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BASEBALL Middle Tennessee (7-3) vs Austin Peay State (2-8), 3PM, Tuesday, March 9, 2021

We really need this win.

Losing to APSU this year is a bad loss & we need to find a 4th starter. I am curious if Toman will use this game as a bullpen game and focus on finding a 4th for the weekend or if he plans on a bullpen game this weekend.
 
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this should be on 89.5 but, as we know, mcphee doesn't want people across the mid-state to hear Blue Raider games

I’m trying to remember the timeline for when the games stopped being aired on 89.5. When did that happen? Was there an announcement of a reason for the change. I remember a few game nights driving toward Knoxville and listening to the games on 89.5 all the way in Cookeville at least. That was nice.
 
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I think it was well before the change from the jazz format. It doesn't make much sense. There were some spots where I could pick up 89.5 south of the TN/AL border back years ago.
 
The loss of MT games on 89.5 began with losing BkB one night during the week. IIRC it was Wed. night and games the other nights' games were broadcast that year. I called the station mgr. to complain and he stated it was due to "contractual obligations". I made him aware of my dismay and that I had been listening to games since 89.5s inception. He said it couldn't change. IIRC I was not that upset since so few away games were on the night in question. The next year, again IIRC, no FB or BkB games were on 89.5.

Recently I happened to read the Wikipedia article on the "Music City Roots" radio show which was (is?) on WMOT. The last paragraph of the article is related to this thread (sorry, I don't have linking skills). Reading between the lines the Americana format is so much more successful than the jazz format that it probably comes down to the advertising dollars the new format can raise along with the contract with Heng Dai meida (doesn't everything come down to $$$s).
If "public" radios stations could no longer sell advertising (when did that change?), if WMOT mgt. hadn't been allowed to enter a contractual agreement with Heng Dai media (which allowed them control of programming in addition to having a home for "Music City Roots"), If enough MT fans didn't raise hell when the games were removed (obviously not), and if MT athletics was an easier advertising sell then IMHO MT athletics would still be on 89.5.

As an aside: The reason MT games are no longer on 89.5 is the same as the reason the radio network is not expanding. The athletic department either doesn't think it's important to be on radio, they have given up on finding sponsors, or (more likely) they haven't spent the energy to look for sponsors for the games. In a perfect world our games could be picked up on multiple stations from KY to AL and from the Cumberland Mts. to the TN River. If a flagship schools can blanket the state with coverage for their games shouldn't we try to blanket Middle Tennessee?
One more possible thought. Could part of the "contractual obligation" issue be that the contract with WGNS to become the "Murfreesboro Home of MT Athletics" by the athletic department contained the agreement to no longer provide competition on WMOT. WGNS would have a much easier time finding sponsors. It would be interesting to know.
 
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As an aside: The reason MT games are no longer on 89.5 is the same as the reason the radio network is not expanding. The athletic department either doesn't think it's important to be on radio, they have given up on finding sponsors, or (more likely) they haven't spent the energy to look for sponsors for the games. In a perfect world our games could be picked up on multiple stations from KY to AL and from the Cumberland Mts. to the TN River. If a flagship schools can blanket the state with coverage for their games shouldn't we try to blanket Middle Tennessee?

I think it falls in the same category as the beat writer "vacancy" at the DNJ. There just isn't the demand for it. The Athletic Dept can stream games world wide, while I'm assuming utilizing less resources. If our fan base can't move the needle within the RuCo line, who are we trying to reach outside the county?

There is a reason Knoxville Correctional football games are heard all across the state. DEMAND, which drives advertising dollars. Like the rest of you, I bleed blue. But, if I was the station manager at WMOT, and my job was to make 89.5 a profitable business entity, I'm not sure I would make MT games a priority. Just being honest. Let's face it, right now, our product sucks.
 
I will always prefer radio over streaming, and holding a physical sports page over reading it on a screen. But I am appreciative of the baseball games streamed on the MT Athletics website and TuneIn.

Really enjoyed that Coach Pete video yesterday. Very well done. Will never be another.
 
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I think it falls in the same category as the beat writer "vacancy" at the DNJ. There just isn't the demand for it. The Athletic Dept can stream games world wide, while I'm assuming utilizing less resources. If our fan base can't move the needle within the RuCo line, who are we trying to reach outside the county?

There is a reason Knoxville Correctional football games are heard all across the state. DEMAND, which drives advertising dollars. Like the rest of you, I bleed blue. But, if I was the station manager at WMOT, and my job was to make 89.5 a profitable business entity, I'm not sure I would make MT games a priority. Just being honest. Let's face it, right now, our product sucks.

Just to play devil's advocate with you: Is it DEMAND which causes WKU to have a much larger radio network than MT's?, is it DEMAND which caused the recent entrance into the Nashville market on radio stations for both Memphis and WKU?; or is it just possible that their athletic departments are more assertive in getting the product out to potential fans?

Additionally: I don't know when the Federal Communications started allowing public, non-commercial radio stations (WMOT is a public station owned and operatied by MTSU) to have extensive advertising rather than just briefly acknowledging a supporter but IMHO a public radio station operated by a college/university should be broadcasting for the benefit of the school and its students, faculty, alumni and supporters and NOT be concerned with ratings and making $$$s. Just my 2 cents worth!!!
 
"Is it DEMAND which causes WKU to have a much larger radio network than MT's?, is it DEMAND which caused the recent entrance into the Nashville market on radio stations for both Memphis and WKU?; or is it just possible that their athletic departments are more assertive in getting the product out to potential fans?"

I think because there is more demand from their fan base, their athletic dept can be more assertive in getting their product out there. Could be wrong, but our numbers back up my assumption.

Take this message board, the only message board we have left, as an example. How many users post on a weekly or even bi-weekly basis? 15? 20 at most? I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, but what do we have to get excited about? The Mich St and Minn wins were 4/5 years ago. The buzz from going 1-A (FBS) wore off a long time ago. The buzz from joining C-USA is gone. We have never beat a good P5 football team since we moved up. We just catch teams on down years. We had 1 coach who understood what it took to sell a mid-major program at a national level, and he is gone. I do think Toman will turn the baseball program around and have us competing for a spot in a regional sooner rather than later, but that will only move the needle so much.

Our Athletic Dept sold the "idea" of being a FBS school for as long as they could. Now that you have 2 decades of mediocre results, you can't continue to sell expectations. You just have an average product with little to no demand.
 
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MBB recently had its greatest success with Kermit while the MT radio broadcast suffers its worst coverage area in 30+ years.

I doubt WMOT costs much more to operate than it did 30 years ago - and nothing to compare with D1 coaching salaries today.
 
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