We lost KTLA?

by LAC on Apr 13, 2009 11:09 PM PDT Comment 33 comments

I was watching the Clips/Utah game and Lawler kept saying bye to KTLA, so I guess we lost the coverage for next year.

The only other broadcast option is UPN, but it looks like we're going to be short on televised games next year.

I'm very disappointed to see this, as KTLA HD was a great feature, but with our record going down, so have ratings, I suppose.

And I doubt that Prime Ticket will pick up all of the games.

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I think

He just meant that it was the last game on KTLA this season.

by C's Up on Apr 13, 2009 11:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Crossing Over

Crossing over from CTB, I have this quote from a user,

“Hey guys, new poster here and longtime Clipper fan. I was watching the Utah game tonight and Ralph Lawler said his goodbyes to KTLA, as the TV contract has run out and will not be renewed. Any word on what station will pick the team up in KTLA’s place? Or are we only going to see the team on FSN/Prime Ticket now?”

Sorry, we are the BEST team in LA!

by LAC on Apr 13, 2009 11:18 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

KTLA cutting ties with Clippers...

KTLA will never be broadcasting a Clippers game again. This is the end of Clippers on free local broadcast for the forseeable future. It will only be FSN/Prime Ticket from here on out. As expected, Clippers ratings were horrible and KTLA decided not to renew Clippers broadcast rights. Another avenue closed for the Clippers. Pretty soon, not many people will be aware that there is another professional basketball team in LA. All in all, a pretty good year in Clipperland.

by MichaelCage on Apr 13, 2009 11:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

do you have a link to this info?

Roger Sterling: I bet there were people in the Bible walking around, complaining about "kids today."
Don Draper: Kids today, they have no one to look up to. Cuz they're looking up to us.

by Lawler's Law on Apr 14, 2009 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for verifying with KTLA....

Sorry I didn’t see your post until today, LL, but good job on checking with KTLA programming directly. I read about declining ad revenues and particularly dismal ratings for Clippers broadcast in one of those broadcast trade publications a while back. I got the impression that they weren’t going to renew their broadcast contract with the Clippers, but I was hoping that another local station would pick them up.

Unfortunately, the team is atrocious. So re-runs of Seinfeld or Friends routinely blow away Clippers games in terms of viewers. I wouldn’t be suprised if late night infomercials get more eye balls than Clippers games.

by MichaelCage on Apr 15, 2009 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well in a way isnt this a good thing?

DTS has to put a better team out there so people will want to watch. Can anyone find a official news release or the like to confirm that it will no longer be on TV? I have FSN but they usually show only the road games, does this mean they cover the home games next year?

FA in 2010.

by ClipperChuck on Apr 13, 2009 11:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

less exposure is never a good thing no matter how you slice it. Im pretty sure there will be less televised games until we (if we) start winning

by andrewexd on Apr 14, 2009 8:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

man~ as if it wasn’t hard enough catching a clips game on tv… now this.

by dc5dugg on Apr 13, 2009 11:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

consider yourselves lucky

warriors broadcast hasnt been on local station in forever.

by saintdee on Apr 13, 2009 11:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Out of curiosity saintdee...

do the bay area newspapers still assign a reporter to travel with the team and file reports when they’re on the road? Or do you guys just get AP wire reports for road games now too?

by MichaelCage on Apr 13, 2009 11:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

clipper fan who lives in warrior country here...

the warriors still have real reporters. Or at least the papers talk about them all the time.

Granted they are the only show in town. Tim Kawakami spends LOTS of time discussing the warriors.

Then again I’m pretty sure the warriors could go 10-72, and they’d still sell most of the tickets at oracle. The warrior fan base is just insanely dedicated.

The clippers honestly suffer from 2 things. They are terrible. And Los Angeles people are terrible sports fans in general. That and being at staples center it is a horrible hassle to get to a clipper game. It is relatively easy to get to e awarriors game. So there goes your interest. And thus your ratings on TV and lack of newspaper coverage.

But yeah the warriors are not on local tv generally. I think they are almost exclusively on fox sports up here and not in HD.

by hans007 on Apr 13, 2009 11:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

nope

they are on CSN and CSN does have HD.

But yea we have exclusive reporters.

Janny Hu
Marcus Thompson
Tim Kawakami(he reports when he wants to.. he writes about all sports)
Lowell Cohn(post pre game post game interviews)
Matt Steinmetz(beat writer for examiner went to Warrior practices is on the CSN pregame and postgame show)

Yea feel bad for clips cause they have to compete with the Lakeshow.

by saintdee on Apr 14, 2009 1:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

that's actually three things

but i get your point and agree wholeheartedly… many Angelenos are front runners, so it’s always been hard to get people behind the Clips. April and May are probably the worst times of the year for non-Laker fans in Los Angeles as you’ll start to see all those stupid lemming car flags on everyone’s cars as the Lakers advance in the playoffs.

by dc5dugg on Apr 14, 2009 7:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Generally agree

But I couldn’t disagree more about Staples. I find it much easier to get to, into and out of Staples than any other local venue.

I also don’t agree with Colin Cowherd very often, but his observations on “quality” of fandom tend to be right on. If folks from Los Angeles are bad sports fans, its because our lives tend to be generally good and we tend to be generally happy. Compare versus where “great” sports fans come from. Crappy places like Detroit and Pittsburgh. Or the Bay.

/flamewar

Get me BD and 75 and I'm in

by John R on Apr 14, 2009 8:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Colin's thinking does make sense to me...

look at green bay packers…nothing but snow out there!

Roger Sterling: I bet there were people in the Bible walking around, complaining about "kids today."
Don Draper: Kids today, they have no one to look up to. Cuz they're looking up to us.

by Lawler's Law on Apr 14, 2009 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Anybody have a link to confirm that KTLA is dropping the Clips?

by Michael White on Apr 14, 2009 7:21 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This little news bit shows that they were only extended 3 years initially

http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/07_KTLA_agreement_081106.html

If we go by this then that I guess the deal just expired.

by jrol on Apr 14, 2009 8:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think that means this is our last year

or they will extend the contract again. I think he was just saying goodbye for the season since OKC game is only on radio.

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on Apr 14, 2009 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

KTLA is done for good. Even if we have another winning season they’ll probably be suspicious and wait and then be relieved when we win 10 games the year after. any tv is better than watching a computer stream..

by andrewexd on Apr 14, 2009 9:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

BOUND FOR PRIMETICKET

I was watching the last broadcast at PRIMETICKET this season and both Ralph & Mike did indicate that they it would be the only station broadcasting Clipper games next season. I’m not sure if they meant that it means they will pick up games that would normally have been broadcast on KTLA. Too bad PRIMETICKET doesn’t always broadcast the games in HD.

by bystander on Apr 14, 2009 9:33 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Watching games without HD Suck

by Qlippers on Apr 14, 2009 10:45 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yea, especially on a big screen

Everything looks grainy, like why is it snowing inside Staples or X arena?

I hope Ralph doesn’t retire if they go off network tv. Really with all the programming out there why would we want to watch a team that is down 20 at halftime routinely.

FA in 2010.

by ClipperChuck on Apr 14, 2009 11:46 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

seriously, I just got my first HD tv (i lived in a tiny apartment before) and the prime ticket HD channel sucks. I cant go back to regular tv. I cant, I wont. I dont even watch regular tv anymore I just check whats on HD channels.

by andrewexd on Apr 14, 2009 9:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Straight from the horse's mouth...

I thought I would check with the programming office at KTLA…That last line is a major diss by our own broadcasting partner!

From: KTLA-Programming <KProgramming@tribune.com>
To: sipote_1@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 4:19:55 PM
Subject: RE: [www.ktla.com] Viewer Mail – Programming submission

Thank you for your email and interest in the Clippers games.

This was the final year of a multi-year contract to broadcast the Clippers games. It is too early to determine if we will renew the contract. The ratings have been poor for the Clippers games.

Sincerely,

KTLA Programming

Roger Sterling: I bet there were people in the Bible walking around, complaining about "kids today."
Don Draper: Kids today, they have no one to look up to. Cuz they're looking up to us.

by Lawler's Law on Apr 15, 2009 8:37 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks LL!

Great job getting confirmation from the station.

by Michael White on Apr 15, 2009 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ooooh LL's email

Now you’ll end up getting a bunch of viagra and penis enlargement emails. Would make sense, being a Clippers fan does cause impotency…

FA in 2010.

by ClipperChuck on Apr 15, 2009 2:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

already get them...

that’s my junk email anyhow, so it’s cool…

Roger Sterling: I bet there were people in the Bible walking around, complaining about "kids today."
Don Draper: Kids today, they have no one to look up to. Cuz they're looking up to us.

by Lawler's Law on Apr 15, 2009 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

So wahat now?

No local and no radio?
I remember when we made the playoffs and there was no local broadcasts. I was listening to the radio during both series. I guess I won’t have this problem anymore because I now have cable (thankfully), and because ehm… our team stinks.

"This kid is the best new talent in the league right now, and I don't care who else you mention." -Suns Coach, Alvin Gentry, on Clippers rookie sensation, Eric Gordon.

by cliptakular on Apr 15, 2009 3:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...we suck...

but we suck in a vacuum so not many people will know that we suck. If nobody broadcasts or reports on Clippers games, how will people know that we suck? We can probably tell our friends that the Clippers are undefeated next year and they will have no way of knowing…muahahaha.

by MichaelCage on Apr 15, 2009 4:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If the Clippers lose and theres no one there to see it, does it still count?

by eastie Rich on Apr 15, 2009 5:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

My thoughts exactly eastie...

this Clippers media blackout can actually work for us. We need to hire Saddam’s former propaganda minister to issue proclamations about the Clippers undefeated record next year to unsuspecting national journalists. I bet we can sucker the writers at ESPN to inflate our power rankings up to number three. They don’t watch the games anyways and there won’t be anybody in the local media or papers to contradict us because they can’t even be sure of the Clippers existence.

by MichaelCage on Apr 15, 2009 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs