PGA Tour on CBS
Encyclopedia
PGA Tour on CBS is a television program
produced by CBS Sports
that broadcasts the main professional golf tours
in the United States
.
will remain the main carrier of PGA Tour golf (which has been so the case since 1970
), and would increase its events from 16 to 19 per season. CBS also holds broadcast television rights to the two of the four majors
, The Masters and PGA Championship
. CBS has long-term deals for the PGA Championship (beginning in 1991
). Meanwhile, the Masters operates under one-year contracts; CBS has been the main TV partner every year since 1956
.
was known as the 'father of televised golf' for the impact he had on golf broadcasting. He came to the attention of CBS
after he impressed with his direction of the 1958 PGA Championship
. Recruited by the network, who had no one with expertise in the relatively new field of golf broadcasting, he went on to be executive producer of CBS's golf coverage from 1959 until 1996. During his time at CBS, he was nicknamed 'The Ayatollah' for his brusque, uncompromising approach to directing broadcasts. Chirkinian was particularly well regarded for the coverage of the Masters Tournament that he oversaw for four decades, working closely with the management of Augusta National
to ensure they were satisfied. Following his retirement, he remained a consultant to CBS for golf coverage.
Chirkinian was responsible for a number of innovations in the television presentation of golf. He ensured as many microphones as possible were placed around the golf course to pick up the sounds of the tournament and golfers' conversations, rather than having commentators talk over silent footage. He showed as many golf shots as possible, cutting quickly from player to player to keep up the pace of the broadcast, unafraid of focusing on the game's stars. The use of multiple cameras was introduced during Chirkinian's tenure, including high-angle cameras mounted in trees and on blimp
s for the first time. Chirkinian said that he was most proud of being the first to display golfers' scores relative to par, rather than cumulatively, making it simpler to work out how they were faring relative to the rest of the field. Most of all, Chirkinian thought it important to allow coverage to focus on golfers and the shots they made, and was critical of recent innovations in golf broadcasting that he saw as distracting and unnecessary.
has televised the Masters in the United States every year since 1956
, when it used six cameras and covered only the final four holes. Tournament coverage of the first 8 holes did not begin until 1993
because of resistance from the tournament organizers, but by 2006
, over 50 cameras were used. USA Network
added first- and second-round coverage in 1982
, which was also produced by the CBS production team. Ironically, USA is now co-owned with CBS rival NBC.
In 2005
, CBS broadcast the tournament with high-definition
fixed and handheld wired cameras, as well as standard-definition wireless handheld cameras. In 2007
, CBS added "Masters Extra," an hour's extra full-field bonus coverage daily on the internet, preceding the television broadcasts. In 2008
, CBS added full coverage of holes 15 and 16 live on the web.
While Augusta National Golf Club
has consistently chosen CBS as its U.S. broadcast partner, it has done so on successive one-year contracts. Due to the lack of long-term contractual security, as well as the club's limited dependence on broadcast rights fees (owing to its affluent membership), it is widely held that CBS allows Augusta National greater control over the content of the broadcast, or at least perform some form of self-censorship
, in order to maintain future rights. The club, however, has insisted it does not make any demands with respect to the content of the broadcast.
CBS would probably prefer to sign a long-term agreement with Augusta National Golf Club for The Masters.
. There also tends to be a lack of discussion of any controversy involving Augusta National, such as the 2003
Martha Burk
protests. However, there have not been many other major issues in recent years.
began imposing the same rule in 2007 and some of the other major championships have tried to follow suit in their most recent TV contracts.
The club also disallows promotions for other network programs, with the sole exception of an on-screen mention of 60 Minutes
should the final round run long, or right before the coverage ends. Other broadcast material not allowed include sponsored graphics, blimp
s and on-course announcers. There is also typically no cut-in for other news and sports, either from CBS or its affiliates. CBS uses "Augusta" by Dave Loggins as the event telecast's distinctive theme music.
Augusta National has placed significant restrictions have been placed on the tournament's broadcast hours compared to other major championships, perhaps to increase the tournament's Nielsen ratings
, or to reward ticket-holders. Only in the 21st century did the tournament allow CBS to air 18-hole coverage of the leaders, a standard at the other three majors. Only three hours of cable coverage is scheduled for the early rounds each day. International broadcasters do not receive additional coverage, although they may take commercial breaks at different times from CBS or ESPN
. As noted before, an additional hour of coverage each day is streamed online.
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
produced by CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
that broadcasts the main professional golf tours
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Coverage overview
In January 2006, the PGA Tour announced a new set of television deals covering 2007 to 2012. CBS SportsCBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
will remain the main carrier of PGA Tour golf (which has been so the case since 1970
1970 PGA Tour
The 1970 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to December 13. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Billy Casper won the most tournaments, four, and there were six first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below....
), and would increase its events from 16 to 19 per season. CBS also holds broadcast television rights to the two of the four majors
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
, The Masters and PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
. CBS has long-term deals for the PGA Championship (beginning in 1991
1991 PGA Championship
The 1991 PGA Championship was the 73rd PGA Championship, held from August 8-11 at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana. John Daly won his first major championship by three strokes over Bruce Lietzke....
). Meanwhile, the Masters operates under one-year contracts; CBS has been the main TV partner every year since 1956
1956 Masters Tournament
The 1956 Masters Tournament was contested from April 5 to April 8 at Augusta National Golf Club. It was the 20th Masters Tournament. This would be the last Masters played without a cut....
.
Innovations
Frank ChirkinianFrank Chirkinian
Frank Chirkinian was an Armenian-American CBS Sports producer and director. He is most notable for his work on golf coverage, though he also directed coverage of the Winter Olympics, the United States Open Tennis Championships, college and professional American football, auto racing and the Triple...
was known as the 'father of televised golf' for the impact he had on golf broadcasting. He came to the attention of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
after he impressed with his direction of the 1958 PGA Championship
1958 PGA Championship
The 1958 PGA Championship was the 40th PGA Championship played July 17-20 at Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, Pennsylvania. It was the first PGA Championship held in its current stroke play format; previous editions of the tournament had been contested at match play...
. Recruited by the network, who had no one with expertise in the relatively new field of golf broadcasting, he went on to be executive producer of CBS's golf coverage from 1959 until 1996. During his time at CBS, he was nicknamed 'The Ayatollah' for his brusque, uncompromising approach to directing broadcasts. Chirkinian was particularly well regarded for the coverage of the Masters Tournament that he oversaw for four decades, working closely with the management of Augusta National
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...
to ensure they were satisfied. Following his retirement, he remained a consultant to CBS for golf coverage.
Chirkinian was responsible for a number of innovations in the television presentation of golf. He ensured as many microphones as possible were placed around the golf course to pick up the sounds of the tournament and golfers' conversations, rather than having commentators talk over silent footage. He showed as many golf shots as possible, cutting quickly from player to player to keep up the pace of the broadcast, unafraid of focusing on the game's stars. The use of multiple cameras was introduced during Chirkinian's tenure, including high-angle cameras mounted in trees and on blimp
Blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...
s for the first time. Chirkinian said that he was most proud of being the first to display golfers' scores relative to par, rather than cumulatively, making it simpler to work out how they were faring relative to the rest of the field. Most of all, Chirkinian thought it important to allow coverage to focus on golfers and the shots they made, and was critical of recent innovations in golf broadcasting that he saw as distracting and unnecessary.
The Masters
As previously mentioned, CBSCBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
has televised the Masters in the United States every year since 1956
1956 Masters Tournament
The 1956 Masters Tournament was contested from April 5 to April 8 at Augusta National Golf Club. It was the 20th Masters Tournament. This would be the last Masters played without a cut....
, when it used six cameras and covered only the final four holes. Tournament coverage of the first 8 holes did not begin until 1993
1993 Masters Tournament
The 1993 Masters Tournament was the 57th Masters Tournament held from April 8-11 at Augusta National Golf Club. Bernhard Langer won his second Masters championship by four strokes over Chip Beck.-Final leaderboard:-External links:*...
because of resistance from the tournament organizers, but by 2006
2006 Masters Tournament
The 2006 Masters Tournament was the 70th Masters Tournament, played April 6–9 at Augusta National Golf Club. The course was lengthened significantly before the tournament, making the course play 7,445 yards . Phil Mickelson won his second Masters and second consecutive major, winning by two with a...
, over 50 cameras were used. USA Network
PGA Tour on USA
PGA Tour on USA was the umbrella title for USA Network's coverage of the PGA Tour in the United States, which ended after the 2006 season. USA was also, separately, the cable home of the Masters Tournament from 1982 to 2007.-Coverage overview:...
added first- and second-round coverage in 1982
1982 Masters Tournament
The 1982 Masters Tournament was the 46th Masters Tournament, held from April 8-11 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Craig Stadler won his first major championship on the first sudden-death playoff hole over Dan Pohl.-Final leaderboard:...
, which was also produced by the CBS production team. Ironically, USA is now co-owned with CBS rival NBC.
In 2005
2005 Masters Tournament
The 2005 Masters Tournament was the 69th Masters Tournament, played from April 7-10 at Augusta National Golf Club. Tiger Woods won his fourth Masters after a thrilling playoff with Chris DiMarco. Rain was a factor the whole week, delaying much of the play. The purse was $7.0 million and Woods...
, CBS broadcast the tournament with high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
fixed and handheld wired cameras, as well as standard-definition wireless handheld cameras. In 2007
2007 Masters Tournament
The 2007 Masters Tournament was contested from April 5-8 at Augusta National Golf Club. It was the 71st Masters Tournament, and the first major contested in the 2007 season...
, CBS added "Masters Extra," an hour's extra full-field bonus coverage daily on the internet, preceding the television broadcasts. In 2008
2008 Masters Tournament
The 2008 Masters Tournament was a golf competition held at Augusta National Golf Club from April 10-13. It was the 72nd Masters Tournament, and the first major of the 2008 season. Trevor Immelman won with a score of -8 . Defending champion Zach Johnson finished tied for 20th at +3...
, CBS added full coverage of holes 15 and 16 live on the web.
While Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...
has consistently chosen CBS as its U.S. broadcast partner, it has done so on successive one-year contracts. Due to the lack of long-term contractual security, as well as the club's limited dependence on broadcast rights fees (owing to its affluent membership), it is widely held that CBS allows Augusta National greater control over the content of the broadcast, or at least perform some form of self-censorship
Self-censorship
Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own work , out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities of others, without overt pressure from any specific party or institution of authority...
, in order to maintain future rights. The club, however, has insisted it does not make any demands with respect to the content of the broadcast.
CBS would probably prefer to sign a long-term agreement with Augusta National Golf Club for The Masters.
Announcers
There are some controversial aspects to this relationship. Announcers refer to the gallery as "patrons" rather than spectators or fans (gallery itself is also used), and use the term "second cut" instead of "rough" (however, the second cut is normally substantially shorter than comparable "primary rough" at other courses). Announcers who have been deemed not to have acted with the decorum expected by the club have been removed, notably Jack Whitaker and analyst Gary McCordGary McCord
Gary Dennis McCord is an American professional golfer, commentator, author, and actor.-Early life and career:McCord was born in San Gabriel, California and raised in southern California. He was a two-time Division II All-American at UC Riverside...
. There also tends to be a lack of discussion of any controversy involving Augusta National, such as the 2003
2003 Masters Tournament
The 2003 Masters Tournament was the 67th Masters Tournament held from April 10-13 at Augusta National Golf Club. Mike Weir won his first title in a one-hole playoff over Len Mattiace...
Martha Burk
Martha Burk
Martha Burk is an American political psychologist, feminist, and former Chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations....
protests. However, there have not been many other major issues in recent years.
Restrictions placed on CBS
The club mandates minimal commercial interruption, currently limited to four minutes per hour (as opposed to the usual 12 or more); this is subsidized by selling exclusive sponsorship packages to three companies. In the immediate aftermath of the Martha Burk controversy, there were no commercials during the 2003 and 2004 broadcasts, although international commercial broadcasters continued to insert their own commercials into the coverage. The Players ChampionshipThe Players Championship
The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary...
began imposing the same rule in 2007 and some of the other major championships have tried to follow suit in their most recent TV contracts.
The club also disallows promotions for other network programs, with the sole exception of an on-screen mention of 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
should the final round run long, or right before the coverage ends. Other broadcast material not allowed include sponsored graphics, blimp
Blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...
s and on-course announcers. There is also typically no cut-in for other news and sports, either from CBS or its affiliates. CBS uses "Augusta" by Dave Loggins as the event telecast's distinctive theme music.
Augusta National has placed significant restrictions have been placed on the tournament's broadcast hours compared to other major championships, perhaps to increase the tournament's Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, or to reward ticket-holders. Only in the 21st century did the tournament allow CBS to air 18-hole coverage of the leaders, a standard at the other three majors. Only three hours of cable coverage is scheduled for the early rounds each day. International broadcasters do not receive additional coverage, although they may take commercial breaks at different times from CBS or ESPN
PGA Tour on ESPN
Golf coverage on ESPN and ESPN2 has been a regular feature of the cable sports channels' programming since soon after ESPN's launch in 1979. Although ESPN no longer owns any share of the rights to the week-to-week events on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, or Champions Tour, the ESPN networks continue to...
. As noted before, an additional hour of coverage each day is streamed online.