No Bucs on KDKA

[Parttimer]

Not sure where Boss was going on the Blass comments myself... I think he's insightful and funny as an analyst but lacks the energy to make play-by-play interesting.

And that's my biggest issue with the crew as a whole, they really lack energy and punch a lot of nights.

 

[Boss Radio]

He used to be able to call the play-by-play very precisely, but that skill has eroded over the years.

Blass pitched professionally for 15 years. He's been a broadcaster for 23 years.

So, Lanny isn't a good broadcaster because he's been at it too long, but blass is a good broadcaster because he's been at it for a long time. Is that what you're saying?

If Blass started in pro baseball at 18, pitched for 15 years, and worked as a broadcaster for 23 years, that makes him around 56, only 3 years younger than Lanny. So, Lanny is a washed up has-been because he's 59, but Blass is still valuable at 56. Is that what you're saying?

(Sigh)

No, what I'm saying is this comment posted earlier in the thread -- "...Steve Blass, while very good pro baseball players now retired, they're not career broadcasters." -- doesn't have a lot of validity since Blass has been a broadcaster longer than he was a professional baseball player.

For the record, Lanny is 59 and Blass will turn 65 next week.

 

[kenhawk1160]

He used to be able to call the play-by-play very precisely, but that skill has eroded over the years.

Blass pitched professionally for 15 years. He's been a broadcaster for 23 years.

So, Lanny isn't a good broadcaster because he's been at it too long, but blass is a good broadcaster because he's been at it for a long time. Is that what you're saying?

If Blass started in pro baseball at 18, pitched for 15 years, and worked as a broadcaster for 23 years, that makes him around 56, only 3 years younger than Lanny. So, Lanny is a washed up has-been because he's 59, but Blass is still valuable at 56. Is that what you're saying?

(Sigh)

No, what I'm saying is this comment posted earlier in the thread -- "...Steve Blass, while very good pro baseball players now retired, they're not career broadcasters." -- doesn't have a lot of validity since Blass has been a broadcaster longer than he was a professional baseball player.

For the record, Lanny is 59 and Blass will turn 65 next week.

Does Blass do any broadcast work other than the Pirates? Has he ever? I believe Lanny had a fairly solid radio background before he joined Milo Hamilton in the booth back in the 70's. I don't remember Steve doing anything else other than the Bucs. That's not exactly what I would call a career broadcaster. But that's just me.

 

[Boss Radio]

Lanny did DJ work in his hometown and called minor league baseball games.

At what point does someone become a "career broadcaster?" Blass has been doing games for 23 years (until recently about 170 per year), which involves formulating thoughts and speaking off the cuff as events unfold in front of him. He's also done interviewing on a regular basis. Is he less of a broadcaster than someone who's started carts and read liners on a "more music, less talk" station for 15 years?

 

[Snafu]

For all of his accomplishments on the field Blass is still able to keep the fact that this is a game in perspective. He didn't let his emotions get the best of him on the field (except that one shining moment in October of 1971) and doesn't in the broadcast booth. He comes from that generation where players were still allowed to be boys on occasion.

Do yourselves a favor and listen to some of the other broadcast crews on MLB.com or XM. Outside of the treat of hearing Vin Scully do a game notice that there is far, far worse out there than we have here. Far worse.

As for the original question of this thread--yes moving the broadcasts away from KDKA will help somewhat, but only if the team is willing to hold Clear Channel's feet to the fire on occasion to make them live up to the promise of being a partner in growing the product.

Of course the best promotion in the world (and thus the best way of growing your product) is still called winning. Ask the Penguins.

 

[kenhawk1160]

Of course the best promotion in the world (and thus the best way of growing your product) is still called winning. Ask the Penguins.

Specifically, ask Michel Therrien. He's the one responsible for finally turning that team around. All he needed was a chance and out from under Mario and his buddies.

 

[Parttimer]

As for the original question of this thread--yes moving the broadcasts away from KDKA will help somewhat, but only if the team is willing to hold Clear Channel's feet to the fire on occasion to make them live up to the promise of being a partner in growing the product.

Of course the best promotion in the world (and thus the best way of growing your product) is still called winning. Ask the Penguins.

By the same token, since the Pirates employ the announcers and control the content of the pre-and post-game shows, and didn't change ANYTHING, apparently they feel that everything that might have been wrong was KDKA's fault.

Most every major league team formats the broadcasts the same way, but I still feel there's a lot that could be improved, and most of it is not controlled by Clear Channel.

 

[Radio_Realist]

apparently they feel that everything that might have been wrong was KDKA's fault.

Given their success at winning games and getting fans to byuy tickets to their games, maybe the feelings of the Pirate's management are often wrong.

 

[Boss Radio]

As for the original question of this thread--yes moving the broadcasts away from KDKA will help somewhat, but only if the team is willing to hold Clear Channel's feet to the fire on occasion to make them live up to the promise of being a partner in growing the product.

Of course the best promotion in the world (and thus the best way of growing your product) is still called winning. Ask the Penguins.

By the same token, since the Pirates employ the announcers and control the content of the pre-and post-game shows, and didn't change ANYTHING, apparently they feel that everything that might have been wrong was KDKA's fault.

Most every major league team formats the broadcasts the same way, but I still feel there's a lot that could be improved, and most of it is not controlled by Clear Channel.

Good point. I can't believe they didn't overhaul the sound to freshen things up with the move to FM. They've been using the same tired themes for the pregame shows for years. Unfortunately the people they put in charge of broadcasting rarely have any kind of background in the business, and there's a major lack of creativity. In the past, Lanny has also been an impediment to any change.

 

[Radio_Realist]

I can't believe they didn't overhaul the sound to freshen things up with the move to FM. They've been using the same tired themes for the pregame shows for years.

Right. Never mind that the content is still as boring as ever, just put on new jingles and imaging, and then everything will be all better!

And you accuse me of always advocating the same things.

 

[Boss Radio]

What the hell are you talking about?

I'm talking about freshening up the format and content of the pre-game programming on the Pirates broadcasts.

 

[Radio_Realist]

I'm talking about freshening up the format and content

Then why did you only mention "overhaul the sound to freshen things up" and "They've been using the same tired themes for the pregame shows for years"? If you were talking about content, why didn't you even mention content?

 

[Snafu]

Actually at this point they need to get back to the real basics, like being able to get the game on from a remote location, get in and out of commerical breaks and even get the commerical on in the right order.

Clear Channel does a great job with the Steelers and the Pens which made the disasters that the Saturday and Sunday broadcasts from Cincinnati were even more puzzling. First four innings Saturday sounded like we were still listening to KDKA... in a car radio in Salt Lake City. It was obviously from the site since the commericals and station IDs were all fine. Sunday game sounded tinny the entire time as if something or someone knocked the base and midrange out of everyone's mikes. Again problem from the site.

I know the Pirates made their feelings known about the Spring Training issues. Guess someone needs to pick up the phone again.

 

[Call Me Sherlock]

So, it's been a few weeks now--have the broadcasts improved from what they were at the very beginning of the season?

I live out of the area and was disappointed to learn that the current station wasn't streaming the games on their website. And somehow, that FM signal just doesn't make it down to NC.

At least with KDKA, some of the games would "skip" in here pretty well many nights. I guess XM might be my only answer.

 

[Parttimer]

Local stations can't stream MLB games, MLB.com owns those rights. You must pay before you listen.....

 

[Radio_Realist]

Local stations can't stream MLB games, MLB.com owns those rights.

Besides, 104.7 is streaming the talk hosts who are being pre-empted for the baseball games.

I wonder if anyone saved the promos Jim Quinn cut for when Rush was about to move from KDKA to 104.7. They had Quinn's rather convincing vocal impersonation of Rush saying "On the cutting edge of societal evolution", then a cut to a baseball announcer. At the time, 104.7 bragged that once Rush moved from KDKA to 104.7, his fans wouldn't have to put up with him getting pre-empted for Pirate games.

 

[Boss Radio]

When the Pirates originally took all aspects of the radio broadcasts in house, they had a director of broadcasting (Dean Jordan) who had worked in the business and understood it. He even produced and voiced some of the promos.

The current director of broadcasting was working in the ticket office before he was given this job.

 

[Radio_Realist]

When the Pirates originally took all aspects of the radio broadcasts in house, they had a director of broadcasting (Dean Jordan) who had worked in the business and understood it. He even produced and voiced some of the promos.

The current director of broadcasting was working in the ticket office before he was given this job.

And yet the baseball fan listening to the broadcasts who doesn't work in radio can't tell the difference! Interesting!

 

[Boss Radio]

When the Pirates originally took all aspects of the radio broadcasts in house, they had a director of broadcasting (Dean Jordan) who had worked in the business and understood it. He even produced and voiced some of the promos.

The current director of broadcasting was working in the ticket office before he was given this job.

And yet the baseball fan listening to the broadcasts who doesn't work in radio can't tell the difference! Interesting!

They sure as hell can tell when there are technical foul-ups that keep the games from sounding right. They can tell when the station is inserting spots at the wrong time and interrupting the game.

 

[kenhawk1160]

When the Pirates originally took all aspects of the radio broadcasts in house, they had a director of broadcasting (Dean Jordan) who had worked in the business and understood it. He even produced and voiced some of the promos.

The current director of broadcasting was working in the ticket office before he was given this job.

And yet the baseball fan listening to the broadcasts who doesn't work in radio can't tell the difference! Interesting!

They sure as hell can tell when there are technical foul-ups that keep the games from sounding right. They can tell when the station is inserting spots at the wrong time and interrupting the game.

Actually those technical foul-ups are nothing entirely new. Those go back as far as five years when they were putting interns on the air at KD to save money on board ops. It was an on-air abortion that eventually got affiliates riled up enough to make a stink of it to Marc Garda (Pirates affiliate relations). Then they got their act together and put people in there who knew what they were doing. But this happens about every other year...after the affiliate noises die down, then they try to sneak the interns back on.