Franklin Matters: sports

Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts

Sunday, March 29, 2026

Franklin TV: MASSachusetts MEDIA - Should we charge for streaming sports?

Sports – & Tech – & Us

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 03/29/2026

Mass communication became a reality with the rise of radio after The Great War. Since then, sports coverage and technology have enjoyed a long, mutually beneficial relationship. Radio brought us the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and the booth announcer’s excitement. After WW 2 we embraced TV. We could hear and see the action unfolding – live – as it happened.

Note: A baseball game was first ‘televised’ as early as 1926 by Hollis Baird via an experimental, 32 line TV system– from Fenway Park. The fact that you couldn’t see the ball at that low image resolution? Hey, he tried.

The de facto formation of a sports & media complex brought more energy and money to major leagues and major networks. The tech march continued with color TV in the late fifties, and eventually HDTV in 1997. (Now you could see the hockey puck.)

Along the way instant replays became common, and these days, even mission critical in validating the play action. From the batter’s box to the 1st down line, inches matter. Now computer graphics underscore details of the play action. During half-time NFL coaches use video to analyze the opposing team’s play and make adjustments.

Today, the only significant regular programming that remains truly live is sports. Almost everything else is recorded in advance. We at Franklin.TV know the power of sports at the local level. School sports is becoming part of the sports & media complex with licensing deals between schools, regional, state and national distributors – and as local community TV studios, we are slowly being forced off the field. First, for the big season playoff games – and eventually, the day may arrive where we can no longer carry school sports.

Where money is involved, what we’ve offered for years – for free – for everyone – may be constrained to those who can afford to subscribe to streaming services. Our own sports streams remain free – for now. Viewers who drop cable and ‘cut the cord’ can see our games, but we see no revenue as our annual budget continues to erode. Should we charge for streaming sports?

And – as always –

Thank you for watching.
Thanks for listening to wfpr●fm,
and staying informed at Franklin●news.

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Franklin High School Welcomes Eighth Grade Students for Panther Pride Night

Franklin High School welcomed incoming eighth graders and their families during a recent Panther Pride Night, giving students an early look at academics, activities and student life ahead of their transition to high school this fall.

Current eighth graders and their families visited the high school to learn about course offerings, extracurricular activities and life at FHS. Middle school students toured the school and spoke with current FHS students, coaches and faculty about their future at the school.

Franklin High School Welcomes Eighth Grade Students for Panther Pride Night

Families listened to an academic scheduling presentation in the auditorium, where department leaders and the administrative team explained what to expect for course schedules.

More than 35 clubs were represented at a club and activities fair in the cafeteria, where middle school students spoke with FHS students and club advisors about the many extracurricular options available. Students also had the opportunity to meet with athletes and coaches from more than 30 athletic teams.

The evening allowed eighth grade students to learn more about the support and offerings available to them at the high school. They began to familiarize themselves with the building as well as some of the people within it as they toured the school and heard from current students.

"We were thrilled to welcome the Class of 2030 into the high school for Panther Pride Night," Principal Maria Weber said. "With the leadership of our Director of Guidance Heather McVay, students and families were able to get clear, helpful information about academics and the scheduling process at Franklin High School. We thank our middle school families for attending, and we look forward to welcoming them back in the fall."

"Panther Pride Night was a demonstration of the community we strive to foster within Franklin Public Schools," Superintendent Lucas Giguere said. "Providing the eighth grade class with an opportunity to speak with current Franklin High School students helps to alleviate some of the questions and concerns middle school students might have. Thank you to all of the high school students, faculty, staff and coaches for volunteering their time. Their willingness to share their experiences and meet the eighth grade class truly made the evening a success."

Additional pix available - https://41518511.hs-sites.com/franklin-high-school-welcomes-eighth-grade-students-for-panther-pride-night

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Parents and student athletes: If you’re hearing from sports agents, you’ll want to read this

Consumer Alerts from the Federal Trade Commission

Parents and student athletes: If you're hearing from sports agents, you'll want to read this

By BCP Staff

If you're hoping your athletic talents will lead you to endorsements during college or eventually to pro sports, signing with a sports agent might be an exciting first step — but it's also serious business.

That's why the FTC is seeking information from universities about sports agents' compliance with the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act.

SPARTA requires agents to provide important information to student athletes and schools about agency contracts — and prohibits them from making false or misleading statements to student athletes or offering illegal gifts to induce student athletes to sign agency contracts.