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USC study slams TV for declining coverage of women's sports

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by tapintoamerica, Jun 7, 2010.

  1. tapintoamerica

    tapintoamerica Well-Known Member

    While we can all agree that the numbers in any case are small, the decline in ESPN coverage from 2.1 percent of SportsCenter time in 2004 to 1.5 percent in 2009 has an explanation that the authors of the study seem to ignore: 2004 was an Olympic year and 2009 was not.

    http://www.usc.edu/dept/cfr/html/documents/tvsports.pdf
     
  2. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Who gives a fuck?
     
  3. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    If women's sports had an audience, it would be on TV.
     
  4. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    That no one has started a women's sports cable network (considering how many channels there are and some of the niches covered 24/7) should be all the evidence needed for that.

    If people watched - it would be covered.
     
  5. poindexter

    poindexter Well-Known Member

    lol

    On July 18, in a report that focused entirely on men’s sports, KABC’s Kurt Sandoval
    closed with a 28‐second long story on the Laker Girls Tryouts. In taped footage of the
    tryouts, viewers saw young dancing women wearing sports bra tops and bikini bottoms,
    as cameras positioned below them panned up from their legs to their abdomens, their
    breasts and finally their faces, during which Sandoval reported:
    “Finally, with Trevor Ariza in Houston and Lamar Odom’s contract off the table,
    Laker fans needed something to smile about. We bring you, the Laker Girl tryouts.
    Good to see life is actually well in El Segundo for Laker fans today. Several
    dozens putting on their best show to try to win that coveted—highly coveted—
    spot on the Laker Girl roster. Just ask Paula Abdul if it can help your career. We
    wish all the ladies well tonight.” A Female co‐anchor responds, “You just made
    Danny’s evening” (referring to KABC weather man Danny Romero). Off‐screen,
    laughter erupts, to which Sandoval responds, “We aim to please.”



    To quote an internet message board poster, "Who gives a fuck?"
     
  6. Moondoggy

    Moondoggy Member

    You beat me to it.
     
  7. printdust

    printdust New Member

    They're just whiners.

    Who aren't watching the College (softball) World Series.
     
  8. Oggiedoggie

    Oggiedoggie Well-Known Member

    This is just another indication that lots of folks don't understand how the media market works.

    You see it on all levels.

    At the smallest, it's the soccer parent that says a newspaper should cover the team. You go out and there's no crowd there, so you don't make the trip again. But, if you tell that parent thee isn't enough interest, they'll simply tell you that there aren't any crowds because you don't cover them.

    I would have though that folks would realize that the media isn't some sort of social service agency. Especially when it comes to sports, we don't cover what we should cover for the benefit of society at large, we cover what people want to read, hear or watch so that we can sell stuff.
     
  9. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    There is a large core of people, including many in the media, who have come to believe Title IX applies to newspapers and TV stations.
     
  10. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    The line between "We're here to report only what people want to read" and "We have a civic duty" seems to fall uncannily between what we do and don't feel like covering.

    Not that I'm going to start covering women's soccer anytime soon...
     
  11. Clerk Typist

    Clerk Typist Guest

    A cable network covering only women's sports was tried in Canada. WTSN was gone in about two years, victim of low ratings and little advertising.
     
  12. Pancamo

    Pancamo Active Member

    Sally Jenkins. She wrote about this report last week.
     
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