BOMBED BACK TO THE STONE AGE

The US threatened to bomb Pakistan back to the stone age following 9/11.

KJZZ-TV in Salt Lake City threatens to do the same with our industry.


This was discovered on Craigslist:

Part-time Summer Video Work

---

Reply to: see below Date: 2008-02-15, 2:59PM MST

The Utah Jazz and the Salt Lake Bees are looking for individuals to fill the following positions: Camera Operator Instant Replay Operator Editor Techinical (sic) Director Utility/Grip

We are looking for creative individuals with experience and knowledge in shooting sporting/other events, video editing and interviewing. If interested mail your resume and demo reel to: Human Resources 301 W South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84101

• Location: Utah Jazz/Salt Lake Bees
• Compensation: $50/event
• This is a part-time job.
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

PostingID: 575282979

Oh my lord, where to start?

Despite what your common sense is telling you, this ISN'T for a scoreboard feed in a minor league ballpark.

THIS IS THE REAL THING! Or as real as Salt Lake City gets, anyway (we kid, we kid).

We can look beyond someone's Utopian ideal that camera ops, tape ops, editors, TDs, and utes all deserve the same pay, as long as the rate is whatever the highest position normally gets.

Paying a utility TD money is fine and generous, but it wouldn't work in reverse. Can you name a TD that would work games for accepted utility wages?

But KJZZ takes that issue and goes about one hundred steps further. The pay is FIFTY DOLLARS per game for ALL positions! These games will be broadcast over-the-air in SLC with approximately 60 translator stations relaying the signal to viewers in Utah, Wyoming, Nevada and Idaho. And that's not counting cable and satellite viewers in the region.

This ain't no public access channel. A quick look at the KJZZ line-up reveals that they have syndication deals for "Friends", "Scrubs", "Entertainment Tonight" and everybody's favorite self-promoting fraud, "Dr. Phil".

But they're going to pay FIFTY BUCKS to freelancers working on their baseball games?

We can't wait to see how that looks.

But if you can imagine, the future may look even worse.

Kim Jong Mil, leader of rogue regime threatening sports TV workers

KJZZ is owned by the Larry H Miller Group Of Companies which controls a vast array of retail, food and entertainment businesses, financial service institutions and automotive dealerships in seven western states. The Utah Jazz and the EnergySolutions Arena, plus the aforementioned Salt Lake Bees baseball team (AAA - LA Angels) all fall under the Larry H Miller umbrella.

Conveniently, KJZZ also broadcasts 40 Utah Jazz games, which includes 22 home games this season. SLC's freelance pool continues to work these games, but what about next season? What if KJZZ offers their FIFTY DOLLAR A GAME crew the home package for 2008 - 2009? Who's to say that FSN Utah wouldn't eventually follow suit for their games?

There's nothing to stop them. Utah is a right-to-work state, and while KJZZ's actions will no doubt result in a grass roots IATSE movement, there's no legal remedy against anyone not wishing to join.

According to the their web site:

The vision at KJZZ remains, "To enhance the quality of life in Utah."

Except perhaps, for the quality of life of Utah's TV freelancers.


(By the way, companies that can't spell "technical" correctly in their help wanted ads shouldn't expect to find many Mensa applicants knocking on their doors.)

At Least Bloggers Know Their A-B-C s

Two weekends ago, a misspelled name on the starting lineup element slipped by an entire ESPN on ABC college basketball production team.

(Thanks to Ballsiest.com)

Last weekend, it was an NBA crew's turn to air mistakes made during preproduction.

(Thanks to Ballsiest.com)

We don't want to see what they come up with this weekend.

But Ballsiest.com does, and if they find something we'll pass it on.


UPDATE
Not long after this entry was posted, we received an email claiming that the freelance ESPN graphics operators referred to above recently worked for a sign company as well.



See you in hell.

Carolina 'Caines All Locked Up By FSN South, Sonics' Escape From Seattle Takes Shape

Good news for Ya-Man & friends: Carolina Hurricanes games will be seen on FSN South for at least the next five years. The new contract calls for an increase from 55 telecasts to a minimum of 65 per season. A minimum of 35 road games will be televised each season, as well as all playoff games exclusively available to local rightsholders.

The contract includes multiple options that could extend the agreement beyond five years.

Time Warner Cable and Baltimore-based MASN were said to be interested in acquiring the TV package as well, but couldn't even make a proposal to the NHL team because FSN's exclusive negotiating window hadn't expired.

Meanwhile the news isn't as good for Seattle's freelancers. Far from it in fact. Supersonics Chairman Clay Bennett gave a ringing endorsement to Oklahoma City's $120 million Ford Center improvement plan yesterday, another big step towards moving the NBA franchise.

On March 4, Oklahoma City residents will vote on a one-cent sales tax to pay for the improvements. A trial will begin on June 16 to decide whether the Sonics can buy out the remainder of their contract with the city of Seattle or if they have to play there until the deal expires prior to the 2009 - 2010 season.

The NBA would also have to approve of the relocation, which Bennett applied for last November after no new arena plan was offered in Seattle. "The goal is to come to Oklahoma", Bennett said yesterday according to the Daily Oklahoman.

For those keeping score, Seattle is the 15th largest market in the US while Oklahoma City ranks 45th.

That says plenty about Seattle's desire to keep the team and/or Bennett's judgment on where he can make more money.

Marshall Plan Creates Chaos At Key Arena

We've seen this clip posted elsewhere recently, but didn't watch it until a few minutes ago.

It seems Cleveland's Donyell Marshall didn't have his jersey on when he was sent into a game against Seattle.

"Coverage" and we say that loosely, is from FSN Northwest.

Yeah, it's funny on it's own, but there's a serious whip that's also pretty funny too.

Baaaaaaad Frog! You're A Baaaaaaad Frog!

......................The Frog ......................Courageous Cat, Minute Mouse

Do you remember "Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse"? It was a dark cartoon that aired in the early 1960s featuring an odd pairing of cat and mouse superheroes.

Anyway, one of the big villians was "The Frog", who wore a derby, smoked a fat cigar and talked like Edward G. Robinson. No matter how devilish The Frog's schemes were, somehow, against all odds, by episodes end, Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse would save the day. And The Frog would be in jail.

What's this got to do with sports, you ask?

FSN Houston has evidence from last night's Warriors - Rockets game that The Frog is on the loose.

And he's up to no good!

(Thanks to Awful Announcing for the post.)

WE INTERRUPT THIS NBA GAME...

What to do when some idiot runs on the field (or court, in this case) has been the subject of debate for years. Decades ago, such disturbances were shown, including close ups of the moron wasting everybody's time.

More recently, steps have been taken to avoid showing anything to do with the incident, so directors often just go with tight shots of players, etc.

The other night in Indiana it seems nobody knew what to do, so for a while the good folks at FSN Indiana didn't do anything.


(Thanks to Sports By Brooks)

And that may be the best way to go. The glory seeker doesn't get his close up, but viewers get to watch security beat the crap out of the guy.

NIPS NIXED AT NBA GAME - FEMALE FLASHER POSTS BAIL POST BOOB TUBE BUST

The Memphis Grizzlies, who should be damn happy that anyone pays to see their product, had one of their female customers removed from the FedEx Forum and arrested for flashing a scoreboard camera during a time out.

Arrested for providing something a little more entertaining than the Grizzlies' loss to Golden State?

She should have been thanked.



(Thanks to Awful Announcing for digging up the clip.)