The NBC Sports Group wanted a new Monday through Friday program that could both anchor the evening and be the signature show for Versus (which will be renamed NBC Sports Network on Jan. 2). Thus, “NBC Sports Talk” was born. To find its host, NBC Sports Group stayed within the Comcast family, plucking former CSN Mid-Atlantic anchor extraordinaire Russ Thaler. The show debuts at 6 p.m. Thursday in its regular time slot and will give NFL fans a solid lead-in to the NBC presentation of the Packers-Saints game.
Thaler will be joined by Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. With the 90-minute “NFL kickoff 2011” following it on Versus, football fans no doubt will tune into the new show, and that is good news for both NBC and Thaler.
I talked to Thaler about his new plum assignment. We spoke while he was looking for a new home in Stamford, Conn., where the network studios are located.
How did this job come about?
Thaler » Well, NBC Sports wanted to find a host that could handle all sports but really know NFL football, NHL hockey and MLS soccer, three of the main key topics important to the network. I was encouraged by the management at CSN to audition for the host spot. On August 2, I did my audition, and then about two weeks later I was offered the job, so this happened very quickly. But I will tell you that my 10 years at CSN, where I was given the chance to cover so many great sports with such a talented team of broadcasters, producers and crew members, really served me well it getting this new job.
Tell me about “NBC Sports Talk.”
Thaler »
Well, our show will be NFL heavy to start with as I will have Mike Florio with me to talk NFL and Peter King will join us on Fridays. We will have access to the entire NBC group, so we will be able to talk about any sport and secure plenty of top quality guests. There are very high expectations for the show, and I am thankful for the opportunity to host this show, but I also know how important our program is to the network. They have given us a wonderful production team and a brand new studio — not to mention the full backing of the NBC Sports Group family — so we will have everything we need to make great television. The rest is up to us now.
Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this!, on washingtonexaminer.com.
