JACKSON – November 27, 2020 – Brendon D. Miller
Many of you have seen an advertisement on Facebook today about the Breathitt v. Leslie game tonight being streamed live on the NFHS Network. This advertisement is being marketed to our area on Facebook and I have seen some shares of the post by our local people. Given that, I just wanted to clear the air and put out the information on the situation and advise that it will our BSN webcast that will be used by that entity tonight for their stream of the game.
NFHS is the National Federation of High Schools and is a national network of High Schools that stream their games thereon. NFHS is a subscription network and is favored and recommended by the KHSAA for schools to use. The KHSAA has recommended that schools become members of the NFHS network for streams of games. In fact, the NFHS has offered schools free cameras and materials to do so. 14th Region schools Perry Central, Estill County and Lee County have gone to the service which requires exclusivity of the stream on the NFHS Network, and prohibits others from streaming. Many of you may have seen the quite public and tense situation in which Estill County decided to do so and WBON, who had broadcast Estill County sports for years, no longer does so.
The KHSAA has changed their fee and rights structure this year for the playoffs. Entities like BSN have always had to purchase the rights to webcast a game from the KHSAA. Other media, such as radio and newspaper media, are not charged and are free to cover the game without expense though they are broadcasting the game and selling advertising based upon their coverage.
Last year the fee was uniform for each game. The structure this year is graduated and the fee increases each round of the playoffs and gives each entity two options at the purchase of game rights. The fee has to be submitted along with a web url for the broadcast to the KHSAA at least 24 hours in advance to be granted the license to webcast. The options include a standard fee for the rights which includes the requirement that the webcast may be shown on NFHS. There is a second fee that may be chosen in which the webcast may not be shown on NFHS, but that fee is double the standard fee. Naturally, BSN has chosen the basic fee and hence the NFHS situation where it can be viewed there. We welcome the additional people who may see either the LIVE webcast or the replay of the game on the Network!
I have had a few people express surprise that I (BSN) must pay to webcast the games. Such is the fact.
Myself and our crew have worked continuously to put out a good product and I believe that we put on one of the most professional webcasts I have seen in the business. I was able to greatly upgrade our equipment this season along with graphics and other improvements and putting together an excellent producer, Ty Back, and broadcast team in Bradley Charles and Rob Hounshell. We each put in a great amount of time in preparation for each game we webcast.
We are happy to be able to continue to provide the Breathitt games on the BSN Facebook page and we are happy to have partnered with Thacker-Grigsby Communications to allow them to use our webcast on their cable system for more people to watch the games. Thacker-Grigsby also pays a fee to use our feed for the games. When I began this whole process last year the paramount concern was to promote our Mountain Kids to as large an audience as possible, and same continues.
Many schools/entities have moved to a pay-per-view model and same may be a necessity going forward, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Be thankful for our Title Sponsors and Game Sponsors who allow us to pay the fees and production costs and provide you the game!! Please patronize their businesses!
Title Sponsors: JACKSON DEPOSIT BANK and RESTORATION 1!
Game Sponsors Tonight: (without Commercials) JIFFY MART; LUCAS AUTOMOTIVE; DARRELL HERALD – Attorney; HYDEN CITIZENS BANK, JACKSON PHYSICAL THERAPY; and GO TIME. Also Wild for Purses and Jetts Home Furnishings!!
Game Sponsors Tonight: (with Commercials) VARIETY PIZZA; JACKSON ELECTRIC; FAMILY & HOMETOWN PHARMACIES; PDQ SALES and SERVICE; LAKESIDE MOBILE HOMES; THACKER-GRIGSBY COMMUNICATIONS; APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE; and CITIZENS BANK & TRUST.