BROADCASTING & CABLE's Luke McCord reported nominees for the 36th Annual Sports Emmy Awards were announced on Tuesday, with ESPN "coming in as the most-nominated network with 37." NBC with 33 nominations, MLB Network with 16, ESPN2 with 15 and Fox with 14 "rounded out the five most-nominated networks." FS1 "followed closely behind" with 13. Winners "will be announced May 5 at the Sports Emmy Awards ceremony at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall" in N.Y. (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 3/24).
CHANNEL SURFING: In Salt Lake City, Scott Pierce noted Real Salt Lake "is on national TV eight times this season, which is a couple more times" than the club's ownership "would have liked." RSL Owner Dell Loy Hansen said, "We wanted six. We wanted more here." Pierce noted RSL's deal with KUTV/KMYU and the stations' owner, Sinclair Broadcasting, "includes a regional TV network," and every game on one of MLS' national TV partners "means one less game on RSL's regional network." Hansen: "One of our dilemmas is fewer games. We thought we'd have 28 games in the contract" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 3/25).
VOTE FOR PEDRO: In Boston, Chad Finn noted Baseball HOF-elect Pedro Martinez “has reached an agreement to join the MLB Network as an analyst.” Martinez “has been a studio analyst on TBS’s postseason coverage the past two Octobers.” Despite being a "relative novice ... Martinez was a near-instant hit for his candor and humor.” He also “does not shy away from criticism when it’s warranted, something recently retired players sometime struggle with in the transition to television” (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 3/25).
DEAN ON SCREEN: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes “Dean Smith,” the new documentary about the late North Carolina college basketball coach “is purely a homage.” It is “an hourlong valentine to Smith.” There is “nothing wrong with a documentary about a resolutely decent and serious man, but the risk is creating a film that presents a one-sided view of a major figure in college sports history.” There is “relatively little of his voice from archival sources in the film” and “no participation from Smith’s family” (NYTIMES.com, 3/25).
