FIRST is ready for TV

FIRST General Forum
1

2003 is the perfect year for FIRST to bust out into the glorious realm of real television broadcasting. We as the participants in the FRC need to rally for this with FIRST, and 2003 is definitely the perfect year. Why, you may ask? I’ll make a list.

  1. No Olympics for 2003. I’ll pick up with this in a minute.

  2. All sports except the mechanical sports - Battlebots, Robot Wars, and TLC’s Junkyard Wars - have lost ratingas for three years running.

  3. People are demanding new reality-based programs that don’t feel like Survivor.

  4. The big players in the broadcasting biz just lost a whole group of around a dozen shows, and they desperately are looking for new content.

Okay, so now that we have a bit of premise, lets see whose offices we flame with enough letters to swamp even the finest team of mailboys. Of course, these are not ‘begging’ letters, rather they are to be letters about how interesting and just sheer cool the FRC is. First, let’s figure out who owns what. I could be wrong with a few of these, but I’m going by memory and it’s late.

  1. Disney: Disney Channel, ESPN Networks, ABC, ABC Family

  2. NBC: NBC, MSNBC, CNBC

  3. Time-Warner: WB, TBS, Discovery Networks, TLC, CNN

  4. Fox: FOX, FOX Sports Net, FX

  5. MTV: MTV, VH1, TNN, CBS

They’re really the big players that we should be concerned with. Of course they all have more extensive network lists, but these listed are the widest-reaching of the big players.

Now, about those individual big players.

Disney is a core sponsor of FIRST as we all know, and they have a lot of eyes that they can reach. Definitely a top priority.

NBC reaches as many or more eyes as Disney, and has no Olympics in their 2003 schedule, which may be more flexible than others, as it frequently is.

Time-Warner is definitely the most extensive media company on the planet. They have the widest audience possible, and the most programming space. Probably our best bet after Disney.

FOX lost some of its core programming across its board this year, and is really looking for fresh material, notably a new reality program. Definitely a shot at it.

MTV’s networks mainly wouldn’t want the FRC, but CBS might, as a good mechanical-sports program could boost their ratings where they want them, as they’ve recently publicly said.

We and FIRST must work hard for this. eMails with thousands of names don’t work too well, but individual team eMails and real letters would hit hard with the networks. But the FIRST organization has to move as we do. Dean, you’ve got another product to sell, and this is a surefire hit.

2

precisely…ive been thinking the same thing for about oOo…3 years but most recently b4 nats…people should step it up and Deano should start talking to his buddies in the television and broadcasting business…you know he has them…he has friends EVERYWHERE…

mayb…just mayb if he lets a few segways get a way for a little while he can get us some moer exposure on the tv and/or radio…just a thought… :wink:

3

I can only see Disney do it. Dean and them have a very coasy relationship right now. A Segway exhibit there, a FIRST chapionship here. It’s all good. Plus, with ABC’s declining ratings, why don’t try something new and diffrent?

4

Disney would be a good bet. Dean already had ABC’s Good Morning America unveil exclusively his Segway. An even better idea would be to have multiple networks cover FRC like the NFL, NBA, and NHL. Get Disney, ABC, NBC, and FOX and your set because you have multiple regionals going on at the same time. The same with Nats. Have ABC or NBC hold the championships.

5

I seem to remember hearing somewhere (perhaps at Dean’s at the party the night before the kick-off) that Disney/ABC was getting ready to do a movie about a fictional FIRST team. I’m not sure of the timing on that but it would get a lot of attention for FIRST.

6

“Six weeks of blood sweat and tears. High school students from around the world teamed with engineers to build 130 lb masterpieces. Now watch as these Mechanical Titans go head to head… on ABC’s Wide World of Sports”

they always have the most melodramatic intro’s, but i really wouldn’t mind FRC being the subject of one ;-]

my e-mail has been sent!

George
SPAM
Team 180

7

*Originally posted by dixonij *
**Have ABC or NBC hold the championships. **

This has been discussed many times before, but I really dont think that ABC/Disney would like NBC walking onto Disney World Property and hosting the Championships…

After some serious thinking, ABC would probably be the best way to go

8

I agree with the whole ABC/Disney being our best bet. The Disney channel has done a few reality based shows of their own including one where they folllowed a girls basketball team throughout the season. I think that this would be great to have the FRC get some TV coverage. But what type of show would it be? One where the crew follows one team (or maybe a few) through the building process and all and then goes to the competitions and sorta spreads out while they are there and shows everyone else but still keeps the main team(s) as the focus. More than likely the team to be showcased would either be the one of the former National Champions such as Beatty, or even possibly the Disney team.

9

Heh, I could see it now: “The New Season of Survivor - In a High School Robotics Workshop!” That or instead of the Real World, the “Robot World!” Going on TV may be good, but then again, it may not be the best thing… If it does happen, just do me a favor - not FOX. Anything but FOX.

10

During Kickoff, Dean announced that there is a “Made for TV” movie going to me made about a Fictional First team.

I’m 99% sure about that.

11

*Originally posted by D.J. Fluck *
**

This has been discussed many times before, but I really dont think that ABC/Disney would like NBC walking onto Disney World Property and hosting the Championships…

After some serious thinking, ABC would probably be the best way to go **

Great point. I forgot that ABC/Disney and NBC are ratings enemies. MTV is doing a show following a cheerleader around at MY SCHOOL! Superdanman’s idea for a robotics Real World is cool. Taking it one step further, make a Real World/Road Rules challenge for randomly selected teams. Also, since ESPN is Disney owned (I think), hold it on ESPN and ESPN2.

12

*Originally posted by dixonij *
**Taking it one step further, make a Real World/Road Rules challenge for randomly selected teams. Also, since ESPN is Disney owned (I think), hold it on ESPN and ESPN2. **

The Real World/Road Rules challenge with FIRST teams has actually already been pitched to MTV (early last year). They passed on the idea. It basically came down to their shooting schedule, and the amount of time they are willing to dedicate to a single episode. The six-week format of the build phase of the FIRST competition just didnt’ fit with their schedules.

-dave

13

The potentially negative aspect of broadcasting first is that we get rules/competitions designed to make it interesting to a TV audience. This could mean a severe dumbing down of the competition. A “ready for TV” FIRST competition would have to be designed with easy and obvious rules, and non-stop action. I doubt anything less would be of interest to major networks.

14

Exactly what I meant when I said it might not be the best idea, Mark :slight_smile:

For a more philosophical-esque explanation of this, check out my post in this thread. What it comes down to is that FIRST has to decide do they want to be in every high school in America, or do they want to maintain the Spirit of FIRST (such as Gracious Professionalism and FIRST’s uniquness).

15