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

[tapintoamerica]

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

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Who gives a ****?

 

[Stitch]

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

 

[DanOregon]

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.

 

[poindexter]

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 ****?"

 

[Moondoggy]

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

You beat me to it.

 

[printdust]

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

They're just whiners.

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

 

[Oggiedoggie]

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.

 

[LongTimeListener]

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.

 

[RickStain]

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...

 

[Clerk Typist]

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.

 

[Pancamo]

Who gives a ****?

Sally Jenkins. She wrote about this report last week.

 

[poindexter]

You know what I never hear?

I never hear women say, "I want more women's sports highlights in my Sportscenter."

 

[DanOregon]

Imagine what women's sports coverage would be without the NBA packaging the WNBA with its NBA package and the NCAA packaging women's sports with its men's TV packages.

Though I do hear that the PAC10 is especially eager to bring in Texas etal for their strong women's sports programs...and academics, of course.

 

[doctorx]

The WNBA was preparing to launch when I attended my one and only APSE convention and there was a fair bit of discussion as to how the WNBA should be covered.

Wouldn't say it turned out to be much ado about nothing, but close.

 

[DanOregon]

In fairness, a league organized at a car dealership wouldn't have a chance in today's environment. But the NFL was able to survive and didn't become bigger than baseball until the 70s.
People expect new leagues to "compete" with the big boys from the jump (stadiums, tv coverage, "buzz). The original NFL, MLB and NBA couldn't compete with their present selves.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Women's sports gets the coverage it deserves during the NCAA Tournament, tennis grand slams and every four years in the Olympics. ESPN's core audience doesn't care about almost anything else.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Sports departments probably have a duty to report on women's sports from an issues standpoint the same way that the news department has an obligation to report on zoning and transportation stories. Those stories don't generate a ton of interest, either, but like or or not you are acting as a bit of a "social service" by including them in the daily wrap-up. If we were just reacting to reader interest, then A1 of every paper in America would be full of news about Nicole Richie, the plastic surgery girl from "The Hills," and Sandra Bullock's husband.

That being said, newspapers and television have no obligation, in my mind, to take up valuable news space on sports event coverage that generates almost zero interest outside of the core group of interested people who are going to get that news one way or the other. I understand coverage of high school girls sports because I think it falls under the "social service" category. But it's survival of the fittest at the (national) college and (national AND local) professional level. I think you have to prove you can generate the interest yourself before the independent media devotes resources to it in this day and age.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Women's college sports gets decent coverage in both Boston papers, not great, but decent. Of course, because we have so many colleges, many small, it's almost like high school sports in that regard.

 

[britwrit]

I don't know. Not to sound borderline sexist but a channel showing mostly young, athletic women running around on a field/court/wherever? Do it cheaply enough and I can't see how you'd lose money.

Young women athletes would watch it because they're young and athletic. Guys would watch it because they're, well, guys.