New Jersey’s horsemen have moved their pitch for a racino at the Meadowlands to the state’s radio airwaves

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Starting Monday, April 26, 2010, commercials will air on the Millennium Radio Network of 11 New Jersey stations, including 101.5 FM, reaching more than 1.4 million listeners each week.

The ads will play during morning and afternoon drive time (8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.).

“Our message is that New Jerseyans need tax relief, and a Meadowlands racino – slots or video lottery terminals at a racetrack – offers a solution that could cover approximately $1 billion a year in Trenton’s budget gap,” said Tom Luchento, president of the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey. “The political leadership in every other state around us – Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York – has embraced gaming at its racetracks as one solution to its financial woes while New Jersey sits back and watches its citizens cross bridges to adjoining states to enjoy this entertainment option.

“Even if we only reclaimed the New Jersey residents now gaming elsewhere, we’d be capturing hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue for the state,” noted Luchento. “And for the small percentage that racing is asking, we’d be able to save thousands of jobs connected to horse racing in this state not to mention tens of thousands of acres of farmland.”

A trio of commercials will air for the next few weeks on the Millennium stations, including New Jersey 101.5 (WKXW-FM), SoJo 104.9 (WSJO-FM), Fox Sports 1310 AM (WADB-AM), 94.3 The Point (WJLK-FM), 105.7 The Hawk (WCHR-FM), 92.7 Soft Rock (WOBM-FM), 1160 Great Songs/Great Memories (WOBM-AM), 97.3 FM ESPN (WENJ-FM), 107.3 Cat Country (WPUR-FM), 96.9 Light Rock (WFPG-FM) and 1450 FM ESPN Deportes (WENJ-AM).

“We want New Jerseyans to hear our message and hope they will reach out to their legislators to support alternate gaming at the Meadowlands,” Luchento added. “This is a win-win option for the State of New Jersey and would secure the future of our breeding and racing industry.”

Those wishing to support the advertising campaign are asked to send checks made out to TrotPAC to 64 Business Route 33, Manalapan, NJ 07726. TrotPAC is the political action committee of the standardbred breeding and racing industry in New Jersey.

(SBOANJ)