Memo to HTS and The Post: Good Idea,But Your Program Needs Fine Tuning

(WJLA Sports Director Frank Herzog has on a number of occasions been a subject in this space. Recently given an opportunity to review the weekly (Monday, 6:30 p.m.) Home Team Sports show, "The Washington Post Sports Talk," Herzog gleefully accepted.)

The only thing wrong with being an all-sports cable television channel is you must fill the airwaves with sports. So, when the games are over and have been repeated for the late viewers, you are left to fill time.

Many cable sports channels use fishing shows to do this. Home Team Sports is trying sportswriters. The weekly half-hour show is titled "The Washington Post Sports Talk," and it's not a bad idea: Gather your writers and have them talk about the events in sports that week and give them a little TV exposure at the same time. There's only one thing wrong: It ain't working very often.

Part of the fault lies behind the camera. Executive producers Darrell Landrum and Jody Shapiro have saddled their directors with a cheap set. Blue walls are decorated with front pages of The Post's sports section that appear to be taped in place. Even though they were enlarged recently, they still look tacky. In front of the three comfortable chairs that make everyone look like they are slouching and are placed too close to the wall, are two plastic plants of no form or substance. Faced with this semicircle, various directors have consistently made the wrong choice for camera shots, often revealing too much profile.

In becoming one of the most creative sports production crews in television, Home Team Sports has enjoyed a luxury: the excitement of the event. That great shot from behind home plate of Eddie Murray's home run climbing into the right field stand was made notable by Eddie's effort. They give us Bernard King hitting two last-second three-point shots against the Nets as he falls into the second row of seats, and it's great because King gave it his all.

Now, they've met their match. Over the first five weeks someone has assembled some very fine writers and generally neglected to get them talking about the things they write about. On the premier show, Tom Boswell talked about the Orioles and Pete Rose and we were better for seeing it.

Then, for what seemed like a month, people such as Christine Brennan, Tony Kornheiser, Sally Jenkins, Leonard Shapiro and Sports Illustrated's Ralph Wiley talked about the Capitals. Where the devil was the man who has covered everything the Capitals have ever done, beat writer Robert Fachet? Why a segment on the NBA playoffs? As Jenkins says, "Wake me up when Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson are playing, otherwise, I couldn't care less."

Wouldn't viewers and Jenkins be more interested in something she covered?

This general lack of planning results in a collection of journalists asked to talk about areas in which they have little expertise, thus wasting the time of anyone who tuned in to actually learn something. And it's unfair to the talent. Forced to say something, they wind up saying nothing or fall into the trap of offering a comment that distracts the viewer from another panelist's comment.

About three years ago, several sportswriters for The Post tried to peddle their wares to local TV stations using the terms "provocative" and "insightful." But news directors who took the bait didn't need long to see the hook. None of the writers would be allowed, under Post policy, to scoop themselves. If they hadn't already written it, they couldn't say it on TV. You can't blame The Post for protecting itself, just as you couldn't blame TV executives for declining the opportunity to broadcast old news.

Presumably, the "scoop rule" is still in effect with this show. If so, it's a disservice to viewers and deserves a preshow disclaimer.

The people who appear on this show should have important things to say about the events and teams they cover. With the exception of Boswell and horse-racing writer Vinnie Perrone, most don't really get a chance. Then, when Perrone gave us his analysis of the Kentucky Derby contenders, TV-radio critic Norman Chad said, "I'm reluctant to agree with Vinnie. I've seen him lose at the track all too often." Memo to Vinnie: you owe Chad one.

Memo to the producer: Watch out for talk-show host Larry King. He knew more about television than Chad and enough about horse racing to keep Perrone on the edge of his seat.

Memo to HTS and The Washington Post: This is television guys, so use a little television technique. How about some videotape to punctuate the comments of your experts? How about some serious answers to the best segment in every show, the fans in the street? And for crying out loud, find something to debate, disagree over, to yell about. Give us some feelings and emotions about what you're saying because if we're not a captive audience in your family room, we can turn off your conversation. Do you really think we watch "Inside Washington" believing Jack Kilpatrick agrees with everything Carl Rowan says?

Memo to directors: Loosen up those shots. I can't tell if anyone agrees with anyone else if all I'm seeing is a close-up.

Memo to all: Get a tape of Chicago cable's "The Sports Writers" and copy everything in it except the cigar smoke. And don't worry about it-the last truly original thing in TV was probably Pinky Lee's heart attack. @Slug: F02MEM