Boston viewers out of picture
Boston-area viewers who tune in to today's Red Sox home opener (Channel 38, 3 p.m.) expecting to see the home broadcast in high definition are going to be disappointed.
NESN, which originates all non-national Sox telecasts for its network and for channels 38 and 4, produces all of its home broadcasts in high definition. And HD subscribers outside the Boston designated market area will be able to view it in that format.
But not viewers in Boston. Channel 38 will only carry its over-the-air package [home opener, most Friday nights, plus July 4] in standard definition.
Don Lowery, director of communications for CBS4 and UPN38, said, "We've done some experimenting with the Sox signal in HD, but don't expect to use it this season on UPN38. There is, however, a chance one or more of the CBS4 games will be carried in HD."
It would seem to be a no-brainer to send out an HD signal for at least all four games in the 28-game package that will be on Channel 4, which already distributes its signal in HD. You'd also think that in this high-tech age the sister stations could arrange to put the UPN38 signal out -- at least theoretically -- over the Channel 4 HD channel.
For UPN38, a big plus in having the Sox telecasts is delivering the big baseball audience to the postgame UPN38 10 p.m. news, something that would be lost if the game were on CBS4's HD channel.
The HD movement has hit the industry much faster than anticipated and the four sectors involved -- TV stations, TV manufacturers, cable/satellite providers, viewers -- have reacted quickly, for the most part.
There's more programming. HD-ready TVs are less expensive (though still not cheap). Many cable systems have jumped at the opportunity to get an edge on the competition by showing regional HD programming that is proving to be a problem for satellite providers. (Yesterday, Adelphia, which serves 600,000 customers in five New England states, added NESN HD to its lineup and will air tonight's Game 2 of the Bruins-Canadiens series on Channel 773 for its HD subscribers.) And sports viewers, especially, are savvy TV consumers and won't be pleased by not having home telecasts in HD.
Production and distribution alliances [such as the NESN/Viacom Sox deal] leave openings for such quirks to work their way into the system.
The reverse involves the Masters' signal being produced by CBS but carried by USA yesterday and today (4-6:30 p.m.). The CBS signal is going out on three different channels: USA Network, CBS's high definition, and on INHD.
CBS (Channel 4) and CBSHD will carry the action tomorrow (3:30-6:30 p.m.) and Sunday (2:30-7 p.m.). It's the veteran CBS crew with host Jim Nantz (19th year) and Lanny Wadkins (second year) working the 13th and 18th holes, Peter Kostis (10th hole), Bobby Clampett (11th, 12th), Bill Macatee (14th), David Feherty (15th), Verne Lundquist (16th), and Peter Oosterhuis (17th).
It doesn't ad up
Speaking of the Masters, two aspects of the telecast of golf's first major will make the event more special this weekend.
1. No commercials. Last year's Martha Burk-led protests led to the decision to keep the telecast commercial-free. Sure, it costs both the club and network tons of money (and deprives high-end advertisers of a prime audience), but it's wonderful for the viewers and the announcers, even though Masters commercials only were a couple of minutes per hour.
Host Nantz: "Fans think when we go to commercial we take the headsets off and hit the concession stands. They keep playing, and the play is covered by the truck as if it's on the air. When we go to break in a normal tournament, during those two minutes we see seven or eight shots. We never take a break out of the tower. The [commercial-free] broadcast feels different to the viewer, not to us."
2. Arnold Palmer. It's Arnie's 50th and last Masters, and the hope-against-hope is that he makes the cut.
Producer Lance Barrow: "If he did make the cut, it'd be the biggest story in the history of golf. You think we show a lot of Tiger? We'd show every shot Arnie would hit Saturday and Sunday." Assuming Palmer doesn't make the cut, CBS still has big plans for Arnie's final competitive tour of Augusta and walk down the 18th fairway. "Our opening Saturday will be Arnie's 50 years of memories on the course and a look at his four wins."
Pregame routine
Channel 38 will run its half-hour "Hotels.com"; pregame show at 2:30 this afternoon before the Sox-Blue Jays game. Don Orsillo and Sean McDonough will split the ceremonial hosting duties with McDonough and Jerry Remy calling the game . . . The NFL is demonstrating its hold on league news by releasing the coming season's schedule in a two-hour show on The NFL Network (available locally on DirecTV and on Charter cable in Central Mass.). On what day? "When the schedule is ready," is the network's answer. The information will go out simultaneously on www.nfl.com . . . Dan Duquette will be a guest of Ryen Russillo and Anthony Pepe on WWZN (1510) Monday from 4-5 p.m., then each Monday at 4:40 p.m. . . . With the weather forecast iffy for the Sox home opener, a reminder that the first makeup date is tomorrow afternoon. The teams are scheduled to play tomorrow night (NESN, 7 p.m.) and Sunday (NESN, 2 p.m.). However, rainouts could change the TV picture; Channel 38 will carry home game No. 1 whenever it's played . . . Sharp-eared Mainer Lee Cannon e-mails that "The Curse" really is only 84 years old, not 86, as the Dunkin' Donuts ad with Curt Schilling proclaims. "The Babe wasn't sold down the coast until January of 1920." . . . That was an impressive pregame speech Jim Calhoun gave his UConn players Monday night -- and that we heard because he gave CBS unprecedented locker room access . . . Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo will do a regular segment each Sunday on "Calling All Sports" on WTKK-FM (96.9) from 4-7 p.m. Bob Rodgers joins host Norm Resha and Gary Tanguay as a regular on the show . . . Some good pre-Derby racing tomorrow: ESPN has coverage of the Wood Memorial and Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct from 3:30-4:30, and NBC follows with its "Road to the Kentucky Derby" (Channel 7, 4:30-6 p.m.). Bob Neumeier reports from Aqueduct (Wood Memorial recap), Kenny Rice from Oaklawn Park (Arkansas Derby), and Tom Hammond, Mike Battaglia, Charlsie Cantey, and Donna Barton Brothers from Keeneland (Blue Grass Stakes) . . . Tomorrow's Frozen Four final is on ESPN at 7 with McDonough and Bob Norton.
Black and golden
Wednesday's opening NHL playoff game won the night's head-to-head-to-head telecasts among the Bruins, Celtics, and Red Sox. The Bruins posted a 6.4 rating, their highest of the season, while beating the Canadiens, 3-0. The audience peaked at 8.9 in the third period. Following the game, NESN simulcast the last 10 minutes of the Red Sox game, leading into its postgame "Extra Innings." Meanwhile, the Red Sox posted a 4.6 rating on CN8. That telecast peaked at a 7 rating about 8:45 p.m. The Sox rating represents about 60 percent of the market because no ratings are reported from alternate carriers such as Adelphia, 
