I
started the interview by asking....
HDTV Magazine:
How long had you considered going into HDTV as a strategic move for ESPN?
Bryan: I
first saw HDTV in 1989 when working in Major League baseball. It has been on my radar
screen ever since.
But specifically, we have
been looking at HDTV with increasingly higher levels of intensity as time has gone by over
the last two years. At about a year into our study we realized it was not a matter of if,
it was only a matter of when. Choosing our "when" time was going to be our
toughest assignment. When do we dive into the pool. Then we had to decide if we were going
to dive in the shallow end or the deep end based on all kinds of market factors which you
have been following for quite some time.
HDTV Magazine:
What was the tipping point that actually caused you to make the decision?
Bryan: I
don't know if there was one thing. We announced this our move into High Defintion in
September of last year. We had gone to our distributors at national (NCTA) show for cable
in June of last year and asked them about their interests, technical specifications, etc.
Wen they basically said, "Bring it on because if we are going to HDTV in sports we
want it to be ESPN." That gave us the last push to go. A story I often tell is this
one. I was sitting in my office in November or early December where I have three TVs used
to watch our various networks. On all of them at every commercial break we were selling
widescreen TV for somebody. I would see Zenith in one break, Circuit City in the next, and
Sears in the next. I sat back and thought, yes, we did make this call at the right time.
This IS the right time.
HDTV Magazine: We
believe it is. 
Byran: We
did keep quiet until our announcement. But when we did a reporter called and asked about a
comment that Gary Shapiro, president of CEA, had made. He said that with ESPN going to
HDTV a tipping point was reached in this business. I called him the next day to thank him
and added, "We totally believe in what you said."
We felt all along with our
kind of content and this kind of brand we had the opportunity to move the needle for the
entire business. HDTV has needed content in sports from someone who can use the various
mediums that we have, be that ESPN 1, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPN News, ESPN.COM, ESPN the
Magazine, ESPN Radio networks, etc., etc., to drive this information home to the consumer.
We can do that like nobody else can!
HDTV Magazine:
We have urged the entire broadcast community--all programmers and distributors--to unleash
their tremendous power of influence across the nation, but they have hardly used any of
that potential for this transition.
Bryan: I
totally agree.
HDTV Magazine:
That can only suggest to us that not everyone is ready yet to say, "Let's through it
into high gear."
Bryan:
Just moments ago I was on a conference call with our consumer marketing folks about the
production of promotional spots that are going to run on all of our networks about the
early ESPN HD events such, as the Opener of Sunday Night Baseball, the Women's Final Four.
The discussion was about how we were going to put into those promotions the fact that
these events are also on ESPN HD. I noticed last week in the promotion of the Grammys
(CBS) that there was no mention of HDTV.
We have a new service to
launch and we are going to use all the media we have to tell the distributor, the
consumers, and retailer community that it is coming. We are going to use every source we
have, and we have a bunch of sources.
HDTV Magazine:
Will retailers have a free license to tune you in and display your programming in their
retail environments?
Bryan:
There is a step for us in-between, of course, and that is the distributor. Generally
speaking our distributor agreements with cable or satellite allow them to provide our
programming (ESPN 1 and ESPN 2 -- anything we have) to retailers without charge for
promotional purposes. We want that. We encourage that. That is a big key here. Absolutely!
HDTV Magazine:
I note from your background that you had spent time in developing markets for bars and
hotels. Is the Sports Bar going to be a part of your strategy?
Bryan: We
have a very interesting set of constituents with whom we work. We have consumers, fans,
and people on the street, like you and I, who like sports and consume an awful lot of
ESPN. We have distributors -- cable and satellite. We have advertisers...such as
Anheuser-Busch, Coors, Miller...You can expect that once we get this thing in the air (30
days from today) we will work very hard across all of our constituents to marry them for
maximum impact. We fully recognize how that can work. I also recognize that part of our
advertising community...well, we have the largest list of advertisers of any
telecaster in the country. I think there are 800 active advertisers on ESPN right
now across our various family of networks, and for a very simple reason: We help folks
sell things.
That list of companies
includes the companies I already mentioned as well as Zenith, Samsung, etc. Yes, I am
going to find a marriage somehow, some way, and walk into that community and say, "
We have an opportunity here. How are we going to do this?" We just need to figure out
how to do it and make sure all of the planets are aligned in the right way to bring a turn
key operation into commercial establishments. It's pretty simple. When you walk into a
bar, what's on TV? ESPN. We will find a way to do that. It would be silly not to.
HDTV Magazine:
The programming that you mentioned strike me as being of the highest of
marquis value? Is that correct?
Bryan:
Let me take away any belief you have that we are not doing our highest marquis
productions. We had manyf ways we could have gone. We could not physically do all of our
events in a year's time right out of the box. We decided to go with what we call our big
events strategy. We are going to do the NFL. We are going to do Major League
Baseball. We are going to do the National Hockey League. We are going to do the NBA. So,
yes, the four major pro sports leagues. We are the only television entity who has ever had
all four under contract at one time. We are doing them all in High Def.
In our minds (the
combination of) ESPN and HDTV really blossom about a year from now. ESPN HD as we started
is kind of an on-ramp for what it is really going to be in a year from now. Chuck Pagano,
your friend for many years, has built a new digital center in Bristol, Connecticut. It is
going to be 120,000 square feet. Right now it is built; it is heated; it is cooled, but it
is not yet outfitted. Chuck will start to buy the electronic guts for that building at the
National Association of Broadcasters convention beginning in a few weeks time (Las Vegas
in April). When it is done in a year from now we think it will be the largest HDTV
facility in the world because we are converting our entire operation here. What that means
for you and your readers is that when we get it done we are going to start producing most
of our studio programming in native High-Definition. We will add 3700 hours per year
studio native High Definition Television in about a year from now!
What does that mean for
our on ramp year? We went to the national cable show (NCTA) and asked our
distributors--cable and satellite--if they want us to do an event from time-to-time, or do
they want something all of the time, knowing that if it is all the time
we just can't yet do it all in HDTV. They said, "We want to set it and forget it. We
do not want to have to send a guy to the head end every time you guys do a basketball game
and tweak the bandwidth. We just can't do that."
Using that as our marching
orders we are going to start by taking the ESPN service and upconvert it 24 hours a day. I
understand that upconversion is like chalk across the blackboard to many of the 'purist'
who have been in this for awhile, but it is the only way to start and have a service going
all of the time.
From a remote production
standpoint it would take 40 remote trucks to do what ESPN does (presently) in a year's
time. I just could not make that economically work, as you might guess. We have
commissioned three trucks to be built. The first comes off the production line today. That
will allow us to do two to three events a week in the first year. We have to do 'truck
logistics'. We look at things like the NBA finals and say, O.K. we will do game 2 and we
will do game 5, but we can't do game 2 and game 5 if they are further than 600 miles away
because I can't get the truck there in time. We are spending a lot of time maximizing the
logistics of truck operations in an attempt to get the most telecast that we can squeeze
out of these three units. So, what we have in this first "on ramp" year is an
upconverted 24/7 signal with as many events as we can logistically put together, with an
emphasis on our big events.
A year from now, when the
center is built, we can start making programs almost overnight for half of a year's time
produced daily. In a year and a half from now we will go on. Let there be no question that
we have a long term commitment here. We are spending oodles of money and oodles of time,
and our people are fully engaged. We have three thousand people working at ESPN and many
from a technical background. They could work for us or channel 3. I t would not make much
of a difference. But (with HDTV) they really care. They have waited their whole life to
work on HDTV.
HDTV Magagzine
That is a common phenomena found in every sector but retail.
HDTV Magazine:
Are you all 720P.
Bryan: I
am sure you have talked to Alex Wallau (president of ABC). He feels very strongly about
it, as do we. Our view is that its not about the 1080 and the 720, it's about the
"p" and about the "i". If you and I are doing the news, it's not a big
deal (interlace or pgoressive), but for motion in sports, for pucks, bats, balls, nintey
eight mile per hour sliders...progressive scan is going to
cover the motion of sports better than
interlace. It was a tough call for us, in part, because we knew it would make our costs
higher. There is a lot of progressive scan pieces that have not yet been built. But we
felt like we were in a VHS/BETAMAX decision process. We felt that, hey, we are ESPN and we
have to make the right decision for all sports. The right decision for all sports is
progressive scan. We see that if we go to Best Buy and ask to see the best DVD player that
they have they show you a progressive scan. It is the best. We have to do things the best
way.
HDTV Magazine:
I think the audience is growing up with respect to this issue and have come to understand
the trade offs. There is an increasing awareness that 1080 i may be better for still and
filmed images while 720p delivers a better result when motion is present. I doubt it is an
issue.
Byran. We
felt we were making a ten year decision, perhaps a decision for all times. We were making
a progressive decision over that of interlace. I was a little surprised to go to the CES
this year and not get hit on this position. I think you are right. It is a non
issue.
HDTV Magazine:
Who will be carrying you?
I will leave the specific
answer to another in our company but will tell you that we are in very active
conversations with every one of our distributers--cable, satellite, large, small--very
active discussion with all of them on both business and engineering levels. I think it is
clear that we are not going to start with every operator in the country signed up. But the
conversations are ongoing and intense. We think the things we are going to do on our 'air'
will help stimulate interest at every level and help in the process of carriage and
clearance. Hopefully, we can wrap up carriage arrangements as soon as possible.
HDTV Magazine:
Will you have any conditional access of any kind where you will be blacking out
programming?
Bryan:
Blackouts are a way of life with us. We will have dual pathways to our distributors just
as we have in our standard definition. That is another expense we have that other
programmers in HDTV don't have. It is the nature of sports.
HDTV Magazine: Thank
you Bryan and good luck in your HDTV ventures. We applaud you.
***
And More
Sports..set your calendar.
NBA TV TO TELEVISE
TIMBERWOLVES VS. SUPERSONICS GAME
IN HIGH-DEFINITION
TELEVISION ON TUESDAY, MARCH 4
Game to Be Offered in HDTV to DIRECTV
and DISH Network Satellite TV Customers
SECAUCUS, NJ, February 26, 2003 - NBA TV-- the league's 24-hour television network -- announced today
that it will televise the Minnesota Timberwolves at Seattle SuperSonics matchup on
Tuesday, March 4th (10:00p.m./ET) in high-definition television (HDTV). The game will be offered in HD format to DIRECTV
and DISH Network HDTV subscribers.
As part of its plans to roll out full time HDTV coverage,
NBA TV will feature several live games in HD during the 2002-03 season. The network
televised its first HD game on February 16, 2003, featuring the New York Knicks vs. the
Los Angeles Lakers. The March 4th telecast will feature Dick Stockton doing
play-by-play and Steve Jones as analyst. Additional games will be announced at a later
date.
"We received extraordinary feedback on our HD
telecasts of the NBA All-Star Game and our last HD game two weeks ago," said Gregg
Winik, Executive Vice President of Programming and Executive Producer for NBA TV. "By
combining compelling programming with high-definition pictures, the future of sports
television is available now on NBA TV through DIRECTV and DISH Network."
"Sports programming is ideal for HD telecasts and we
are proud to continue to offer NBA games in high definition to our customers," said
Stephanie Campbell, Senior Vice President Programming, DIRECTV, Inc. "With our
national footprint, our HD customers around the country can tune into this telecast and
additional telecasts to come."
"DISH Network HD customers will feel like they're
courtside as they watch NBA games on high-definition television," said Michael
Schwimmer, senior vice president of Programming at DISH Network. "Our customers
nationwide now have more programming choices for high definition television and we applaud
NBA TV for taking a leading role in producing NBA games in high definition."
DIRECTV will carry the game for its HDTV-equipped
customers on channel 198, while DISH Network HDTV-equipped customers can view the game on
channel 9425. The satellite TV providers are offering the game at no additional charge.
NBA TV, launched in 1999, is the 24-hour
television network of the NBA and the deepest resource for basketball, round the clock,
seven days a week. NBA TV is the definitive basketball network, featuring live NBA
and WNBA games, a package of NBDL games, unique original programming, international
coverage, vintage NBA games and will soon have classic basketball themed movies and TV
shows from a library of hundreds, coaching and instructional programming, interactive talk
shows and additional programming for basketball fans of all ages.
***
Industry News
Upcoming Six Feet Under Season in Dolby Digital 5.1
San Francisco, February 25, 2003The upcoming season of Six Feet Under will begin
broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1 on HBO on March 2. With this premiere, HBO demonstrates
their commitment to great audio and the highest-quality viewing experience for their
customers by adding another high-profile show in Dolby® Digital 5.1.
HBO has a commitment to the highest quality viewing experience for its customers,
which is why we broadcast so much of our programming in Dolby Digital 5.1, including many
Hollywood theatricals, most HBO Films, and HBOs original series programming like The
Sopranos and now Six Feet Under, said Bob Zitter, senior vice president of
Technology Operations, HBO.
***
Reader Comments:
It already seems a long time ago, but some later comments
about the Grammy's are still interesting.
The Grammys Show was Fabulous. Actually watched a whole hour and then came back after
Alias . The production quality was that good to evoke a sense of wanting to remain to the
show . More importantly to the Movement and Networks is that this calibre of viewing
brings new viewers who stay with those who provide . Generally do not watch Award shows .
Now if only audio had been in DTS , it have been perfect .
Saw the Bruce Springteen HBO special last year in HIdef and 5.1 DD and was superb. Its the
only way to watch musical performances.
IF CBS provides the Springteen show in HD and DD , the viewing public and advertisers will
be ecstatic.
Alan
Dale:
What a show! I am not a music fan and planned to only watch enough of the show to see
their use of HDTV and 5.1. I ended up staying throughout the entire show.
The biggest thing I saw last night was that the set design seemed optimized for HDTV. The
pictures for so visually simulating. I thought an award's show would not be the best
showcase for HDTV. I was wrong.
The Grammy's telecast has set the bar very high. I even more anxious to see the Academy
Awards now.
I will watch the DVD I rented for last night another time.
Tom Fletcher
NATPE HDTV Steering Committee
I was blown away by how great the
program looked and sounded. It was one of the best HDTV experiences I have had.
Ron Tyndall
The Grammy's showed what real HD is all about! Live HD video from a
well lit stage and from CBS produced absolutely GORGEOUS pictures (!!) and very nice sound
although I thought the mix during the live stage presentations was not up to par and the
lip-sync was not the best. The main audio emphasis obviously was on the music. The
"dropouts" during the Eminem song, I believe, were to delete language not
acceptable for broadcast (on cable it would have passed) - thank you.
Thanks to CBS for the venture into live HD video. It looks so much better than film with
the jerkiness and graininess.
Ed Williams
Dale just a note from Toronto Ontario on the Grammy Awards it was a
TRULY OUTSTANDING experience and it should now show the producers its time to step up and
be a part of history in the making, "LEAD", follow, or get out of the way. The
DD 5.1 Audio was outstanding, give me a front row ticket to the next live music concert
from my living room amd charge me $39.95 as for a (non watched fight, Tyson) and I will be
there. Let the HDTV real programing begin.
Ron McBride
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