If you’re a Carolina Panthers fan who thinks local coverage tends toward a bland vanilla flavor, as I do, you could get some relief if pending contracts are signed soon.
Edge Marketing, a local TV production and marketing company, and WBTV are hammering out details to bring a network-style Sunday sports show to the market.
“I went to WBTV and said, “let’s do a real pre-game show about the Panthers.’ What better season of the year? And then, we could also talk about ACC and SEC football, and NASCAR, too,” says Mike Burg, who heads up Edge Marketing.
“By using their Center City studio, which is dark on weekends, we can create a party outside the Bank of America building.”
Much is up in the air about format, hosts, and all that, but the plan would be to use WBTV’s Delano Little and Kricket Morton and add some NFL, NASCAR, and other sports specialists to the talk mix. The program would begin in late August and run for 17 weeks through the NFL season live on Sundays from 11am-1pm. During Panthers home games, the show could draw pre-game fans on the street and give a little zip to a studio show, a la NBC’s Today.
“We want to create a cast of characters on the air, and make an event outside: cheerleaders, clowns, you name it,” says Burg.
Edge Marketing would produce the show, with WBTV kicking in technical support and on-air talent. Other on-air personnel have not been selected so far. All that’s left is signing on the dotted line.
Of all Charlotte’s TV stations, I never would have guessed that WSOC-TV would be the one to get into the faux-American Idol business, but so it goes, as the station holds singing auditions to find the “best 25 contestants” to compete in front of celebrity judges over five shows. Gimme the Mike! Charlotte will run Wednesdays at 8pm starting June 23. Winners from the first five shows and one wild card contestant will compete in a live hour-long finale July 28. Auditions will be held Saturday, May 1, from 10am to 4pm at SouthPark Mall and Sunday, May 2, from 11am to 4pm at Concord Mills Mall. If you feel like warbling, go to www.wsoctv.com for info.
Stay tuned.
E-mail at Shannon.Reichley@cln.com
This article appears in Apr 28 – May 4, 2004.
