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.

Here’s hoping someone who runs a TV operation still has some common sense and brings back Frank Mazzocco. In the meantime, here are some great calls by Frank!

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

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!

With a team of broadcast professionals, LIVEshotmedia.com is headed up by 12 year TV news vet Brian DeRoy.

A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Brian grew up in one of the most respected TV markets in the country, Minneapolis, MN.

Brian’s TV career began while in college, working for All News Channel, basically a low-budget CNN which was seen nationally on DSS satellite TV. It was then onto South Dakota, for stints in Rapid City and Sioux Falls before moving south to Mobile, Alabama to work at the NBC station there.

Nearly half of his career has been in the nation’s 28th largest TV market, Raleigh, NC working for both WRAL-TV and WNCN-TV. That top-30 market experience is an example of the skills and professionalism LIVEshotmedia.com can bring you!

Brian’s list of journalistic accomplishments include being one of the world’s few journalists to ever fly in a Marine Osprey helicopter. Other credits include covering numerous hurricanes along the NC coast, following the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2002 and 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, 2005 US Golf Open, covering the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York, NC General Assembly.

Most recently, Brian served at Columbia’s WIS-TV as morning and weekend anchor. Highly respected in the Midlands, Brian hosted the popular “Person To Count On” segment, highlighting people doing good in the community. “TV news does not do enough good stories, and I was proud to fight for all the positive news I could on a daily basis,” DeRoy says.

LIVEshotmedia.com focuses on delivering clients professional video services, in addition to media relations services. Having spent the bulk of a career in a top-30 television market, Brian understands deadline pressures and the ability to get a job done professionally.

LIVEshotmedia.com is the parent company of hdhomelistings.com Focusing on showcasing real estate in a new way, hdhomelistings.com uses High Definition video to capture the features of homes for sale. Unlike other companies that just shoot a few still pictures and then do a slideshow, hdhomelistings.com tells the story of a home and its neighborhood. Plus you have the presentation skills of an Emmy award winning journalist on your side!

• Full High Definition: there’s a big difference between the types of cameras and editing equipment out there.  Liveshotmedia.com uses full High Definition equipment.  You’re ensured a compelling visual everytime by someone who’s been trained and worked alongside NPPA (National Press Photographers Assoc) photojournalists.

• Speech Coaching: If you need coaching in public speaking or presentation, liveshotmedia.com is the place to turn.  Emmy award winning reporter/anchor Brian DeRoy has the skills and know how to make you feel comfortable in front of a camera!

• Public Relations: Do you have something you consider “newsworthy?” If so, there are right ways and absolutely wrong ways to try to get your message out to the masses.  Liveshotmedia.com can provide planning and presentation for your message.  We know what makes news and what doesn’t and we can help you get your message out!

Let Liveshotmedia.com put our experience to work for you with a custom video blog.  Far more interesting than just a written blog, we take information and video and meld it together in a compelling video blog format.

In the internet age, it’s not enough to just have a website with a few issues and bullet points.  Potential voters and supporters want to hear from a candidate, in order to get an emotional connection.

Former top-30 market political TV reporter Brian DeRoy and his Liveshotmedia.com team craft high quality, issue targeted messages for political candidates.

Some recent work for Congressman Joe Wilson’s campaign.

Liveshotmedia.com is the official media-relations provider for Congressman Joe Wilson’s campaign. Rep. Wilson understands experience and quality matter in a highly-targeted, high profile campaign.

Prior to joining Joe’s team, Liveshotmedia.com helped Independent Nevada Congressional Candidate Barry Michaels.

Rails to Trails, Columbia

Ralis To Trails is a successful project of taking old railroad lines and turning them into bike or walking paths. The paths are proven to increase property values and quality of living for the communities they serve.

Columbia, SC has an old rail line that cuts right through the downtown. The path could link up such popular places like the University of South Carolina campus, the Vista and the Riverwalk. Now, citizens must unite to bring such an amenity to the Capital City.

You can email supporter John Gibson at columbiawatergardens@msn.com for more information!!!

How’d you like to be part of a muti-billion dollar resort and casino project on the famed Las Vegas strip, just to see the economy take a giant dump?

Well, that’s what’s happened to the folks who dreamed up the idea of the Echelon.  The mega-resort was supposed to replace the famed Stardust casino and hotel.  But now, the cranes are sitting still, not a single  construction worker is at the site.  I had a brilliant math teacher in college who taught part of a course on probability, and his line was “when you get greedy, you lose,”  apparently this is now happening to parts of Vegas as this video shows.

But my favorite place in the entire area is not the glitzy and overpriced “strip.”  Instead, my favorite place is downtown Vegas…where things are still affordable and you don’t have to be a long-distance walker to make it from one area to another.

So here now, the first in a series of video blogs, designed to give you info about Vegas and save you money all at the same time!