US Nationals Exhibition Gala Broadcast

[Olympia]

It's so hard to find skating shows because I don't tend to know the TV schedule beforehand...I think I saw one and enjoyed it. I love anything with Kurt, of course.

Chris, I never saw a Champions on Ice show, but sometime around 2002, they published a book, and the group photos from each year of the show were mouthwatering. I can't imagine how it must have felt to be in the live audience and see champion after champion show up on the ice right in front of one's eyes. I gather Michelle was a huge headliner each year, even the year Sarah Hughes won the Olympics. Here's the Amazon link for the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Champions-Ice-...ns+on+ice+book

[CoyoteChris]

Thanks! With your link I just ordered a used copy $4.46 delivered to my door) Champions on Ice that I saw were much like competition....the skates looked like competitive skates, and the lights were left on, and there was little fluff. First live event I saw, I learned three things (yes I know I have said this before but its still true.)
1. I was desparately in love with Angelika Krylova
2. Man, these folks are alot smaller than they look on TV (you should see me next to Katia G.)
3. There was nothing small about their artisty and athletic abilities.

I really miss Champions on ice. If you can believe this, in the 1990s when I first went, I got the last seat in the house....


QUOTE=Olympia;708343]It's so hard to find skating shows because I don't tend to know the TV schedule beforehand...I think I saw one and enjoyed it. I love anything with Kurt, of course.

Chris, I never saw a Champions on Ice show, but sometime around 2002, they published a book, and the group photos from each year of the show were mouthwatering. I can't imagine how it must have felt to be in the live audience and see champion after champion show up on the ice right in front of one's eyes. I gather Michelle was a huge headliner each year, even the year Sarah Hughes won the Olympics. Here's the Amazon link for the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Champions-Ice-...ns+on+ice+book[/QUOTE]

[Olympia]

So glad you could get the book. I don't think you'll be disappointed. I still enjoy looking through it; it's very informative, and the photos alone, especially the group ones of the entire cast, are worth the price of the book (especially since you got it for less than five bucks). The performance photos and the candids are wonderful as well. It's a large-format hardcover book (at least, mine was; maybe they later did a paperback version), and I think the text is by Christine Brennan, so you know it is well written by someone who has familiarity with skating. Let us know what you think of it.

[heyang]

[QUOTE=Olympia;708343]It's so hard to find skating shows because I don't tend to know the TV schedule beforehand...I think I saw one and enjoyed it. QUOTE]

This site usually is pretty up to date with TV Broadcast schedules http://www.heatherw.com/mk/sch.htm I believe she's in the NY/NJ/PA area and your local affiliates might not air on the same schedule. But if you look, you might then be able to google for a local schedule.

As for Disson TV broadcasts, I still say they should use picture in a picture to show the singer in one corner with the skating being the majority of the screen. They probably have contractual obligations to air the singer for a particular portion of the broadcast since the singer is so prominently advertised as a headliner.

[Olympia]

[QUOTE=heyang;708785]

It's so hard to find skating shows because I don't tend to know the TV schedule beforehand...I think I saw one and enjoyed it. QUOTE]

This site usually is pretty up to date with TV Broadcast schedules http://www.heatherw.com/mk/sch.htm I believe she's in the NY/NJ/PA area and your local affiliates might not air on the same schedule. But if you look, you might then be able to google for a local schedule.

As for Disson TV broadcasts, I still say they should use picture in a picture to show the singer in one corner with the skating being the majority of the screen. They probably have contractual obligations to air the singer for a particular portion of the broadcast since the singer is so prominently advertised as a headliner.

Thanks, Heyang. I used to print out Heather's schedule every year, and I've gotten out of the habit because so many of the programs are unreachable with my cable provider. I'll have to go back to her.

I love your idea of the inset picture. I'm sure the contract specifies a certain amount of the coverage of the singer, but an inset photo, or better yet a split screen like that innovative Steve McQueen version of The Thomas Crown Affair, would be so wonderful.

[CoyoteChris]

Good idea, heyang. Perhaps iluvtodd can pass that idea along. I dont know much about marketing...I dont even play an ad man on TV, but I suspect that having Celtic Woman on a skating show is partly about marketing Celtic Woman, which is all well and fine.
I dont even know who pays who to appear. But I do know us old people hate cuts....we dont have three second attention spans.....I would rather see skating live or CW live....

[iluvtodd]

Good idea, heyang. Perhaps iluvtodd can pass that idea along. I dont know much about marketing...I dont even play an ad man on TV, but I suspect that having Celtic Woman on a skating show is partly about marketing Celtic Woman, which is all well and fine.
I dont even know who pays who to appear. But I do know us old people hate cuts....we dont have three second attention spans.....I would rather see skating live or CW live....

Just for the record, I have emailed Steve Disson a number of times re: how his shows are aired, with the suggestion of the split screen (and I'm certainly not the only one who has suggested that). Sadly, my comments re: the split screen idea have fallen on deaf ears. OTOH, when I feel a Disson show has been reasonably decent (balanced, talented musical guest, but with ample exposure of the skaters), I let him know that too.

A few years ago, "Country on Ice" took place in Philly. Gretchen Wilson was the musical performer. Not being a country music devotee, I was totally unfamiliar with her. We went to the show on the strength of the skating cast (Kurt, Todd, Mike, Irina, Punsalan & Swallow ...). What bothered me about the local promotion of the show was that the newspaper print ads showed a big picture of Gretchen Wilson, with little or no mention of the skating cast (if there were pictures, the skaters weren't identified in them). I emailed Steve Disson about this, saying that there are potentially two audiences here, and that we & our friends were attending the show on the strength of the skating cast. He replied to me saying I had a good point there - to make sure the skaters were promoted as well. The TV ads after that showed the skaters for brief moments (although I was still annoyed that they weren't all identified). At the actual live show (which we really enjoyed), you could tell whom the country music fans were (from their country garb & cowboy.cowgirl hats) apart from the skating fans. Their were country music fans who had no idea who Kurt & Todd were. So, our party of several people quickly "educated" them on their skating achievements. Then these fans started cheering for them as well each time they skated. All this said, when the show was aired on TV, there were more spots about Gretchen Wilson than focus on the skaters - in the fluff pieces/interviews, etc. I'm still hoping & praying for that "balance" again.