Introduction
Born on October in the year 1955 Chris Berman became a famous sport-caster in America and perhaps that could be the reason they decided to nickname him ‘Boomer’. How Mr. Berman choose his career in the line of TV production is still not clear considering the fact that he had studied and graduated with a degree in history from Brown University.
The most notable part of his career life in TV production is his work at ESPN. Although he had studied history in the university, Berman proved that he could also excel in sports broadcasting. After playing in all major Baseball, leagues Derek Jeter can be termed as a legend of the game. Although his case was easy to understand unlike Berman’s case, “the love for the game” must have been his driving force.
The rise of sport shows
In the early stages of his career, Chris Berman joined ESPN, becoming a very popular broadcaster, and the conclusion is that he was more than a broadcaster who rose up to be a star. Before Chris Berman’s era, sport on TV was just for the sake of passing the good or the bad news to the fans (Hatch, 2010).
In fact, it is evident that watching sports on TV at that time was not much different from reading a newspaper article on the same. Thanks to Mr. Berman, sport broadcast on TV had to take a new dimension and it has never been the same again. If making the broadcasting lively and full of emotions was to get a copyright then the person to receive this is no other that Chris Berman.
TV programs and hosts come and go and as soon as they are off air, their memories on viewer’s mind fade away. This however is very different with Chris Berman and all the shows that he hosted all the way from the ‘sport centre’, ‘Baseball Tonight’ to the most watched ‘Post game show’. In all shows Berman had a way of connecting with the audience because he produced exactly what his viewers expected. His nickname however, has a relationship to the shows that he hosted.
In all these shows fun and laughs can be the best words to describe them. Initially, watching sport programs on the television was a serious business and it was not for the purpose of any entertainment. The conclusion is that Chris Berman introduced entertainment in television sport shows. Berman influenced the production of programs that attracted the attention of the viewer (Porter, 1995).
Sport shows had been on TV for long enough but most of the times their effect on the viewers passed on unnoticed. This means that the shows did not have an established fan base but after Chris Berman’s shows in ESPN this had to change and these shows started to attract fans.
As stated by Bender and Steele (2007) “sometimes TV and sports radio shows have a religious effect on fans. For example, there are many great sports personalities, such as Chris Berman (ESPN) and Dan Patrick (ESPN) whom many sport fans watch consistently.” This is similar to the case of Derek in Baseball game.
Berman and the fans
The audience or the viewer in the case of Berman is the most important element in any broadcast. Realizing this fact is very important to any TV or radio personality and Berman had his facts right, and in all the shows that he hosted it was all about the viewers. Initially, the TV sport shows broadcasted on television had little concern about the viewer or the fan.
In fact, most of them had had a design with the sole purpose of taking the message home. The conclusion is that the fundamental objective of Berman in all his shows was to make or give the fans the opportunity to celebrate what he loved most and that is sports. As claimed by Smith and Hollihan (2009) Berman had a personal connection with his viewers in all the shows that he hosted.
Berman and Cable TV
A cable TV that broadcasted sports 24 hours, seven day a week was a thing that could not be imagined before ESPN and of course Berman. From its humble beginning, ESPN had risen and become one of the most successful sports broadcasting station in the world and attribution of most of this success was to Chris Berman. As Porter (1995) continues to claim, “Berman’s style suited well in developing of cable TV.” Therefore, Chris Berman contributed to the rise of cable TV similar to Derek in the rise of baseball.
Conclusion
Chris Berman having received his university education in the field of history ended up developing a career in broadcasting which was a success. Throughout his career, Berman brought a new face in broadcasting of sports on the TV. Before Berman was on TV, the main aim of sport broadcasting was to pass the message.
Chris Berman introduced the entertainment in sports broadcasting and he actually proved that the viewer is the most important element in the whole business of broadcasting. He also led to the development of anchors who were viewer minded and finally he contributed to the rise of cable TV.
References
Bender, C., Steele, J. (2007) Sports fan 101: Score The balance in your relationship. Bloomington: Author House Ltd.
Hatch, L. (2010, April 20). The incredible Career of ESPN Anchor Chris Berman. Business Insider.
Porter, D. (1995) Biographical dictionary of American sports: 1992-1995 supplement for baseball, football, basketball, and other sports. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
Smith, A., Hollihan, K. (2009) ESPN: The Company: The story and lessons behind the most fanatical brand in sports. New Jersey: Wiley & sons, Inc.