to stay local, so he’d always have a direct way to give back to the community that gave so much to him. And as a journalist himself, Brian has a built-in affinity and curiosity regarding media and technology.
As I stated yesterday, all of Brian’s profits within WNST.net are tied to Living Classrooms. The more money our company makes, the more the city and its citizens stand to benefit via Brian’s time, generosity and local spirit.
Billick is truly one of the best people I’ve ever met in 27 years of covering sports as a Baltimore journalist. He’s classy, super smart, incredibly self-deprecating and owns something no one else around here outside of Earl Weaver can claim – he got them to win a championship, something that John Harbaugh is quite antsy to accomplish. And if that were to become a reality in February, Billick would be the first one applauding near the dais at City Hall as the float rolls down Pratt Street. No one understands the power of Baltimore sports fans like Billick, who experienced the entire roller coaster as a winner and loser of big games as the captain of the ship. You might be able to dismiss his accomplishments, but I lived through it and saw with my eyes how he molded a championship team. (And who says “time doesn’t dim the glory of his deeds?”)
And in the same way WNST.net is committed to social media, even Billick is on Twitter now @CoachBillick and loves that “unfiltered” message he wanted so much when he was The Coach.
Twitter and Facebook are so cool for that — getting front door, “unfiltered” information that’s available 24-hours a day and I’m an addict to my mobile device and so are more of you every day.
So, instead of a pre-set on your radio dial – which is still very nice and appreciated at WNST-AM 1570 — it’s your mobile phone that we hope to invade and become “your No. 1 station” or home for Baltimore sports news and information and discounts and deals. We will be launching a mobile app later in the summer that will be revolutionary in the marketplace.
The most common complaint I’ve received in 13 years of owning WNST has been about our AM radio signal, which is controlled by the FCC. It’s amazing in 2011 that anyone would ever complain to me about it when we’ve worked tirelessly to put our product in the palm of your hands 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world via the unrestricted internet. Building a bigger AM radio tower would’ve been a foolish investment. Building a bigger web presence has allowed us to show incredible growth in our brand and reach you wherever you are via your phone with information the way YOU want it — text, blogs, newspaper, radio, audio vault, videos, Tweets, Facebook statuses — YOU pick the way you want YOUR WNST.net!
If you have a Droid or IPhone you have our live radio feed in your pocket already and perhaps you just don’t know it. Download the free app called “Tune In Radio” and type in WNST. In five seconds, you’ll have our live radio station from anywhere you are in the world. Or go to WNST.net on your mobile device and click on AUDIO and you’ll be delivered to our BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault and can literally listen to any interview or feature segment we’ve done here since 2007 in a completely searchable format. Just type and click…
Trust me the “strength of our radio signal” is the least of my concerns in the era of mobile devices that will have an app that will connect you in your car from anywhere, anytime.
As I’ve said many times since 2007, the internet is the future of media. And our website at WNST.net rocks, which is why 1.2 million people visited it this year. (Hey you’re visiting it right now, right?)
The future is boundless for local companies like ours with a true civic mission like we have to make the community a better place and serve consumers and businesses with respect, dignity and appreciation. That’s what WNST is built for. That’s what we’ve always stood for as a company and it’s what makes us different.
But the way your news and media will be delivered will never be the same as it was in the dark ages. Our content has changed because the world has changed. And the way you’ve interacted with us has naturally changed as well.
In 2011, the WNST feedback isn’t necessarily coming from waiting 20 minutes on hold on the AM radio line to ask Host X, Question Y or to play trivia games, when all of these answers are a Google search away from any mobile device.
The sports media feedback now comes in social media in places like Facebook and Twitter where you can interact with your friends and people in your personal communities. And if you like what our conversation is offering, you might even share WNST.net with
