CBS Sports Will Limit Its Coverage to Golf

Generally, television networks arrange a conference call with reporters before any major sporting event. The idea is to generate interest in the event and draw more viewers to the television coverage.

CBS Sports, for years, has had a conference call before the Masters golf tournament, which certainly qualifies as a major sporting event. CBS Sports executives, along with announcers and producers, are on the call to answer questions.

This year, however, there was no such conference call. Instead, reporters were told by CBS public-relations personnel that individual interviews with its golf announcers could be arranged, but only to discuss golf.

Although CBS had things to promote, such as that the Masters will be televised in high definition for the first time, the fear was that questions regarding the protest organized by Martha Burk over the Augusta National Golf Club’s not having women as members would dominate a conference call.

Would CBS cover the protest? Would it ignore the protest? What is CBS’ position on the protest? What about not running any commercials? How much is that going to cost the network?

CBS is in an awkward situation. So network executives have decided that saying nothing is better than saying anything.

It’s just another odd facet to what figures to be an odd Masters.

For one thing, this will be the first major sporting event to be televised without commercials. Augusta National Chairman Hootie Johnson made that decision once it became clear that Burk, chair of the National Council of Women’s Organizations, would turn her attention to any companies that advertised their products on Masters telecasts.

It is believed that Augusta National compensated CBS by agreeing to waive the rights fee, estimated at $7 million to $10 million. Last year, CBS, which sells 30-second spots on the Masters for an average of $205,000, generated $9.4 million in advertising revenue.

It is not known if CBS must absorb production costs, but Neal Pilson, former CBS Sports president, said the financial adjustment was such that the commercial-free telecasts would not have much financial impact on CBS or its parent company, Viacom.

“It won’t affect Viacom stocks,” he said, somewhat sarcastically.

“Hopefully, this is a one-year aberration, a one-year blip,” Pilson added. “And it will be resolved before the 2004 Masters.”

Pilson said CBS was doing the right thing by televising the tournament: “It has an obligation to golf viewers around the country.” And he said that Burk was wrong to drag CBS into the fray.

“The sports division of a network should not be used as an instrument of social change,” he said.

“There are other ways of putting pressure on the club. I respect her right to protest, but she should not expect CBS to join her boycott.”

Doug Wood, a partner at Hall Dickler Kent Goldstein & Wood, a New York law firm that specializes in advertising and is general counsel to the Assn. of National Advertisers, downplayed the impact of the commercial-free telecasts on the advertising community.

“It’s not a situation where CBS sold commercial time, then canceled it,” Wood said. “There were no commitments; sponsors were never given the opportunity to buy advertising. This is viewed as a one-time thing over a political issue.”

But Wood does believe this could be a dangerous precedent.

“A more serious issue is the lack of black coaches in the NFL,” he said. “What if the NAACP proposed a boycott over this issue? What would CBS’ answer be to that? Where would the consistency be?”

Said Pilson: “China is an abuser of human rights. Should we boycott the [2008] Olympics in Beijing? Should NBC not televise the Games?”

The lack of commercials on the Masters telecasts will have less impact than on other sporting events because Augusta National permits only four minutes of commercial time an hour. By comparison, there were 17 minutes of commercials an hour on Monday night’s NCAA championship basketball game, also televised by CBS.

As for dealing with the protest as a news event, a network source said CBS Sports would focus only on golf, unless something extraordinary happened.

CBS News, however, will not ignore the protest. Jim Murphy, the executive producer of CBS News, said it was “highly likely” there would be reports on the protest.

CBS’ “Early Show” addressed the issue Wednesday morning in a piece by correspondent Bob McNamara and guest appearances by Burk and Lee Heffernan. Heffernan is the daughter of an Augusta member and the author of a book on the club titled “Gentlemen Only.”

Heffernan, senior vice president of marketing for WE, a women’s cable network, opposes Burk’s protest.

CBS’ “60 Minutes” has a golf feature scheduled for Sunday night, but not on the Augusta situation. The piece is a profile of Annika Sorenstam and a look at her attempt to compete in a PGA Tour event next month.

A spokesman for USA Network, which is televising the first two rounds, said, “Our focus will be on the golf.”

The Golf Channel, which is offering supplemental Masters coverage before and after the CBS and USA coverage, has assigned business and legal reporter Adam Barr to cover the protest.

The Golf Channel will also, for the first time, televise all news conferences -- but on a one-hour delay. That stipulation was put down by Augusta National. A Golf Channel spokesman said the club’s reason for the delay was not known.

Announcer Bill Macatee, who will work both the USA and CBS coverage, said from Augusta, “I’m here to cover golf. I’m excited about watching Tiger go for a third straight green jacket. I’m excited about seeing Arnold Palmer, my boyhood idol. I’m excited about seeing Jack Nicklaus. Those are the things I’ll be focused on.”