07.07.2008 1:10 pm
Wimbledon fans lob insults at KSDK
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
My colleague Dan Caesar covers sports on TV, but I have to mention that whether you’re a tennis fan or a Cardinals fan, you had to hate KSDK’s split-screen “solution” to Sunday’s collision of the men’s Wimbledon final and the Cardinals-Cubs game. I don’t really follow tennis, but even I got how big that match was, and if I’d been asked to decide, I’d have shrunk down the Cardinals game and kept Wimbleton the primary picture, with audio, even for an hour.
Dan had this story in the Sports section today. And my pal Aaron Barnhart of the Kansas City Star posted about the situation on his TV Barn site.
cardsfn80 is on the right track…Channel 5 KNEW they were going to have problems with Golf and other sports, so they should have made better plans. However, Cardinal baseball is a HUGE money maker for radio and TV. That’s why Channel 11, 5 and everyone else bids for it when the contract comes up. No station in their right mind would give up revenue just to keep a certain section of fans happy (golf, tennis, figure skating etc) These network programs don’t sell as well on a local level. Some events sell better than others, but none as well as the Cardinals. Don’t think for a moment that 2, 4, and 11 wouldn’t do the same thing is faced with this problem. 11 has a better situation since it has no network sports to speak of. Plus Channel 5’s pre and post game are awful (Deanne Lane on the Cardinals? Give me a break)
This was truly one of the greatest tennis matches ever. Period.
To cut the viewers off at the climax of this historical event was distasteful and rude. Shame on you, KSDK.
Here’s the REAL question…both Dan Caesar and Gail Pennington KNOW that Channel 5 has a contractual obligation to carry the Cardinals…NO ifs ands or buts. But then again, if they write an article saying that very thing, would anyone read it? Bottom line…when Channel 5 signed the contract they KNEW they would have conflicts. They’ve adjusted their schedule as often as possible. A 2 1/2 hour rain delay couldn’t be planned for and they did what they could. They had no other option other than to totally drop the tennis match. Channel 46 is not sitting wround all day waiting for Channel 5 to call them. You can’t blame the Cardinals either. IF Channel 5 won’t give them exclusive rights, 2, 4, or 11 will. Learn to live with it folks. It WILL happen again.
What is going on?
KSDK screwed-up again, plain and simple.
TBS was supposed to carry the game anyway, but KSDK got local rights to it. Those should be lost when something prempts the coverage, Wimbleton in this case. TBS should have carried the Cards game and KSDK would have done Wimbledon.
It was awful shrunk down!!!
Given the enormity of the match, it’s pretty clear that KSDK botched the situation. Though it may have upset Cardinal Nation (hey - I like the Cards as much as the next guy), the right thing to do was to give Wimbledon the full broadcast. Missing the first few innings of a regular season game would have have upset some cards fans to be sure. It may even have cost KSDK some money.
But I think broadcasters have an obligation to finish sports broadcasts - especially when the match is that HUGE and the outcome is still in doubt. Now my recollection of watching arguably the best tennis match ever will be forever marred by the fact that KSDK shoved it, and me along with it, into the corner.
Here’s why…if Wimbledon is allowed to continue a two things happen: 1) The station loses revenue. Ads not played is money thrown away. No they can’t be placed elsewhere. If you pay for the Cardinals you don’t want tennis. 2) The Cardinals cite Channel 5 for breach of contract and Channel 11, 2 or 4 carries the Cardinals next year. That equals a total loss of revenue that won’t be replaced. Major league baseball decides who carries what games. WGN (the Chicago affilate) is usually blacked out in the St. Louis market during Cards/Cubs games. Whether its game 1 or 162…it doesn’t matter.
I wish they would replay the tennis match.
I REALLY WISH THAT CHANNEL 11 WOULD HANDLE THE SUNDAY GAMES. KSDK ALWAYS INTERRUPTS THE BASEBALL GAME WITH 1. ANNOYING “INTERVIEWS” BY CUSAMANO IN THE STANDS WHILE THE GAME IS GOING ON AND WE CAN’T SEE A THING AND 2. ANY “NEWS” BULLETIN….STORY AT 11 PM….INTERRUPTION…BUT, YESTERDAY’S SPLIT SCREEN “BOMB” WAS THE WORST DECISION YET.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE SHOW OUR CARDINALS SUNDAY GAMES ON CHANNEL 11.
A “FED UP WITH KSDK” CARDINAL FAN
I thought it was pretty lame. I figured it was a contract issue where they got stuck with 2 events at the same time. I laughed at their solution. It bothered me enough that I decided not to watch either of them. So not even any advertising made its way to me. Knew they’d get comments no matter what they did. But that’s the way it is today. There’s always somebody who is not happy and ready to scream about it. I’d say, this is Cardinals Nation and if you don’t like it, get a satellite or go online of just suck it up. Do we have to make everything pleasing to everybody? Whats left? Nothing of substance for fear of irritating someone. ~geeeez~
To all the people who want the Cardinals back on channel 11–channel 11 doesn’t broadcast in HD. There’s no way the cardinals would go back to standard definition broadcasts, even if they could break out of their contract with KSDK.
KSDK did what it had to do–fulfill it’s contractual obligations as well as please the most people. I was able to tell just fine what was going on in the tennis match without commentators.