USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

[Nidaros]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

I checked out the Ohio board....it looks like most of the fans had little respect for Swain. It could be sour apples.
http://www.bobcatattack.com/messageb...D=1&PID=157589

I agree Coyotefan, WNAX is the right fit for SDSU, an AG station and an AG school. That's what we are, and I'm darn proud of it.

Maybe the long time Husker fans on this board can help me out here, but I was living in Nebraska at the time (1985 to 2005), and KFAB was and is still the flag ship for Husker sports. For a number of years KFAB owned the broadcasting rights for the Husker FB and BB. They had the real great voices like the late Lyle Bremser and his successor, Ken Kuvelka and his color guy Gary Sattlemeier. I believe about 1996, UNL did something similiar to what is going on at NDSU now in that they sold the broadcasting rights to another group who hired Warren Swain. This was change in Husker land that caused a lot of grumbling as I recall. I believe Warren Swain got a six year contract, which was never renewed, and that is why his spand with UNL ends in 2002. I moved away from Nebraska in 2005 so have not followed who is doing the games. If memory is correct it seems it is a guy named Jim Rose who is well liked. Warren did not cut the mustard down there and no one wanted to waste money buying his contract out as it would probably involved buying a number of other things. This is why he had 6 years with the Huskers.

My point is that Warren is not that great, just wait and see you soon find out for yourself if you tune in FM102.7.

SDSU has had a great experience with WNAX and we also lost them to USD in 1988 or there abouts. It was stressful for the late Norm Hilson and voice of the Jacks to wear a red jacket during the broadcast of USD events. Of course colorman Joe VanGoor ate it up since he is an USD alum. The WNAX contract with USD expired and there were no foundation funds to renew. SDSU was back on WNAX.

The point here is that USD could not raise the funds to keep the WNAX contract going back then an it may happen again. SDSU got it back the next year with WNAX with one generous gift from one alum. It kind shows where the alum support is in this state.

I would not be worried about USD. They are all "hat and no cattle", to borrow an excellant agriculture clique.

[jacksfaninne]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

Maybe the long time Husker fans on this board can help me out here, but I was living in Nebraska at the time (1985 to 2005), and KFAB was and is still the flag ship for Husker sports. For a number of years KFAB owned the broadcasting rights for the Husker FB and BB. They had the real great voices like the late Lyle Bremser and his successor, Ken Kuvelka and his color guy Gary Sattlemeier. I believe about 1996, UNL did something similiar to what is going on at NDSU now in that they sold the broadcasting rights to another group who hired Warren Swain. This was change in Husker land that caused a lot of grumbling as I recall. I believe Warren Swain got a six year contract, which was never renewed, and that is why his spand with UNL ends in 2002. I moved away from Nebraska in 2005 so have not followed who is doing the games. If memory is correct it seems it is a guy named Jim Rose who is well liked. Warren did not cut the mustard down there and no one wanted to waste money buying his contract out as it would probably involved buying a number of other things. This is why he had 6 years with the Huskers.

My point is that Warren is not that great, just wait and see you soon find out for yourself if you tune in FM102.7.

Yep. Swain was pretty much run out of Lincoln (they still make fun of some of Swain's calls on Omaha sports talk radio). Most people loved Kent Pavelka. Some people couldn't stand him (such is broadcasting). NU sold the broadcast rights at about the time Pavelka's contract was up. He wanted crazy money. The new rights holders told him to take a hike. They hired Swain. After Pavelka, Swain was as dry and dull as Melba toast. After the first season, they told him to spice it up. He did. It came across as terribly forced and uncomfortable. Simply not his style. I think he tried doing Husker basketball for the first year or two, but they pulled that from him, because it was so bad. I think Swain's frequent stops since he left Lincoln speak for themselves. Good luck coyotees.

But does any of this matter, really? If no one's listening to a bad play-by-play guy, does anybody hear it?

[jackmd]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

SDSU has had a great experience with WNAX and we also lost them to USD in 1988 or there abouts. It was stressful for the late Norm Hilson and voice of the Jacks to wear a red jacket during the broadcast of USD events. Of course colorman Joe VanGoor ate it up since he is an USD alum. The WNAX contract with USD expired and there were no foundation funds to renew. SDSU was back on WNAX.

The point here is that USD could not raise the funds to keep the WNAX contract going back then an it may happen again. SDSU got it back the next year with WNAX with one generous gift from one alum. It kind shows where the alum support is in this state.

I would not be worried about USD. They are all "hat and no cattle", to borrow an excellant agriculture clique.

I've spoken at length with Chris, Norm's son, about those "dark days" when WNAX broadcast yote sports. Just last year there was a lot of uncertainty about where SDSU might take their broadcasts. I was at a local establishment when the management from WNAX enter, recognized several of us as Jackrabbit fans, and proudly announced that a deal had been worked out to keep men's BB and FB broadcasts on WNAX. I was very happy to hear it and hope things remain this way.

I will admit that I felt Cullhane did a nice job with the pre-game and post-game portions for athletic coverage, especially FB. I also think they did a nice job with coaches shows in Vermillion. I presume most of these will be moved to Sioux Falls now.

[jackmd]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

Also, to Coyote Fan, when you make fun of someone for something they are proud of (ag school), it makes you look small and petty, not us.

Well, its not like Agriculture is the number one industry in SD or anything. Oh wait, it is, never mind. Pretty lame press conference IMHO.

[AnimalHouse83]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

I will admit that I felt Cullhane did a nice job with the pre-game and post-game portions for athletic coverage, especially FB. I also think they did a nice job with coaches shows in Vermillion. I presume most of these will be moved to Sioux Falls now.

It goes without saying there will be pre- and post-game shows. How much time they will have for 'em remains to be seen. My guess is there won't be separate coaches shows on the B. It's a music station, not a sports/news station. I don't know where on their schedule they would put such a thing. I also notice that this contract is for just one year. Maybe it's an experiment to see if it will fly, and if not ... ???

Bottom line? I know where I'll be on game day: Coughlin, Frost or listening to the Jacks on WNAX!

[filbert]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

It goes without saying there will be pre- and post-game shows. How much time they will have for 'em remains to be seen. My guess is there won't be separate coaches shows on the B. It's a music station, not a sports/news station. I don't know where on their schedule they would put such a thing. I also notice that this contract is for just one year. Maybe it's an experiment to see if it will fly, and if not ... ???

Bottom line? I know where I'll be on game day: Coughlin, Frost or listening to the Jacks on WNAX!

Put enough money on the table for a radio station and they'll broadcast Gregorian chants for you. It's all about the money.

[Nidaros]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

Yep. Swain was pretty much run out of Lincoln (they still make fun of some of Swain's calls on Omaha sports talk radio). Most people loved Kent Pavelka. Some people couldn't stand him (such is broadcasting). NU sold the broadcast rights at about the time Pavelka's contract was up. He wanted crazy money. The new rights holders told him to take a hike. They hired Swain. After Pavelka, Swain was as dry and dull as Melba toast. After the first season, they told him to spice it up. He did. It came across as terribly forced and uncomfortable. Simply not his style. I think he tried doing Husker basketball for the first year or two, but they pulled that from him, because it was so bad. I think Swain's frequent stops since he left Lincoln speak for themselves. Good luck coyotees.

But does any of this matter, really? If no one's listening to a bad play-by-play guy, does anybody hear it?

Thanks jacksfaninne, I apologize for murdering Ken Pavelka's name. In Red Cloud, Nebraska his family is well known as the family that Willa Cather based some of her novels on. Thats off topic. For those who are not familiar Willa Cather, she was a well known author of fiction in the early part of the 20th century and grew up south of Hastings in this small town of Red Cloud.

In the twenty years I lived Nebraska, I was not a much of a Husker fan, but if you listen to KFAB which I did you could not help know what was going on with Husker sports. I always thought the Husker tickets were too expensive and I always head my car north towards Brookings. Tickets were cheaper and shucks it was going home to visit family, friends and your alma mater.

[Nidaros]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

I will admit that I felt Cullhane did a nice job with the pre-game and post-game portions for athletic coverage, especially FB. I also think they did a nice job with coaches shows in Vermillion. I presume most of these will be moved to Sioux Falls now.

Yes, I too have heard a few of Culhanes pre game and post game shows and they seemed to be model after WDAY and NDSU and KFAB and the Huskers broadcasts. They were great.

Warren is one guy and USD will need to get him some help if they hope to continue this part. I think WNAX changed this somewhat with an hour before the game show that Steve Crawford did last fall, not bad, but think they were playing Husker band music and not the pride during the pregame show.

There has been a some discussion over on the Coyote board, about networks, and USD has apparently failed to get them going in Pierre and other places around the state because they did not make money, so again, I need to see the money, before I get too worried about USD building a network. If this SF move bombs, we have absolutely nothing to worry about.

[JackFan96]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

If this SF move bombs, we have absolutely nothing to worry about.

Well, I can't really argue with that logic, I suppose. Mostly, I guess, I think we should have a Rapid City voice. I would love Aberdeen, but I doubt that's going to happen. And that's a selfish desire. Anyhow, I say a strong Rapid City area voice would be good for the city, sure, but a powerful signal out there (for football, at least) would be good for those West River farmers and ranchers who went to SDSU but spend their Saturdays out in the fields.

Ag school? I've got no problem with that.

[Nidaros]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

Put enough money on the table for a radio station and they'll broadcast Gregorian chants for you. It's all about the money.

Bingo. For the same reason its going to be hard to build an state wide network for SDSU Sports. Each member of the network needs to have sufficient sponsors and advertisers to make that network member cash flow positively. (based on a comment on the Coyote board and my own observations, USD has had a problem here.)
I do see potential in adding west river towns, especially Rapid City to the network, but I think it needs to be well supported with $$$$$. I dont know which station is the torch in Rapid, that is which Radio station has the strongest signal, but that station seems to me to be first target in building this network.


SDSU biggest's stumbling block in building a network is that our programs except for WBB, we dont have a winning tradition established in people's minds. With institutions like UNL and NDSU for football, its very easy to sell. I can recall some of the smallest FM stations in western and central Nebraska carried Husker games. When KFAB had all the rights they sold it to each small station who in turn got all the local advertisement to carry the game on their station.

I certainly am not opposed to a state wide network, its just that there are some risks and we need a well thought out plan.

[Hammersmith]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

You guys inspired me to put together maps of NDSU & UND's radio coverage areas. The info is from the nighttime maps from Radio-Locator(red=local, purple=distant).

NDSU:


UND:

[ivandrago]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

We should note with the NDSU/UND maps, however, that it's not for everything.

UND's football and hockey air on all those stations. Their basketball games only air in Grand Forks, although they are on both an AM and FM station there.

With the Bison, their football is on the full network, but their basketball is hit and miss. From what I have heard, a station only had to carry like five to 10 men's basketball games.

All this talk of radio networks makes me wonder - is the school doing anything to expand women's basketball? With the postseason tournaments in Sioux Falls, we need to have something there.

[Hammersmith]

Re: USD Having Press Conference Regarding Radio Affiliation

We should note with the NDSU/UND maps, however, that it's not for everything.

UND's football and hockey air on all those stations. Their basketball games only air in Grand Forks, although they are on both an AM and FM station there.

With the Bison, their football is on the full network, but their basketball is hit and miss. From what I have heard, a station only had to carry like five to 10 men's basketball games.

All this talk of radio networks makes me wonder - is the school doing anything to expand women's basketball? With the postseason tournaments in Sioux Falls, we need to have something there.

Yeah, I posted UND's basketball map over at SiouxSports, but I didn't want to post 3 or 4 maps over here in a row(It's a 20/50 mile radius around Grand Forks; the two stations overlap 85+%). I'd like to put together a map for NDSU basketball, but, as you wrote, it's hit or miss. Some stations don't carry basketball games, some carry some, and a few carry all. Also, I think NDSU will be dropping a couple stations from the network soon. With the recent addition of KFYR out of Bismarck, a few stations(Minot, Rugby & Devils Lake) are not needed anymore. We ended up swapping stations in Bismarck with UND. I believe the next radio goal for NDSU is either a station in Mpls or to fill in the Dickinson gap. We're also a little weak in the GF area, but I doubt that's a big concern.