John Beilein Radio Show

Our Sports and the Media class was fortunate enough to sit in on the John Beilein Radio Show this past Wedsneday. We are learning how radio works and why radio is merely a shadow of what it once was. A big issue with radio is getting people to even listen, to be aware that a show of this nature even exists. Dr. Madej asked us to name the radio announcer for men´s basketball and only 4 people out of the class of 40 knew his name (my buddy, Matt Sheperd). In a world dominated by television and the ipod, how can old-school sports talk radio fit in to this on-demand world? These were things we as a class wanted to observe. For many it was a chance to see Coach Beilein up close and intimate, hearing him live on the air. But all of us had the opportunity to actively participate in the show, either by asking Coach Beilein a question on the team or how he coaches, or by just clapping at the beginning or ending of every segment.

So how does a small, half an hour show like John Beilein get attention? How do you bring more listeners to the table? How do you promote it and make it worth listening to? The Marketing Department here at Michigan, in my opinion, has to be one of the worst in the nation. Considering all the other Big Ten teams we are terrible. I remember traveling with the team to Lansing last year. Sure, I wanted to beat the Spartans with all my heart, but even though we were shattered in that game I could not help but to notice and even admire the atmosphere that Michigan State had to offer to its faithful. Again, traveling to Wisconsin was a mind-opener. I never thought a college program could have a game so exciting. And dont forget about Indiana, every timeout was the BIGGEST deal ever! Poor Michigan...we draw fans because we have the block M, because we win (we used to) and because we have a great fight song. Thats it. We have the same issue with JohnBeilein.com ...how do we make people aware and how do we get them to come back over and over again?

Radio is tricky. There are no faces, there are no expressions -- only what you know from TV. People know the basketball team and they know Coach Beilein. The radio team needs to bring to the table things that interest the consumer. How did they do that last night? They asked questions that the normal listener would ask. Such as...
>How do you deal with a team that has lost five in a row? What do you tell them?
>Why was it that Indiana, a team at the bottom of the Big Ten, was able to win with such a bang?
>How did Shurna hit every shot he took in the first half?
>How late did yall get back from Northwestern? 3:30? How do the players as students deal with that? Did they go to class?
>What will you address at your next practice?
>How important is motivation at this level?
All these questions are things every person would ask. The advantage here is that Coach Beilein can explain and elaborate, almost on an intimate level, as if you and him were on the phone together talking about the team. He is accessible, he is within reach, and he is there to answer the caller´s questions.

But is this enough? These are my thoughts and I will stick to them:
A) The show is well done. It has a good warm up with past Captain David Merrit and Coach Beilein has a very good interview personality. He is honest, he is upfront, and he is relaxed on the show.
B) The show is poorly promoted. As I said before, the Media Department as a whole is very weak and publicity for the radio show is no exception. Duke has a fantastic program with Coach K, which has thousands and thousands of listeners every time. Fans understand that listening to him is just as important to watching the games. Here at Michigan the mentality is different. Michigan is no Big Ten contender. It is no national championship contender. There is no ultra urgency. So why listen if the team really cant compete for some national spotlight? These are hard yet realistic issues. You can only do so much to make people aware of a show and you can only make the show so good for people to actually listen. But the reality of the matter is, unless the team is winning ball games and competative for a Big Ten title, then the team will have little relevance and importance in fan´s everday lives. This is the culture here at Michigan. Indiana has suffered the last few years in basketball, but I guarentee you that every seat was filled at Assembly Hall last Saturday, every person ready to cheer their team to their first conference victory. That is the culture. That is the cultural difference. It is sad but it is the truth. And as I sat there on the corner of the room at Pizza House, listening to the man I see and work with every day for hours and hours, I realize that this program has so much potential, but it just isnt there. So much work needs to be done, and I have full confidence in Coach Beilein to make this a fantastic basketball program. But he cant change the culture alone. With the additions of David Brandon and Brady Hoke, hopefully both the football and basketball programs can turn things around and make this once lively college town into sports heaven once again. Go Blue

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Coach Beilein at an empty Assembly Hall during walkthrough.
Michigan, like Indiana, has a big challenge
in returning its program back to the top.