SooToo Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 WDAY pulls offer At least as of now, Forum Communications is dropping out of the bidding for NDSU radio rights, apparently ending a 43-year relationship on a sour note. Interestingly, Mark Prather, GM at WDAY, was in attendance at Fargo Sioux Boosters this week and was recognized for his station's recent support. WDAY TV (for the first time in my memory) has been running some promos both for the Sioux coaches' show (which I believe still out draws the Craig Bohl show) and the booster club. Coming on the heels of the switch of TV rights to KVLY, could this open some doors for new relationships between UND sports and Forum Communications? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star2city Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 WDAY pulls offer At least as of now, Forum Communications is dropping out of the bidding for NDSU radio rights, apparently ending a 43-year relationship on a sour note. Interestingly, Mark Prather, GM at WDAY, was in attendance at Fargo Sioux Boosters this week and was recognized for his station's recent support. WDAY TV (for the first time in my memory) has been running some promos both for the Sioux coaches' show (which I believe still out draws the Craig Bohl show) and the booster club. Coming on the heels of the switch of TV rights to KVLY, could this open some doors for new relationships between UND sports and Forum Communications? Forum Communications already has a relationship with UND via WDAZ and the Grand Forks Herald. The issue with WDAZ is that it only covers NE ND and NW MN. If WDAY and other western stations could be pulled into the relationship, that could benefit all parties. The choice for UND athletics for some time has been either gain access to the WDAZ sister stations, or move to another network. With WDAY AM and WDAY TV now being the former voices of NDSU, there just could be some openings. It seems NDSU and it's Foundation really bungled their relationship with Forum owner Marcil over his gifting of UND's and NDSU's president's housing. Marcils public statements about NDSU handling of the construction were not at all favorable and could have caused a rift, while he responded favorably to UND's handling of the situation. Until that event, Marcil had always seemed pro-Chapman. UND's and WDAZ's relationship with Fox College Sports might also be entering into the equation, as some of the WDAZ commericals are broadcast nationally. With a state TV network and even a cable audience, Forum Communications could seel more regional rather than local advertising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiouxMeNow Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 My oh MY!!!!!! (sorry, couldn't resist) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn-O Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 If I were them (and thank God I'm not), I'd be looking for some answers from Jorgenson. They are light years behind UND on the broadcast side of it both radio and television. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SooToo Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 Forum Communications already has a relationship with UND via WDAZ and the Grand Forks Herald. The issue with WDAZ is that it only covers NE ND and NW MN. If WDAY and other western stations could be pulled into the relationship, that could benefit all parties. The choice for UND athletics for some time has been either gain access to the WDAZ sister stations, or move to another network. With WDAY AM and WDAY TV now being the former voices of NDSU, there just could be some openings. It seems NDSU and it's Foundation really bungled their relationship with Forum owner Marcil over his gifting of UND's and NDSU's president's housing. Marcils public statements about NDSU handling of the construction were not at all favorable and could have caused a rift, while he responded favorably to UND's handling of the situation. Until that event, Marcil had always seemed pro-Chapman. UND's and WDAZ's relationship with Fox College Sports might also be entering into the equation, as some of the WDAZ commericals are broadcast nationally. With a state TV network and even a cable audience, Forum Communications could seel more regional rather than local advertising. If you know anything about Bill Marcil -- and I do, just a little -- he's not likely to take lightly the way Gene T. and Co. have walked away from their long-term relationship with Forum Communications. He's a good member of the Fargo-Moorhead community but he is a UND grad, and he may be open to considering statewide broadcasts of some UND games if for no other reason than to spite NDSU. Prather's appearance at Sioux boosters spoke volumes. Agree that UND is w-a-a-y ahead of the AC in regards to broadcast media, but you've got to wonder what KFGO's long-term interest is in UND football (and other sports), and WDAY-AM must have nearly the same footprint as KFGO. The FCS agreement is excellent, but it'd also be nice to see a few statewide telecasts of UND games over traditional commercial stations, and Forum Com could deliver that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sicatoka Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 My oh MY!!!!!! (sorry, couldn't resist) Didn't you hear? He retired. http://areavoices.com/bisonmedia/?blog=70325 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sicatoka Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 If you know anything about Bill Marcil -- and I do, just a little -- he's not likely to take lightly the way Gene T. and Co. have walked away from their long-term relationship with Forum Communications. He's a good member of the Fargo-Moorhead community but he is a UND grad, and he may be open to considering statewide broadcasts of some UND games if for no other reason than to spite NDSU. Prather's appearance at Sioux boosters spoke volumes. Agree that UND is w-a-a-y ahead of the AC in regards to broadcast media, but you've got to wonder what KFGO's long-term interest is in UND football (and other sports), and WDAY-AM must have nearly the same footprint as KFGO. The FCS agreement is excellent, but it'd also be nice to see a few statewide telecasts of UND games over traditional commercial stations, and Forum Com could deliver that. I agree with everything that you said except the bolded part: FCS (national) deal > Midcontinent Cable (regional) deal >> statewide television. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sicatoka Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 You can use http://www.radio-locator.com to look up the "footprint" of various radio stations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammersmith Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Didn't you hear? He retired. http://areavoices.com/bisonmedia/?blog=70325 "My oh my" is Scott Miller's trademark. Steve Hallstrom is the guy who changed careers. I've been wondering why so many think that NDSU switching to Radio Fargo-Moorhead is a bad thing(even among Bison fans). The only thing I can come up with is that they're living in the past. I don't mean that in a bad way, but I don't have a better way of saying it. The time is long past when ForumComm was the big fish in North Dakota. Today, they've only got one radio station(WDAY 970) and two TV stations(WDAY & WDAZ). If you want statewide anything, you don't go to ForumComm. Back when both of our programs sold our radio rights, one of the big selling points was the coverage area of stations owned by the bidders. It's why Clear Channel was so attractive to you guys a few years ago. Today, that stuff is almost meaningless. Not only are there no longer any companies left with statewide network coverage, but with both schools retaining the radio rights and basically buying airtime, the schools can now go to any radio station they want and negotiate to add that station to the network. Today, what does ForumComm give NDSU that RFM doesn't? Instead of one radio station to run ads on, RFM has six. RFM also grabbed Redhawks baseball from ForumComm, so it's a good bet that Scott Miller will be hired away from WDAY. Phil Hanson always has been paid by NDSU, not WDAY, so his moving over isn't in doubt. The same is true for Jeremy Jorgenson(shudder). The only thing that's different is the radio footprint. KVOX(740) has a slightly smaller footprint than WDAY(970) or KFGO(790) at night, but a vastly larger one during the day. Check out the maps from Sic's link to see the difference between 5,000W (WDAY & KFGO) and 50,000W (KVOX). Some have said that NDSU is making a mistake because KVOX(or KFAN if you prefer) has never carried live sports. To me, that's just another example of living in the past. It seems like RFM is working to further specialize their stations. Who's to say that KVOX won't be the area's primary sports station in a couple years; they certainly seem like they're putting the effort in. And that's something that was lacking in the last several years of the older style contracts between ForumComm and NDSU. As for the relationship between Marcil and NDSU, it's been very apparent for months that that relationship has deteriorated to the point of no return. The PR disaster also known as Dick Hanson hasn't helped matters, but the tone of Forum articles changed drastically after the house fiasco. I have to believe that Marcil took that personally, since a big chunk of it was his money. Since then, the Forum has changed from pro-NDSU(to a fault), to as anti-NDSU as any of the western ND papers. The very public withdrawal of ForumComm's bid in a thinly veiled attempt to undermine NDSU's bargaining position is just another example. Now if UND on WDAY is attractive to you guys, that's fine. But it might not be the same WDAY as you're thinking of. A lot has changed over the past ten or twenty years, and you might be better off staying with RFM and the media network you've already created. And if you want statewide TV coverage, just negotiate a deal with WDAY TV and KBMY out of Bismarck. WDAY TV has been available for a couple years since NDSU switched to Hoak Media. Of course, I don't know how your contract is worded with FCS, so that may not be an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MplsBison Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Why has Hanson been a PR disaster? Seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sicatoka Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 "My oh my" is Scott Miller's trademark. Steve Hallstrom is the guy who changed careers. My apologies for confusing the annoying broadcasters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sicatoka Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Why has Hanson been a PR disaster? Seriously. Please follow the link and discuss there. Thank you. http://www.bisonville.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18768 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sicatoka Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 To me, 'DAY-AM radio is not as good of a deal as the far-and-away radio market leader KFGO. However, getting WDAY-TV off of its love-fest with NDSU may open up time for more WDAZ-TV stories on UND to air in the southern valley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SooToo Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 I've been wondering why so many think that NDSU switching to Radio Fargo-Moorhead is a bad thing(even among Bison fans). The only thing I can come up with is that they're living in the past. ... The time is long past when ForumComm was the big fish in North Dakota. Today, they've only got one radio station(WDAY 970) and two TV stations(WDAY & WDAZ). If you want statewide anything, you don't go to ForumComm. ... Who's to say that KVOX won't be the area's primary sports station in a couple years; they certainly seem like they're putting the effort in. And that's something that was lacking in the last several years of the older style contracts between ForumComm and NDSU. As for the relationship between Marcil and NDSU, it's been very apparent for months that that relationship has deteriorated to the point of no return. ... the Forum has changed from pro-NDSU(to a fault), to as anti-NDSU as any of the western ND papers. ... A lot has changed over the past ten or twenty years, and you might be better off staying with RFM and the media network you've already created. ... The focus here isn't whether NDSU made a mistake in its media dealing but what opportunities those changes might hold for UND. Obviously, the old days of awarding a radio contract to a single station are over, but you certainly want stations with broad coverage areas among your affiliates and there are only so many of them out there. I agree UND should continue its partnership with KFGO in Fargo, but what are RFM's intentions when the current 3-year deal expires? If a decision is made at RFM to limit KFGO coverage to professional sports (and KVOX is all Bison), WDAY-AM certainly would be a desireable broadcast alternative. I agree with Sic that the FCS deal is far superior to a local TV network, but what percentage of viewers in ND and NW Minnesota -- our prime terrritory -- are offered or purchase FCS (premium) channels? If allowable under the FCS contract, a few games via "traditional" TV available across the region would be a great addition to current coverage. Minus its prior affiliation with SU, Forum Comm could provide that. (If I'm not mistaken, they actually own four stations in the state; WDAY, WDAZ, KBMY (Bismarck) and KMLY (Minot). I agree with you, Hammer, in that I don't understand Bison fans' objection to a deal with RFM. It's been widely speculated since RFM "upgraded" its sports station that this would be the eventual home of NDSU sports and, as an all-sports station, they may give even deeper blanket coverage (if that's possible) to SU sports than WDAY. As an aside, I'm astounded by the collective the-world's-against-us paranoia gripping Bison fanatics. The objection to RFM seems mainly to center on Joel Heitkamp and on Dan Hammer, whose "sin" is that he's the (paid, professional) broadcaster for UND football. As to The Forum, I think it still has (like most papers) an inherent bias in favor of its local school. Don't blame the messanger when it (megalomaniac president on a personal spending spree, buildings falling down, tuition waiver give-aways to inflate enrollment -- you get the picture) hits the fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammersmith Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 stuff You're right about KBMY and KLMY. That'll teach me to double check my facts before posting something so absolute(and basing part of an argument on it). I remember checking the ForumComm website a while back for radio stations outside of Fargo, and I must've incorrectly added the TV stations to that mental list. As for our paranoia, it's a factor of so much bad stuff happening in such a short span. I'm not saying NDSU didn't bring much of it on itself, but all of it hitting at once has been a bit trying. If you want a laugh, check out the enrollment thread at Bisonville. Posters have been coming up with possible headlines the Forum could use to turn the positive growth into something that sounds negative. Our mess and mentality kind of reminds me of you guys from three or four years back. UND had a bad run back around the time the whole nickname issue exploded. I guess it's our turn on the whipping post. You've also got a good point about WDAY 970 being attractive if the format changes at RFM & KFGO begin to marginalize UND athletics in favor of NDSU. Who knows if that will happen, since some Bison fans are worried about the same thing from the opposite direction. This is one debate that we won't have an answer to for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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