the Bulldogs were upping their game, so was the station as its media partner. When KPGZ heard about the new FieldLink sideline reporter codec from Comrex, it felt it would be a great addition to its game broadcasts.
Watts was familiar with Comrex gear, as the station uses an Access NX portable for its play-by-play. But sideline reports from on-field reporter Eric Stevens had always been a challenge due to the cost of wireless mics and IFB gear.
FieldLink uses the free Comrex FieldTap app, available on iOS and Android smartphones. Watts said that all told, the equipment was well within KPGZ’s budget. The FieldLink arrived just in time for the state semifinal matchup in November.
The matchup pitted Kearney (14–0) against Festus (10–3). In a dominant performance, the Bulldogs went on to win 52–24 to advance to the state championship. The playoff game was a win for KPGZ, too, as its commentating crew received validation from listeners on the crisp-sounding sideline reports.
“Just really freaking cool,” Stevens remarked.
Kearney went on to defeat Hannibal 24–14 to capture the 4A State Championship title.
Info: www.comrex.com
