Sioux Athletics staying on KFGO

[SooToo]

........................

I don't begrudge RFM at all for wanting NDSU. They are a Fargo station and NDSU is the hometown team. I'm a little discouraged at how it all went down though. 2 hours notice? Why renew their agreement with UND last year for 3 seasons when the obviously knew they would making a play for NDSU this year? Selfishly, I'm most upset because for the first time ever when they re-upped last year the Coach's show was available in my area for the first time.

I wonder if this affects Hammer's role as play by play guy. I would suspect not. He is an employee of UND just like Hennessey and Ralston.

More than anything, this was about RFM burying Forum Comm. even deeper than they already have over the years. They took the Redhawks, the Bison, and most importantly I think, Scott Miller.

"A little discouraged?" Come on. Giving your long-time broadcast partner two hours notice that you're bailing on your 3-year contract just one year after you happily signed it is utterly classless. Undoubtedly, part of the NDSU agenda was to hurt UND's broadcast options in Fargo-Moorhead but I would hope Joel Heitkamp is embarassed by how this went down. He ought to be a little nervous, too; obviously a contract with Jim Ingstad isn't worth the paper it's written on.

[Sioux-Hockey-Fan]

I emailed KFGO and let them have it. If you are po'd and want to vent go ahead and send them an email.

http://www.kfgo.com/contact_kfgo.php

Have fun broadcasting those lame bison games.

Thanks for the link! I just emailed them and let them have it too!! What a complete piss poor decision by RFM.

[Risky]

Jim Ingstad is definitely classless. What other businesses is he involved with? I will not affiliate myself with anything he is involed with.

[gfhockey]

I'm not saying this is anyones fault but do you think all the changes Faison and the guys he brought in hurt UND?

Having the radio commentators work for UND and all the advertising by UND etc etc

I have a feeling that if we a "good ole boy" (rob bollinger or another person with local ties) this never would have happen

[Sioux_Yeah_Yeah]

Who listens to radio anymore anyway.

Perhaps all those people that have the game(s) on the radio and don't get the game(s) on TV...

And lots of people, in general, listen to the radio.

[sultan]

There is no one to blame at UND. The fact is that the people that bought KFGO are unfortunately big bison backers for whatever reason. It wouldn't have mattered what we would of negotiated for a contract. He was turning his stations into bison stations. I guess the owner can do what he wants. A person would hope that he would at least honor present contracts. KFGO probably isn't the type of people to do business with.

[Stromer]

While this is surprising news for sure, I just thought I would share a thought of mine. I was driving during the Fri Gopher playoff game and I was not impressed with the range of 790. It didn't want to come in until past Valley City and even then it wasn't a strong signal. I ended up waiting until I could get 96.1 FM which that night was coming in just out of Fargo. Maybe that was a rare occurance but it seems that the night time coverage area leaves something to be disired.

[dlsiouxfan]

For the record. Scott Miller is unlistenable. my oh my.

Strongly agree. I think the only thing that's sustained his career is being teamed for Bison football games with one of the worst announcing teams in history. Next to Phil Hansen, who most games is unable to string together two sentences without sounding like a complete idiot, and Jeremy Jorgenson, who thinks every Bison player does a great job on every play regardless of outcome, Scott Miller is at least tolerable. That is until he lets loose with that awful catchphrase.

[petey23]

Strongly agree. I think the only thing that's sustained his career is being teamed for Bison football games with one of the worst announcing teams in history. Next to Phil Hansen, who most games is unable to string together two sentences without sounding like a complete idiot, and Jeremy Jorgenson, who thinks every Bison player does a great job on every play regardless of outcome, Scott Miller is at least tolerable. That is until he lets loose with that awful catchphrase.

I do like how he uses it in many different ways though.

excitement

disappointment

disbelief

shock

etc.

pretty funny actually, although I don't think that is his intent

[petey23]

Thanks for the link! I just emailed them and let them have it too!! What a complete piss poor decision by RFM.

I also emailed them and informed them that while I can respect a business decision, their lack of class in the matter will push me to avoid doing business with anyone who advertises with them whenever possible.

[SooToo]

While this is surprising news for sure, I just thought I would share a thought of mine. I was driving during the Fri Gopher playoff game and I was not impressed with the range of 790. ... it seems that the night time coverage area leaves something to be disired.

On this I would agree; Putting aside the nice coverage maps produced previously by Hammersmith, it's been apparent on several occasions that in areas of both ND and MN, KFGO's night-time reception is poorer than WDAY's. As Bin said, maybe we'll end up with more sports broadcast on a Fargo radio station with a greater reach.

On the down side, KFGO's (and KFYR's) rating are head and shoulders above DAY's. You can bet RFM will give over some of its day-time programming hours to fawning over Gene Taylor and the AC coaches for a statewide audience.

I read in today's Forum that, after bailing out of the broadcast contract with UND on two-hour's notice, Joel Heitkamp thought KFGO's relationship with UND ended "very positive." Given that display of honesty, I think I'll look elsewhere for news coverage of the NDSU audits or the looming arrests of Bison football players.

[WYOBISONMAN]

I would doubt that NDSU gave a damn about who was broadcasting the UND games. They wanted to get the best deal for thier own broadcasts. Remember, NDSU completely does all the bradcast stuff in house and was probably looking for the best deal financially and balancing that with coverage. I am sure KFGO wanted to get the home team on the air. In the end, NDSU is going to have more appeal in Fargo, just like UND is going to have more appeal in GFKS. To think that NDSU told KFGO to dump the Sioux is some of the most foolish paranoia I have seen on this board. I suppose the black helicopters are coming next.

[FSSD]

I would doubt that NDSU gave a damn about who was broadcasting the UND games. They wanted to get the best deal for thier own broadcasts. Remember, NDSU completely does all the bradcast stuff in house and was probably looking for the best deal financially and balancing that with coverage. I am sure KFGO wanted to get the home team on the air. In the end, NDSU is going to have more appeal in Fargo, just like UND is going to have more appeal in GFKS. To think that NDSU told KFGO to dump the Sioux is some of the most foolish paranoia I have seen on this board. I suppose the black helicopters are coming next.

Please read the following... it appears that NDSU did push for KFGO to dump UND - no paranoia just other delusional Bison fan - I think I see black helicopters on the horizon..

[bincitysioux]

I would doubt that NDSU gave a damn about who was broadcasting the UND games.

You sure about that?

KFGO Radio drops Sioux football, hockey coverage

[bincitysioux]

I'm not saying this is anyones fault but do you think all the changes Faison and the guys he brought in hurt UND?

Having the radio commentators work for UND and all the advertising by UND etc etc

I have a feeling that if we a "good ole boy" (rob bollinger or another person with local ties) this never would have happen

No. Having radio being "in-house" is becoming the norm at the higher levels of college sports. Our radio is run the same way that NDSU's is.

If we had a "good ole boy" we probably wouldn't have radio affiliates in Montana and Minnesota, or have a pile of games broadcast on Fox College Sports.

Brian Faison and Sean Johnson have done a remarkable job with expanding the media distribution of Sioux athletics. This is only a hiccup. Like I said, KFGO was just one of many affiliates, there are other options in that market.

[The Sicatoka]

RFM now has NDSU and the FM RedHawks. Given the way this went down, I hope that combination (NDSU/'hawks) does everything for KFGO that it did for WDAY.

[FSSD]

Brian Faison and Sean Johnson have done a remarkable job with expanding the media distribution of Sioux athletics. This is only a hiccup. Like I said, KFGO was just one of many affiliates, there are other options in that market.

I absolutely agree: regional cable, Fox Sports, print and the radio network - plus the additional in house internet coverage. If you look around at peer schools they do not come close They have done great job and they will resolve the Fargo market soon.

[star2city]

Do wonder if Marcil and Forum Communications will now become "the voice" of the Fighting Sioux.

After the NDSU house debacle where Marcil's donation got dragged through the mud, he's totally shifted his stance regarding NDSU. WDAY radio very publicly announced that they were no longer pursuing the NDSU media contract. Hallstrom almost certainly knew what was coming down: he left. Will Kolpack be relegated to a small corner of The Forum?

Will UND basketball games get a spot on FM radio? Would that be a first?

Will Dan Hammer move to DAY radio and TV?

Faison, however, said UND will act quickly to find a new Fargo-Moorhead radio home for Sioux football and hockey.

“We have some options and hopefully we can get everything done by the end of the week,” Faison said. “We’ll have our hockey and football games on the air in Fargo-Moorhead. And maybe we’ll add a few new wrinkles on top of that.”

UND officials would not identify what radio stations they were considering for a Sioux presence in Fargo. But the most logical choice would be WDAY-AM, the station that carried Bison games for 43 of the past 46 years.

[WYOBISONMAN]

Do wonder if Marcil and Forum Communications will now become "the voice" of the Fighting Sioux.

After the NDSU house debacle where Marcil's donation got dragged through the mud, he's totally shifted his stance regarding NDSU. WDAY radio very publicly announced that they were no longer pursuing the NDSU media contract. Hallstrom almost certainly knew what was coming down: he left. Will Kolpack be relegated to a small corner of The Forum?

Will UND basketball games get a spot on FM radio? Would that be a first?

Will Dan Hammer move to DAY radio and TV?

WDAY will want something available sports wise. I would not be at all surprised if they pick up UND. That would be a pretty logical move. As for Hallstrom, I bet he just left for more money and less hours. I don't think most of those media jobs are all that great compensation wise, and the hours are surely tough. I would still see Kolpack doing a lot of coverage as NDSU is the hometown team. But, if there is a move to WDAY for the Sioux, it probably won't hurt the covereage they get in the Forum and it may enhance it. Who knows......Moorhead State may be the biggest looser in this deal as they have little going on over there worth covering...

[The Sicatoka]

Mentioning MSU-Mhd, it seems with 740 The Fan being NDSU's secondary station (if there are conflicts at KFGO) that Concordia has jumped to 1660 ESPN (KQWB-AM). That leaves MSU-Mhd without the radio home it had last season.

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/273931/

The open questions are the plans of the two other players in the bidding for NDSU: ForumComm (in radio just WDAY-AM) and Hennen's group of stations*.

* AM 1100 The Flag; 106.9 FM The Eagle; KQLX AM 890 and KQLX-FM 106.1.

[Matt]

Do wonder if Marcil and Forum Communications will now become "the voice" of the Fighting Sioux.

After the NDSU house debacle where Marcil's donation got dragged through the mud, he's totally shifted his stance regarding NDSU. WDAY radio very publicly announced that they were no longer pursuing the NDSU media contract. Hallstrom almost certainly knew what was coming down: he left. Will Kolpack be relegated to a small corner of The Forum?

Will UND basketball games get a spot on FM radio? Would that be a first?

Will Dan Hammer move to DAY radio and TV?

I will be schocked if The Forum or WDAY spend a dime to cover NDSU sports on the road. The Forum coverage of Bison athletics expanded significantly after the move up. I think Bison fans will be treated to a series of comparatively small wire reports in the paper when the Bison aren't playing in Fargo. From that perspective, I think the Fargo Bison fans will regret how this was handled. Not necessarily that the radio rights left WDAY per se, but that Forum Comm wasn't given something to keep them interested in the Bison athletic fold.

[the green team]

On the one hand its difficult to not be on probably the most recognized media in the Fargo/Moorhead are which would be RFM's. KFGO. I'm certainly dissappointed in the way they handled this. If the relationship that has existed between the station and UND in some shape or fashion for the past 17 years, meant anything to them, it should have been handled a lot better and shame on them for it.

Now, this is hypothetical but I think we will get on DAY-AM, and now that I look at it, it may not be so bad. Case in point, in the comment section of in-forum on the story a NDSU, fan was cranked up about not being able to get KFGO at night where he lives, but he has always been able to get WDAY-AM, as strong of signal that KFGO has during the day, I'm ok with getting a stronger night signal with DAY-AM, because that's when hockey & basketball games are, and even some football. It may not be so bad.

[The Sicatoka]

What concerns me is that ForumComm only has one "stick" (WDAY-AM) in the Fargo market.

[summitfever]

the forum will have to show bison coverage as well as wday channel 6, they be slitting their throats otherwise.

question for everyone here ripping on jim ingstad. why he is a und alum, but flies a ndsu flag at his house and lake cabin?

hmmmm.

p.s- hammer can leave fargo anytime he wants, his 1 hour show is horrendous, it seems like even the und coaches hate being on there.

[Risky]

I have to admit it looked pretty funny to see Joel Heitkamp wearing a Bison shirt on TV last night when a person doesn't have to go back to far to remember how he used to bash the Bison and make fun ot them. He is a regular Ed Schultz. I suppose he has to to keep his job though.