KUSA-Channel 9, Denver TV ratings leader and a pacesetter for the TEGNA (formerly Gannett) stations nationally, is rethinking how it covers sports. Specifically, the station will do away with the traditional sports segment on local newscasts beginning sometime after the Super Bowl, instead integrating sports personality pieces and sports feature stories throughout the broadcast.
“Sports has always been done at the end of the newscast. Typically you see ratings drop off at that point. We want to take the people doing sports and incorporate all that stuff throughout the newscast,” said KUSA general manager Steve Carter.
After a huddle with TEGNA executives, the station held a meeting with the sports staff to announce the change.
Reports had circulated that the station is abandoning sports. “If you are hearing that we are eliminating sports coverage from our newscasts, that’s just not true,” Carter said. “This is a sports town. But people are not looking to local TV to get all the information on local sports teams. It’s changed— over the years because everybody has apps and access to favorite teams.”
The change follows but, according to Carter, is unrelated to the departure of longtime sports anchor Drew Soicher, whose contract was not extended at the end of 2016.
“No one’s losing their job. We’re adding another sports person, another digital person,” Carter said. “Right now, even if sports becomes a bigger story our station tended to hold it until the sports segment. There’s no reason sports can’t run in the A block or B block. We’re spreading the sports out.”
The station posted an opening for a “non-traditional multi-skilled journalist” to include sports.
Carter suggested KUSA will do a wider range of coverage, including University of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver or University of Colorado basketball.
As an example, Carter said, if the Colorado Rockies are on a six game losing streak, would viewers rather see a story on that or about the new player with a high batting average? “It’s a different way to approach it.”
The decision is a local one, he said.
The station will continue to post scores and play by play coverage online. Rod Mackey will continue to report on the Broncos, as will Mike Klis. Carter said viewers may see more long-form sports features—from staff including Kevin Vaughan.
“Drew reinvented how sports was done in this market,” Carter said. “How do you follow that? We try to do things differently.”
