Exciting Year of Broadcasting Ahead (submitted by Mike Wagenheim, Coordinator of Broadcasting Operations and Community Relations, 9/6/08)
Well, here goes nothing. It's the debut of what I hope will be a fairly
regular column on UNOPrivateers.com. Honestly, I'm not sure what kind
of format we're going to follow, but the plan is to give you some
inside information and some fun stories throughout the school year.
With volleyball just underway and basketball not scheduled to start for another few months, this might be a good time to update you on our broadcasting plans for this season.
WGSO 990 AM will once again serve as the flagship station for UNO Athletics this season. WGSO has been a loyal partner of UNO over the years and we were very happy with the improved signal strength this past year, allowing us to reach fans on the Northshore and other areas we hadn't been able to extend to before.
All men's basketball games are slated to be carried on WGSO, along with ten women's basketball games and 48 baseball games. Additionally, ten more women's basketball games will be made available through the UNO Vision package on UNOPrivateers.com. A few more baseball games will also be carried on an internet-only basis. Basically, with the exception of a few early season games, it will be very rare when UNO will be unable to provide coverage of a live event. If I can find a way to make it to a game, I'll get there. As was the case last year, all home games, including volleyball, men's and women's basketball and baseball, can be viewed live through UNO Vision in addition to most every Sun Belt road game through an agreement with our conference foes. Make sure you sign up for the package!
Speaking of UNO Vision, we plan on adding more to the website's video front this year. That means more interviews with players and coaches. We are going to try to get the coaches to provide some day-of-game insight, so that you can check UNO Vision at lunch or before you leave the office and are caught up on all there is to know before you head out to Lakefront Arena or Maestri Field for that night's contest. It also means live play-by-play for select volleyball home matches and tennis matches. I'm a little nervous about adding these sports to my repertoire, but the student-athletes in those programs work as hard as any others and are deserving of the spotlight, as well.
Lafitte's Café will return as host of the UNO coaches' shows on WGSO this year. Rachael Trygg and the folks at Lafitte's were outstanding last year and we're pleased to return there again this season. With a few Tuesday exceptions, all coaches' shows will take place on Mondays from 7-8 p.m., starting November 3 with the debut of the UNO Basketball Hour. Coach Joe Pasternack and Coach Amy Champion will share the stage each Monday night, talking to us about their respective basketball programs for about a half-hour each. Coach Champion has made some nice strides with her squad the last few years, and it's about time we gave her a forum to promote what she's doing. The Tom Walter Show will begin once basketball season concludes.
We're going to try to put together a television coaches' show like we did last year, as well. The details have not been worked out yet.
That's about it for now. If you ever have any suggestions for me on how we can improve our broadcast operations, don't hesitate to track me down at the game or shoot me an e-mail at mwagenhe@uno.edu. See you soon!
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