[Brian O'Brien]

I have had about as much bashing as I am going to take on this forum.

Here are the facts: I had a face to face with Coach Mills, the only person with the class to speak to me from the school. I told him that once the businesses in Bell County had been tapped for signs, banners, cheerleader events, band, choir, football, basketball, tennis and so on...they don't want to financially support the broadcasts any longer. I have personally spoken to several businesses that don't support Bell County radio any longer because of this.
It takes more money than you think to run a broadcast and no one answers to the bank, the fcc or the IRS but me.
Assistant coaches on this forum blasted me last year and apparently this year nothing has changed, great way to encourage me as the owner of the station to continue coverage.
Facts are that last year Bill Stapleton, who indeed is far superior to me in play-by-play, was caught up in a retirement paperwork issue and the school needed someone to fill in. I was repeating word for word in many cases what my sports announcer John Engle was broadcasting in the air. When I mentioned another team on the loud speaker, welcoming them to Log Mountain, I apparently was breaking some tradition of treating the opponents like garbage because I had Bell County fans surround me letting me know in no uncertain terms that it was the "Bobcats stadium and being fair was for the umpires on the field to decide." I was told to have fun with the music and the PA but apprently that was incorrect also.
Coach Wayne Mills is a good man and again I know where this is coming from, not him.
Last year at the city county bowl it was assumed that I was the only person on the PA which is also untrue. A Middlesboro student was calling the game, I was playing the music ONLY. But instead of trying to figure that out some of the boosters took it upon themselves to bast me and the station yet again.
Also, the year before I bought WRIL (and it was off the air) I was at WFXY and took money out of my own pocket to cover the games since they couldn't do it. Please don't say I don't support Bell County that is patently false.
This has nothing to do with not being on the PA as some are claiming, not because some coach came and talked to me after the game, not because of bribes that Middlesboro and Pineville have given me to play the games according to coach staff family. In fact both Middlesboro and Pineville school officials called and asked for the coverage because no other radio stations would cover them. Also, when asked to do Bell football, WFXY/WANO flat out said no. WMIK originally said their equipment was dmamged in the flood but has now put a price on the coverage (just as a good business should. I am sure that the funds will magically appear now even though 106.3 has struggled to have advertisers pay for the airtime. As you see I am answering for myself, not hiding behind screen names on this forum. There have been a ton of accusations and flatout lies from some people here and at the school and I for one who has spent time away from my family to cover these games is frustrated. No matter what I say to represent my business and keep the lights on I am portrayed as having an ego. I guess it's ok for others to speak up for their businesses but not me. Seems a little unfair but as I told you earlier, I guess fair is best left to the umpires at a Bell County game. I am done defending myself. Please feel free to continue the bashing. Be sure to copy and paste this to whomever you want to.