By: Jim Williams

The Examiner

Sunday's Newspaper

Bruce Gilbert the President and CEO of Red Zebra Broadcasting is the man at the center of the change in the way Washington will hear sports talk radio beginning Monday at 6am.

It was 1992 when Sports Talk 570AM became one of the handful of all sports stations in the country. Then in 1998 the whole gang moved over to AM 980. It is a station that launched the national radio careers of a number of personalities the likes of  Tony Kornheiser, Bruce Murray, James Brown, Chuck Booms, and Steve Czaban to name a few that have graced the air char as Sports Director Andy Pollin would say.

That era is over and Gilbert is out to start a new legend with ESPN 980AM beginning Monday morning.

Williams: You have made some tough changes like dropping the popular First team on FOX with the Steve Czaban for the national ESPN program Mike and Mike in the Morning, why?

Gilbert: “First let me say that Steve Czaban’s Show did very well in this market and we are proud and happy to have him on the staff. But we wanted to be an ESPN station because it is the biggest brand name in sports. You need only say ESPN 980AM and people anywhere know that we are the home of sports and that includes Sunday Night Baseball, the World Series, the NBA Championships and the BCS Bowl Series.”

Williams:  What do you say to the people who contend that since Red Zebra is owned by Dan Snyder on air personalities like Doc Walker, Brian Mitchell, John Thompson, Czaban and Pollin will not be allowed to speak their mind about the team?

Gilbert: “Has anyone listened to John Riggins Show? Riggo had free rein to say whatever he wanted about the team and ownership. It is huge misconception that Dan Snyder is involved in the day to day running of the radio stations. He is not and we expect that all of the talent that we have on ESPN 980 to freely speak their mind no matter if it is pro or anti Redskins, or pro or anti Dan Snyder. The only thing that we ask of our talent is that they be solid with the facts and fair with their reporting. So I do not expect anyone on our air including John Riggins to shy away from fairly challenging the Redskins or any topic that we discuss on the station.”   

Williams: What is your ultimate goal for ESPN 980AM?

Gilbert: “We want to be the sports station of record for Washington. We want to use our very talented hosts to break news. So we have some of the most gifted talent on radio in the country so that is good news for our listeners. We want all radio stations want rating and revenue – the only way you get that is by having good talent that the audience trusts. We have that now and it will only get better.”

So items of note and that John Riggins will join Czaban and Pollin on the Monday editions of the Sports Reporters during the football season to help out on Redskins coverage. Also Doc Walker will be the side line reporter on all Redskins broadcasts starting with the pre season.

New line up

6am-10am Mike and Mike in the Morning

10-noon The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Noon -2pm Dock Walker and his new partner Kevin Sheehan

2pm -4pm The John Thompson Show with Brian Mitchell and Al Koken

4pm – 7pm The Sports Reporters with Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin

Play by play home to the Redskins, Wizards, Georgetown, Virginia Tech and the World Series, BCS Bowls, NBA Playoffs, and the Super Bowl.

By: Jim Williams

The Examiner

For over 25 years my job has been to explain ratings, to tear into them and most of the time try to spin them to show advertisers and viewers that my station or regional sports network was doing well.

The Nationals rating released recently showing the stat that 9,000 house holds on average watch the team’s telecast caught this veteran ratings spinner by suprise. The rating should be more like this the Nationals draw a crowd of 25,000 at the park then the TV audience should be around 35 and 50 thousand homes depending on the night of the week and the opponent. That would still be low however more in line with the Washington market.

What caused the ratings to go down?

That answer is simple the team isn’t playing well and there just not seem to enough compelling storylines. Add to that the area is not yet used to following the Nationals. The dedicated fan bease needs time to grow and that will take time.(OK that is a little spin)

Winning equals fans both in the ball park and on television.

So, while I can’t explain away these ratings, the Nationals know better than anyone that when you choice to build a team from the ground up then poor ratings can happen. But show some rebuilding and some new young stars and like Tampa Bay you will reward at the gate as well as in front of the TV.

Are the low ratings MASN’s fault?

I think that it is unfair to blame MASN for the low numbers. I have heard the absurd argument that because the Nationals and the Orioles alternate between MASN and MASN2 fans can’t always find the games.

If you can find NBA basketball on CSN, TNT, ESPN, ABC and even NBA-TV then you should be able to find the Nationals games. Here is a hint – If you see that the O’s are playing on MASN then turn the channel to MASN2. If you can’t figure that out turn in your remote and listen to the games on the radio.

The argument that the Nationals telecasts are not as well done as the Orioles is also hogwash.     

Jon Miller and Joe Morgan could do every game in HD on MASN and that would not add that many more viewers the Nationals broadcast.

Bob Carpenter, Don Sutton and Debbi Taylor are as good a local broadcast team as there is in Major League Baseball. Johnny Holliday and Ray Knight who do the Nats Xtra pre and post game shows are always entertaining and educational to the fans.

As for production the Nationals have the same graphics as the Orioles but in a red, white and blue color palate. The production teams headed by Executive Producer Chip Glass are top of the line tech people. The MASN cameraperson’s, tape operators, audio engineers and graphics teams are among the most respected in the business. The crews are shared between both MASN and CSN so many of the same people that work the Wizards and the Caps games are also part of the MASN baseball production team. These same people also work network shoots for FOX, ESPN, CBS, and NBC so they are not chopped liver.

The production facilities MASN uses come from the same company that provides ESPN their remote HD trucks for everything from Sunday Night Baseball to NASCAR.

So to cheapen the efforts or the talents of the people who put the Nationals telecasts on the air for MASN is both unfair and wrong.

There is a problem with the high home camera placement at the new Nationals which is causing everyone problems. Since the press box location is so high the high home camera which is located in the broadcast booth is dramatically affected.

Tim Scanlan the ESPN Vice President, Event Production who over see’s the networks baseball coverage told me “The new Nationals Park provides us with some very challenging camera angles due to the height of the press box camera is quite high and somewhat awkward looking. Not unlike Pittsburgh and some of the other new ball parks. All the other camera locations are fine it just seem like high home was not considered when they built the park.” So for those who wanted to know about the funky angle from the high home game camera it is because the press box is high the camera has a limited range, it is that simple. 

I have spoken to a number of radio and TV broadcasters and production people and they say that Nationals Park is beautiful and a great park for the fans. However, it has worst and most poorly planned out broadcast location in baseball. Some may recall opening night when Jon Miller quipped “I have always wanted to do a game from the top of the Washington Monument and tonight my dream has come true.”

By contrast when they were building Oriole Park Bill Brown who was then the Executive Producer of Home Team Sports (the forerunner to CSN) was involved with every aspect of the construction of the park. He was able to turn the new stadium into a state of the art television studio. The camera angles at Oriole Park are some of the best in all of baseball and fans can thank Brown (now the Senior Producer for FOX Sports) for that. It is too bad that the team in charge of building the Nationals Park did not include the television people in their construction meetings.   

Another issue I hear debated is the one on Broadcast parity.

Both teams get the same money about $25 million a year, both teams are on the same amount of times 81 each on MASN and MASN2 and both teams have the same amount of games on in high definition 40.

Could Comcast have done better?

MASN with the exception of the addition of Gary Thorne has exactly the same broadcast crew on the Orioles as did CSN. It is true that CSN can offer games in HD but I defy anyone to show me an O’s telecast on CSN that is any different than the one’s that air on MASN. I have seen them and they are for the most part the same games.    

What would help…

Comcast and the other cable companies must address the dedication of two HD channels for MASN. We need to be able to have all 81 home games of both teams in HD next season. It would also be great to have all the Wizards and Caps home games in HD when there are conflicts so we need a CSN+ channel.

We could debate forever that Major League Baseball did not deal fairly with the Nationals by giving their television rights to the Orioles owner Peter Angelos. That issue is dead and gone so what we can do is fairly look at what is being done by MASN to make the Nationals telecasts the best they can be.

In the end if the Nationals do not draw an audience and build better ratings that has a direct impact on MASN’s bottom-line. They need both teams to win, to generate fan buzz and to draw rating if not then MASN will not be a successful regional sports network. This is after all at the end of the day a business. Nationals success equals MASN’s success.      

By: Jim Williams

The Examiner

OK let’s start with the former HBO must see “Inside the NFL,” it is moving to Showtime where it will be seen every Wednesday night at 8p.m. just like the old days. However Showtime will have CBS Sports as a partner.

James Brown will serve as the host of the show and he will be joined by Phil Simms and Cris Collinsworth who is the only broadcaster left over from HBO talent pool.

“Phil Simms told me via conference call that he excited about getting a forum for his views: “As a color analyst I have been able to give some of my thoughts but my real role is to comment on the game. Now that I have this forum I will be able to have some fun talking about coaches and quarterbacks – who is doing a good job and who isn’t. I really think that with Cris (Collinsworth) we can have some great arguments that I feel the fans will enjoy.”

Meanwhile, Dan Patrick is now part of the Football Night in America team on NBC and once again working with his old partner Keith Olbermann.

During a media conference call this week Patrick on his new role: “I wanted to work for Dick Ebersol; I wanted to work with Bob Costas; and then you combine that with working with Keith; I've got Collinsworth who is the best analyst in the business, so I was walking into a table that was already set. We'll have fun but we'll have fun because I know all of these people. I covered Collinsworth when he was a rookie for the Bengals."

Obermann on working with Patrick his old ESPN partner: “I know he still gets this and I still get this, people say all the time that 'we wish we could see you guys working together.' As good as he is and as good as I am as opposed to as good as I think I am, when we work together, we're as good as any five people in the business, I think. That's the magic that is clearly not going to be created in any way, shape or form, it just happens. I feel very fortunate that Dan chose to do this and that Dick and Bob and everybody else signed off on it. It's very fortunate to get a second chance to make the proverbial first impression."

One more final media note and that is New York Giants play by play man Bob Papa will be announced within the next week to be Bryant Gumbel’s replacement at the NFL Network. It has been one of the worst kept secrets in broadcasting.

Papa is a talented play by play man and should fit in quite well with Cris Collinsworth on the Thursday and Saturday broadcasts.    

Scott Garceau to give up his daily sportscast   

By: Jim Williams

The Examiner

The dean of Baltimore sportscasters Scott Garceau announced that he will no loner be doing the five day a week sportscast on WMAR after 20 years with station.

In an Exclusive with the Examiner Scott Garceau stated “I am glad to continue my relationship with ABC2. This isn’t the final chapter, instead a new beginning. I look forward to remain working on the special events that have made ABC2 Sports’ local coverage second to none. I hope to be able work on a number of projects with ESPN and other opportunities that are now open to me. So this is a good thing and I will have the best of both world’s special projects with ABC2 and some play by play gigs that I have really missed doing.” 

IBll Hooper, ABC2/WMAR-TV General Manger and Vice President told said “Scott will be a part of the station and we will be doing many projects together. We have spoken a number of times about what is best for both Scott and the station and in the end we agreed that the best thing for both Scott and WMAR is to work together of sports specials. We want to give Scott the time and the resources to do specials. He simply can’t do that now in a three minute sportscast. In the end I really feel that this is the best thing for both of us.”

After July 3, Garceau will work on special projects for ABC2 including play by play for college lacrosse and The Turkey Bowl, as well as special Ravens, Orioles, and Preakness coverage.  The move will allow Garceau to pursue other broadcast opportunities, both regionally and nationally.

His replacement has not yet been named.

What we are seeing is a change in the way news is being done on local TV. Sports are no longer a major part of the local newscast. The news is driven by 18 to 49 women and they want more weather, more features and fewer sports. That is why in a half hour newscast you will see at least three seven day weather forecasts.

This is not just at WMAR but it is the case at WBAL and WJZ as well. The three minute sportscast is the way both stations handle their allotment of sports.

Only FOX 45 Sports Director Bruce Cunningham has more than three minutes. He boasts almost six minutes each night but he is part of a one hour 10pm newscast.

Most sports fans get their news from ESPN, CSN or the internet and they know the information long before the 5, 6, 10 or 11pm newscast rolls around.

So we say good night to Scott Garceau at least as an every night sportscaster. Trust me in about three to five years there will be no local sports on the nightly newscast       

Baltimore’s Lynn Doyle teaching NASCAR to women

By: Jim Williams

The Examiner

CN8 Lynn Doyle has taken up the cause of teaching women more about how NASCAR works. The Baltimore native hosts “It’s Your Call with Lynn Doyle” on CN8 Monday through Friday nights at 9pm to 10pm.

Doyle has launched a very popular segment on her show called “Trackside 101”and it looks at all aspects of NASCAR from driving to the pit crews and everything in between.

Doyle on NASCAR: “I have learned a great deal about the sport and it has a lot of fun and the drivers as well as the entire NASCAR family have been very good to me. I learned about the art of bump drafting and I used to do that on my way to classes at Towson – my Alma matter- on the 695 Beltway so yes I can relate to that. I think fans will learn a lot about the sport and the women come up to me and tell me they now know more than their husbands about NASCAR.”

Doyle on Baltimore and NASCAR: “Baltimore is a great NASCAR city. It is too bad that there is not a race track there. I am sure that they would do as well as Dover. I must also say that Baltimore fans know NASCAR and many have called my show and stopped me talking about how much they love NASCAR. Make no mistake about Charm City is NASCAR Country.”  

The Trackside 101 series has been very successful and drivers Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, David Ragan, and Kenny Wallace and their families have lined up to be on Doyle’s show.

Trackside 101 with Lynn Doyle is on tonight at 9pm on CN8. Check it out you just might learn something.    

By: Jim Williams

The Examiner

For NBC the Kentucky Derby it was the best of time and it was the worst of times. They did a wonderful job covering the impressive win of Big Brown and caught flack for their coverage or lack thereof in the story of death of Eight Belles.

Such was not the case Saturday at the Preakness where once again the network proved that they were indeed on top of their game on thoroughbred racing coverage.

At 4:30p.m. NBC producer Sam Flood and host Bob Costas addressed the issues of “The State of Horseracing in America.” It was Costas at his best hosting a round table discussion first on the death of Eight Belles and then on the many issues that face the industry as a whole. Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones, NBC's horse racing analyst Gary Stevens, Churchill Downs veterinarian Larry Bramlage, Alex Waldrop, CEO of the NTRA and veteran New York Times columnist William Rhoden had a spirited debate on the issues and while they did not solve any problems they certainly advanced the discussion.

At 5p.m. the race coverage began and every possible angle of Big Brown was covered by Costas, Tom Hammond, and two-time Preakness winner Stevens.  Meanwhile contributing analysts/handicappers Mike Battaglia and Bob Neumeier; reporter Kenny Rice and on-track reporter Donna Barton-Brothers covered the horses every move.

Stevens showed his wonderful knowledge by describing prior to the race what track Big Brown would have to travel to win the race. He pointed out that Big Brown had to avoid the problems of being caught in the tight first turn at Pimilico and then hang around either third or forth place while traveling down the backstretch and then turn it on as Big Brown rounded the post and headed for home.

That was exact the course that jockey Kent Desormeaux took to winning the 133^rd Preakness.

Director David Michaels (Al’s brother) did a great job of covering the pre race activities and made Old Hill Top hill look like a million dollars.

Then once the race began again Michaels did not miss a single shot of Big Browns impressive Preakness victory. I also loved the replay of the race from the blimp it really shows all the moves that Big Brown on the road to his way to the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

When I asked Flood about NBC now handing the Triple Crown coverage over to ABC who will carry the Belmont in three weeks he said “I won’t lie I wished that we had all three races. But in the end we want to do what is best for the sport and we about how we have taken this great story about Big Brown two thirds of the way home. Now we will all watch and see if history is made at Belmont.”

For one day in May we can thank NBC for making Pimlico look like a real jewel in racings Triple Crown. Let’s hope that it is here for many years to come and we are not watching The Preakness from Delaware, Florida or California a couple of years from now.             

Mark down to be in front of your TV or set your TiVo for 4:30pm on NBC today. You are not going to want to miss a very special round table discussion on the Future of the Horse Racing Industry in this country.

NBC Sports' Bob Costas will lead the discussion that will examine the tragic death of filly Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby and the challenges that lie ahead for the horse racing industry.  Joining Costas will be Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones, NBC's horse racing analyst Gary Stevens, Churchill Downs veterinarian Larry Bramlage, Alex Waldrop, CEO of the NTRA and veteran New York Times columnist William Rhoden.

Preakness producer Sam Flood also told me that if there are protests by either PETA or the Human Society of America that they will be addressed as news stories and covered in the pre race show.

At 5pm from Old Hill Top race coverage begins and is co-hosted by Tom Hammond and Costas alongside two-time Preakness winner Stevens.  NBC Sports' broadcast team also includes race-caller Tom Durkin; contributing analysts/handicappers Mike Battaglia and Bob Neumeier; reporter Kenny Rice and on-track reporter Donna Barton-Brothers, who retired in 1998 after an impressive 11-year career as a jockey.  

Producer Sam Flood on what makes the Preakness special: “The Kentucky Derby is more formal, but the Peakness is a wonderful garden party. The fans at Pimlico embrace that fun and it makes this really a fans race.”

Flood on Big Brown and the network’s coverage: “Big Brown is the story there is no doubt about that. We will follow his every move and of course we will give viewers every plenty of background on all 12 horses in the race but the focus has to be on Big Brown he is the only one in the field that has a chance at the Triple Crown.”

Here is the Preakness coverage by the numbers:  

25 cameras

52 hours of pre production

Broadcasters: Bob Costas, Tom Hammond, Gary Stevens, Bob Neumeier, Mike Battaglia, Kenny Rice, Donna Brothers, Tom Durkin (race caller).

Producer: Sam Flood

Director: David Michaels (Al's brother)

Trucks: 12 total trucks in compound

Crew: 150

Broadcast hours: 2 - most ever network coverage of Preakness.

By: Jim Williams

The Examiner

Kenny Mayne is excited about the 133^rd running of the Preakness and he can’t wait till Saturday to see he action. He and Randy Moss will anchor ESPN’s coverage of all the pre race activities starting Friday and then all day Saturday from noon till 4:30pm when they hand things off to NBC for race coverage.

Mayne on the Preakness: “This is a one horse race. Big Brown is such a wonderful horse to watch and I said before the Kentucky Derby that I thought that he was a real Superstar and so did a great many other people but this horse is really something special and a true Triple Crown contender.”

 Mayne on the future of the Preakness: “Look I love coming to Baltimore and the people at Pimlico have been wonderful to me. That said of the three Triple Crown race tracks they could use a coat of paint out there. But it is the race that matter and what the track looks like is not important simply put the Preakness at Pimlico is special as are the people behind the scenes that make the race come off without a hitch each year. So I hope that the race stays in Baltimore for another 133 years. I also hope that the people of Maryland understand how special that the horse racing industry is to the state and that they appreciate what they have in the Preakness because it can be taken away.”

 Mayne on the death of eight Belles: “That was one of the saddest things that I have ever seen. I know that the Vet and all of the people that cover racing said that they had never seen such a bad break in both legs at the same time. I really don’t know what happened and do think that we need to look into how the horses are bread and how we get them ready to race. I am all for investigating and learning more about why these deaths happen and how we can make the sport safer for horses and the jockeys.”

Anyone wanting to meet Kenny Mayne can today from noon till 2pm at Pimlico where he will be signing copies of his new book An Incomplete and Inaccurate History of Sport. It is a great read and like the author plenty of laughs. 

 You can also get the book from www.kennymaynehaswrittenabook.com

What can Big Brown — named for UPSbecause of his owner’s ties to the company

—    do for you? Apparently make money.

Dave Johnson who has spent over 40 years following the Triple Crown and 25 of them calling the race for ABC Sports says that "Is is Big Brown and all the little browns. I really think that he is an impressive a favorite as we have seen in years."

Johnson will go over all the entries in the crowed 20 horse field this morning on his show at 10am on Sirius 127.    

 Another view comes fom  NBC on-track reporter Donna Barton- Brothers: “Big Brown has proven he’s the fastest while Pyro and Colonel John have been battle-tested. I can’t see any of the remaining 17 horses that will be running in the Derby as being good enough to beat any of these top three.”

Today things get underway at 11am on ESPN2 with Churchill Downs Today then the show to ESPN at noon. There will be a special at 3pm the network will air a special on The Derby.  

Kenny Mayne and Rece Davis, analysts Jerry Bailey, Randy Moss and Jeannine Edwards, handicapper Hank Goldberg and reporters Jay Privman and Steve Cyphers will handle the broadcasting duties. 

At 4pm NBC takes over with former area radio personality and Access Hollywood host Billy Bush doing red carpet show Access at the Kentucky Derby

"The Derby is a legendary event," said Bush.  "My goal will be to add fun and help build excitement for the race without distracting from the tradition of Derby day and people's passion for it.  That said, there should be some moments."

At 5 p.m. NBC Sports race coverage begins with Tom Hammond and Bob Costas co-hosting the Derby alongside three-time Derby winner Gary Stevens.  NBC Sports' broadcast team also includes race-caller Tom Durkin; contributing analysts Mike Battaglia and Bob Neumeier; reporter Kenny Rice and on-track reporter Donna Barton Brothers, who retired in 1998 after an impressive 11-year career as a jockey.

NBC will also have post race coverage and the trophy presentation.

Dave Johnson will have a special edition of Down The Stretch airing from 10am till noon on Sirius 127 and then at 5pm ESPN Radio will cover all the pre race, race and post race action live.