This is a topic that I had posted to the WMU group and would appreciate input from the CMU & EMU fanbases. This is from my original thread and the response follows:

(07-30-2017 12:46 AM)WMUlaxer97 Wrote:
The reality of the business is that print newspapers are dying, their online editions are carrying the burden and also suffering. Large sports media outlets are also hemorrhaging business and laying off quality writers. I gave up on local TV stations to deliver quality coverage, even in my local market, Detroit, every story is condensed into 30 seconds to a minute at the most.

I recently learned of a website, theathletic.com, that is charging a fee of $40 annually for local sports content. No ads, banners, links to other sites, in fact it took a bit of effort to find an email address. Just sports journalism for Chicago, Detroit, Toronto & Cleveland, thus far. They cover all 4 Detroit Majors + UofM & MSU. I have not subscribed but decided to write to them requesting additional coverage for MAC & Horizon league. The following is from that email to: support@theathletic.com. If you feel compelled to do so I would encourage others to do the same. Maybe we can convince this company to do something that nobody but maybe the BC Enq is willing to do. Or you can continue to complain on this BBS which nobody else will ever see.


To The Athletic,

The quality of sports coverage and journalism has decreased in recent years and continues to do so. Detroit sports and the major in-state universities (MSU & UofM) will never lose coverage as the demand for that is never waning. But the smaller schools are badly affected by this trend. We as fans realize that there is a move toward a la carte coverage, mainly through writers posting on social media, websites, blogs, etc. The reasons for such due to the evolving business is apparent.

We recognize a need still for a centralized source of information. Many of my fellow alums are dissatisfied with the local coverage that our teams at Western Michigan University are getting in print, online and via television stations in and around the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek-Grand Rapids area. Despite the fact this is a top 50 media market it has continued to be neglected. I'm sure that the other alums of MAC and Horizon league teams from the state of Michigan feel the same way. I would recommend that you assign a journalist to cover these conferences that have large followings and have had recent successes in several sports.

I will reach out to these fan bases so that you can better gauge the demand since this may be a difficult request for your company to fulfill. Hopefully you will get adequate feedback and expand coverage in the state of Michigan.


Sincerely,

Response from The Athletic:

Alex Mather (The Athletic)
Jul 30, 22:59 PDT
Thanks for the note, we do plan on assigning some folks to some of the smaller schools this fall. Would love more input as it comes in to you.

Alex
Alex Mather

As a CMU alum living in Madison, Wisconsin, I pay little, if any attention as to what's happening with scUM or (M)ichigan (S)exual-assault (U)niversity regarding sports activities. It's all BADGERS here. The smaller schools here are treated the same way as the MAC in Michigan. The difference in Michigan is that the MAC places a lot of good football players in the NFL. Not so with the smaller schools in Wisconsin. The Detroit News does a much better job covering the MAC. The Freep, is practically nonexistent with MAC school news. It only services the Big Boys who subscribe to their paper and load up their comment sections. Both of those Detroit papers can die as far as I am concerned. As long as I have access to live and replay MAC games (which I do) I'm a happy camper. Sometimes, I even mute the talking heads so that "I" can analyze the game without undue influence from whomever is broadcasting the game. When I lived in Michigan, I attended all of CMU's home games. Now, I have pick one home game a year to attend. It's simply the nature of the beast in today's world. I look forward to the CHIPPEWA-BADGER matchup at Camp Randall Stadium in 2019. FIRE UP CHIPS!

I also think it's incumbent upon each MAC school to do a much better job of marketing their individual sports. They are woefully poor. Maybe they haven't heard of the internet as yet? THIS IS WHERE IT'S HAPPENING! Not newspapers, not radio, THE PHUCKING INTERNET!!!!