UBC/FAMU
and B-CC Fail to Reach an Agreement
Florida
Classic XXIV Broadcast Cancelled
November 18, 2003
TALLAHASSEE, Fla (Nov. 18) - The Urban Broadcasting Company (UBC),
along with The Florida A&M University (FAMU) athletics department, has ended
negotiations with Bethune-Cookman College (B-CC) in an effort to televise Florida
Classic.
B-CC failed to approve offers made from UBC/FAMU to expose
The Florida Classic XXIV to millions of households across the United States. Exposure which UBC/FAMU felt would have provided many alumni and supporters of both Universities with viewing access to this sold-out event.
"We are saddened with the inability of both schools to reach an
agreement that would have produced potential revenues greater than any historically
black college and university has ever received from a media broadcast to date.
In the 78 year history of the FAMU and B-CC series, neither school has
received more than $5,000 from any live over-the-air telecast resulting in national
exposure. The loss of valued national exposure and the loss of potential
revenues just can't be measured," stated Dr. J. R. E. Lee, III, FAMU Interim
Athletic Director.
The Florida Classic has been a rivalry match-up between the two schools
since 1925, with FAMU leading the series 43-12-1.
The Florida Classic is a joint business venture with FAMU and B-CC
having equal partnership, thus both schools must have approved the broadcasting
agreement. Not since 1983 and 1984, has it been that both schools haven't been
able to agree on such an issue.
In each of those years, the Florida Classic was cancelled between FAMU
and B-CC.
Although the Florida Classic game will continue to be played, cancellation of the broadcast has hurt potential revenues for both schools
and the intense efforts of the FAMU athletics department to provide FAMU with
the maximum amount of national exposure.
"We (UBC/FAMU) were between a rock and a hard place with negotiating this
deal. We tried everything possible to make it work, but to no avail. It is
terrible that the millions of viewers who have followed FAMU Sports across the
country will not be able to witness the Florida Classic, a true showing of a
major black college sporting event," stated Ms. Peggy Dodson, President/CEO of
Urban Broadcasting Company.
"This partnership between FAMU and UBC has exposed FAMU to millions of
households throughout the United States. We are very grateful and appreciative to
the millions of fans, supporters and alumni for their support of FAMU and
UBC. We have a very exciting basketball broadcast schedule being finalized and
we are very excited about next year's football schedule and our move to NCAA
Division 1-A."
The Urban Broadcasting Company has broadcast six (6) of eleven (11) FAMU
Football games on live television this season, after signing a five (5) year
multi-million dollar agreement with FAMU athletics this past June of 2003 to
broadcast all of FAMU sports programs.
This agreement is expected to generate a minimum of 7.5 million dollars
for FAMU within the next five (5) years, playing a major role in the move to
NCAA Division 1-A status in football. A Spring sports broadcast schedule will
be available for release soon.
The UBC programming distribution is currently over 25 million households
through distribution packages with OlympuSat, Echo Star, Fox Affiliates, Cox
Cable, Adelphia, and Comcast Sports, and is expected to reach over 40 million
households in 2004.
