From the UWSP Pointer April 17, 2004:

90FM-STV at odds over trivia contest

By Dan Mirman
Editor in Chief

Although 90FM and S-TV could not reach an agreement in time to televise trivia this year, both organizations are confident that the broadcasts will continue in the future.

"We have nothing against trivia or 90FM," said S-TV Station Manager Bret Lemoine. "90FM and S-TV have a rich history together, but at the same time we need to be compensated as well."

In the past, the compensation has come in the form of advertising for S-TV. However, according to S-TV faculty advisor Bill Deering, in 2002 the city ruled that S-TV shouldn’t be running advertising. Despite the ruling, the city allowed S-TV to finish out their pre-existing advertising contracts.

S-TV could no longer run advertisements because they are considered a Public, Education, Government or PEG station. FCC regulations don’t allow PEG channels to run advertising.

To make up for the lack of funding, S-TV brought a proposal to 90FM in October asking for $2,000 to cover trivia.

"We had an executive staff meeting and agreed on the proposal we gave to 90FM," said Lemoine. "The proposal asked for $37 an hour for the entire contest as a fee for the service we would provide."

Upon receiving the proposal, 90FM faculty advisor Mark Tolstedt and Station Manager Courtney Sikorski attempted to come up with the money necessary to keep trivia on S-TV.

"Both Courtney and myself felt this would get done somehow," said Tolstedt. "Trivia has always been identified with 90FM, but the last decade S-TV has been an integral part of the contest."

According to Tolstedt, S-TV had already turned in the year’s budget to the SGA last year and was unable to find the necessary money to keep trivia on S-TV.

While both sides agreed that the trivia process came down to a business decision, there was some animosity due to a missing thank you.

"We felt that last year we provided the best coverage ever," said Lemoine. "All but one question was on air and we also had great graphics as well as the trivia focus pieces. However, we were never mentioned or even thanked the entire contest."

According to Sikorski, the reason that S-TV was never thanked on air had more to do with friends of 90FM, than 90FM itself.

S-TV and 90FM hope to reach an agreement for next year.

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