Photo courtesy of Jack Royer.
Mother-son duo launch Mountain Brook Spartans Radio Network
At 14, Jack Royer was playing football for MBHS when he got a trial run broadcasting a high school game on 97.7 FM The Peach. He walked up at Spartan Day, provided color commentary in his football pads and walked away with the gig. Needless to say, he chose broadcasting football over playing football.
And now, after a one-year hiatus, the MBHS Varsity Football broadcast is returning, this time as a community-based program.
It was Jack’s dad NBC 13 reporter Mike Royer’s idea to bring back a MBHS radio cast, but the now-senior and his mom Amy did all the legwork to make it happen.
Jack, of course, provides on-air commentary for Mountain Brook Spartans Radio Network broadcast while Amy works behind the scenes as producer, web master, engineer and any other job that needs doing.
Earlier this year the Royers, working as “Royer Productions,” struck a deal with Summit Media to broadcast MBHS games on 107.3 FM, which became Birmingham Mountain Radio earlier this summer.
Since then they have busied themselves investing in equipment and learning how to broadcast a radio show from a laptop on their own, both at Spartan Stadium and various away games.
“If we can’t do it, we know someone who can,” Amy said of how they have capitalized on the family’s connections in the industry. “We are looking forward to the thrill of the live radio broadcast, especially since it’s community focused.”
Although 107.3’s signal reaches throughout the Birmingham area, it was important to the Royers for the show to be broadcast online, too.
“Not a lot of people have a radio signal in a house anymore,” Amy said.
Jack said most of his work is done in the days leading up to game day. He assists Head Coach Chris Yeager at football practice and interviews him on Thursdays, often staying later than Yeager after practices to get the job done.
Since starting high school, Jack has worked for The Peach broadcast for its two-year tenure, served as a sideline reporter for football games, announced MBHS basketball games, produced shows for Vulcan Media in the summers, and was an education reporter for the Chamber of Commerce’s MBTV program.
In addition to Jack’s role, Trip Galloway, a Mountain Brook resident and attorney, is providing color commentary for the broadcast.
“He’s an encyclopedia of Mountain Brook history and stats,” Amy said. “He knows the Mountain Brook players through and through.”
A number of local businesses are sponsoring the program, Amy and Jack said.
“It’s all about Mountain Brook,” Amy said. “It’s been so great how people are coming out of the woodwork and wanting to be part of this.”
