Skate America on TV comes up very short in America | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Skate America on TV comes up very short in America

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
It's like American Idol. The best singer doesn't always win (or I'd venture to say hardly ever wins)

When you involve the (American) audience in judging an event, COUNT on it to be a popularity contest. Especially a young audience.
 

Alsace

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Once again, this is likely going to be a popularity contest. Not enough of us know this new judging system to make a fair assessment

Or predetermined voting. I just looked at the list and decided who I wanted to see competing in the final round. I will probably vote for them, so I can see them skate again!
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Or predetermined voting. I just looked at the list and decided who I wanted to see competing in the final round. I will probably vote for them, so I can see them skate again!

And Fans of the skaters will vote for their favorite no matter how good or bad they are.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Well, I say if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I will watch it for what it is and try to get into the spirit of the thing.

All the Internet fan clubs of the various skaters have from now till December to get their stuff together to organize a big vote for their favorite. Sasha, Kimmie, Emily, Weir, Lysacek and Belbin and Agosto, at least, all have loyal fan bases. I am going to start beating the drum for Katy Taylor!
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
just remember, if ratings for marshals and other cheesefests tank, they won't even bother putting real competitions on their airwaves... so you can't have it both ways as a viewer
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Some fans of figure skating enjoy the competitive nature of it.

Some others see it as an artistic endeavour.

IMO, this Marshall show will be like amateur night at the local movie house. Does anyone really care who is the most popular?

There usually are a lot of TV skating shows around this time for those who enjoy the 'artisty' of skating. This will try to be one of them.

Joe
 

Linny

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
not watching live

I don't watch ANY sporting events live. I Tivo everything and then watch at my convenience. And since I'm not interested in the sports that are going to all over the new like major league football, well, makes not a whit of difference whether or not the event is televised live.

Linny
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Does anyone really care who is the most popular?
Guilty pleasure confession: actually, I am kind of curious about that.

Figure skating is a personality-driven sport. People do have their favorites that they like to root for, whether or not they skate well on a particular occasion.

It seems like Sasha should be the most popular lady. But maybe there will be a bunch of Michelle fans who just can't bring themselves to vote for the enemy, so they will switch over to Kimmie. Emily has a loyal army of very young fans -- and the younger they are the more likely that they will vote, via the Internet , text messaging, blue tooth and all that stuff that youngsters know about.

Who is more popular among U.S. skating fans, Johnny or Evan? I don't know why I am curious about that, but I am. :)

(Of course, they could just have the popularity contest without doing any actual skating.)
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
just remember, if ratings for marshals and other cheesefests tank, they won't even bother putting real competitions on their airwaves... so you can't have it both ways as a viewer
So true.

We can't blame the TV networks for not airing programming that no-one wants to watch.

We can't blame the audience for not being interested in things that they are not interested in.

So if we are dismayed by the loss of market share, the only thing we can do is improve the product.

Is this show an "improved product?" I will be interested to see if it outdraws the Kristi Yamaguchi Christmas Special. Do we want to see our old favorites or the new kids on the block?
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Since Marshall's is to be once again a popularity contest, I think it's plain Sasha and Evan will win on the West Coast, even if Sasha has a bad skate (with Kwan out of commission, Sasha has the most fans). And on the East coast, it figures to be Kimmie and Johnny.

Pair and Ice Dance teams don't have that many fans, so I don't see that I/B and B/A have a ghost of a chance to do a second program.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
It is apparent that there are a substantial number of posters who want figure skating on TV in any which way they can get it - even if it is a Popularity Contest and not a legitimate competition.

I, in the meantime will be studying the results of the Junior Grand Prix which, of course, will not be shown on American TV. Popularity Contests being so much more important. I'm hoping someone comes up with the protocols for the JGPF.
I think they will. After all some of these skaters will be in next year's Most Popular Contest.

Two weeks later, we will see the Senior Gran Prix on TV!! and the winner of the Most Popular will have to skate well, for this prize. It's legitimate.

Joe
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Pair and Ice Dance teams don't have that many fans, so I don't see that I/B and B/A have a ghost of a chance to do a second program.
I think Belbin and Agosto might have a chance. They won the Skating magazine popularity contest last year, in competition with singles skaters. Tanith is awfully pretty. :yes:
 

visaliakid

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Country
United-States
Skate America U.S. Broadcast Schedule (All Times EST)

ABC 10/29 1-2 p.m.
ESPN 10/29 4-7 p.m.
ABC 11/5 5-6 p.m.

(Check for air times in your local area for Central-Mountain-Pacific Time Zones)

CCTV5 will only webcast the pairs live.
Thursday 9:00 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. EST / 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. PST (U.S. times)
Saturday 7:55 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST / 4:55 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PST (U.S. times)

Ladies, Men and Ice Dance will be recorded and webcast at times TBD .
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I, in the meantime will be studying the results of the Junior Grand Prix which, of course, will not be shown on American TV.
But Joe, can you really blame network TV for not wanting to take CSI off the air so they could show the ladies long program in the junior grand prix event from Czechoslavakia last Friday? (The winning performance scored 78.56 points, she fell on her flip, staggered out of her Salchow, and got negative GOEs on both of her combinations -- sort of reminded me of the recent Marshall's competition.)

You and I would have loved to have seen it. That makes two. Doesn't sell much Budweiser.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
But Joe, can you really blame network TV for not wanting to take CSI off the air so they could show the ladies long program in the junior grand prix event from Czechoslavakia last Friday? (The winning performance scored 78.56 points, she fell on her flip, staggered out of her Salchow, and got negative GOEs on both of her combinations -- sort of reminded me of the recent Marshall's competition.)

You and I would have loved to have seen it. That makes two. Doesn't sell much Budweiser.

:rofl: that says it all right there...

Besides, I'm really only interested in little more than what they currently show on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 as far as FS is concerned. But that's me, the "regular-casual" FS viewer, who I bet they (the tv stations) are targeting. But I wish they would cut out the fluff and show more skating/backstage footage. So far so good, as far as Campbell's is concerned. Let's hope the same thing for SA, SC, and the rest.

But you guys are referring to broadcast (OTA) TV. They only show either a) what's popular with the masses or b) what they think will be popular with the masses. FS had its chance OTA (exposure) after the 94 incident, and now that the audience is dwindling it will now be only on cable. Maybe late-night ESPN or on the Women's Channel.
 
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LarasB

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
Ah, for the good old days when ABC, ESPN and LIFETIME covered the Grand Prix season and we got to see at least the top 3 or each discipline for the short and long program.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
It's that capitalistic system, MM. The Soviets knew how to do it.

:rolleyes: I like our system just fine...

What we American skating fans need to do is start a campaign to get our own network ala the golf fans did with teh golfing channel..

maybe if we could talk Michelle Kwan into being Kween of the Kampaign we could get somewhere.
 

Serena

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 17, 2005
I cringed when I read the schedule- the Nationals and Worlds coverage is terrible, too.
 
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