A few schools do their own webcasting of games. Brossart was the first I knew about. CCH followed and then Holy Cross. I know Colonel Mike is involved in a webcast as well and there are now others.

 

Is it cool for a school to charge those schools to have the right to broadcast?

 

CCH was charged $100 by Fairdale last night to broadcast the CCH/PRP game.

 

Do they also charge the local radio stations to broadcast?

I certainly don't think it is cool for them to do so and no, I've never heard of a radio station being charged to do the same. The only way I could even see an argument for such is if the webcaster in turn charges their subscribers some fee, profiting from the webcast.

I certainly don't think it is cool for them to do so and no, I've never heard of a radio station being charged to do the same. The only way I could even see an argument for such is if the webcaster in turn charges their subscribers some fee, profiting from the webcast.

 

Obviously, that's not the case last night.

 

I'd be curious to hear their argument as to why they need $100.

I could maybe understand if someone like nkysports was wanting to broadcast a showcase game like that but you don't charge a school radio to broadcast a game.

I asked Jason Frakes who cover high school sports in Louisville. He says it's not uncommon.

Lexington Catholic charges to broadcast out of the Beuter Gymnasium.

The "A" State charges $100 per game to broadcast games from EKU/Frankfort Convention Center.

The KHSAA charges $250 to broadcast any (baseball, football, basketball) game in a state tournament.

 

The small school community based non-profit internet broadcast teams, such as Brossart, CovCath, and this week Holy Cross, Augusta and Bracken County are charged the same as the larger commercial radio stations. I have discussed this with Mike Reeves and Stan Steidel at the All "A" on several occasions without resolution.

 

With that being said, the "A" State only charges for their basketball tournament. We also broadcast "A" State baseball from Whitaker Bank Field and Soccer from Elizabethtown Sports Complex free of charge and the "A" State committee is most accomodating.

Also, probably unbeknownst to the "A" Committee, the Frankfort Convention Center provides Ethernet access (as does LexCath and Whitaker Bank Field) which allows you to "wire in" and not depend on your mobile Wi-Fi sound card, or the in house wireless. To me, that makes it worth the fee charged. As far as the KHSAA goes, with the exception of the Sweet 16 state basketball tournament out of Rupp Arena, it is a case of price gouging.

 

I've never had a bit of trouble securing sponsors for our "A" State broadcasts, and even balked at paying the $250 to the KHSAA for the broadcast of our baseball state tournament games out of Whitaker Park a few years back. When I put the notice on the BMustangs website that we would not broadcast our games live, but would link to the KHSAA network, I was inundated by donations to pay the $250 ransom.

Edited January 31, 201511 yr by Mustang
spelling

Lexington Catholic charges to broadcast out of the Beuter Gymnasium.

 

As far as I know this was the first time CCH has ever been charged including many games at Lexington Catholic.

 

I get charging at the state tourney games. Makes sense.

Internet broadcasting has become increasingly expensive over the years. Back in 2003 when we started broadcasting, we paid about $10 per broadcast to what is now EZStream to broadcast and archive our broadcasts. The cost per broadcast is now in the $22/$23 per game arena. An unlimited broadcast package can be purchased for $1250 annually.

 

I-High provides "free" internet broadcasting. Holy Cross, Augusta, and Bracken County use it. There are a multitude of commercials that must be inserted into their broadcasts which, to me, detracts from the overall broadcast quality. I (and CovCath) use the EZstream unlimited package and I create several "commercial" sound files that I use to promote Brossart Athletics, Brossart Academics, Brossart Football, The Nathan Seiter Memorial Golf Outing, and anything else that we wish to promote. By using the unlimited package I can also broadcast freshmen and JV basketball games, soccer, football, baseball, and girls sports. Therefore the EZStream unlimited package, while quite costly, works for me/us. I also have download and edit privleges which allows me to download all of our respective broadcasts, put them on a CD and give them to our kids at the end of their season which they have forever. I-High does not provide this benefit.

 

The KHSAA has cancelled their contract with I-High and gone to a "Pay To Listen" venue operated by the NFHS federation. With that said, watch for I-High to drop the "free" internet streaming service for Kentucky High Schools in the future. The KHSAA openly promoted and encouraged member schools to adapt the NFHS to their broadcast streaming at their most recent delegate assembly. They promoted it as a way for your school to make money, etc.. Believe me, if we (or CovCath) would go to pay to listen, our base 100 person listnership would drop off to about 15 right now. Again, I'm sure that the KHSAA is gettng kick-backs and using the switch from I-High to NFHS to pad their pockets.

 

Folks used to listening to the broadcast of Sweet Sixteen State Basketball Tournament games via I-High will be shocked this spring to discover that they will now have to pay to listen to that service.

 

Also, technology has not kept up with streaming broadcasts over the Internet. Windows 8 is not compatible with internet streaming, and new laptops are being designed with single output jacks. The units I still use have Windows XP (which is no longer supported). With XP you do not need an external mixer, or high-ticket headsets, and I will put up our sound quality against anyone.

 

I recently purchased a laptop for $800 which has Windows 7, which is compatible for broadcast streaming, BUT which requires an external mixer ($100/$200) and high ticket head sets. Unfortunately, with the cost of the Unlimited EZStream package, and the cost of the new computer, I refused to purchase the mixer and new head sets until a later date. So my new $800 unit is still in the box. serving as an art object in my living room.

 

As I always say, "Change is always for the worse."

As far as I know this was the first time CCH has ever been charged including many games at Lexington Catholic.

 

I get charging at the state tourney games. Makes sense.

 

We have always been charged $50 per game to broadcast out of LexCath (main gym) for the 5th/3rd Classic, or whatever they are calling it these days. Maybe Mark has a sweetheart deal with the LexCath folks. We have not played there since 2013, so perhaps things have changed.

The team we covered played in a one day, "10 teams - 5 games" December event several years ago in Louisville...and the out-of-town radio stations were all charged $50 (or $75...can't remember which.) The explanation was that there are so many things for people in Louisville to do, they have to charge. And since fans from out in the state follow their teams more closely, they know some will stay home and listen rather than travel to the city.

 

That was before school webcasting, but I'm not surprised that they would be charged just the same...for the same reason. Disappointing nonetheless.

As far as I know this was the first time CCH has ever been charged including many games at Lexington Catholic.

 

I get charging at the state tourney games. Makes sense.

 

 

They have been charged $250 by the KHSAA for the two state tournaments they have played in.

 

The good news with the KHSAA is that the $250 fee is for the duration of the tournament. If you go one-done, so be it, it is still $250. IF, as CovCath did last year you play into the championship game, it is still $250.

I can see it both ways. On one hand, I understand that when a game is webcast with video, then it could hurt the gate because there's the possibility that people stay home and watch online instead of going and paying at the door. That's taking money from the programs (gate, concessions, even taking away a little from the atmosphere), and the people who are broadcasting online are probably getting ad or subscription revenue from the sites that they are using. On the other hand, there's not really a ton being hurt on the bottom line when you're talking about a team going halfway across the state or other factors where someone's decision about whether or not to attend really isn't being affected by the fact that they could watch the game online. I think a fee should be reasonable, though I think a few different things go into that and there isn't really a set fee that's fair to everyone, but I can understand why a school would feel that it's unfair that they're being charged a greater amount than a program that doesn't have the same following that they do.

I can see it both ways also.

 

While the radio stations are profiting from their coverage and we are not. We do still have listeners who might opt to stay home and listen if that option is available, and we do take up the same amount of space in the press box or on press row.

 

We have always broadcast audio only. Most big events, including events such as the Bluegrass-Buckeye at the BOKC prohibit video transmissions.

As far as I know this was the first time CCH has ever been charged including many games at Lexington Catholic.

 

I get charging at the state tourney games. Makes sense.

 

It sounds to me like CCH got a taste of their own medicine.

 

In short, I think this is everyone's response to increased demand. Think about it, it is work for the host to have others broadcasting from their venue. Some of the prices sound a little steep but at the same time that keeps the flies off the watermelon.

It sounds to me like CCH got a taste of their own medicine. In short' date=' I think this is everyone's response to increased demand. Think about it, it is work for the host to have others broadcasting from their venue. Some of the prices sound a little steep but at the same time that keeps the flies off the watermelon.[/quote']

 

Work? What work?