Fox Sports Arizona will now broadcast all pre-, halftime and post-game shows while the Phoenix Suns play away games from the studios inside the Walter Cronkite School on the Downtown campus. (Photo by Vince Dwyer)The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication partnered with Fox Sports Arizona to broadcast pre-, halftime and post-game shows when the Phoenix Suns play on the road.
FSAZ executive producer Jeff Hallas said the shows will air for 41 games and potentially more if the Suns reach the post-season.
“The key component of the deal was that the school gets to use the set and studio to train its students with,” Hallas said.
They will benefit from observing and learning from professionals in their field of interest, Cronkite School assistant dean Mark Lodato said.
“This is beyond an internship scenario,” he said. “Students are going to be exposed to sports broadcasters of this caliber almost on a daily basis throughout the basketball season. A select few will get to get their hands dirty as far as the production and that’s something that is very unique.”
Questions about students losing one of their studios to accommodate the Suns’ broadcast team were raised when the set was being built, Lodato said.
“Our first priority is to the students, and we wouldn’t do anything to take away from that,” Lodato said. “Our goal is to increase opportunities, not decrease.”
Journalism junior Jordan Armstrong said he wants to land a spot helping and observing in the studio.
Cronkite students involved with the program will participate in something that few schools offer, he said.
“If Cronkite is able to give its students an opportunity that other schools aren't, I definitely think it sets us apart,” Armstrong said. “It shows that the school is making an effort to have programs that focus on sports journalism. As a student interested specifically in sports journalism, this is a good thing to see.”
Kevin Word, who graduated in 2010 with a degree in broadcast journalism, said he believes the program will give students the real-life experience they need to succeed.
Word, who is now a production assistant at FSAZ, said producing these shows will offer more to students than their typical classes.
“They will see the mayhem or chaos that goes on during a half-hour show, from technical problems to handling different storylines,” Word said.
Word said it was tough to get to the old location. Because a lot of the games are during rush hour traffic, the Cronkite School will make it easier for the crew to operate.
Talks between ASU and Fox Sports started about eight months ago, but the school had strong ties with the network.
Past collaborations between the two entities include an internship program, the student-led sports show “Sun Devils 101” and a class where students designed marketing campaigns for the company, Hallas said.
Phoenix Suns director of broadcasting Dan Siekmann said the agreement made sense because the Suns don’t have a studio at U.S. Airways arena, and the Cronkite School has a great location and excellent equipment.
The Cronkite School is a big upgrade from the old studios in north Phoenix, Hallas said.
“If you look at the facility there, it’s really a great option because of the technology, engineering and proximity,” Hallas said. “I was amazed the first time I saw it.”
If the basketball show succeeds, other Phoenix teams may use the school’s space.
“It could potentially work with baseball and hockey,” Hallas said. “We’re starting small and seeing how it works.”
Reach the reporter at Adrian.martinez.1@asu.edu
