MONTGOMERY — Local media would be able to broadcast postseason high school games under a bill recently filed by State Rep. Marcus Paramore (R-Troy).
According to a bill filed by State Rep. Marcus Paramore (R-Troy), public K-12 schools have sole authority to select which media organizations may broadcast regular-season sporting events. This bill would expand that authority to include the broadcast of postseason sporting events.
“Well, there's certain parameters for the regular season. So, like your hometown team does it and you have a radio station or a newspaper in that town. They cover that team all year during a regular season, and in the playoffs, they get there and there are different parameters and things of that nature. We just want to make sure that the local radio station or media entity can continue to put their hometown team over the airways so that people back home can listen to it,” Paramore told 1819 News in a recent interview. “Well, I think what this bill can do is bring the two entities together, the broadcasters and the (Alabama) High School Athletic Association together, and it can maybe be done without legislation, but I think this is an avenue to get them to talk and hammer out an agreement. I think it's just a growing sentiment that, you know, once you get there, then you can't broadcast your local team, the biggest games of the season. You cover them for 10 games and then the last three or four, you can’t.”
The bill has the support of the Alabama Broadcasters Association (ABA).
“The Alabama Broadcasters Association is working with members of the Alabama Legislature to advance bills in the House and Senate to allow broadcasters to work with schools to broadcast POST REGULAR SEASON high school athletic events - especially CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES,” a spokesperson for the ABA said in an email to members last week. “As you know, AHSAA only offers their radio network during championship games. However, some or all of you may have received an email from them late last week that indicates that THIS YEAR, they will allow a school to identify a "flagship station" if the BJCC can accommodate them. This should be a permanent policy change, allowing the hometown stations who carry a school's games all year to also broadcast the championship game for their community.”
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