1 of 1- RadioActive
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History Of ESPN Documentary Airing Monday Night
The real question is: will anyone here be able to see it? This sounds like a fascinating show - the story of the world's first all-sports channel on cable TV, and the one that inspired all the others that followed, including TSN and Sportsnet.
But not everyone believed in the idea and some didn't want to take a chance on it.
"The first minutes of ESPN going on the air are shown, along with the frantic four hours before the debut. George Grande welcomed viewers to the first “SportsCenter” broadcast before the network’s first live event, a slow-pitch softball game between the Kentucky Bourbons and the Milwaukee Schlitz.
“In those days, we didn’t know if we’d last four weeks, four years, let alone 40-some, but we knew it was special,” Grande said."
If you know anyone with a U.S. satellite dish or access to the channel, it may be worth a look.
Story of the birth of ESPN will be showcased in a documentary on Monday night
- mace
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Re: History Of ESPN Documentary Airing Monday Night
This documentary is available on those alternative sites with questionable legality. Personally, I shall be watching.
- RadioActive
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Re: History Of ESPN Documentary Airing Monday Night
I wonder if it will also turn up on Disney+, since that company owns most of ESPN? Could be another place to look for it, if you're a subscriber.
It airs on the U.S. all sports cable channel from 8:30 PM to 9:45 PM Eastern.
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: History Of ESPN Documentary Airing Monday Night
Here's the trailer:
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: History Of ESPN Documentary Airing Monday Night
I finally saw this, thanks to a friend with a U.S. satellite dish. It was great. I had no idea that the entire thing had been dreamed up by a father and son during a long car drive or that it wound up being based in the unlikely city of Bristol, Connecticut because other towns didn't want huge satellite dishes polluting their landscapes.
And it was gobsmacking to learn they were still putting the control room together just a few hours before its first sign-on, with no one knowing if any of it would even work. They didn't even have a lot of programming lined-up. And they were doing construction on the building even as the very first show, Sports Center, was on the air.
All in all, quite the story of how an idea - 24 hours of sports - that no one believed would work became one of the biggest success stories in broadcasting history. Well worth a watch, if you can find a copy.
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Thread Starter- mace
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Re: History Of ESPN Documentary Airing Monday Night
I found it fascinating when Bill Rasmussen applied for his first radio job. When asked why he should be hired with no radio experience, his response was "Because I can do the job"