Podcasting: Yours truly on Sports Media Weekly; ESPN’s BCS plans, NBC’s Olympics plans, and farewell to Keith Thibault

Posted on by

Many thanks to Keith Thibault and Ken Fang for having me on this week.

Here’s a link to the podcast and the rundown from Ken:

*The FCC announcing it is looking into eliminating sports blackouts and how it could or could not affect the National Football League.

*ESPN unveiling its six channel “Megacast” for the BCS National Championship Game.

*NBC telling the world of its coverage plans for the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the amount of hours both online and on television.

*ESPN’s Outside the Lines winning a prestigious award despite being buried on Sunday mornings and on weekday afternoons.

*Also the lack of promotion for the new ESPN book “League of Denial” while Colin Cowherd’s book has become a bestseller.

*********

Also, earlier this week, Keith announced that he will shut down his Sports Media Journal blog on Jan. 1. He works a full-time job in broadcasting and doesn’t feel he has the time required to devote to the site.

Keith said he was taken aback by the heart-felt response he got from people in the business. It really shouldn’t have been a surprise.

Keith is a classy guy who set out to report on sports media in a straightforward way. He was fair, and that’s all anyone can ask for in this world.

Personally, I always appreciated all the support I have received from Keith and Ken. While I look forward to continue to work with Ken, I will miss having Keith with us.

Best of luck, Keith. Hope to see you down the road.

 

 

Q/A with Al Michaels: On why he likes calling Bears games, state of NFL, and his most famous call

Posted on by

My latest Chicago Tribune column is a Q/A with Al Michaels.

You also can access the column via my Twitter feed at Sherman_Report.

Here’s an excerpt:

*********

If circumstances play out, Al Michaels could find himself on the call for three straight Bears games.

Michaels and his NBC colleagues will work the Bears-Eagles game Sunday night. There’s a strong possibility NBC will be at Soldier Field on the evening of Dec. 29 if Bears-Packers is for the NFC North title. Under flexible scheduling guidelines, the NFL will announce Monday its selection for the final Sunday night game of the season.

Finally, if the Bears go to the playoffs, Michaels could be on hand if their first-round game is on wild card Saturday. NBC will air both games that day.

All in all, it could be quite a Bears feast for Michaels. The 69-year-old announcer always relishes doing Bears games, ever since his first in 1986 when he took over the play-by-play duties for ABC’s “Monday Night Football.”

Here’s my interview with Michaels.

How would you feel about doing three straight Bears games?

It’s hard to speculate. It also could be three straight Philadelphia games. The Bears make for great TV. They’re always a good story.

You always have had a special affinity for calling Bears games. Why?

It starts with the history. The Bears are one of those iconic teams, like Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Dallas, that people want to watch. The name just resonates. If you go, “Jacksonville Jaguars,” people go “What?” For teams like the Bears and Packers, it’s different.

It doesn’t matter what kind of year they’re having. People forget for a moment what their record is.

What are your memories of calling Bears games?

I remember the night it was raining sideways and the wind was blowing 40 miles per hour (a 33-6 Packers win in 1994). We had a preseason game in the ’90s that was canceled midway through the third quarter because of thunderstorms. We had a phenomenal overtime game with Jets, with the turf coming up in Cap Boso’s facemask. There was the guy jumping out of the stands to catch an extra point.

I can’t say there’s one game. Rather, it is a compilation of games through the years. There’s always a lot of excitement with the Bears.

Posted in NFL

The year in sports media: Incomplete for Fox Sports 1; Up for Olbermann, down for Beadle

Posted on by

My latest column for the National Sports Journalism Center at Indiana University reviews the year in sports media. It never was dull.

*********

Wow, that was fast. At this time a year ago, we had no idea Manti Te’o was mourning a fake girlfriend; that Keith Olbermann would be in again at ESPN and Michelle Beadle out at NBC; and that a new sports cable network would trot out an 81-year-old Regis Philbin as an example of new and innovative programming.

Yes, 2013 has been quite a year for sports media. Some ups, more than a few downs, and many in-betweens. Here’s my review.

Fox Sports 1: Easily, the biggest story of the year in sports media, and it figures to have an effect on the landscape for many years to come. As you would expect, Fox came out blazing for its new sports cable operation with a big promotion campaign, promising a fun alternative to that stale bunch in Bristol. Some of the new stuff looks promising (Canadaian import anchors Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole) and some was just puzzling. (Regis in a scattershot afternoon show?)

However, given ESPN’s 35-year head start, Fox Sports 1 faces quite a climb. Not surprisingly, early ratings lag far, far behind.

Fox, though, didn’t get into this as a short-term play. It signaled its intentions by boldly stealing away golf’s U.S. Open from NBC/ESPN, beginning in 2015. Expect more to come from the network. This story is only beginning to be told.

Olbermann: The presence of Fox Sports 1 proved beneficial to Keith Olbermann. He became a prime ESPN counterpunch to the new network. Old is new, and you can come home again. Despite “napalming” those bridges with his messy exit many years ago, Olbermann found his way back with a lively and compelling new show on ESPN2.

Michelle Beadle: Things looked promising for the big hire for NBC Sports Network with the debut of a new show, “The Crossover,” during Super Bowl week. The first attempt with a partner was a disaster, and Beadle going solo also didn’t work. The show was cancelled in September, and she looks done at NBC SN.

Deadspin: The edgy site produced the scoop of the year with the Manti Te’o story. It beat ESPN to the punch by working the nuances of social media. The story also raised questions about whether reporters should have done more to verify if Te’o’s late girlfriend actually existed.

While the “80-percent” source quote (alleging Te’o was in on the conspiracy) was a major flaw in its initial story, landing me on the site’s enemy list for my critique, Deadspin, for better or worse, showed how a non-traditional outlet can become a player for big news in the new media age.

Jason Collins: Sports Illustrated, though, still is capable of delivering. Its coverage of Jason Collins’ coming out as the first gay player in a major professional sport not only dominated the news cycle for several days, it also showed the magazine making a more dramatic shift to digital by releasing the package initially at SI.com.

League of Denial: The groundbreaking work on concussions by brothers Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru became a source of controversy for ESPN. The network abruptly decided to pull out of a PBS “Frontline” documentary based on the book, which portrayed the NFL going to great lengths to deny that there is a problem. ESPN president John Skipper cited a lack of editorial control, but the lingering and damaging sentiment is that the network caved to pressure from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Regardless of what ESPN says, perception is reality for many people in this case.

World Series: Despite a stellar match-up between Boston and St. Louis, and several terrific finishes, the Red Sox’s victory in six games failed to break a 9 rating (8.9), let alone get into double digits. The ratings showed the continuing decline in appeal for baseball’s biggest October games. Meanwhile, baseball fails to address the prime factor; mind-numbing slow games that seem to go on forever.

Tim McCarver: He ended his long run as the lead analyst for Major League Baseball for several networks with this year’s World Series. He went out with class with some understated comments in his final telecast.

NFL Ratings: The league has ratings for preseason games that rival some for baseball’s postseason. Despite all the significant concerns about the concussion issue, viewers are able to compartmentalize, as they continue to tune into the games in huge numbers.

Super Bowl: The lights went out in New Orleans and for CBS. It wasn’t the best moment for either, as CBS was pounded for the lack of a true sideline reporter to cover the news. A few weeks later, Tracy Wolfson showed the value of sideline reporters when she covered Kevin Ware’s horrifying broken leg in the Louisville-Duke game.

NBC Sports Network: On the plus side, ratings are strong and growing for the NHL, and its coverage of the Premier League has received high praise. However, the Beadle show was a big disappointment, and the network still lacks a strong studio presence, especially after 7 p.m. NBC SN needs to do its version of “SportsCenter.”

FiveThirtyEight: ESPN made a big hire by snaring Nate Silver. He currently is developing a new version of FiveThirtyEight that will cover many areas, including sports.

Jason Whitlock: Speaking of big hires and going home again, ESPN bought Whitlock back into the fold. He is helping to develop a new ESPN.com site geared toward African-American sports fans.

It didn’t take long for Whitlock to get in hot water at ESPN. The network gave him a public rebuke after he slammed Sports Illustrated’s Thayer Evans for his reporting in the Oklahoma State investigation.

Bleacher Report: The site has undergone a major transformation since being purchased by Turner in 2012. With high profile hires of Mike Freeman and Howard Beck, it appears to be veering into a site that will compete with ESPN.com, Yahoo! Sports and the rest.

MMQB: In order to entice Peter King to stay on, Sports Illustrated gave him his own branded NFL site. Following in the footsteps of Bill Simmons’ Grantland, this could be a trend of big-names in the business getting their own sites.

Amy Trask: The former CEO of the Oakland Raiders became the first woman to be an analyst on a pregame show, joining CBS Sports Network’s new, “The Other Pregame Show.” She quickly excelled with her candor.

Verne Lundquist: The veteran CBS announcer celebrated his 50th year in the business. As a present, he got to call the incredible finish to the Alabama-Auburn game. Another one for Lundquist’s vast highlight package.

Nine for IX: ESPN highlighted women sports with a series of documentaries during the summer. A film on the struggle of women sportswriters, “Let Them Wear Towels,” should be shown in every sports journalism class from this moment forward. Hopefully, ESPN will continue this series in 2014.

Farewell: Pat Summerall and Ken Venturi died within days of each other. Both men spent years together covering golf for CBS.

Summerall arguably was the voice of sports for his generation. Nobody did play-by-play on more Super Bowls, and he excelled on golf and tennis.

Summerall succeeded because of two main assets: A wonderful deep voice that punctuated his wonderful sense of brevity. He didn’t overwhelm a telecast. Rather, he melted into it, providing the ideal sound track to accompany the hum of the venue and the pulse of the action taking place down below. Many thanks, Pat, for a job well done.

 

ESPN planning multi-platforms for BCS game; coverage in various forms on 6 channels

Posted on by

The future is here friends when it comes to coverage of big games.

ESPN is planning to air coverage of the BCS title game on six of its channels. Yes, you heard me, six.

Earlier, Turner Sports announced it will use three of its networks for coverage of the NCAA Final Four semifinal games on Saturday. Traditional national-audience-oriented game coverage will be presented on TBS, while TNT and TruTV will feature telecasts that are specifically tailored to one of the teams competing in each game.

It won’t be long before you see the same format for the Super Bowl and maybe even the  World Series and NBA Finals. It will be a way for the networks to put multiple platforms in play for the big games.

Here’s the official rundown from ESPN:

******

ESPN – a leader in technology and innovation that enhances the fan experience – will utilize six of its television platforms as well as audio and digital outlets for a “BCS Megacast” presentation of the college football VIZIO BCS National Championship on Monday, Jan. 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET. The special coverage of No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Auburn will expand on ESPN’s prior multiplatform telecasts to provide fans everywhere with the event’s most wide-ranging coverage ever. The BCS Megacast initiative will begin with a simulcast of ESPN’s BCS National Championship pregame show at 8 p.m. across ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic and ESPN3.

“BCS Megacast takes our previous multiplatform telecasts to the next level,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, programming & acquisitions. “We realized it would be a tremendous undertaking to coordinate so many coverage variations of the same game when we began brainstorming ideas in September. The exciting part is how much the original idea has grown in the past few months.”

ESPN previously offered three Full Circle presentations featuring various coverage approaches to a single event across multiple TV and digital networks and radio platforms beginning in 2006.

Traditional game coverage will be available on ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN International networks and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes. Some details are still being finalized but Megacast concepts currently include:

“BCS Title Talk” on ESPN2 will allow fans to eavesdrop on the casual and organic conversations of ESPN college football analysts and special guests such as coaches, players and celebrities discussing the game from an on-site room. On-screen graphics will incorporate game statistics and information as well as a “social stripe” that will provide live social media feedback throughout the telecast.

“BCS Film Room” on ESPNEWS will feature ESPN experts as well as guest coaches and players providing in-depth X and O analysis of the game as it happens from a film room equipped with multiple camera angles and touchscreens.

ESPN Classic will provide a “Sounds of the BCS” presentation featuring only the natural sounds of the game. The telecast will couple ESPN’s on-screen game coverage with the audio originating from numerous microphones located within the stands, field and more as well as the in-stadium sound system. Classic’s coverage will include the halftime performances of the Florida State and Auburn marching bands.

“BCS Command Center” on ESPN Goal Line will provide a split screen application with live game action and immediate replays of every play. The coverage will use the ESPN Radio broadcast call and incorporate live game statistics on the screen.

ESPN3, in cooperation with IMG College, will offer separate “Auburn Radio Call” and “Florida State Radio Call” presentations. The Florida State- and Auburn-specific coverage will feature the team’s home radio broadcast with an on-screen presentation providing fans with the game feed plus isolated cameras on key coaches and players from that team. The coverage will include the halftime performances of the Florida State and Auburn marching bands.

“BCS Campus Connection” on ESPN3 will showcase live fan reactions from various watch parties within the home markets of Auburn and Florida State into the game coverage.

Fans will be able to watch the entire game from the above stadium camera angle with the “BCS SpiderCam” presentation on ESPN3.

ESPN The Magazine will extend its popular image-driven “1 Day 1 Game” showcase of an entire day around a specific event with a live feed of pictures posted across the platforms and ESPN social media accounts during the Championship game.

In addition to ESPN.com’s extensive lead-up, in-game and post-game coverage, the PlayCenter application will serve fans with in-progress highlights from the site’s homepage.

ESPN will use also use its various social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter within the coverage. Potential content includes behind-the-scenes insights, statistics and information, interaction with fans, and more.

ESPN International networks will televise the BCS in Australia/New Zealand (ESPN Pacific Rim); Latin America North & South; Brazil; Caribbean; Japan (via J-Sports) and Canada (via TSN and RDS).  ESPN’s broadband service, ESPN Player will provide live and on demand coverage in to more than 40 countries in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while ESPN syndication partners will televise the BCS in the UK, parts of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Malaysia, India and China.

 

 

 

 

Strong comments from Milbury, Jones on illegal hits in NHL

Posted on by

Maybe because it is hockey, but Mike Milbury and Keith Jones don’t get enough credit for their studio work for NBC and NBC SN.

Both are extremely candid and passionate about the game. When they talk, hockey fans should listen. Such as last night, when they came down hard on illegal hits in hockey, and how some players, coaches and league executives still don’t get it.

Why aren’t people buying League of Denial? Terrific book merits wider audience

Posted on by

I was really surprised, and even depressed as someone who has a book coming out next year, to hear the news about disappointing sales for League of Denial.

Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Daily reports:

“League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth,” the heavily hyped book on the NFL’s response to concussions, has dominated conversations since its early October release. What it has not done is dominate book sales.

Since its release on Oct. 8, the book has sold fewer than 10,000 print copies, according to Nielsen BookScan, placing it well outside the top 200 books sold. “League of Denial” sold 3,300 copies in its first week, which made it for that week the No. 1 sports and recreation seller, according to Nielsen. Currently, it ranks 19th in that category for the year, with 9,400 sales.

Later Kaplan writes:

“League of Denial” was published by Crown Archetype, a Random House group. In a statement, Random House contended that Nielsen BookScan’s figures represent less than half of total sales.

“We have looked into the complete sales history for the book including sales in multiple formats, print books and e-books, and have calculated that actual sales to date are in excess of 21,000 copies: print and e-book editions combined.”

Nielsen BookScan is believed to cover 85 percent of the print book market.

The Random House statement also suggested that some books have a message that is more important than just how many copies are sold.

“‘League of Denial’ brought a voice to an important issue in professional sports that is not going away,” the publisher said. “Since the book’s publication we have heard that it has had influence on how colleges and high schools are looking at their football programs. We have also heard from several important neuroscience journals who were eager to learn of the authors’ reporting.

“That being said, we take great pride in publishing such a powerful work of investigative journalism in book form, and we expect the book to continue to sell well into the new year, and to be a focal point in many future discussions about head injuries in professional football.”

Clearly, this book, written by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, deserves a much wider audience, whether the number is 9,400 or 21,000. While the PBS documentary was outstanding, it told only a fraction of the story. The book goes to a much higher level, detailing many more layers on this crucial issue.

It reveals the damage suffered by these players, especially Hall of Famer Mike Webster; the discovery of CTE in these players; and the alarming way the NFL tried to deny that there was a problem. Not only is the book full of critical information, it is written in a way that builds suspense as researchers try to get out the truth.

It is easy to see why Hollywood is thinking about a movie about the book. This would be the football version of The Insider, the 1999 movie starring Russell Crowe about 60 Minutes trying to do an expose on Big Tobacco.

Quite frankly, this is one of the best sports books I’ve ever read. Put it on your holiday gift list and get a copy for yourself.

If you care about what is happening in football beyond your fantasy football league, you need to read League of Denial.

 

 

Quite frankly, it is one of the best sports book I’ve ever read.

Jeremy Schaap’s book on Jesse Owens to be made into a movie

Posted on by

Jeremy Schaap wrote a terrific book, and the Jesse Owens story definitely should be made into a movie. Today’s generation needs to know his immense impact on sports history. Make that, just plain history.

From David Scott of ESPN Front Row:

Even with his usual doses of humility and self-deprecation, it was tough for ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap to conceal the excitement in his voice on Monday, after confirming Disney had secured the movie rights to his 2007 book, “Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler’s Olympics.”

“It is exciting,” Schaap said. “I don’t have any experience with this kind of stuff – I’ve never worked in Hollywood. I know it’s a long process but I think it’s a great topic. I think Jesse is an incredibly important historical figure and one who is worthy of something like this. What he did in Berlin in 1936 is one of most remarkable things in the annals of sports.”The biopic, according to Variety, which broke news of the deal on Monday, has Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day,” “Shooter” and “Olympus Has Fallen”) attached to the project to direct with Oscar-winning screenwriter, David Seidler (“The King’s Speech”) penning the script. Gil Netter (“The Blind Side,” “The Life Of Pi”), Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun will produce and Schaap will have a consulting role on the film.

“I always hoped a movie would come out of it but you never know what’s going to happen,” said Schaap, 44. “My father [the late Dick Schaap] wrote 33 books and none were adapted – although they’ve been trying to make a movie about ‘Instant Replay’ for 40 years.”

 

OTL, ESPN receive prestigious duPont Award for series on youth football

Posted on by

ESPN vice-president Marcia Keegan, who oversees Outside The Lines, has read the charges that ESPN isn’t committed to solid journalism. She begs to differ.

“Sometimes, the people who make those criticisms aren’t paying attention,” Keegan said. “We put through the time, effort and resources into covering the tough stories. We do tell the stories that need to be told.”

Now Keegan and OTL can make their points while holding broadcast journalism’s highest honor. Today, ESPN will receive the prestigious duPont Award for OTL’s series stories on youth football. It is the first time the network has won the duPont.

The duPont committee from Columbia University said: “This important investigation added to the growing body of coverage about concussions and football with stories that graphically illustrated the problems and featured exclusive interviews with those involved in the controversies.”

It is a stunning package of stories that is heart-breaking (a piece on young boy paralyzed in a game) and downright scary (stories on adults gambling and a bounty program in youth games).

The duPont comes at a time when ESPN has been under fire for pulling out of PBS’ League of Denial documentary and for shifting OTL to an early, less desirable time on Sunday mornings. Keegan believes the award speaks to the quality of journalism that is being performed at the network.

“We do take our journalism seriously here,” Keegan said. “Getting an award like this is a validation for all the hard work. It’s a good moment for us.”

Dwayne Bray, the senior coordinating producer for OTL said: “Our work placed a big bright spotlight on safety in youth football and showed how a few misguided coaches have taken advantage of the children in their care. Any time you can expose those sorts of people, it’s a good year.”

The key to the youth football stories was getting all the principles to agree to be interviewed on camera about highly sensitive subjects, Keegan said. It’s wasn’t an easy task.

“Our reporters find the right people and get them to talk,” Keegan said.

Vince Doria, ESPN’s director of news, believes the series on youth football is just the beginning of the network’s coverage of what likely will be a hot-button issue.

“I want to do more in this area,” Doria said. “I think this is where some of this concussion story is going to be landing now. It’s a harder sell maybe to our audience, because it’s not about the NFL as such.  It’s not about players that they know and recognize.  But it’s a story that I think touches a lot of people potentially.”

*******

Here’s the official citation from the duPont Award:

With solid writing, reporting and research, this series of three reports uncovered serious problems with youth football in America, where three million children play annually, including a player paralyzed after being coached to use a dangerous tackling technique, coaches offering cash prizes for big hits and rampant gambling. This important investigation added to the growing body of coverage about concussions and football with stories that graphically illustrated the problems and featured exclusive interviews with those involved in the controversies. ESPN’s reporting had an impact by identifying abuses and policy gaps that launched an 18-month police investigation into corruption and gambling.

Tom Farrey, Paula Lavigne, reporters; Greg Amante, Simon Baumgart, producers; Michael Sciallo, associate producer; Nathan Hogan, Steve McCarthy, Erik Swanson, editors; Chris Buckle, senior editor; Dan Hardy, Trent Kamerman, Marc Lustig, Bill Roach, photographers; Nick Waligorski, animator; Dwayne Bray, senior coordinating producer; Tim Hays, Carolyn Hong, coordinating producer, Vince Doria, senior vice-president, director of news.

Novel idea: NBC to air live Olympics figure skating on NBC SN

Posted on by

At least when it comes to figure skating, the most watched event in the Winter Olympics, there won’t be any complaints about tape delay in prime time.

Rachel Cohen on the Associated Press reported late Tuesday afternoon that NBC will air figure skating live in the mornings on NBC SN from Sochi.

Cohen writes:

In a shift from NBC’s coverage of past games outside North America, nearly every figure skating performance will air on cable during the day, with the key moments shown on tape delay on the main network that night as in previous Olympics.

So if fans want to, they’ll see the women’s gold-medal-winning performance on NBCSN when it happens, instead of waiting until that evening. But they can also watch it again hours later, accompanied by the polished features that are the staple of NBC’s prime-time broadcasts.

 

And here’s the kicker:

But the other priority is to get more people to pay attention, and for those who already care to stick around longer. Meanwhile, technology kept evolving, and at the 2012 Summer Games in London, NBC started streaming every sport live online.

The network discovered it didn’t hurt prime-time ratings — and may have even helped.

“We think based on London those two goals align perfectly,” Bell said Tuesday. “We took a risk in streaming everything live from London. The biggest takeaway was we amplified and enhanced the audience’s Olympic experience.”

Indeed, making the events available for those who want to consume it live help drive interest in the prime time telecasts. Viewers are more likely to tune again to see the coverage from NBC’s primetime crew.

As for other live coverage on NBC SN, here’s the rundown from the network:

**********

NBC Olympics will utilize NBCSN, the NBC Sports Group’s Emmy Award-winning 24/7 sports network that is distributed in approximately 80 million homes, to present more than 230 hours of coverage of the XXII Olympic Winter Games from Sochi, Russia, this February. It will be the most Winter Olympic coverage ever on a cable network.

NBCSN’s 2014 Sochi Games coverage highlights include:

The most comprehensive live coverage of the Sochi competition day;

The network serving as the cable home for Team USA;

Starting Saturday, February 8, when NBCSN’s Olympic coverage begins, the network will feature complete, live coverage of figure skating;

In addition to its extensive figure skating coverage, the network will feature live coverage of 10 more sports, including speed skating, bobsled, ski jumping, Nordic combined, and more.

Team USA vs. Russia in men’s hockey on Saturday, Feb. 15.

NBCSN’s Olympic coverage begins Saturday, February 8 at 3 a.m. ET/Midnight PT, when Team USA faces Finland in women’s hockey, and concludes Sunday, February 23, the final day of the Sochi Games. NBCSN will air at least one gold medal final live each day through its 16 days of coverage. Most days, live coverage on NBCSN will begin at 3 a.m. ET and continue for 12 hours.

NBCSN will complement the Olympic programming airing on NBC, the details of which will be released shortly. It was announced in November that CNBC will carry 36 hours of Olympic curling coverage, MSNBC will host 45 hours of live curling and hockey, including medal rounds, and USA Network will serve up 43 hours of live curling and hockey coverage, including medal rounds. It was also announced that NBCOlympics.com will live stream all Sochi Olympics competition. The vast majority of live streaming will only be available to authenticated cable, satellite or telco customers via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home, and on multiple platforms.

 

Question restrictions placed on Jameis Winston interview?

Posted on by

Update: Paul Pabst, producer of the Dan Patrick Show, just sent along the following tweet:

@PaulPabst @Sherman_Report @romenesko We had Jameis on Monday and neither FSU nor Heisman PR gave us any restrictions. None.

******

Should be an interesting time for the national media and Jameis Winston during the week prior to the BCS title game.

JimRomenesko.com reports of a CBS reporter who declined an interview with the Heisman Trophy winner after restrictions were placed on him.

@jeffglor Was scheduled to interview Jameis Winston at 12:30. @floridastate tried to put restrictions on interview topics at last minute. We said no.

Romenesko writes:

I called the Florida State athletic department and was told there are no restrictions on interviews with the Heisman Trophy winner. The spokesman said he didn’t know anything about the CBS News interview that was canceled because of topic restrictions.

OK, why then did CBS pull out on the interview?

Obviously, Florida State needs to figure out a media strategy for Winston during BCS week. The school should just let him field the questions. From what I’ve heard, he seems more than capable of answering them.