Spring Practice - 2008

[82SiouxGuy]

The contracts are done this year, in June I believe. I know that Clear Channel was talking to UND about extending but had some things that needed to be worked out to make it happen. I don't know if anyone else is going to put in a bid.

[Risky]

Didn't Clear Channel Bismarck just sign on to be on the Bison Network. Does that have any bearing on the situation UND has with Clear Channel?

[moser53]

Very good points. Finding a great 2-gapping noseguard to keep the o-line from getting to the second level and off the linebackers is a big key to the success of the 3-4 scheme. It also helps to have all-american ILB's making plays as well(See Mooney, Tibesar, O'neel, and Anderson). When you have studs at both the ILB and noseguard positions, you see the best results. When you have just good, solid, serviceable players at both, you see the drop in rushing defense that UND's defense has seen recently. Tibesar had Callahan at nose, O'neel had Schultz, and Digger had Duchscher, Brennan and Wolff. I think you can see a relationship between the stats and having above-average players at the respective positions. We just haven't had all-american type players at either position the last couple years. It's not a knock against those players, they just aren't at the level that the before-mentioned group was at.

Having said that, finding a great Nose for your 3-4 scheme is not an easy thing to do. Having the physical size, strength and overall talent is one thing. Applying that with technique, natural football IQ, and buying into the system of "taking bullets" for your linebackers is another thing. Not a very "sexy" position based on the lack of stats you accumulate. It does sound as though Broc Bellmore will eventually be a good noseguard. The coaches seem to be high on him. Now we need an All-American inside linebacker to emerge and carry on the strong tradition of UND ILB's. Because of the beating that noseguards tend to take every game, I would like to see us go get a JUCO kid to complement Broc so we can rotate and have fresh legs. Maybe we have another freshman in the mix that will contribute this year.

Very good history lesson. Those guys were Junk Yard Dogs. We need some more Junk Yard Dogs on defense.

[bincitysioux]

The contracts are done this year, in June I believe. I know that Clear Channel was talking to UND about extending but had some things that needed to be worked out to make it happen. I don't know if anyone else is going to put in a bid.

The radio contracts expire at the end of June, IIRC. FWIW, so does NDSU's deal with WDAY. Leighton Broadcasting will definately put in a bid for UND sports. I would not be surprised if Radio Fargo-Moorhead put in a bid, and gets the rights for NDSU. If that happens, that would put WDAY in the position of possibly being interested in bidding on UND broadcasts. Then there is Scott Hennan's new station. I'm sure he would have an interest if it were possible.

It will be interesting to follow how this all goes. 2 years ago, Leighton offered nearly double what Clear Channel did, money-wise, but lost out because of Clear Channel's vast network. CC's network isn't as big as it was two years ago now, though. So that could tip the scales in favor of Leighton if they made a similar offer.

For the last 10-15 years, it has always been Clear Channel and Leighton showing interest in UND broadcasts, the aggressiveness of Radio F-M in the Fargo market could, in the end, steer two more stations to want the Sioux rights in WDAY and Hennan's new outfit.

[The Sicatoka]

It will be interesting to follow how this all goes.

Truer words never spoken.

Interesting datapoints along the way:

• NDSU has adopted the model of buying air time and doing their own production and sales (be it radio or TV). If you can't get folks to say enough nice things about you on your own merits I guess you buy the time and hire someone to fill it with such things. It's good to know Phil Hansen has gainful employment.
  
• Leighton's had the problem of not having a "big stick" (a low frequency mid-power or plain-old 50 kW monster) in the Fargo area in the past. That really hasn't changed. Or has it ....
  
• Hennen is already claiming "AM 1100 will be the new home for North Dakota's original radio talk show...news, opinion, passion will be heard throughout all of North Dakota and Minnesota on AM 1100 and on a brand new regional radio network coming soon to a radio near you." Hennen's AM 1100 is a 50 kW station licensed in Dilworth, MN with studios in Fargo. Is this Leighton's solution, or ...
  
• If Hennen is working on a new regional network, is SMAHH Communications (his new group) going to bid on UND Athletics?
  
• Then there's Radio Fargo-Moorhead with KFGO and 50 kW "The Fan" 740. Would they sell their time to NDSU to stick it to WDAY-AM?
  
• WDAY-AM is part of Forum Communications, which owns The Forum, The GF Herald, WDAY-TV, and WDAZ-TV. WDAY-AM could, if Radio FM and SMAHH both push, be left on the outside. Then again, WDAZ is the orginal and remains the production host of Fighting Sioux Sports Network (television). If ForumComm was odd-man out in the radio game would they refocus on FSSN?
  

Like the man said,

It will be interesting to follow how this all goes.

[bincitysioux]

Truer words never spoken.

Interesting datapoints along the way:

• NDSU has adopted the model of buying air time and doing their own production and sales (be it radio or TV). If you can't get folks to say enough nice things about you on your own merits I guess you buy the time and hire someone to fill it with such things. It's good to know Phil Hansen has gainful employment.
  
• Leighton's had the problem of not having a "big stick" (a low frequency mid-power or plain-old 50 kW monster) in the Fargo area in the past. That really hasn't changed. Or has it ....
  
• Hennen is already claiming "AM 1100 will be the new home for North Dakota's original radio talk show...news, opinion, passion will be heard throughout all of North Dakota and Minnesota on AM 1100 and on a brand new regional radio network coming soon to a radio near you." Hennen's AM 1100 is a 50 kW station licensed in Dilworth, MN with studios in Fargo. Is this Leighton's solution, or ...
  
• If Hennen is working on a new regional network, is SMAHH Communications (his new group) going to bid on UND Athletics?
  
• Then there's Radio Fargo-Moorhead with KFGO and 50 kW "The Fan" 740. Would they sell their time to NDSU to stick it to WDAY-AM?
  
• WDAY-AM is part of Forum Communications, which owns The Forum, The GF Herald, WDAY-TV, and WDAZ-TV. WDAY-AM could, if Radio FM and SMAHH both push, be left on the outside. Then again, WDAZ is the orginal and remains the production host of Fighting Sioux Sports Network (television). If ForumComm was odd-man out in the radio game would they refocus on FSSN?
  

Like the man said,

The biggest problem with Hennan's station and with Radio F-M's 740 station is how much they both power down at night. You can hear them in Dickinson during the day, but not in Casselton at night. That is why KFGO and WDAY are so popular, you can always hear them.

To me, the ideal situation would be for Leighton to be the flagship, and then for them to work with a few other different stations like Lake Region Radio Works, the Ingstads of the Jamestown area, and whomever would be left out in Fargo, either WDAY, Radio F-M, or SMAHH. I like Clear Channels network, but Leighton does a much better job of "non-game" coverage now, and they don't have any formal relationship with the school. Clear Channel devotes a whopping hour and a half a week during the school year to covering the "non-game" stuff. WDAY and Radio F-M spend about two hours a day year round covering the school in Fargo.

[Hammersmith]

NDSU has adopted the model of buying air time and doing their own production and sales (be it radio or TV). If you can't get folks to say enough nice things about you on your own merits I guess you buy the time and hire someone to fill it with such things. It's good to know Phil Hansen has gainful employment.

I absolutely love how NDSU has restructured its media contracts and I think UND would be foolish not to follow suit as soon as possible. During the old days, NDSU gave up all rights to the broadcasts in return for a check. Sure there was no risk to the school(if anyone lost money, it would be ForumComm), but we were completely at ForumComm's mercy when it came to coverge area, webcasting, and other side issues. With the new contract, NDSU assumes quite a bit of risk, but the rewards are worth it. Need improved coverage in SW North Dakota? Go ahead and buy airtime. Want to break into an area where your main carrier doesn't have a station? No contract's stopping you, only money. Want to webcast for free so Bison outside the area don't feel screwed by high prices? No problem.

Next year, the Bison Radio Network will include at least 11 different stations from several media networks. That could have never happened under the old-style contracts. I even expect a Twin Cities station to be added in the next two years. I don't think Faison has enough time to restructure your contract this go around, but if at all possible he should do it. Probably the major factor at the moment is lack of money and staff in UND's athletic department. To bring media in-house, you need enough seed money to hire your broadcasting staff and pay for the first wave of airtime. You also need dedicated staff positions to push hard when selling the ad space. Maybe in two years UND will have filled the more serious openings(director of compliance, etc) and will have enough discretionary money to change its media contracts.

[GeauxSioux]

Insofar as radio, it may to NDSU's advantage to bring the production in house, but you're still going to have to sell it. UND does have one asset that is huge and that NSDU can't match in the delivery of product and that is FSSN.

NDSU plays between 11 and 12 football games a year, which I'm sure will sell nicely media-wise. Is there really a huge market for NDSU BB?

Yes, UND still has hockey and that is a huge seller, playing over 40 games a year. Throw in an average of 11 games a year in football, at least some of which will likely be on FSSN and UND's television outlook is bright.

UND hockey has been quite a popular media product in the past and I don't see that changing. It may only get bigger with the other programs going from Division II to Division I.

I know this is a football thread, but you can't just use one sport to base your whole media contracts upon.

[DamStrait]

I absolutely love how NDSU has restructured its media contracts and I think UND would be foolish not to follow suit as soon as possible. During the old days, NDSU gave up all rights to the broadcasts in return for a check. Sure there was no risk to the school(if anyone lost money, it would be ForumComm), but we were completely at ForumComm's mercy when it came to coverge area, webcasting, and other side issues. With the new contract, NDSU assumes quite a bit of risk, but the rewards are worth it. Need improved coverage in SW North Dakota? Go ahead and buy airtime. Want to break into an area where your main carrier doesn't have a station? No contract's stopping you, only money. Want to webcast for free so Bison outside the area don't feel screwed by high prices? No problem.

Next year, the Bison Radio Network will include at least 11 different stations from several media networks. That could have never happened under the old-style contracts. I even expect a Twin Cities station to be added in the next two years. I don't think Faison has enough time to restructure your contract this go around, but if at all possible he should do it. Probably the major factor at the moment is lack of money and staff in UND's athletic department. To bring media in-house, you need enough seed money to hire your broadcasting staff and pay for the first wave of airtime. You also need dedicated staff positions to push hard when selling the ad space. Maybe in two years UND will have filled the more serious openings(director of compliance, etc) and will have enough discretionary money to change its media contracts.

The way 'SU has restructured their media contracts may in fact be the way to go, but I would posit that not even Whiskey Joe's propaganda department would suggest that it's been proven to be so. The restructuring simply has not been around long enough to confirm all of its purported advantages and that it has not resulted in unforeseen disadvantages.