Courtesy Buffalo News

(December 28, 2009) In the current economic state of broadcasting, one had to wonder if Channel 4 would replace sportscaster Robin Adams after her decision this week to leave the station to take care of her infant daughter.

News Director Joe Schlaerth said he "hopes" to hire Adams' replacement "fairly quickly."

That has to be good news to Channel 4 sports director John Murphy and backup Paul Peck. Murphy said that they will miss Adams, who had been on maternity leave since the summer.

"She was a good colleague and someone who was good to work with," said Murphy.

Murphy and Peck also will miss Adams if her replacement isn't here "fairly quickly" because they've been pretty busy without her and will split working on the holidays.

Murphy said Peck will work Christmas Eve and New Year's Day and Murphy will work Christmas and New Year's Eve. Fortunately, he added, they don't have any vacation plans soon.

Additionally, the Bills will be on vacation soon, freeing resources to cover other local sports.

Still, a two-person sports team hasn't been ideal in a city with two major league sports teams in the Bills and Sabres and an extensive menu of college and high school sports.

But Channel 4's situation is temporary. Channel 7 seems content with a permanent two-man team in sports director Jeff Russo and Shawn Stepner. Both stations have used news personnel to fill in occasionally in sports.

Channel 2 has the largest sports staff with Ed Kilgore, Adam Benigni, Stu Boyar and Ben Hayes.

"We think you can cover sports with two people but you can cover it better with four," said Channel 2 General Manager Jim Toellner.

Though the two-man teams at Channel 4 and Channel 7 for the past several months suggest that sports coverage is no longer valued as highly as it has been, Murphy disagrees.

"They move us around in the newscast," said Murphy, noting he can air reports and commentaries before the usual sports time near the end of a newscast. "I don't think there is any indication that sports is being [downsized]."

Toellner agrees, noting the need to cover the elevation of the University at Buffalo sports program and an increased emphasis on a high school sports Web site.

Murphy added that he believes the length of the sportscasts hasn't changed in years, though they are shorter than they were 10 to 15 years ago.

"But everything in a newscast is shorter," defended Murphy.

That's true. But having said that, it still is hard to shake the feeling that local sportscasts are no longer must-see TV. At 11 p.m., they usually compete with live sports action on cable. With the Bills and Sabres putting video highlights on their Web sites, the need to watch local sportscasts has further diminished. And old highlights during the 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. newscasts just don't cut it in our instant You Tube world.

One way to compete is to hire more staffers to do local features that won't be on the cable channels. Toellner said his station's staffers are always looking for human interest stories.

Unquestionably, Channel 4 would be better equipped to find those features once Adams' replacement is aboard. But it wouldn't be shocking if "fairly quickly" in these economic times means Murphy and Peck will be fortunate if the new staffer is in place by the time the Stanley Cup playoffs start.

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