Pennsylvania stations on the Penn State Football Radio Network don’t expect to see a loss in ad dollars as a result of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal that rocked the university. Dave Davies, VP/GM of Forever Broadcasting in Altoona, which carries games on ESPN 1430 WVAM-AM and WRKY-FM, tells The Altoona Mirror some advertisers have been hesitant but sales are going well: “We have sold ten Penn State sponsors so far and I expect seven more to commit in the next several weeks. Penn State football has been very profitable for us. We have not lost any longtime sponsors and we have three new Penn State sponsors.”
Advertisers’ response also has been strong in Centre County, said Scott Cohagan, GM Forever Broadcasting in State College, which carries Penn State games on WBUS-FM 93.7 and WQWK-AM ESPN 1450: “The local businesses we sell to have been very supportive in support of the team, the program and the radio stations. The ones who committed early have stayed with us. We continue to sell and have got some new advertisers. We have not lost anyone because of the scandal.”
Advertisers in Bedford and Tyrone are continuing to support the game: “We haven’t had any problems reloading the same sponsors. The general consensus here is while the Sandusky thing was awful and some people at the university didn’t handle things properly, we are not putting the blame on the football program or the team. Our sponsors also think the NCAA over-reacted,” said co-owner John Cessna of WBFD-AM, Bedford, which has carried Penn State football for more than 50 years.
His sales representatives are focusing on the positive aspects of Penn State, Davies told the paper: “What we are trying to sell is the fact Steve Jones and Jack Ham are covering these games, the guys who have stayed are guys that are interesting and we should follow them. They (advertisers) need to know the interest from the fan base can translate into sales. With the new coach, Bill O’Brien, there are a lot of positive things moving forward, it will be valuable to them as a member of the Penn State broadcasts.”
“Once the season is reality and we stop hearing about [Tim] Curley, [Gary] Schultz, [Joe] Paterno, [Graham] Spanier, the Freeh report and the NCAA every day and start talking about Xs and Os, blocking and tackling, offense and defense, people will realize Penn State football has survived the worst possible scenario and will see the team and the community have come through with flying colors,” he added.
See The Altoona Mirror story here
RBR-TVBR observation: It is very important for advertisers to show their support—now more than ever—for the team and the school. It will take years for this wound to heal, but going back to business-as-usual and calling the plays as usual is the best thing the fans, the media and the region in general can do. Fans will take extra notice that these advertisers didn’t shy away or abandon Penn State Sports.
