On local and national fronts, a very busy year
Astros provide ratings boosts while familiar voices change places on radio
While Houston sports had arguably its most memorable year in 2017 (which we recount in this week’s Texas Sports Nation digital magazine), there also were plenty of developments on the sports media front.
From local radio shuffles to Houston’s star athletes getting their due nationally to the rocky years experienced by the NFL and ESPN, there was plenty of material.
Without further ado, here’s a look at some of the most notable local and national sports media stories of 2017.
Astros win it all
There was no bigger sports story in Houston this year than the Astros winning their first World Series championship, and its tentacles extended to the media side. The team broke in a new TV broadcast team of Todd Kalas — whose father Harry called Astros games during their early years — and Geoff Blum. The Astros’ success then drove ratings increases for rights holders AT&T SportsNet and KBME (790 AM), with the latter even doubling its audience share at one point during the season.
The World Series drew huge numbers locally, with Game 7 recording a 47.1 rating and 66 share, the highest ever for an MLB game in Houston. That’s a stark contrast from the days of 0.0 ratings for Astros games on their regional carrier.
Altuve, Watt feted
Two of Houston’s brightest stars broke through any alleged East Coast bias and brought home major media accolades. The Astros’ Jose Altuve and the Texans’ J.J. Watt shared Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year honor earlier this month for their on- and offfield work, and Altuve was voted the Associated Press’ Male Athlete of the Year this week.
Familiar voices return
Two of Houston’s most popular sports-talk hosts returned to the airwaves this year. Charlie Pallilo reemerged at KGOW in August following 10 months off the air following his ouster at KBME. The return of Pallilo, arguably the biggest baseball wonk on Houston radio, was a boon for listeners during the Astros’ playoff run.
Lance Zierlein, another longtime Houston fixture, rejoined former partner John Granato at KFNC (97,5 FM) after leaving KBME’s morning drive show in July.
KGOW switches to FM
After a decade at 1560 AM, Gow Media moved its sports talk lineup to the FM dial and then rebranded as SportsMap 94.1 FM. For those who struggled to pick up the former station in various parts of the city, it was a welcome change.
Not sticking to sports
As Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, local sports media members chipped in on the news side.
Most notably, KBME’s Matt Thomas worked the overnight shift on iHeartMedia’s local stations, while a number of KILT (610 AM) hosts also did storm duty for then-parent company CBS. KILT’s John Lopez took things a step further, steering a fishing boat around Humble, Kingwood and Conroe to rescue flood victims.
CSN really missed
In a year when the Astros won the World Series, the Rockets are among the NBA’s elite and the Texans provide year-round drama, wouldn’t it be nice to have a regional sports network covering those things? The loss of CSN Houston — a great product for those who actually got it — never was felt more than this year. Instead, AT&T SportsNet provided zilch in the way of Astros postgame coverage during the postseason. That’s a slap in the face to the viewers forking over money in susbcriber fees every month.
Football ratings dip
As the Texans, the University of Houston, Texas and Texas A&M put forth lackluster football seasons, local ratings took a dip for the pro and college games. The ratings for the Texans-Rams game in early November were the lowest since 2010.
McHale-Harden beef
Rockets star James Harden and former Houston coach turned analyst Kevin McHale traded shots through the media. On an NBA TV panel, McHale said Harden “is not a leader.” His former charge fired back, calling McHale “a clown” who didn’t teach Harden anything about leadership. McHale then doubled down on his criticism, saying “it’s hard to have credibility if you don’t play defense.”
ESPN’s rocky year
It would be hard to find much good for the “WorldWide Leader in Sports” in 2017. From layoffs that saw several familiar faces jettisoned to declining subscriber numbers thanks to industry-wide cord cutting to notable PR debacles involving on-air talent to the stunning resignation of president John Skipper because of “substance addiction,” it was the roughest year for a media entity once considered too big to fail by many.
NFL ratings drop
The NFL took its hits in 2017, from the Twitter account of President Donald Trump over players protesting social injustice during the national anthem to declining ratings, although those arguably are part of an industry-wide decline for broadcast and cable networks.
Romo a hit
The one bright spot for the NFL on TV may be the star turn of new CBS lead analyst Tony Romo, who’s won over critics and viewers with his energetic, prescient style in the booth.