CAN SPORTS SACK LOCAL NEWS?

Since I've been working at CBS in New York City, several of our weekend local newscasts have been canceled - either Saturday at 6 pm or the Sunday 6:30 pm show - because a sporting event ran longer than expected. Sometimes, the game would feature teams cross-country from the Tri-State area, but the network would still commit to the final buzzer. That just shows you the overall power of sports in our society. A hard-working, deadline-driven, pressure-filled team of writers, editors, producers, reporters and anchors can create a 30-minute show down to the second, but a last-second, game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation can completely erase someone else's purpose for going to work on a given day. Quite interesting.

Well, I spoke with former CBS Sports Senior Vice President of Production and Programming, Rick Gentile (pictured), to learn more about the local news business, how it's adapted to emerging electronic media technologies and its future in competition with sports television.

Mr. Gentile, who was previously a 10-time Emmy Award-winning sportscaster, headed CBS' coverage of the Winter Olympic Games from 1992 to '98 in Albertville, Lillehammer and Nagano. Currently, he is a sports management professor at Seton Hall University where he recently directed the Seton Hall Sports Poll, the first-ever university-based, ongoing polling service.

Q: What are your thoughts on the current state of local news in regards to quality and viewership?
A: I think local news has not changed all that much in quality over the years. It's obviously easier to get live feeds from the field and local stations have all increased the number of live-field reports. I find that true not just in the New York market, but in smaller markets as well. I have a house in Pennsylvania that receives Scranton local stations, and while the quality is not up to New York standards, they still feature multiple live or taped field reports throughout the show. I think viewership has probably not suffered as much as overall network viewership - too many choices, etc. But the landscape is extremely competitive, and even if viewership decreases, quality will continue to improve, especially technologically.

Q: What factors go into deciding whether a sporting event should extend into the local news time slot? Who makes those decisions?
A: The decision as to whether sports will run over into news time is made ultimately by the local station. It always has the ability to pull the plug on the network, but rarely does so to avoid incurring the wrath of the viewers. It's hard to justify cutting off the last few minutes of a close contest or even a blowout to go to local news. In the case of sports running into the network news, that decision is made jointly by the sports and news divisions of the network. Again, usually sports wins and stays on and the news broadcast is shortened or completely eliminated. That's not a big deal on the network level, but a local news show that is eliminated carries a significant cost factor. In some cases, with the PGA Tour and NFL for example, the networks are contractually committed to stay to the end of the event.

Q: Do networks see that 30-minute news window, which is a couple of times per day, as a blockade from adding more sports programming?
A: I do not believe the networks see the local news show as problematic. If an event needs to be scheduled past the news window, such as the Masters and the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, the network will notify stations well ahead of time. Networks are generally capable of scheduling comfortably, allowing for an off time of 6 pm on weekends except for the examples I mentioned before, such as the Masters. Runover is another issue as I discussed earlier.

Q: If networks add more sporting events to their programming, can local news see its demise? If not entirely, what about news during the weekend when most games are going on?
A: I do not see more sports programming on the networks affecting local news, and rarely does it impact weekday news broadcasts. The issue is almost exclusively a weekend issue except for those rare weekday sportscasts which are scheduled well in advance, so the stations know what's in store for them. Affiliated stations need that local news time for revenue purposes. They make more money on the 30 minutes of local news than on the local spots they would get in those corresponding 30 minutes of network sports. If the network sports divisions want the continued cooperation and clearance of local stations, they need to respect the financial needs of those stations. And local news is a big part of those financial needs.

Q: With the advent of streamline video, newscasts are transitioning into webcasts. Is this reason enough that networks can say, "There's a higher financial demand for sports television, so if you want to watch the news, turn to the Internet?"
A: But the problem is that there isn't necessarily more money in sports, certainly not for the local stations. Networks need cooperation from the stations; the majority of stations are not owned by the network. If the stations revolt and refuse to carry the network's sports programming, which raises all sorts of other issues, the networks will be hard-pressed to command the kind of advertising rates without the 100 percent clearance they're accustomed to. Those sports programs generally do not make money for the local stations. They add an audience that carries over into local programming, like news, that does make money. It's a symbiotic relationship, but there's a delicate balance that has to be maintained.

Q: Would you say the Dan Rather, Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw era of news anchors is ancient now?
A: I think the days of the "Voice of God" anchor are probably coming to an end. The audiences for those shows have really eroded over time at a higher rate than general network programming. I think network news will continue to try to be more entertaining and start to resemble morning news shows more and more - more teases, more promotion, more women correspondents if not anchors, etc. The networks will try whatever it takes to get more people to watch. Obviously, simply presenting "hard news" as Dan Rather used to say isn't getting it done.

Q: Do young people, 18 to 34, really care about who's anchoring the news? Aren't they more attuned to sports TV personalities who nowadays act more like entertainers?
A: I don't think young people care whether Tom Brokaw or Bob Schieffer or whoever is anchoring the network news shows because I don't think young people are watching at all. If they are watching anything it's CNN and FOX News, but more likely they're going to the web for their news fix if they're going anywhere at all. I think, for the most part, the networks have given up trying to get young people to watch network news shows, or news magazine shows for that matter. They probably are more attuned to sports personalities - not necessarily TV sports personalities. I don't think they care if Jim Nantz or Bob Costas is hosting a show. It's the show or event that counts and has to be compelling. Very few on-air personalities can command an audience: John Madden to some extent in football, John McEnroe in tennis, maybe Dick Vitale in basketball and possibly Charles Barkley. For the most part, the game's the thing.

Q: Do you think the local news broadcast will change its format in the future? If so, how?
A: I think local news broadcasts are always changing to adapt to or try to attract new audiences. Graphics are always changing and music is becoming more and more a presence. That's not a new phenomenon. It's the constant mandate for local news to try to attract new audiences - attempts to hire younger, hipper anchors and more minority representatives depending on the market. But keep in mind that local news is not network news - two completely different animals.

Q: If 24-hour local news channels exist, such as New York 1, why do networks still compete with each other over their local news programs when they're essentially airing the same content?
A: Because there's money to be made in broadcasting local news. The costs are controllable to a great extent and it gives the local station an opportunity to brand itself in the community. For example, this past weekend the Scranton CBS station preempted all the network basketball games on Saturday to air the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Scranton from 1 to 4 pm. [The parade] is sold all the time and [the station] keeps all the money. Local news gives stations the opportunity to endear themselves to the local market. So yes, they all air the same stories, but they all try to give [their audiences] the personality of the station. There is often a combining of news shows - two or more stations in the same market might air the exact same news show - but each sells it separately. Local news is critical to local stations.

Q: Right now, the FCC restricts the number of hours per day and per week a station can air network programming. The only exceptions are long-running sporting events and major news events. Do you think these rules will change?
A: The FCC rules are always changing to some degree, but no, I don't think they will change too drastically. The point is to avoid monopoly of news distribution - allow for many voices in each community. In giving networks the right to own more stations representing a higher percentage of homes in the U.S., the FCC is already granting the networks more power over public opinion. If the only voice the viewer hears is the voice of Viacom or G.E. or Disney or FOX, we're all in trouble. That's why local stations are important bearers of information to the community. There are other FCC rules covering public service announcements, equal time and access to candidates prior to elections, obscenity issues, etc. Each network has a program practices division stocked with lawyers overseeing programming and issuing proclamations.

Q: If sports can't entirely take over local news, can reality shows be added to the equation, especially when you consider "American Idol" dominated the Winter Olympics in ratings?
A: I don't see reality shows cutting into local time any more than sports. "American Idol" beat the Olympics this time around. Maybe next time the Olympics beat "American Idol," but they lose to the next great sitcom or drama. Who knows? But the one thing I think will continue as long as the TV environment stays on the same course is that local news, and generally local programming, will continue to be a cash cow for the local stations. Many stations would rather run "Oprah," or "Jeopardy," or "Wheel of Fortune" than any network show.

NBA ANNOUNCES CURE TO ARRHYTHMIAS

Since my recent interview with Miami Heat cardiologist Dr. Edward Neff regarding this season's NBA arrhythmias, the league has passed a rule that requires every team to check for cardiovascular disease.

Sports Illustrated reported in its March 6th issue that the "NBA established guidelines for player physicals, after a spate of heart-related problems in the last year. All players must now undergo echocardiograms, heart imaging exams that can detect defects missed by the electrocardiograms players now take. The change is meant to address a string of cardiac incidents: In October the death of Hawks center Jason Collier was traced to an enlarged heart. Former Timberwolves guard Fred Hoiberg and free-agent forward Robert Traylor are out for the year with heart ailments, and Lakers top draft pick Ronny Turiaf missed most of the season. The NBA is the first pro league to make echocardiograms mandatory."

STILL SPORTS SAVVY AT 98 YEARS OLD

South Florida resident Ray Mooney was watching this year's NBA All-Star Game, but like everyone else not at the Toyota Center in Houston, she was unaware of an unusual occurrence in the fourth quarter. During a timeout, the Miami Heat's 51 to 80-year-old dance group called the Golden Oldies stole the spotlight with a performance to the hip-hop song "Gold Digger." But back east, Ray hardly missed a move, heating up her own sports fever as a super golden oldie. Just shy of her 98th birthday, she is the oldest member of a sports-simulated aerobic class at her Forest Trace retirement community in Ft. Lauderdale. It seems as though she couldn't control her game-time emotions solely on the edge of her couch.

"I can't participate in sports, but by watching sports, it stimulates me," Mooney says. "It stimulates me mentally, it stimulates me physically. I get excited. I jump up and cheer for my players, my teams. And when I go to exercises, even our exercises simulate organized sports. We do it sitting down in a chair. In one of our exercises, we pretend that we're rowing. We bend forward, move our arms back, move our arms forward. And then we pretend that we're swimming and we do the breast stroke, we do the overhand stroke, we do the back stroke. So even our exercises simulate sports."

She thinks it's a wonderful idea that the Heat showcases a senior citizen booty-shaking troupe, especially when most in-game entertainment uses a youthful, tootsie-roll approach. But the sports audience is aging as the baby boomer market expands. I spoke further with Ms. Mooney to understand why sports has stuck with her through the years, how her senior residence promotes game-time participation and how she thinks television can market more toward the elderly.

Q: Tell me about how you first fell in love with sports.
A: Until I was about 14 years of age, I was never interested in sports. But while at Erasmus High School [in Brooklyn], I joined a field hockey team. Those of us who went to high school were all required to enter some sport. There we met young men who were into basketball, so we learned about basketball. We became cheerleaders for the team. We became involved with the sports. It was activity that was pleasurable and we enjoyed it. It was fun. I remember when I was 16, I had a boyfriend who played basketball for his high school. And although I never saw him play, he would tell me about his games and I became very interested in them. Actually, as an aside, he suffered a very serious injury and developed infections and they were not able to cure him and eventually he had to have his leg amputated. But when I was about 17, I had a date to a Columbia versus Navy football game. I was working at that time as a bookkeeper and one of my early boyfriends was attracted to me and took me to the game. I was wearing a raccoon coat - in what those days you used to wear - and it was very cold. I had never been to a football game - that was the first time I ever had, which is why it's my greatest sports memory. He enjoyed teaching me about football and I enjoyed learning about football and watching it, so it was pleasurable for both of us. And then, if we married - as many of us did - to a man who was a lover of sports, they introduced us to sports as my husband, David, did to me. When I met David, he was a basketball player. He played center for his team. He was one of the tall ones. In that generation, six feet was very tall. Of course, I went to all his games and learned more about the games and the more you learn about a sport, the more interested you become in it and the more you want to see more sports. That's what it's all about. If you're exposed to it when you're young, you continue with that love that you seem to develop when you are young. And it continued on.

Q: How did it progress?
A: Later on, my two sons contributed to my interest in sports. When Steven became an oarsman, we went to see all his boat races. When Leonard became a swordsman, we went to all his fencing meets. When my grandchildren participated in their sports - basketball, track and field, etc. - they increased my love of sports. And my husband and I became interested in all those sports and the more we knew about them, the more we watched them on TV. From that, I went to the newspapers and started to read about sports. I owe my interest in sports, and the fact that I am keeping up with sports today, to the fact that along the way people taught me the rules and what to look for and why certain things were important - what the scoring was about, who some of the referees were, etc. Sports have really sustained me through the years when more or less now I'm committed just to watching them on TV and I continue to read about them in the newspapers.

Q: What sports do you like?
A: I enjoy tennis, I like baseball, I like basketball, I like football. I don't care for wrestling, I don't care for boxing. I think ice hockey is too frivolous. I've been watching the Winter Olympics and some of those feats that they're performing are absolutely death-defying.

Q: How would you say Forest Trace and its residents view sports?
A: I live in a retirement home where we are between 70 and 102 years old. Many of us are ardent sports fans and enjoy watching the games. As an example, I sit at a table with six people for dinner and out of the six people, and we're all women, three of us enjoy sports. Our management is also sports-minded and, because they are, it keeps us alert, stimulated and happy. They turn our residence into a "sports stadium" on special sports event days, such as the World Series, the All-Star Game and the Super Bowl. On these occasions, our dining room is decorated with pictures of the sports teams with pendants, and even our staff as well as all the residents come to the dining room dressed in T-shirts with the name of their favorite team or favorite athlete emblazoned on the back. The food served in the dining room is what we would be getting at the arena: hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks and even beers. After dinner, we all enjoy watching the game together on [Forest Trace's] giant TV screen. The cheering, the applauding, the booing make it seem as if we are right there at the stadium. We're so proud of our young athletes - their skills, their athleticism - and we only wish that more of them would remember that there are many, very young people who are also proud of their prowess and look up to them. It is the responsibility, I feel, of these star athletes to lead law-abiding and healthy lives - free from drugs - and to be good role models for these youngsters.

Q: Are there notices posted for upcoming sporting events?
A: They make announcements, it's on the bulletin board, it's in our newsletter. Although there are over 400 people living here, many of them are home-bound and can't come down to watch. Or sometimes it's too cold and they don't go out. But we had about 60, 70 people who came down to see the Super Bowl, so it's a big turnout for us because they have to walk outside to go across to the TV room. Sometimes, the TV room is too small and we go into the big theater.

Q: Is there any betting going on?
A: [Forest Trace] allows us to bet a dollar on the winning score or the score at the end of the half or the particular player who is scoring the most points.

Q: Does Forest Trace provide transportation to sporting events?
A: They've taken us to the horse races. They've taken us to the casinos.

Q: Have you ever gone?
A: I went to the horse races. In fact, one time I was one of the people chosen to appear with the winning horse. They took pictures with us and everything.

Q: When you attend a game or watch it on television, do you feel that your demographic is under covered?
A: No, I don't think so. I think they give us a lot of pleasure. They make us feel young, they make us feel that we're not old at all, that we're back in our youth at the stadium itself enjoying the roar of the crowd, the excitement. No, I don't think they leave us out at all. They appeal to my generation as well as to the middle-aged generation. They appeal to all ages. They appeal to all races. You don't even have to know the language to enjoy them. I think that sports is a wonderful thing.

Q: What are your thoughts on sports ads associated with alcohol?
A: That doesn't bother me. But I don't like to see people drinking anything to excess. I don't enjoy them throwing bottles down on the field and sometimes injuring some of the players because they were angry when the players didn't do something right. I don't mind moderate beer drinking or a cocktail or two. I don't think that's offensive to any of us. I don't think they should be guzzling beer - that would be awful and if they showed pictures of that, I wouldn't like it at all.

Q: So, what would be your ideal commercial?
A: I think older people have a lot to offer to younger people because most of us have led good lives, most of us have supported children, grandchildren, sacrificed our roles for better living. They can make a commercial like that. That would be good. I mean, there are many people here who can be role models for the younger people to see what happens after living a life of poverty and who were working hard and succeeding at what we do. Certainly, they would have a lot to contribute in a commercial. Absolutely. In the world, at least the United States, the average age is up in the 70's. The life span used to be like the 55 range, but now you have many 100-year-old people. My two sisters died at 103.

Q: Sports attitudes and perspectives have also significantly changed within the last 10 years. Does anything jump out at you?
A: I think everything changes as sports have changed also. The rules have changed. I think that in some instances the rules have been an improvement and in other instances, I feel that not enough attention is paid to physical things. I mean, some sports are too physical and it's heart-wrenching to us to find somebody ending up in a wheelchair because of something that happened on the field. I feel that some of the fouls that they call are not punished enough. They should absolutely take somebody off the field all together if they use violence. I don't like that at all. That is not something that has changed for the better. Years ago, you didn't see that.

Q: Do any of the residents surf the web for sports news and scores?
A: No, there are very few residents who use the computer. They would like us all to be computer literate. They have three computers downstairs. But I don't think you can get enough older people going to websites. Their memories aren't good. From one lesson to the next, they'll forget. They do what they can for them, but their memories... Even I - I'm looking for words that I can't even find - common-usage words I've used all my life I have forgotten. I just don't remember. Our memories don't last very long. It is what was in the past that we remember. We don't remember the present so much. They did give us lessons for a while, but they've stopped now. Last time we had someone to teach us, three people showed up. The people here, at our age level, they're more concerned with their daily living - getting by without getting into trouble. Last night at dinner, one of them dropped dead right in the dining room. They cordoned off the whole area. They gave him CPR, they used a defibrillator, they did all kinds of things to him, but he was gone. So, you know, these are the things you see. If you see a person today, tomorrow the person might be gone or at the hospital.

Q: I understand. Well, for the ones who are able and healthy, what would you recommend to get them more involved in sports?
A: There needs to be more teaching of the sport itself and you'll get more older people watching. Old people, who can be home-bound or who just have no other form of entertainment, spend a lot of time watching TV, so if they learned more fine points about the games, they would watch them more often. At least I would. That's what old people need to know - they need to understand the games in order to develop an interest in them. For instance, I've been watching poker on TV. They play some kind of strange poker, Texas-style poker. But before every broadcast, they explain exactly the importance of certain cards, what a pair is, what's better than a pair, what's better than a flush. When you watch the actual play, they show you the cards in the hands and it's very interesting because you know that one hand is better than the other hand.

Q: Overall, what are the benefits of being part of a sports-friendly family?
A: I think it kept us together as a family. We all shared a common interest. When my grandchildren grew up, they joined the little leagues. We all went to watch them play ball. We were united by watching them play and enjoying the sport. It's very important for families to share things together, especially in today's times when people are so far apart. When I talk to my family when they're in New York and I'm in Florida, we're talking about sports and this is a wonderful thing. It's something that we're both interested in and we can share together.