March 28, 2024
ON THE AIR

WVII-7 appoints Cryan Bay State product new sports director

Just three weeks after Evans Boston signed off for the final time as Bangor television station WVII’s sports director, the Bangor ABC affiliate has hired his replacement.

Say hello to Sean Cryan of North Attleboro, Mass. The Bay State native has worked the last six years at New England Cable News in Boston as an assistant editor and field producer. He has also been a play-by-play announcer and field reporter for high school football and basketball broadcasts by Cable 15 North-TV in North Attleboro the last three years.

“We thought he was the best choice because of his overall experience, both in terms of variety and amount,” said George Thomas, operations manager for WVII and sister station WFVX (Ch. 22). “He starts Monday but won’t appear on air until a few days afterward.”

Before joining NECN in the spring of 2001 Cryan, 30, worked as a sports field producer, editor and writer for WPRI in Providence, R.I. He graduated from Northeastern University in 2000.

“I just think it’s the opportunity to have my hands in a lot of different things: Shooting games, getting to know athletes, writing, editing, all that stuff,” he said. “It continues to help you gain experience.

“To me, it’s invaluable to do something like that. I like the emphasis on local coverage because so much gets lost in pro coverage. Bangor’s a large town and everybody knows everybody. There’s a passion there that’s an attractive quality.”

It seems broadcasting runs in the family as father Walter Cryan recently retired after 40 years as a TV anchorman in Providence and sister Kathleen worked as a sales representative for a Providence TV station.

Brian Sullivan will continue on as WVII’s assistant sports director.

Boston, a native of York, resigned after almost two years at WVII to take a job closer to home with Portland TV station WGME (Ch. 13).

Cryan will arrive in Bangor this weekend.

“I’m coming up because George said the first thing I need to do is find a place to live,” Cryan said with a laugh.

Fox talks Sox, Rocks

As part of a cooperative arrangement with fellow Fox Network affiliate WFXT (Ch. 25) of Boston, Bangor’s WFVX (Ch. 22) is airing one-hour World Series pregame shows produced by WFXT before the start of each World Series Fox broadcast.

“I believe they contacted our general manager and talked about having us pick up the show,” said WVII-WFVX operations manager Thomas. “As far as I know, we’re the only other station carrying it.”

The only exception is Sunday.

“We won’t do it before Sunday’s game because the Patriots-Redskins game is the late one [4:15 p.m. on Fox] Sunday afternoon and that will run right into the start of the World Series broadcast,” Thomas explained.

The 7 p.m. shows are hosted by Butch Stearns and Ryan Assetta and feature former Red Sox All-Star outfielder Dwight Evans as a guest analyst.

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net


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