NCCS Parent and President of CBS News and Sports Shares Insights at the Fathers' Breakfast
Fathers gathered at New Canaan Country School on a Saturday in February to hear Sean McManus, President of CBS Sports and CBS News, talk about how the network covers everything from the Super Bowl to Super Tuesday. The son of Jim McKay, the celebrated ABC sportscaster, Sean grew up surrounded by the ethos of sports television. He began his career as a production assistant – known as a “P.A.” – for ABC sports, then the dominant channel for sports coverage. Moving to NBC, and then to IMG, he built upon his experience before becoming President of CBS Sports ten years ago. His goal was to get the network to be preeminent in sports coverage, by broadcasting the NFL, March Madness, and major golf tournaments such as The Masters. Three years ago, he became president of CBS News, enjoined by CBS Corporation President Leslie Moonves to return CBS news to its reputation of the heady days of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite.
In describing the differences between running the sports and news divisions, McManus noted that there are similarities between the two: each covers “mega” events such as the Super Bowl or Super Tuesday. Each requires good storytelling, whether it be about a Tiger Woods or a Barack Obama; each develops internal talents, such as those of Jim Nance or Katie Couric. The differences lie in the pressure and unpredictability of covering news. CBS can’t buy, for example, the exclusive rights to the election; CNN, Fox and other networks also cover politics. The Final Four tip-off occurs at a set time; players in The Masters tee off in order and on time, but national and world crises have no time table. McManus is always anxious that CBS will be “caught short” in coverage, and his recurring nightmare is of Bin Laden’s eventual capture being filmed and covered by every major network and cable TV company – except CBS.
To cover issues in the news fairly and accurately is “challenging, exhilarating, and important,” even more important than sports. The format of news coverage, however, is in flux: the 6:30 evening news appeals to a generation now in their sixties, who are used to male anchors who deliver it with a certain gravitas. The 2006 decision to appoint Katie Couric to anchor the CBS Evening News has had mixed success, though McManus pointed out that it took Tom Brokaw thirteen years to get NBC news into first place. Overall, he feels optimism about the future of network sports and news, even with the proliferation of cable and the explosion of content delivered through the Internet. He foresees that network television will continue to broadcast broadly popular events such as the Kentucky Derby, the Super Bowl and the Final Four, largely because these broadcasts are “free” and available to the whole family. Despite the inefficiencies and expense of being in the news business, when a national or international event occurs, people tune in to network television.
McManus then responded to a variety of questions from the audience: “What do you think about delivering news and sports programming via the Internet?” “Do you foresee sports coverage of the same event by multiple networks?” “What’s happening to scripted drama on the networks; is reality TV all there will be in the future?” “When conservative talk radio hosts rail against the liberal bias in the media, are they right?” “Who scripts the news?” “Why hasn’t soccer on television taken hold?” McManus answered that he thought the lack of revenue generation for Internet sports casting militates against it becoming big. Given the premium networks pay for exclusivity, it seems unlikely that they will share events. Networks have to balance, as he said, “How much Britney and how much Barack” to air, while retaining their advertising sponsors. McManus doesn’t feel that there is any deliberate bias in news broadcasts, and that they are being more vigilant in their efforts to be objective, especially given the instant feedback that blogs provide. At CBS news, three writers write copy for the 6:30 news and correspondents write their own copy; in the end, however, the anchor rewrites the copy, and takes responsibility for its objectivity. Though there is a generation of Americans who grew up loving to play soccer, who now love for their children to play, it has never taken hold in the sports consciousness of the country. McManus wondered if it was because so many American sports depend on the use of hands: catching and throwing play a prominent role in the most popular American games.
As the fathers left in the gentle snow fall, no doubt off to drive children to hockey practices and basketball games, one father paused to ask McManus for some advice about college choices for his son, who’d like to become a broadcast journalist. McManus suggested that the best way to prepare for the field was to learn to write and speak well.
Communication skills are paramount 21st century skills for success as the newscaster or the sportscaster, or as the executive in charge of both.
In describing the differences between running the sports and news divisions, McManus noted that there are similarities between the two: each covers “mega” events such as the Super Bowl or Super Tuesday. Each requires good storytelling, whether it be about a Tiger Woods or a Barack Obama; each develops internal talents, such as those of Jim Nance or Katie Couric. The differences lie in the pressure and unpredictability of covering news. CBS can’t buy, for example, the exclusive rights to the election; CNN, Fox and other networks also cover politics. The Final Four tip-off occurs at a set time; players in The Masters tee off in order and on time, but national and world crises have no time table. McManus is always anxious that CBS will be “caught short” in coverage, and his recurring nightmare is of Bin Laden’s eventual capture being filmed and covered by every major network and cable TV company – except CBS.
To cover issues in the news fairly and accurately is “challenging, exhilarating, and important,” even more important than sports. The format of news coverage, however, is in flux: the 6:30 evening news appeals to a generation now in their sixties, who are used to male anchors who deliver it with a certain gravitas. The 2006 decision to appoint Katie Couric to anchor the CBS Evening News has had mixed success, though McManus pointed out that it took Tom Brokaw thirteen years to get NBC news into first place. Overall, he feels optimism about the future of network sports and news, even with the proliferation of cable and the explosion of content delivered through the Internet. He foresees that network television will continue to broadcast broadly popular events such as the Kentucky Derby, the Super Bowl and the Final Four, largely because these broadcasts are “free” and available to the whole family. Despite the inefficiencies and expense of being in the news business, when a national or international event occurs, people tune in to network television.
McManus then responded to a variety of questions from the audience: “What do you think about delivering news and sports programming via the Internet?” “Do you foresee sports coverage of the same event by multiple networks?” “What’s happening to scripted drama on the networks; is reality TV all there will be in the future?” “When conservative talk radio hosts rail against the liberal bias in the media, are they right?” “Who scripts the news?” “Why hasn’t soccer on television taken hold?” McManus answered that he thought the lack of revenue generation for Internet sports casting militates against it becoming big. Given the premium networks pay for exclusivity, it seems unlikely that they will share events. Networks have to balance, as he said, “How much Britney and how much Barack” to air, while retaining their advertising sponsors. McManus doesn’t feel that there is any deliberate bias in news broadcasts, and that they are being more vigilant in their efforts to be objective, especially given the instant feedback that blogs provide. At CBS news, three writers write copy for the 6:30 news and correspondents write their own copy; in the end, however, the anchor rewrites the copy, and takes responsibility for its objectivity. Though there is a generation of Americans who grew up loving to play soccer, who now love for their children to play, it has never taken hold in the sports consciousness of the country. McManus wondered if it was because so many American sports depend on the use of hands: catching and throwing play a prominent role in the most popular American games.
As the fathers left in the gentle snow fall, no doubt off to drive children to hockey practices and basketball games, one father paused to ask McManus for some advice about college choices for his son, who’d like to become a broadcast journalist. McManus suggested that the best way to prepare for the field was to learn to write and speak well.
Communication skills are paramount 21st century skills for success as the newscaster or the sportscaster, or as the executive in charge of both.
New Canaan Country School
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