Channel 45 and Minnesota High School League Announce 11 Year
Partnership
ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ --
The Minnesota State High School
League Board of Directors today approved a broadcast rights agreement with
KSTC.TV (Channel 45) of St. Paul for live television coverage of five state
tournaments through 2015. The 11-year agreement calls for KSTC.TV to pay the
League $9.7 million in rights fees, plus provide an additional $10.6 million
worth of promotion for those tournaments and other League programs.
Beginning with the 2005 State Girls' Hockey Tournament, KSTC.TV will provide
live television coverage of that tournament, the boys' hockey tournament, the
girls' basketball tournament, the boys' basketball tournament, and the Prep
Bowl (football finals). Rights fees for the four 2005 state tournaments will
be $750,000 and the rights fees for the five tournaments in each succeeding
year will increase until reaching $1,030,000 for the year 2015. The total
rights fees to be paid during the length of the agreement are $9,705,000.
In addition to paying the rights fees, KSTC.TV has agreed to provide the League
with significant promotions and marketing opportunities that the station has
valued at $10,655,090. This package includes on-air promotions on both KSTC.TV
and sister station KSTP-TV (5 EYEWITNESS NEWS). Production and broadcast of
public service announcements, not only in the Twin Cities market, but also in
Alexandria, Austin, Duluth, Redwood Falls, Rochester and the Iron Range, are
also part of the promotional package. The KSTC45.com Web site would also be
used to promote tournaments and link to the League's Web site. The station will
assume sponsorship of the EXCEL Awards program honoring high school juniors,
and initiate a School Spirit Awards program that will include an annual
30-minute TV special featuring school-produced spirit videos, with the winning
school awarded a $10,000 prize package. KSTC.TV will also produce and purchase
print and radio advertising promoting the tournament telecasts.
"This is an exciting venture for our station," KSTC.TV Station Manager Susan
Anderson told the Board. "The high school tournaments are such an integral
part of the fabric of Minnesota life. KSTC.TV intends to not only showcase the
athletes that are fortunate enough to play in the state tournaments, but we
will also focus attention on the other positive values afforded students who
participate in all of the educational athletics and fine arts activities
provided by the League."
KSTC.TV is an independent television station owned and operated by Hubbard
Broadcasting. As such, many satellite and cable outlets throughout the state
carry it. The agreement calls for KSTC.TV to also attempt to establish
statewide over-the-air coverage.
"This agreement is historic for several reasons," explained League Executive
Director David Stead. "For one, it is long-term, longer than any other
previous television broadcast rights agreement the League has ever had. That
provides the Board with some solid revenue forecasts far into the future. It is
also the first time that a broadcast partner has promised to not only provide
promotions for the tournament telecasts, but to also help produce and air PSAs
and TV specials that will showcase the many positive outcomes achieved by
students involved in League programs.
"KSTC.TV has been very receptive to providing the extras, recognizing that
League programs provide tremendous value to Minnesota's high school students.
We look forward to working with KSTC.TV to continue to expand television
programming opportunities of League-sponsored activities."
The inaugural KSTC.TV tournament broadcast will be the 2005 State Girls' Hockey
Tournament and will feature six games -- the championship semifinals of each
class, plus the two championship games.
About FORTY5
Owned and operated by Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc., KSTC.TV, Channel 45, is the
only fully independent television station in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market.
KSTC.TV can also be found on local satellite channels and cable channel 12 in
most of the Twins Cities metro and surrounding areas. Hubbard Broadcasting
also owns and operates 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market and
television stations in Duluth, Austin and Alexandria, Minnesota; Rochester and
Albany, New York; and Albuquerque, Farmington and Roswell, New Mexico; plus
three radio stations in the Twin Cities and the Hubbard Radio network.
DATASOURCE: KSTC.TV
CONTACT: Joe Johnston of KSTC.TV, Channel 45, +1-651-523-7379