For one day at least, on one channel at least, we were spared local TV morning news. Channel 11 took on the challenge of televising the Baltimore Running Festival, and one can only wonder to what part of the globe the usual weekend morning suspects were banished. Maybe the pet guy, the exercise gal, the nutritionist, the garden lady, the book promoter, et al were running in one of the festival races? With none of that to fool with, Channel 11 pulled out all the stops for race day and surprisingly most of them worked.
Beginning well before daybreak, Jennifer Franciotti and Kate Amara were pounding the Baltimore pavement and creating storylines. The best one was the wind. We heard from nearly the entire weather staff that, while temperatures would be perfect for the runners, the increasing wind speeds might cause difficulties for the runners at various parts of the running courses. Those observations seemed to be prescient when, midway through the featured Baltimore Marathon, we saw images of many runners running in packs, elbow to elbow. By this time Amara had taken to the co-anchor chair with veteran sportscaster Gerry Sandusky, and the two pointed out that these weren’t just groups of friends who wanted to run together; they were in many cases literally running against the wind and using the pack as protection for all of them. This wasn’t a hurricane (winds were around 20 mph, a bit higher in gusts), but in marathon running anything over 5 mph can be distracting. Sandusky, Amara, and Franciotti were on another story at about the same time. A cross-country coach from an area school had sprinted to the front of the marathon field. Reporters and anchors alike reminded us of the realistic possibility that Dave Berdan could maintain the pace and wire the field. The chances we were told were slim and none. I am happy to report that, while I didn’t see every minute of the coverage, no one felt compelled to say. “Oh well, it’s a marathon not a sprint, Dave!”
The station had the requisite number of staff entered in races, but it really didn’t add anything to the coverage. Sportscaster Pete Gilbert, running in the relay, took a tumble and thankfully he took some playful heat from his colleagues rather than some overly concerned medical reports on his condition (seems to have been just a few scrapes). Eva Marie, the channel’s newest meteorologist was brought in late. She seemed almost grim, maybe because she’s a runner (aren’t they all?) and was competing in the half marathon. In case you missed it, Marie replaces Sandra Shaw whose head probably would have exploded had she been on hand for today’s occasion. So maybe a grim Marie is better than the elfish Shaw.
A few letter grades for thee coverage:
Overall: A
A really nice job at a daunting assignment that only comes along once a year. Such a challenge is fraught with opportunities for disaster, but not only did the station avoid them, it combined excellent production values with usually insightful and measured reporting. There were a few too cutsie moments like Capriotti holding some sort of feathered/furry creature where the course passed the Baltimore zoo. But, hey, it’s television. Less forgivable was Amara alternately cooing and screaming at the kids’ race. “Oooooooooooo, look! She’s wearing a tiara!”
Sandusky: A
The consummate pro can adapt experience from other events to those he or she has never done, and Sandusky pulled it off nicely here. He was in reporter’s mode when he needed to be, as well as anchor mode and even a little Sandra Shaw mode. He did a good job of reeling in co-anchor Amara when she threatened to make it the Baltimore Amara festival.
Amara: C+
Kate is always too something. On hard news stories she is too intense. On fluff stories, she is too giddy. Today, she seemed like she was bent on making this the most exciting day of everyone’s life – even if she had to pump everything up beyond where it needed to be. She can be a good reporter/anchor. She just needs to reel herself in ocassionally (after all, Gerry’s not always around). She had some moments today, mostly when she was providing information that non-runners probably don’t know. Of course she lost it at the end when she gushingly interviewed “a personal hero of mine,” Bill Rodgers, multiple winner of the Boston and New York marathons. Final note: Amara is TOO LOUD. She tries to use her volume for emphasis, and it usually doesn’t work. It is, after all, a visual medium. Let the pictures (or your facial expressions) do the talking for you. Yeah, I know. She’s a network chick, so she must be perfecto.
Rob Roblin: B
Robbie always gets a “B.” Unless he’s jumping into the frigid Chesapeake Bay. That’s where he looked like he wanted to be today.
Capriotti: B
The usually workmanlike performance. A bit too cute at times. Could have done without the high-fiving with runners as they came by her post.
Who Else?
I’m sure I’m leaving a player or two out of the mix, but I think we have the major ones.
Production: Values awesome. Glitches few. Transitions mostly tight. Video, amazing. Please submit for a local emmy. Should be a no-brainer.
Disclosure: I am not a runner
