ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 17, 1996 TAG: 9604170020
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS STAFF WRITER
One of a kind. That's how Hank Bishop and Tom Booth describe their bi-weekly television show spotlighting Virginia Tech athletics.
Bishop, Booth and David Letourneau are the hosts of "The Sports Authorities," an hour-long Hokie sports highlights show broadcast every other week on Blacksburg station WTOB 2 (Thursday, 8 p.m.), as well as WCOX Channel 9 (Wednesday) out of Roanoke and FCAC Channel 10 (Thursday, 10 p.m.) in Fairfax. The next WTOB 2 airing is scheduled for Thursday, but in the 4 p.m. slot.
"We have a unique show because we just don't focus on the two major sports - football and basketball," Bishop said. "When Tom and I started hosting the show two years ago, we said that we wanted to do a show that focused on every one of Tech's varsity teams. Because we do that, we feel our show reaches a wider range of audience than other shows regarding Tech sports."
Adding to the uniqueness of "The Sports Authorities" is its student makeup. Approximately 15 people, all Tech students, are responsible for the 30-plus hours of filming, editing and writing it takes to produce one episode of the show. While the show's student-media makeup and public access channel availability may sound like a sporting fan's "Wayne's World," a closer examination reveals a top-notch production.
"The show has gotten much, much better the last couple of years," Bishop said. "Every week we have done the show, we feel it has gotten stronger. I like to concentrate on the things I felt went wrong the show before, and then work to make sure we get them right the next time. Most of us want to go into broadcasting as a career, so we take the show seriously."
It's a commitment to perfection that has brought the show a small loyal following.
"All the comments I have heard about the show have been positive and encouraging," Booth said. "I know of a few people, and some athletes, that say they never miss a show. Some of them tell us they like 'The Sports Authorities' more than 'Friends'."
While NBC's Thursday night lineup probably remains safe in the Nielsen ratings, the diversity of topics and the weekly features seen on "The Sports Authorities" offers the most rabid Hokie fans with an attractive alternative to the network shows.
Bishop said each episode of the VTTV Channel 33-produced show contains highlights, player and coach interviews, previews of future Tech opponents and editorials that focus on the full range of Hokie athletics.
"I think we've done a good job at giving the viewers what we think they'll want," Bishop said. "One thing we're really proud of is our coverage of the nonrevenue sports. That's what makes this show different, because people can see how every sport here is doing. If they have a home match, we'll have highlights of it.
"But what has really made this past season great is the resurgence that we've seen in Tech's athletic programs. It's easy to do a great job when you're dealing with a great story, particularly one that is being seen on a national basis. It's a great time right now for Tech and we pride ourselves on showing that to the public."
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: JAMES GIBNEY. "Sports Authorities" hosts (from left):by CNBDavid Letourneau, Hank Bishop and Tom Booth on the set.