Giangreco Hits the Mark on Sports Giangreco By Joe Cosentino Meeting WLS-TV (ABC 7 Chicago) sportscaster Mark Giangreco for lunch is an exercise in efficiency. Following a friendly greeting, he dashes to the buffet in the Great Street Restaurant in the Renaissance Hotel, knowing exactly what he wants. He puts together a plate of food and exhibits a joy in sharing lunch with an old friend and writer. He’s genuine and an original in an industry peppered with attitudes and egos. I first met Giangreco in 1982. He just arrived in Chicago from Lou- isville to be No. 2 sportscaster at WMAQ-TV (NBC 5 Chicago) backing up Chet Coppock. When Coppock ran into conflicts with the management at WMAQ in 1983, Giangreco was thrust into the top slot. He made good on the opportunity. He’s been doing sports in Chicago for 27 years – 12 years at NBC 5 and currently 15 years at ABC 7 – with a contract for four more years. In his book, “Fat Guys Shouldn’t Be Dancin’ at Half- time” (Triumph), Coppock rates Giangreco among the best sports- casters. He writes, “(Mark is) a gifted writer. A delivery beyond natural. I loved the days we hustled at Channel 5.” Giangreco is certainly unique in that he’s lasted the lon- gest of any of the Chicago on-air sportscasters. He maintains a sim- ple approach to his longevity. “You have to write the way you speak,” Giangreco said. “You have to act the way you act off the air. You’ve got to be real. People in a town like Chicago can see right through you.” Spending time with him is easy to see why he’s considered by many the top sports guy in Chi- cago. Needless to say he’s part of the news team that is rated No. 1 for the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts. The February Nielsen ratings book reports that WLS-TV is still the No. 1 rated newscast at 10 p.m. WLS has a 9.5 rating which is up from 9.3 a year ago. The newscast was up against NBC’s coverage of the 2010 Olym- pics during the second half of February. WMAQ pulled a 7.6 rating for the month. A rating point equals 35,010 television households. That translates to 332,595 households in Chicago who are watching Channel 7, more than 60,000 viewers over Channel 5. The oldest of five children born in Buf- falo to the late Joseph and Joanne Giangreco, Mark was drawn to Chicago. He fondly remembers in his teens listening to Top-40 radio stations in Chicago during the 1960s when radio legend Dick Biondi ruled the airwaves and the talk of the day was the top recordings on “The Sil- ver Dollar Survey”. “I wanted to be rock and roll D.J. at a Top-40 rock station,” Giangreco said. “The important things in those days were cars, music, girls, and sports.” “It’s (Buffalo) a mini Chicago. The people are the same. The weather is the same. It’s the same ethnic mix and same blue-collar atti- tude. The greatest compliment I get is people say, ‘you’re from here, right … what parish are you from’. Buffalo and Chicago are very much alike and I’m very proud of that.” While attending the University of Dayton (Ohio), Giangreco got a job at a local radio station WING-AM radio in Dayton as a news and sports reporter. He gained valuable broadcast experience while enjoying his college days. He notes that his college roommates are still his best friends today. Giangreco’s next assignment was at WDTN-TV, in Dayton, as weekend sports anchor and reporter. He secured his first full-time job at KLKY-TV in Louisville, KY. That job was a great proving ground for him. “It was a great environment,” he said. “I learned a lot about writing and doing televi- sion.” He continued to send out tapes to advance his career. In those days, networks would comb smaller markets looking for talent. Giangreco has been doing sports in Chicago for 27 years - 12 at NBC 5 and 15 at ABC 7 - with a contract for four more years. Mark Giangreco in front of the landmark Chicago Theater marque on his way to work at WLS-TV. The Buffalo native was drawn to Chicago in his teens while listening to the city’s Top-40s radio stations. Giangreco working in the newsroom with producer Larry Snyder 10 / Summer 2010
Transcript
Giangreco Hits the Mark
on Sports
Giangreco
By Joe Cosentino Meeting WLS-TV (ABC 7 Chicago) sportscaster Mark Giangreco for lunch is an exercise in efficiency. Following a friendly greeting, he dashes to the buffet in the Great Street Restaurant in the Renaissance Hotel, knowing exactly what he wants. He puts together a plate of food and exhibits a joy in sharing lunch with an old friend and writer. He’s genuine and an original in an industry peppered with attitudes and egos. I first met Giangreco in 1982. He just arrived in Chicago from Lou-isville to be No. 2 sportscaster at WMAQ-TV (NBC 5 Chicago) backing up Chet Coppock. When Coppock ran into conflicts with the management at WMAQ in 1983, Giangreco was thrust into the top slot. He made good on the opportunity. He’s been doing sports in Chicago for 27 years – 12 years at NBC 5 and currently 15 years at ABC 7 – with a contract for four more years. In his book, “Fat Guys Shouldn’t Be Dancin’ at Half-time” (Triumph), Coppock rates Giangreco among the best sports-casters. He writes, “(Mark is) a gifted writer. A delivery beyond natural. I loved the days we hustled at Channel 5.” Giangreco is certainly unique in that he’s lasted the lon-gest of any of the Chicago on-air sportscasters. He maintains a sim-ple approach to his longevity. “You have to write the way you speak,” Giangreco said. “You have to act the way you act off the air. You’ve got to be real. People in a town like Chicago can see right through you.” Spending time with him is easy to see why he’s considered by many the top sports guy in Chi-cago. Needless to say he’s part of the news team that is rated No. 1 for the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts. The February Nielsen ratings book reports that WLS-TV is still the No. 1 rated newscast at 10 p.m. WLS has a 9.5 rating which is up from 9.3 a year ago. The newscast was up against NBC’s coverage of the 2010 Olym-pics during the second half of February. WMAQ pulled a 7.6 rating for the month. A rating point equals 35,010 television households. That translates to 332,595 households in Chicago who are watching Channel 7, more than 60,000 viewers over Channel 5.
The oldest of five children born in Buf-falo to the late Joseph and Joanne Giangreco, Mark was drawn to Chicago. He fondly remembers in his teens listening to Top-40 radio stations in Chicago during the 1960s when radio legend Dick Biondi ruled the airwaves and the talk of the day was the top recordings on “The Sil-ver Dollar Survey”. “I wanted to be rock and roll D.J. at a Top-40 rock station,” Giangreco said. “The important things in those days were cars, music, girls, and sports.” “It’s (Buffalo) a mini Chicago. The people are the same. The weather is the same. It’s the same ethnic mix and same blue-collar atti-tude. The greatest compliment I get is people say, ‘you’re from here, right … what parish are you from’. Buffalo and Chicago are very much alike and I’m very proud of that.” While attending the University of Dayton (Ohio), Giangreco got a job at a local radio station WING-AM radio in Dayton as a news and sports reporter. He gained valuable broadcast experience while enjoying his college days. He notes that his college roommates are still his best friends today. Giangreco’s next assignment was at WDTN-TV, in Dayton, as weekend sports anchor and reporter. He secured his first full-time job at KLKY-TV in Louisville, KY. That job was a great proving ground for him. “It was a great environment,” he said. “I learned a lot about writing and doing televi-sion.” He continued to send out tapes to advance his career. In those days, networks would comb smaller markets looking for talent.
Giangreco has been doing sports in Chicago for 27 years - 12 at NBC 5 and 15 at ABC 7 - with a contract
for four more years.
Mark Giangreco in front of the landmark Chicago Theater marque on his way to work at WLS-TV. The Buffalo native was drawn to
Chicago in his teens while listening to the city’s Top-40s radio stations.
Giangreco working in the newsroom with producer Larry Snyder
10 / Summer 2010 Summer 2010 / 11
In 1992, he was hired by Chicago’s NBC af-filiate WMAQ-TV and his career in Chicago was underway. After 12 years with WMAQ, he moved to WLS in 1994. Giangreco notes that during his time with Channel 5, it was plagued with a multitude of managerial turnovers. The move to WLS provided a more settled atmosphere. “It’s the best
local television station in Chicago,” he said emphatically. The consumption of news has undergone many changes over the last decade. The news at 10 p.m. is no longer the primary source for news. The emergence of 24-hour news stations and incredible develop-ment in cell phone technology allows people to receive breaking news and see every highlight virtually as it happens. “I try to be creative, funny and entertaining,” Giangreco said. “You need to get the people to tune in to see what you do with the news and the information they already have.” The direction on television is to lean viewers their Web sites and utilize the social networks like Facebook and Twitter to promote the newscast and get reactions. “We’re all fighting for a much smaller piece of the pie,” Giangreco said. “We’re still No. 1, but the total number of viewers don’t compare to the 90s. You have to sell your people. I think that’s why we win. Our viewers are comfortable with the people who are on Channel 7. We have all been on the station forever.” News reporting in the Chicago market is usually consistent. The lead story on each station is generally the same. However, as Giangreco puts it, “It’s the people who are on the air that makes the difference. We have to integrate the news with the internet and social networking.” Another aspect of the news and sports industry has changed. Giangreco bristles at the celebrity status of sports broadcasters, and the tabloid-type coverage and actions of athletes. “The whole celebrity thing is a joke,” he said. “I just like having the venue to try to do my thing. My whole deal is I love making fun of myself and the people in our business. It’s a joke what we do … I mean we
get paid to do this … are you kidding me!” “Sports is pure entertainment for three hours and then it’s see you later.” “ A t h l e t e s are mercenaries; they go where the money is. They are not connected to a fan base or a city. I don’t eat, sleep or
drink sports. I really enjoy sports and writing about it. It’s been a good career.” Nowhere in this time of an economic downturn has the effects been more evident than in the media industry. Shrinking ad revenues has caused general managers to cut salaries and, more often, jobs. Giangreco offers his counsel to those who continue to pursue a career in broadcast-ing.
“You have to be flexible and multi-task,” Giangreco said. “You have to edit, write and report. You have to be fluent in all media platforms. Eventually it’s all going to be Webcasts. My advice is to steer yourself that way.” Another big change industry is the influence of professional teams on what comes across the airwaves. More and more teams are controlling not only the news that comes out of the game but access to the players. The Chicago Blackhawks have hired former Chicago Tribune col-umnist Bob Verdi to write features for the team’s Web site and the Chicago Bulls hired its former Tribune beat writer Stan Smith to cover the team for its Web site. Additionally, as a cost-cutting measure, television outlets are shar-ing video tape of post game interviews with players and game highlight foot-age. “Teams are media savvy,” Giangreco said. “Objectivity is out the window. We’re the only station that doesn’t participate in pool report-ing where stations share the video tape. Channel 7 doesn’t do that, so it’s us against everyone else.
“It’s a challenge for a reporter. I’m thankful that I work for Channel 7. I can say and do whatever I want.” Giangreco’s hobbies include hockey, classic cars and drawing. He lives in Chicago and has three sons, Mark Jr., Christopher “Hootie”, and Matt. * * * Editor’s note: As we go to press, Mark Giangreco’s mother, Joanne (nee Downing) Giangreco passed away on Feb. 22, following a long illness. Joanne was a former teacher and librarian in Buffalo. Additionally, she played basketball and hosted a radio talk show while attending St. Joseph College, in Maryland. She graduated from the University of Buffalo. She was a remarkable woman who was highly regarded in Buffalo’s social and athletic circles. She is survived by three sons; Mark, Thomas, and Peter, two daughters; Gina Pelletier and Judith Johnson, four brothers, and two sisters. Her husband, Joseph, passed away in 2001. She was 82. “Amici Journal” extends its heartfelt sympathy to her family and many friends. (All photos courtesy of WLS-TV and Tom Habel)
Hockey speedsters Zachary Pierucci, Nicholas Marselle, and Anthony Guzzardo, skate on the same line, sharing not only a proud Italian heritage but the reputation as one of the top scoring threats on their Chica-go Jets Hockey Club team. The boys, who all attend St. Andrew School, in Chicago, show off their first place medals in a recent hockey Tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Giangreco with ABC 7 sportscaster Jim Rose in the WLS sports department looking over
the latest sports news for the day’s newscast.
Giangreco on the Channel 7 news set.
The No. 1 rated ABC 7 news team are (from left) Mark Giangreco, Cheryl Burton, Ron Magers, Kathy Brock, and Jerry Taft. “It’s the people who are on the
