Fred Roggin has been the sports anchor for NBC-owned-and-operated KNBC -- meaning parent company NBC actually runs the affiliate -- out of Los Angeles since 1980. He has also been NBC’s boxing host for the Summer Olympics and their curling host for the Winter Olympics, so one would imagine he has some pull at the network.
KNBC Sports Anchor Tried To Get Games 3 And 4 On NBC In Los Angeles
According to SportsByBrooks, Roggin tried to use some of that pull to get Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup finals broadcast on his station. Wednesday night's Game 4 could see the Kings clinch their first Stanley Cup.
Fred Roggin told KSPN-AM he tried for 3 wks to get NBC to air Stanley Cup Games 3/4, relegated to NBCSN, on LA local KNBC Ch 4. No dice.
— SPORTSbyBROOKS (@SPORTSbyBROOKS) June 7, 2012
Denying #2 NBC affiliate request to air Kings Stanley Cup clincher - fronted by influential Roggin - wouldve been unthinkable pre-Comcast.
— SPORTSbyBROOKS (@SPORTSbyBROOKS) June 7, 2012
Roggin at KNBC in LA since Original Six + hockey guy + wields biz influence beyond typical sports guy. Game on in LA if Ebersol still there.
— SPORTSbyBROOKS (@SPORTSbyBROOKS) June 7, 2012
It’s worth noting that former NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol never had control over NBC Sports Network (formerly known as Versus) in the past, meaning that Roggin would’ve had to convince both the affiliate and Versus’ owner, Comcast, to air the game.
That all said, NBC might want to reconsider how they balance the games of the Stanley Cup finals, or perhaps allow affiliates in local markets (like KNBC and WNBC in New York) the opportunity to simulcast games. Hockey is so parochial that it might be worth pre-empting original programming. I plan to go into some of this in a little more detail tomorrow on Puck the Media.
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