No television stations in the Tri-Cities to air lottery drawings

JOHNSON CITY (AP) — Five television stations across the state will be broadcasting the Tennessee Lottery drawings, but upper East Tennessee players won’t see them unless they have cable TV.

WKRN in Nashville is producing the segment and was the first station selected earlier this month. Officials announced Wednesday that WBIR in Knoxville, WMC in Memphis, WBBJ in Jackson and WTVC in Chattanooga also will carry results of the first drawing game, Cash 3, when it begins March 1.

The time for drawings has not been decided, but lottery spokeswoman Kym Gerlock said it would likely be in the evening. Once the Tennessee Lottery joins the multistate Powerball game in late spring, drawings will be held every Wednesday and Saturday and will be broadcast to qualifying stations.

No broadcast stations in the Tri-Cities qualified to air nightly drawings live.

“We certainly want to have somebody in that area, so I am hoping we can work something out,” Gerlock said. “It would still be possible.”

Gerlock said WJHL in Johnson City applied, but didn’t comply with specifications in the lottery’s request for proposals.

Qualifying stations agreed to “pay” for the live broadcasts via promotional offerings and other considerations, Gerlock said, but WJHL proposed that the lottery pay the station instead.

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On the Net:

Tennessee Lottery, http://www.tnlottery.gov/

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