High School Sports fees has priced out local radio...here is an example!

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John Forsythe, who owns WNJC-AM (1360) based in Washington Township and Florence-based WIFI-AM (1460) was asked to pay up to 750 bucks per high school game for radio.

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association granted the Star-Ledger of Newark and NJ.com exclusive rights to create distribute and license programming in connection with NJSIAA tournaments. They are in the first year of a new five-year contract that will net the NJSIAA $100,000 this school year as well as substantial annual fees over the length of the contract, according to the State Commission of Investigation's report on the NJSIAA.

In a article in this weeks Courier-Post, Forsythe said you cannot even "break even, it's just not worth it!". You can always rely on good ol' fashioned American greed. This is why the star athlete is getting no sound bytes on the radio nor' his photo in Sunday’s sports section.... not as much as yester year.

Screw em! John's right. Just don't do it! The school needs us more then we need them.

 

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http://www.courierpostonline.com/ar...y-broadcaster-We-re-shut-out-of-NJSIAA-action << here is the article!

John was right!!

 

[TheBigA]

Forsyth says: "You don't make a lot of money, but it's great for community service. There's tremendous interest in tournament games."

And when there's interest, there's potential to make money.

Consider that the new governor is chopping state grants to schools. And he wants property taxes to go down. Less revenues for local schools. So these districts have to choose between books and balls. In the old days, in the land of plenty, it wasn't an issue. But now these schools need a way to augment their budgets. This is how colleges do it.

To him, broadcasting a game for free is community service. But these communities need money. How does his broadcast help the school make money? If anything, it costs them money by allowing residents to hear the game without paying admission. If you're a commercial operation, you should be able to share some of your revenues with them. THAT is community service to them. As I always say: The money has to come from someplace.

I'm not saying the NJSIAA is right, and the radio guy is wrong, but I can at least understand the other side.

 

[landtuna]

The schools already make their money by admission fees and snack bar revenue.

A ticket to most football games in my neck of the woods costs $3-5 and kids under 12 are free. I don't see anyone listening to the game on radio to avoid paying for a ticket. Much more likely it is because of sickness, disability, job demands, weather or even old age.

The number of listeners can't be all that huge. Therefore, I would think the game broadcast is more of a public service than a commercial necessity. Unless that particular game is indeed "the only game in town" I think the broadcast fees demanded would require advertising revenue inconsistent with the number of listeners.

Perhaps the schools should consider the broadcast free advertising resulting in increased community interest and perhaps attendance.

 

[TheBigA]

Perhaps the schools should consider the broadcast free advertising resulting in increased community interest and perhaps attendance.

The schools don't have the choice. The NJSIAA has made the decision.

But as I said, they don't need awareness. They need money. If you have a kid in NJ schools, expect lots of new charges coming your way. If it's not mandated, there will likely be a charge.

 

[nd2023]

Would it affect the high school's own radio station broadcasting their football games? When I was in high school, our station broadcast football games for both high schools in our district. I hope that a school station won't have to pay to broadcast their own games, even if it's commercial free because the station is non-commercial. It is a great training ground for our future sportscasters.

When commercial stations broadcast high school games, yes I do believe the station should share a proportion of the advertising revenue with the NJSIAA. But I don't think they should be forced to pay a flat minimum fee for games since they will be priced out of them, therefore the NJSIAA would get 0 revenue. What if a commercial FM station with HD wants to broadcast the games on the HD subchannel(s)?

 

[TheBigA]

Of course, as discussed in another thread, there are fewer and fewer high school stations.

The funny thing is that Rutgers actually pays WOR to carry men's football and basketball.

My view on the NJSIAA deal is that I can understand wanting fees for TV and larger radio stations. But a 1K AM should get an exemption. They're one step away from a non-com.

 

[landtuna]

But as I said, they don't need awareness. They need money. If you have a kid in NJ schools, expect lots of new charges coming your way. If it's not mandated, there will likely be a charge.

I lived in NJ for a very short time back in '73. I would not live there again. And not to take the thread off-topic but NJ already has the highest general property taxes in the nation. If they can't afford an adequate school system with that kind of revenue then they need to clean up their government.

 

[Dancerev889]

This is not new with the Star Ledger. It is just for tournaments, not every game before the playoffs. Speaking as a station that runs high school football broadcasts, it's not that bad. It actually can favor Non-commercial stations to broadcast these games. We work with several high school tv stations during our broadcast season and they deal with the same issues.

You would be suprised how many people are listening to these games. You head to the South and these games are on major radio stations. Take a listen next Friday night at 6:45 pm. Plus we are doing them with new technology. No more over a cell phone www.Z889.org

 

[TheBigA]

I'm sure, if asked, the small AM owner would have an opinion about non-commercial stations broadcasting high school sports. That's all part of the changing media marketplace and why everything is way more competitive than it's ever been. The idea that this deal somehow screws the public misses the real story. The public will always find a way to get what they want for free.

 

[joshzz]

John Forsythe is a good friend of mine. We run a non-profit radio network and are fortunately exempt from fees.. It wasn't always that way but Senator John Burzichelli & former, Assemblyman David Mayer went to bat for us.

I wonder if I broadcast the game and John grabbed my feed would that make him exempt from fees. josh

 

[Dancerev889]

The schools receive no money from tournament games. All tournament money goes to the association, which pays for refs, trophies and coaching clinics as well as other things.

If John wants to do the games for free, the star ledger will waive the fee for tournament games. We have done that in the past and has been approved. If he is doing it as a community service then thats the way he should go

 

[MikeD]

But don't school still receive money from concessions for tournament games?

 

[Dancerev889]

But don't school still receive money from concessions for tournament games?

A lot of the concession stands are run by the band parents for funding the marching band or student government.

 

[Steele1080]

But as I said, they don't need awareness. They need money. If you have a kid in NJ schools, expect lots of new charges coming your way. If it's not mandated, there will likely be a charge.

I lived in NJ for a very short time back in '73. I would not live there again. And not to take the thread off-topic but NJ already has the highest general property taxes in the nation. If they can't afford an adequate school system with that kind of revenue then they need to clean up their government.

NOBODY listens to HS football broadcasts, UNLESS you're in Texas. Mostly just low signal AM's the can't sell regular ads. the commentators are usually kids learning to be sports announcers but nothing against them. Just bad to listen to.

 

[Dancerev889]

But as I said, they don't need awareness. They need money. If you have a kid in NJ schools, expect lots of new charges coming your way. If it's not mandated, there will likely be a charge.

I lived in NJ for a very short time back in '73. I would not live there again. And not to take the thread off-topic but NJ already has the highest general property taxes in the nation. If they can't afford an adequate school system with that kind of revenue then they need to clean up their government.

NOBODY listens to HS football broadcasts, UNLESS you're in Texas. Mostly just low signal AM's the can't sell regular ads. the commentators are usually kids learning to be sports announcers but nothing against them. Just bad to listen to.

Actually people are starting to listen to HS football here in Jersey. You go to other areas of the country and high school sports bring in a ton of revenue. They are broadcasted by the bigger radio stations in those markets.

 

[joshzz]

We may broadcast a game or two this fall but will probably do a lot more basketball games. Getting sponsors for games has been difficult. I've heard the same from some other station owners.

josh

 

[HarveyBrowning]

On a Friday night there are as many as 4 radio stations doing HS football in Atlantic/Cape market.

98.7 Does Ocean City High Games and if ya ever hear those games, all they do is read ads.

94.3 is doing EHT games it sounds like this year, haven't heard much of them though.

97.3 does games every week and seems like they've added a pre-game, halftime and post-game show to go with it, and they too read ads all game and have a ton of ads during the HS shows.

1240 in Millville has been doing games for years.

I think HS football must do pretty well for all these stations to be carrying games.