Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is fiddling with the dials on its stereo and tilting the antennae, trying to get that signal just right. The apparent argle bargle earlier this week got me thinking, maybe because I was subconsciously guilty of wanting it to be more than it was, or because I realize a similar, albeit more civilized conclusion may be nearing.
What if this is the end for the lengthy and mutually beneficial relationship between West Virginia Radio Corp. and WVU? Because it might be. There is no contract in place between the two. Do you honestly think WVU wants to re-up now? Do you want to see that?
There’s also a call for an injunction that would delay the Tier 3 contract and/or disqualify IMG College. WVU would, in essence, be starting anew. That’s time consuming.
This lawsuit is lingering and every day brings us closer to the start of the season. We still have time, a long time, in fact, to resolve this. But what if it isn’t dismissed? What if there is no settlement? What if there’s a countersuit brought by private parties who believe they were defamed by the original suit or some other component of this campaign?
WVU could be nearing a season without WVRC or IMG (or whatever company wins the contract). Gone are eight WVRC stations, powerful ones with lofty reach throughout the state. That’s a loss for the people. You would like to think WVU had some foresight, like, you know, us, and realized a lawsuit was imminent once Team Raese lawyered up months back. There are still about three dozen non-WVRC stations that are or were Mountaineer Sports Net football affiliates that are under contract or were before and could be brought back in again without much effort. Could WVU find eight more? Probably. Would they be the same quality? Probably not.
And quality matters. The production is as important as the reach because it’s a good product. There’s also the matter of personnel. There may be changes to that roster, be it pregame or postgame or possibly even in-game (that’s a little complicated to explain, but it’s not impossible).
People really like those shows and those people, but some are property of WVRC, which means you might have to live with new programs and new personalities as part of the game broadcast. It’s the difference between the MetroNews pregame show and, say, the Tier 4 pregame show. You don’t want that, right?
WVRC could do live shows, like Statewide Sportsline, as an example, on site on its stations, but since there might not be a relationship with WVU, it would be without game broadcasts and thus might not have your attention.
It’s quite a web and how much you’re affected depends really on how much you rely on the radio, or radio websites, for your entertainment and information. Just about everything is available on the television, so perhaps you don’t care, especially if you live far away, but the state and its most immediate following relies a lot on the radio.
We knew there would be changes when the multimedia rights company took over, but I wonder if we ever wondered what it might be like in limbo, which seems as though it could be just around the corner.
So WVU could still have a list of affiliates as large or larger before. They won’t be as powerful and might lack the width needed to reach the same audience, bit it might have to suffice. It might be the only choice.
That doesn’t solve all the problems, though. A contract with West Virginia Radio Corp. means more than stations and on-air talent, and both could be casualties because WVU might not be able or willing to contract West Virginia Radio Corp. employees. It’s about production and familiarity with the audience, and no matter the elements to this dispute, that company does a job WVU likes and peers respect.
The most critical concern for you and for WVU ought not to be in the quantity of stations and the audience, but the quality of the product.
Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, consider the consequences of your actions.
And again, sorry for the bugs yesterday. Still working on the problem with the comments. The typing problem is fixed. Also, today is June 28. It’s the last day of the fiscal year. Monday starts the new year. This is when you’d witness change, like not renewing contracts or assigning employees to new roles. I’d like to tell you more, honest, but I’ve been effectively, though permissibly, stonewalled. Just a heads up in case something happens.
FakeBobHuggins said:
Apologies accepted, Mike. In the meantime, tell us about your #FirstTimeontheMilegroundRoundabout
It was strange. There was some traffic and thus some down time for me, but by the time I got going again, Morgantown had joined Star City, the city planner had resigned, Jim Clements had taken a job at Clemson and I had WiFi in every arena and stadium.
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