Smith will still continue to host the program in wake of Hill leaving to write for The UndefeatedESPN IMAGES
ESPN "SC6" co-host Michael Smith "took a stab at his employer, accusing ESPN of 'muting' the show’s personalities by retooling the program in the wake" of co-host Jemele Hill’s suspension and public fight with President Trump, according to Mark Sanchez of the N.Y. POST. What began as an "offshoot for 'His and Hers,' which was built on Hill’s and Smith’s repartee, was moved back into more standard 'SportsCenter' fare after ESPN changed the show’s boss." Smith, appearing on Jim Miller’s “Origins” podcast, said, “There was a time we weren’t even talking to each other (on air) anymore. Like no more Michael and Jemele. ... No more of their commentary. It’s just strictly live shots and analysts. That’s what pissed me off so much." Smith noted the "first weeks of Hill’s suspension were the first weeks" of ESPN Exec VP & Exec Editor/Studio Production Norby Williamson taking over “SC6.” Smith also "accused the network of strangling the life out of it." Smith: "This show is about Michael and Jemele and their opinions and their chemistry, and they’re going to do ‘SportsCenter’ their way. Instead of sticking to that vision, we immediately tried to merge two things." He added, "They got what they wanted, which was Michael and Jemele being muted. And that frustrated the s–t out of us” (N.Y. POST, 2/9). AWFUL ANNOUNCING's Alex Putterman noted Hill was a "bit more diplomatic in explaining why she chose to leave SC6 for a role that will see her writing commentary about race and culture for The Undefeated." Hill: “I said to Norby, I know what SportsCenter needs to be, but I know what I need to be too. And I don’t think those two things are on the same page” (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 2/7).
INTERNAL PERSPECTIVE: ESPN Public Editor Jim Brady in his latest filing wrote Hill's shift "doesn't mean ESPN is pulling back from personality-driven SportsCenters." But Williamson has "made it clear -- by words and deeds -- that he wants SportsCenter to return closer to its roots as a content-driven show." Williamson said, "Content always drives (SportsCenter), but we layer personality on top of good production vision. Content or talent can't get you where you want to be by themselves. You need both. If I had to pick one, it'd be content. ... But we're not backing off personalities, not at all. We just need to shore up our content vision and execution." Brady noted while there is some "internal debate at ESPN about whether the personality strategy has worked -- SC6's ratings are not great, but [Scott] Van Pelt's SportsCenter dominates his time slot among men ages 18 to 34 -- one thing is certain: That strategy was predicated on the idea that people were still largely watching SportsCenter on television." While that "still is the case, the landscape is changing." Williamson said, "The question is, ‘Are you putting your resources to things that are giving you the greatest impact?' With the evolution of digital, we weren't getting the bang for the buck (on television)." Brady: "As appointment viewing for sports outside of live events gradually becomes a thing of the past, ESPN needs to determine what role SportsCenter will play in its future" (ESPN.com, 2/7).
