Devils Score With College Radio Night

There was a time not too long ago when many thought that audio as a medium was almost dead. We live in a video world, we need to see things, no one has time to sit by a radio… Then along came podcasting, and itunes and digital audio and Sirius/XM and I Heart Radio and blogtalk radio and suddenly the spoken voice was transformed once again. By many accounts more people listen to broadcasts today than ever before…you can be very choosy about your interests, and if you have the means, can create your own broadcasts online for you, or whomever you want, to hear.

Audio is back.

So it is with great surprise that last year we found that October 2 was College Radio Day around the world. College and high school stations, on air, on line from no less than 25 nations and all 50 states took part in the program, which was designed to draw attention to the value of college radio as a training ground not just for DJ’s, but for engineers, writers, bloggers, vloggers and broadcasters. Today, enterprising students, especially in politics, news and sports, can find a niche that was impossible to break into in years past. Want to host a sports radio show and get guests? Be professional in your approach and just ask whoever runs the station where you are in school.  Some call letters and some informed opinions and you can build your own portfolio, and some great references. The cost of production has dropped astronomically, so the ability to record and broadcast, even live sporting events from high school games in a town to collegiate events, is more of an opportunity now than ever before. More importantly for the enterprising young man or woman, the ability to market oneself and be heard by the mainstream is easier than ever before. Educational outlets which once reached a few blocks can now be heard online around the world, and the ability to customize files and pass them along to those who may have missed a key broadcast can give anyone the ability to have an amazing career through the spoken voice.

The idea was the brainchild of William Paterson University professor  Dr. Rob Quicke, who saw the value and the opportunity in college radio both in front of and behind the mic, and built the program virally and on a shoestring. It is expected to double in size in the next few years.

Part of that viral spread found its way to Newark, where the New Jersey Devils, always looking to grow an audience, contacted Dr. Quicke about having a sports version of college radio night. The first one, hosted by Devils radio personality Matt Loughlin and others, was held last year, and the second event was scheduled for last fall. Unfortunately the NHL Lockout out a damper on all things hockey, but the team and Dr. Quicke stayed with the idea, and when the lockout was settled the idea was revisited with a target date  of April 1, a game against the rival New York Islanders at The Prudential Center.

Like year one, the students would be handpicked from stations across the region…they had to have the approval of the station and be active in broadcasting or covering college sports. It was not to be a free for all for access, they had to act, dress and report on the goings-on properly. The event, as is college radio, grew tremendously from year one, with 28 students from 13 colleges and universities attending. They were credentialed, given all access passes, watched the game, spoke to team officials and then covered the post-game press conference as members of the media. While all have had access to the college game, it was a rare firsthand look into professional sports, and will probably help launch the careers of future broadcasters and reporters.

Like all areas of college radio outreach Dr. Quicke has touched, the night has spawned inquiries from stations across the country to help arrange similar professional sports events. Baseball, with its longer season and larger media areas, is a natural fit, although the college semester may not be as easy to match to a winter night in terms of availability and access. Dr. Quicke also hinted an expansion of the program where some select students may qualify to do some mock play by play or cover a practice or two as well, all in the interest of enhancing the student experience and growing opportunities.

What’s in it for the Devils, or any professional team? Simple. It is yet another touch point both for now and for the future.  The ability for anyone to amplify their work through social media makes all of these 28 students instant ambassadors for the Devils brand. It also gives the team a chance to engage with some future members of the media at a very early stage, when they are just learning best practices for the business. That type of firsthand knowledge d and the follow-up certainly cannot hurt the coverage of the team in future years and it also provides New Jersey with an entrée into the potential future labor pool for young people who are passionate about the business of sports and media, should positions open down the line.  It did not pull from any inventory or damage the work that fulltime media or players and staff needed to do. It probably offered a bit of a respite from the breakneck pace of the season.

Even if the program stays as is, the Devils College Radio Night is hot, one that should go into the best practices file for every area organization. A team needing to grow fan base and media coverage like the Red Bulls, for example, should be next in line for the program as MLS heads into month two. It is a smart way to engage young people passionate about sports, and at the same time helping to ease open the door for quality, well informed future members of the media.

Well placed and well delivered, for both the club and a smart and fast thinking professor from William Paterson.