Former radio talk show host and program director Jeff Johns is one of those media guys that upon leaving day-to-day work in broadcast or print possess a set of skills, work ethic, and character that is highly desirable in the general marketplace.

Although the news was shocking when his position was eliminated at WJET-AM, Johns landed on his feet in a PR position at the Manufacturer’s Association. His latest move is in the sports marketing field, as the Director of Marketing and Communications at the Erie Bayhawks, the professional basketball team which is part of the NBA Developmental League.

The Press and Tower caught up with him during this very busy ramp up to the season tip-off in November.

P&T: What was it about the opportunity at the Bayhawks that excited you to go onboard?

JJ: First off we are talking about the NBA the league does things at such a high level across the board. David Stern has really made a mark for the league by expanding the brand on a global basis. Now he’s done the same thing for the Developmental League, by making this the premier operation when it comes to bringing along the next generation of NBA star players. Erie has never seen anything like this before. The NBA drafts only 60 players each year and the rest of that top level talent is looking to make it to the show and this is the route they have to take to get there. The level of talent will be amazing. To be a part of that brand and the opportunity to work with Ron Sertz (team president) and Matt Bresee (VP of business operations) two guys who I got to know from the radio side of things and I have a great deal of respect for. Ron has built a great operation here in a very short time with a strong mix of veteran experience and young guys and gals who have tremendous talent and a real desire to work hard and succeed.

P&T: You are about two months away from the home opener. How are ticket sales going?

JJ: We have done very well up to this point, surpassing the thousand season ticket mark and growing and now rolling out our flex mini packs and our group ticket sales efforts, which offer some amazing Fan Experience Packages. We really offer something for everyone from the Courtside Suites, which are perfect for corporate client entertainment to very family friendly, $99 Kids season tickets, which break down to 4 bucks a game!

P&T: What does every potential business sponsor need to know when considering a marketing package with the Bayhawks?

JJ: This is the NBA. We have adopted a game night approach where we want to make every game an event.  We want our fans to leave with an “Oh Wow” on their lips and a desire to come back again and again. That will happen not only with the action on the floor, but also the total entertainment package that goes with the game experience. That benefits the sponsors who partner with us, because they will truly be a part of something special.

P&T: With minor league baseball, hockey, arena football, and now basketball all in Erie, aren’t marketing dollars tight for the sport target demo? Are you finding that you are able to open up new money into this area, or is everybody just getting a smaller piece of the pie?

JJ: The headlines really speak volumes, I think most businesses are really watching how they spend their money and taking a hard look at what they are getting in return for their sponsorship dollar investment. That is really why we are working so hard to deliver a real bang for their buck impact when they partner with us.  It really is a case of their success is our success. Overall the Erie business community has been really excited about what we can bring to the table.  Unlike any other sport, the NBA can put fans and sponsors literally right into the heart of the action.

P&T:Tell us about any pending TV, radio or other media deals for the Bayhawks.

JJ: We are inches away from finalizing long term radio and television deals that we are very excited about. On the radio side we have struck what I consider, and based on comments from the league they do as well, to be an amazing partnership that goes well beyond just airing the games. On the TV side we will carry a number of the home games locally and the NBA is also rolling out an online streaming of all of our games, home and away, with what they have dubbed NBA Futurecast. Fans will have the opportunity to follow the team on the road and watch the games live or in archived form on the Web.

P&T: What kind of special events or appearances might we see this year? Any chance of King James traveling 100 miles East?

Cleveland Cavs GM Danny Ferry has called the D-League “the most scouted league in the world” and looking down the list of NBA scouts there are a number of recognizable NBA stars who are working in the front office who could come to Erie, so that will be fun for hoops fans. Other than that we are working hard to finalize some really great entertainment acts to perform during the season. We’ll have plenty of surprises all year but we are very excited about opening night, December 11, which will feature the Cavalier Girls Dance team and our Cavs affiliate night later in the season when the BayHawks will don Cavs uniforms and the dance team, Cavs Scream Team, and mascot Moondog will all perform throughout the night.

We wish Jeff and the Bayhawks the best on their inaugural season. Can’t wait to see who does their best Jack Nickelson impression courtside!