Radio Shakedown

Anybody out there familiar with radio broadcasts of high school football games? I had assumed that schools were glad to get the publicity and never charged the radio stations - except during the playoffs when the state kept that money.

How is it at your school? If you charge the radio stations, are the newspaper people required to pay a fee as well? I know of one school who tried to shakedown a local radio station ($50), but the superintendent stepped in to nix it.

 

I have never encountered any school that charges to broadcast their games. When the playoffs begin, the state dips their beak into the well for $50 bucks a game.

 

AC Reynolds used too.

Watauga never has and never will as long as I'm associated with the program. The only place we've ever been charged is in the playoffs.

 

Some schools think that radio keeps people away from the game. They will stay at home and listen to the game on the radio. The $50, do they think that 10 (10X$5) people will stay away and this will recoup their loss. I like radio. Fans can listen from their seats, they supply updated scores from other games and make the teams feel thay are the most important game of the week...

 

Speaking of radio, I listened to the AC vs Davie game last Friday night and as always, the play by play announcer was awesome. He has a great voice and runs a professional broadcast. I have listened to many other high school games in the area and I think he is tops!

 

I agree

 

Radio does more to promote

My bet would be that radio broadcasts do more to promote attendance at games (except possibly in bad weather). We encourage people to go to game, provide game times, updates on what's going on all week and give the schools far more than $50 worth of free publicity. I'm sure most stations do too.

 

The Mountain Athletic Conf. had a 50 dollar broadcasting fee last year and I would assume that is the same under the new configuration. Funny thing is...there's only one school in the conference that does full time radio coverage for football, and they're one of the new members.

 

I could somewhat understand placing a charge on radio coverage but with print media, I think that would be highly frowned upon.

 

Glad the super got involved, with the game being lightened out friday they would probably have tried to charge them again when it is played monday.