Just about everybody likes to see themselves on television, but Metro athletic directors are keeping a cautious eye on KCRG 9.2's live broadcasts of high school events.

Schools like the attention and free publicity, but athletic directors are concerned about the potential impact live TV might have on gate receipts and concession sales.

KCRG began its live broadcasts earlier this year and so far almost all of its requests have been granted by area schools, but there hasn't been 100 percent agreement.

Xavier High School declined KCRG's request to televise its regular-season football game against Linn-Mar on Oct. 21, citing a potential impact on gate receipts. Both schools had strong fan followings for the game.

"It was a big crowd," said Mike Winker, the athletic director at Xavier. "Who's to know if fewer people would have come if it had been on TV? That's kind of a gamble you don't want to take."

KCRG does not pay rights fees for the live broadcasts, so anything that negatively affects gate receipts can have a negative impact on an athletic department. The schools have to balance the financial aspects against the benefits of being on TV.

Xavier did not let KCRG 9.2 televise its football game with Linn-Mar, but the Saints have granted every other request and Winker recently agreed to let the station televise its boys basketball game against Iowa City High on Dec. 13.

KCRG 9.2 also televised a Xavier volleyball game this year and televised Xavier's home football game with Cedar Falls.

"We like having them on TV," Winker said. "It's great P.R. and it's good for the kids and the community. But we also reserve the right that if we think it's going to hurt our ticket revenue that we won't say yes to all situations."

Shannon Booth, the Director of KCRG Productions, said the station has broadcast nearly 100 high school events in Eastern Iowa this year and only a handful of requests have been denied. One school said "no" because there wasn't enough space in the gym for four or five TV cameras and the broadcast crew, and Xavier said "no" to the football game with Linn-Mar.

"That's really it, that I can recall," she said. "It's been really well-received within the community."

Booth said KCRG has made a "significant investment" in the live broadcasts in terms of personnel and equipment. She said KCRG serves 21 counties in Eastern Iowa and the goal is to balance the broadcasts around the area.

"The real goal of it is to be more involved in the community," she said.

KCRG 9.2 broadcast games from the state soccer tournament and state softball tournament, and plans to broadcast all four championship games from the state volleyball tournament and all 12 semifinal games from the state football playoffs. KCRG originates most of its own broadcasts, but will be picking up the signal for the football playoff games from business partners in Des Moines.

KCRG will have a busy day on Saturday, Nov. 12 when college football games are broadcast on KCRG-Channel 9, prep football games are broadcast on KCRG 9.2 and some of the volleyball games are televised on KCRG 9.2 and KCRG 9.3.

The company is calling it "Super Sports Saturday," according to Booth. The KCRG 9.2 and 9.3 stations can be found on Mediacom (109 and 110) and ImOn (709 and 710).

Scott Kibby, the activities director at Jefferson High School, has never said "no" to KCRG. "Building and district administrators are interested in highlighting our students through this medium," he said. "They've been great to work with so far and have not been intrusive at our events."

The Mississippi Valley Conference has discussed the issue of live TV at a league meeting and decided to let each school make its own decisions.

"We have not said no to KCRG 9.2," said Scott Mahmens, the athletic director at Linn-Mar. "Our administration thinks it is a good way to promote our kids. It has not affected our gate receipts."

Kennedy High School also has granted all requests so far.

"At this time we are not denying access to any of our events for live broadcast," said Aaron Stecker, the activities director at Kennedy. "We are, however, doing our best to monitor attendance and gate receipts to see if there are any dips in gate revenue when 9.2 is broadcasting a game.

"As 9.2 continues to grow and eventually profit from these ventures, it is my hope and expectation that profit generated from televising high school events will be shared with the host school in an effort to support high school activity programs."

Paul James, the activities director at Washington High School, said "no" to a live broadcast of a show choir event last March, but event organizers later asked to have it televised and it was.

"The live broadcast of high school events will be revisited by our conference during the school year," James said. "Right now, each school has the prerogative to say yes or no with no compensation coming from the company broadcasting the event."

Marion High School also has opened its doors to KCRG 9.2.

"The only time we said no to them was because Mediacom had already asked us months earlier to broadcast a football game," said Corby Laube, the activities director at Marion. "Othwerwise, we have said yes the other times they have asked.

"Overall, it has been a positive thing for us so far because it is a neat thing for the student-athletes and their program. Like anything else, this is something we can evaluate and monitor."

Mediacom televises most high school events on a tape-delayed basis, but rarely on live TV.

Booth said KCRG has talked to schools about the possibility of rights fees at some point, but acknowledged KCRG has not paid fees to the schools so far. "Not at this point, no," she confirmed.

She noted, however, that KCRG is giving back to the schools by getting students involved with broadcasts and also by staging tailgate events with the schools.

Some athletic directors want to see what happens this winter, when weather conditions might affect attendance if fans can stay home and watch an event on TV.

"I think more times than not we're going to be happy to have 9.2 come out and do events," Winker said, "but there's going to be a few selected events that we're going to say, 'You know what? We don't want to take a chance with one of our bigger opportunities of the year for ticket sales.' For a few select football games and a few select basketball games, we might decline."

Booth thinks the live telecasts are good for the local schools and local communities. "We feel the coverage brings a great amount to the school," she said. "We think the schools win, the parents win, the fans win."