KMVP Drops the Ball Big Time!

[davideduardo]

Unless the game in progress, whomever they are, is a one-sided affair with no hope of a different outcome I expect the game in progress to be finished. I thought The Heidi Bowl decided that some years ago.

The Heidi Bowl involved running a movie over the end of a game. Sports vs. a movie sports fans likely despised.

In this case, they HAD to run the game they are the flagship station for.

An unimportant Suns game does not override a national championship contest and because it was being shown in PAC territory it was considered a local game.

It's not "local" to people in different markets where neither team is from. And the game was run complete on another station. If anything, an announcer should have told listeners to move to the AM before they cut that first game.

 

[fybush]

I think there's an important bit of context missing here:

The vast, vast majority of college football fans passionate about the Rose Bowl weren't listening to it on the radio. It's a TV event. Even if they weren't at home or in a bar, they're likely as not to be watching a streaming video feed or listening to satellite radio.

The Suns game is mostly a TV event, too, but as the local flagship station, 98.7 no doubt has the contractual obligation to carry it in full.

For the few hundred people (if that) who were closely following it on the radio, there was still one of the biggest signals in the state, assuming it continued airing on 620.

The only thing I might have done differently, if I were Bonneville, would have been clearer communication about where to go to find the end of the football game.

 

[landtuna]

Im in a different programming world ...

Yup. Glad you're not in mine.

 

[landtuna]

The Heidi Bowl involved running a movie over the end of a game. Sports vs. a movie sports fans likely despised.

But same result.

In this case, they HAD to run the game they are the flagship station for.

It's not "local" to people in different markets where neither team is from. And the game was run complete on another station. If anything, an announcer should have told listeners to move to the AM before they cut that first game.

I'm not aware and do not care about contracts. Finish the program you start or don't start it (unless the issue is already decided).

Interestingly, that is the only radio "program" I've listened to in many many years and most likely will be one of the very last I ever do. Except for music in the car radio is dead to me.

 

[KeithE4]

I'm not aware and do not care about contracts. Finish the program you start or don't start it (unless the issue is already decided).

The point is that it IS already decided, by contracts between our local teams and TMISU. The Suns are the first among equals this time of year on 98.7, and will be so until they are eliminated from the playoffs. After them come the Coyotes (often moved to 92.3 or 620), ASU basketball, and the Diamondbacks starting at the end of this month. The Cardinals are #1 overall, but their season is over until August.

ESPN Radio is filler, whether they're airing games or sports talk. They are on TMISU's bottom rung, even when airing a college football playoff game, the Final Four, or the World Series. Just because a Pac-12 team is in the playoffs, there is no legal commitment for anyone to air them in any market other than their own.

 

[Kelly A]

Unless the game in progress, whomever they are, is a one-sided affair with no hope of a different outcome I expect the game in progress to be finished. I thought The Heidi Bowl decided that some years ago.

You aren't the one who signed a contract with the Phoenix Suns as a flagship station. I'm willing to bet there were network stations down the line too. What you expect is irrelevant.

 

[secondchoice]

This is a second hand rumor. I never actually heard it but It sounds real because you can't make this stuff up.:

There was a small market FM station (I forgot were this was supposed to happen but it sounds like west TX were footfall is really important) that covered both of the local high school teams. When both teams played at the same time, one game was the right channel the other game was in the left channel.

I believe this is not Kosher but I don't think the FCC monitors Friday nights and weekends in rural areas.

I doubt anyone could get away with this in a rated market

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

This is a second hand rumor. I never actually heard it but It sounds real because you can't make this stuff up.:

There was a small market FM station (I forgot were this was supposed to happen but it sounds like west TX were footfall is really important) that covered both of the local high school teams. When both teams played at the same time, one game was the right channel the other game was in the left channel.

I believe this is not Kosher but I don't think the FCC monitors Friday nights and weekends in rural areas.

I doubt anyone could get away with this in a rated market

Not a rumor, it was done.. i just forget which station

Another FM station NW of Austin would do one game on its main transmitter and then another one on its fill in booster transmitter... and they did get cited by the fcc for it.

 

[Kelly A]

This is a second hand rumor.

This wife's tail makes its way around every couple years.

 

[CTListener]

This wife's tail makes its way around every couple years.

Ignore her tail if she's not your wife. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble that way. (The expression is "old wives' tale," btw.)

 

[secondchoice]

I have worked at a couple of stations that would have done this had the sales managers knew it could be done. It's amazing how many sales folks don't care about FCC regulations. I actually had one that tried to put on a client that had been arrested for securities fraud. He said there was no conviction yet. I went over his head to the owner who didn't want to take the risk.

 

[indieradioguy]

Wasn't the 'biggest no-brainer in the history of the world' guy arrested after that ad made the rounds? I wonder if he paid the bill when it came due.

 

[Kelly A]

Ignore her tail if she's not your wife. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble that way. (The expression is "old wives' tale," btw.)

Auto spell got me again.

 

[Kelly A]

I have worked at a couple of stations that would have done this had the sales managers knew it could be done. It's amazing how many sales folks don't care about FCC regulations.

That's why they're sales folks. Hitting your targets and commission therein is the goal.

 

[Kelly A]

I wonder if the station had an HD-2 where they could move the whatever-bowl, whether Landtuna would have still been grumpy that he'd need to change virtual channels? Who am I kidding, of course, he would. That's assuming Landtuna has access to an HD-capable radio..

 

[landtuna]

I wonder if the station had an HD-2 where they could move the whatever-bowl, whether Landtuna would have still been grumpy that he'd need to change virtual channels? Who am I kidding, of course, he would. That's assuming Landtuna has access to an HD-capable radio..

Yes I do (have access to digital radio). No problem with changing frequencies/modes to follow a program but lots of dissatisfaction with station just dumping the program with no alternatives or notice.

 

[EricStein]

The point is that it IS already decided, by contracts between our local teams and TMISU. The Suns are the first among equals this time of year on 98.7, and will be so until they are eliminated from the playoffs. After them come the Coyotes (often moved to 92.3 or 620), ASU basketball, and the Diamondbacks starting at the end of this month. The Cardinals are #1 overall, but their season is over until August.

ESPN Radio is filler, whether they're airing games or sports talk. They are on TMISU's bottom rung, even when airing a college football playoff game, the Final Four, or the World Series. Just because a Pac-12 team is in the playoffs, there is no legal commitment for anyone to air them in any market other than their own.

On January 4th, I noticed that ASU basketball had a higher priority than the Coyotes as ASU was on 98.7 and the 'Yotes were on 620. Sometimes I don't understand Bonneville's sports priorities, or why their local hosts have priority over live play-by-play, which gets a lot more listeners than the local talk does.

 

[Kelly A]

On January 4th, I noticed that ASU basketball had a higher priority than the Coyotes as ASU was on 98.7 and the 'Yotes were on 620. Sometimes I don't understand Bonneville's sports priorities,

That's a simple answer: Whatever sports team provides the most revenue to the bottom line wins. Especially when the station is under contract as a flagship station.

or why their local hosts have priority over live play-by-play, which gets a lot more listeners than the local talk does.

Hosts are never in a position to make business decisions on behalf of the station or the parent company.

 

[EricStein]

That's a simple answer: Whatever sports team provides the most revenue to the bottom line wins. Especially when the station is under contract as a flagship station.

Hosts are never in a position to make business decisions on behalf of the station or the parent company.

I know the hosts have no say, but the program director looks at an east coast game and says "Let's keep Burns & Gambo on until 6 and throw the play by play on our invisible AM station," which makes no sense at all. The local hosts aren't generating as much listenership or revenue for the station as the PBP is. The only reason I can explain it is that Bonneville doesn't want to pay their hosts on days they don't have a show on, so they force the games onto 620.

 

[Kelly A]

I know the hosts have no say, but the program director looks at an east coast game and says "Let's keep Burns & Gambo on until 6 and throw the play by play on our invisible AM station," which makes no sense at all. The local hosts aren't generating as much listenership or revenue for the station as the PBP is.

You don't know that. Usually there is less station inventory during games per hour vs. owning the entire inventory during a local sports talk show during drive times.

The only reason I can explain it is that Bonneville doesn't want to pay their hosts on days they don't have a show on, so they force the games onto 620.

Most full time staff are salaried. They get paid whether there are games or not.