FOX Takes Cue From OSCARS For ALL-STAR GAME

(From The USA Today -- By Michael McCarthy)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL will roll out the red carpet, literally, for players and viewers before the 76th ALL-STAR GAME on TUESDAY.

THE OSCARS attracts plenty of viewers for its PRE-AWARDS PROGRAM showing glamorous stars arriving and answering questions. So MLB broadcast partner FOX is planning the new MLB ALL-STAR RED CARPET SPECIAL PRESENTED BY CHEVROLET to air nationally from 7 to 8 pm ET across FSN's NETWORK of REGIONA SPORTS CABLE CHANNELS.

The jury is out on whether viewers want to see ALEX RODRIGUEZ styling in an ARMANI rather than a NEW YORK YANKEES UNIFORM. The show will be taped at about 3 pm as the players arrive at the stadium in DETROIT.

But FOX and MLB hope the entertainment-driven show pulls viewers to the broadcast network's telecast, which begins at 8 pm ET, by showing the ALL-STARS as pop culture icons as well as athletes.

The players -- a majority of whom are expected to participate -- and their families will parade in CORVETTE CONVERTIBLES down a two-block red carpet along WITHERELL STREET, which flanks COMERICA PARK.

CHRIS ROSE, host of FSN's BEST DAMN SPORTS SHOW PERIOD, will host the show from a set just outside the stadium. FSN correspondents JOSH LEWIN and CAROLYN HUGHES will interview players and managers TERRY FRANCONA and TONY LARUSSA.

Lewin and Hughes will ask the players more about their bling-bling than their batting averages, according to GEORGE GREENBERG, FSN's executive vice president of programming and production. "This will be our version of THE OSCARS' RED CARPET," he says.

Bringing the people who pay the bills closer to the players is never a bad idea, particularly local fans who don't have tickets to the various events. "The greatest fan experience is to meet, see and take a picture of A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STAR," says TIM BROSNAN, executive vice president of business for MLB.

Now that interleague play has removed some of the midsummer classic's novelty, the game could use a touch of glamour.

Like most network programming, it has lost a substantial amount of its TV audience from its glory days decades ago. The memorable 1970 contest -- in which PETE ROSE splattered RAY FOSSE at home plate to score the winning run -- generated a 28.5 rating vs. 8.8 for last year's game, according to NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH.

Even with its shrinking audience, THE MLB ALL-STAR GAME is by far the top-rated ALL-STAR GAME in PRO SPORTS. If its audience holds up, the game could beat ABC's 8.2 average rating for THE NBA FINALS and become the top-rated sports event of the summer.

FOX used the 2004 ALL-STAR GAME to experiment with DIAMOND CAMS, tiny cameras the size of pencil erasers buried in the dirt around home plate and the pitcher's mound. FOX later used those cameras in its postseason broadcasts, including THE WORLD SERIES.

This year the network will add A DIAMOND CAM at first base and put microphones on as many players as possible, spokesman DAN BELL says. Just as long as somebody hovers over the bleep button at FOX.