Turning the Barrels. WPCA Excited to Announce New Broadcast Partner. Bernard brings years of proven industry connections. he World Professional

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1 Turning the Barrels The Official Newsletter of the World Professional Chuckwagon Association VOLUME 2 ISSUE 16 MARCH 2014 T he World Professional Chuckwagon Association will be broadcast on satellite radio this summer. At a news conference on March 20, the WPCA announced the new partnership with Chuckwagon Radio Network Ltd. (Calgary Stampede broadcast rights holder) and Rural Radio, which broadcasts on SiriusXM Channel 80. When you think of Calgary, the Stampede and chuckwagons come to the forefront, said Randy Bernard, who, along with Steve Campione, represented Rural Radio at the news conference. To have a broadcast of this magnitude is amazing. WPCA Excited to Announce New Broadcast Partner From left: Rick Fraser, Chad Harden, Troy Dorchester, Billy Melville, Randy Bernard (CEO, Rural Radio), Steve Campione (CFO, Rural Radio), Luke Tournier and Layne McGillivray. Bernard is a well-known figure in the sports and broadcasting world. He joined Rural Media Group as chief executive officer in December As the past CEO of two major sports and media ventures, the Professional Bull Riders Association (PBR) and INDYCAR, Bernard is no stranger to the ins and outs of broadcast media and television. Bernard brings years of proven industry connections and high-level corporate experience to Rural Media Group, which includes such properties as RFD-TV, Rural TV, RFD-TV The Magazine and most recently Rural Radio on SiriusXM Channel 80. Chuckwagon racing is a demonstration of driver skill and team speed. Rural America has a passion for chuckwagon racing and we are excited to bring it to Rural Radio, said Bernard. Our commitment at Rural Media Group, RFD-TV and Rural Radio continues to be showcasing western sports and developing stars. The WPCA is looking at this as a longrange partnership and is excited that for the first time its broadcast can reach fans across North America. SiriusXM s coastto-coast coverage will allow broadcasts of chuckwagon racing to reach listeners all over North America. (Continued on page 2)

2 (Continued from page 1) WPCA Excited to Announce New Broadcast Partner, continued With over 25 million SiriusXM subscribers, chuckwagon racing will now be taking a major step forward in reaching new fans outside of western Canada. We had radio coverage with Classic Country 1060, but they had an ownership change and subsequently changed formats, becoming a 24-hour comedy station, said WPCA s Billy Melville. He further noted that the WPCA had approached every radio network and many independent stations across Alberta only to find there wasn t anyone interested in broadcasting the tour. Our partner, the Chuckwagon Radio Network (CRN), doesn t even have a local Calgary-based radio station willing to pick up the 10 days of GMC Rangeland Derby action at the Stampede. Satellite radio is the way of the future, noted Melville. Beginning May 28, Rural Radio will air the entire WPCA Pro Tour Presented by Rocky Mountain Equipment race season and the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby live. A total of 51 race nights are scheduled, with two hours of coverage per night. Driver Chad Harden is elated with the partnership. It s something we ve wanted to do for a long time, and hopefully it ll grow our sport. Rural Radio, Channel 80, gives SiriusXM listeners all over North America, whether driving a tractor Billy Melville, WPCA announcer, chats with Randy Bernard, CEO of Rural Radio. cab equipped with satellite radio or driving in city commuter traffic, an unprecedented connection to the rural community. Rural Radio broadcasts original programming for rural audiences exclusively for SiriusXM that spans commodity market reporting, lifestyle programming, original and classic entertainment, and western sports such as rodeo and bull riding and now WPCA chuckwagon racing. Every weekday, Rural Radio delivers extensive information for the rural community in North America, including rural news, weather and market reports during weekday hours as grain, livestock and other commodity futures are being traded globally. SiriusXM s unparalleled programming and easy-to-use technology has been embraced by rural consumers in their cars, pickups, tractors and combines throughout North America, said Patrick Gottsch, (Continued on page 3) PAGE 2

3 WPCA Excited to Announce New Broadcast Partner, continued Randy Bernard, Jamie Tiessen (Chuckwagon Radio Network) and Billy Melville. (Continued from page 2) founder of Rural Media Group, Inc. and Rural Radio, LLC. Rural Radio is designed to fill the growing demand for more rural content that is being ignored by urban-based broadcasters. Rural Radio s program schedule provides a variety of original productions focused on agriculture, equine, hunting, fishing, western sports and living the country life in small towns and on acreages. Equine enthusiasts can now enjoy Horse Talk, a daily onehour call-in program that showcases the leading clinicians and horse associations, and airs live coverage from major horse shows that take place all around the world. Vets on Call, another interactive program, makes its top veterinarians available to answer listener questions and calls live on the air. Western Sports Round-Up serves western sports news and events, which occupy a large block of programming on Rural Radio in the late afternoon, early evening hours and throughout the weekends. Hosted by Flint Rasmussen and Alexis Bloomer, the program covers Professional Bull Riding and the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association events by interviewing the stars of each association and providing standings. Enjoy tuning in to Rural Radio! More WPCA Communications News: New Newsletter Design pring is often seen as a time for renewal. The S WPCA s official newsletter, Turning the Barrels, will experience its own renewal this spring when it reveals a new design. Watch for it in one of the next few issues. You ll still see the sport of chuckwagon racing s western heritage reflected in the colours and design of the newsletter, and the same great photographs of racing action and behind-the-scenes coverage. The change is happening in part because of an upgrade in newsletter editing and design software. With the start of the new race season just weeks away, it s a great time to freshen up our look. We welcome your feedback on this change to the newsletter. Please send your thoughts, concerns and suggestions by to tarawittchen@eastlink.ca. PAGE 3

4 By Ed Wittchen Why SiriusXM Rural Radio Rather Than Local Alberta AM Stations T here has been an interesting and mixed reaction to the WPCA partnership with Rural Radio Channel 80 SiriusXM. Some fans don t understand the events that led to the decision that this is the best alternative moving forward. So while our drivers, their sponsors, our corporate partners, fans who previously had no coverage and new fans across North America are extremely happy about this move, we recognize that there is a relatively small but very vocal group of fans who are angry about the decision. They somehow feel that the WPCA is responsible for the decisions made by corporate radio stations and networks to not carry the broadcast. The radio broadcast industry has been changing and in recent years there were fewer stations carrying the broadcast. Over the years, our broadcast has traditionally been hosted by a Calgary-area AM radio station. At times, there was even a network of smaller AM stations in or near various tour stop locations that brought the broadcast to fans in those areas. There have always been gaps in the coverage that meant fans in many areas could not receive the broadcast. Fans in the Calgary area and central Alberta have been fortunate enough to have adequate coverage. But the radio broadcast industry has been changing and in recent years there were fewer stations carrying the broadcast for a variety of reasons. comedy station. Bell is not interested in covering us any longer at any price. Even when they did have the broadcast, coverage was limited to southern and central Alberta with no reception in the Grande Prairie and Dawson Creek areas in the north, anywhere around Edmonton and nowhere in Saskatchewan, which left lots of fans without any ability to listen on the radio. Bonnyville fans have been lucky to have The Wolf FM carry the broadcasts the last few years. We have tried since the end of last season to find one or more stations that would be interested in carrying the show. Billy Melville personally called and met with every network and several independent stations in Alberta to try to interest them, with no luck anywhere. The most chuckwagonfriendly network is Newcap Radio, which used to be our host network. This network includes Q91 in Drumheller, which would be an ideal partner in terms of coverage area. However, they have an existing contract with the CPCA who have been good clients for them for several years and have a multi-year contract with them. Newcap was not willing to change that agreement. How could we blame them for having exemplary business ethics like that? We would want to be treated the same way if we were the clients. In recent years, our host radio station was Classic Country AM 1060 Calgary. They had an ownership change when Bell bought them and subsequently changed formats, becoming a 24-hour Other networks had similar long-term relationships with clients who have year-round contracts and were also not willing to (Continued on page 5) PAGE 4

5 Why SiriusXM Rural Radio Rather Than Local Alberta AM Stations, cont d (Continued from page 4) change their agreements in order to carry our broadcast. That left us with very few options. We will still put it on our website and stream it so people with computers and cellphones can pick it up as they have for the last several years. We will still broadcast on The Wolf FM out of Bonnyville so fans in that area can hear it on their radios as they did in the past. SiriusXM has the added advantage that fans anywhere in North America can listen in. But we had to find a way so fans in all areas could hear the broadcast. SiriusXM has that capability and more so we worked with them to design the best available package. For the first time in years, fans in all areas of Alberta have the ability to listen. For the first time in a long time, our fans in Saskatchewan can listen in. SiriusXM has the added advantage that fans anywhere in North America can listen in. Most importantly, we can reach all of our core groups of fans across Alberta, Saskatchewan and northern BC. Yes, it is different. Not everyone has a SiriusXM radio. I am no different than many of you. I have a van with SiriusXM but I don t want to have to sit in my driveway every night to listen. It will be great on days when I am travelling as long as I am in that van because my other van does not have a SiriusXM radio. I can listen on my laptop if I am somewhere where there is an internet connection but that is not always possible either and some of you in the country have slow internet speeds, which causes problems. I have to check and see what plan I have on my cell phone; I may be able to pick it up on my cell phone. Again, that is not my preferred way to listen. I will probably investigate getting a SiriusXM portable radio as they are relatively inexpensive, and I can get one that plays in the house and is portable so I can take it outside or even plug it into my other van. We are working with them to try to get a special price deal on both radios and subscriptions for our fans. Their technical people are working with Billy to find different ways for fans to access the broadcasts but it all takes time. We would love to have a series of AM stations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and northern BC who would step up and say they would like to broadcast the races. But the facts are that no station wants to give up their current programming in order to do that. Unless we have a full network of AM stations, we are always going to underserve our fans. This is our best opportunity to reach as many fans as possible. Trust us when we say that we have had many discussions about how to serve as many fans as possible with the radio broadcast. For this season, this is not only our best option but also our only viable option. We hope that people will understand the reality of our situation and continue to support us. We understand that some of you are angry about this and other issues, and may choose to end your fan relationship with us as a result. That would be unfortunate because I can t speak for previous boards that have been criticized in this debate, but I know I am on this board first and foremost because I am a fan just like you. As a fan, I want the same things you (Continued on page 6) PAGE 5

6 Why SiriusXM Rural Radio Rather Than Local Alberta AM Stations, cont d (Continued from page 5) do. This board is committed to providing the best possible broadcast in the most formats to the largest group of fans as possible. Some of our fans seem to think that just because they want a regular AM station to broadcast the show and that we want the same thing it should just happen. And you are mad at us because it isn t happening. If any of you have a solution that would cause a radio station to change their mind and want to carry the broadcast, please let us know because we still have the ability to put it on any radio stations that want it, just like we do with The Wolf in Bonnyville. SiriusXM is a good partner for us and they are willing to let us have our broadcast on any regular AM station in Alberta that wants to carry it. So while we would like to satisfy every one of you with an AM broadcast, we are also glad that we can now serve Gary Gorst s fans and relatives in Saskatchewan, we can serve Barry Hodgson s sponsor in Ontario, we can serve our trucker friends driving the Alaska Highway in northern BC, we can serve our fans in places across North America and we can expose the sport to a wider audience than ever before. We are trying to arrange some special prices for fans to be able to buy or rent SiriusXM radios at a reasonable cost and to try to get a special subscription rate for fans. Please watch the website, Facebook page or our Twitter account for announcements when we have things arranged. Horseshoe Cup 2014: The Wagon Team Photo PAGE 6

7 Horseshoe Cup 2014: Cowboys Lead the Series T he seventh annual Horseshoe Cup was played on March 8 in Big Valley. The Horseshoe Cup is a hockey game that sees members of the World Professional Chuckwagon Association take on members of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association. It was first played in 2007 and it was the wagon men who prevailed that year. The chuckwagon men followed it up with another victory in 2008, but the rodeo cowboys won in There was no game in The cowboys won again in 2011, 2012 and again in 2013 to take a commanding lead in games won over the years the game was played. As a result of this year s win, they lead the series 5 2. Above: Women of the Wagons coaches Doug Thompson and Colt Cosgrave. Below: Taygen, Layne and Loreena MacGillivray. The game featured many of the familiar names of professional chuckwagon racing and professional rodeo. This year s game was another exciting one again as both sides battled for superiority on the ice. The Women of the Wagons also played the Women of Professional Rodeo in the second annual women s hockey game. The rodeo team prevailed 6 4 despite the coaching efforts of Doug Thompson and Colt Cosgrave, or as some of the women claimed, perhaps because of the coaching efforts of the duo. Both teams brought in players from outside the association to fill in the rosters. Special thanks should go to Loreena MacGillivray and daughter Taygen, Charleigh and Calie Profit, and Jaycee Bremner for leading the way. The men s game looked like it would be a runaway for the rodeo guys after the first period, but the wagon men dug deep and made a game out of it until the end when an empty net goal sealed the deal for the rodeo team. Current WPCA personnel included Shawn Calf Robe, Eddie Melville, Chad Fike, Chance Flad, Layne MacGillivray, Reo King and Billy Melville. Ron David coached the team. Eddie Melville led the way in scoring for the wagon team with a goal and three assists. The Big Valley Rodeo Association hosts this event each year, and any profits are split between the CPRA Pro Rodeo Sports Medicine Team and the WPCA Benevolent Fund. The BVRA presented WPCA officer Ed Wittchen with a cheque for $2,352 from the 2013 game and they expect the results from the 2014 game to be in the same range. The $10 admission price and the results of the silent and live auctions determine the profit for the evening. Wellknown auctioneer Jack Daines once again did the duties for the live auction. Familiar faces in the crowd included Skeeter Thurston behind the concession stand. Skeeter is a five-time CFR and six-time NFR finalist. PAGE 7

8 T he WPCA is grateful for the support provided by our corporate tour partners. These great companies and their commitment to the sport is key for us being able to provide the quality chuckwagon racing shows that our fans expect. WPCA Corporate Partners The WPCA is excited about a new major corporate partnership with Rocky Mountain Equipment starting this year. The WPCA Pro Tour will be known this year as the WPCA Pro Tour Presented by Rocky Mountain Equipment. According to Laird Munro, Director of Marketing and Communications for Rocky Mountain Dealership Inc., Rocky Mountain Equipment and CaseIH Agriculture are proud to be a corporate sponsor of the 2014 World Professional Chuckwagon Association Pro Tour. Chuckwagon racing is one of the most thrilling sports known to man, and also serves as a celebration of Alberta s western heritage. RME extends an invite to all of our customers, race fans and anyone looking for a great outdoor event to join us for the thrill of chuckwagon racing, and to listen in on SiriusXM Rural Radio Channel 80. shows and get a firsthand look at these award-winning trucks. We have several other partners who are instrumental in our success as an association. More than 100 years ago, UFA was founded on the principle that we can achieve far greater things as a group than we can as individuals. It s the reason why UFA continues to promote, support, celebrate and invest in Alberta s rural communities today. The WPCA s other existing major partner, GMC, will continue as in past years to be the presenting sponsor of the WPCA Sierra Cup Series. The GMC Sierra is the Official Truck of the WPCA. We are pleased to announce that GMC will continue their partnership with the WPCA for the next three years. GMC has been a major partner of the WPCA for several years. Sierra Cup Series winners at shows in Grande Prairie, High River, Ponoka, Dawson Creek and Rocky Mountain House receive a oneyear lease on a GMC Sierra truck. In addition, the WPCA world champion receives the world bronze sponsored by GMC at the Annual Awards Night. GMC invites fans to stop by their display at all The partnership with the WPCA recognizes the importance of community and volunteering. We want to showcase the dedicated volunteers in the communities where the WPCA tour stops. The WPCA and UFA Community Am- (Continued on page 9) PAGE 8

9 WPCA Corporate Partners, continued (Continued from page 8) bassador Awards were first held in The success of this presentation allowed us to continue the program. During the 2014 WPCA Pro Tour, UFA will recognize one volunteer at each tour stop for their contributions to their community. Volunteers are the backbone of rural communities and the WPCA and UFA hope to promote their importance through this award. Volunteers chosen have gone above and beyond, encourage others to give back and continue to enrich the communities where they live, work and play. WPCA and UFA Community Ambassador Award criteria: demonstrates leadership through volunteerism in the community promotes local community and Ag Society has made a valuable and noteworthy contribution to the development and advancement of local community, local rodeos and/or other local agricultural events demonstrates a true volunteer spirit demonstrates a passion for helping others become contributing members in agriculture demonstrates a giving heart and spirit on an ongoing basis Other factors in determining the WPCA and UFA Community Ambassador Award recipient: their reason for volunteering the number of volunteer hours contributed by the individual the impact that they have made in the community through volunteerism If you have any questions about this program, get in touch with Jenn Norrie, Manager of Communications and Brand Strategy for UFA, by calling (403) Wrangler supplies shirts and jeans for our drivers and outriders, and is the official clothing during the races. Drivers will often have their own sponsor s names on the sleeves or pockets of their shirts but they are always Wrangler shirts. Wrangler is synonymous with western culture. Their website points out as a company, we believe in solid commitments and perseverance in the face of obstacles and challenges. Most of all, we respect ourselves, each other, our western heritage and the environment in which we live. It s the same as always, even before the first pair of Wrangler jeans were made in So show your support for this great western partner and put on your Wrangler jeans and shirts and head to the chuckwagon races this summer. Kubota Dealers of Alberta is another valued partner of the WPCA. They supply two Kubota rough terrain vehicles at all tour stops for use by WPCA judges and our arena manager to haul equipment around the grounds. They also supply the judges with logoed shirts and jackets. Be sure to support your local Kubota dealer when you re looking for a tractor or rough terrain vehicle. (Continued on page 10) PAGE 9

10 WPCA Corporate Partners, continued (Continued from page 9) Ferus is the major supporter of the WPCA outriders. They supply clothing and sponsor the year-end awards for the outriders. They have been a longtime supporter and the outriders appreciate them very much. The Ferus website points out being part of the communities we work in through sponsorship and support initiatives is a top priority at Ferus. Our focus is on building facilities and infrastructure that not only enhance the capabilities of our business partners but also supports local economies. Ferus provides sponsorships and support for organizations located in the communities where we live and work. Supporting these local organizations is our way of giving back to the community and demonstrating our long-term commitment to the region. The Chuckwagon Radio Network (CRN) is our broadcast partner, bringing the rights to the Calgary Stampede broadcast to our partnership with SiriusXM Rural Radio. Since 2002, the Chuckwagon Radio Network Ltd. (the CRN) has been the official Chuckwagon Radio Broadcaster of the Calgary Stampede. CEO and executive producer of the Chuckwagon Radio Network Jamie Tiessen has been in broadcasting for over 15 years and has been providing media services to the radio industry for 10 years. In addition, we have other sponsors who work with us in the background or partner with us for specific shows or purposes. One of those sponsors include Myers Norris Penny LLP, who partner with us in terms of doing our annual audit through a combination of fees and a sponsorship of the WPCA. As well, Dakota Dunes specifically sponsors our Saskatoon tour stop. Their support includes putting on a meet-and-greet breakfast for fans with all of our drivers and outriders. Tiessen has owned his own radio stations and has headed the Chuckwagon Radio Network Ltd. since Tiessen Consulting & Associates and the CRN have previously been honoured with the Media Award from the World Professional Chuckwagon Association in 2003, 2004 and The importance of this kind of support can t be understated. The WPCA really wouldn t be as successful an organization as it is without the committed sponsorship support of these companies. Special thanks to every one of them for believing in the sport of chuckwagon racing. PAGE 10