Broadcast Issues During Raider Playoff Football Game

I wanted to issue a statement to the fans of the Hudson Raider football team regarding our playoff broadcast last Saturday at DC Everest High School in Schofield. 

This was perhaps the biggest game in the program's history, and we worked very hard preparing all week and were well positioned for a top-notch broadcast for the fabulous fans of this historic football team. Unfortunately the situation at DC Everest made it all but impossible to do what we came there to do. 

The press facilities at DC Everest were woefully inadequate to accommodate the number of media personnel a big playoff game such as the Hudson-Arrowhead matchup draws. I counted 26 people crammed into a pressbox only large enough to hold half that many. To put on a quality broadcast you need adequate space for both your broadcasters and your equipment . 

On Saturday we absolutely did not have that. In addition, the Internet connection in the pressbox we needed to transmit the broadcast (which was supposed to be rock solid) was very problematic and by game time had completely stopped working. 

In a last ditch effort to get some kind of broadcast on air we were able to transmit a scaled down version through my cell phone over a very weak wireless connection that cut out several times during the broadcast. This resulted in a production that was not even close to the quality we have been putting out at MSBN for years and made for a very disappointing and frustrating viewing experience for the huge audience tuning in. 

The WIAA, which manages and regulates playoff games, never should have allowed this situation to happen. The unfortunate fact is the WIAA completely dropped the ball here. The situation we encountered on Saturday was the worst I have seen in the many years I have been doing broadcasts. 

I will be filing a detailed complaint with the WIAA over this situation in hopes that issues like these are addressed and changes are made in the future so what  happened at DC Everest last Saturday will never happen again. The fans that followed our broadcasts all season, as well as the ones tuning in for the first time, deserved a better broadcast than circumstances allowed us to provide.

I just wanted to set the record straight regarding what happened on Saturday.  I also want to congratulate the Hudson Raider football team on a tremendous 2012 season. The fond memories you gave all of us who watched you this season will live on for many years to come.

Thank you.

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Jon Wekkin is the CEO of the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network (MSBN) and lives in Hudson. He provided color commentary on MSBN's broadcasts of every Hudson Raiders football game this season.