How many more un-needed distractions will sports fans have to put up with during telecasts in 2013? The time has come for the media to put its foot down for the benefit of the fans and viewers.
ABC and ESPN brought us more examples of this unfortunate trend on Christmas Day. Even as these networks combined to bring sports fans the five NBA games over 13 hours of live programming, viewers were forced to endure every participating team wearing a different uniform appearance. I tuned in a few minutes into the Boston vs. Brooklyn telecast early afternoon, and found myself having to double check to be sure it was an NBA game on. It looked as though it was two amateur teams playing hoops in their pajamas until I noticed the score on the screen indicated it really was the Celtics and Nets. Moments later a friend entered the room and asked me if there was a pro game on instead.
This became even more disturbing as the day and night went on, and every team was wearing solid color uniforms which looked more like pajamas or warm-up suits. The numbers were difficult to impossible to read unless it was a ground level replay. Players without distinguishing features such as facial hair, long hair, no hair, headbands, etc. were not identifiable as quickly as usual.
And for what? It seems to me every viewer tuning in already knew it was Christmas. Whatever happened to "Merry Christmas" being shown on the screen above the score at every time out or stoppage in play?
In a way, this was even worse than the alternate or throw-up uniforms ("throw back" as the leagues call them, which I keep hoping they will do). The totally dark uniforms worn by Brooklyn and Denver, as well as the drab gray worn by Houston, made it difficult to watch those teams play. Last month it was those bumble bee uniforms on the Pittsburgh Steelers when they played against Baltimore on Nov. 18th that viewers were forced to endure on Sunday Night Football.
This may not seem like content for a media related column, but I'm here to tell you it should be. If the Boston Celtics and Pittsburgh Steelers don't have the look of the Celtics and Steelers fans are used to over the years, the fans and viewers shouldn't have to put up with this on nationally televised games.
Ask sports fans how they would feel if there was advertising allowed on the uniforms, and chances are their immediate facial expression will provide an immediate answer. They don't want to see a uniform defaced and have to endure even more advertising than the bombardment we already get from most TV shots already. I'd like to know how having uniforms which are not true to the originals is any less distracting or annoying.
The TV networks pay literally billions of dollars for these TV rights. In some instances, they gain the power to change the starting time of games, even at the inconvenience of thousands of fans who have purchased tickets. Why do these networks put up with showing teams that are not easily identified by viewers?
It isn't just the NBA allowing this. Or the NFL. MLB has gotten as bad or worse over the years at this. As much as Jackie Robinson should be honored, having every player wearing the same uniform number (even for one day) is a horrible distraction to viewers. We don't need pink bats and holiday colors which in some instances forced teams to wear colors of a big rival, and old fashioned uniforms that look like extreme pajamas either.
As sports fans eagerly awaiting the next telecast, we are entitled to be able to tell which teams are playing, and to maintaining a tradition of team uniforms.
Speaking of the Christmas Day NBA feast, here's hoping that ABC/ESPN will move forward and put a true broadcast professional as host of its studio segments. The "all analysts all the time" format doesn't allow enough time for each expert to talk, and not having a true broadcaster to lead the way eliminates structure and continuity from the studio shows. Put the ex-NBA players at games instead. Even though Doris Burke does a solid job as analyst, the fact that she is at games (such as the Celtics-Nets on Christmas) while the likes of Magic Johnson and Jalen Rose are in the studio getting only a few seconds at a time to talk seems out of whack.
Still not nearly enough progress for The Dan Patrick Show since its move to NBC Sports Network. Although Bonnie Bernstein does a little bit of filling in when Patrick is off, the Show still offered up "Best of" over Christmas Eve and Day. Here is a network which is trying to rebuild its sports image on TV while starting a new radio network, but it has no problem with a re-run of time sensitive sports programming on days when there are plenty of games and stories to discuss. I'd like to think that the mile long list of participants on Sunday Night Football could each handle a live show or two on their own to talk football with the fans a couple of mornings a year instead.
CBS Sports has put together a special about the 75 years of the NCAA basketball tourney and some of the announcers who have been a big part of it. Greg Gumbel hosts while Dick Enberg, Gary Bender, Jim Nantz, Vern Lundquist, and Bill Raftery are among those participating. CBS Sports Network will air it starting Jan. 1 at 7 PM ET, as well as on Jan. 3rd at 7 and 10 PM ET, Jan. 4th at 9 AM ET, and Jan. 5th at 10 AM ET. I haven't seen whether or not any of Curt Gowdy's calls will be included, taking us back to the days of Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton leading UCLA to its run of championships in the 70's. But I doubt they'll include the national championship game when Gowdy mispronounced the name of the Kansas starting players.
ESPN continues to work with the Dallas Cowboys and Cowboys Stadium on its Cowboys Classic season opening week college football telecasts. The Saturday Aug. 31st game will have LSU taking on TCU in prime time. They have also announced that the Aug. 30, 2014 game will be between Florida State and Oklahoma State.
PHILADELPHIA: Last Friday (12/21) marked the end of WPEN-AM 950, which was sold earlier this year. As a result, WPEN-FM 97.5 is the only spot on the dial for ESPN Radio Philadelphia. CBS Radio begins its direct competition next week with its national feed taking over WIP-AM 610 and the local lineup staying on 94.1 FM.
Have a great New Year celebration, and I'm looking forward to your comments and suggestions for The Broadcast Booth in 2013!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
The Pre-Game Network Battles
It is unfortunate that how the networks handle tragedy within their Sunday pre-game and game programming is again a top story. Even though the tragic loss of lives at the CT school last week was not football or sports related, both CBS and Fox devoted a portion of their NFL pre-game shows on Sunday (12/16) to its overall impact on all of us, which certainly transcended football.
CBS led with the CT tragedy on its NFL Today show, while Fox started its pre-game show with actor Jamie Foxx basically promoting a movie, which failed to "cover" any of the upcoming games or immediately address the tragedy until the following segment.
Personally, I was neutral about CBS' decision earlier this month to not lead with the Belcher Kansas City tragedy on its NFL Today show, although many in the media were highly critical. CBS won't say whether the criticism they received a couple weeks earlier had an impact on its decision to now lead with the CT tragedy, but I have to think it did.
On Sunday evening, NBC made the decision to leave the Sunday Night Football game for about 20 minutes in order to deliver President Obama's address regarding the CT tragedy. The network did move the game action over to both CNBC and NBC Sports Network during that time, thus accomodating its audience with the choice.
For all three networks which aired games on Sunday, there were programming decisions to be made in order to present viewers with a balance of coverage and reflection. Whether you agree or disagree with each decision, at least we know that each network had sufficient time to make their decision and run with it.
As for local market viewership of NFL games this past weekend, it is interesting to note that both Dallas and Chicago, which consistently draw significant ratings for Cowboys and Bears telecasts respectively over the years, were actually outdrawn by viewers of the opposing teams.
Milwaukee showed a 48.5 rating and an amazing 78 share for the Packers at Bears telecast on Fox, while Chicago's 31.5 rating and 59 share, while still respectable, was clearly behind.
The same thing happened with the Cowboys vs. Steelers telecast, as Pittsburgh scored a 47.5 rating and 70 share locally, with Dallas at 31.4 and 58.
For Sunday night, the big 49ers vs. Patriots telecast on NBC drew much better in Boston than it did for the San Francisco/Oakland market. That one is not a surprise.
NBC Sports Radio is now just over 2 weeks away from its debut, and has now finalized its weekend lineup, with some hosts handling both a Saturday and Sunday shift. Personalities will include Brian Webber (also on NFL Network's morning show), Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, and Newy Scruggs of NBC-5 TV Dallas.
CBS Radio Sports has had their lineup in place, but has been giving some "practice" time to author and columnist John Feinstein by way of Washington D.C.'s The Fan 106.7. Feinstein is doing some filling in over the holiday period only in D.C., with station (106.7) officials quoted as saying he is not in consideration for a local slot.
While in Boston, it seems that 98.5 Sports Hub is not going to continue with Damon Amendolara as its overnight host after all when he joins the CBS Sports lineup as its overnight host. Amendolara, who had been hosting overnights locally on the Sports Hub, had been selected for the national spot in the same time slot, leaving many of us to think that what is really the Boston overnight show would be picked up for national airing. Now it turns out that Boston's "loss" could be good for the rest of the country since the overnight show does not figure to be Boston biased. As of press time, the Sports Hub has yet to name the overnight replacement, but says it will, keeping the Hub local during that time.
KANSAS CITY: The market will soon have its first FM sports station, as The Fan 102.5 is now scheduled to launch on Jan. 2nd. This appears to be a "late" decision, as the station has yet to announce any local programming to start, instead going with CBS Sports Radio. This format replaces "Funny 102.5" which had been a comedy station. Those who find the current Chiefs season and recent Royals season as "laughable" will probably see a tie-in with the formats.
MIAMI: After more than 20 years on WQAM-AM, some listeners and fans have probably forgotten that host Joe Rose played in the NFL for seven seasons. Rose remains so popular with the station that the morning host has received a 3-year contract extension that runs though 2015.
CINCINNATI: Like with Kansas City, sports talk comes to FM on January 2nd when WCFN 100.3 hits the airwaves. And like K.C., there is no word yet and if and when for local hosts. The station has brought in Rick The Brick Ucchino as its morning sports anchor, and will be heard with scores and headlines during local breaks. Ucchino had been an afternoon co-host on WQRT 1160 during the sports shows it has aired during that time. WQRT is "Real Talk" with the majority of its programming being non-sports.
CBS led with the CT tragedy on its NFL Today show, while Fox started its pre-game show with actor Jamie Foxx basically promoting a movie, which failed to "cover" any of the upcoming games or immediately address the tragedy until the following segment.
Personally, I was neutral about CBS' decision earlier this month to not lead with the Belcher Kansas City tragedy on its NFL Today show, although many in the media were highly critical. CBS won't say whether the criticism they received a couple weeks earlier had an impact on its decision to now lead with the CT tragedy, but I have to think it did.
On Sunday evening, NBC made the decision to leave the Sunday Night Football game for about 20 minutes in order to deliver President Obama's address regarding the CT tragedy. The network did move the game action over to both CNBC and NBC Sports Network during that time, thus accomodating its audience with the choice.
For all three networks which aired games on Sunday, there were programming decisions to be made in order to present viewers with a balance of coverage and reflection. Whether you agree or disagree with each decision, at least we know that each network had sufficient time to make their decision and run with it.
As for local market viewership of NFL games this past weekend, it is interesting to note that both Dallas and Chicago, which consistently draw significant ratings for Cowboys and Bears telecasts respectively over the years, were actually outdrawn by viewers of the opposing teams.
Milwaukee showed a 48.5 rating and an amazing 78 share for the Packers at Bears telecast on Fox, while Chicago's 31.5 rating and 59 share, while still respectable, was clearly behind.
The same thing happened with the Cowboys vs. Steelers telecast, as Pittsburgh scored a 47.5 rating and 70 share locally, with Dallas at 31.4 and 58.
For Sunday night, the big 49ers vs. Patriots telecast on NBC drew much better in Boston than it did for the San Francisco/Oakland market. That one is not a surprise.
NBC Sports Radio is now just over 2 weeks away from its debut, and has now finalized its weekend lineup, with some hosts handling both a Saturday and Sunday shift. Personalities will include Brian Webber (also on NFL Network's morning show), Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, and Newy Scruggs of NBC-5 TV Dallas.
CBS Radio Sports has had their lineup in place, but has been giving some "practice" time to author and columnist John Feinstein by way of Washington D.C.'s The Fan 106.7. Feinstein is doing some filling in over the holiday period only in D.C., with station (106.7) officials quoted as saying he is not in consideration for a local slot.
While in Boston, it seems that 98.5 Sports Hub is not going to continue with Damon Amendolara as its overnight host after all when he joins the CBS Sports lineup as its overnight host. Amendolara, who had been hosting overnights locally on the Sports Hub, had been selected for the national spot in the same time slot, leaving many of us to think that what is really the Boston overnight show would be picked up for national airing. Now it turns out that Boston's "loss" could be good for the rest of the country since the overnight show does not figure to be Boston biased. As of press time, the Sports Hub has yet to name the overnight replacement, but says it will, keeping the Hub local during that time.
KANSAS CITY: The market will soon have its first FM sports station, as The Fan 102.5 is now scheduled to launch on Jan. 2nd. This appears to be a "late" decision, as the station has yet to announce any local programming to start, instead going with CBS Sports Radio. This format replaces "Funny 102.5" which had been a comedy station. Those who find the current Chiefs season and recent Royals season as "laughable" will probably see a tie-in with the formats.
MIAMI: After more than 20 years on WQAM-AM, some listeners and fans have probably forgotten that host Joe Rose played in the NFL for seven seasons. Rose remains so popular with the station that the morning host has received a 3-year contract extension that runs though 2015.
CINCINNATI: Like with Kansas City, sports talk comes to FM on January 2nd when WCFN 100.3 hits the airwaves. And like K.C., there is no word yet and if and when for local hosts. The station has brought in Rick The Brick Ucchino as its morning sports anchor, and will be heard with scores and headlines during local breaks. Ucchino had been an afternoon co-host on WQRT 1160 during the sports shows it has aired during that time. WQRT is "Real Talk" with the majority of its programming being non-sports.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
End of an Era - Sporting News Going Online Only
It's one of those blockbuster announcements that shows your age. Or, if you are not over 40, chances are it isn't even a blockbuster announcement at all. But for those of us who grew up in the era before cable TV, all-sports radio, the internet, cell phones, and constant communication, the announcement that The Sporting News will no longer publish is significant.
TSN will go all digital as of January 1st, which, according to the announcement, ends a 126-year history in print. The most important news is that the content will be free and advertiser supported, which hopefully will send a different sort of message to newspaper and magazine publishers around the country.
The Sporting News had been a weekly publication into 2008 when it reduced to bi-weekly, and then to a monthly only publication just over one year ago.
For those who grew up as sports fans in the 50's, 60's, and early 70's, the publication was known as "the sports bible" and introduced generations to the thought of waiting for the mailman to come on Tuesdays with that week's edition. It was our entree into out of town team news, statistics, and even box scores, that we couldn't always get in our local newspapers, radio, or TV reports. Columnists from all over the country shared details about sports stories of national interest.
Those of you who remember "The National" daily sports newspaper from the late 80's and into June 1991 and how much great content it delivered on a daily basis can relate to the impact of TSN on a weekly basis 20+ years earlier.
Granted, I'm among those that stopped relying on The Sporting News in the 80's when ESPN came into prominence and more and more sports events were being televised. By then, we as sports fans were being brought a daily dose of highlights, headlines, and current statistics which were "old news" by the time TSN arrived in the mail.
From my having followed sports, reported on them, taught college students about it, and having been a "fan" for more than 50 years, losing the print version of The Sporting News is still significant. It's how Detroit Tigers fans felt when Tiger Stadium wasn't there anymore, Yankees fans felt about the "new" stadium, and fans of the likes of Fenway Park and Wrigley Field will feel years from now when those parks aren't there anymore. Just as new stadiums and arenas for the events offer new perks and conveniences for the fans, we will never forget the venues which came before and built up our "hunger" as sports fans. Just as "The Sporting News" in print did for fans before the newer methods and sources of coverage came along.
Elsewhere, the impact of the lack of NHL hockey is being felt by more media than NBC Sports Network. It shows even more on the Canadian side. The latest radio ratings from Vancouver show that CKST 1040, the flagship station for the Canucks, has dropped from #2 to #10 in males 25-54 during the most recent ratings period, which took place during the time the NHL would normally have been playing. The Fan 960 in Calgary has seen a similar drop.
SAN DIEGO: XEPRS XX 1090 is reportedly bringing back Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith to its 3-7 PM weekday spot, after the two were removed from the air in February of this year due to inappropriate on-air comments about local reporter Andrea Lloyd. The pair are, at least for now, keeping their morning TV gig for U-T TV.
In another significant move, XX 1090 has brought back Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton for morning drive, as of this week, replacing Dave Palet and Jeff Dotseth. Darren Smith moves up from afternoons for Noon to 3.
MINNEAPOLIS: Mike Morris is out after nearly 10 years with KFAN-AM 1270. The former Viking had been co-hosting the "Power Trip" morning show along with Vikings post-game shows. Not that it helps to pay the bills during the holiday period, but it wasn't anything personal. Morris was one of many staff cuts implemented by Clear Channel, which also owns WFAN.
SEATTLE: Hard to believe it was 21 years, but Mike Gastineau has left KJR-AM 950 following last Thursday's (12/6) show. The former N.Y. Jets and NFL standout says he decided to move onto "something new", but did not rule out a return to radio in the future. No official replacement named as of press time.
HOUSTON: Steve Bunin, formerly with ESPN for more than nine years, is joining the new Comcast SportsNet Houston as a "SportsNet Central" anchor.
HARTFORD: Sorry to report the passing, at the age of 82, of Arnold Dean, who seemingly forever (he started in 1965) was a part of WTIC 1080. Dean is widely considered to have pioneered local sports talk in Hartford, where he began hosting sports talk in 1976. He co-hosted the pre-game "Tailgate Show" this past season for UConn football games, including the final home game just a couple weeks ago.
TSN will go all digital as of January 1st, which, according to the announcement, ends a 126-year history in print. The most important news is that the content will be free and advertiser supported, which hopefully will send a different sort of message to newspaper and magazine publishers around the country.
The Sporting News had been a weekly publication into 2008 when it reduced to bi-weekly, and then to a monthly only publication just over one year ago.
For those who grew up as sports fans in the 50's, 60's, and early 70's, the publication was known as "the sports bible" and introduced generations to the thought of waiting for the mailman to come on Tuesdays with that week's edition. It was our entree into out of town team news, statistics, and even box scores, that we couldn't always get in our local newspapers, radio, or TV reports. Columnists from all over the country shared details about sports stories of national interest.
Those of you who remember "The National" daily sports newspaper from the late 80's and into June 1991 and how much great content it delivered on a daily basis can relate to the impact of TSN on a weekly basis 20+ years earlier.
Granted, I'm among those that stopped relying on The Sporting News in the 80's when ESPN came into prominence and more and more sports events were being televised. By then, we as sports fans were being brought a daily dose of highlights, headlines, and current statistics which were "old news" by the time TSN arrived in the mail.
From my having followed sports, reported on them, taught college students about it, and having been a "fan" for more than 50 years, losing the print version of The Sporting News is still significant. It's how Detroit Tigers fans felt when Tiger Stadium wasn't there anymore, Yankees fans felt about the "new" stadium, and fans of the likes of Fenway Park and Wrigley Field will feel years from now when those parks aren't there anymore. Just as new stadiums and arenas for the events offer new perks and conveniences for the fans, we will never forget the venues which came before and built up our "hunger" as sports fans. Just as "The Sporting News" in print did for fans before the newer methods and sources of coverage came along.
Elsewhere, the impact of the lack of NHL hockey is being felt by more media than NBC Sports Network. It shows even more on the Canadian side. The latest radio ratings from Vancouver show that CKST 1040, the flagship station for the Canucks, has dropped from #2 to #10 in males 25-54 during the most recent ratings period, which took place during the time the NHL would normally have been playing. The Fan 960 in Calgary has seen a similar drop.
SAN DIEGO: XEPRS XX 1090 is reportedly bringing back Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith to its 3-7 PM weekday spot, after the two were removed from the air in February of this year due to inappropriate on-air comments about local reporter Andrea Lloyd. The pair are, at least for now, keeping their morning TV gig for U-T TV.
In another significant move, XX 1090 has brought back Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton for morning drive, as of this week, replacing Dave Palet and Jeff Dotseth. Darren Smith moves up from afternoons for Noon to 3.
MINNEAPOLIS: Mike Morris is out after nearly 10 years with KFAN-AM 1270. The former Viking had been co-hosting the "Power Trip" morning show along with Vikings post-game shows. Not that it helps to pay the bills during the holiday period, but it wasn't anything personal. Morris was one of many staff cuts implemented by Clear Channel, which also owns WFAN.
SEATTLE: Hard to believe it was 21 years, but Mike Gastineau has left KJR-AM 950 following last Thursday's (12/6) show. The former N.Y. Jets and NFL standout says he decided to move onto "something new", but did not rule out a return to radio in the future. No official replacement named as of press time.
HOUSTON: Steve Bunin, formerly with ESPN for more than nine years, is joining the new Comcast SportsNet Houston as a "SportsNet Central" anchor.
HARTFORD: Sorry to report the passing, at the age of 82, of Arnold Dean, who seemingly forever (he started in 1965) was a part of WTIC 1080. Dean is widely considered to have pioneered local sports talk in Hartford, where he began hosting sports talk in 1976. He co-hosted the pre-game "Tailgate Show" this past season for UConn football games, including the final home game just a couple weeks ago.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Why CBS Played A Different Game
There are those times every year when a sports event or sports news is overshadowed by a serious and sad news story. Unfortunately, the murder-suicide involving Jovan Belcher of the Kansas City Chiefs this past weekend became one of those times.
It is safe to assume that the vast majority of football fans knew this had taken place long before the various NFL pre-game shows began on Sunday (12/2). The NFL Network, Fox NFL Sunday, and ESPN NFL Countdown each took steps to include this horrible news within the early part of their coverage. CBS-TV handled this much differently.
ESPN went to the extent of not airing its regular segment with comic Frank Caliendo, for example.
Although the majority of Chiefs games are shown by CBS-TV, the Chiefs' hosting of Carolina on Sunday meant that it was a rare Fox telecast. Although CBS-TV has been under criticism for not making the Belcher story a priority on its pre-game show, this decision actually was not without precedent. However, in this day and age of media competition for viewers and advertising dollars, it is possible that CBS might have handled it differently.
For those who missed it, CBS opened its NFL Today with it's "Drive For the Playoffs" segment, and THEN went into the Belcher story. This included Lesley Visser on live from Kansas City which included a Chiefs official explaining the decision on playing the game on Sunday, prior to the studio crew, including Boomer Esiason and Bill Cowher, reflecting on the story. Unlike ESPN, CBS did not drop its "lighter" segment with Jim Rome interviewing a Vict. Secret model, which seemed to take longer than the Kansas City report. Essentially, CBS "refused" to let this tragic news story impact its pre-game show.
Of course, I am not going to defend CBS for doing so. They actually had their reasons, whether we agree with them or not.
After all, the NFL is entertainment. Network officials reasoned that people tuning in for an afternoon of football were still planning to watch the game(s) since there was nothing they could do about the tragic Belcher story. In addition, calling the extra and priority attention to this story would have reminded viewers that CBS was not carrying the Chiefs game that afternoon, which it does on most other Sundays.
By conveniently delaying the Belcher coverage by a few minutes, any CBS viewers who would then have tuned over to Fox's or ESPN's pre-game shows would have done so following those networks' coverage of the same story. Hence, CBS viewers were sent an indirect message that this story was no longer as big of a priority, and set the scene to go on with the games about to be played.
Back to that precedent I mentioned earlier. CBS-TV and its NFL coverage was faced with a tragic situation back on October 24, 1971 during game coverage. During its regional telecast of the Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions game that afternoon, Lions receiver Chuck Hughes collapsed on the field during a play. The seriousness of his collapse was such that Dick Butkus, the future Hall of Fame linebacker for the rival Bears, was by Hughes and waving frantically for help. It turned out that Mr. Hughes never recovered and passed away on the field.
As a college student in Chicago at that time, I was actually watching that telecast as well as the national doubleheader game which followed. During the remainder of the Bears-Lions telecast, as well as throughout the natonal doubleheader game, there was no mention made of Hughes' condition. It wasn't until a (Chicago) local newscast came on WBBM-TV after the doubleheader game ended that viewers were told that Hughes has died shortly after the collapse.
In other words, CBS did not report on the player's death despite live NFL coverage for more than three hours after viewers saw the play. I still remember a couple of friends telling me the next day that they heard about Hughes' death via other stations well before the CBS station first reported it.
Again, this doesn't make it right. But even then, CBS took the "It is entertainment, and let's allow people to enjoy the game" approach.
Their role is to provide the coverage and "entertain" the viewers. While I'm not defending CBS this time around, this was another decision that could be criticized no matter which way it goes.
We don't know for certain if Fox would have made the Belcher story its top priority if CBS were showing the Chiefs' game on Sunday. And Fox and CBS compete with each other moreso than ESPN and NFL Network because each airs one hour shows leading into game telecasts.
However it is handled, it is a difficult situation for the decision makers, as well as for all concerned. If I were going to criticize anyone about this, I would be more inclined to be critical of the NFL for "allowing" the Chiefs to play the game with their players in shock. Frankly, I believe that if this had happened early enough in the season, before the Chiefs and Panthers had bye weeks, it is possible that the NFL would have then rescheduled the game. But now they could not. All the media did was determine how to cover this tragic story as they saw fit.
Something positive from the Baseball Hall of Fame this week, and it's media related. While the debate rages about which players should or shouldn't get in, no one will dispute the upcoming induction of former Toronto Blue Jays voice Tom Cheek, who was selected for the Excellence in Broadcasting wing and goes in next July. Cheek called more than 4,300 regular season games and 41 post-season games for the Jays until his untimely passing following the 2005 season.
ESPN is going back to a 3-man booth for Sunday Night Baseball, adding John Kruk to the booth along with Dan Shulman and Orel Hershiser for the 2013 season.
NEW YORK: The Jets are struggling on the field but ESPN 98.7 WEPN has locked up the broadcast rights for years to come with a new multi-year contract extension. WEPN-AM 1050 will also retain the Spanish broadcasts. This re-upping was crucial for ESPN with the current growth and expansion of CBS Sports Radio. WFAN 660 and 101.9 continues with the Giants broadcasts.
Whether it is due to the few miles move from the Jersey side to Brooklyn, or the early strong showing of the Nets, the results are positive for YES Network's Brooklyn Nets telecasts already this season. The YES telecasts are up more than 200% over the first month of the season. Last Saturday's (12/1) telecast against the Miami Heat was the highest rated telecast not involving the Knicks since a 1998 Nets game against Chicago when Michael Jordan was heading toward another championship.
It is safe to assume that the vast majority of football fans knew this had taken place long before the various NFL pre-game shows began on Sunday (12/2). The NFL Network, Fox NFL Sunday, and ESPN NFL Countdown each took steps to include this horrible news within the early part of their coverage. CBS-TV handled this much differently.
ESPN went to the extent of not airing its regular segment with comic Frank Caliendo, for example.
Although the majority of Chiefs games are shown by CBS-TV, the Chiefs' hosting of Carolina on Sunday meant that it was a rare Fox telecast. Although CBS-TV has been under criticism for not making the Belcher story a priority on its pre-game show, this decision actually was not without precedent. However, in this day and age of media competition for viewers and advertising dollars, it is possible that CBS might have handled it differently.
For those who missed it, CBS opened its NFL Today with it's "Drive For the Playoffs" segment, and THEN went into the Belcher story. This included Lesley Visser on live from Kansas City which included a Chiefs official explaining the decision on playing the game on Sunday, prior to the studio crew, including Boomer Esiason and Bill Cowher, reflecting on the story. Unlike ESPN, CBS did not drop its "lighter" segment with Jim Rome interviewing a Vict. Secret model, which seemed to take longer than the Kansas City report. Essentially, CBS "refused" to let this tragic news story impact its pre-game show.
Of course, I am not going to defend CBS for doing so. They actually had their reasons, whether we agree with them or not.
After all, the NFL is entertainment. Network officials reasoned that people tuning in for an afternoon of football were still planning to watch the game(s) since there was nothing they could do about the tragic Belcher story. In addition, calling the extra and priority attention to this story would have reminded viewers that CBS was not carrying the Chiefs game that afternoon, which it does on most other Sundays.
By conveniently delaying the Belcher coverage by a few minutes, any CBS viewers who would then have tuned over to Fox's or ESPN's pre-game shows would have done so following those networks' coverage of the same story. Hence, CBS viewers were sent an indirect message that this story was no longer as big of a priority, and set the scene to go on with the games about to be played.
Back to that precedent I mentioned earlier. CBS-TV and its NFL coverage was faced with a tragic situation back on October 24, 1971 during game coverage. During its regional telecast of the Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions game that afternoon, Lions receiver Chuck Hughes collapsed on the field during a play. The seriousness of his collapse was such that Dick Butkus, the future Hall of Fame linebacker for the rival Bears, was by Hughes and waving frantically for help. It turned out that Mr. Hughes never recovered and passed away on the field.
As a college student in Chicago at that time, I was actually watching that telecast as well as the national doubleheader game which followed. During the remainder of the Bears-Lions telecast, as well as throughout the natonal doubleheader game, there was no mention made of Hughes' condition. It wasn't until a (Chicago) local newscast came on WBBM-TV after the doubleheader game ended that viewers were told that Hughes has died shortly after the collapse.
In other words, CBS did not report on the player's death despite live NFL coverage for more than three hours after viewers saw the play. I still remember a couple of friends telling me the next day that they heard about Hughes' death via other stations well before the CBS station first reported it.
Again, this doesn't make it right. But even then, CBS took the "It is entertainment, and let's allow people to enjoy the game" approach.
Their role is to provide the coverage and "entertain" the viewers. While I'm not defending CBS this time around, this was another decision that could be criticized no matter which way it goes.
We don't know for certain if Fox would have made the Belcher story its top priority if CBS were showing the Chiefs' game on Sunday. And Fox and CBS compete with each other moreso than ESPN and NFL Network because each airs one hour shows leading into game telecasts.
However it is handled, it is a difficult situation for the decision makers, as well as for all concerned. If I were going to criticize anyone about this, I would be more inclined to be critical of the NFL for "allowing" the Chiefs to play the game with their players in shock. Frankly, I believe that if this had happened early enough in the season, before the Chiefs and Panthers had bye weeks, it is possible that the NFL would have then rescheduled the game. But now they could not. All the media did was determine how to cover this tragic story as they saw fit.
Something positive from the Baseball Hall of Fame this week, and it's media related. While the debate rages about which players should or shouldn't get in, no one will dispute the upcoming induction of former Toronto Blue Jays voice Tom Cheek, who was selected for the Excellence in Broadcasting wing and goes in next July. Cheek called more than 4,300 regular season games and 41 post-season games for the Jays until his untimely passing following the 2005 season.
ESPN is going back to a 3-man booth for Sunday Night Baseball, adding John Kruk to the booth along with Dan Shulman and Orel Hershiser for the 2013 season.
NEW YORK: The Jets are struggling on the field but ESPN 98.7 WEPN has locked up the broadcast rights for years to come with a new multi-year contract extension. WEPN-AM 1050 will also retain the Spanish broadcasts. This re-upping was crucial for ESPN with the current growth and expansion of CBS Sports Radio. WFAN 660 and 101.9 continues with the Giants broadcasts.
Whether it is due to the few miles move from the Jersey side to Brooklyn, or the early strong showing of the Nets, the results are positive for YES Network's Brooklyn Nets telecasts already this season. The YES telecasts are up more than 200% over the first month of the season. Last Saturday's (12/1) telecast against the Miami Heat was the highest rated telecast not involving the Knicks since a 1998 Nets game against Chicago when Michael Jordan was heading toward another championship.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
CBS vs. NBC - Is That All There Is?
It seems like a journey back in time as we explore the sports "battle" between CBS and NBC on both the radio and TV side. Before cable networks took over a dominant share of pro and college sports, both TV networks had their years of domination for sports coverage. As we come closer to the start of 2013, both networks are going at it again, although they both face a similar uphill battle.
On the TV side, NBC Sports Network has the added challenge of trying to replace hours of NHL games and surrounding programming that was intended to be its centerpiece of winter existence. The continued lockout, which leaves fans with little hope at this point in time, is certainly not the Network's fault. What hurts them even more is the lack of promotional time to attract and keep viewers for its other programming.
To its credit, NBC Sports Network has added more college hoops, now into presenting at least 50 live telecasts. The network lucked out last Saturday (11/24) when its "Battle 4 Atlantis" Tournament coverage brought them the Duke vs. Louisville telecast of two of the top five ranked teams. However, NBC faced another "tough luck" situation, as that telecast was up against the Notre Dame vs. USC football telecast on ABC.
However, NBC Sports Network got stuck again last Friday (11/23) when, once again, The Dan Patrick Show that morning was a "Best of" show. I know I have mentioned this many times over the years, and that Dan Patrick deserves his time off, but I, for one, continued to be offended that there is not a live show on his days off. This was the morning after three NFL games were played, while college football and basketball games galore are taking place all weekend, as well as some good NBA matchups. Although I understand that NBC does not have control over this matter, I'd like to think they'll care enough to put a stop to airing outdated sports segments. I tuned in to see it was a "Best of" and saw a segment "previewing" an NFL game that had already been played.
You can't tell me that NBC couldn't step in and help come up with someone to host a live show, and/or that Patrick couldn't have provided some still current interviews recorded earlier in the week to still be topical. This is an embarassment to a Network that is trying to establish itself, and to the advertisers who paid thousands of dollars to appear on a show with zero reasons to watch. Keep in mind that ESPN was on with multiple LIVE programming, even with backup hosts, at the exact same time.
Over at CBS, the CBS Sports Network will prove it already has too much time on its hands next week. While I'm as patriotic as anyone, the Army vs. Navy football game simply is not a big deal anymore. I can understand a national telecast, since the game is on December 8th and doesn't interfere with a ton of college football games. Yet, CBS Sports Network is, believe it or not, making a one-week extravaganza about this meaningless game. Starting on Monday (12/3), the network has actually scheduled late afternoon and prime-time replays of games between the two going back to 1998. Frankly, this is right there with outdated Dan Patrick Show segments. I actually placed a couple of phone calls to be sure this was not a prank press release. If you know of anyone, outside of a participating player or coach and their immediate family, that would actually watch, please let me know.
All this while CBS' telecast of the Baltimore at San Diego game on Sunday (11/25) started with the telecast not showing the opening kickoff. While the kickoff was in the air, viewers were shown Ravens coach John Harbaugh watching the ball sail into the end zone, and then a blank color screen. By the time the production crew corrected this error, the play was over. From an announcing standpoint, I can understand the broadcast team of Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts remaining calm about it. However, Eagle could have provided a more thorough description of what happened since viewers didn't see it.
On the radio side, CBS Sports Radio has created its morning drive show for the 24-hour network starting on January 2nd. Tike Barber (former N.Y. Giant turned broadcaster), Brandon Tierney (of The Game 95.7 San Francisco/Oakland), and Dana Jacobson (formerly with ESPN), were named to the new show. As of press time, the network has yet to announce its early evening (ET) host or hosts, although this will be during the time period when many of the games are taking place.
I'm curious to see whether or not CBS goes with a scoreboard "game night" type of show during the east and central prime time period or adds another host or hosts instead. If they go with another hosted show, all ESPN Radio needs to do is maintain its "game night" updates and focus on the games being played, and they'll do just fine.
It all makes me wonder if ESPN's biggest fear of competition is from what Fox Sports might announce soon rather than what CBS and NBC are up to. Fox Sports is reportedly looking at changing its Speed Channel to a full-on sports cable network, while its radio network has grabbed a few affiliates away from ESPN Radio within the past year.
Meanwhile, the radio ratings for mid-October to mid-November are coming out, but this ratings period is an exception to recent trends. Between the election and the big storm Sandy, most of the country was not in typical listening mode.
Even with the great ratings for NFL telecasts over Thanksgiving weekend, I couldn't help but notice that the NFL actually had THREE of its game telecasts blacked out locally. In Cincinnati, home town fans were not shown the home contest against Oakland, even though it was the return of former Bengals QB Carson Palmer. In Tampa, even the Conference's best record team, Atlanta, coming in didn't sell enough tickets. And, the San Diego Chargers game vs. a first-place Baltimore team failed to sell out in time, resulting the game being blacked out in San Diego as well as "secondary market" Los Angeles. (Never mind that CBS blacked out the kickoff to everyone!) I haven't kept track, but I don't recall a Sunday with three games blacked out in the home markets in quite a long time.
Of course, NBC Sunday Night Football had another ratings triumph (11/25) with the N.Y. Giants vs. Green Bay telecast, as you would expect. But the numbers produced an interesting find. As you would expect, the top two local markets for audience ratings were Milwaukee and New York. But which market was third, with a 17.8 local rating?
Would you believe it was Memphis? There was one other "hard to explain" market in the Top 10 local markets, as Albuquerque NM finished 10th with a 15.3 local rating.
That game also led to a great media moment on Tuesday (11/27) for Milwaukee listeners. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, while appearing on his Tuesday segment on WAUK ESPN 540, apologized on the air for "that disappointing loss". The significance of this honest quote is that it was not said moments after the game and/or in a "heated" or confrontational interview. That it was said during Rodgers' regular radio appearance shows that he intended to say this to the fans. That's a nice treat, considering the generally conservative nature of scheduled weekly radio and TV segments and shows involving NFL players.
On the TV side, NBC Sports Network has the added challenge of trying to replace hours of NHL games and surrounding programming that was intended to be its centerpiece of winter existence. The continued lockout, which leaves fans with little hope at this point in time, is certainly not the Network's fault. What hurts them even more is the lack of promotional time to attract and keep viewers for its other programming.
To its credit, NBC Sports Network has added more college hoops, now into presenting at least 50 live telecasts. The network lucked out last Saturday (11/24) when its "Battle 4 Atlantis" Tournament coverage brought them the Duke vs. Louisville telecast of two of the top five ranked teams. However, NBC faced another "tough luck" situation, as that telecast was up against the Notre Dame vs. USC football telecast on ABC.
However, NBC Sports Network got stuck again last Friday (11/23) when, once again, The Dan Patrick Show that morning was a "Best of" show. I know I have mentioned this many times over the years, and that Dan Patrick deserves his time off, but I, for one, continued to be offended that there is not a live show on his days off. This was the morning after three NFL games were played, while college football and basketball games galore are taking place all weekend, as well as some good NBA matchups. Although I understand that NBC does not have control over this matter, I'd like to think they'll care enough to put a stop to airing outdated sports segments. I tuned in to see it was a "Best of" and saw a segment "previewing" an NFL game that had already been played.
You can't tell me that NBC couldn't step in and help come up with someone to host a live show, and/or that Patrick couldn't have provided some still current interviews recorded earlier in the week to still be topical. This is an embarassment to a Network that is trying to establish itself, and to the advertisers who paid thousands of dollars to appear on a show with zero reasons to watch. Keep in mind that ESPN was on with multiple LIVE programming, even with backup hosts, at the exact same time.
Over at CBS, the CBS Sports Network will prove it already has too much time on its hands next week. While I'm as patriotic as anyone, the Army vs. Navy football game simply is not a big deal anymore. I can understand a national telecast, since the game is on December 8th and doesn't interfere with a ton of college football games. Yet, CBS Sports Network is, believe it or not, making a one-week extravaganza about this meaningless game. Starting on Monday (12/3), the network has actually scheduled late afternoon and prime-time replays of games between the two going back to 1998. Frankly, this is right there with outdated Dan Patrick Show segments. I actually placed a couple of phone calls to be sure this was not a prank press release. If you know of anyone, outside of a participating player or coach and their immediate family, that would actually watch, please let me know.
All this while CBS' telecast of the Baltimore at San Diego game on Sunday (11/25) started with the telecast not showing the opening kickoff. While the kickoff was in the air, viewers were shown Ravens coach John Harbaugh watching the ball sail into the end zone, and then a blank color screen. By the time the production crew corrected this error, the play was over. From an announcing standpoint, I can understand the broadcast team of Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts remaining calm about it. However, Eagle could have provided a more thorough description of what happened since viewers didn't see it.
On the radio side, CBS Sports Radio has created its morning drive show for the 24-hour network starting on January 2nd. Tike Barber (former N.Y. Giant turned broadcaster), Brandon Tierney (of The Game 95.7 San Francisco/Oakland), and Dana Jacobson (formerly with ESPN), were named to the new show. As of press time, the network has yet to announce its early evening (ET) host or hosts, although this will be during the time period when many of the games are taking place.
I'm curious to see whether or not CBS goes with a scoreboard "game night" type of show during the east and central prime time period or adds another host or hosts instead. If they go with another hosted show, all ESPN Radio needs to do is maintain its "game night" updates and focus on the games being played, and they'll do just fine.
It all makes me wonder if ESPN's biggest fear of competition is from what Fox Sports might announce soon rather than what CBS and NBC are up to. Fox Sports is reportedly looking at changing its Speed Channel to a full-on sports cable network, while its radio network has grabbed a few affiliates away from ESPN Radio within the past year.
Meanwhile, the radio ratings for mid-October to mid-November are coming out, but this ratings period is an exception to recent trends. Between the election and the big storm Sandy, most of the country was not in typical listening mode.
Even with the great ratings for NFL telecasts over Thanksgiving weekend, I couldn't help but notice that the NFL actually had THREE of its game telecasts blacked out locally. In Cincinnati, home town fans were not shown the home contest against Oakland, even though it was the return of former Bengals QB Carson Palmer. In Tampa, even the Conference's best record team, Atlanta, coming in didn't sell enough tickets. And, the San Diego Chargers game vs. a first-place Baltimore team failed to sell out in time, resulting the game being blacked out in San Diego as well as "secondary market" Los Angeles. (Never mind that CBS blacked out the kickoff to everyone!) I haven't kept track, but I don't recall a Sunday with three games blacked out in the home markets in quite a long time.
Of course, NBC Sunday Night Football had another ratings triumph (11/25) with the N.Y. Giants vs. Green Bay telecast, as you would expect. But the numbers produced an interesting find. As you would expect, the top two local markets for audience ratings were Milwaukee and New York. But which market was third, with a 17.8 local rating?
Would you believe it was Memphis? There was one other "hard to explain" market in the Top 10 local markets, as Albuquerque NM finished 10th with a 15.3 local rating.
That game also led to a great media moment on Tuesday (11/27) for Milwaukee listeners. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, while appearing on his Tuesday segment on WAUK ESPN 540, apologized on the air for "that disappointing loss". The significance of this honest quote is that it was not said moments after the game and/or in a "heated" or confrontational interview. That it was said during Rodgers' regular radio appearance shows that he intended to say this to the fans. That's a nice treat, considering the generally conservative nature of scheduled weekly radio and TV segments and shows involving NFL players.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Extra Holiday For Sports Talkers
A note to sports radio programmers. The holiday is Thursday. On Friday (11/23), it will be Black Friday, a day on which many have an extra day off and will be around the house and in the car waiting to park and go shopping. For many, it is a chance to listen in to the midday and/or mid-afternoon hosts on the local sports talker that they don't usually get to listen to and participate with. A chance for these stations to hopefully attract more listeners and solidify their audiences.
Oh, wait a minute. Programmers are also giving these regular hosts an additional day off, as if they are white collar workers. They don't seem to realize the number of current and potential listeners that will instead hear an unfamiliar or less familiar name and not be as interested in the content. Another blown chance for AM and FM radio stations to regain the audiences they are gradually losing.
Never mind that Thanksgiving weekend is generally the busiest holiday sports weekend of the year. (Even without the NHL, it's still jam-packed with football and basketball galore!) All these games and matchups to discuss, while the people best at discussing them are "off" for the day.
Of course, I'm not against people having an extra day off. But in the sports media, there are no holidays. Or so it used to be.
Certainly not for David Schuster of WSCR The Score in Chicago. At press time, the station's on-air schedule (which also showed them broadcasting the "Houston Texans vs. Detroit Tigers" on Thursday afternoon) had Schuster scheduled to host 12 of the 24 hours from 6 AM Thursday to 6 AM Friday. In a way, that's not as amazing to me as the lineup for Friday which consists of all weekend hosts instead of the regular lineup.
NBC-TV benefits from quality vs. quantity this season when it comes to college football. Having shown the Notre Dame home games as the majority of its college football coverage on the main network is paying off big time as Notre Dame enters Thanksgiving weekend with the #1 ranking. This season's ratings for the home game telecasts were up more than 67% over last year's, also marking the first time in seven seasons that three telecasts averaged more than five million viewers. By comparison, not one of their ND telecasts in 2011 averaged five million.
This is made even more impressive when you consider that NBC does not have a college football lead-in, such as ESPN/ABC, and sometimes Fox Sports have before their telecasts.
Of course, the biggest college football and TV story of the week was the upcoming additions of Maryland and Rutgers to the Big Ten Conference starting in a couple of years. ESPN/ABC figure to benefit by having a lot of Big Ten football telecasts, which will take on added significance in the NYC and Baltimore/D.C. TV markets. The Big Ten Network figures to gain additional subscriber revenue, especially in the Baltimore/D.C. region, where it is currently (and mostly) available on an optional higher cost tier.
On the college hoops side, Turner Sports is looking at not charging its cable and satellite subscribers for watching the streams of NCAA Tournament telecasts in March. (This past March viewers had the option of paying to access the games online.) This is certainly a fair deal for the fans (for a change). Consumers pay for the access to TV channels, and whether they watch on a TV set or computer monitor should not make a difference. Here's hoping this goes through.
Speaking of good moves, the NBA has taken steps to make it's upcoming NBA D-League (developmental) games available to its fans, and at no cost. The NBA has arranged for a live stream, via a YouTube player on NBA.com, of around 350 games starting on Friday (11/23) with four of its games available. This gives fans the opportunity to watch prospects for their favorite teams, as 16 of the D-League teams have direct affiliations with NBA teams.
MLB Network has hired Heidi Watney as a studio reporter starting after the first of the year. She joins MLB Network after less than two years in L.A. with Time Warner Cable. Watney is well known from her work in prior years covering the Red Sox on NESN.
Speaking of Time Warner Cable, its sports channel featuring the Lakers is finally being carried in Southern California by DirecTV, which, however, is still not carrying the Pac-12 Network. Dish Network is still not carrying the Time Warner channel. DirecTV reportedly has nearly 2,000,000 subscribers within the market area. The financial implications have not been revealed, although it's a safe bet that those consumers will soon feel the pinch.
Just having a new regional TV sports network doesn't guarantee success. The Houston area's new Comcast SportsNet Houston is still a secret to Rockets fans. Or it could be that the interest in Rockets basketball isn't there. This past Friday (11/17), ESPN's national telecast of the New York vs. Memphis game had higher ratings than the Rockets vs. Portland telecast on CSN. On Sunday night (11/18), CSN showed the Rockets game from Los Angeles against the Lakers, which figured to be a nice draw for the new network. Yet, the Sunday Night Football game on NBC (Baltimore at Pittsburgh) had a Houston area rating literally 10 times higher! And before you argue that it is the popularity of the NFL, upon further review the NASCAR Sprint Cup race on ESPN also drew a larger audience than Rockets at Lakers.
St. LOUIS: KFNS 590 and Kevin Slaten have parted ways again. At least this time Slaten was technically not fired. His show was canceled by the station last week after Slaten made comments with racial overtones. When several callers voiced their displeasure, Slaten responded by calling one of them "stupid". This was not the first time that Slaten has been part of a racial comments controversy. However, since Slaten was brokering the time for his KFNS show, the station simply canceled the contract. The station is now airing Paul Finebaum's syndicated college football show durijng the afternoon drive time slot, with no replacement named (or under time broker contract) at press time.
BOSTON: WBZ-FM Sports Hub found a way to keep Damon Amendolara as its popular overnight host. And save money in the process. The CBS Sports Radio network announced that it is adding Amendolara's show to its national 2:00 to 6:00 AM ET schedule as of the first of the year. However, the show will likely be less Boston focused, since the network announced the show will also air in Detroit, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, and Baltimore, among other markets.
DENVER: ESPN 105.5 will now air Colorado State football and basketball, along with coaches shows, as part of a new 5-year deal which takes effect for the 2013 football season. The basketball games will again air on KLZ 560 for this season.
Oh, wait a minute. Programmers are also giving these regular hosts an additional day off, as if they are white collar workers. They don't seem to realize the number of current and potential listeners that will instead hear an unfamiliar or less familiar name and not be as interested in the content. Another blown chance for AM and FM radio stations to regain the audiences they are gradually losing.
Never mind that Thanksgiving weekend is generally the busiest holiday sports weekend of the year. (Even without the NHL, it's still jam-packed with football and basketball galore!) All these games and matchups to discuss, while the people best at discussing them are "off" for the day.
Of course, I'm not against people having an extra day off. But in the sports media, there are no holidays. Or so it used to be.
Certainly not for David Schuster of WSCR The Score in Chicago. At press time, the station's on-air schedule (which also showed them broadcasting the "Houston Texans vs. Detroit Tigers" on Thursday afternoon) had Schuster scheduled to host 12 of the 24 hours from 6 AM Thursday to 6 AM Friday. In a way, that's not as amazing to me as the lineup for Friday which consists of all weekend hosts instead of the regular lineup.
NBC-TV benefits from quality vs. quantity this season when it comes to college football. Having shown the Notre Dame home games as the majority of its college football coverage on the main network is paying off big time as Notre Dame enters Thanksgiving weekend with the #1 ranking. This season's ratings for the home game telecasts were up more than 67% over last year's, also marking the first time in seven seasons that three telecasts averaged more than five million viewers. By comparison, not one of their ND telecasts in 2011 averaged five million.
This is made even more impressive when you consider that NBC does not have a college football lead-in, such as ESPN/ABC, and sometimes Fox Sports have before their telecasts.
Of course, the biggest college football and TV story of the week was the upcoming additions of Maryland and Rutgers to the Big Ten Conference starting in a couple of years. ESPN/ABC figure to benefit by having a lot of Big Ten football telecasts, which will take on added significance in the NYC and Baltimore/D.C. TV markets. The Big Ten Network figures to gain additional subscriber revenue, especially in the Baltimore/D.C. region, where it is currently (and mostly) available on an optional higher cost tier.
On the college hoops side, Turner Sports is looking at not charging its cable and satellite subscribers for watching the streams of NCAA Tournament telecasts in March. (This past March viewers had the option of paying to access the games online.) This is certainly a fair deal for the fans (for a change). Consumers pay for the access to TV channels, and whether they watch on a TV set or computer monitor should not make a difference. Here's hoping this goes through.
Speaking of good moves, the NBA has taken steps to make it's upcoming NBA D-League (developmental) games available to its fans, and at no cost. The NBA has arranged for a live stream, via a YouTube player on NBA.com, of around 350 games starting on Friday (11/23) with four of its games available. This gives fans the opportunity to watch prospects for their favorite teams, as 16 of the D-League teams have direct affiliations with NBA teams.
MLB Network has hired Heidi Watney as a studio reporter starting after the first of the year. She joins MLB Network after less than two years in L.A. with Time Warner Cable. Watney is well known from her work in prior years covering the Red Sox on NESN.
Speaking of Time Warner Cable, its sports channel featuring the Lakers is finally being carried in Southern California by DirecTV, which, however, is still not carrying the Pac-12 Network. Dish Network is still not carrying the Time Warner channel. DirecTV reportedly has nearly 2,000,000 subscribers within the market area. The financial implications have not been revealed, although it's a safe bet that those consumers will soon feel the pinch.
Just having a new regional TV sports network doesn't guarantee success. The Houston area's new Comcast SportsNet Houston is still a secret to Rockets fans. Or it could be that the interest in Rockets basketball isn't there. This past Friday (11/17), ESPN's national telecast of the New York vs. Memphis game had higher ratings than the Rockets vs. Portland telecast on CSN. On Sunday night (11/18), CSN showed the Rockets game from Los Angeles against the Lakers, which figured to be a nice draw for the new network. Yet, the Sunday Night Football game on NBC (Baltimore at Pittsburgh) had a Houston area rating literally 10 times higher! And before you argue that it is the popularity of the NFL, upon further review the NASCAR Sprint Cup race on ESPN also drew a larger audience than Rockets at Lakers.
St. LOUIS: KFNS 590 and Kevin Slaten have parted ways again. At least this time Slaten was technically not fired. His show was canceled by the station last week after Slaten made comments with racial overtones. When several callers voiced their displeasure, Slaten responded by calling one of them "stupid". This was not the first time that Slaten has been part of a racial comments controversy. However, since Slaten was brokering the time for his KFNS show, the station simply canceled the contract. The station is now airing Paul Finebaum's syndicated college football show durijng the afternoon drive time slot, with no replacement named (or under time broker contract) at press time.
BOSTON: WBZ-FM Sports Hub found a way to keep Damon Amendolara as its popular overnight host. And save money in the process. The CBS Sports Radio network announced that it is adding Amendolara's show to its national 2:00 to 6:00 AM ET schedule as of the first of the year. However, the show will likely be less Boston focused, since the network announced the show will also air in Detroit, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, and Baltimore, among other markets.
DENVER: ESPN 105.5 will now air Colorado State football and basketball, along with coaches shows, as part of a new 5-year deal which takes effect for the 2013 football season. The basketball games will again air on KLZ 560 for this season.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Texans Will Grow Them (Ratings) Big.....
As great as the Sunday Night Football ratings have been again this season, things are in place for NBC to kill in the ratings this Sunday night (11/11). They couldn't have had a better matchup if they used flex scheduling. It's the 7-1 Chicago Bears vs. the 7-1 Houston Texans. The Chicago market always has high ratings for Bears telecasts, even when the team is not in first place by two games. The Texans are off to an amazing start, even to the point where the sports radio station which airs their games has shown ratings gains this season. (Not easy, considering how many times the four Houston sports talkers hadn't even combined to finish in the top 15!) In addition, with banks and government offices closed on Monday in observance of Veteran's Day, more people than usual in the Eastern time zone will be able to "stay up" for the conclusion of the game. If the game stays close, the ratings battle won't be.
College basketball is upon us. This Friday night (11/9) is when the "Battle on the Midway" will take place, as Syracuse takes on San Diego State aboard the USS Midway Museum Aircraft Carrier at 5 PM PT. Fox Sports Network is distributing the telecast, and has brought in Dick Enberg to call the game, along with Steve Kerr as analyst.
Meanwhile, a poor media reflection by Bobby Hebert, the former New Orleans Saints QB. Hebert, now a host on WWL New Orleans, was escorted out of the LSU press box last Saturday during the team's loss to Alabama due to "cheering" in the working media environment. It was at least the second time this (an ejection) has happened to Hebert, with this time happening when a record number of media credentials were issued for the game.
After years of coaching against each other in the NBC, the Van Gundy brothers are now both serving as analysts. Stan Van Gundy, most recently the head coach at Orlando, has joined NBC Sports Network and Radio as its NBA analyst. He is expected to debut on the NBC Sports Network telecast of Georgetown vs. Florida on Friday. Van Gundy will co-host a one hour NBA specific show on NBC Sports Radio. Actually, the bigger news is that Georgetown vs. Florida gives NBC Sports Network a rare live telecast with two prominent teams, since there is no NHL action. This is an improvement over the North Podunk State vs. Generic Southern (or so it seems) telecasts they have shown and have scheduled.
CINCINNATI: It's actually not a CBS station which is bringing the CBS Sports Radio Network to town starting at the first of the year. WMOJ-FM 100.3, which just dropped its music format in favor of holiday tunes, has announced it will carry the CBS lineup starting in January. Early indications are that the station will rely on the Network morning show since a co-host is Boomer Esiason, who played in Cincinnati during his most successful seasons. This will be an interesting test to see if people really do want sports radio on FM, since it will be a start-up. At the moment, WCKY ESPN 1530 and Fox Sports WSAI 1360 go up against the play-by-play and part-time sports talk on powerhouse WLW 700. So it's not as though either of those stations is starting a simulcast (at least not yet!) to promote and switch fans over to the FM dial for sports. For now. We'll see if either of those stations seeks an FM outlet or lets it ride to see what happens with 100.3 first.
Reds announcer Thom Brennaman gets a "home game" this Sunday (11/11) when he calls the Bengals game in Cincinnati against the N.Y. Giants. This is a rare opportunity for Brennaman, since Fox only gets one or two local telecasts when NFC teams come in, to not have to travel to call his game for Fox Sports. However, as of press time, the game had not sold out, leaving open the realistic possibility that Cincinnati fans will not get to see the game with his call. As usual, "coach" Brian Billick will serve as analyst.
DALLAS: The Texas Rangers are keeping their broadcast teams in tact for the 2013 season. Eric Nadel returns for his 35th season of broadcasting the Rangers, and will be joined again by Matt Hicks on ESPN 103.3, with Hicks returning for what will be his first "full" season. Steve Busby, a part of the team's radio and TV coverage for more than 25 seasons, will again work with Tom Grieve on the TV side in what will be Grieve's 19th season in the TV booth.
HOUSTON: The Rockets' season is now well underway, but many viewers are not able to see the telecasts on the new regional Comcast SportsNet. Three of the national services (A.T.&T, DirecTV, Dish Network) still are not offering the games or the channel to viewers, even though they carry other CSN regional networks elsewhere around the country. If the Rockets continue with a good start (2-1 at press time), it could make a difference in getting deals done. The Network also will have the Astros, but coming off a horrible season and switching over to the less familiar American League doesn't exactly create urgency for fans to demand those games. Some blame the teams and network, while others blame the carriers for this not happening yet. I blame both. Put the monthly price out there and let the fans decide whether or not it is worth it. The end user should have those choices.
CHICAGO: Comcast SportsNet Chicago is adding a lot more college hoops than it usually airs, most likely due to not having Blackhawks and NHL telecasts. The Network now has a 56 game schedule including DePaul, Loyola, Illinois Chicago, Illinois State, Bradley, and Southern Illinois University games. If and when the NHL returns, the Network would move conflicting telecasts to tape delay.
WMVP ESPN 1000 will air 19 of the The University of Illinois Chicago games this season. Dave Juday will now handle the play-by-play with Kenny Williams (the former Flame standout, not the White Sox baseball executive) as analyst.
LOS ANGELES: The power of Blake Griffin has come full force in the early going of the NBA season. The team he plays for has gone from being the "hapless" Clippers to the "Los Angeles Clippers". In a media miracle, the Clippers are being showcased on national TV (TNT, ESPN, NBA-TV) more often than the Lakers during this first month. If the current national telecast schedule holds for the regular season, the Clippers would have more total appearances than the Lakers.
PITTSBURGH: KDKA-FM 93.7 The Fan has named Ryan Maguire as its new Program Director, bringing him to Pittsburgh from KCSP Kansas City. Our congrats to the 35-year old Maguire, who began at WTKA Ann Arbor.
FINALLY: Of course, the saddest story in sports media this week is the sudden passing of Jim Durham, who spent the past few years as the voice of the NBA on ESPN Radio. So many great things have been, understandably, written and said about him this week, both as a person and as a broadcaster. All I can do is agree with them. He got his big break when he was in his late 20's and doing Chicago Bulls radio. When I first started covering NBA games in the early 70's, Durham was one of the first broadcasters I encountered. I was delighted to see that he didn't let his lofty postion get in his way. It showed in his personality, and his ability to provide accurate and exciting descriptions of every game. He was just on the air last week calling the Miami vs. Boston opener, starting his 40th season of calling NBA games. But he is already missed tremendously.
College basketball is upon us. This Friday night (11/9) is when the "Battle on the Midway" will take place, as Syracuse takes on San Diego State aboard the USS Midway Museum Aircraft Carrier at 5 PM PT. Fox Sports Network is distributing the telecast, and has brought in Dick Enberg to call the game, along with Steve Kerr as analyst.
Meanwhile, a poor media reflection by Bobby Hebert, the former New Orleans Saints QB. Hebert, now a host on WWL New Orleans, was escorted out of the LSU press box last Saturday during the team's loss to Alabama due to "cheering" in the working media environment. It was at least the second time this (an ejection) has happened to Hebert, with this time happening when a record number of media credentials were issued for the game.
After years of coaching against each other in the NBC, the Van Gundy brothers are now both serving as analysts. Stan Van Gundy, most recently the head coach at Orlando, has joined NBC Sports Network and Radio as its NBA analyst. He is expected to debut on the NBC Sports Network telecast of Georgetown vs. Florida on Friday. Van Gundy will co-host a one hour NBA specific show on NBC Sports Radio. Actually, the bigger news is that Georgetown vs. Florida gives NBC Sports Network a rare live telecast with two prominent teams, since there is no NHL action. This is an improvement over the North Podunk State vs. Generic Southern (or so it seems) telecasts they have shown and have scheduled.
CINCINNATI: It's actually not a CBS station which is bringing the CBS Sports Radio Network to town starting at the first of the year. WMOJ-FM 100.3, which just dropped its music format in favor of holiday tunes, has announced it will carry the CBS lineup starting in January. Early indications are that the station will rely on the Network morning show since a co-host is Boomer Esiason, who played in Cincinnati during his most successful seasons. This will be an interesting test to see if people really do want sports radio on FM, since it will be a start-up. At the moment, WCKY ESPN 1530 and Fox Sports WSAI 1360 go up against the play-by-play and part-time sports talk on powerhouse WLW 700. So it's not as though either of those stations is starting a simulcast (at least not yet!) to promote and switch fans over to the FM dial for sports. For now. We'll see if either of those stations seeks an FM outlet or lets it ride to see what happens with 100.3 first.
Reds announcer Thom Brennaman gets a "home game" this Sunday (11/11) when he calls the Bengals game in Cincinnati against the N.Y. Giants. This is a rare opportunity for Brennaman, since Fox only gets one or two local telecasts when NFC teams come in, to not have to travel to call his game for Fox Sports. However, as of press time, the game had not sold out, leaving open the realistic possibility that Cincinnati fans will not get to see the game with his call. As usual, "coach" Brian Billick will serve as analyst.
DALLAS: The Texas Rangers are keeping their broadcast teams in tact for the 2013 season. Eric Nadel returns for his 35th season of broadcasting the Rangers, and will be joined again by Matt Hicks on ESPN 103.3, with Hicks returning for what will be his first "full" season. Steve Busby, a part of the team's radio and TV coverage for more than 25 seasons, will again work with Tom Grieve on the TV side in what will be Grieve's 19th season in the TV booth.
HOUSTON: The Rockets' season is now well underway, but many viewers are not able to see the telecasts on the new regional Comcast SportsNet. Three of the national services (A.T.&T, DirecTV, Dish Network) still are not offering the games or the channel to viewers, even though they carry other CSN regional networks elsewhere around the country. If the Rockets continue with a good start (2-1 at press time), it could make a difference in getting deals done. The Network also will have the Astros, but coming off a horrible season and switching over to the less familiar American League doesn't exactly create urgency for fans to demand those games. Some blame the teams and network, while others blame the carriers for this not happening yet. I blame both. Put the monthly price out there and let the fans decide whether or not it is worth it. The end user should have those choices.
CHICAGO: Comcast SportsNet Chicago is adding a lot more college hoops than it usually airs, most likely due to not having Blackhawks and NHL telecasts. The Network now has a 56 game schedule including DePaul, Loyola, Illinois Chicago, Illinois State, Bradley, and Southern Illinois University games. If and when the NHL returns, the Network would move conflicting telecasts to tape delay.
WMVP ESPN 1000 will air 19 of the The University of Illinois Chicago games this season. Dave Juday will now handle the play-by-play with Kenny Williams (the former Flame standout, not the White Sox baseball executive) as analyst.
LOS ANGELES: The power of Blake Griffin has come full force in the early going of the NBA season. The team he plays for has gone from being the "hapless" Clippers to the "Los Angeles Clippers". In a media miracle, the Clippers are being showcased on national TV (TNT, ESPN, NBA-TV) more often than the Lakers during this first month. If the current national telecast schedule holds for the regular season, the Clippers would have more total appearances than the Lakers.
PITTSBURGH: KDKA-FM 93.7 The Fan has named Ryan Maguire as its new Program Director, bringing him to Pittsburgh from KCSP Kansas City. Our congrats to the 35-year old Maguire, who began at WTKA Ann Arbor.
FINALLY: Of course, the saddest story in sports media this week is the sudden passing of Jim Durham, who spent the past few years as the voice of the NBA on ESPN Radio. So many great things have been, understandably, written and said about him this week, both as a person and as a broadcaster. All I can do is agree with them. He got his big break when he was in his late 20's and doing Chicago Bulls radio. When I first started covering NBA games in the early 70's, Durham was one of the first broadcasters I encountered. I was delighted to see that he didn't let his lofty postion get in his way. It showed in his personality, and his ability to provide accurate and exciting descriptions of every game. He was just on the air last week calling the Miami vs. Boston opener, starting his 40th season of calling NBA games. But he is already missed tremendously.
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