Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 14, 1990 TAG: 9004140097
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogacyzk
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Kernan will work as a pit reporter for cable's ESPN at the First Union 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on April 22. He will be replacing regular Dick Berggren, who has worked ESPN's pit crew with Dr. Jerry Punch. Berggren is leaving TV work to devote more time to his editor's job with Stock Car Racing magazine.
Although ESPN "SpeedWorld" executive producer Peter Englehart won't say it, for all intents and purposes it's an audition for Kernan. He filled out forms earlier this week for the sizing of a fireproof suit with his name on it.
"I kind of do look at it as an audition," said Kernan, 31. "I figure if I don't goof up and I do a good job, then I could be at Martinsville [for the Hanes 500] the following weekend. It's a one-shot deal. It's like you get this one chance to do something, and you have to do the best job you can because you may not have the chance again."
Kernan was recommended to ESPN's racing producers by Lingner Productions of Indianapolis, which produces the regular "SpeedWeek" show for the cable network. Kernan has filed feature pieces for the show on a free-lance basis since 1985. Bob Jenkins, the show's host, also put in a good word for the Roanoke sportscaster with Neil Goldberg, ESPN's producer of NASCAR events.
"Neil said he thought if everything went OK, they would likely ask me to do the rest of the year," Kernan said.
ESPN has 17 NASCAR Winston Cup events remaining on its 1990 schedule. Kernan, who anchors the "News 7" 6 p.m. sportscast, will get to watch his first race work on ESPN. Because of the seven hours of live coverage of the NFL draft, the North Wilkesboro telecast won't air until Monday, April 23, at 8 p.m.
If Kernan gets more ESPN assignments, he says he hopes to fit them into his Channel 7 work by taking vacation days to head to NASCAR tracks on Fridays. Next weekend, Roy Stanley is returning from vacation a day early to back up Mike Stevens in Kernan's absence. "I'm really thankful Roy was willing to do that for me, so I could go Saturday morning," Kernan said. "Neil wanted me to be there Friday, but he understands that I have a day job."
Kernan said it's far too early to think about what might develop if ESPN put him on its regular NASCAR crew. At each stop, the cable network usually televises a Grand National race on Saturday and the Winston Cup event on Sunday.
"This is good exposure for John, and we cover a lot of NASCAR events, so this helps us, too," said WDBJ news director Jim Shaver. "My only instruction to him is that our air has to be protected first. That's his first obligation. If he meets that, whatever he does with ESPN is fine."
Right now, Kernan would be happy just to be at Martinsville Speedway in two weekends for both "your hometown station" and cable's most-watched network.
The furor surrounding Brent Musburger's departure from CBS Sports continues as the network makes its baseball telecast debut today (1 p.m., WDBJ), with the Cubs-Pirates game scheduled to be called by Jack Buck and Tim McCarver.
Buck has replaced the dumped Musburger on the CBS first team. The network, with only 16 regular-season telecasts, has games today and next Saturday, then leaves baseball until June 16 because of NBA playoff commitments. Reports persist that if Al Michaels can extricate himself from his ABC Sports pact that runs through 1993 - he has filed a breach-of-contract grievance through the TV-radio union - he will replace Buck on the primary games in two months.
Nine days ago, CBS Sports Executive Producer Ted Shaker announced that Buck and McCarver would be a team through the 1990 season and would work the World Series as a team. A CBS Sports spokesman reiterated that Friday. "Buck and McCarver will stay together for the whole season," the spokesman said.
If Shaker gets Michaels, and dumps Buck, then every arrow Musburger has fired at Shaker and CBS Sports President Neal Pilson is more than deserved. It's not like Buck can't do baseball. He's only been voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame's broadcasting wing for his play-by-play work on St. Louis Cardinals' games since 1954.
The limited on-screen graphics on Baltimore Orioles' telecasts on WJPR (Channel 21) - not to mention misspellings of players names - is stunning to viewers in this age of sophistication in that area. It's also the responsibility of the Lynchburg station.
Marty Conway, the Orioles' TV-radio coordinator, said that Baltimore flagship station WMAR "is required, by contract, to present only a `clean' feed to all network stations." It's up to local stations on the Orioles' network to provide informational material.
Lon Morolli, WJPR's vice president and general manager, said WMAR doesn't feed network stations the starting lineups until a couple of minutes before each game. He said WJPR has the capability of providing more graphics material, but to post hits and errors and players' batting averages, a control-room technician would have to sit and keep score during the game.
The lack of graphics on Orioles' over-the-air telecasts is in stark comparison to the stellar production work done on the Orioles' 85 cable telecasts on Home Team Sports. It would seem the Orioles would want a better show going into outlying markets, and that the club would push WMAR to send a feed with graphics via satellite.
"We can do a better job on the graphics," Morolli said. "But you need to get the information to do it."
\ On the air:
SportsChannel America has announced the Winston Classic at Martinsville Speedway, including the NASCAR Grand National championship, will be televised live on Oct. 28 as part of the cable network's new racing series. Spectra Communications of Charlotte, N.C., is producing the show for SCA. The speedway is receiving a $27,500 rights fee for the October date and the Spectra syndicated show of the Miller Classic three weeks ago.
Home Box Office has a watchable one-hour special Monday at 8 p.m. The "History of the NBA" traces the evolution of basketball and the league's history, including segments on the sport's origins, dynasties, rivalries, and legendary players and great coaches. The show will be repeated Thursday, and four more times before mid-May . . . ABC Sports has the McDonald's All-America high school game Sunday (4 p.m., WSET) from Indianapolis. The participants include North Carolina signee Eric Montross, the Indiana 7-footer; Anthony Cade, headed to Louisville from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson; and Duke-bound Grant Hill of Reston.
by CNB