FC Cincinnati President & GM Jeff Berding believes the USL club's "weakest asset" in its bid for MLS is the local TV market size, but the league could consider an option to "decide whether to credit Dayton's television market" to the team, according to a front-page piece by Mike Rutledge of the DAYTON DAILY NEWS. There is "some precedent in sports for such a credit," as the NFL "gives the Bengals credit for Dayton as a secondary television market." Berding said, "When you look at the TV markets, here’s Cincinnati, about the 36th Nielsen market in the United States. ... The 11 other cities in MLS (being considered for) expansion are all bigger media markets." He added, "We try to make the point: Combine (us) with Dayton -- because between West Chester and Springboro there’s not a whole lot left -- and that makes us the 21st market. Hey, if Cleveland can claim Akron/Canton, we can claim Dayton, right?" Rutledge notes the Cincinnati and Dayton markets have been "growing toward each other in recent years." Dayton alone is ranked as the No. 64 market in the U.S., but a combined Cincinnati-Dayton TV market would rank No. 21, just ahead of St. Louis and just below Cleveland-Akron (Canton) and Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto. Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Phil Parker said, "I talk to the Reds quite often, and they say that beyond Cincinnati, their next market is Dayton." Parker added that he "believes Daytonians would follow a Cincinnati-based MLS team, just as they do" for the Reds and Bengals (DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 7/18).
