Since the fall of 2021, the Caravan Broadcast Network has amassed nearly 400,000 views on its YouTube broadcasts. However, the senior class that has been a big part of this achievement is graduating, and fans all over the MC community are asking the same question: who will take over the duties for the Media Group going forward?
The senior leaders on the mic and behind the scenes, Matt Malloy, Leonard Siegal, Christos Dimas, and Diego Palma, will be giving the keys of CMG to junior play-by-play person Rocco Lopez this spring along with a crew of other underclassmen. Lopez has shown strong initiative in being the next leader of the group.
With this new leadership comes many new ideas that they want to experiment with, as well as opportunities to expand the club using the new Barry-Hughes Performing Arts Center. In August of 2024, members of the Media Group met at school to discuss the future of CMG.
“We had that very important meeting in August where we listened to each other and threw out some ideas to think about,” CMG moderator Ms. Ellie Menke says. “Matt kept reiterating that [he wouldn’t] be here next year. So, throughout the year we’ve learned what the Media Group looks like when we don’t have our senior leadership here.”
Malloy is the longest-active member of the club and is widely credited for bringing it to prominence. With that in mind, he has thought about his successor for a good part of the year. It was not until halfway through the basketball season that he made the decision.
“There were a lot of guys that fit that role,” Malloy says. “The reason I asked Rocco, though, was because he announced a lot of JV basketball games, and he knows the equipment in and out. He also knows how to get his way around any issues that come up. I’ve seen it firsthand.”
Even though Lopez only started broadcasting last year, he feels confident in taking over. He has already been organizing the spring sports season smoothly.
“I just put out our spring broadcast schedule,” he says. “I’m trying to pick out who has a good personality for broadcasts this year and in the future when I’m gone.”
So far, he has been working with junior Terry Dougherty, sophomore Wyatt Knight, and freshmen Brendan Daigler, Matt Clark, and brothers Bishop and Bryce Daymond.
“They’ve already gotten involved, and I’m confident in them,” Lopez says. “Getting them to learn behind the [current seniors] will put the group in good hands when I’m gone.”
Knight, in particular, is very excited about his increased responsibility. He served as a producer for some of the sophomore basketball streams and wants to expand the club.
“I definitely want to have a bigger part in commentating, as well as continuing producing,” he says. “I want to attract more people, just like Matt. [He] made it a big deal to not say ‘no’ to anyone.”
The group wants to continue its success over the last few years with more creativity. The biggest addition for the club is the completion of the Barry-Hughes Center, which has a dedicated space for CMG to record and work.
“How many times do we have these great ideas and think, ‘If only there was a space that can accommodate that?’” Ms. Menke says. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity for guys to just sit, shoulder to shoulder, and work with incredible equipment that’s made with their success in mind.”
The new space includes a state-of-the-art editing and podcast room. The podcast room includes four headsets and a TV that can stream live video feeds within the room itself. Now, not only can the Daymond brothers improve their podcasts there, but the facility also provides new possibilities for pregame shows.
“How often were we carrying things all across campus to accomplish what was maybe a 35-minute show?” Ms. Menke says. “I can remember struggling to find a table and tablecloth, as well as borrowing chairs from classrooms.”
These possibilities extend further than just the new building, too. Other than Gately Stadium games, only a few successful broadcasts have run outside of the school grounds. That might change.
“Last year, we brought our equipment to hockey games,” Lopez says. “It showed us that we can travel with our equipment and that kids can get there and still want to do it. Seeing how that works in the future will be fun, to see if we can bring our talent somewhere that doesn’t broadcast games.”
While third-party broadcasting platforms still cover high school sports, school-run platforms are gaining more traction. This trend has been epitomized by CMG to the point that MC is known nationwide for its streams. Even though the group is undergoing a significant change in the next few months, the expectation remains the same.
“Just get ready for the next five years of guys coming in and continuing to raise the standard,” Malloy says. “Things are only going to get better.”
