Sunday, December 10, 2000
Sports on TV-Radio
Channel 9 launches weekly hoops show
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
John Popovich was hoping to get two or three special shows. Then Channel 9 sales manager Brian Lawlor came to him with the idea of doing a weekly special on college basketball.
“He asked if we'd be able to do it,” Popovich said. “I said we'd love to.”
The result is “Hometown Hoops,” a half-hour, weekly show devoted to area college basketball. It premiered Saturday and will run each Saturday at 7:30 p.m. until March.
“There's a lot of great stuff we can't get into the sportscast,” Popovich said. “We'll be able to run double or triple the highlights Kathrine (Nero) runs in the news (earlier Saturday).”
The plan is to go heavy on Cincinnati, Xavier and Miami. Kentucky, Indiana and Dayton will also get some air time. The smaller schools — Northern Kentucky, Mount St. Joe and Thomas More — also will be included.
The show will be live with a guest in the studio. Terry Nelson did the first show.
“They asked about doing it on tape,” Popovich said. “But I don't think that would work.”
Popovich can give score updates, but 9 cannot show live action from games during the show.
There will be nights when the show runs opposite live games. That was the case Saturday — the Xavier-Princeton game was on Channel 64, starting at 7:30.
“We hope there's an audience,” Popovich said. “College basketball is so big here. It always seems like no one's happy with the coverage they get. We're always hearing from Xavier people or UC people who want more about their team. This will give us a chance to do that.”
HOT STOVE: Andy Furman had a back-up topic ready when he started SportsTalk Friday on WLW 700-AM. That's because his main topic was baseball, specifically: Can the Reds compete with a $42 million payroll?
That hit a nerve with listeners.
“It got a little hot. I was shocked,” Furman said.
Baseball in the winter is normally a show-killing topic.
“People get worked up because they perceive the Reds can't compete because of money,” Furman said.
BUSY BRAD: Brad Johansen, the Channel 12 sports director, is having one busy weekend. Johansen was in South Bend, Ind., Saturday to call Miami-Notre Dame as part of 12's package.
Today he'll be in Nashville to do play-by-play for WLW on the Bengals-Tennessee Titans game.
A RANT: Rob from St. Bernard wants to know why we're always getting the Cleveland games on Channel 12.
The Browns game is the one CBS provides for Channel 12. The station can request another game. WKRC has been reluctant to do that because the Browns get good ratings because the have a fan base here. Although, even Browns fans are probably tired of watching their men by now.
JIMMY THE FREAK: Want a hot tip? Jimmy Kimmel, the comedian on Fox's NFL Sunday, has been right on his last five “Upset Special” picks.
A lot has been written about Fox's pregame show going to far in a effort to be funny. But the fact is Kimmel is hilarious and apparently knows some football.
John Fay covers radio/TV sports for The Enquirer. He can be reached at 768-8445.
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Channel 9 launches weekly hoops show
