Evening star., 1963-05-07

Somebody Goofed
At Channel 9
BY MORRIS SIEcEL

SPORTS FEATURES COME and CO. but the telecast
of the Kentucky Derby Is always one OF the most cooru
and exciting of any year So 1t was Saturday when
CBS-TV brought Chateaugays victory In the top Jewel OF
racings Triple Crown to millions of viewers
with Jack Drees calling the actual running, Bryan
Field, Chris Schenke and retired Jockey Eddie Arcaro
providing the color and the interviews was an item not
to be missed The showing OF film clips OF the tavores
the earlier and later the running Of the tapes Of
the Derby ITSELF with comments by the winning rider and
Others made this an outstanding coverage"
This Is what the television critic Of the New York
Daily News wrote yesterday about the TV coverage OF
Americas premier horse race Unfortunately Washington
critics did not have the opportunity to comment
They didn't get what New Workers and viewers IN
hundreds of other places got to see
WHAT WE GOT HERE over Channel was COM
pressed hurredup ragged unproessona blob Of flash
movie inserted between couple Of commercials 1t was
almost total eclipse.
II teevision was the concern of the Better Business
Bureau protests against the Channel version Of the
Kentucky Derby would have merited serious attention
Rarely ever has TV sports event precipated as much
indignation, all Of it warranted.
The viewing public did not get the product advertised
The original -hour show referred to by the New York
columns was compressed into Is minutes and is seconds
according to Channel 9s tmekeeper Some unimagnauVe
peon probably dismissed by now did have sense enough
to allow the to be shown, but his sense OF pubic
interest ended right there.
The button pushers at Channel were so determined
to the viewers to Chicago for the Senators game
that they didn't remain with the Derby teecast long
enough to determine the race was Official ana wnat ne
mutuel prices were.
Even the Justice Department in It's breakdown on
broadcast horse racing permits this much Information TO
flow the cables Channel 9s ground rules are much
tougher.
ONE STATION SPOKESMAN attempting to justify the
shabby show said baseball game In progress and 1t
his considered judgment that the viewer should be
returned to the game quickly possible
he Qnno ot0rQ fS Onlv
Kentucky Derby each year. The Senators NOT in the
pennant race not at the moment anyway Much Of the
time spent TVing Saturdays baseball game consumed
with focused the arpaulin at ComSkey Park
This might have been fascinating sight for some
body at Channel probably its weather announcer, but
to the viewer who had been asked to tune in at pm
for an hour-long Kentucky Derby show 1t hardly q
substitute wTOP admitted received 95 protest calls
when the Derby hour did not come promised -
The station also admitted "ths is lot Of calls,
tanly many than usual" II there any calls
from rate baseball fans protesting the showing Of the
Kentucky Derby the station did not record them forgot
to mention 1t.
THE FAULT WAS NOT all Channel 9s although 1t
the greater portion Of the snau for failure to
present the Derby advertised The network doesn't rats
Emmy for the abrupt in which the Derby
screened.
In their dedication to squeeze the last dollar out Of
the show the network interrupted commercial to focus
the starting gate, where the Derby field
from director boted out to begin the for fame
delay another seconds would have caught the horses
after the race had begun.
Channel said 1t had made all sorts Of preparations
to meet any emergency I'VE expected the ball game tc
be by o'clock" apoogist said, but then rain
up in Chicago and delayed the game for hour and
81 minutes. That's what fouled up the whole thing
Otherwise, we would have been in good shape"
failed TO take into consideration that the bulk
the audience zeroed in on Channel at 5 O'Clock wa
there to watch the Derby not ball game other events
far more important have been summary shut off wher
they had out Of their allotted time.
1t is apparent from its amateurish handling Of the
Derby that what Channel needs is refresher
from the FEC in what constitutes public interest Their
wasteand last Saturday was far too vast