From a PR blurb about next Rock Center with Brian Williams (NBC, Thursday, 10 p.m. ET):
As the trial of Jerry Sandusky goes to the jury, exclusive new details on the story “Rock Center” has dominated from the start.
Interesting to see if the show addresses some of controversy over the unused portion of the original Bob Costas-Jerry Sandusky interview.
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Speaking of Mr. Costas, he has a new show tonight on NBC Sports Network.
Tennis legend John McEnroe, Bill Maher, host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, and Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick are scheduled to join Bob Costas, a 23-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and one of America’s preeminent interviewers, on the latest edition of Costas Tonight, a 60-minute interview program, to air on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.
Can’t wait to see Costas interview Bill Maher.
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SI.com’s Richard Deitsch did an interview Poynter Review Project, the group that is ESPN’s de-facto ombudsman. A passage:
SI.com: Let me read you something written by John Carvalho, who is an associate professor of journalism at Auburn University. I’m sure you’ve read this. In describing the relationship between ESPN and the Poynter Review Project, Carvalho wrote: “In practice, the arrangement seems to be having little effect on how ESPN conducts its conflict-of-interest-filled daily business.” How would you respond?
Dunlap: I think that goes back to what we discussed earlier about what effect we are having on ESPN. I think it’s clear that we are having an effect on ESPN, and probably clearest to ESPN. It might not be as clear to others looking from the outside, and I think also the kind of work we are doing will be measured over time. So there are some changes in policy now, and I think there are some things that will happen outside of us as they go forward. I don’t think that criticism is valid.
Buckley: Well, one of the things that we said is ESPN is a web of conflicts of interest. We have said that more than once in the pieces that we have written. I think where I would disagree with the professor is that is I think we have been able to compel, urge, exhort ESPN to think much more deeply and carefully about those conflicts. Again, I don’t want to sound defensive, but I think the professor is asking us to prove a negative in that we don’t have any sense of the things that ESPN does not do or does more thoughtfully because of the work the Project has done.
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Joe Favorito writes about the upcoming 25th anniversary of WFAN.
Like other ventures, sports talk 24/7 was seen as the latest sign of the apocalypse. it could not sell as a stand-alone, it wasn’t like an ESPN because there was not that much to do with audio, but WFAN grew, and grew, moved down the dial to replace WNBC Radio at the powerful 660 spot, and now the audio side of sports, with over 300 sports talk radio stations across the country, countless blogtalk opportunities, college and high school sports radio and podcasts, have made sports audio bigger as a genre than ever before.
Now the ability to record and download interviews or shows tailored to our niche listening preferences makes sports audio in North America more valuable than ever before as a tool. If you miss NPR’s great “Only A Game” show on Saturday mornings at 7 don’t worry, download it and listen later. President Obama wants to reach a diverse male audience, go on a podcast with Bill Simmons. You want to get all-MMA all the time, try “Fight Club” on Sirius. All Fantasy Sports? There are many stops to listen to that as well.
I’ll have more on WFAN’s anniversary next week.