What's next?

[southwesternguy]

First, I'm glad we have our own sports line!!! Keep the threads coming, so that they don't shut us down (like they threaten to do in the newsroom). Speaking of which, what are some of the things you guys are doing to stay relevant with your sportscast everynight?

We've all heard by now about news taking time from us because we are too national, or we just run the same canned soundbites every week, and blah, blah, blah.

How do you try to stay fresh, but still tell the good/necessary stories every week?

[BrgrKing15]

News Directors LOVE LOVE LOVE local packages. My ND says she wants "sass" not X's and O's (whatever sass means). Last week I did a story on a six-year-old superstar football player. The kid scored eight TDs and ran for over 450 yards!!!

I just try to have a local tie with everything, even with the national stuff. Make sure you keep it fun. It's sports, not life or death.

[Another side]

Because there are people like me who find promoting the athletic achievement of a 6-year-old nauseating.

[BrgrKing15]

ok ok... to make the 6-yr-old story tie in even more... he's the nephew of an NFL player thats from our area.

[adam & doctor drew]

Because there are people like me who find promoting the athletic achievement of a 6-year-old nauseating.

totally agree.

and why isn't the news dept. doing a story on the 6-year-old who's academically gifted?

[southwesternguy]

I'm a local sports guy, and I've been one for 8 years. One of the problems with local sports is that their is such a gap between what sports people feel are good stories, and what ND's and other management types feel are good stories.

You guys thing a story about a 6-year old is lame, but management absolutely salivates over that stuff. Believe me, it's counted as a strike against you when you don't do that story. Especially of another station does it.

The words National Championship, Player of the Year, XXXX rushing yards, XX touchdown passes, Playoffs, MVP mean nothing to management, even if they are local. They want those heartwarming story that moms with young children will like. That's the target audience these days, and we have to accept it.

I was resistant to doing stuff like that a few years ago, but then I decided to get with the program. Putting stuff like 6-year old prodigies playing soccer or golf vaulted me to the top 5 very quickly.

If your gonna show highlights of local sports, be prepared to be cut to 2:00 every night. Show off-the-beaten-path stories, and I promise they'll give you more time.

[adam & doctor drew]

You guys thing a story about a 6-year old is lame, but management absolutely salivates over that stuff.

I never said it was lame, just that it feels weird to me to be glamorizing the achievements of children.

but if news people love the 6-year-old football player-type story, why aren't they doing the NEWS version of same in the newscast?

[southwesternguy]

but if news people love the 6-year-old football player-type story, why aren't they doing the NEWS version of same in the newscast?

Excellent question. But until they start doing it, we'd better do these stories when management tells us to, or we're in trouble.

[Tripe Face]

I never said it was lame, just that it feels weird to me to be glamorizing the achievements of children.

but if news people love the 6-year-old football player-type story, why aren't they doing the NEWS version of same in the newscast?

What makes you think they AREN"T doing news features of children who are academically gifted?
I've seen my share of these stories.