After This Week’s Efforts, NBC Means ‘No Bleeping Clue’

It wasn’t a good week for NBC.

It started on Sunday when NBC, in Los Angeles, mistakenly cut away from the end of an exciting game between the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals to go to a commercial break and pregame analysis for the San Diego Charger-Pittsburgh Steeler game.

At first NBC said it was only following NFL television policies that require games to be shown in their entirety in the markets of the teams involved, and that somehow Los Angeles was considered a “secondary market” of the Chargers.

That didn’t seem to make sense, but when it comes to the NFL’s antiquated television policies, anything is believable. However, in this case, NBC was wrong and eventually admitted it.

There were some markets, such as San Diego, where NBC did have to cut away from Miami-Cincinnati. Parts of northern Florida, of all places, didn’t get the end of the game because Jacksonville was in Houston for a late game, and NBC couldn’t miss the kickoff.

There’s a simple solution to all this. Simply let the networks decide when it is appropriate to make a switch. Let common sense prevail.

Would that be so difficult?

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NBC took more heat this week for the baseball debacle, since it carried the postseason games the first two nights before ABC takes over tonight for the games through the weekend.

But the baseball owners are mostly to blame here.

When baseball formed the Baseball Network in May 1994 and brought in ABC and NBC as partners, it expanded the playoffs and at the same time cut television exposure by going to a regional format.

The result was a loud outcry from critics.

It was easy to see this was not a good plan. But baseball blindly went ahead, walking into a minefield.

It blew up this week, and now viewers must endure through this weekend and next.

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What baseball did with the regular season didn’t make much sense, either. No national games, only Dodger or Angel games on Channel 7 or Channel 4 instead of Channel 5 on a Friday, Saturday or Monday night.

And 8 o’clock games that end after bedtime for most children.

Fortunately, the ill-fated Baseball Network will probably fold after this season.

Baseball has already been hit hard by the 7 1/2-month strike, declining attendance and declining television ratings.

And now comes a television format that has viewers as irate as anything we can remember in the 22 years we’ve been covering television sports.

Can baseball survive all this bumbling?

Yes, but there is work to be done.

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One trial is over and along comes another of some importance, particularly to the sports world. Boxing promoter Don King is facing nine counts of insurance fraud in a New York trial that begins Tuesday, and ESPN and other outlets plan thorough coverage.

ESPN reporter Jimmy Roberts will file reports during “Up Close,” which beginning next week will go to a format in which it will often be done live.

In the past, it was almost always taped.

“The big plus of being live is it gives us a chance to be more topical, to be more like a ‘Nightline,’ ” host Chris Myers said.

Myers took over “Up Close” from Roy Firestone in January, and following Firestone, one of the best interviewers in sports television, is no easy task.

“Yes, it’s a tough act to follow,” Myers said. “Roy shaped the show around his personality, and now I think it should be shaped around mine.

“He did the show for 14 years, and I’ve done it for eight months. It takes a while.”

Myers doesn’t have Firestone’s flair for being dramatic, but some may consider that a plus. Firestone’s critics sometimes accuse him of being over-dramatic, but few criticize his interviewing skills and his ability to get his subjects to open up.

Myers believes he has that same ability, only using a different approach. The nice-guy approach seems to work for him.

Myers and Firestone are both from Miami and have known each other since Myers, who was the host of a sports talk show at the age of 16, used to ask Firestone to be one of his guests. Firestone was a local sportscaster at the time.

Generally, “Up Close” is on weekdays at 3 p.m. and repeated at midnight.

TV-Radio Notes

The Mighty Ducks will be previewed in a one-hour special, “Poised for the Playoffs,” on Channel 9 Sunday and Monday at 6 p.m. . . . ESPN’s hockey coverage begins today at 5 p.m. with Colorado playing host to Detroit. Former King radio commentator Brian Engblom will work the game as a sideline reporter. . . . XTRA’s Rick Schwartz and Eli Zaret of Detroit are serving as co-hosts of ESPN2’s “Talk2” this week. Executive director Deb Vogel said they are two of eight to 10 candidates for the job of permanent co-hosts. . . . Despite losing four consecutive fights, Jorge Paez remains a big draw for television. His rematch last Saturday against Jorge Vida Ramos averaged a 9.1 rating on Channel 9, the night’s best rating in Los Angeles.

KNX radio, you may have noticed, is not carrying CBS’ postseason baseball coverage. One reason was possible conflicts with the O.J. Simpson trial, which KNX carried. Another reason was lack of interest in baseball. KMAX-FM (107.1) has become the CBS affiliate in L.A. . . . Kyle Eng, originally from Pasadena, is leaving the Florida-based Golf Channel to become public-relations manager for Prime Sports. He will replace Bryan Byrd, who has moved to Showtime. . . . Speaking of the Golf Channel, production is first rate but distribution remains a big problem. Sixty percent of the subscribers have satellite dishes, meaning only 40% are cable subscribers. “It’s like painting a beautiful picture and then putting it in the closet,” Eng said.