Who was the "DCI on ESPN2" show aimed at?

[gdisney]

Well aren't we likely to get new members from the pool of fans?  Especially if those fans are young?  I was a drum corps fan first, then I started marching when I realized that there are people my age and with my level of ability that are marching.  As for fans too old to march, they could pass on the love of the activity to their kids, and maybe those kids will want to march.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, yes, that's true. I was in the same boat, but but didn't realize there were people with less ability marching in smaller corps until after I was too old. Hence senior corps!

[ssorrell]

Please read posts and have an understanding of what they are saying before firing back.

I think it is you that missed the point of MY post.

I didn't say that YOU hated the show. I simply said that even if I hated it, I would never miss seeing another drum corps show on TV and I don't see how anyone that is a die hard fan could do so.

I made other analogies, like the comparison of 80s drum corps to present day shows, only to point out that even if I'm not completely in agreement with what is offered, I'd never tune out.

and lastly, I didn't say that YOU should do anything in particular in regards to future airing of DCI on television. If you want to skip it, so be it. I simply stated that I really don't understand that decision.

[nodrums]

I think if you look back over the past few years, DCI has been targeting scholastic performing art students almost exclusively since 2002. and it was in 2002, if I recollect correctly, that the TV program was reconfigured away from a live broadcast. It strikes me that they were trying to align the programming with their marketing strategy. The dci on espn2 certainly seems to support that market strategy.

My take on target audience for DCI on ESPN2 ----

DCI’s current target audiences

Scholastic performing arts students

Legacy and affiliates

Channel surfers

Other non-performing arts students

Other Non-affliated adults

[Jeff Ream]

anyone buy diehards

[Morgoth Bauglir]

From Cavaliers.org

Topic

Hello,

I've explained this in the past, however, I'm sure time has weathered some folks memories, as well as there are others who may have missed the explanation.

The broadcasting of the Drum Corps International Championship is definitely NOT edited for the drum corps fan who wants to see full shows. It is a project to interest and integrate the masses who might not be aware of our existance, and - hopefully - find what we do to be incredibly appealing. In this case, the true corps fan who will be satisfied with nothing less than full shows, does come in second (silver medal better than not at all..)

However, hard-core corps fans also know that a television broadcast can only HINT at what the live, in-stadium, competitive versions can offer and the visceral experience of attending an actual contest in the summer. Corps fans will try to make at least one show each summer, and sometimes many shows. Everyone understands that sometimes life gets in the way and someone can't make any shows in the summer.

One answer might be the DCI DVDs which are produced, or - for the more discriminating or selective viewer - the individual DVDs (and CDs) put out by the individual corps in the fall and winter following the summer season. (2005 Cavaliers is in production, see the STORE for 2002, 2003 and 2004 - Behind the Scenes). These offer the full shows, as well as many more facets of each organization.

Bascially, Public Television told us a few years ago that their affiliates would have a lot less interest in running the DCI show if it were to stay as full length shows (they stated in no uncertain terms that the full shows were boring on television)....they wanted more smaller interesting clips to help viewers understand the whole activity and just small segments of corps performing..."snippets" I believe was the word they used.....

ESPN2 basically gave us the same information when we presented the project to them last winter.......

We (DCI) consulted Bill Kurtis - a national media consultant and A&E and Cable Television producer of Chicago fame - a few years ago with the longer broadcast, and he basically asked:

"....and people watch this the whole time? You're kidding, right?"

Get the picture? So, what Broadcast Producer Tom Blair (Cavalier alum) has done is make it more accessible to the masses, as well as to the decision-makers (PBS, ESPN, etc...) who decide what gets on the tube.

Speaking ONLY for the Cavaliers: We're interested in getting whatever exposure we can get (Oprah, CBS, ESPN2, etc...) without compromising the actual live competitive events on the field in terms of rules, and the basic nature of the activity.

If you really want to see the full length shows to appreciate the actual reality of what the activity is - and this has always been the case - YOU HAVE TO ATTEND THE CONTESTS. If you can't make the contest, you'll need to buy the DVDs or the CDs if you want the longer versions, or subscribe to the DCI Season Pass at DCI.org

At one point in the history of the activity (pre-1976), you could ONLY satisfy your drum corps appetite by attending the shows or - secondarily - buying the Fleetwood recordings on disc (LP)...remember?

jeff

[MikeD]

From Cavaliers.org

Topic

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Looking at this quote:

The broadcasting of the Drum Corps International Championship is definitely NOT edited for the drum corps fan who wants to see full shows. It is a project to interest and integrate the masses who might not be aware of our existance, and - hopefully - find what we do to be incredibly appealing.

This worked VERY well if the reaction of one of our band parents is replicated around the country...he was picking up his daughter at MB last night and told me he just happened to see the show was on and watched the whole thing.

He loved it...the corps (amazed at how good they are)...the human interest stuff...the "how do they put together a show" stuff...everything. In his case, Jeff's quote was 100% accurate.

Mike

[spskatbart]

It was for the guy who flicked around looking for baseball scores.

"what the @^#%^@#$^ are These bandos are doing......Oh wait she looks pretty hot, maybe I'll watch for a little while"

"MYRTLE, BRING ME A BEER ######, I'M WATCHIN SOME BAND SHOW!!"

"Hey this ain't half bad.....Oh Crap, Phillies lost, they're blowin' it."

"Trying to follow these guys is like watching the shell game on the Jumbotron at the ballpark, you just can't keep up with them they move too fast"

"MYRTLE, WHERE's THAT BEER!!!!"

Think he is looking forward to next year?????

[Galen]

What if next year the telecast is majorly different and we see some compromises made?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's a good question. I'm curious as to what sort of continuity there will be from this year's broadcast to the next. Will there be continuity, or will next year's be as if this year's never happened?

[ssorrell]

That's a good question. I'm curious as to what sort of continuity there will be from this year's broadcast to the next. Will there be continuity, or will next year's be as if this year's never happened?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well then...we all need to tune in to find out!

[madscout96]

It was for the guy who flicked around looking for baseball scores.

"what the @^#%^@#$^ are These bandos are doing......Oh wait she looks pretty hot, maybe I'll watch for a little while"

"MYRTLE, BRING ME A BEER ######, I'M WATCHIN SOME BAND SHOW!!"

"Hey this ain't half bad.....Oh Crap, Phillies lost, they're blowin' it."

"Trying to follow these guys is like watching the shell game on the Jumbotron at the ballpark, you just can't keep up with them they move too fast"

"MYRTLE, WHERE's THAT BEER!!!!"

Think he is looking forward to next year?????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Before the show was aired, I had an image in my mind of a good reaction to the show that Joe Six-Pack would have that was kinda like the image you suggested. But I'm not sure that he had time to react like that the way the show was put together. "Hey Myrtle, bring me a beer, I'm watching guys talk about how they put music and stuff on the computer, and how trumpets are small and tubas are big."