Monday, November 17, 2003
Bats fans, there's just no point in bitching about the team's radio deal. Nothing new is gonna happen, and it isn't the team's fault.
There is no "generating ratings." The Bats lease the air time from the radio station and sell their own advertising. They could win two championships and put 7,000 people a night in the stands and there would still only be 1000 fans AT BEST who actually follow the team to the point where they listen to the games.
Spurs, Rangers, Horns, Lady Horns, Aggies, Tech, Baylor, high school -- it's not that the media is biased in favor of those things, it's that they actually are more popular. Either stations actually PAY the team for those broadcast rights, or the teams/schools in question are able to at least break even on the deal.
A few years ago, the webcast only had a capacity of 100 listeners, and that wasn't often exceeded. Which doesn't mean NHRow7 isn't right about more people listening on the web than over the air -- how's that for some perspective?
Another example -- if you spent money on CHL TV during the Laredo series last year, you were one of about two dozen people (though granted many more fans were at the game in person).
In a market like Austin air time is expensive and there's no station in town that can't get better ratings simply playing music or a two-bit talk show or yes, the NBA. So the Bats (and the Express) take what they can get without breaking the bank. Should they could get on a better station for a lot more money just to make a few hundred fans happy? Should they put the home games on the air for twice as much money to please an even smaller audience (fans who can't make the game, parents out of town, fans who bring radios to the game)? While I have yet to be convinced Austin's new ownership has opened up its wallet as wide as possible to truly save the ailing business that they bought, I do know their money would be better spent in any number of ways, from advertising to an affiliation to a full-time assistant coach.
