Beginning Saturday (Sept. 19th), Burien’s John F. Kennedy High School’s football games will be broadcast on the internet for the second season, thanks to Ronnie Wald of Waldcast.net.

If you can’t make it to Highline Stadium, you can listen to Saturday’s game against Evergreen (start time is 1:30pm), by clicking here.

Here’s a re-published Q&A with Ronnie Wald (originally posted Sept. 7, 2008), Founder/Broadcaster of Waldcast.net:

Q: Has anyone ever broadcast football games for JFK High before?

A: We’re entering a new realm here…MOST high schools have not attempted this. Thanks to the internet, we’re now introducing a new way of thinking–yes, now local high schools can have play by play of their games on a regular basis. When, I started packaging broadcasts for california high schools in the 80′s, the only available avenue was contracting with a (not always agreeable) local radio station. We have now eliminated the middle man in that “terrestial” radio outlet–as waldcast.net becomes, in effect, the radio station…internet radio, that is.

Q: Will you be doing the play-by-play from the stadium or will someone else?

A: I handle the play by play duties which dovetails nicely with the moniker of the network.

Q: How long has Waldcast been doing high school sports?

A: After 27 years in sports play by play and hundreds of lifetime broadcasts under my belt–it all seems like one big blue mist to me. Let me say that for the last five years, the significant moment in my career was breaking away from local radio stations by creating my own network with waldcast.net. I now work wherever and whenever I choose and cut my own deals with teams. Ad rates fall significantly with a “waldcast” since we obviously don’t have the radio overhead. Also, we offer so much more in that any computer “around the world” can now listen to a Kennedy Football game–that includes you in burien or a grandma in denver–there’s just no limit. Additionally, we have a free archive where players and coaches’ who missed the broadcast the first time can come back and relive the memories over and over again. Plus, at midnight after the webcast, I have numbers that show how many were listening and where. That adds real value to my marketing push with local sponsors. In fact, thanks to the research, waldcast.net has now been heard in 49 states and over 20 foreign countries..not bad for a humble, little one-man network!

Q: Are you expanding into the Northwest with JFK games?

A: I’ve come to the Northwest to gauge the interest and partner with one of the finest prep programs in Washington at Kennedy. Thanks to the mobility of the internet..I can travel to wherever i’m needed to get the job done..right now I am needed in Burien. I literally carry this network “on my back”.

Q: How does internet broadcasting work? Is it a big operation?

A: It can be an overextended, major operation if you try to follow an example of a major network. What I’ve perfected is the one-man network where play by play, engineering and commercials are all merged in into a somewhat chaotic whole. People compliment me on how I work at such a high level while juggling all the jobs that joe buck and bob costas never have to concern themselves with.

Q: What does it take for an internet user to listen to games live?

A: Not much…just download the QuickTime Audio Player (Windows Media won’t work). There’s also a link for the free download on our game menu.

Q: What does the future hold for internet broadcasting?

A: I feel like Columbus who is first to make a claim in this brave “new world”. It won’t be too long before everybody will get on the bandwagon and offer “live streaming” of any game, anywhere. Once the “genie is out of the bottle” it will become an accepted fact that if–you have a stadium and a game and fans…you will naturally offer a broadcast component..which will be as omnipresent as hot dogs or the marching band. The only trump card with all this perpetual streaming: what will be the quality of the given broadcast product? Your choice..quantity or quality? Its a great thing if you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other..and easier on the listeners’ ears..if you have both.

Q: What other work have you done?

A: My Northwest connections include broadcasts from Gongaza, Seattle Pacific, University of Portland, Portland State, and from University of Idaho and Boise State. In 2006, Seattle University hired me to provide webcasts of their softball team in the NCAA regional in California. Another example of the power of the web…the redhawks didn’t want to fly a broadcaster down to Stanislaus state..so, there I was..ready to broadcast on a moment’s notice.

Sure, the internet sometimes has you flying off the seat of your pants..but, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Most of all we try to have fun on the these games and really highlight the student athlete. I know the emails I get from appreciative parents makes it all worth it.

Kennedy’s football schedule:

More info on Kennedy’s football team can be found here.

More info on the webcasts can be found at Waldcast.net.

To listen to Saturday’s game against Kentwood at Qwest Field (which Kennedy lost 28-14), click here.

To see a current schedule of games, click here.

To listen archived previous games, click here.

Here’s a Q&A with Ronnie Wald, Founder/Broadcaster of Waldcast.net:

Q: Has anyone ever broadcast football games for JFK High before?

A: We’re entering a new realm here…MOST high schools have not attempted this. Thanks to the internet, we’re now introducing a new way of thinking–yes, now local high schools can have play by play of their games on a regular basis. When, I started packaging broadcasts for california high schools in the 80′s, the only available avenue was contracting with a (not always agreeable) local radio station. We have now eliminated the middle man in that “terrestial” radio outlet–as waldcast.net becomes, in effect, the radio station…internet radio, that is.

Q: Will you be doing the play-by-play from the stadium or will someone else?

A: I handle the play by play duties which dovetails nicely with the moniker of the network.

Q: How long has Waldcast been doing high school sports?

A: After 27 years in sports play by play and hundreds of lifetime broadcasts under my belt–it all seems like one big blue mist to me. Let me say that for the last five years, the significant moment in my career was breaking away from local radio stations by creating my own network with waldcast.net. I now work wherever and whenever I choose and cut my own deals with teams. Ad rates fall significantly with a “waldcast” since we obviously don’t have the radio overhead. Also, we offer so much more in that any computer “around the world” can now listen to a Kennedy Football game–that includes you in burien or a grandma in denver–there’s just no limit. Additionally, we have a free archive where players and coaches’ who missed the broadcast the first time can come back and relive the memories over and over again. Plus, at midnight after the webcast, I have numbers that show how many were listening and where. That adds real value to my marketing push with local sponsors. In fact, thanks to the research, waldcast.net has now been heard in 49 states and over 20 foreign countries..not bad for a humble, little one-man network!

Q: Are you expanding into the Northwest with JFK games?

A: I’ve come to the Northwest to gauge the interest and partner with one of the finest prep programs in Washington at Kennedy. Thanks to the mobility of the internet..I can travel to wherever i’m needed to get the job done..right now I am needed in Burien. I literally carry this network “on my back”.

Q: How does internet broadcasting work? Is it a big operation?

A: It can be an overextended, major operation if you try to follow an example of a major network. What I’ve perfected is the one-man network where play by play, engineering and commercials are all merged in into a somewhat chaotic whole. People compliment me on how I work at such a high level while juggling all the jobs that joe buck and bob costas never have to concern themselves with.

Q: What does it take for an internet user to listen to games live?

A: Not much…just download the QuickTime Audio Player (Windows Media won’t work). There’s also a link for the free download on our game menu.

Q: What does the future hold for internet broadcasting?

A: I feel like Columbus who is first to make a claim in this brave “new world”. It won’t be too long before everybody will get on the bandwagon and offer “live streaming” of any game, anywhere. Once the “genie is out of the bottle” it will become an accepted fact that if–you have a stadium and a game and fans…you will naturally offer a broadcast component..which will be as omnipresent as hot dogs or the marching band. The only trump card with all this perpetual streaming: what will be the quality of the given broadcast product? Your choice..quantity or quality? Its a great thing if you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other..and easier on the listeners’ ears..if you have both.

Q: What other work have you done?

A: My Northwest connections include broadcasts from Gongaza, Seattle Pacific, University of Portland, Portland State, and from University of Idaho and Boise State. In 2006, Seattle University hired me to provide webcasts of their softball team in the NCAA regional in California. Another example of the power of the web…the redhawks didn’t want to fly a broadcaster down to Stanislaus state..so, there I was..ready to broadcast on a moment’s notice.

Sure, the internet sometimes has you flying off the seat of your pants..but, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Most of all we try to have fun on the these games and really highlight the student athlete. I know the emails I get from appreciative parents makes it all worth it.

Kennedy’s football schedule:

9/12	@ Tyee	7:00*
9/20	vs. Evergreen	1:30*
9/26	@ Highline	7:00*
10/4	vs. Foster	1:30*
10/10	@ Renton	7:00
10/16	vs. Lindbergh	7:00*
10/24	vs. Hazen	7:00*
10/30	@ Mt Rainier	7:00*

* Games at Highline Stadium

More info on Kennedy’s football team can be found here.

More info on the webcasts can be found at Waldcast.net.