Critics say local TV sportscasters need some help

There are times when Las Vegas runs on sports information as much as it does electricity.

Sports data pumps through the city with an energy of its own, surging through our living rooms and sports books.

But the comparisons between TV sports news and electricity pretty much fizzle when it comes to local coverage.

Ask local sports publicists and those in the news industry about the quality of sportscasting in this market and heads will shake, scalps will be scratched and laughter will commence -- but not for the record.

That would be bad for business.

"There are a couple guys who are good," a sports publicist said on the condition of anonymity. "There's one or two who are passable and the rest aren't worth a damn.

"Overall, considering the type of events that happen in Las Vegas, it's a rather mediocre crew."

There are a few theories why local sports has been shoddy: Las Vegas is a lower rung on the career ladder and unrefined talent reflects that; resources are limited; stations don't regard sports as all that important.

But those who know say quality sportscasts can be done. They say it all starts with the anchor and his overall ability. Unfortunately, most in Las Vegas still are learning.

Those removed from Las Vegas aren't afraid to speak on the record.

"There were a few guys I considered jokes and I was surprised they had jobs," former Las Vegas Stars and Thunder public relations director Eric Carrington said. Carrington now fills the same role for the Oakland A's.

"In Vegas, there was more schtick going on rather than just (reporting) the information."

While this market has had its share of sports buffoons -- Jerry Olenyn was one with such a reputation -- some talented individuals also have passed through on their way to bigger and better markets.

Former KVBC Channel 3 anchors Rick Garcia (Los Angeles) and Colin Cowherd (Portland) have moved upward, as have KLAS Channel 8 alumni Mark Lewis (Phoenix) and Dave Fox (Salt Lake City).

Tommy Sheppard, a former UNLV sports information director who now heads publicity for the Denver Nuggets, said Las Vegas' market size lends itself to the type of talent that could be either on the verge of breaking out or breaking down.

"It seemed to me at any given time they look like they could easily head to L.A. or a bigger market and do well there," Sheppard said, "or that they have peaked and maybe aren't good enough to be in Vegas anymore."

Of the six local sports anchors, only KTNV Channel 13 sports director Ron Futrell is a lock to remain here the rest of his career. Futrell has been here for 15 years and said he has sent out only one audition tape since he got here.

All the others are young and ambitious enough to move on -- and probably will.

TV 101

"Las Vegas is a revolving door," free-lance videographer Bryant Blackburn said. "It's been a stepping stone."

Blackburn was raised in Las Vegas. He worked at Channel 8 for 15 years and Channel 3 for two. He now shoots for major networks such as HBO, ESPN and WGN.

"It's a great place to cozy up and pick up tips," he added.

Because many sportscasters treat Las Vegas as their own little workshop, viewers sometimes are forced to watch unpolished anchors try to find their legs.

There are experiments that never seem to pay off, mistakes made with basic facts, oversights of fundamental journalism practices and pattern laziness.

"You can definitely tell the difference," Carrington said, "between a guy working at this level (in the Bay Area) and the guys in Vegas when it comes to professionalism.

"Guys in the Bay Area are out there working and sometimes come off as arrogant because they're so demanding, but they're busting their butt. They're not out at the ballpark because I had to call and pitch a story idea to them. They're out chasing a story.

"The guys at this (Bay Area) level are not just ripping and reading. They're digging a little, and that's impressive."

Ripping and reading is a term that generally applies to Las Vegas sportscasters. It alludes to the practice of tearing information off the wire printer and regurgitating it on camera, rather than generating a local report.

It's also common for the locals to lift stories from the area newspapers -- or even each other -- and not attribute their information. Such a habit leads viewers to believe it was their station's guy who did the work.

"There's some unconscionable things that go on here," said the publicist. "And it's gotten to be routine here because the viewers seem to put up with it."

When Channel 13 broke the story last month that several UNLV basketball players were on the verge of transferring, the other two stations picked up on it. Channel 8 dispatched weekend anchor Chris Maathuis to get its own report, but Channel 3 sports director Andrew Smith lifted the information provided by his competition and passed it off as his own.

"Not only does that lack integrity," the publicist said, "(but) what if the original story was wrong? It's dangerous and it's not fair to your viewers."

Channel 8 sports director Dave McCann has become infamous among his colleagues for taking stories that are common knowledge -- either reported by that day's papers or even on the national wire -- and prefacing them with the phrase "Channel 8 has learned ..." That gives the incorrect impression KLAS is providing inside information viewers can't get anywhere else.

Shortcuts have become routine in Las Vegas.

Playing shorthanded

The excuse most used is that every station has a limited staff, which is true. Only Channel 3 has a full-time producer, and videographers always seem to be in demand. Therefore, sportscasters struggle to generate local stories and are forced to rely on national news.

"That's always the case," Channel 3 vice president and general manager Rolla Cleaver said. "I don't think there's a news operation in the United States that has everything they need. I'm sure our guys wish they can do more, but (when it comes to deciding who gets available equipment) a significant breaking event takes precedence over most sporting events."

None of the stations shoot their own Stars or Thunder highlights. The teams have to pay Channel 13 videographer Dave Meador -- who owns his camera and does the work as a free-lancer -- and then feed the tapes to the stations.

There have been times when publicists practically had to bribe sports reporters to come out and do a story.

"It was always easy to get a reporter and a cameraman to come out if you had something funny for them to do," Carrington said. "It wasn't 'Come out here and do this great story.' It was 'Come out and toss T-shirts to the fans between periods.' Then they'd be there."

Maybe the only thing local sportscasters agree on is the need for help.

According to Nielsen Media Research, Las Vegas is the 56th-largest market in the country. But it ranks in the mid-30s in revenue generated. Money for expansion should be there, but because sports segments have such little impact on newscast ratings, executives are reluctant to increase their sports budgets and, therefore, sports coverage.

Channel 13 decided last fall to even cut back on some of its coverage, dropping sports from its "11 at 11" segment that leads off the nightly newscast.

"We're just trying to get as much news in the first 11 minutes," Channel 13 news director Perry Box said at the time. "Sports is important to us, and it has a place."

Cleaver agrees -- for the most part.

Too many highlights

"Human interest sports has a broad appeal and does add a lot to a newscast," Cleaver said. "Highlights of the day's football, basketball and baseball games do not add a lot to the newscast in regard to the average viewer."

"I don't think a sports story should get on the air just because we need a sports story. It has to be well done and relevant. A story interesting to the non-hardcore sports fan is very valuable to us."

Then why is there such a dearth of local information on our sportscasts? The stations fare pretty well when it comes to delivering national stories with local ties, such as major fights and auto racing. But prep sports and features on lower-profile Southern Nevadans are few and far between.

Not even Channel 3, the only station with three full-time sports employees, has been able to dominate in local coverage.

"There's a pretty good argument there that we don't (do enough local sports). That's something we want to fix," Cleaver said. "We're trying to ease out of the highlight business."

The NBC affiliate easily could remedy that problem on Sunday night, when it carries the nationally syndicated "George Michael's Sports Machine" at 11:30 p.m. Channel 3 could promote itself as having the only all-local sportscast -- no national news, only features about Las Vegas and Las Vegans -- and lead it directly into what could be the best non-cable sports highlight show.

"That's a damn good idea," Cleaver said.

Instead, weekend anchor Brian Lippai puts together what could be Channel 3's most national highlight-oriented sportscast of the week.

Localize it

"Why give your viewers the same exact thing they're going to see in five minutes and not even do it as well?" the sports publicist asked. "That's a great slot to take care of all the local news they never seem to have the time for."

Channel 8's Chris Maathuis anchors a show that comes close to accomplishing that. "Sports Sunday" is an extended segment that offers multiple local stories each week but without a show like "George Michael's Sports Machine" cannot ignore the national scene.

Or can it? With the proliferation of programs such as ESPN's "SportsCenter" and "Fox Sports News" and networks such as "CNN/SI" -- all available on Cox Cable -- national news is easy to obtain elsewhere.

About 30 percent of Southern Nevada homes are not wired with cable or a satellite dish, but "Those who are real sports fans make a point of having cable," Cleaver noted.

"Those people who care a lot about national highlights have access to that material and it's done very well. For us to compete with them in the highlight business is not a competition we're going to win."

But for now at least, Southern Nevadans find themselves watching that losing battle.

"I was always under the impression you tune into local news to find out about local teams," Carrington said.

"One thing that always amazed me was they weren't more proactive with their local teams. They were always more interested in giving NBA scores. If a viewer wants that, he can watch ESPN.

"They did work and worked hard. They just were more into the whole show of things. They did the ESPN-type of report. In Vegas, it's more of a show."

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