It's a three-year deal, months in the making Telecasting 4th fireworks, Torchlight Parade and Hydro races
Fox13 is, indeed, the brand new TV partner of SEAFAIR, the city's major, traditional and famous summer event.
It's been 'pirated' away from KIRO, which airs the annual Torchlight Parade. Also, Fox 13 will televise the Lake Union fireworks on July 4, taking it from King. And will do hydros as well. Clean sweep.
Aggressive move!
This is an aggressive move by Fox 13 and my first impression of this is that this is perhaps the most noticeable casualty yet for KIRO resulting from their overall cutbacks over the past few years. As to the hydros Wayne, KING has to my knowledge been working with a network over in Spokane, SWX, on that coverage. Fox 13 IMO I believe has the resources and manpower to produce a hydro broadcast themselves and perhaps bring back what KIRO had previously with all-day coverage of the races. So that will be something worth paying some attention to
ReplyDeleteA bold move by Fox 13! This not only further solidifies their status as the top station for sports in town, but it also sets them on a path to becoming the top community events station in town.
ReplyDeleteHydro coverage with SWX (KHQ/KNDO/KNDU) has now parternered with FOX 13 on news coverage so they could then partner with them the coverage.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that update.
ReplyDeleteWaaaay back in the 1960s-70s all three Seattle network stations covered the Seafair races live. What a circus! Three sets of cameras, anchor positions, mobile control rooms (KIRO’s was a huge white thing called Moby Bus) — and none paid for exclusive rights. Working the races and parade was grueling but fun and built a lot of in-house production skills and camaraderie.
ReplyDeleteGood nostalgia there!!! Chaos!
ReplyDeleteThe timing is so odd, so last minute. Switching broadcast partners a week before the fireworks and five weeks before Torchlight isn't strategy—it's a last-minute scramble. By now, the Q3 revenue is largely spoken for. That's not smart business; it's a symptom of an organization that's lost its way.
ReplyDeleteIt is, but perhaps this new deal will help the Seafair organization stabalize and find a solid footing again in the long term.
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