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A former TV colleague posted this video recently on a social network site and it really gives the non-TV folks some insight into the formulas we see on TV.
That’s why the internet and web video is so exciting….clients and consumers can have more say in what the content is. Liveshotmedia.com is a prime example of being client and issue-driven.
Network news is often done in a cookie-cutter style, as is local news at times. But don’t take my word for it, watch this…
Remember when the folks at Coke thought it would be a good idea to scrap the old formula and come up with a “New Coke.” There was a bit ad blitz and celebrities endorsing the pop (what folks from Minnesota call it) Somehow the big shots at Coke thought we’d all just lap up the new product.
Well, messing with Coke’s formula makes as much sense as messing with a great hockey announcer with a loyal and smart audience.
Turns out whatever market research or consultants pitched the idea didn’t have much common sense. “New Coke” was a major flop and consumers revolted. Coke was eventually forced to admit their mistake and first introduce “Coke Classic.” Not too long after, “New Coke” was eventually dropped all together.
The point I’m making is people aren’t stupid. When you change a product either to appeal to a different demographic, or just plain save a few bucks, often the result is the consumer not being well served.
In the past couple of years, TV newsrooms have decided to cut quality to drum up quantity. (Because I currently deal with media in my day job, I will not give any specific examples in South Carolina, but many of you know several obvious changes, hint, hint)
This point of getting rid of quality really hit home when I read about one of my favorite hockey announcers getting the boot. Frank Mazzocco called NHL games for the Minnesota North Stars in the early 80’s, and since 1986 has been the TV voice of the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey team.
Whoa, way back to my college days with Frank Mazzocco & former NHL'er Tom Reid
I had a chance to do a profile on Frank and the TV crew way back when I was a student at Minnesota and was impressed with his professionalism and knowledge of the game.
Yet, with all this experience and ability, the geniuses at Fox Sports North decided Frank wasn’t their guy anymore. A network big shot says appointing a much younger and inexperienced guy who has no NHL play by play experience is a better move. The big shot calls the new guy “the face” of their channel.
In other words, out with the “Old Coke” in with “New Coke.”
When news of this travesty broke, the Minneapolis Star Tribune was swamped with hundreds of comments, about 90% angry with Frank getting thrown overboard.
How long will it take short sighted TV management to learn you don’t get rid of people who know what they’re doing and replace them with people who might cost a little less, but aren’t nearly as good.
Local TV news viewership is down in many markets because viewers notice that younger and cheaper isn’t serving the viewer’s best needs. Short term thinking may help TV executives with the bottom line for now, but in the long term, the customer isn’t being served and will take their business elsewhere. I for one, won’t be dishing out the extra cash to get the multi-sport package if FSN North doesn’t correct its mistake and put Frank back on the games.
What it is about the winter Olympics that make it such addicting TV? How many of you just can’t get enough of Dick Button or on ski moguls yet?
The winter Olympics are great TV because they involve crazy sports that most sane people would not even venture to try, and the element of risk just seems to make such good TV. Now you might say sports like figure skating are wimpy, but I just saw one pairs competition where the announcer said a woman got cut on her face a few years ago and needed something like 60 stitches. Guess we’ll eventually see skaters wearing helmets with full facemasks?
Certainly living on the edge can go too far at times, as we saw in the tragic death of a luge competitor from the country of Georgia (had to indicate it’s a country, since we’ll wonder when did Atlanta get a luge track?) One problem with watching luge or bobsled on TV is they never show the wide angle of the course, which turns out to be one giant flume ride on ice down a mountain. Certainly no summer Olympic sport can ever equal the excitement of the virtually 1 second shots of a luge or bobsled flying by.
Think more about crazy winter Olympic sports for a second; you can’t exactly go down the street to go ski jumping, luging or bobsledding, curling, biathalon (that crazy deal where they ski and then target shoot) or all that wild snowboarding.
One question for NBC, why do they have to keep on switching hockey games on their various cable channels? Just this past weekend, they had women’s hockey first on CNBC on Saturday, then had 1 game on USA on Sunday and another game later on MSNBC. Now remember than many folks still can’t figure out how to work their remote controls, so why then keep flip-flopping events on different channels? No one usually watches MSNBC, so if NBC decided to show practices of women’s hockey, it would probably get a better rating than a typical “Countdown with Keith Olbermann.”
In fairness to NBC, it was nice to see Al Michaels back on the Olympics. He’s a polished and professional broadcaster and actually deserves more camera time than just hosting the weekend daytime events. I would have liked to had him on the opening ceremonies, Al has more Olympic experience than Matt Lauer. While Lauer is good at what he does too, the man who called the “Miracle on Ice” game deserves near top billing.
If you missed the story on that historic 1980 game, Michaels recounted it over the weekend, saying that when he was with ABC in 1980, the network didn’t have anyone who knew how to do hockey. Michaels has all of 1 game to his credit (some obscure one for sure) but that was more than ABC’s line-up of Howard Cosell, Keith Jackson, Chris Schenkel or Jim McKay. So, Michaels really lucked into that spot! While it would be nice to have Michaels more involved in the broadcast, NBC is making a good call on going with Mike Emrick as the lead hockey play by play man. I’ve met and interviewed Emrick a few times, and he’s a great guy in person, has a passion for hockey and is one of the most exciting announcers to listen do in all of sports. Even if you don’t like hockey, check out a Team USA game, and Emrick will likely be doing it, you’ll enjoy his style.
Speaking of hockey, would you ever hear a hockey player whining about a shin bruise? The answer, no, hockey players don’t complain or even talk about all the injuries they rack up. Perhaps Lindsey Vonn ought to follow this creed too.
Another cool thing about the Olympics is all the dramatic music! Sure, the NFL on FOX theme is catchy, but only the Olympics gives you numerous John Williams composed pieces set to slo motion action or promotions. (check end of this post for examples.)
Finally, on this Olympics rant, how about we end it with the big reason to watch figure skating, commentator Dick Button. If you’ve never watched figure skating, think of Simon Cowell doing commentary. Basically, if someone screws up, Button slams them and is merciless. While most sports color people like to tap dance around things, Button is downright brutal at times in picking apart things. So, if you ever get sick of watching a pro football game and the announcers go all man love crazy for Brett Favre all the time but never criticize him, Dick Button actually will get tough on folks.
Ok, I’ve admitted it, I can’t get enough of the winter Olympics. From the wild sports, dramatic music, awesome hockey, Al Michaels and Dick Button too, there’s something about the winter Olympics that turns me into a couch potato unlike any other thing (well, that Operation Repo show is getting rather addicting lately too) So, put on your winter parka, grab the remote and enjoy!
Now, a few examples of great highlights, cool Olympic music from past games…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OhMOHMu5oc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hT6UxsQG2c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OhMOHMu5oc
2004 Athens Olympics closing credits
There’s a reason why the National Football League is the king of pro sports leagues. You only need ask pro wrestling promoter/WWE owner Vince McMahon.
Why envoke Mr. McMahon’s name you ask? Because McMahon understands that storyline and characters sell. For those of us who grew up in the 80’s, pro wrestling was king. McMahon’s storylines and famous characters brought out the best of “sports entertainment.”
Names like Rowdy Roddy Piper, Bobby the Brain Heenan, Jesse Ventura, Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart….I could go on…made the weekly soap opera interesting because they were great talkers and were able to make the action in the ring much larger, it’s called storyline.
The chairman of pro wrestling’s WWE, (used to be called WWF when I was growing up, but a lawsuit from the World Wildlife Fund made them change the name) Anyway, McMahon tried to start a football league and even had the knuckleheads at NBC partner up with it. (some of these same NBC fools are still in their jobs, working their magic with NBC’s late night fiasco, but that’s another blog for another day.
McMahon’s XFL football league failed because not enough people knew the personalities. (plus, the football was pretty crappy too)
I love hockey and have seen up close the dedication and work NHL hockey players put into their game. But, hockey players are about as exciting as the flat, white sheet of ice they play on. Some hockey players I’ve personally interviewed are great people, guys like Mike Commodore, Bret Hedican, Cam Ward to name a few.
But, when it comes to storyline, there’s 1 guy who’s king; Brett Favre!
Storyline folks, that’s why the NFL is king. Storyline, personalities, weekly ups and downs. Pro football has lots of personalities that fans can follow from their college football days and then into the pros. Hockey and baseball for that matter, don’t have such systems that develop characters early on. We plan our week just to enjoy the storyline and characters of the NFL.
Don’t believe me, watch this video of a 40-year old guy who many thought were washed up, and you’ll sure be into the storyline of the NFL playoffs now!
I enjoy quirky and unusual places on my travels and boy, have I found one here. All Star Donuts is situated right on Las Vegas Boulevard, just north of the Stratosphere Hotel. For my money, they have the best donuts in all of Vegas. Even better, you can buy a heaping plate of Chinese food to go along with it! Yep, donuts and Chinese food under 1 roof, you’ve gotta love Las Vegas!!!