Espn: The Uncensored History FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Since its first broadcast in 1979, ESPN has grown from one man's pipe dream to a media giant, ruling the sports kingdom with in-depth news coverage, sparkling reporting, and attitude - lots of attitude. Founder Bill Rasmussen believed in his idea of a 24-hour all-sports cable channel, but few could have predicted the network would become as important to sports as the athletes themselves." "In ESPN, The Uncensored History, author and New York Times sportswriter Michael Freeman takes you from the days when Rasmussen chose Bristol, Connecticut, as home base because property was so cheap to the network's expansion with ESPN2, ESPN Classic, and ESPNews, as well as ESPN, The Magazine. Along the way, Freeman provides revealing portraits of the sports channel's most compelling personalities and delves into its not-so-public aspects: the real story of its founding, allegations of sexual harassment, charges of racial discrimination, bitter partings with high-profile personnel. Using information gleaned from internal documents, police and court records; and interviews with network employees, on-air talent, producers, and executives, Freeman uncovers the news ESPN doesn't want reported."--BOOK JACKET.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
New York Times sportswriter Freeman has delivered exactly what the title promises: an uncensored history of a media phenomenon of the cable TV era, ESPN. When ESPN was formed 20 years ago, television sports reporting was limited to snippets on local newscasts. ESPN changed that and, in so doing, also changed the way sports was covered, society's viewing habits, and sports itself. Freeman traces the history of the all-sports network from its inception as the brainchild of Bill Rasmussen to its status today as a part of the Disney media group, reaching over 60 million homes. This is really less a sports book than a warts-and-all examination of a media giant. Despite the obstacles placed in Freeman's path, the whole story is here--the struggles between management and its on-air personalities, the anchors' conflicts with one another, and the sexual harassment complaints, racial discrimination allegations, and employee drug and gambling problems that have long plagued the network. Freeman uses network documents, court records, and (often anonymous) interviews with past and current employees to make this a compelling read. Highly recommended for all libraries.--William Scheeren, Hempfield Area H.S. Lib., Greensburg, PA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\
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