Robert's letter to Bob Smizik

Hi Bob,

I would like to respectively disagree with some of the points you made, and potential omission in your recent column, “Smizik on TV: Lange returning to TV not likely”. While I applaud your article and the attention it brought to the fact that Mike Lange is not on TV where I think he belongs. Your characterization that Penguin Hockey fans don’t care or didn’t protest enough at the time is at the very least debatable.  You made an effort to get a statement from FSN on what they are planning to do with the renewal of Steigerwald’s contract, but only referred to what Penguin management did or didn’t do back in 2006. You also claim that they have a “tight partnership”, and that FSN would not have made the move if the Penguins had strongly objected. What if the Penguins have a different opinion today?

You may have interest in learning that the Pittsburgh Penguins are currently offering a Fan Survey on their website. The fan survey is directly soliciting the fans opinions on “Game Day Coverage”, and what the fan thinks of the current radio and TV broadcasts.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=fan_contests

I would suggest that your article could have been more complete, and accurate if you had informed your readers that Penguin management for some undefined reason(?) are asking their fans opinions about how and who is announcing the Penguin hockey games on both radio and TV. I would also suggest that you could have put your assertion that Mike Lange’s return to TV is not likely to the test, or inform your readers that they can directly submit their opinion on the matter to the Penguins. By omitting or not being aware that the Penguins are actively soliciting the fans opinion you completely ignored the possibility that Penguin management might have changed their minds or at the very least the possibility that changes are being considered. To me that would be an important fact to include or take into account if I was writing an article about Mike Lange’s possible return to the TV broadcasts, or simply whether or not anyone’s contract is going to be renewed or not, or maybe more importantly if the people who listen to the broadcasts would actually like to see Mike Lange back on TV.

I do agree with you that the era of announcers driving ratings and attracting viewers has past, if it arguable ever did. I don’t have access to statistics which actually support that statement, so let’s just agree that that is the case. I will however say that an announcer can and does make a huge difference in the overall viewing/listening experience. Mentioning the fact that Penguin management is actively seeking Penguin fans, and I assume some of your reader’s opinions specifically about the radio and TV broadcasts would be or would have been a newsworthy item to include in your article.

Since I don’t know for a fact when this Penguin Fan Survey was published I apologize if it was not available to you before the article was printed. At the very least I think this “new” information would make a worthy follow-up or update on your March 27th article. If there is a controversy as you contend, and I think the Fan Survey indicates there is, who better to decide than the people who actually watch and listen to the broadcasts? Why not let your readers know they could help in settling this controversy with their direct input? The Penguins are asking, why aren’t you?  Or, at the very least why aren’t you informing the Penguin fan he could make an impact on that decision.

Thanks for the article, and the hope that you will update your readers, Penguin fans, and Mike Lange fans on the opportunity Penguin management is offering to all of us regarding Mike Lange’s TV broadcast status. What better way to see if as you contend, “Lange returning to TV not likely”?

Sincerely,

Robert S.

Frederick, MD (formerly Monroeville, PA)

Let’s Go Pens!!!