It documents new hires, intramural sports teams, classified ads and even tells the tale of the hard-liquor-less holiday party last month. We think it's funnier to read this when you imagine it being said aloud by Michael Scott. Also: It has bylined writers. Now that's a fun job!

Enjoy, after the jump.

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Hello Deadspin,

I thought you might enjoy this piece of ESPN internal morale. It's been said many times that management allows everyone to act like high school kids, well now they've started a newsletter that reminds me of my old high school newspaper. It's a glorious combination of intentional and unintentional comedy (although the intentional comedy is funny for unintentional reasons). It makes me sad that this is the best we can do.

Sincerely,
Bristol Informant

P.S. I edited out the pictures and e-mail addresses (to protect the innocent), but I left in the newsletter's own e-mail address because, well, that inbox will probably need some Deadspin contributions.

STUDIO MONTHLY

The Studio Production Newsletter

January 15, 2008

Who's Then: Catching up with a former member of Studio Production
This Month: Mark Capalbo
Interview by Etan Harmelech

Q: Tell the readers a little bit about yourself.
A: I am 29 years old, originally from Smithfield, Rhode Island. I went to Ithaca College, and am currently an Associate Producer for HBO Sports.. I left ESPN in July of 2006 when I was a highlight supervisor after starting as a PA in June of 2000.

Q: What is a typical day at work like for you at HBO?
A: I work pretty normal hours, 9-7ish Monday-Friday, although I still work the occasional weekend here and there.

I'm doing a bunch of different things and there really is no typical day. I produce a lot of the sports content for all of HBO Sports' New Media platforms, like HBO on Demand, iTunes, HBO Mobile, HBO.com. When I started, HBO was just getting involved in New Media, so there were basically just two of us working in this area. But things continue to expand by the month and our staff has gotten a little bigger.

Q: What was your best, favorite, or funniest memory at ESPN?
A: My best memories are of traveling to Super Bowls and the Pro Bowl for NFL Countdown.

Funniest Memories:
1) A PA telling me that I ruined his Christmas Eve because I gave him a shotsheet error - epic
2) Tom DeCorte colliding on the basepaths with my buddy John Schippman in a softball game and Schippman being on painkillers for months because of it (only at ESPN)
3) A near-brawl in screening over whether the 2000 World Series would end in five games or six
4) Seth Brody in a full sprint around DC Screening, chest bumping anybody in site after UCONN tied the game at the buzzer against George Mason in the '06 NCAA Tournament — As we know, George Mason would win the game in OT

Q: Do you still watch ESPN from time to time? Any particular show catch your eye?
A: I still watch ESPN all the time, I really enjoy watching ESPNEWS. Give me the highlights, give me the scores, and move on.

Q: Have you seen the new "American Gladiators"?
A: Haven't seen it — is Paul Dunn a contestant?

Q: What do you miss most about Bristol? What do you like most about living in New York?
A: My serious answer is the relationship I had with the people I worked with. When you work those types of hours and days, you develop a unique bond with your co-workers — I really do miss that. Some of my closest friends are people that I met in Bristol and many of us still keep in touch today; I am very thankful for that. I also miss teaching the PAs and seeing them grow, that was a rewarding feeling.

My joke answer is PA pizza, Applewood Diner, the 'Monts', the pool at Huntington Woods, driving home at 4 am in a massive snowstorm, Jeff Brantley's mullet, rolling on feeds.

The things I like most about living in New York are the proximity to my family and friends and the people-watching.

Q: What's the water cooler talk like at HBO?
A: Water cooler talk at HBO revolves around sports but not to the extent as ESPN — there are no mentions of the words: sick, viz, sick viz, ssm, tease me, bump me, love me, top play nominees, story ideas, parking in visitors' spots, kept, not kept.

Most people at HBO are like most people in the country right now — they hate the Patriots. I remember 2001 when everyone was rooting for New England in SB XXXVI, how times have changed!

Whom to Watch For: Keep an eye out for these new hires

Interns

Cole Cruz is from Illinois and attends the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He will be graduating this May after earning a B.S. in Recreation, Sport & Tourism: Sports Management. He is a member of the university's intramural policy board, which develops rules and regulations for intramural sports. Cole also coaches varsity and junior varsity high school basketball. Start Date: January 28.

Jon Downing is from Brooklyn, N.Y., and studies Sports Management at York College of Pennsylvania. He is scheduled to graduate this May. Jon is an on-air personality at the college's FM radio station, WVYC 99.7. Jon also was a sales and marketing intern with the New York Islanders this past summer. Start Date: January 28.

Talent

Prior to joining ESPN, Anish Shroff was well-traveled as a sports reporter. He worked in that capacity for WSYR-TV (ABC) in Syracuse, NY; KNDO-TV (NBC) in Yakima, Wash. ; College Sports Television in New York; and WHEN, Clearchannel in Syracuse. Start Date: January 1.

Before coming to ESPN, Reischea Canidate had been employed as the weekend sports anchor at WNYW in New York; KSWB in San Diego; and KJEO in Fresno, CA. Start Date: February 4.

News Editor

Tricia Rongstad most recently worked as the assistant sports editor at The Columbus Dispatch before joining ESPN. She has held a number of positions at the Arizona Republic, including assistant sports editor, sports copy desk chief and copy editor. She also worked at the Peninsula Daily News in Port Angeles, Wash., as a sports editor. Start Date: February 4.

Honors and Awards: Recognizing Achievement

The New York Festivals International Television Broadcasting Awards recognize "The World's Best Work" in news, documentary, information and entertainment programming as well as in music videos, infomercials and promotion.

This year, in the Human Interest feature category, which is not a sports category, SportsCenter features swept the medals, winning Gold, Silver and Bronze:

· Gold: "The Fugees" - produced by Dan Arruda and reported by Chris Connelly.
· Silver: "CIA Climbers" - produced by Miriam Greenfield and reported by Jeremy Schaap.
· Bronze: "Addict to Ironman" - produced by Jose Morales and reported by Tom Rinaldi.

* SportsCenter's Andrea Jaeger feature, produced by Martin Khodabakhshian and reported by Tom Rinaldi, was a Finalist in the Human Interest category. The "My Wish" series, which won the Gold last year in the Sports Special category, was a Finalist in that category this year.

Intramural Sports Live: An inside look at ESPN intramurals
2007 IM Super Bowl - We are Not Marshall vs . Hustle and Throw
By Simon Baumgart

November 14 was a cold, blustery, wet day; not ideal football weather. But that didn't matter because the ESPN Flag Football Intramural Super Bowl was going to be contested at the comfy confines of the FSA indoor facility in Farmington, Conn..

It was any flag football fan's dream match-up, featuring We Are Not Marshall (8-3) vs undefeated, untied "Hustle & Throw" (10-0). It might as well have been New England vs Dallas. The quarterback match-up was reminiscent of Brady vs.Romo, pitting Heisman front-runners Ryan Bartlett and Bobby Johnson against each other in just their second meeting of the season.

More shades of Patriots-Cowboys: Hustle & Throw won the teams' first game in a blowout, with Bartlett burning the We Are Not Marshall secondary over and over.. Early on, the re-match figured to be a much less one-sided affair. Marshall received the ball first and after a long completion by Johnson, was threatening at the goal line. But Hustle & Throw CB/WR Chris Burns stepped in the way of an errant pass by Johnson and returned it the full 60 yards for the score, pacing the men in the pastel blue jerseys to an early lead.

"That took care of the hustle, and Ryan Bartlett took care of the throw," said Daniel Presser, one of Hustle's top receiving threats.

Bartlett had "taken care of the throw" very well throughout the regular season, tallying 37 touchdowns against only one interception, of which Bartlett said, "It was pouring rain and I made a terrible throw."

Although Bartlett had struggled in the playoffs (by his standards), throwing two interceptions in a double-overtime victory against With Ourselves, he had a history of putting up better numbers indoors. And on that Wednesday morning, the dome again proved to be friendly indeed.

On the turf of the FSA, Bartlett utilized a quintet of talented receivers (Matt Smith, Nick Steger, Brian Bourque, Burns and Presser) connecting with all of them on at least one touchdown strike. Steger, as he had all season, proved to be one of the league's most dynamic threats by completing the "Tomlinson Trifecta" as he ran, caught, and passed for scores.

We Are Not Marshall, however, was no slouch, staying within one-to-two touchdowns of Hustle for most of the way. Hustle & Throw even yielded its most points of the season, the majority to Marshall's lethal connection of quarterback Bobby Johnson and wide receiver Jason Paradise. But LB Brandon Moore, named the league's best pass rusher by voters, wreaked just enough havoc to stop Marshall on a few early possessions, giving Hustle the cushion it needed to hold on for a 62-54 victory.

Hustle & Throw smartly took a knee on the game's final possession, averting a repeat of last year's championship game. In that contest, Hustle & Throw held the ball and the lead in the game's waning moments. But much like the Patriots, Hustle tried to run up the score by going for one last touchdown, leading to a crucial turnover that cost the team the 2006 crown. There would be no such mistake in 2007.

Although Marshall quarterback Bobby Johnson took home the league's coveted Heisman Trophy, Bartlett left with the better prize; six touchdowns, zero interceptions, and the championship trophy, which he cradled in his arms as he slept that night.

Indoor Basketball - Cross-a-Fella 56, The Program 50
By Etan Harmelech

Playing in what was billed as the "Game of the Century", Nigel Williams scored 24 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer to lead Cross-a-Fella to a 56-50 victory over the Program on January 8. Rob Villanueva added 17 points for Cross-a-Fella, which has not lost since the team's inception in the summer of 2006, a run that has included back-to-back championships. Ka'Ron Barnes scored 19 for The Program in a losing effort.

An announced crowd of 47 at the Bristol Boys and Girls Club saw a game that managed to come close to living up to its massive hype. With just more than two minutes to go, it looked as though Cross-a-Fella's streak of 21 consecutive victories (incl. playoffs) might come to an end.

Leading by three points with 5 minutes remaining, Cross-a-Fella caught a huge break when an errant Yaw Ofori-Atta jumper was tapped into the hands of point guard Nick Steger who calmly drained a three-pointer from the wing to give Fella a six-point cushion.

Then Barnes took over. On consecutive possessions, The Program's leading scorer and MVP candidate knocked down a three-pointer, fed a cutting Adam Stanco (6 points) for an easy transition lay-up, and hit a lay-up of his own to give The Program a one-point lead with just over 2 minutes to play. The crowd surged to its feet, willing to sacrifice comfort for a fleeting glimpse of history.

"I really thought they might beat [Cross-a-Fella]," said Bottomline's Sulaiman "Sly" Folarin.

But with Barnes guarding him on the ensuing Cross-a-Fella possession, Williams dribbled down the floor, pulled up, and banked in a three-pointer that gave Cross-a-Fella a two-point lead and hushed the highly partisan crowd.

After a Program miss and two free throws by Steger at the other end, The Program had one more chance when Barnes stole a pass with 45 seconds left, dived to the floor and found Al Black slicing to the hoop. But the normally reliable Black missed the easy lay-up and The Program's fate was sealed. Down nine points in the waning seconds, Greg Grady hits a meaningless three-pointer to narrow the final margin of victory.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair in which both teams looked tentative, weighed down both by the hype surrounding the game and a lengthy layoff necessitated by the holiday season. Villanueva set the pace early, scoring three quick baskets, two on put backs. He routinely abused Grady inside, dominating perhaps the most anticipated clash of big men in EBA history. After one contested lay-up dropped in to surge Cross-a-Fella to an early four-point cushion, Villanueva let loose with a primal scream and pounded his chest with his fist.

But super-sub Todd Kapostasy kept The Program close, reeling off 9 first-half points on 4-4 shooting. Cross-a-Fella seemed to have no answer on defense for Kapostasy, who repeatedly drove past the larger and slower Cross-a-Fella wings like a destroyer outmaneuvering a battleship. With Kapostasy and Barnes doing the bulk of the scoring, The Program trailed 26-25 at the half.

But in a curious move, The Program's veteran coach Kyle Turpin used Kapostasy sparingly in the second half, tightening his rotation down the stretch. Kapostasy failed to score in the second stanza, and Stanco, Barnes and Grady played the entire 20 minutes. Yet if not for a favorable Cross-a-Fella bounce, the outcome might have been very different.

"I told Nigel, that bank shot was a late Christmas present," said Cross-a-Fella's Fred Coleman (DNP-CD). "He doesn't hit that, it's a whole new game."

With 11 seconds left and Cross-a-Fella decidedly in control, Ben Riegel entered the game to a thunderous ovation from the crowd. Although Riegel's impact on the game may not have shown up in the box score or the stat sheet, the emotional lift he provided to his Cross-a-Fella teammates proved invaluable.

With both teams likely to make the playoffs, the real takeaway from this game was that Cross-a-Fella had been pushed to the limit, and that The Program could seriously threaten to disrupt the champions' quest for a three-peat.

"I look forward to seeing them again," said Stanco. "This time in the Championship."

Life on the Road: A trip to Baltimore with Kevin Stewart on MNF remote
By Courtney Minifee

A free flight out of Bristol, a live sporting event, a per diem, and a swank hotel - that's what many think life on a remote is like, but there's more to it than that - like work. I caught up with Kevin Stewart, fresh off his first time on the road with ESPN and the Monday Night Countdown crew. He took time out of his busy schedule to sit down with me in the Digital Center to share his experience on working at the Patriots-Ravens game in Baltimore.

Q: What did you do to get ready?
A: I didn't know how to book my flight. They told me to take care of it myself. So I booked it on Orbitz. It ended up not being a problem; I think I actually ended up saving the company money. But I earned a nickname, the producers started calling me "Orbitz".

Q: I also heard you didn't know what to wear.
A: Yeah, Jason Roy told me to be sure to bring a pair of khakis. I went out the Friday before [I left] and picked up a pair. I hadn't had to wear khakis in years.

Q: What did you do while you were in Baltimore?
A: Sunday we got up and watched the games before going in; I still didn't know what I'd be doing. But I was in the truck; it's underneath the stadium in the same tunnel the Ravens come through. I walked out onto the field and I was thinking about Ray Lewis and you know how he gets fired up. I was thinking to myself: "I just want to strap on a helmet. This is so amazing."

Q: What about on game day?
A: Monday I got there at about 1 p.m. I was building topic bars and name fonts. I was in the office, in this room with Emmitt Smith, Steve Young and the reporters; I was starting to feel important. So, I'm on my phone trying to figure out who to call so I could look like I was doing something and this bus pulls up with two police cars. It was the Pats. Did you know Belichick comes to the game in a suit? It's funny. And then there was Brady and Moss and Seymour. I was kind of star struck.

Q: What'd you do during the game?
A: I got back in the truck, fonted the show and then the show was over. We went and ate, I bought a Ravens shot glass — I collect those.

Q: After the game?
A: After the game was kind of crazy. We had to build all these different topic bars. I was starting to feel the stress, but everything worked, we got it all in there. And then just like that it was over.

Q: Any advice about traveling on remote?
A: Don't book through Orbitz is one. Use the travel link, which is on the portal. Enjoy it, appreciate it. I got to see the Pats and everything. I kept telling myself, 'This is pretty cool, and I get paid for it.' I would've done it for free...don't tell people that, because then they'll stop paying me.

Classifieds
Monthly studio production newsletter seeking talented writers and web designers. No experience necessary, salary is negotiable. Please contact ****** if interested.

Buying or selling? Submit your classifieds to Studio.Monthly@espn.com

Plays of the Month: Under-the-radar productions that caught our eye
This Month: Highlights; Next Month: Bumps
By Kyle Turpin

Jazz/Bobcats (Produced by Devin Kragh, Supervised by Jason Brooksby, Managed by Paul Dunn)

On December 12, Devin Kragh walked into screening, looked at the Proc Sheet and saw his name beside Jazz vs. Bobcats. While logging his event, Kragh noticed something that should have been identified years ago...Gordon Giricek is not a very good basketball player.

This theory was evident when Giricek failed to defend Jason Richardson on a routine lay-up. Evidently, Jerry Sloan was fed up with Giricek, so he literally sent Giricek to the locker room in the middle of the game. The video was great; TBU definitely should've bumped it.

Kragh also noticed there was good sound from Carlos Boozer's father during a halftime interview on the telecast. Boozer Sr. said he used to tie Carlos's right arm down to improve his left-handed shooting. Kragh played off of that theme by showing Boozer make a lefty lay-up. Moments later, Boozer missed a left-handed dunk. It was a very creative sequence.

Kragh was pleased to be nominated for a "Play of the Month".

"I am seldom honored. My reaction was equal parts shocked, baffled as to how; and ultimately very happy," Kragh said. "There are so many great highlights made in screening every single night, it's hard to fathom how mine was chosen. Most of my prior achievements involve youth soccer participation trophies."

Penguins/Flyers (Produced by Jen Kosky, Supervised by Tom DeCorte, Managed by Paul Dunn)

Going into her game, Kosky knew that the Penguins-Flyers contest was an in-state rivalry game between two physical teams. She also knew they were tied for 3rd in the division and that Sidney Crosby would show up in the highlight at some point.

Although Crosby was the main attraction, the Flyers tandem of Joffrey Lupul and R.J. Umberger stole the show. Kosky started her highlight with a factbar of Crosby having one 6-point game in his career. Then, she cut to an iso of Lupul (foreshadowing at its finest). Umberger had a Hat Trick in this event, but shockingly, was not the focus of the highlight. Lupul actually had the first 6-point game of his career (I told you that foreshadowing thing works every time).

With the Flyers leading 6-2 and the match getting somewhat out of hand, Kosky decided to focus on a particular fight between 41-year-old Gary Roberts and 23-year-old Ben Eager. It was entertaining to see the two generations duke it out. The talent had fun with this section of the highlight, and the two teams combined for 156 penalty minutes in the match.

Kosky turned what was supposed to be a 30-second highlight into a 97-second masterpiece. According to Kosky, "Often, all you see [from Hockey highlights] is goal, goal, goal. Hockey is much more than that." After watching this highlight, I believe her.

Suns/Lakers (Produced by Jarred Schiff, Supervised by Dan Bramlette, Managed by Missy Motha)

Jarred Schiff's Suns/Lakers highlight had dunks, SOT calls, replays, analysis and a Christmas Card effect. Here's how the 2:17 highlight came about, in the words of Jarred Schiff:

"I talked with my Hi-Supe, Daniel, and we decided [to have] some fun with the Trevor Ariza dunk early on in the game. We wanted to create a poster effect, but give it a Christmas feel, so we came up with a Christmas card idea for the dunk. The control room created the card, but Kyle Kebert helped by animating the video inside of the card to really make it work. With the SOTs I used, I was just trying to have some fun with the highlight," Schiff said..

Schiff's highlight was not only fun, but informative as well. The SportsCenter Control Room built a "Bryant vs. Bell" Transition, which allowed Schiff to illustrate how Kobe Bryant is virtually un-guardable. During the last three possessions of the 3rd Quarter, Bell stripped the ball from Bryant and felt pretty good about himself. On the next possession, Kobe drained a deep three-pointer in Bell's face. Moments later, Bryant blew past Bell for one of the most athletic dunks I've seen in a while. Two replays needed for that one.

Schiff also used telecast SOT from Jeff Van Gundy. After Ariza missed a three-pointer, Van Gundy said that Ariza needed to step in closer for a high-percentage basket. The next possession, Ariza drove from that same corner and slammed it home.

All three Production Assistants did a great job of turning ordinary events into extraordinary highlights. Keep up the good work and congratulations.

Inside the Aqua Turf: Dispelling some myths about the Holiday Party
By Etan Harmelech

Despite a driving snowstorm that dropped 3-6 inches of snow on the Bristol area, about 2,000 ESPN employees braved the elements to arrive safely at the ESPN Holiday Party at The Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville on December 13.

Although the number of party-goers was down from the 3,200 who attended last year's event, or the estimated 3,600 who made the trek to the Aqua Turf in 2005, when Chaka Khan performed live, this year's party still had party-goers talking for days.

One difference noted by many ESPN employees was that bartenders served only wine and beer - no hard alcohol. Although rumors leading up to the party painted a grim picture of a system that would distribute two drink tickets per person, with each subsequent drink purchased from a cash bar, that was simply not the case. This was a true open bar, albeit a limited one.

"It was ESPN's decision to limit drink options," said Aqua Turf manager Michael Aberg, 52, who has helped orchestrate the event for the last 14 years. "The company wanted a safe and responsible holiday experience for everyone this year."

It was also for safety reasons that the buses from New York were canceled, says Aberg, further contributing to the low attendance figure. "There were going to be anywhere from 200-300 people on those buses," Aberg said.

The ESPN holiday party is still far and away the largest event the Aqua Turf hosts, and Aberg said that this year's bash featured a number of new elements. "The [Nintendo] Wii console was a popular new addition this year," said Aberg. "People were lining up in the game room to play it."

Although attendance may have been less than anticipated, the relatively small turnout did have one significant positive impact. "There was plenty of room for everyone to get to the food stations and bar stations," said Aberg. "No bottlenecks this year."

Holiday Party Superlatives

Best Dressed - Leslie Wymer, Hi-Supe, 2-time winner ('05)
Best Dancer - Sandro Colaccico, PA
Best Voice - Karl Webb, AP
Best Game (Old School) - Air Hockey
Best Game (New School) - Wii Tennis

Have questions or comments? Want to submit a letter to the editor? Let us know at studio.monthly@espn.com

It's not quite as brilliant corporate and banal as the last one, but it still has its moments.

Q: I work in Building B, located next to the new satellite dish farm. What are the health risks associated with being in such close vicinity of so many satellite dishes?

A: There are no known health risks associated with being in close proximity to the satellite dishes. ESPN has designed the teleport to meet all state and federal mandates for transmission and has placed the antenna such that no transmit antenna has the ability to rotate toward our buildings.

After the jump, enjoy the rest of ESPN Memo, The Sequel.

MEMORANDUM

TO: Content Staff FROM: John Skipper DATE: 12/03/2007

SUBJECT: September '07 Town Meetings Q&A Follow-Up

Below are the answers to questions we could not answer or did not get to in the September Town Meetings. Thanks to the various department heads who provided the answers.

Q: Could Facilities post an artist's depiction of what the cafeteria and the connector will look like when it's completed? A lot of people are interested and someplace in the cafeteria would be great.
A: We will look to do so as part of our augmented internal Communications efforts. For cost and ease of display purposes, we would like to place these on line, so look for more information on our construction projects and other company initiatives in that space.

Q: Can you look into having the people at the cafeteria speed up preparing orders? It is one thing at "lunch" time, 12:00p - 1:30p, when the cafeteria is busy, but for those who take lunch at a non-traditional time, (2:00p onward), it's really frustrating to wait 10-15 minutes when there are only 2-3 people in line.
A: As part of our service agreement, FLIK continuously monitors the volume of customers to minimize waiting time and will deploy additional staff when necessary. We share this goal, and our Facilities group will follow up with the FLIK management staff to ensure they continue to monitor waiting times and minimize them as much as possible.

Q: I work in Building B, located next to the new satellite dish farm. What are the health risks associated with being in such close vicinity of so many satellite dishes?
A: There are no known health risks associated with being in close proximity to the satellite dishes. ESPN has designed the teleport to meet all state and federal mandates for transmission and has placed the antenna such that no transmit antenna has the ability to rotate toward our buildings.

Q: Any chance we will see a repeat of the financial seminars, given earlier this year by the Human Resources Department?
A: Yes, the financial seminars are part of our work/life offerings and will be provided again.

Q: Are there any plans for Disney to extend medical plans for retired employees?
A: There are no plans by The Walt Disney Company to extend medical plans for retired employees at this time.

Q: Why doesn't SAP have a 40 hour sheet in place for hourly wage workers? If one misses filling in their hours, they don't get paid. With hours put in as a default, this wouldn't happen.
A: It is a legal requirement for non-exempt employees to record their time. Accordingly, ESPN non-exempt employees are required to enter in their work hours into SAP. Among other things, this ensures their regular and overtime pay will be accurate and generated as scheduled. If employees are unable to enter their time on schedule in SAP, they have the following options:

* Each department has an assigned SAP Time Processor who can enter an employee's time into SAP if someone is unable to enter their own time due to travel, illness, etc.

* Employees can enter their work time remotely, via a personal computer, with approved access.

* ESPN's Human Resources Department can enter an employee's work and absence time in SAP, if requested, due to an emergency.

Q: Why are there suddenly security cameras in virtually every hallway/stairwell on campus? Do you feel the need to let employees know about this sudden change?
A: Maintaining an environment that is safe and secure for our employees and our guests is very important to us. Enhancement of those efforts, through camera installations in our common areas, has been an ongoing project since 2003.

Q: Is it possible to install exit/entrance gates in other areas of campus fencing? This can be swipe card areas, in order to keep security, but can also aid in the convenience of walking off campus.
A: One of the basic principles of security for a campus of our size is to have a manageable number of entry points, allowing for proper flow and appropriate security measures. We believe we have achieved that but will continue to monitor this.

Q: Can we use another method for a car pass rather than the huge bar code that all of Bristol can see?
A: The bar code will be replaced shortly with another vehicle identifier which will be smaller in size and go onto the windshield.

Q: ESPN does not rate as one of the top 10 broadcasting companies for Women in Cable Television, (WICT). Do you feel it's worth addressing or resolving?
A: Since 2003, ESPN has participated annually in the WICT PAR Survey, and fared well in 2007. We participate to benchmark our progress against the industry and we give significant review to its recommendations. In 2005, ESPN was named one of the top 5 companies for Pay Equity by WICT and we are pleased that once again ESPN made the top 5 list for Pay Equity in 2007. We are proud of the progress that we have made and will continue to strengthen our diversity initiative as we look to enhance the work experience for all ESPN employees.

Q: Will we see side-by-side commercials in NASCAR? Is it successful in Indy Racing?
A: We are exploring creative formatting for our NASCAR races next year, including commercial free race segments and side-by-side coverage. We are working to balance giving the fans as much live race action as possible with our need to deliver value to our sponsors and advertisers.

While research does not demonstrate that our IndyCar side-by-side coverage has had a material impact on our ratings, we believe it is a great service to our fans to show as much green-flag racing as possible.

Q: How about re-establishing the company stock plan to all employees like the old Cap Cities plan?
A: In order to remain competitive, The Walt Disney World Company evaluates its rewards programs regularly. At this time, there are no plans to establish a discounted Employee Stock Purchase Plan. However, the Disney Employee Stock Purchase Plan gives eligible employees the opportunity to purchase Disney stock through payroll deductions. Under the plan, you can contribute from one (1) to twenty (20) percent of your bi-weekly pay, which includes your base pay plus overtime, holiday, vacation and sick pay with the company offsetting administrative expenses for employees and commissions on purchases from payroll deductions. The details of this program may be found at: https://enterpriseportal.disney.com/gopublish/sitemedia/DocumentFile/ESPPBrochureII.pdf on the ESPN Enterprise Portal.

Q: What have you identified as the reason for your minority retention problem?
A: Inclusion and retention are key areas of focus for ESPN and issues that are important to our entire workforce. As a primary component of our business strategy, we value the competitive advantage that having a diverse employee base creates and we continuously look at ways to better understand and address why employees choose to work elsewhere. Among other things, we constantly review our rewards programs, look for ways to improve the work environment and culture, seek to expand learning and development opportunities and provide every employee with a compelling work-experience.

Q: What does ESPN do with all of their computers, televisions and office equipment? Does ESPN donate them? Would it be possible to sell these items at a discount to employees or an event to the public?
A: ESPN Corporate Outreach currently manages the "old furniture" and equipment, (computers, TVs, etc.), donations. Some items are disposed of and others are donated to valid 501 (c) (3) organizations within the community. ESPN is not an equipment reseller.

Q: Can the PowerPoint presentation be placed on the ESPN Intranet?
A: After much consideration, we would prefer not to post with respect to 1) confidentiality of company information, and 2) competitive reasons.

Q: Will we ever be able to use flex scheduling for Monday Night Football?
A: Given the issues surrounding logistics, stadium availability, and competitive concerns with moving a game from Sunday to Monday night on relatively short notice, flexible scheduling appears to be a remote possibility for Monday Night Football.

Q: We called back our INDY 500 SportsCenter coverage this past May and part of that deal with the IRL, from my understanding, was to broadcast more IRL races in HD. However, the remaining season was in SD. What happened?
A: In our continuing effort to serve Indy 500 fans we worked with IndyCar to televise the race in HD. At the same time, we determined having SportsCenter on site was not essential to covering the race thoroughly from a news perspective. The 2008 IndyCar regular season and 2008 Indy 500 will be produced in HD.

Q: Why are we so under staffed in Studio Production? What is being done about this?
A: Recently, we have experienced some turnover in studio production, (mainly production assistants and associate producers). We are currently filling all of the open positions and expect to be fully staffed soon through a combination of promotions from within and outside hires.

Q: We are encouraged to apply to positions online, but we never get any feedback after applying.
A: Our process is designed to include a response to all candidates who apply for a position when they have been removed from consideration or when the position is closed in the system. There is an e-mail notification sent to the address provided during the application process. You are encouraged to contact Recruiting or your Human Resources Business Partner if you are unsure of the state of your application.

Q: What is Dolby 5.1?
A: Dolby 5.1" is the digital surround sound format designed for film and HD television. It is commonly referred to as "Dolby Digital" or "DD". The 5.1 references the 6 channels of audio being recognized as the left front speaker, the right front speaker, the center dialog speaker, the left rear speaker and the right rear speaker. The ".1" is intended for very low frequency, (explosions and dramatic thunderous sounds), intended for film and not used for sports television production. The 5 main surround channels plus the '.1' total 6 channels.

Q: Is what we do on Monday Night Football and other big events a variation of this?
A: Yes. The SRS Circle Surround system we utilize delivers a robust, dynamic and effective surround sound for our events and our studio programming. It is easy to use, sets up quickly and as an added bonus allows the SD viewer to experience the same surround sound of a down converted telecast if they have surround systems not associated with HD viewing.

Q: Why can't we do individual 5.1 channels for all of our shows?
A: All remote events are produced using the same SRS encoding techniques that we do for MNF. SportsCenter and our other in-house studio shows are mixed in stereo only. Currently, there are no production elements that would benefit a 5.1 mix. But, should production decide to augment their shows with additional rear channel information, we can certainly entertain that option.

Q: Often times there is a break down in communications between the control room and the studio, (studio not being told about live-to-tapes, pre-production, etc. in a timely manner). What can be done?
A: We strive to make sure all parties - Editorial, Operations, Engineering, Studio Directing, Transmission, etc. have a clear plan as to what is happening every hour of every day within our facilities. That is done through a series of long and short range planning meetings and followed up by daily meetings. Also, on a daily basis, each show unit defines their needs based on the news of the day and/or a change in programming or production schedule. Daily changes are communicated through Coordinating Producers, Directors and Stage Managers to both the control room and studio. While we strive to keep this information as timely as possible, it is sometimes dictated by breaking news which shortens the window of notification. We are aware that sometimes there is not timely communication with regard to all the productions being assigned to a studio in a given day. When there are communication concerns, please bring them to the attention of a Studio Supervisor so there is follow-up to ensure the process is refined.

Q: Are the grade levels a detriment to employees? It seems promotions are being affected in a negative way. I recently received a promotion, which used to be a standard 14%, (10% for promotion and 4% merit). My last promotion was half of that - with the reason given that I was making too much money in my level to get a normal promotion. If this is the case, where is the incentive? Why do I want to double my work for a 6% raise, rather than the 14% we used to get? It's a huge difference.
A: The ESPN grade levels are not a detriment to employees. Prior to the implementation of our compensation management system, (GRADE), some areas of the company awarded a "standard" merit and a "standard" promotion. Now, promotional increases are not tied to a standard percentage; they are driven by pay ranges defined by the competitive marketplace and ESPN's pay-for-performance philosophy. With GRADE, managers are asked to consider a number of factors with promotions and merits which leads to a range of increase award sizes that can at times exceed standard percentages. This system helps us to maintain salaries that are closely tied to the market pay for that specific job.

Q: ESPN implies that it will promote people from within, then why is it that when someone applies for a position they are denied from interviewing based on their salary grade when the position does not fall under the same group?
A: ESPN supports internal mobility and growth at all levels. To be eligible to post for a position, a person should meet the requisite skills for the job and generally be in their current position at least 12 months. In most cases, an employee is eligible for consideration for a position of up to 2 grades higher than their current salary grade level. Grade levels are companywide and not differentiated by department or group.

Q: Can we go back to having 2 company picnics so that more employees can attend?
A: We are not planning on holding two picnics each year. However, we always attempt to accommodate as many employees and families as possible. This decision on the date and the hours of operation is made on an annual basis with the primary objective being to maximize attendance and enjoyment by our entire group. We know that for various reasons not everyone can make it every year, but our hope is that the majority of our Connecticut and NY employees have the opportunity to do so many times in their careers.

This one's the "Weekly Viewer Report," in which the Leader breaks down its reader feedback for the week. We find it mostly depressing; is the biggest college football complaint from fans still "Disliked female commentators during LSU vs. Tulane game Saturday?" Full memo is after the jump.

—————————————

WEEKLY VIEWER REPORT
September 24- 30

TOTAL RESPONSE - 4,907 [down 38% from previous week]

Letters 9 ( 2 favorable/general; 7 unfavorable)
Calls 512 ( 176 favorable/general; 336 unfavorable)
Emails 4,386 (1,168 favorable/general; 3,218 unfavorable)
Total 4,907 (1,346 favorable/general; 3,561 unfavorable)

Quick Hits:

*

College Football fans disappointed Saturday's Miami vs. Duke game was not televised on ESPN or ABC [25 % of all CFB feedback]
*
Viewers outside of the regionalized areas upset Oregon vs. Cal and Clemson vs. Ga Tech games were not televised nationwide
*
Viewers offer opinions on Michael Vick town meeting 'SportsCenter Special: The Vick Divide'
*
FIFA Women's World Cup fans enjoyed the extensive LIVE coverage, but felt there was too much talk about US goalkeeper during the game against Brazil
*
Fans enjoyed ESPN2's presentation of the 2007 Drum Corp International Championships

Top items this week:

College Football - 1,690 (331 fav/gen; 1,359 unfav) [ 9/29 and 9/30 - 661; midweek schedule inquiries - 400; carry over from previous week - 629]
[Volume Comparison: Last week: - 3,486 (f-407, u-3079); This Season - 10,926 (f- 1,646, u- 9,280)]

Viewer feedback to Saturday's games is down 52% from the previous week. Schedule issues remain the primary source of concern among fans, however a significant shift in volume this weekend can be attributed to that fact that we did not leave games in progress and switched away to another match-up.

Scheduling - 780

*
Disappointed ESPN or ABC did not televise Saturday's Miami vs. Duke game - 396 [Requested for game to be added to ESPN GamePlan - 186]
*
Viewers in the East and Midwest upset Oregon vs. Cal not shown nationally [game was offered in 20% of the country and on ESPN GamePlan] - 129
*
Fans outside of the Clemson vs. Ga Tech market upset it was not shown nationally [game offered in 21% of the country and on ESPN GamePlan] - 51
*
Viewers complaining about regionalization of Saturday's games on ABC / think it's unfair - 101
*
Viewers with no access to ESPNU disappointed they couldn't see Pittsburgh vs. Virginia - 24
*
Schedule questions - 79

Viewers' Voice:
- "I live in Colorado; Texas and Kansas State equals BORING. Rest assured your ratings will be weak where CAL/ORG isn't on (besides home team markets) It should be on nationally."
- "Just wanted to write and ask ya'll to put on the Miami /Duke game on one of your stations or GamePlan this week."

Carry-over from previous week - 629:

*
Scheduling - Cutting away from games in regionalized markets upset fans - 287
*
Commentators - OU vs. TU - unrelated discussion about Notre Dame perceived as excessive - 219
*
Schedule questions - 123

Commentators - 160

* Disliked female commentators during LSU vs. Tulane game Saturday - 52
*
Commentary during ND vs. Purdue, MSU vs. Wisconsin, USC vs. Washington and Thursday's Boise State game perceived as biased and unprofessional - 83
*
Disliked overall commentary - 25

Viewers' Voice:
- "I hope you review the game and the commentator Pam Ward. I really wonder if she knows anything about football. She is calling out things in the game that aren't even close. I don't dislike her commentary she's just off. ex. calling kick offs- punts."
- "Those two you had covering that game are so bad and again ESPN shows its true colors as all out Notre Dame haters."
- "The announcers sound like they didn't prepare for this game. The make simple comments and show hits that MSU makes five times to embarrass the Spartans. Very biased."

Overall Coverage - 88

*
Five minute interview with USF head coach during Auburn game perceived as too lengthy - 35
*
Disliked halftime shows - 12
*
General comments on teams, athletes and coaches - 41

Viewers' Voice:
- "What were your producers thinking? An inane, self congratulatory interview for 5 minutes while a top ranked team is driving, losing by 14 and not a single play call, replay. Bush League coverage."

College GameDay - 33

* Fans requesting CGD come to their schools - 33 [Clemson; UK; Purdue]

Viewers ' Voice:
- "There are rumors circulating that LSU has been given GameDay - AGAIN. Although the official schedule does not come out until Monday, how is that fair? LSU had GameDay a few weeks ago. Florida lost yesterday and Purdue v. OSU has potential to be a great game!"

MNF [Titans vs. Saints] - 675 (124 fav/gen; 551 unfav)
[Volume Comparison: Last week: - 1,404 ; This Season - 10,006 ]
Negative response to commentators and sideline reports accounted for 75% of all feedback. Many viewers say they enjoy our coverage but are 'annoyed' by the commentary. Other feedback included criticism on the PTI segment during halftime; requests for last year's Monday Night Countdown feature "Jacked Up"; and delays in audio or HD issues with their providers. [side note - we received 200+ complaints on the "Jacked Up" segment in 2006 and 14 requests for it this season so far]

*
Commentary (506)
*
Overall coverage (102)
*
Guest and side-line interviews (48)
*
Schedule inquiries (19)

Viewers ' Voice:
- "His [Jaws] experience on and off the field coupled with his fantastic delivery of facts during the broadcast is outstanding. I look forward to Monday nights now."
- "I've been watching MNF for 30 years. Love your coverage of football; but really dislike your MNF threesome. Especially Kornheiser? - all they do is argue - don't talk about football that much - seem to like disagreeing and bickering back and forth."
- "Last football season, I looked forward to watching Monday Night Football. Not only because it was Monday night football, but my favorite segment was "jacked-up" during the half time show. I was looking forward to seeing "jacked-up" this season, but I was disappointed with the PTI segment."

Motor Sports - 384 (59 fav/gen; 325 unfav)

[Volume Comparison: Last week: - 315 ; This Season - 7,798]
Moving Sunday's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Kansas from ABC to ESPN2 due to a weather delay concerned most viewers this weekend. Many fans with no access to cable, or fans that set their VCR's were disappointed they missed the race. In addition, Saturday's NASCAR Countdown was moved to ESPN Classic due to CFB running long on ESPN2.

*

# Enjoy coverage (17) Profanity used by Tony Stewart (10)
# Schedule change (176)
# Dislike Commentary (108)
# Amount of commercials (31)
# Schedule inquiries (24)
# NHRA fans commenting on John Force accident previous week (18)

Viewers ' Voice:
- "I had to be out with the family today so I recorded the race on ABC. After watching until the final rain delay. ABC thought it best to switch to ESPN. For those of us that can't sit on the couch in the middle of the day it was very upsetting."
- "I'm so pleased that ESPN is broadcasting NASCAR. What terrific coverage. Your network puts all others to shame. Please, please keep up the great work. Rusty Wallace does extremely well as a commentator. We hope you have the television contract for the next years."
- "I am so tired of turning on my TV to watch racing countdown and the race on ESPN to find a freaking football game on with the game even going into the start of the race at times!"
- "I didn't hear Tony curse on TV, I wasn't watching. But I've read about it in many different places. I think you guy just go out and try to piss Tony off. You can not tell me that you don't use the delay for professional athletes."
- "Thank you for the 1/2 hour extended NHRA coverage on Sunday.. the overall coverage was excellent.. Although Marty Reid is much better than Mr Page. Terrific job overall, thank you."

News and Information - 337 (70 fav/gen; 267 unfav)
[Volume Comparison: Last week: - 200]
The majority of feedback pertained to Thursday's town meeting 'SportsCenter Special: The Vick Divide' on Michael Vick. Viewers perceived the audience and guests as 'rude', shared their personal take on the case and some accused ESPN of playing the 'race-card: 'These stories divide this country more every day.'

Other fans were commenting on Oklahoma State Cowboys' coach Mike Gundy for going on a rant in the post-game interview after a 49-45 victory over Texas Tech on Monday; and, as in past weeks, some fans are concerned about the selection of highlights and feel their favorite CFB or NFL team is being left out.

SportsCenter - 170

*
'SportsCenter Special: The Vick Divide' (81)
*
Mike Gundy's rant (41)
*
Selection of Highlights (29)
*
Dislike hosts (19)

Viewers' Voice:
- "I applaud your attempt to have an educational debate on high profile athlete expectations, but your town hall debate seemed nothing more than a sad attempt to keep the Vick story alive for your benefit."
- "Are you sports reporters or court TV reporters? Michael Vick does NOT play football or any sport for that matter, anymore and your coverage (i.e. The Town Hall meeting for example) is a complete waste of my time WAY to over the top!"
- "Why do you guys have to make Mike Gundy out to be the bad guy because he's sticking up for one of his players who was raked over the coals by an Oklahoma newspaper that basically fabricated most of its story."
- "I have to say that I thought the audience reaction during the meeting was very predictable to me. Nationally Race may not be the major issue in this case, but in Atlanta its all about RACE!!!"

1st and 10 - 46
PTI - 36
ESPN First Take - 30
Mike and Mike - 17
Rome is Burning - 16
Outside the Lines - 12
ATH - 10

Baseball - 176 (41 fav/gen; 135 unfav)
[Volume Comparison: Last week: - 565 ; This Season - 7 ,452]
MLB fans perceived our game coverage as inadequate and were upset that more games were not offered this week. As in the past, frustration over blackouts and biased commentary continue.

* Schedule inquiries (78)
* Blackouts (43) [Braves vs. Phillies]
* Commentators (55) [mainly during Cardinals vs. Astros]

Viewers' Voice :
- "Jon Miller and Joe Morgan spent more time talking about other topics than covering the ball game we were watching. At one point they missed the whole half inning interviewing via the phone a Phillies player."
- "It is the last week of the MLB season, only one of six division races has been decided, the wild card team has not been decided in either league, and ESPN has only ONE game, both day and night, on TV this week!"

Additional Feedback:

Soccer - 132(67 fav/gen; 65 unfav)

[Volume Comparison: Last week: - 277; This Season - 3,516]
Extensive analysis of the decision to take Hope out as a goalkeeper on team USA during the game against Brazil was perceived as disruptive.

*
Enjoy coverage and commentary (12)
*
Analysis during US vs. Brazil game perceived as excessive (52)
*
Disappointed commentators revealed scores of other games (13)
*
Schedule inquiries (14)
*
General comments about the coaches decision to change goalkeepers (41)

Viewers' Voice:
- "Your post game feature on Hope Solo and her father was very touching. We can criticize this young lady's decision, but clearly the issue was much deeper than "player criticizes coach." I'm very glad I watched it, and I appreciate your decision to air it."
- "I have watched every women's world cup game - showing all games live is exceptional. Your game commentators have been perfect - they call the games, give information and don't get overly boisterous or silly."
- "I waited all day to watch the USA play Brazil in the women's world cup semifinals. When the ESPN2HD announcer at 7:00pm PDST made the announcement 'stay tuned for a replay of this morning's semifinal match and see the USA fall to Brazil.'"
- "I recorded the women's FIFA world cup game (US vs. Brazil) and just watched it with my family. I must say that we all felt it was necessary to MUTE the commentators as they kept going on and on about the Surry vs. Hope substitution."

The Contender - 15(15 fav/gen)
Fans inquiring about casting calls, reairs and a DVD of the series.

2007 Drum Corp International Championships - 16 (16 fav/gen)
Viewers thanking ESPN for televising the event.

Viewers' Voice:
- "I am NOW watching the Drum Corps International Championships, and want to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH for adding these competitions to your programming. I think ESPN2 is AWWWWWWWESOME!"

We learned that ESPN employees desperately need cash fast. We learned employees can't keep the trees. We learned ESPN employees don't like their own phones. And we mustn't forget John Skipper's view of a leader, and, of course, the bike rack. It was endless, endless entertainment. It's just like your office. Depressingly.

But is it a Hall of Famer? Seventy five percent is the threshold for induction. Vote below: Polls will be open until next Monday morning.

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