WTIC1080 no longer broadcasting UConn games?

[Excalibur]

Which works if you have a cell phone.....but, not all of us have cell phone....LOL

So you want UConn to make its decisions based on how best to reach people who don't have cell phones?

 

[Excalibur]

Why has WTIC/Zachary offered two competing explanations as to why "they" ended the relationship? There's really only one explanation . . .

 

[Skiblets]

Keep Joe D on hoops. He is terrible on football

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

As for buying a phone, ipad, etc (even used), why? I have survived for this many decades without one, why do I want another bill to pay?

Potentially, one reason will be to listen to Joe Dambrosio-less UConn broadcasts.

 

[bob15]

So you want UConn to make its decisions based on how best to reach people who don't have cell phones?

I didn't say that. But I question why go from a 50,000 watt radio station to a 3,400 watt station that has limited range. To think more people will listen to games because it can be streamed on the cell phone is wishful thinking. Not many people working in a garage or shop will be streaming games on a cell phone, nor will they be doing it in a car driving.

I wonder about a lot of decisions UConn has done in its past/future....going back to when they started screwing the season ticket holders that supported them in the old Field House but got hosed when they moved to GP, all they way up to re-hiring Randy to now, in what I consider a bonehead deal with dropping WTIC.

 

[bob15]

Potentially, one reason will be to listen to Joe Dambrosio-less UConn broadcasts.

I don't mind listening to Joe D & Bob Joyce. I have issues listening to these announcers (mainly pro), among others: Tommy Heinsohn, John Sterling, Michael Key & Susan Waldman (and remember, I am a Yankee fan), Eric Frede, Jim Rice, Dennis Ekersley, Dicky V, Todd Frieburg (afternoon guy on am1080)

 

[Huskybass]

I don't mind listening to Joe D & Bob Joyce. I have issues listening to these announcers (mainly pro), among others: Tommy Heinsohn, John Sterling, Michael Key & Susan Waldman (and remember, I am a Yankee fan), Eric Frede, Jim Rice, Dennis Ekersley, Dicky V, Todd Frieburg (afternoon guy on am1080)

Michael Key & Susan Waldman are the gold standard of annoyingness. Eck is the consumate homer, Dicky V. needed a new shtick 20 years ago. Jim Rice is kind of a dud. I guess that makes those who do it well more impressive.

I love the colorful guys like Bill Walton and Walt Clyde Frazier. They are the Chiefs00 for the masses and they can be the show on a slow day.

 

[The Viking]

Michael Key & Susan Waldman are the gold standard of annoyingness. Eck is the consumate homer, Dicky V. needed a new shtick 20 years ago. Jim Rice is kind of a dud. I guess that makes those who do it well more impressive.

I love the colorful guys like Bill Walton and Walt Clyde Frazier. They are the Chiefs00 for the masses and they can be the show on a slow day.

Eck is very colorful and not a homer - the reason he is not liked by players (The Price Incident for example) is because he calls out Sox players for sucking.

Jim Rice on the other hand is the worst in-studio personality in the history of sports networks.

 

[Coach J]

You can’t let your personal political views interfere with business. Another Suzy Herbst Crazy moment. It’s becoming clear the chatter I was hearing from other schools was even more true than I thought - Herbst is not popular amongst her peer group and ultimately that was the breaking point with achieving P5. We won’t get there until she leaves, I am convinced about that. Too many Presidents dislike her.

Nice editorial in the Republican American yesterday - sheds some light on this foolish decision, and how things tend to be run at UConn these days. In fact it can explain a lot.

UConn versus WTIC-AM: Impartiality in the airwaves?
February 20, 2018 - Editorials - 3 comments

The University of Connecticut claims to be an impartial institution. “Through freedom of academic inquiry and expression, we create and disseminate knowledge by means of scholarly and creative achievements, graduate and professional education, and outreach,” reads UConn’s mission statement. Unfortunately, there is reason to believe UConn is on a mission to silence conseratives. That may eventually hurt the university’s academic reputation.

Feb. 16 witnessed the news that the 26-year-old relationship between UConn and Hartford-based WTIC-AM will end with the close of the 2017-18 athletic year. Beginning next year, WUCS-FM, an affiliate of ESPN, will broadcast the games of UConn’s football, basketball and hockey teams. The university’s relationship with WTIC ended for a number of reasons, but Phil Zachary, senior vice president and market manager for WTIC’s parent company Entercom Radio, has highlighted a troubling one.

“The school felt the conservative programming that WTIC airs is at odds with the best interest of the university,” Mr. Zachary told the (Manchester) Journal Inquirer.

It is reasonable to conclude from Mr. Zachary’s comments that Connecticut’s flagship university is targeting conservative speech. That is all the more plausible when one considers that in late November, UConn police essentially allowed the disruption of an on-campus presentation (or more accurately, attempted presentation) by conservative writer Lucian Wintrich.

A university or college that truly values academic freedom doesn’t take sides in political debates. With its actions, UConn is looking like a cheerleader for liberalism. That is no way to encourage the critical-thinking skills the United States and Connecticut sorely need. Additionally, the fiscal year 2017-18 budget for UConn’s main campus in Storrs and four regional campuses (one of which is in Waterbury) is $1.3 billion, and a quarter of this figure is covered by taxpayers, according to a December article in the university publication UConn Today. Not all Connecticut taxpayers are liberal, and the university’s political maneuvering is disrespectful to non-liberal Constitution State residents.

UConn has done well on surveys of American universities’ academic excellence. For example, according to U.S. News & World Report, it is tied for 18th place among public universities and is tied for 56th place overall. However, if UConn keeps playing political games, its standing may slip.

University President Susan Herbst and the board of trustees – Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is ex officio board president – are obligated to explain why UConn is willing to silence the conservative message. No one is well-served by the status quo.

 

[jibsey]

Nice editorial in the Republican American yesterday - sheds some light on this foolish decision, and how things tend to be run at UConn these days. In fact it can explain a lot.

UConn versus WTIC-AM: Impartiality in the airwaves?
February 20, 2018 - Editorials - 3 comments

The University of Connecticut claims to be an impartial institution. “Through freedom of academic inquiry and expression, we create and disseminate knowledge by means of scholarly and creative achievements, graduate and professional education, and outreach,” reads UConn’s mission statement. Unfortunately, there is reason to believe UConn is on a mission to silence conseratives. That may eventually hurt the university’s academic reputation.

Feb. 16 witnessed the news that the 26-year-old relationship between UConn and Hartford-based WTIC-AM will end with the close of the 2017-18 athletic year. Beginning next year, WUCS-FM, an affiliate of ESPN, will broadcast the games of UConn’s football, basketball and hockey teams. The university’s relationship with WTIC ended for a number of reasons, but Phil Zachary, senior vice president and market manager for WTIC’s parent company Entercom Radio, has highlighted a troubling one.

“The school felt the conservative programming that WTIC airs is at odds with the best interest of the university,” Mr. Zachary told the (Manchester) Journal Inquirer.

It is reasonable to conclude from Mr. Zachary’s comments that Connecticut’s flagship university is targeting conservative speech. That is all the more plausible when one considers that in late November, UConn police essentially allowed the disruption of an on-campus presentation (or more accurately, attempted presentation) by conservative writer Lucian Wintrich.

A university or college that truly values academic freedom doesn’t take sides in political debates. With its actions, UConn is looking like a cheerleader for liberalism. That is no way to encourage the critical-thinking skills the United States and Connecticut sorely need. Additionally, the fiscal year 2017-18 budget for UConn’s main campus in Storrs and four regional campuses (one of which is in Waterbury) is $1.3 billion, and a quarter of this figure is covered by taxpayers, according to a December article in the university publication UConn Today. Not all Connecticut taxpayers are liberal, and the university’s political maneuvering is disrespectful to non-liberal Constitution State residents.

UConn has done well on surveys of American universities’ academic excellence. For example, according to U.S. News & World Report, it is tied for 18th place among public universities and is tied for 56th place overall. However, if UConn keeps playing political games, its standing may slip.

University President Susan Herbst and the board of trustees – Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is ex officio board president – are obligated to explain why UConn is willing to silence the conservative message. No one is well-served by the status quo.

Yet WTIC is not impartial in it’s programming. Where is the liberal or even the middle side? They made their bed now they get to sleep in it.

 

[blue93]

Yet WTIC is not impartial in it’s programming. Where is the liberal or even the middle side? They made their bed now they get to sleep in it.

I mentioned this over on the football board, but it's probably worth repeating here... It'd be one thing if they switched to a left-leaning station, but the university changed to a SPORTS station for coverage of its SPORTS... It's a ridiculous argument.

 

[Travelman6]

Which works if you have a cell phone.....but, not all of us have cell phone....LOL

Who doesn't have a cell phone? It is so common now, even some of the poorest people I come across in Colombia or Guatemala have one....

 

[Coach J]

Yet WTIC is not impartial in it’s programming. Where is the liberal or even the middle side? They made their bed now they get to sleep in it.

Minus the politics on both sides wouldn't the best thing for UConn athletics be to stay on a station with the largest reach for it's fans?

The signal on the other station is definitely limited in comparison, just another way to alienate and further diminish the fan base. That's my point.

 

[Husky25]

Who doesn't have a cell phone? It is so common now, even some of the poorest people I come across in Colombia or Guatemala have one....

Cell phones are so common, payphones have become so far and few between and it's not new. I didn't buy my first cell phone until I was 24. My 11 year old niece just earned her privilege.

Most 20-something and even some 30-something aged adults don't have a clue what a collect call is, let alone how they might have used it to be picked up from high school for free.

What about Bob has become a period piece. Heck, The Wire is dated.

 

[Chief00]

Yet WTIC is not impartial in it’s programming. Where is the liberal or even the middle side? They made their bed now they get to sleep in it.

I don’t agree. To me it doesn’t matter if their other shows have a Liberal or Conservative bent. The issue here is freedom of speech and not being penalized by the state for it. It doesn’t matter if your speech is Liberal or Conservative. In my opinion, too many people on both sides filter a particular issue through what’s the best outcome for liberals or conservative on a narrow issue. Then they will totally flip their argument if on another situation it works in the favor of their ideology. The principle here is freedom of speech per the 1st amendment - it protects your speech against government (including UConn) retribution - it doesn’t protect your speech against legal retribution by other entities. Other than hate or untruthfully yelling fire in a movie theater, what someone says is not as important as their right to say it - from a governmental perspective.

 

[DSquiz]

I don’t agree. To me it doesn’t matter if their other shows have a Liberal or Conservative bent. The issue here is freedom of speech and not being penalized by the state for it. It doesn’t matter if your speech is Liberal or Conservative. In my opinion, too many people on both sides filter a particular issue through what’s the best outcome for liberals or conservative on a narrow issue. Then they will totally flip their argument if on another situation it works in the favor of their ideology. The principle here is freedom of speech per the 1st amendment - it protects your speech against government (including UConn) retribution - it doesn’t protect your speech against legal retribution by other entities. Other than hate or untruthfully yelling fire in a movie theater, what someone says is not as important as their right to say it - from a governmental perspective.

I think you’re missing the point. WTIC didn’t pay as much as ESPN. That’s the end all be all. Everything else is hearsay and irrelevant. If WTIC wanted to match the higher offer they had the opportunity but didn’t want to pay. If UConn took a lower offer for some political reason you would have a great point but that’s not what happened. This was literally business deal and have nothing to do with free speech. So why is this even an issue?

 

[Chief00]

I think you’re missing the point. WTIC didn’t pay as much as ESPN. That’s the end all be all. Everything else is hearsay and irrelevant. If WTIC wanted to match the higher offer they had the opportunity but didn’t want to pay. If UConn took a lower offer for some political reason you would have a great point but that’s not what happened. This was literally business deal and have nothing to do with free speech. So why is this even an issue?

One of the parties to the failed renewal negotiations, stated that as one of the reasons for failure. My response though was to another poster, who basically said a radio station should be excluded based on the idealogical content of their other programming. So this was the argument I was posting against. I did not make a case for rather this was the real reason negotiations failed - it may be money and sour grapes. I accepted the premise of the poster that it failed for this reason. My argument was against his premise that this ok in his view.

 

[Husky25]

I think you’re missing the point. WTIC didn’t pay as much as ESPN. That’s the end all be all. Everything else is hearsay and irrelevant. If WTIC wanted to match the higher offer they had the opportunity but didn’t want to pay. If UConn took a lower offer for some political reason you would have a great point but that’s not what happened. This was literally business deal and have nothing to do with free speech. So why is this even an issue?

If true. This ^^^^.

UConn isn't really talking, so all you have is the WTIC slant and they lost the bid. Whether the station's political leaning was a contributing factor is irrelevant if ESPN's money was comparable or greater.

 

[Excalibur]

Nice editorial in the Republican American yesterday - sheds some light on this foolish decision, and how things tend to be run at UConn these days. In fact it can explain a lot.

UConn versus WTIC-AM: Impartiality in the airwaves?
February 20, 2018 - Editorials - 3 comments

The University of Connecticut claims to be an impartial institution. “Through freedom of academic inquiry and expression, we create and disseminate knowledge by means of scholarly and creative achievements, graduate and professional education, and outreach,” reads UConn’s mission statement. Unfortunately, there is reason to believe UConn is on a mission to silence conseratives. That may eventually hurt the university’s academic reputation.

Feb. 16 witnessed the news that the 26-year-old relationship between UConn and Hartford-based WTIC-AM will end with the close of the 2017-18 athletic year. Beginning next year, WUCS-FM, an affiliate of ESPN, will broadcast the games of UConn’s football, basketball and hockey teams. The university’s relationship with WTIC ended for a number of reasons, but Phil Zachary, senior vice president and market manager for WTIC’s parent company Entercom Radio, has highlighted a troubling one.

“The school felt the conservative programming that WTIC airs is at odds with the best interest of the university,” Mr. Zachary told the (Manchester) Journal Inquirer.

It is reasonable to conclude from Mr. Zachary’s comments that Connecticut’s flagship university is targeting conservative speech. That is all the more plausible when one considers that in late November, UConn police essentially allowed the disruption of an on-campus presentation (or more accurately, attempted presentation) by conservative writer Lucian Wintrich.

A university or college that truly values academic freedom doesn’t take sides in political debates. With its actions, UConn is looking like a cheerleader for liberalism. That is no way to encourage the critical-thinking skills the United States and Connecticut sorely need. Additionally, the fiscal year 2017-18 budget for UConn’s main campus in Storrs and four regional campuses (one of which is in Waterbury) is $1.3 billion, and a quarter of this figure is covered by taxpayers, according to a December article in the university publication UConn Today. Not all Connecticut taxpayers are liberal, and the university’s political maneuvering is disrespectful to non-liberal Constitution State residents.

UConn has done well on surveys of American universities’ academic excellence. For example, according to U.S. News & World Report, it is tied for 18th place among public universities and is tied for 56th place overall. However, if UConn keeps playing political games, its standing may slip.

University President Susan Herbst and the board of trustees – Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is ex officio board president – are obligated to explain why UConn is willing to silence the conservative message. No one is well-served by the status quo.

Rep-Am takes the liar at face value . . .

 

[Husky25]

I would only buy the political leaning argument if this was a renegotiation. If the contract ran it's course, the point is moot.

 

[pepband99]

Rep-Am takes the liar at face value . . .

Media format in death spiral defends other media format in death spiral.

 

[freescooter]

The most likely reasons that this deal went to a new bidder are the following:
The money was better.
The new owners of wtic were not open to certain terms UCONN wanted
While it has a large reach wtic is an AM station which is like being a horse and buggy at Taladega. Nobody listens to am radio any more. Despite its supposed huge reach it barely makes the top 10 in the Hartford market. Every other station is fm in the top 20. It has steadily lost listeners over the past 5 years that I looked. Probably longer.
The conservative talk format doesn’t attract the audience UCONN is seeking for its games. It’s typical listener is 60+ white in a state that is increasingly multicultural.
WTIC didn’t want to give up what is essentially free programming for extra sports related programming like coaches shows, sports talk etc. shows like Rush and the others are basically given to stations in return for ability to raise ad revenues. Local shows cost money to produce and you need to sell your own advertising.

Finally I think you need to note that the charge that UCONN used political leanings in its decision came from the management of WTIC. Not that they have a vested interest in any way.

 

[Chief00]

What the true facts are in this radio situation, no one on here knows for sure. We do know Herbst/UConn track record on this kind of stuff is very poor. Supporting the arrest of a victim rather than the assaulter/note robber. The prosecutor and court basically laughed at her and flipped her strange worldview upside down. The court/prosecutor imposed the reality and sense of fairness that was quite frankly missing in her mindset. The fact that she did not know better in the first place is not reassuring.

 

[Travelman6]

Cell phones are so common, payphones have become so far and few between and it's not new. I didn't buy my first cell phone until I was 24. My 11 year old niece just earned her privilege.

Most 20-something and even some 30-something aged adults don't have a clue what a collect call is, let alone how they might have used it to be picked up from high school for free.

What about Bob has become a period piece. Heck, The Wire is dated.

I made the collect call trick a number of times in highschool in the late 90s, thanks for the trip down memory lane.

I also watched what about Bob for the first time a week ago. Along with Meatballs and Caddy Shack, one of Bill Murrays few decent movies.

 

[CL82]

You don't listen to Rush?