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- Millions of Fans Deserted
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- Dick Meister
For 30 years, the Atlanta Braves was "America's Team," the Braves' games brought to millions of baseball fans nationwide almost daily by the Turner Broadcasting System. But RTBS has shamelessly abandoned us Braves' loyalists. From now on, TBS will be televising the games of any old team that attracts its advertisers -- and televising them only on Sundays at that. The ambitious folks at TBS hope to thus become "America's Network" at the expense of Braves' loyalists.
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Piece Description
For 30 years, the Atlanta Braves was "America's Team," the Braves' games brought to millions of baseball fans nationwide almost daily by the Turner Broadcasting System. But RTBS has shamelessly abandoned us Braves' loyalists. From now on, TBS will be televising the games of any old team that attracts its advertisers -- and televising them only on Sundays at that. The ambitious folks at TBS hope to thus become "America's Network" at the expense of Braves' loyalists.
Broadcast History
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Transcript
So, now we know why the Turner Broadcasting System has shamelessly deserted millions of Atlanta Braves? baseball fans nationwide.
For 30 seasons, TBS had brought us the Braves? games almost daily, wherever we happened to live. But it turns out that being the official broadcaster of what TBS grandly called ?America?s Team? is no longer enough for the ambitious folks at TBS. Oh, no, not them. They want to be known now as nothing less than ?America?s Network? ? broadcasting on Sundays the afternoon games of any old team that attracts their advertisers.
No chance they?ll change their minds, either. TBS has signed a seven-year contract with Major League Baseball to do a weekly Sunday game as well as the division series ? no matter who might be playing in them.
The only solace for Braves? fans is that one of the Braves? long-time broadcasters, the excellent Skip Caray, will be one...
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Timing and Cues
INTRO: Commentator Dick Meister says great harm has been done some of baseball's most loyal fans.
OUTRO: Dick Meister is a San Francisco writer.
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