More Cuts at ESPN

The entire show smacks of needless spending - basically lighting money on fire - in the wake of laying off so many people. And given the ratings, the Cold Pizza strategy from years ago - hiring three complete nobodies to host the show - would have been fine here, too.

 

Just rename the show Colder Pizza and be done with it.

 

If they were aiming to fail, sure. Cold Pizza was a disaster.

They are aiming to draw in a big audience and compete with other morning shows. You don't do that by bringing in three nobodies. These are the people they wanted to host the show. They are paying them a salary that is in line with the job.

I swear, people will complain about anything ESPN does.

 

Because it’s too damn big and John Skipper is an old school tax-and-spend liberal who overspent on projects that he thought were interesting and forward thinking.

I won’t pretend I was paying attention the whole time, but Grantland clued me in. When I saw novelists covering the Olympics and reporting on upscale nuptials, I thought that was...odd.

 

Why did Matt Lauer make 30 mill a year?

 

It was $20m - and also it came after Williams suspension and Today really had no obvious heir apparent. Maybe worried CBS would snap him up.

 

Lauer's salary was estimated in the $20 - $25 million range. We don't know the precise numbers.

And he was worth it to the network because the show took in north of $400 million annually.

 

Angels beat A’s after trailing 6-0. They were 0-109 against Oakland when they trailed by at least six runs.

 

THE TIDE IS TURNING!!!!!

 

Sorry, wrong thread

 

ESPN thinks that the internet is pushing the SportsCenter concept where a lot of highlights into obsolescence. Examples abound of other media organizations, including virtually every newspaper in the country, staying to long with an outdated production. ESPN is trying to get ahead of the curve. It may take ESPN a while.

If a network can establish a programming franchise in the mornings it can make a lot of money. Today has been on over 60 years and prints money. Good Morning America started in 1975 and has printed cash for 43 years.

The first hosts of Good Morning American were Bill Beutel and Stephanie Edwards, They were bounced within a year. At that time AABC brought David Hartman, changed the set and tried to make the show appear less like a traditional news broadcast with anchors behind a desk. Does anyone think Good Morning American is a failure?

I think ESPN should be given credit for trying to adopt to a new technological landscape. And if the show completely fails they will be able to absorb the losses.

 

Will that opinion still hold if the show takes in north of $400 million this year with its host making $7 million?