Petty? You be the judge

[SamG]

http://www.kentucky.com/179/story/584479.html

The University of Kentucky's "media partner" gets upset one if it's competitors will take part in halftime festivities and finds a way to be included.

[Consider This]

Not petty at all once WLEX began promoting Meck's kick on air. After that, I don't blame WKYT for protecting its investment.

The pettiest thing I read in the article was that Meck didn't want to kick against Shuck because Shuck had kicked in college. If it's all for charity and for fun, what's the difference?

[SamG]

How would Meck kicking jeopardize KYT's investment?

[Consider This]

Kicking doesn't; WLEX's on-air promos which attempt to turn the kicking into a station event does.

Oh, and you should have disclosed that you work for WLEX.

[SamG]

Kicking doesn't; WLEX's on-air promos which attempt to turn the kicking into a station event does.Actually, it was covered as a sports story... I never saw a "promo".


Oh, and you should have disclosed that you work for WLEX.Why? Are you disclosing who you work for?;)

[Consider This]

Actually, it was covered as a sports story... I never saw a "promo".

I didn't say it was a "promo." From the article linked:

After learning of Meck's opportunity, NBC affiliate WLEX began promoting his contest appearance on newscasts, which irked UK sports partner WKYT and IMG, the company that manages the deal involving the station and university sports.

If your newscasts are like most, good portions of them might as well be written by the promotions department.

Why? Are you disclosing who you work for?

I will disclose that I do not live or work in that market and may have a less biased view of the story than you.

[SamG]

I will disclose that I do not live or work in that market and may have a less biased view of the story than you.
Actually, I was trying to find out whether my bias was affecting my thinking. I also haven't made much of a secret of where I work. Unlike others, I use my real name (ok, part of it) here.

You still haven't said WHY Meck kicking at the game would jeapordize KYT's investment in UK sports. Keep in mind, at least according to the article, the television audience (KYT among others) won't see the kick. So you've just got the 70K+ in attendance to worry about.

[Consider This]

You still haven't said WHY Meck kicking at the game would jeapordize KYT's investment in UK sports.

By itself, it doesn't. If it's just Bill Meck as your average contest-entering schmo kicking at halftime, then WKYT has no legitimate beef.

But thanks to WLEX promoting his participation as "(insert station slogan here)'s meteorologist Bill Meck will be kicking at halftime of the UK football game..." Meck is no longer just another contestant.

WKYT is paying however much money to be UK's media partner not only for the right to broadcast the school's games but for the association it gets with UK in people's minds. When you go to a UK event covered under its contract with WKYT, the only TV station you should see or hear about -- inside the stadium -- is WKYT.

When your station turns Meck' kick at a UK game into into a promotional opportunity, it undercuts that association and the exclusivity that WKYT is paying for. That's how it threatens WKYT's investment.

Otherwise, why would WLEX even mention it?

the television audience (KYT among others) won't see the kick. So you've just got the 70K+ in attendance to worry about.

That's enough for me, if I'm WKYT, especially since those 70,000 are also the most likely to care enough about UK to watch TV news for information about the school's teams.

And your station isn't going to show the kick?

[Another side]

I didn't follow the link, but am I right you folks are talking about somehting called the Meck and Shuck Show?

[SamG]

I had this long argument typed up, but decided to scrap it. I will simply say that in MY opinion, the competition between stations in a market is sometimes taken too far.