Laker Telecasts Shouldn’t Be Damaged by Cutbacks

Almost as certain as death and taxes these days are corporate cutbacks.

Two months ago, KCAL-Channel 9 was hit with a cost-cutting edict from parent company Viacom to go with an outside company to produce its live sports coverage, beginning Jan. 1.

What did this mean? Would some little-known production company take over by simply submitting the lowest bid? Would it mean one- or two-camera Laker telecasts that resembled those from the 1960s?

Pat McClenahan, senior vice president and station manager for Channel 9 and sister station Channel 2, offered some good news Thursday.

There will be an outside company, ProAngle Media, producing sports for Channel 9, but key people such as Jeff Proctor and Susan Stratton will still be involved.

ProAngle Media was formed by Proctor, Channel 9’s highly respected executive producer of sports since 2000, and Steve Rangel, the general manager of AEG Teleworks, the production arm for Staples Center.

Proctor, who is leaving Channel 9, said most of the Laker production crew would remain intact. The multi-award-winning Stratton, now in her 28th season, is the executive producer and director. Since last season, Mark Shah, formerly with FSN West, has been the producer. Stratton for years was both producer and director.

While it is good news that Stratton and Shah will remain, the production budget will be less, and there will be cutbacks in personnel and equipment. Proctor said the traveling Laker crew of nine will be reduced to six, with three technical positions being lost.

A year ago, Channel 9 entered into an eight-year agreement to televise the Dodgers beginning next year. Proctor said the producer and director of those telecasts would be determined later.

Dawn d’Agostino has been the producer of Channel 9’s Angel telecasts the last few years.

Channel 9 executives made the switch from the Angels to the Dodgers mainly because the Dodgers sought them out. The team, seeking more exposure and an over-the-air station with more of a sports identity, made a deal before the Angels came to the plate, so to speak.

Now, with the baseball season not too far off, the Angels are still seeking an over-the-air station.

The contracts of all four Angel announcers -- Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler on the TV side and Rory Markas and Terry Smith on the radio side -- expired after last season. But all four have been invited back and the Angels are in the process of negotiating new contracts for their announcing teams.

The Streak Is Over

It was reported here last week that Fox’s NFL pregame show had an unbeaten ratings streak of 129-0-2 in head-to-head competition with CBS’ “The NFL Today” since CBS regained the NFL in 1998.

CBS reported that the streak is over, that it scored a ratings victory of 3.9 to 2.3 last Sunday over “Fox NFL Sunday.”

“Congrats to them,” said Scott Ackerson, the coordinating producer of the Fox show. “Having a record of one win, 129 losses and two ties since 1998 is certainly a worthy accomplishment. Seriously, all this means is that it is time for us to start another winning streak. If we can go undefeated for the next 132 shows, I’ll take it.”

CBS, getting a boost from the undefeated Indianapolis Colts and an overall stronger AFC this season, is averaging a 2.5 for “The NFL Today” through 14 weeks, compared to a 3.3 for Fox’s show. According to CBS, the 0.8 differential is the smallest it has ever been.