Talk Radio in Huntsville

[swb]

Protalk 1490 1450 is carrying Austin Highschool b-ball friday nights. During the day it's O'Reilly and Dr. Laura.

 

[RollTide]

I've never really understood radio stations (other than ones owned by the school) carrying local middle and high school sports on the air. The audience that is actually listening is stricktly students who go there or parents of students who are playing in the game, and students who go there that care anything about the game, and parents of students who are playing in the game are more than likely at the game watching it in person! That leaves what, about 10 people give or take, in the listening area that might be actually listening to the station? To carry big syndicated shows like O'Reilly and Dr. Laura in the day, then carry a local high school sports game at night is a little odd to me.

 

[DaleGriffin]

I disagree, especially in football centric communities... the High School football broadcasts are very important.

 

[BlueWanderer]

Seeing how those stations aren't flamethrowers and are pretty much restricted, I wouldn't get upset over them. Now carrying pro football on basically the only new rock station (for the most part) in the market, that doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[RollTide]

Yea I will admit that football is a bit of a different story. Football is so HUGE in this country especially in the south. I could see a small station in a small market doing well with carrying a local high schools football games. I guess I'm in the mind set of bigger market stations because it seems that Pro Talk 1450/1490 are trying to present themselves as having a big market sound with the national syndicated shows they are carrying. I guess thats why I don't understand them carrying a local high schools basketball games. While we are on the subject of Protalk 1450/1490, I wonder how big of an impact this station will have on Huntsville market talk radio. They are certainly winning the billboard fight LOL! Those things are everywhere!

 

[tomservo]

Yea I will admit that football is a bit of a different story. Football is so HUGE in this country especially in the south. I could see a small station in a small market doing well with carrying a local high schools football games.

It must make some money, cuz on Friday nights here in north-central Mississippi you won't find anything else on during the fall. Baseball and basketball games are carried regularly on several of the smaller stations around here, but football is king...

Seriously... Only public radio (NPR/MPB) and a few satellite fed religious outlets DIDN'T carry football games. One Friday I counted no less than 23 different games, all on FM, including several C class outlets! There was literally no music outside of classic on the public station. Thank heavens for XM. 8)

BTW, how long has the simulcast been going?

 

[IMean]

I agree that local sports have limited appeal to a station's regular listening audience. However, it's also an easy sale for the station. Most local merchants will have no problem spending money to show their support of local high school athletics. Often, local sportscasters will acutally buy the time and go out and sell it themselves...so it's real easy money for the station.
Here's an idea...with the extra signals that come with HD Radio, you might dedicate one to local sports. It might not score big ratings, but it could be a source of steady income for the station.