The PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) just released its 2009-10 Media Guide. I have embedded a copy at the bottom of this post. Highlighted as one of the three bowlers on the cover of the Media Guide is Dynasty‘s own Jason Belmonte. Of interest in the media guide is the remaining 2009-10 PBA Tour schedule, full bios on the PBA Tour exempt bowlers, and a nice highlight of Belmo winning the 2008-09 Rookie of the Year award on page 293. But what I enjoy the most is the “Welcome to the PBA” message on page 4. I have reproduced the bottom half of that message, below.
Innovation continued in 2009-10, with the introduction of the first PBA World Series of Bowling – an intense five-week series of tournaments based in suburban Detroit where 13 different champions were crowned. The inaugural PBA Women’s World Championship ensured the first woman in history a berth in the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions, and the resurrection of the PBA Senior World Championship gave the PBA’s elder stars much-wanted television exposure along with a third major championship and another TOC berth.
Working with the entire bowling industry in a very difficult economic climate, the PBA has worked toward innovative activities that will make professional bowling more marketable to mainstream America, and it continues to work toward building its base of international fans through innovative Internet developments such as Xtra Frame, an online “bowling television channel” available through pba.com, the PBA’s official web site , and an agreement that will allow hundreds of thousands of EuroSport viewers in Europe to watch PBA Tour telecasts.
For the 2009-10 season, the PBA developed a new electronic version of its traditional PBA Media Guide, giving the news media finger-tip access to PBA facts, figures and records along with a wide variety of digital photography. Expanded news and graphic support will be a continuing part of the PBA’s media relations effort. As always, the PBA encourages the grassroots news media to attend its events whenever possible, and to contact the media staff for assistance in event coverage when on-site presence isn’t possible.
I am happy to hear that the PBA is being proactive in embracing openness and the benefits that technology may bring to its product. It will benefit its brand and help out my bowling clients in the process.
