Airwaves: Comcast SportsNet breaks in its new digs

New team: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area will unveil two new TV shows Monday from the network’s brand-new facilities.

SAN FRANCISCO — Monday is a huge day in the Bay Area sports scene.

After years of planning and gossip about the programming, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area will launch its live studio presence with “Chronicle Live” and its news show “SportsNet Central.”

“Chronicle Live” will employ a discussion-type format that will feature, on a daily basis, rotating Bay Area sports reporters and so-called experts on the many sports in the region. This will be a daily show that will run from 5 to 6 p.m. Well-known and well-liked Bay Area TV and radio personality Greg Papa will serve as the host. I have seen a few rehearsal shows over the past week, and Papa is excellent in this role. In addition, the guests will be very opinionated, as well as controversial in their views.

The heart and soul of this new programming is the studio-show presence of “SportsNet Central.” This show will concentrate on local sports news angles, scores and what is happening on an up-to-the-minute basis.

It will run seven nights a week with live 30-minute broadcasts at 6 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and midnight. Ted Griggs, the vice president and general manager of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, summarized the programming very well.

“Northern California sports fans are among the most passionate and dedicated in the country and we want to bring that same drive to our new original programming lineup,” he said. “We’re creating the best local sports news, debate and analysis shows in the country right here in our new studios. We have hired some of the most creative media thinkers and built a beautiful facility that will serve as the new hub of local sports.”

Griggs, a Bay Area sports TV veteran, is truly excited about this new venture, and he should be because the studios and offices, located on Third Street are first class and have a big-time look about them.

All totaled, the new headquarters has 37,000-square feet of working space. No expense was spared and the atmosphere is a refreshing one of great energy, creativity and enthusiasm.

Griggs has also hired an outstanding team of over 100 producers, directors, researchers and production personnel to support these shows. Last year at this time, CSNBA employed only 30 people. One of the most significant hires was news director Chris Olivere. Olivere, most recently from the Mountian West Sports Network, will oversee the network’s day-to-day news operation, manage the staff and talent, and oversee the pregame and postgame programming. During the past three weeks, Olivere has conducted rehearsal days for his crew. Each evening, shows have taken place as if they were on live TV. This has allowed Olivere and Griggs to not only evaluate talent, but also it allowed the production staff to work through the kinks of running live shows.

This type of programming is exactly what the area needs.

The Giants will continue to have their games and pregame and postgame shows broadcast on CSNBA. The A’s will be broadcast on Comcast SportsNet California. In a short period of time, the last piece of this puzzle will be completed when the A’s in-house studio is finished being built. Also, look for additional programming to be added in the very near future. This entire undertaking is in great hands!

Getting to know your new anchors

As time goes by, you will become more familiar with the names and the faces of the on-air talent pool at CSNBA. Scott Reiss might be the most well-known of the anchors and reporters that have been hired. Reiss, who is a Stanford graduate, has been with Comcast the last year serving as a pregame and postgame host for the Sharks and Warriors. In addition, he served his apprenticeship at ESPN for eight years. Talk about Siberia, have you ever been to Bristol, Conn.?

Damon Andrews, Matt Morrison (Redwood High School in Larkspur), Mindi Bach (local sports anchor), Chuck Fisher, Dave Benz, Jaymee Sire and Kate Longworth complete the anchor-reporter lineup. Greg Papa will also serve in this area at times. Most of the listed talent has some Bay Area connection, whether it be from personal or professional experience.

OK, on to other things in the world of TV and radio:

- In its golf coverage, NBC is experimenting with putting mics on the caddies. This should be interesting. One bit of advice to Golf executive producer Tommy Roy, have someone with a quick finger working the bleep button.

- Congrats to new Pac-10 Conference commish Larry Scott. Scott comes from the Women’s Tennis Association. His appointment came as a bit of a surprise, but I know the guy who headed and conducted the executive search for this position and he is very sharp, thorough and detailed. So with that in mind, it must be a great choice. Since I am in an advising state of mind today, please Mr. Scott, look into a Pac-10 TV Network. It is a great revenue-generating tool.

- A very funny and entertaining commercial is being shown throughout the NCAA Tournament on CBS featuring a true clash of generations. Guitar Hero, a series of heavy-metal music video games, has enlisted the services of legendary basketball coaches Roy Williams (UNC), Rick Pitino (Louisville), Coach K (Duke) and the retired general, Bobby Knight. In the commercial, all four appear in their underwear playing a guitar and jumping around like a bunch of long-haired, heavy-metal musicians. It is a similar scene to the 1982 Tom Cruise movie “Risky Business.” In it, Cruise dances around his house in his skivvies, playing air guitar. This commercial is just plain hilarious. Of course, I had no clue what Guitar Hero was, so I Googled it. It is a company that has made billions — yes billions — over the last several years selling music video games. So I guess they could afford to pay these highly respected coaches enough money to act foolishly for a commercial.

On target

Since most of the ramblings today have been about Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, why stop here. In addition to the original programs on Monday, the network will also broadcast the show “Through the Lens,” a comprehensive look at the behind-the-scenes action that goes on when producing and airing a TV show. This one-hour special will be on air Monday at 4 p.m. on CSNBA, and on CSNC on Tuesday at 4 p.m. This kind of programming is very interesting and reveals what it takes to produce a TV show. This is another feather in the cap of news director Chris Olivere.

Who said it

Tiger Woods
“It feels good to be back in contention, to feel the rush. It’s been a while, but God, it felt good,” the great one said after last week’s comeback win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational from Bay Hill. Hey Tiger, were you talking to yourself? You are the closest thing on Earth to a God, just ask the folks at NBC what you do for their golf ratings when you are playing.

Courtney Paris
“If we don’t get it done [win the women’s national championship], I didn’t do what I said I was going to do,” the Bay Area native said about her career and that of her Oklahoma teammates. This week, the daughter of former 49er Bubba Paris, became the first four-time All-American in women’s college basketball. She is a great talent who can back up what she says.

One to watch

After a longer than usual spring training due to the World Baseball Classic, Opening Day has finally arrived. The Braves and Phillies square off in the MLB opener tonight at 5 p.m. on ESPN2. On the local front, the A’s start things off first, taking on the L.A. Angels on Monday at 6 p.m. Comcast SportsNet California will carry the action. On Tuesday, the Giants kick things off, hosting the Brewers at 1:05 p.m. Comcast SportsNet Bay Area will carry the Giants’ opener.

Sports by numbers

66 PGA Tour wins by Tiger Woods

 
239 PGA Tour starts by Tiger Woods

6 Wins by Tiger at Bay Hill Golf Club in the last decade

Artie Gigantino spent 25 years as a coach at the major-college and NFL levels, was lead college football analyst for Fox Sports Net for seven years, was with CBS for one year and was an executive with the Raiders for three years. E-mail him at agigantino@sfexaminer.com.