Media

Chuck Trent

Year Inducted: 2003

Category: Coaches

Schools / Organizations:

WHCO Radio (Sparta), KSGM Radio (Chester), Sparta News Plaindealer, Spartan Sports Service, DuQuoin Evening Cal, Ashley News, Geneseo Cable Television

Biography:

Chuck Trent has developed a diverse career by combining teaching high school, industrial training and United Methodist ministry with years of radio, newspaper and cable television work. Trent’s first job was at WHCO Radio in Sparta in 1970, where he called the action for Sparta, Nashville, Okawville and Marissa high schools. In 1976, he went to work at KSGM Radio on the broadcasts of Chester High School games and in 1982 he became the first voice of the Pinckneyville Panthers.

From 1973-84, he wrote a weekly sports column covering Randolph and St. Clair high school sports for the Sparta News Plaindealer. From 1979-87, Trent founded the Spartan Sports Service, a freelance broadcasting operation which brought the thrill of the state tournament to non play-by-play radio stations by condensing games into 3½-minute “Action Reports.” The reports were aired on dozens of radio stations from Quincy to Danville and from Aurora to Cairo.

Trent was the sports editor for the Sparta News Plaindealer from 1987-90. He wrote a weekly column for the DuQuoin Evening Call and was editor of The Ashley News from 1996-2001. In 2001, Trent’s media work concentrated in northwestern Illinois at Geneseo Cable Television channel 50, where he brought the Port Byron games to fans in an area not served by local radio play-by-play broadcasts.