Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

[Panther-Sheik]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

I emailed the people in charge of the Media package to express my disappointment concerning the overall TV situation (specifically the Iowa game). I didn't receive so much as a "piss off" in response.

UNI does everything it can to keep its fan base small.

I don't think this is "totally" fair. I don't think there were multiple outlets beating down the door or entering into a bidding war this past off-season. I think UNI needs to do a better job, yes, but I also think we have to understand that these baby steps are at least steps. Now it has to be taken to the next level in the coming years. The best way to do that is for people to let Mediacom and their local radio / tv stations know about the demand for the UNI product.

[joecooll6]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

We could probably find our way onto another station in DM and have all the games broadcast. But KXNO is a popular station, so having all our football and some of our basketball games on there, as well as promotional stuff like commercials, has its own benefit as well. We may reach more "casual" UNI fans that way and thusly expand our base and presence in DM.

It comes down to exposure to a wider base or keeping the die hards like us happy by making every game available on a lesser network. IMO.

[Panthers to the Bone]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

I know that for years, UNI tried to get games broadcast in the Des Moines market by stations that would be consistent. If you think it's bad now, how about when UNI was being bumped for Dowling Catholic HS football, basketball, and Notre Dame football. Or when UNI was bumped for the Iowa Stars from one station. Or the station that UNI was on when the sun went down, so did the signal...big time. If you can find a station that will consistently air UNI athletics , then let the administration know. 1700 could be a possibility, but getting play on KXNO may be a best case scenario. Bottom line...if you are frustrated, let UNI admin (i.e.- Troy Dannen) and Panther Sports Properties know.
Chris Andrews: [email protected]
Cassie Mucks: [email protected]

The Mediacom thing is something that Mediacom needs to better clarify. They need to let their customers know that the UNI games will be on their connections channel live or tape delayed. I'll try to let people know too, if I think about it as we get closer to games on Mediacom.

If you want to let Mediacom know that you want more UNI basketball on tv, then let them know that they can pick up the UNI/MSU game in Springfield to their lineup.

[9YRPLAN]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

i didnt remember uni getting bumped from 1150? in DSM but now that i think about it i remember hearing dowling on the same station.

[GonzoCat]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

Football used to get bumped on 1150 pretty regularly, but basketball was rarely bumped.

I don't mind getting bumped for ISU wbb so much because it was stated up front that they would carry UNI mbb unless it conflicted with ISU wbb, so it was a known factor. I don't like getting bumped for other things that were not stated up front, basically there is no way to know in advance if they are carrying our game or not until tip off.

It's particularly stupid to preempt us for a vikings game that is on TV and on numerous other radio stations no doubt. How many people are going to pass up the TV to listen to it on KXNO? With UNI bb they are the only show in town.

[jnutt]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

I mind getting bumped by women's bball more since they had games on back to back nights which was ridiculous. It was nice to get 1540 and a decent signal. Why the **** did Mediacom carry the SIU-Bradley game on Friday night? Thats a HUUUGE game for this market, thanks guys.

[Newsbreaker]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

I don't think this is "totally" fair. I don't think there were multiple outlets beating down the door or entering into a bidding war this past off-season. I think UNI needs to do a better job, yes, but I also think we have to understand that these baby steps are at least steps. Now it has to be taken to the next level in the coming years. The best way to do that is for people to let Mediacom and their local radio / tv stations know about the demand for the UNI product.

It's hard to see that any steps of any size have been taken when our game against Iowa is not found on broadcast TV at all in the state's largest and most important market. Meanwhile, a week later, the ISU/Iowa game is on WOI in primetime and HD. Eff us.

Things have gone from bad to worse - at least we can occasionally hear the Panthers on a wildly successful sports station (KXNO).

[Panther-Sheik]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

It's hard to see that any steps of any size have been taken when our game against Iowa is not found on broadcast TV at all in the state's largest and most important market. Meanwhile, a week later, the ISU/Iowa game is on WOI in primetime and HD. Eff us.

Things have gone from bad to worse - at least we can occasionally hear the Panthers on a wildly successful sports station (KXNO).

I don't disagree with you at all. In fact, I'm with you and agree 100% that it was total B.S. that our game vs. Iowa wasn't televised throughout the state. My guess is that it was probably a calculated trade off for getting "10" (don't know the exact number) others on t.v. that otherwise wouldn't have been. Is it better to have one game on throughout the state or 10 on in regional markets? I guess I don't know that answer. Like I said, at least they are taking steps to get some exposure. When I went to school at UNI and even up until the last 5 years, there was 0 exposure for UNI anywhere. I think there has to be continued steps to progress the exposure of the university and the quality product it puts on the field. But there also has to be a viewer / listener demand for it, too. KCNZ plays the Cubs because there are a lot of Cubs fans in the area. They added the Twins on their sister station because people clammored for it. It is these kinds of grass roots efforts that will make UNI's exposure increase, too.

[TH1974]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

I don't disagree with you at all. In fact, I'm with you and agree 100% that it was total B.S. that our game vs. Iowa wasn't televised throughout the state. My guess is that it was probably a calculated trade off for getting "10" (don't know the exact number) others on t.v. that otherwise wouldn't have been. Is it better to have one game on throughout the state or 10 on in regional markets? I guess I don't know that answer.

Which 10 games on TV this year wouldn't have been on TV if the Iowa game had?

[Panther-Sheik]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

Which 10 games on TV this year wouldn't have been on TV if the Iowa game had?

I said I wasn't sure on the exact amount...I guess PSN is ONLY scheduled to pick up 8 games this year.
Link:

http://www.unipanthers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/091809aaa.html

[Panther Alum 83]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

Sheik we don't need to build a spaceship or something. It's not rocket science, and I refuse to believe it's prohibitively expensive for the university to broadcast/telecast to it's biggest market. If they're balking at the cost, then they are stepping over a dollar to pick up a dime. I didn't even study marketing at UNI and I know that much.

[Panther-Sheik]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

Sheik we don't need to build a spaceship or something. It's not rocket science, and I refuse to believe it's prohibitively expensive for the university to broadcast/telecast to it's biggest market. If they're balking at the cost, then they are stepping over a dollar to pick up a dime. I didn't even study marketing at UNI and I know that much.

It isn't rocket science, but I bet it isn't as simplistic as you are making it sound, either. I bet Newsbreaker can weigh in on this (can't believe I just invoked the name of the devil ), but I don't think the University is broadcasting anything... and cost is definitely more than a dollar. I'm not a broadcasting "guy" by any stretch, but I believe that UNI sold / awarded a broadcasting contract to an organization (KWWL) to carry their games. KWWL would now then be responsible for production and distribution of those games...not UNI. What I was trying to say is that this past year I don't think ESPN was beating down the door to win the UNI t.v. contract...or even someone lesser (i.e. Sinclair who renegged on their deal last year, didn't they?). I also doubt that a single DSM t.v. station made any kind of bid (although I have no way of knowing that for sure). KWWL did want the rights and was awarded as a result. I have no idea of the monetary details of that award, but I would have to assume there was some form of compensation to the university. But, had there been a company out there that wanted to show 100% of UNI games to 100% of the markets, I'm sure it would have been looked at very hard and probably awarded. But the university had to make a decision from a limited pool of possibilities on whether they wanted to award a contract to a group that agreed to televise 8 games this season, or forego that group for a "Sinclair" that might want the UNI v. Iowa game and nothing else. Is it better to have 8 local / regional games televised or one statewide game? I don't know, but the university made the decision to go with more games is my assumption. Once you have awarded a contract, the ship has sailed for that year or the term of that contract. I have no idea if KWWL tries to sell their broadcasts or how that might work at all, but if no one down in DSM wants to buy the games it is a moot point anyway. And remember, last year we had a deal to broadcast games on a wider scale and the company backed out midstream. The result was that no more games were seen by anyone in any market (unless in person). I just wonder if ALL the blame is being incorrectly thrown at the university and the athletic department when it has more to do with known demand for the product in a particular market...this case DSM.

[JD720]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

UNI has sold the rights to Panther Sports Properies (PSP), a Learfield company. PSP then contracted with KWWL to broadcast the games in the CR/Waterloo market. For whatever reasaon, they haven't found a partner to distribute the games to Central Iowa, at least not on a regular basis.

[Newsbreaker]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

UNI has sold the rights to Panther Sports Properies (PSP), a Learfield company. PSP then contracted with KWWL to broadcast the games in the CR/Waterloo market. For whatever reasaon, they haven't found a partner to distribute the games to Central Iowa, at least not on a regular basis.

This. KWWL is producing the broadcasts, but under license from Learfield/PSP. It is PSP's job to find, recruit and secure a station in Des Moines and they have failed to do so.

They haven't even found a station to broadcast UNI on a sub-channel (remember subchannels are viable alternatives in DSM, unlike Waterloo where we rely on them much too heavily).

[UNI Fight]

Re: Looks like we are totally screwed in Dsm again today?

UNI has sold the rights to Panther Sports Properies (PSP), a Learfield company. PSP then contracted with KWWL to broadcast the games in the CR/Waterloo market. For whatever reasaon, they haven't found a partner to distribute the games to Central Iowa, at least not on a regular basis.

And they really need to. Des Moines has a huge amount of UNI alumni and many of them just find it easier to be an Iowa/ISU fan b/c of the availability of coverage. If you can't watch UNI on a regular basis, and you're not a die hard fan, why would you become a UNI fan? What fun is it for those inbetweener fans to cheer for a team they can't watch OR listen to in the Des Moines area?? I have my UNI bball poster up at work and people stop by and go "oh how is UNI doing?" and when I tell them they have the nations 5th longest win streak they're shocked. Most people around here aren't going to go out of their way to check on UNI, so UNI needs to make it so they can't ignore them! UNI could get 30 wins this season and half of Des Moines would be unaware.