Paying to Listen to Games

[channonc 466]

Our Auburn Club had our annual banquet last night. One of our members announced that she had spoken to Kirk Sampson with the Media Relations Department recently about how upsetting it was to have to pay to listen to the Auburn games online.

He had responded to her that many other schools do it, as well as MLB. She stated that she didn't attend school at the "Atlanta Braves," nor do they call her for donations, much as Auburn does. She stated how disappointed she was in this new proceedure. He said that if he got enough emails and letters about this new policy he would consider changing it. So I urge all of you who were upset about this new policy to email him at sampska@auburn.edu. I think if enough of us write letters about this new policy, it will change.

[Captain Liger 0]

That's good stuff right there. I used to listen to the games online when I was in Iraq in '04 and it was the only way I had of keeping up with the team because AFN didn't televise all the college football games. I was a little upset when I discovered you have to pay to listen now. I will definitely write a letter.

[WarTiger 3,909]

My letter has been sent.....

[WarEagle71 0]

I agree fully and sent my email. I say Fill his email box!!

[boddatiger99 5]

Message Sent. Maybe this will accomplish something.

[JohnDeere 0]

I listened to more then a few games of the Div 1AA and Div2 playoffs this past season by simply visiting the athletic website of one of the schools playing in the game I wished to hear. I probably listened from 8 different university’s athletic websites with the free streaming audio. ESPN probably won’t be broadcasting North West Missouri State and Texas A&M Kingsville in the Quarterfinals of the Div II playoffs, and unless you live within 100 miles of either school; you probably can not pick up the radio broadcast of the game. In essence, the internet is the only way for alumni and fans of smaller schools who don’t live within radio broadcast range to follow and support their respective schools.

Div1AA and Div2 schools are putting there games out there for the world to hear for “free”, and Auburn has to charge people for access? Looks like a sorry way for the AD to pull in a small amount of money to support auburntigers.com.

The word money and playoffs in the same post....?

[johnwegl 11]

Here’s the thing, as long as Auburn is involved with CSTV, they will continue to charge for the broadcast. I would imagine they would have to break the contract. These decisions along with others (See the lower quality Jumbo Tron production this past year) continues to be all about money. I guess Auburn needs to look at the quality of product they are providing and how their decisions on serving the Auburn Family is adversely affect the Auburn\.

I for one am very displeased with having to pay to listen. I’m very displeased in the quality of Jumbo Tron production last year. I’m very displeased about the way ticket prices keep going up.

OK..off my soap box.

[Ranger12 46]

Speaking of paying to listent to games, I got this e-mail from the MSU newsletter. I had used their web based ticket office one year when we played in Starkville.

BULLDOG UPDATE

Mississippi State University Athletics

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Live audio streaming of Mississippi State's baseball games in the NCAA Baseball Regional in Clemson, S.C., this weekend will be available free of charge to all Bulldog fans through the facilities of Maroon to the Max. Due to the terms of current NCAA contractual obligations, any live streaming of games in the NCAA Baseball Championship must be provided at no charge by participating schools.

To access the audio stream for MSU's games this weekend (including pregame and postgame commentary), Bulldog fans should simply click on the "Free Live Audio" link on the left-hand side mstateathletics.com or on the baseball schedule. Each stream will begin approximately 20 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of each State game with Jim Ellis' pregame analysis.

Fans already subscribed to Maroon to the Max can access the streams in two ways - by either utilizing the free link or logging into M2M as they do normally.

The Diamond Dogs, who open the tournament Friday at 2 p.m. CT against Elon, are making their 29th NCAA appearance overall and 10th in the last 11 campaigns.

[Dyebama 2]

I sent in my Complaint.... being here in Atlanta area we hardly get the games on radio!!

Yea 680 the fan is susposed to carry them but they dont half the time and during the Fall their Power is so low at night You can never get them in the covington Conyers area.

I really did enjoy listening to the games on line when we had the chance for Free. I thought

That was a neat service offered by the UNIV. now matter how much I LOVE AUBURN, butt

I hate seeing

the sports end becomming the BIG BUSINESS CASH COW that it has become.

Thanks for your Time

[TigerfanKM 37]

E-mail sent......

[Jenny AU-92 0]

Dear Mr. Sampson,

When I left Auburn in 1992 and moved to Texas, the thing I missed most of all during football season was being able to hear Jim Fyffe’s voice screaming “Touchdown Auburn”. To have been able to hear him during our undefeated season back then would have been a memory forever. So you can imagine that I was thrilled beyond belief when I discovered a few years ago that I could listen to the Auburn game on the Internet! If the game is not televised, that is my sole link to my beloved Auburn Tigers football team. If it is televised, I mute the TV and turn on the AU Radio Network because those are my broadcasters of choice. My friends from Auburn who were/are stationed overseas, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, were able to keep up with the games as well.

But when Auburn instituted pay to listen, I was appalled and disgusted. It was insulting to try and make money off of those of us who are otherwise unable to participate due to geography. There is no way you and the University can tell me it is a “cost issue”. Radio stations all across Houston and all across the US offer their broadcasts for free on line – they make money from advertising. Why can’t advertising on the streaming internet broadcast pay for any costs you may have? The radio broadcast of the game is already going out over local airwaves for free, so you don’t have to hire any additional on air talent. Cutting off your out of town/out of state/out of country Auburn football fans is a lose-lose situation for the University. And it really pisses us off.

I realize that MLB and the NFL have pay to listen services – but they are professional sports and they are purely a commercial enterprise – hence the use of the word “Professional” to describe them. I did not graduate from the Houston Astros University. I do not contribute any money other than ticket sales to the Houston Texans Athletic Department. And I would trade my loyalty to them in a heartbeat – something that will NEVER happen with regards to Auburn University.

BRING BACK THE FREE INTERNET BROADCASTS.

[Captain Liger 0]

Anyone happen to get a response yet? Care to share it?

[JohnDeere 0]

Dear Mr. Sampson,

When I left Auburn in 1992 and moved to Texas, the thing I missed most of all during football season was being able to hear Jim Fyffe’s voice screaming “Touchdown Auburn”.  To have been able to hear him during our undefeated season back then would have been a memory forever.  So you can imagine that I was thrilled beyond belief when I discovered a few years ago that I could listen to the Auburn game on the Internet!  If the game is not televised, that is my sole link to my beloved Auburn Tigers football team.  If it is televised, I mute the TV and turn on the AU Radio Network because those are my broadcasters of choice.  My friends from Auburn who were/are stationed overseas, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, were able to keep up with the games as well.

But when Auburn instituted pay to listen, I was appalled and disgusted.  It was insulting to try and make money off of those of us who are otherwise unable to participate due to geography.  There is no way you and the University can tell me it is a “cost issue”.  Radio stations all across Houston and all across the US offer their broadcasts for free on line – they make money from advertising.  Why can’t advertising on the streaming internet broadcast pay for any costs you may have?  The radio broadcast of the game is already going out over local airwaves for free, so you don’t have to hire any additional on air talent.  Cutting off your out of town/out of state/out of country Auburn football fans is a lose-lose situation for the University.  And it really pisses us off.

I realize that MLB and the NFL have pay to listen services – but they are professional sports and they are purely a commercial enterprise – hence the use of the word “Professional” to describe them.  I did not graduate from the Houston Astros University.  I do not contribute any money other than ticket sales to the Houston Texans Athletic Department.  And I would trade my loyalty to them in a heartbeat – something that will NEVER happen with regards to Auburn University.

BRING BACK THE FREE INTERNET BROADCASTS.

238191[/snapback]

Amen

[CCTAU 3,327]

One way to skirt this is to have a cell service with free weekends. Then call up a buddy in Alabama and have him place his phone next to the radio or TV. Then put your cell on speaker and listen away. Of course if you are overseas, you're screwed.

[KunzelTiger 0]

Mr. Kirk Sampson,

Prior to attending Auburn University I lived in a different region of the country. I still bled Orange and Blue. Because of regional programming I was only able to watch the games offered to me. More often than not that did not include the great Auburn Tigers. I would have to listen to the games on the internet simulcast. I have since moved to Auburn and very rarely can I not listen to a game because of local radio but I will soon be graduating and without an internet simulcast I will not be able to listen to my beloved Auburn Tigers play every down, every season.

As you know, the Auburn Tigers fan base is as passionate as any in America. Auburn University is its own island in the college universe. We are unlike any in the U.S. When I visit friends at other colleges I am delighted that I chose Auburn. Auburn is a university that I can be proud of and I would like to share that with everyone. I now ask you to not be like every other university and do not require a payment on an internet broadcast of a football game (As an example, when we played Kentucky last year and it was not televised I had to sign up on the Kentucky athletics website to listen to the game and I could not hear my wonderful Auburn comentary).

Auburn is a great place and we should shout it from the mountain tops! A free broadcast of our football games would also help out of state recruiting become aware of our program.

Thank you for our time,

Andrew Kunzel

Auburn University Class of '08 (hopefully)

[WarTiger 3,909]

Anyone happen to get a response yet? Care to share it?

238192[/snapback]

No response from my letter, yet.....will post it when/if i get a reply....

[channonc 466]

I haven't received a response either, but hopefully our response will be change!!

Keep the letters coming!!

[MDM4AU 332]

FREE AUBURN AUDIO FOR FOOTBALL GAMES!!!

WYSF in Birmingham now streams live audio on the internet. Unless there is some crazy rule or agreement with Auburn's Website and WYSF (Citadel Broadcasting) I would assume they will have the Auburn games. Here is the link:

94.5 WYSF - FM Birmingham

[Ranger12 46]

FREE AUBURN AUDIO FOR FOOTBALL GAMES!!!

WYSF in Birmingham now streams live audio on the internet. Unless there is some crazy rule or agreement with Auburn's Website and WYSF (Citadel Broadcasting) I would assume they will have the Auburn games. Here is the link:

94.5 WYSF - FM Birmingham

I believe that you may be disappointed. On some of the other stations websites that have audio streaming, but carry AU games, they have a disclaimer that says during AU broadcast games, alternate programming will be streamed due to rights restrictions of broadcasting AU games over the internet. The same goes for UAT games. It is basically the same restrictions that apply to internet broadcasting of MLB and NFL games. You can only hear those over the radio and not on the station's internet audio stream.

You normally don't see the disclaimer until game day at the time the game would normally be on.

[LegalEagle 22]

Another method of getting free broadcasts is not to give in and pay for listening. If nobody is subscribing, believe me, it will be free again. If you pay and complain, you'll continue to pay. If you complain and refuse to pay, you'll have a better chance for action.

Now the games are broadcast on TV within a few days. I just wait and watch it then.

[Bottomfeeder 244]

The only solution I can think of is to go to the "shack" and find a way to get the reception you need.

[eibua12 81]

That's good stuff right there. I used to listen to the games online when I was in Iraq in '04 and it was the only way I had of keeping up with the team because AFN didn't televise all the college football games. I was a little upset when I discovered you have to pay to listen now. I will definitely write a letter.

While reading some of the older posts on this topic Captain Liger's struck a cord with me. Along with sending Kirk our discontent with having to pay to listen to games I think we should do a follow-up barrage:

Any personnel in the military should get a free account, and be able to listen to any AU sporting event for free. At that point I might entertain the idea of subsidizing that effort by paying for my account.

Rg

[WarTiger 3,909]

on a similar note. I know that sirius satellite radio is carrying Auburn football among other teams. Does anybody know if these audio streams are available over a satellite TV service like dishnetwork that carries sirius radio? And if so, what channel the games will be broadcast on there? thanks

[Ranger12 46]

on a similar note. I know that sirius satellite radio is carrying Auburn football among other teams. Does anybody know if these audio streams are available over a satellite TV service like dishnetwork that carries sirius radio? And if so, what channel the games will be broadcast on there? thanks

Nope...not available as far as I know.

[johnwegl 11]

Just a thought, but xm and I think sirius has free trial to listen to them online for a few days. You probably only need a new email address and the ability to come up with a new account name each week you don’t listen. Maybe you could kind of circumvent paying by trying a “free trial” each week. Just register for a new yahoo account each week you need a new email address to use and go from there. It may or may not work.