Local TV Newsers: Has Sports Run Out the Clock?
Richard Huff at the NY Daily News puts it bluntly to local tv sports anchors and reporters: "That's it. Goodnight. Go home." As stations' budgets contract and reporters are cut from payrolls, Huff argues the money committed to a daily sportscast is not well spent: "When die-hard sports fans are glued to ESPN - with tickers at the bottom of the screen giving them all the results - along with all-sports Web sites, what exactly do local sportscasters bring to the table?
Very little, if you think about it.
Generally speaking, local sports anchors update box scores and intro highlights."
As we've reported, KVVU/Las Vegas just decided to drop weeknight sportscasts altogether, saving sports for weekends and special events. George Michael unplugged the Sports Machine in DC.
A High School Football Game... on ESPN/New York Times Photo
And if you take a moment today to drift over to the sports office in your newsroom today and take the talent's temperature, you'll notice an icy fear. They feel time running out. Anchors who once had extended segments in weeknight newscasts now struggle to get in a minute of scores, and most have had the experience of hearing, scripts in hand, IFB in ear, pancake on face, "Sports is dead!" as a breaking news story forced news producers to take back the few seconds sports was allotted to make room for live chopper pictures of that rolled-over bakery truck.
So, come on sportsters... what's the argument for survival? Can a regional cable sports net cover high schools as well as you can? Can ESPN really do what you do?
Vegas Station Benches Weeknight Sports
The longtime local news formula of news, weather and sports has been sliced by a third at KVVU/Las Vegas, where the weeknight sportscast has been sent to the showers. "The sportscast is not what the viewers come to us for, research has been telling us that for years," KVVU news director Adam Bradshaw told reviewjournal.com
's Steve Bornfeld. "The economics of broadcasting dictate we put our resources in places where we're going to get ratings."
Bornfeld reports today KVVU will continue to cover sports, including weekend sportscasts.
The full cut comes after years of cutbacks in sports coverage, with some local news stations dialing back the daily sportscast to something in the "sports and scores in a minute" range, and putting sports photographers into the daily news shooting mix, and cutting sports reporters at many stations.
standupkid on twitter
- Fading sun at #BrooklynFlea in Fort Greene: http://t.co/lIHBxJ1z
- RT @BAHjournalist: My quick recap of the Mashable #MediaSummit with 60+ photos ► http://t.co/bYm1D4NF Photo 38 is amazing!]
- Saturday afternoon shadows in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Photo: http://t.co/RWvBNBMw
- Runners, the blue stripe awaits you! The course along Lafayette in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. #NYCMarathon http://t.co/ARDHsMFK
- @kdland Arsenal played... and won, 3-0!
Recent Comments
- Sasha Cohen on Former KSTP Newsers Set to Battle in Court
- Stephen on Larry Mendte: “I Wish I Never Met Alycia Lane”
- Jen B on Larry Mendte: “I Wish I Never Met Alycia Lane”
- TBD - WJLA - Hyperlocal - Poynter | LocalNewser on The Ticket to Web Heaven? Use Your Call Letters
- Tweets that mention Larry Mendte - Wish I'd Never Met Alycia Lane - Philadelphia | LocalNewser -- Topsy.com on Larry Mendte: “I Wish I Never Met Alycia Lane”