Everything You Wanted To Know About ESPN's New Primetime Magazine Show

Monday, July 16, 2007


Back in Mid-May we had a post on a new Magazine that ESPN was developing for television. Yeah, I have no idea how that works either, but they just now released the information on a show that will air in October.

The show will be called ESPN Reports and will feature all of those people you see at combines and interviewing GMs at drafts....

Each show will offer a combination of investigative features, profiles of intriguing sports personalities, and cutting edge stories on innovations in the sports world including emerging sports and new technology. In addition, ESPN Reports will differentiate itself by offering a unique, behind-the-scenes portrait of its reporters by turning the camera on the reporters as they work on their stories. Each segment will meld the stories with a glimpse of the reporters’ experiences – pitching the original idea, creating storylines with producers and interviewing their subjects. Reporter out-takes and diaries will also be incorporated.
Outtakes? YES!!! That's what I'm talking about! Actually this is a great idea for those Sports Nerds who want to be in the business.
“The pages of ESPN The Magazine will come to life on ESPN Reports through the vibrant lens of the top technical cameras and access-driven stories that will be told by award-winning reporters and producers,” said Robert Wallace, ESPN’s vice president of content development. “The series will be hard-hitting, current and compelling. It will broaden the current boundaries of the television news magazine genre.”
Maybe I'm not as big of a nerd as I thought, but can someone maybe provide me an example of "Television News Magazine"? Is it like Entertainment Tonight or more like Talk Soup??? The press release is titled, "ESPN to Debut First Primetime Newsmagazine Show"....so how exactly will it "broaden the current boundaries??? I'm confused.

Anyway(s), here are your players for the show: Jeremy Schaap, Lisa Salters, Tom Farrey, Rachel Nichols and Michael Smith. Others will be added, but those are who ESPN guarantees for each episode.

Your first show (hopefully I can live-blog it!!!) will be Tuesday, October 16th at 7pm. Be there or be square! I just hope they show us how they steal scoops from other credible sources like The Big Lead has opened our eyes to. Ooh, and can you please give me a television version of the thing where who can guess and athlete's answer to a question better....his wife or a teammate? I love that game.

(Source: ESPN Press Release, July 14th)

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 1:29 PM

11 Comments:

I remember this show when it was called Outside the Lines.

Jul 16, 2007, 2:04:00 PM  

a newsmagazine show is like dateline nbc or 60 minutes.

or more (hopefully) apt analogy for espn news magazine would be hbo real sports.

Anonymous said...
Jul 16, 2007, 2:12:00 PM  

Can I sit on the shitter and watch this show?

Why isn't that Josh douchebag involved with this, he's NOW and stuff, and CLASSIC too.

E Buzz said...
Jul 16, 2007, 2:48:00 PM  
This comment has been removed by the author.
Big Al said...
Jul 16, 2007, 2:53:00 PM  

Like "Dateline?" Will they have their own version of Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" series?

Tonight, on ESPN Reports, "To Catch a Nashville Predator."

Big Al said...
Jul 16, 2007, 2:55:00 PM  

I have a sinking suspicion that this show will be a sappier version of the Sportscenter segments where athletes high-five dying kids.

Anonymous said...
Jul 16, 2007, 3:03:00 PM  

Can they get Mario Lopez to host it???

GMoney said...
Jul 16, 2007, 3:36:00 PM  

Ohhhhhh. Well then. If Jeremy Sapp, er, Schapp is involved, count me in.

And that For Love or Whatever game in the magazine does kick ass AA.

Bstone said...
Jul 16, 2007, 5:58:00 PM  

Rachel Nichols? I'm in.

Anonymous said...
Jul 16, 2007, 7:06:00 PM  

You have a blog mostly about broadcasting and you don't know what a TV news magazine is? That's embarrassing.

anonymous said...
Jul 17, 2007, 1:34:00 PM  

Sorry for disappointing you Justin, but I don't watch the regular news. Never have. Since this is the first one for Sports, I hadn't heard the term.

It seems like a bullshit term anyway, so no embarrasment here.

Jul 17, 2007, 1:59:00 PM  

Post a Comment