Millions of people in 177 countries heard special thanks to Rotary International’s fight to end polio on syndicated sports talk shows

by Karen Lile, Rotary Club of Walnut Creek

1.2 Million Individual members of Rotary International, around the world, are making an impact in their communities. They are serving in their local clubs and helping where help is needed most, in a very focused way specific to their city, region and country. One thing they all have in common, is their connection to Rotary International, and their shared desire to end polio. It makes a difference to share what Rotarians are doing with others around the world through broadcast and print media. It increases awareness of the problems that exist and what Rotarians are doing to help.

On March 11, 2015, the first broadcast of a series of Music and Sports Spotlights, recognized Jesse Castro, as a representative for all the individual Rotary International members around the world who contribute to the fight to end polio through their donations and service. This recognition was made possible because Rotarian Karen Lile as President of KLPN asked her strategic alliance partner, Darren Peck, President of Sports Byline USA, to allow the recognition of International public benefit organizations as part of paid sponsorship by large corporations on the syndicated Music and Sports spotlights that broadcast to 177 countries. Then US Bank, the corporate sponsor for two Music and Sports spotlights, approved recognizing the Rotary International affiliation of one of its bank managers, Jesse Castro, as part of its paid sponsorship. Then the specific message about Rotary’s fight to end polio was approved by the compliance teams at US Bank, Building Bridges, Sports Byline USA and KLPN before it was broadcast.

In March of 2015, Music and Sports Spotlights two 3 minute features were broadcast to over 100 million people with “Special thanks to Jesse Castro, U.S. Bank Branch Manager from Danville, CA. Jesse supports music in our communities and is a member of Rotary International, who is winning the fight to end polio.”

Even though the broadcast was International, a special web page was created that focuses on Danville, CA, the city that Jesse Castro works in. This page provides links to all of the Rotary Clubs within a 20 mile radius of his work. People listening to the broadcast in that area, can look up local clubs near them through links on the right column of the page, if they want to know more about the Rotary Clubs in their area. People in other areas around the world, can locate a Rotary Club near them through the Rotary International link. This the first time that Sports Byline USA (who produces syndicated programing that is broadcast nationally and internationally) has included a local recognition of just one city in their international broadcasts. Karen Lile was the concept creator for Music and Sports. Her idea to include local people, as an example of employees of the sponsor and their affiliations as volunteers of an International non-profit, was accepted by both Sports Byline USA and US Bank. Jesse Castro, the local bank manager being recognized is an employee of the paid sponsor, US Bank, who has with over 3,000 branch managers in the US. And Jesse is a member of an internationally recognized non-profit organization, Rotary International, so this fit the qualifications designed into the Music and Sports spotlights business model.

Jesse Castro is seen in the photo below (he in the purple shirt) mentoring students who are interested in careers in the finance industry as part of Career Connections Day at the Rotary Club of Walnut Creek 2012.

Details about the Broadcast and Audio Files:

Music and Sports is co-produced by Sports Byline USA and KLPN.

Music and Sports Co-hosts Rick Tittle and Karen Lile interview the music players who entertain us at the games and sports celebrities who are accomplished musicians.

Spotlight 1: Former Major League New York Yankees Baseball Outfielder, Bernie Williams

In addition to winning 4 championships with the New York Yankees, Bernie Williams, also won a Latin Grammy for his music album. In this interview he talks about his experience training for music and sports.

You can listen to the archive of the broadcast here:

Bernie Williams Photos as Sports Celebrity and as Musician:

Spotlight 2 : Grammy Winner, Jamie Dubberly

Jamie Dubberly has entertained at halftime shows at football games and recently won a Grammy as a trombone player with the Pacific Mambo Orchestra.

You can listen to the archive of the broadcast here:

Photo of Jamie Dubberly Photo Playing Trombone:

Photo of Karen Lile, Rick Tittle interviewing Jamie Dubberly at one of the 8 recording studios in the building of Sports Byline USA.

Photos of Sports Byline US headquarters in downtown San Francisco, just above the Embarcadero on Broadway.

Both of these Music and Sports Spotlights were included in already syndicated talk shows and broadcast as follows:

On: Sports Byline USA Domestic Radio Network to 2.2 million listeners on nearly 200 radio stations.

On iHeartRadio Talk

to 50 million registered users. In addition to listening through the radio, people listened to through the iHeartRadio Talk app for Apple and Android mobile phones. (Sports Byline USA has become a major content provider for iHeart MediaÕs iHeartRadio with a featured, dedicated, 24-hour channel along with archived versions of every show on the network.

On: CRN Digital Talk Radio

To: 25 million homes. Sports Byline USA is the sports programming provider for CRN Digital Talk Radio. CRN Digital Talk Radio launched "Radio on TV" in 1983. Known as "The Voice of Television", CRN Digital Talk Radio and Sports Byline’s programming is carried by many major cable television companies nationally.

To: 150,000 listeners. In addition, state and regional Internet sports networks, with large listening audiences, have been launched. Sports Byline USA is the major program provider for these state and regional Internet sports networks.

On: TuneIn

To: 4 million active listeners. TuneIn lets people listen to Sports Byline’s programming from wherever they are in the world. The TuneIn's mobile app is ranked in the top five.

On: American Forces Radio Network

To: 100 million civilian listeners and 4 million American Servicemen worldwide on more than 500 stations in 177 countries. For example AFN’s Frankfurt, Germany station is 100,000 watts and covers most of Western Europe.

On: Stitcher. A free Mobile App for mobile devices.

To: 4 million Stitcher integrated vehicles and mobile devices. Stitcher is also available in many GM & Ford dashboard systems as well as on the SONOS system.

On: Sirius/XM Satellite Radio

To: 25,000,000 subscribers, including those with over 80 different car model brands made by Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, Chevrolet, BMW, Toyota, Audi, Jeep, Lincoln-Mercury, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche and Volkswagen.

Special thanks from Karen Lile to RotaryOne Club

As the creator of the Music and Sports Spotlight series, I want to give a special thanks to the Rotary One Club for being able to do makeups online that keep me active in Rotary. I have been building strategic alliances for my business and this has conflicted with the meeting time of my club. I have personal friendships with the people in my club, and want to keep the connection with the club. Rotary One Club has helped me keep current on Rotary affairs with my active travel and work schedule.

Note:

• Karen Lile is a member of the Rotary Club of Walnut Creek
• The opinions expressed by the authors of each Make-up Article do not necessarily represent the opinions of Rotary eClub One and its editorial staff.