RADIO UPDATE – Ohio High School Athletic Association
Executive Director Daniel B. Ross, Ph.D.
May 21, 2018
OHSAA Radio Updates and Upcoming Programming
Greetings from the Ohio High School Athletic Association. This quarterly memo summarizes the OHSAA’s communications with radio stations as the OHSAA supports local high school sports coverage, delivers public service announcements and publicizes OHSAA Radio Network programming.
Softball and Baseball State Tournaments Set for May 31, June 1 & 2
The OHSAA Radio Network will broadcast every game from the upcoming softball and baseball state tournaments. Network delivery instructions, program logs and broadcast crews will be posted at:
OHSAA Radio Network affiliates for the full school year already have their regional and state tournament broadcast rights fees waived and should continue using their 2017-18 credentials. Affiliates are asked to confirm with Tim Stried which state tournament broadcasts from the network will be utilized.
Other stations can still opt into an affiliate plan, which will waive any regional and state tournament rights fees (specific to softball or baseball). There is no cost to carry network programming.
Thank You Affiliates!
Last year, 51 stations carried one or more football state championship broadcasts from the OHSAA Radio Network, with most of those stations having their rights fees waived throughout the playoffs. During the basketball state tournaments, 36 stations carried network programming, with a waiver for their regional and state tournament broadcast fees. Since the OHSAA Radio Network was created in 2010, a total of 86 stations have carried network programming.
Next Statewide Broadcasters Meeting
The OHSAA is working with the Ohio Association of Broadcasters to plan another meeting for high school sports broadcasters. The meeting will be held at the OHSAA in mid-August. Please keep an eye out for details.
New CD of PSAs Coming in Early August
In early August, the OHSAA will send a CD of new PSAs to all stations, along with a promo spot for the 2018 football playoffs. Some of the spots are produced jointly by the NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) and the OIAAA (Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association). The OHSAA, NFHS and OIAAA thank stations for using the spots whenever possible. A survey from the NFHS will be included. Past PSA’s are posted at:
http://www.ohsaa.org/RTG/PSA
Skyview Networks Deliver OHSAA Radio Network Broadcasts
Skyview Networks has partnered with the OHSAA to deliver OHSAA Radio Network broadcasts via satellite. The broadcasts through Skyview include automated closures. An online feed through SecureNet is still be available for stations without a Skyview receiver available.
It’s Not Too Early to Think Football!
As stations set their high school football broadcast schedules for the fall, it’s not too early to request a fee waiver for the 2018 football playoffs. Stations that commit to carry three or more football state championship broadcasts from the OHSAA Radio Network are exempt from fees throughout the playoffs. The fee waiver can be applied to individual stations, or to a cluster of stations under the same management.
OHSAA Radio Network Programming
The OHSAA Radio Network delivers play-by-play broadcasts of selected state tournament contests, public service announcements, basketball pregame shows and a football playoff preview show:
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Play-by-Play Broadcasts: The network broadcasts the football state championship games, the girls and boys basketball state tournaments, the baseball state tournament and the softball state tournament. Network broadcasts include program logs, local avails, satellite delivery for the football and basketball state championships and sub-audible tones for all broadcasts. Stations that carry network broadcasts can have their regional and state tournament broadcast rights fees waived.
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Football Playoff Preview: The OHSAA Football Playoff Preview is distributed on the Tuesday of the first round of the playoffs and is a one-hour analysis of the football playoff field.
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Basketball Pregame Shows: The network produces a series of basketball pregame shows in February and March that include statewide interviews, tournament updates and state tournament previews. The pregame shows are 25 minutes and include two local breaks. Stations are encouraged to utilize the OHSAA pregame shows before their own pregame shows prior to tournament broadcasts.
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Public Service Announcements: see earlier note