Each member of a TV baseball telecast team contributes to the overall quality of the telecast.
The Producer oversees the whole show. The Producer’s responsibilities include game coverage - replays, sound bites and graphics and, equally important, the incorporation of “sold” elements into the telecast. The proper distribution of these “sold” features into the game coverage without distracting from the game is a technique that takes years of TV experience to master. The Producer is constantly thinking ahead during a telecast. This planning requires the Producer to be very organized.
While the Producer is dealing with the future of the show by thinking and planning an inning or two or even three innings ahead, the Director deals with the “now” of the show. It is the Director’s final call that puts the product on the air for the viewer to see.
The rest of the crew on a major league baseball telecast usually includes the following positions: technical director, audio, A2 (audio assistant), video, graphics, stats person, 3 or 4 tape operators, 3 to 9 camera operators, stage manager, utility, EIC (engineer in charge of the mobile unit), phone coordinator, play by play announcer, and color analyst.
Each of these positions has a particular responsibility during a telecast. No position is more important than any other position on a telecast. If one of the positions does not fulfill the respective responsibility of that position, the telecast suffers. There really is no such thing as a “perfect” telecast because mistakes are made on every show, but it is the teamwork of the crew on a telecast that defines the quality of the show. Every member of the telecast team works hard to provide a quality production that enhances the enjoyment and entertainment of the viewer.
One of the unwritten rules of this profession is to “never make the same mistake twice.” Certainly, every quality baseball TV production person in this business adheres to this rule. Following this credo is the best way for any TV broadcast professional to improve. I believe the members of our particular crew all follow this guide, learn something from every telecast, and get better each time we televise a Cardinals’ baseball game.
However, many members of the baseball TV production family do not care to improve, do not try to be better, and are only “picking up a paycheck”.
I believe this is more relevant today in this business than ever before. The TV baseball crews around the country are not nearly as good as they were even five years ago. Yes, there are the seasoned, grizzled vets in every Major League baseball town that can be relied on, but, more and more of the live baseball TV techs just don’t get it or just do not want to get it.
A perfect example of this type of crew member was brought to the forefront during last night’s telecast. This person continually messed up the responsibility of the position. The glaring mistakes weakened the telecast and caused frustration in the truck and in the booth.
Our Producer made adjustments on the fly to lessen the chance of a mistake being made, but that did not stop other members of the crew from “holding their breath” each time this crew member was involved in the telecast.
Televising Major League baseball is a blast, especially when there is a “flow to the show”. However, the telecasts of well played, well pitched, and well paced games – games that have that “flow” - will be affected when a member of the televising crew does not do the job required of the position.
Last night, every member but one of our telecast team performed their duties in an excellent manner.
The sub par performance by the other member of our crew created a telecast that was average at best.
As a team, we all take responsibility for that.