NBC Sports getting makeover

[LadyStanley]

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2011/02/01/Jamie-Davis.aspx

And the personnel shuffling begins....

The new-look NBC Sports Group will begin to take shape tomorrow, and it will have a decidedly NBC Sports look. NBC is expected to put out a release Wednesday detailing some of the changes it is making, according to several sources. Spokespeople for NBC and Versus did not return phone calls for comment, but sources said that Jamie Davis has been told that he will be leaving Versus after a two-and-a-half-year stint as President.

Click to read more...

 

[KuralySnipes]

Comcast looking to challenge Disney (ABC/ESPN)
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2011/02/01/Jamie-Davis.aspx

 

[LadyStanley]

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2011/02/02/NBC.aspx

Three more Versus execs looking for work

 

[GKJ]

RT @simmonssteve: The bomb dropped at Versus hockey. All kinds of firings. Not certain who but 29 people lost jobs. Including lots of on air people. Very sad

 

[LadyStanley]

reporterchris
@simmonssteve The Montreal Gazette wrote that former Leafs TV man Bob Harwood was among the firings.

 

[Major4Boarding]

RT @simmonssteve: The bomb dropped at Versus hockey. All kinds of firings. Not certain who but 29 people lost jobs. Including lots of on air people. Very sad

PTM (Puck the Media) has a short blip up. Alledgedly Rob Harwood is the first one named.

Harwood Among Many Fired at VERSUS
February 5, 2011 by stevelepore

From Pat Hickey in the Montreal Gazette:

Comcast’s purchase of NBC Universal has produced immediate changes at Versus, the Comcast network which holds the U.S. cable rights for the NHL and Montreal native Rob Harwood is out as game host and reporter.

“They’re adopting the NBC format and they want an ex-player between the benches,†Harwood said from his home in Vermont. He has a few months left on his contract and Sam Flood, who produces the NHL games for NBC, said they may use him for out-of-town cutaways during the playoffs.

http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/harwood-among-many-fired-at-versus/

 

[Rink Rage]

simmonssteve http://twitter.com/simmonssteve/status/33988606582329344 The bomb dropped at Versus hockey. All kinds of firings. Not certain who but 29 people lost jobs. Including lots of on air people. Very sad


reporterchris
@simmonssteve The Montreal Gazette wrote that former Leafs TV man Bob Harwood was among the firings.

That's huge. If you find it, can you see what other on air people got fired as well?

 

[Aaronxxx]

that sucks because i liked the versus on-air crew a lot better than the nbc crew.

 

[LadyStanley]

Many of the Versus on air folks also worked for a team.

 

[LadyStanley]

Update from that PTM entry:

"From what I’ve heard, everyone but Emrick and Olczyk is an uncertainty."

 

[MaskedSonja]

Funny, I feel a little justified.


A number of months ago (elsewhere) I mentioned about how Versus would become NBC Sports with the merger, I had a few people scoff at me, saying "Get real, it's not going to become "NBC Sports"

I haven't seen them recently, but when I do, they've got a big "I told you so" coming


Versus, for all intents and purposes is going to be dead, and I think these firings are a pathway to that.

So, Comcast NBC/Versus, Disney ABC/ESPN, was CBS have a sports affiliate?

 

[IU Hawks fan]

So, Comcast NBC/Versus, Disney ABC/ESPN, was CBS have a sports affiliate?

Probably not, other than CBS College Sports that they already have. Wouldn't have paired with Turner for the NCAA basketball tourney if they were planning their own channel.

 

[GKJ]

Emrick and Olczyk were the only ones who crossed over from NBC to VS. They can possibly be putting them on a full-time schedule, although it seems unknown exactly how much 29 people represents.

I wonder if it will be one centralized production like you see at other networks and work there full-time. I would imagine some of these people are eventually re-hired. But I wonder if you'll see, first off, a network who takes themselves more seriously, such as hiring on a full-time basis. Which may include a simple singular studio lineup (Patrick, Jones, Engblom, McCarty), and a smaller pool of broadcasters (Emrick/Olczyk, Benninatti/Reaugh, Forslund/Jaffe; (Just putting names out for argument sake).

Otherwise, I imagine they're just take various local feeds for broadcasts. Although only former players as reporters? Been there, done that, doesn't work.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Emrick and Olczyk were the only ones who crossed over from NBC to VS. They can possibly be putting them on a full-time schedule, although it seems unknown exactly how much 29 people represents.

I wonder if it will be one centralized production like you see at other networks and work there full-time. I would imagine some of these people are eventually re-hired. But I wonder if you'll see, first off, a network who takes themselves more seriously, such as hiring on a full-time basis. Which may include a simple singular studio lineup (Patrick, Jones, Engblom, McCarty), and a smaller pool of broadcasters (Emrick/Olczyk, Benninatti/Reaugh, Forslund/Jaffe; (Just putting names out for argument sake).

Otherwise, I imagine they're just take various local feeds for broadcasts. Although only former players as reporters? Been there, done that, doesn't work.

Olczyk just signed a 3 year extension with the Hawks, so there is no way he will be come an VS/NBC full timer.

The reason only Doc and Eddie were the ones who cross over is pretty obvious, because NBC never carries more than 1 game. If they in the next deal start to have double or triple headers they'll need more announcing.

 

[danishh]

it's a shame, but it was going to happen eventually. NBC sports will want to have a higher talent level, and some more visible league-wide guys.

I wouldnt be surprised if they try to poach some FSN guys or even some canadian pxp guys to fill the void.

 

[LadyStanley]

Although only former players as reporters? Been there, done that, doesn't work.

Depends on the person. Not all have the personability to be a good "face".

For example: Roenick for one makes a good analyst. Don't know he'd work well as a "reporter". Seemed somewhat of a stretch on the red carpet @ ASG. (Now, it's possible he could be taught to do that.)

Sharks have former players Jamie Baker as radio color guy, plus Dave Maley and Bret Hedican in the studio.

 

[GKJ]

Well color guys and studio people are different. I still want to see people like Harwood, Charissa Thompson and such sticking microphones in front of people's faces.

 

[KuralySnipes]

It's good for the league though no doubt

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Bring in Thorne and Clement.

 

[GKJ]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/pu...372&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

According to a network source, Sam Flood, executive producer for NBC Sports and the man that's overseen its Winter Classic broadcasts, will produce Monday night's coverage.

Pierre McGuire will debut as an "inside the glass" (i.e. between the benches) commentator, joining Doc Emrick and Eddie Olczyk in announcing the game.

On Tuesday, VERSUS studio analyst Brian Engblom will be "inside the glass" for the Buffalo Sabres and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mike Milbury will be inside the studio in place of Engblom.

We've also been told that reports of 29 people getting the ax at VERSUS are "inaccurate," and that any changes to the announcing team can't be confirmed yet.

Not messing around. I wonder if we'll even get the same NBC graphics.

 

[jkrdevil]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/pu...372&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter



Not messing around. I wonder if we'll even get the same NBC graphics.

Hmm, if I remember correctly Pierre was originally part of the OLN broadcast the first year of the Comcast deal. He left because of workload between that, NBC, and TSN. I see he is coming back. I wouldn't be surprised if NBC/Comcast convinces him to leave TSN and go full time in the States if they get the contract.

 

[GKJ]

He was around for the first few weeks before he realized his diatribes on the NHLPA were falling on deaf ears.

 

[Fugu]

Update from that PTM entry:

"From what I’ve heard, everyone but Emrick and Olczyk is an uncertainty."

That's unfortunate.

 

[GKJ]

Now, just wait for the people who haven't been paying attention to the business side of this turn on VS tomorrow and be all WTF and rush to the main board to be all "lol Pierre, wait is this NBC?"


I think after the everything settles down, eventually there will be a new crew. But it's right to have your top guys oversee the transition. I gotta think Engblom won't be too thrilled that he's on the road again, I was under the impression that's why he was always in-studio.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Any ideas of if theyre going to change the name "Versus" or not? When all this first started happening an idea I mentioned a few times, which I thought was better, was to name the station something more formal. My idea was "CSNA" for Comcast Sportsnet America, and start from there. I dont know if its allowed, but I always thought a good idea as well that besides the national mon. and tues. games, is throw on the local comcast sportsnet feeds on CSNA during the week as well, Sharks, Hawks, etc.