Sports anchor Len Berman, six months after WNBC ouster, keeps many irons in the fire

No retirement for a broadcasting biggie/Len Berman

It’s been six months since Len Berman was forced out of his cushy anchor job at WNBC. The longtime sportscaster has a void to fill, especially at this time of the year.

“[If] the Yankees are in the playoffs against the Red Sox [thereafter lost in the first round] or the World Series against the Dodgers … man, it’s gonna feel a little funny.”

As the playoffs unfolded, Berman returned to the air on WOR radio as a part-time contributor talking sports with John Gambling, Mondays and Fridays at 8:10 a.m.“…just to practice broadcasting, remembering how to do it,” Berman said.

Berman has other projects on the horizon too.

He is excited about a pair of sports books geared for children.

“The Greatest Moments in Sports” will appear on bookshelves next month, complete with an audio CD voiced by Berman. Then “The 25 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time” will publish in October 2010. For that title Berman gathered a panel, including former New York Yankee Bernie Williams, to vote on the best.

He has authored three previous books, two with a focus on kids.

The longtime WNBC sports anchor said he is in talks for a TV return, but cautioned it wouldn’t be in the familiar role.

”I’ve done it,” Berman, 62, admitted. “The other more important reason is I’ve really enjoyed seeing my wife at night.” He said not having “to head into the city every day with a coat and tie … is really a great, much more relaxing lifestyle.”

In Berman’s last conversation with Examiner.com in April, he discussed the possibility of his popular monthly sports highlights and bloopers, “Spanning the World,” being syndicated.

While still hopeful, Berman said, “It’s not in the forefront. … We just haven’t found the right fit or right approach. … I think there’s a place for it somewhere; I just don’t see it on the immediate horizon.”

More promising, however, is another of Berman’s TV creations—“Sports Fantasy.”

“We’re in talks with producers and cable networks in the hopes of bringing that back,” Berman said. “It’s one of the first reality shows really. It’s kind of tame by today’s reality standards.”

Berman’s “Sports Fantasy,” which began while working in Boston in the 1970s, gained popularity as a segment on NBC’s SportsWorld in the 1980s.

The title was derived from people who would live out their dreams alongside their heroes, participating in a mock one-on-one with the player.

He said a modern version would not likely play well on NBC this time around. But Berman remains convinced that there is a place for sports in local newscasts, despite the economic downturn.

“I’m an optimist. I don’t view this as the end of the world. I always view it as there’s always a good place for sports.”

He believes fans want to know how their local teams did, and will tune in for it.

Berman's pet project is his Web site: www.lenbermansports.com. There he offers a daily top 5 of hot sports topics. He said the total number of subscribers that get the list e-mailed each day is in the “thousands.”

“It’s a great way to interact. I get tons of e-mails from readers every day. … That’s been a great outlet for me over the last six months,” Berman said.

As for expanding his Web writings to include video, “That’s another area that some people [friends] are pursuing. …and they want me to be a part of it.”

Berman also isn’t ruling out the possibility of being creative on children’s television.
“All options are open.” Berman conceded, “People keep e-mailing me, but nothing is imminent.”

Since Berman left WNBC, he has witnessed the station’s, once-vaunted, 5 p.m. newscast canceled, in lieu of lifestyle show “LX New York.” He said it was hard to see it taken off the air.

“I’m big on institutions. It’s always sad to see [them] go away. I was sad for Sue Simmons, who has been the face of ‘Live of Five’ since day one [in 1980].”

The famed sports anchor recalled some of the celebrity sightings [Bruce Springsteen, Milton Berle, Jerry Lewis] that were among the most “amazing experiences of my life” while working on “Live at Five.”

Despite the history and longevity at WNBC, Berman admitted, “I haven’t watched Channel 4 [newscasts] since [leaving in March]. I have to say that’s one thing I haven’t done.”