Re: Vikings, Gophers "exclusives" <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Broadcast sports: TV 'exclusives' on Gophers' drinking, Vikings' garbage are hard to stomachJudd ZulgadStar TribuneNovember 11, 2005Sweeps week gave a couple of local stations a chance to sink to new lows in trying to create sensational stories.Look no further than recent reports by two Twin Cities television stations for the reason why many have come to despise the media.After the November sweep stunts by KMSP (Ch. 9) and KSTP (Ch. 5) what's not to despise? While KMSP was airing grainy footage obtained in a University of Minnesota bar and acting as if it had just stumbled upon the next Watergate, KSTP had a reporter rummaging in a dumpster in search of a story that turned out to be, well, garbage.Now, let's make one thing clear. Try as it might, locally owned KSTP has nothing on Fox-owned and operated KMSP. Nationally, Fox has established a template for "hard news" (read: borderline obnoxious) reporting that extends across much of its news empire and goes well beyond any sweeps period. It's just a question of getting the news director and employees to swallow the Kool-Aid.Consider that mission accomplished in Eden Prairie, where jettisoned and classy sports anchor Jeff Grayson clearly got out just in time.The latest example came in a three-day series on underage drinking by select members of the Gophers men's hockey team. Much of the evidence was obtained by hidden cameras that provided pictures containing images that were of only slightly higher quality than the Zapruder film.In defense of what Fox was trying to do -- and this will be brief -- studies have shown that alcohol consumption by those under 21 years of age on college campuses is a problem. A single report that enlightened instead of titillated certainly could have been justified.But three days and countless promotions devoted to a topic that is about as surprising as the sale of textbooks on a college campus? What's next? Fox's exclusive five-part report on Vikings players walking naked through the locker room?It's just unfortunate for KMSP's sake that Vikings players weren't considerate enough to put off the alleged Love Boat scandal until closer to sweeps. But by the time the key ratings period started, the station had exhausted just about every sensational angle of that story.This included shoving a camera and microphone into the face of longtime Vikings receptionist Mary Nevers and demanding interviews with ownership. The Vikings were so upset by this tactic they considered pulling KMSP's media credentials before likely realizing this would have just given the Fox affiliate the type of ammunition it craves.Although KMSP evidently had tired of the boat escapades, KSTP felt it had found gold amid the rubble. Last Thursday night, which unfortunately for all of us opened fall sweeps, reporter Kristin Stinar could be found sifting through a dumpster to find trash that had been discarded by the Vikings' Bryant McKinnie and Mewelde Moore.After confronting McKinnie and Moore at their homes, not to mention an Atlanta-based adult movie star, KSTP never did prove any type of link between the refuse items and the boat incident. What did that list of women's names found in the trash mean? Who knows?Of course, the lack of credible evidence didn't stop KSTP from mentioning that something that "appeared" to be a marijuana bud had been found. The fact it couldn't be connected to McKinnie or Moore -- or even an illegal substance -- mattered little.Vikings coach Mike Tice, who appears each Sunday night on the station, attempted to take a jab at KSTP when he pulled a paper bag out and began to rummage through the contents about halfway through last Sunday's program. Players also posted signs in the locker room that read "Boycott Channel 5."But this is one case where the Vikings can make a much stronger statement. KSTP serves as the team's broadcast partner and a corporate sponsor in a deal that has a mutual option for 2006.Perhaps ending that relationship will make at least one station think twice about its future sweeps tactics. Wishful thinking, we know.Fine-tuning? Former Vikings quarterback Rich Gannon will be the analyst for the Vikings-Cleveland game Nov. 27 on CBS.? Chad Abbott, longtime producer and voice of reason on Paul Allen and Jeff Dubay's mid-day show on KFAN (1130 AM), is leaving the program to concentrate on his duties as the station's program director.? Wild radio voice Bob Kurtz, who served as the Twins' public address announcer last season, remains in the mix to continue in that job in 2006. Patrick Klinger, Twins vice president of marketing, said the team is in the process of taking the 250 applications it received and getting it down to about 20.</div>
