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TV/media insider
Dragons like their viewership chances; 15 TV games planned
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Friday, April 03, 2009
There are more than 120 minor-league baseball teams above the Class A level. Last season, only nine televised some of their games.
The new Class AAA Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Pa.) team broadcast all 72 home games, and will do the same this season as one of its sponsors is a cable company. Class AA Reading did 23. Quad Cities in the Midwest League televised four. The Dayton Dragons were the only other low Class A team to televise, and the Dragons did 15 games.
Who's going to watch?
Well, the Dragons think enough have watched in the past and will watch in the future.
The Dragons have always felt this way, and duplicated their 15-game televised schedule to prove it. Not only that, the team produces its own show, not an inexpensive endeavor.
"Because of our ticket philosophy," said Dragons Senior Vice President Eric Deutsch, "80 percent of the people who come to our games are on a 17-game plan. They miss 75 percent of our home games. We have group sales, and those people may come only for a one-time outing.
"We have passionate fans. We think this allows greater reach to this fan base."
Although it's expensive to do — Deutsch won't say how expensive — the Dragons were already producing what amounted to a televised game when Time Warner Cable dropped its production capabilities a few years ago, roaming the stands for video scoreboard shots.
"We do add people for the televised games," Deutsch said, "so it's like two broadcasts."
The televised games use six cameras and have replays as well. Tom Nichols, the voice of the Dragons on WING-AM (1410) radio, slips over to the TV end for televised games, and has a high-profile guest as an analyst, usually a former Cincinnati Reds player. Whoever is Nichols' analyst on radio — this season it's Alex Vispoli — calls the games on radio that night.
What's different this year? Well, when Time Warner is carrying the games on Channel 708, WHIO is also broadcasting on Channel 7.2, which you don't need cable to acquire. It is also available on cable. The Dragons say 460,000 households have access to the broadcasts.
Televised games are April 9 (the opener) and 24; May 8, 9, 15, 29 and 30; June 19, 20; July 17, 18 and 31; and Aug. 1, 21 and 22.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.
