BAKERSFIELD, Calif.- Bakersfield Roadrunners Athletics and The Bakersfield Californian have announced an extension of the 'Roadrunner Rundown' online television program through June 2015; the contract was signed at the end of Tuesday's broadcast.
“Roadrunner Rundown was our second show to launch in our digital broadcasting initiative last year, and it has been a fantastic experience for The Californian and for CSUB Athletics,” said Louis Amestoy, Director of Audience Development at The Bakersfield Californian. “It has given great visibility to the many coaches, athletes and support staff who are involved with Roadrunner Athletics through appearances on the live show and through video on-demand segments.”
Roadrunner Rundown, which originally debuted in 2011 as a radio program and audio podcast, features weekly content centered on Bakersfield Roadrunner Athletics with student-athlete, administrator and other in-studio guests. The show also features highlights from various CSUB teams and other special video segments throughout the one-hour program which airs live Tuesdays from 10-11 A.M. on The Bakersfield Californian's website Bakersfield.com and on-demand at GoRunners.com, the official site of CSUB Athletics.
The show was reformatted in August of 2013 as a high-definition multimedia program, becoming the first local sports entity to take advantage of the format on a weekly basis. Since then Bakersfield.com has added seven other sports, health and lifestyle shows, bringing their total to nine programs with 23 hours of live local content each week.
“The best part of this is that CSUB Athletics saw the opportunity here and it's been a great partnership,” Amestoy said. “We're looking forward to the rest of 2014 and into 2015.”
The show will continue to be hosted by Corey Costelloe, the director of new media and broadcasting for CSUB Athletics. Costelloe says the show has been created a buzz on GoRunners.com, the program's social media and around intercollegiate athletics.
“Every time I'm around others from the Western Athletic Conference they want to talk about our show and how they might be able to do something like it,” Costelloe said. “It's a great show because it's informal, we have fun, we talk about Roadrunner Athletics, I make fun of myself and my lack of athletic talent in our 'Corey Vs.' segments; we've tried to make TV in a different way and I think we've accomplished that based on the response to this show.”
The new deal also includes four on-site broadcasts which will take place on the CSU Bakersfield campus.
“We did one show on campus back in March and the reaction was great, the Division of Student Affairs and the Student Union have expressed interest in having us out again,” Costelloe said. “We'll spread those on-campus broadcasts out throughout the year and during the weeks when we are really trying to appeal to our student body for support at home games.”
What's next for 'Roadrunner Rundown'? The show already features a host that competes against student-athletes, visits places all over the country, filming travel segments and once announced a new head coaching hire exclusively on the program.
“Signing the contract extension on air was another first, we'll see what the next year has in store,” Costelloe said. “I have plenty of ideas that come to me at the most-random times, something is always in the works.”
