dugada Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Tan Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Remember, it was DCI that created the broadcast, ESPN2 simply aired it. If you, like me, enjoyed the broadcast then be sure to write DCI as well and thank them. :) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Oh. Well I shan't be doing THAT. By the way, how about instead of just saying "Done! :) " over and over, you actually share your letter? That might be worth reading more than everyone just ascertaining their completion of a thank-you note. === To whom it may concern: Thank you very much for devoting two valuable hours of your ESPN2 schedule to airing the DCI World Finals from Foxboro, Mass. I am grateful that you have been willing to test the unsure market for drum and bugle corps programming, putting the oft-overlooked E in "ESPN" to good use. I know that many fans in the community, myself included, had been clamoring for ESPN and DCI to reach a deal that would bring drum corps to the forefront from coast to coast, rather than the disorganized approach taken by public broadcasting, in which each local PBS affiliate schedules the program at its own discretion (sometimes not at all), leading to much confusion and dismay amongst fans. Being from the Midwest, I was unable to travel to greater Boston/Providence to see the finals in person. (Plus, you know how gas prices are.) As a result, I greatly anticipated the debut of DCI on ESPN2, and while it was not perfect, I was very impressed with many aspects of the program. I was very pleased with the production values allocated to this telecast. It was pleasantly strange to see the same style of graphics used for the scores on Baseball Tonight being employed for the leaderboard on tonight's show. The show was produced at a much more professional level than it ever was under the auspices of PBS. Again, it's so nice to see drum corps get the same professional presentation afforded to similar "marginal" sports coverage on ESPN2. A problem I did have with the evening's broadcast, however, was the lack of devotion to the actual on-field product, ostensibly what any viewers tuned in to see. (I hope your Nielsens reflect this.) I understand that with the debut of DCI on a national stage, there is a certain obligation to reach out to the casual fan, the channel surfer, the guy who thinks it's called a marching band, what have you. But still, I believe that the best way to rope new fans into the activity is (get this) the activity. Alas, it seemed that of the two-hour block, only 30 minutes were devoted to Finals footage. The remaining hour (assuming 30 minutes for commercials) comprised fluff pieces of varying length and relevance. While the story of the girl who defied death to march in Phantom Regiment was heartwarming, it would've been advantageous to show more of Phantom Regiment's program, one that was in fact mentioned by the hosts (and fans) as being one of 2005's most accessible and popular repertoires. Again, I understand that this activity is on the periphery of the mainstream, at best, and awareness is low, but Phantom's simple-but-effective George Gershwin show might've been just the thing to lock in potential new fans. If I wanted to get my friend into baseball, I wouldn't tell him a long drawn-out anecdote about Mark Prior's road to the majors. I'd just take him to a Cubs game. Why add the extra step? A well-done drum and bugle corps program is one of the most exciting 11 minutes in music. I'm not certain that it's fair to insinuate that DCI has nary a chance of latching on without the help of these fluff pieces. With the premise of the broadcast being to raise awareness and sell more tickets in 2006, don't show kids singing Bon Jovi tunes on a coach bus. Show them what you hope they'll later pay to see. I understand that this may not have been a decision within ESPN, as most of your other coverage of this sort, like the Little League World Series, Spelling Bee, et al, is decidedly content-first. Maybe the direction was a decision of DCI's, seeing as the final two years on PBS followed this format as well. By and large, I was impressed with the program. I truly hope that tonight's broadcast of the DCI finals was instrumental in establishing positive inroads amongst those who have not yet discovered this thing of ours. I know that I myself have actively tried to promote the show to people that I know, and DCI's own promotion of the finals (we're in prime time now!) was nothing less than smothering. Again, I hope that the Nielsens reflect the work that so many have done in trying to amass a viewer base. Since ESPN2 was gracious enough to provide the timeslot, it's the least we can do. I hope that this is the sort of positive impression that can lead to a strong working relationship between DCI and the ESPN family of networks that can include more content, and possibly more shows, as well. Again, thank you for all that you have done. === Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watch & Listen Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Done-ski :sshh: I don't know how much creative input ESPN had in this broadcast so I just thanked them for airing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monoemono Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Great idea! :) I sent two e-mails--a thank-you to ESPN and a "boy do I wish I saw more of the shows" to DCI. As this is not the first year they did things this way at DCI, I'm sure this is not the first e-mail they've gotten like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVQuesty Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Studio Tan's beef is with DCI. ESPN2 simply took the tape and ran it. If you're going to bark up a tree, be in the right forest, ok? Done! I liked the fact the exposure was there, that's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Tan Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 I made that point clear. I told them it wasn't their decision to fluff it up, as far as I can tell, since they don't do it for their other small-scale coverage, and I appreciated their broadcast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueR36 Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Done ... with a smile on my face!! - R - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellos Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 DONE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbandguy Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Oh. Well I shan't be doing THAT.By the way, how about instead of just saying "Done! :) " over and over, you actually share your letter? That might be worth reading more than everyone just ascertaining their completion of a thank-you note. === <{POST_SNAPBACK}> O.K. Dear ESPN2, Thanks for showing drum corps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinSop85 Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 I am D.O.N.E. DONE b**bs Thanks for the Link B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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