From 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday nights, students can listen live to "The Big Green Scene" Dartmouth's only sports talk show. The radio broadcast program, which was added to the Dartmouth Sports Network in October, is primarily responsible for streaming live coverage of Dartmouth sports events, including football, baseball, softball, basketball and hockey games.
As a student-managed subsidiary connected to the radio station, 99Rock, the show provides interviews with Dartmouth athletes and coaches, as well as avid campus fans and other notable Ivy League athletes. The show which Dartmouth Sports Network member Gil Whalen '14 has primarily hosted this term repeats on Sundays at 7 a.m.
In its first few months, The Big Green Scene has featured an eclectic mix of guests. Last week, the station interviewed Cornell University junior guard Chris Wroblewski in anticipation of the men's basketball team's game against Dartmouth. In the fall, the show's hosts featured cheerleading captain Katelyn Trecartin '11 and the Class of 2014 Homecoming bonfire chairs Rohail Premjee '14 and Julie Ann Haldeman '14 who talked about their preparations for Homecoming weekend.
Other recent guests include Union College men's hockey senior captain Brock Matheson, Dartmouth athletic director Harry Sheehy, Student Body President Eric Tanner '11 and men's squash number one player Chris Hanson '13.
Dartmouth Sports Network sports director David Jiang '12 who helped form The Big Green Scene works behind the scenes and rarely appears on air, instead writing scripts for the show's host that help to ensure a smooth production. Jians also assists in finalizing preparations before the show goes live.
Jiang said producing the show is exciting, and provides a constantly-changing work environment.
"Every week it's just a totally different place," he said. "It's a way [for me] to be creative on a weekly basis."
99Rock general manager Tony Quincy '11 said that advertising clients are particularly attracted to Dartmouth Sports Network, which helps increase the overall value of the station. He added that Dartmouth Sports Network staff have done a "fantastic job" in their outreach efforts.
Quincy and Jiang said that despite the network's popularity among residents in the Upper Valley, it has yet to gain widespread exposure at the College. Jiang said he could not give a number of how many students and community members tuned into the show daily.
The organization has sent several e-mails to the Dartmouth community, hoping to inform students of its presence and to increase its listeners. Jiang said he believes the College's relatively indifferent fan culture may contribute to the network's lack of popularity.
Jiang added that radio's fading popularity as an entertainment medium may also be to blame.
"Radio is such an old technology to most students," he said.
Quincy said, however, that the Internet availability of the show's episodes which are posted on the network's website may help extend the show's fan base.
Jiang said he hopes to expand the show's presence, explaining that he would like to see an increase in the organization's student participation.
A large number of freshmen students joined the network's staff this Fall term, according to Whalen, who will assume the role of sports director in the Spring. Whalen said he is excited to work with the new staff, noting that it will be "a solid group going forward."
This week, the show will feature interviews with men's basketball captain Ronnie Dixon '11 and Jimmy Martin, a senior captain of the Yale University men's hockey team, which just lost its number one national ranking this week.
