Kwsn...

[JackJD]

Re: Kwsn...

I used to live btw Fargo and Grand Forks and loved what that rivalry was and how much attention it and both schools recieved....

Were you "Green Tea" on the message boards up north?

[cowbell34]

Re: Kwsn...

to give them a little credit though, it is only a couple of guys that are responsible for pretty much the whole state, high school and college, besides twins/vikings/etc, and I'm sure it is much easier for them to go to a usf game than a jacks game. I still don't particularly like to listen to them, just saying that they do work hard.

Bottom line, we all have topics we want discussed, from a local station I'd prefer to hear more local college sports, especially SDSU/NDSU/USD.

[TeaJackrabbit]

Re: Kwsn...

Were you "Green Tea" on the message boards up north?

No. Did play hoops up north (waaaay up north) at a private school in Dauphin Manitoba and lived up north in Crookston Minn, but not "green tea". Moved south to Tea 5 years ago.

[MikeHenriksen]

Re: Kwsn...

True statement...I thought someone might confuse us. I don't want you to get bashed for anything I said. By the way, I was definitely harsh with some of the things I said. I could have said them a different way. However, that doesn't change my opinion...don't feel the need to restate it at this point.

I have no problem with your opinion of my work. It goes with the territory, and I know that no announcer is everyone's favorite, or even tolerable! For instance, I really can't stand to listen to Jim Rome!

cowbell34 has a great point. There is a lot of sports to cover for a very small staff. It is a really tough balancing act. The changes at KWSN should be interesting.

Keep in mind that USF and the Canaries write a check to KWSN for their air time, just like the Storm and the Stampede for their shows, and like SDSU used to do for that weekly show. KWSN is obviously going to work pretty hard to keep their clients happy.

[Jacks-02]

Re: Kwsn...

I have no problem with your opinion of my work. It goes with the territory, and I know that no announcer is everyone's favorite, or even tolerable! For instance, I really can't stand to listen to Jim Rome!

cowbell34 has a great point. There is a lot of sports to cover for a very small staff. It is a really tough balancing act. The changes at KWSN should be interesting.

Keep in mind that USF and the Canaries write a check to KWSN for their air time, just like the Storm and the Stampede for their shows, and like SDSU used to do for that weekly show. KWSN is obviously going to work pretty hard to keep their clients happy.

Thats a great point to bring up, and I'm sure played a big part in the decision to switch to Fox over ESPN for more "local" coverage, because the local coverage is what pays the bills.

[RabbitinTea]

Re: Kwsn...

That's a tough situation because they obviously need to pay the bills, but the target audience is very small. So, although they're paying their bills they're also losing listeners during those broadcasts...if not completely. I now live in Brookings, but shortly after moving to Tea 4 years ago I gave up on KWSN and bought an XM radio. I'm sure it's tough to balance paying the bills and keeping listeners.

[Nidaros]

Re: Kwsn...

I have no problem with your opinion of my work. It goes with the territory, and I know that no announcer is everyone's favorite, or even tolerable! For instance, I really can't stand to listen to Jim Rome!

cowbell34 has a great point. There is a lot of sports to cover for a very small staff. It is a really tough balancing act. The changes at KWSN should be interesting.

Keep in mind that USF and the Canaries write a check to KWSN for their air time, just like the Storm and the Stampede for their shows, and like SDSU used to do for that weekly show. KWSN is obviously going to work pretty hard to keep their clients happy.

I don't know why and I include myself,but the average fan often forgets that radio stations have to make money and the announcers have a script to follow. Its so easy to think that announcers make stuff up on the air as they go along.

I do think SDSU might have missed the boat here in not keeping the coaches shows going on KWSN if indeed the objective is to build fandom in the Sioux Falls market area. If you talk to staff at SDSU, they would tell you that the shows were no longer affordable because of other priorities. So it goes. If we want more SDSU coverage on KWSN, we need to vote with our dollars and not our mouths.

[BlueseatJack]

Re: Kwsn...

I have no problem with your opinion of my work. It goes with the territory, and I know that no announcer is everyone's favorite, or even tolerable! For instance, I really can't stand to listen to Jim Rome!

cowbell34 has a great point. There is a lot of sports to cover for a very small staff. It is a really tough balancing act. The changes at KWSN should be interesting.

Keep in mind that USF and the Canaries write a check to KWSN for their air time, just like the Storm and the Stampede for their shows, and like SDSU used to do for that weekly show. KWSN is obviously going to work pretty hard to keep their clients happy.

Mike, this is one way to look at it and as always I respect your opinion. My complaint with KWSN is not amount of coverage but the way they cover anything having to do with SDSU! I am a small business owner and am very sympathetic to the "tight rope" we walk with customers all the time! My problem since you left the show is simply Craig! Since you aren't there to rain in his rants they are often unbearable and cause me to switch stations! You have to admit, I am sure, that a few weeks ago when you were on the show you found yourself defending the SDSU WBB program to him. I could tell by your long pauses at some of his comments that even you were surprised by his total lack of any understanding of the program or D-1 WBB! This lack of understanding does not ever stop Craig from a rant! Ask John about his rant against the Twins over Delmon Young or his rant over the NBA the other day! John was clearly at the end of his rope with him! Both those rants were so indicitive of how Craig thinks! Yes, major league baseball players are overpaid but they have been for years and some of us still love the Twins! Yes, the NBA has many problems but some of your listeners still like it! Yes, Craig was against SDSU going D-1 but they did and now USD did too-get over it! The NCC was a great conference and we all have great memories of it but it is gone. As a matter of fact, the Summit League Tourney hopefully will be as much fun as the old NCC Holiday Tourney I remember a kid and student!
KWSN is giving up a large audience of SDSU and USD fans, I might add, and that is their choice. I doubt that Boots thought much of the last interview by Craig as he tried repeatedly to get Boots to trash SDSU.
I actually like all the high school coverage and I have no problem with USF or GPAC coverage. Craig could just stop the uninformed rants about any number of topics and just quit trashing SDSU every chance he gets and I would be happier.
Mike, the show has not been the same since you left. I know you werent for the D-1 move, but you were always fair. Your enthusiasm for all of SD sports was and still is appreciated. Thanks

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Kwsn...

I also have quit listening to the local show because of Craig's attitude. I was with some other people and they had it on as we were waiting for a meeting to start when it was announced the ESPN Academic All-America teams were announced. I can tell you that everyone was a little uncomfortable listen to Craig disparage the accomplishments by those students. John asked him, "How can you roll your eyes at this?" He is just too negative about everything. One of the guys I was with leaned over and told me that he now understood why I had quit listening and wasn't going to have it on during any of his meetings anymore.

Mike or any of the radio guys on here, I do have a question for you in regards to high school coverage. Is that a big money maker, a money maker, break even, or a good will/marketing expense situation for most stations? Is high school much different than USF or the minor league teams? Just wondering how it all fits in comparison to ad revenue they get national programs.

[MikeHenriksen]

Re: Kwsn...

Nidaro: No scripts in live talk radio. There are "unwritten rules" However!

Blueseat: Wow! A well thought out, well stated post! You should post more! Also, thanks for the kind words.

It is funny how the "you were against the move" does not seem to be a two way street. I root for SDSU, as I always did, and really hope the move works for both State and USD. However, there are several fans that won't let it go. The move was proposed, it was discussed, sometimes heatedly, the decision was made, and we moved forward. However, I still recieve vitriolic comments from some fans when I attend games. I never begrudge people their opinion. I do begrudge people that have opinions about me as a person because of my opinion.

Concerning KWSN, I don't listen much. But I do notice a one difference since I left. I worked very hard to have at least 4 guests each day, and tried to get a variety of people from around the state and on different subjects. When Craig and I did have a heated discussion, it was legitimate, and worth having because it was on a major topic (mostly).

Now it seems they have fewer guests. That allows the hosts to talk more, and to take more callers. Some folks think that is good and some do not. The problem with that is if you have no guests and no callers, you have to fill the time somehow. I think that leads to discussion for the sake of discussion. That can be a very dangerous road to travel, and I know I would not be very good at it.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Kwsn...

One other thing, you never know how things are going to work out. When Mike left and they got Bob to take his spot I thought it was going to be great. I really enjoyed when they had him on for his weekly (I think) guest appearances. I thought it would be a smooth transition and things would be great. It never worked for me though once he was on the air. Not sure why, but he seemed more suited to one type of show (more like Mike & Mike) while Craig was more of a Tony K type of show.

[MikeHenriksen]

Re: Kwsn...

1stRow: High school sports makes money. Some stations have a salesperson that does very little other than sell high school sports. Lots of folks want to support the local team(s).

The Canaries and USF are a different deal. They write a check to the station for the time, and then sell the ad time themselves. They sometimes package it with outfiled signs, program ads, etc.

National syndication makes very little money overall. Rush and some of the higher profile shows have strong supporters, but a lot of the other stuff is just to fill time. Also, when you don't air, for instance, ESPN from 3 to 6 pm, you still have to air their national commercials that would have run during that time, which can be a pain.

This is a general summary. Each station is a little different.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Kwsn...

Thanks, that does help all the lay people out here understand a little better how things work for the industry.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Kwsn...

Although not a huge fan of the minor league teams in SF, I do attend a couple games per year of each sport.

A little perspective of just how big the minor league teams are in SF before we all discredit their air-worthiness:

Canaries average attendance: 3209
http://www.americanassociationbaseba...ssociation.pdf

Storm average attendance: 4790 (pretty much sold out every home game)
http://www.qkstats.net/UIF/2008/uifindex.htm

Stampede average attendance: 3397
http://www.ushl.com/news/0708/20081003ushl.pdf

Now those attendance figures are no doubt inflated just a bit, but I'd say there has to be someone in Sioux Falls that finds this type of programming interesting (as much as I would disagree). AND, they've got to be selling a lot of those tickets if they can afford to buy air time and find advertisers willing to pony up for ads.

Just as a reference, NDSU's basketball team averaged 3596 at home this season in a town roughly the same size as Sioux Falls.

[jackmd]

Re: Kwsn...

My opinion, KWSN does a nice job with area sports teams on the high school, minor collegiate and minor league level. I assume that is how they want it to be. When I moved back to SD in 2006 I was an ardent supporter and enthusiastic promoter of SDSU and the transition to DI. I was excited to find a local sports program with Craig and Mike. Then, I heard all the negative comments (some were probably not as negative as I interpreted them) and I was disappointed. I decided I ought to give it some time, people have different opinions and those opinions deserve a level of respect. However, I didn't see a clear progression towards a level of respect for those in support of SDSU. I didn't see or hear any recognition for success at the DI level while every negative did receive mention. So, I continued to perceive a negativity directed towards The Jackrabbits. I quit listening to KWSN.

Now, I understand that I'm not the most objective observer with an opinion here so I have no qualm with those who do listen to KWSN, attend Canaries games, or love the GPAC. Good for them, I'm just not interested.