Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 7, 1994 TAG: 9405070029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Medalist builds three television shows daily for the sixth Tour, which rides in the Roanoke Valley for the first time Monday with the Stage 5 time trial. There's the show done in conjunction with local stations, including Roanoke's WSLS (Channel 10) and Lynchburg's WSET (Channel 13) over the next few days.
There's a package put together nightly for ESPN to show on same-day tape delay and another feed for international consumption. The live show, the one shown on the 10-by-15 foot "Big Mo" screen at the finish line at each stop, is a closed-circuit telecast and becomes part of the shows seen by local viewers on Channel 13 Sunday and Channel 10 Monday and Tuesday.
CBS, for its "Eye on Sports" anthology shows Sunday (2 p.m., WDBJ, Channel 7) and one week later, will pull Tour coverage from all three sources and will enhance that with some of its own work. So, at every Tour site, there actually are five TV productions in process - local station, the Medalist local crew, international, ESPN and CBS.
Medalist gets its pictures with the same technology that was used 25 years ago when NASA and networks provided the first glimpse of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the surface of the moon.
For the Roanoke stage, for example, a microwave truck at the race start at the Salem Civic Center is one control center. Two camera-carrying motorcycles cover the course with the riders, sending pictures to a helicopter. The chopper will relay the microwave signal to a satellite dish atop the First Union Bank Building at the corner of Jefferson and Campbell in downtown Roanoke. That signal then goes from the production truck to "Big Mo" and receiving TV stations and into your home.
At Monday's time trial, WSLS will enhance the Medalist coverage with three station cameras. That means seven cameras will cover the time trial for local viewers on the 11 a.m. show.
\ TOUR DETOUR: In its proposal and contract to become the "official station" for Monday's Tour DuPont stage in Roanoke, WSLS asked Cycle Roanoke Valley and Medalist Sports for "assurance the race will pass by WSLS studios on Third Street."
Channel 10 got the race rights, but the race will run a block away. The finish of the 22.9-mile stage will turn left onto Second Street Southwest from Franklin Road, then right from Second onto Campbell Avenue for the finish at the City Market Building.
\ PANTHERS RICH: How big is the NFL in Charlotte? Big enough to get the Carolina Panthers a radio contract only four NFL teams match financially. The Panthers have signed a five-year contract with WBT (1110 AM) and the Capitol Radio Network of Raleigh.
The deal is worth about $18 million to $19 million from 1995-99. WBT is the flagship station, and Capitol, which also produces Virginia football and basketball among its college networks, will create and sell the Panthers' network, which will blanket the Carolinas and could reach into Virginia and Tennessee.
The only clubs with radio deals worth as much as the Panthers' agreement are the Dallas Cowboys, the Chicago Bears, the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins.
\ ALL-STAR FIRST: The Baseball Network, which begins its ties with NBC and ABC this season, has a first for its first telecast. The All-Star teams will be announced on national television - starters, pitchers and reserves at one time - on a one-hour NBC show July 3.
Fans again are voting for the All-Star starters. The All-Star Game is the first Baseball Network telecast, July 12, also on NBC.
\ DERBY DAY: Before ABC Sports begins its coverage of the Kentucky Derby today (4:30 p.m., WSET), ESPN will begins its Derby day at 2:30 with live coverage of three races from Churchill Downs, plus a live cut-in to the Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase from Great Meadow. Home Team Sports also will televise the 69th Gold Cup in a 90-minute special at 3 p.m.
\ V FOUNDATION: Laura Hunt, executive director of the V Foundation, reports more than $1 million has been raised to further cancer research in the 13 months since late coach-turned-broadcaster Jim Valvano and ESPN founded the non-profit organization.
"In just one year through mostly $10 and $25 donations, we have been able to raise $1 million - an excellent indication of just how deeply Jim touched so many people," Hunt said.
ESPN also raised more than $100,000 through T-shirt sales during its March Madness coverage.
The first annual Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic to benefit the foundation is scheduled Aug. 28 at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, N.C. Honorary chairmen are Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and ESPN broadcasters John Saunders and Dick Vitale. Scheduled participants include Charles Barkley, Dean Smith and Dan Jansen.
For information on the Jimmy V Classic, call Frank McCann, tournament director, (919) 851-8174.
\ LEGENDARY: ABC Sports carries the Legends of Golf today (2:30 p.m., WSET) and Sunday. When the event began in 1978, it was the first truly recognized event for senior golfers, who were playing three tournaments with a combined purse of less than $1 million. It started something. This year, there are 45 senior tournaments with $29.8 million in prize money.
by CNB