It has been around for 10 years, but Comcast?s new and improved channel, CN8, is poised to make a big splash in the Baltimore/Washington area. The channel is rapidly gaining momentum with its selection of live news, entertainment and sports programs.
The sports operation is anchored by the interactive sports magazine “Out of Bounds,” which can be seen Monday through Friday at 7 and 11 p.m.
The early edition is a fast-paced program hosted by Greg Murphy, who is joined by guests from top regional sports talk radio stations like WEEI in Boston, WFAN in New York, WIP in Philadelphia and WTEM Sports Talk 980AM Baltimore/Washington, as well as some top-shelf columnists including Baltimore?s own Ken Rosenthal, who works as a baseball insider for FoxSports.com.
Murphy keeps the show moving and the guests involved. The show tackles key issues of the day with a unique slant that frames them in a regional format. The show pits city against city where, for example, Philly and New York representatives debate who is more worthy of the National League MVP award ? Ryan Howard or Carlos Beltran? Philly and New York make their case and the winner is decided by the Boston rep, Baltimore/Washington rep and Murphy.
So far, Washington has been represented by WTEM?s Brian Mitchell. He has done a fine job of defending Baltimore/Washington against the best that Boston, New York and Philly has to offer. Mitchell has been high on the Ravens and has defended them against Jets and Patriots backers from Boston and New York.
There was a super feature on how Ravens quarterback Steve McNair has been such a great pickup for Baltimore. Brian Mitchell talked about how McNair?s leadership will make the Ravens a playoff team.
The 11 p.m. edition is a highlight show hosted by John Carchedi and Phil Burton. Just like the 7 p.m. show, they have guests from Boston, New York, Philly and Baltimore/Washington. But it is less debate and more reflection on what is going on with the region?s teams. The guests offer insider information to go along with the highlights.
CN8 can be seen on most cable systems in the area, and both shows are well worth a look.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. You can reach him at [email protected].
