Media Guide, TV Notes, News and Listings For the Small Screen Options

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TV Notes

By Susan Wessling

Michelle Kwan Joins 'Good Morning America ' Crew For Games

Michelle Kwan, the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, is joining ABC ’s “Good Morning America” as a special correspondent covering the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Kwan — a two-Olympic medalist, five-time World champion, and nine-time U.S. champion — will provide commentary and analysis on figure skating, as well as coverage of other news stories at the Games. Her first report for “Good Morning America” will air on Friday, Feb. 12.

Photo above: Michelle Kwan and choreographer David Wilson at a practice session for “Ice All Stars 2009”; photo by Susan D. Russell

Lysacek to Visit 'TODAY" Show

Evan Lysacek will be a guest on "TODAY" show, on NBC, on Feb. 10. Lyscaek is a two-time U.S. champion and the reigning World champion. He is considered a favorite to medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, which begin later this week.

Tune Into Weir Show on Monday Nights

Johnny Weir's reality show "Be Good Johnny Weir" airs Mondays at 10:30 p.m. The Sundance Channel original documentary series explores the life of one of America's most outspoken and colorful sports figures, three-time U.S. men's champion (2004, '05, and '06) and the 2008 World bronze medalist. Click HERE for more information from IFS including a link to an interview with Weir.

Check out the Sundance Channel website for some fun clips.

U.S. Championships Pulls in the Viewers

The 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held Jan. 14-24 in Spokane, Wash., drew a healthy TV audience, once again proving the sport has a large following in the United States.

Nearly 13.7 million viewers tuned in to NBC Sports' coverage of the 2010 U.S. Championships, the largest television audience for the event since 2003. In addition to the 13 hours of coverage on NBC, including four hours in primetime, Universal Sports featured 15 hours of coverage during the week of the championships, including seven live hours of senior-level competition in ladies, men's, pairs and ice dancing. The championships were carried on television in more than 125 countries and available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide.

NBC Sports’ final primetime rating for the ladies free skate Saturday, Jan. 23 was 3.4, 26 percent higher than in 2009. Saturday afternoon’s airing of the original dance, free dance and ladies short program received a final rating of 2.1, 17 percent higher than in 2009, and the primetime broadcast of the Smucker’s Skating Spectacular on Sunday, Jan. 24 earned a 2.5 final rating, 150 percent higher than the 2009 Smucker’s Skating Spectacular that aired in a 2:30-4:30 p.m. time slot. The three skating programs all produced higher network ratings than any of the weekend's nine other sporting events, except those of the two NFL conference championship games.

Photo above: The ladies podium ay U.S. nationals: (from left) Mirai Nagasu (silver), Rachael Flatt (gold), Ashley Wagner (bronze),and Sasha Chone (pewter); photo by Jay Adeff

WWBBD? Cook Up a Season 2

Brian Boitano cooked up some good TV viewing with his new show "What Would Brian Boitano Make?" on the Food Network. The delicious show, shot in the 1988 Olympic champion's San Francisco home, received positive reviews from the experts and it seems was well received by audiences as well. Its off-the-wall humor and easy-to-follow recipes made for an entertaining show.

The show has been picked up for a second season. See our story.

NBC Extends Deal

Prior to the Grand Prix Series announcment, U.S. Figure Skating and NBC Sports had inked a deal to continue their partnership to broadcast Skate America and U.S. nationals through the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The agreement will ensure live primetime and afternoon coverage of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships as well as live afternoon coverage of Skate America, part of the ISU Grand Prix Series, for the next four years.

“The partnership with NBC has allowed figure skating fans to view numerous hours of live competition over the course of the last two years,” said Patricia St. Peter, president of U.S. Figure Skating. “The extension of this partnership again shows the dedication of both U.S. Figure Skating and NBC Sports to showcase this popular sport not just in an Olympic year but for the next four years.”

The partnership includes 12 hours of live event coverage on NBC Sports during the 2009-10 season, including live primetime coverage of the ladies free skate at the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Jan. 14-24, 2010, in Spokane, Wash. The 2010 Olympic Figure Skating Team will be determined at the conclusion of this event. Universal Sports, available in more than 56 million homes, will once again offer additional coverage and re-airs of Skate America and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

TV SCHEDULE

USA

February 2010

13 to 27: 5 am to 6 am
Universal Sports TV, Olympics USTV: Figure Skating Hour
(also streamed on NBCOlympics.com )

NBC's Olympic Coverage

14 7:00pm - 11:00pm Live
Pairs Short Program Olympics

14 11:35pm - 12:05am Taped
Pairs Short Program Recap Olympics NBC

15 8:00pm - 12:00am Live

Pairs Free Skate Olympics

16 8:00pm - 12:00am Live
Men's Short Program Olympics

18 8:00pm - 12:00am
Men's Free Skate Olympics

19 3:00pm - 5:00pm Taped
Men's Free Skate Recap Olympics

19 8:00pm - 11:30pm Live
Compulsory Dance Olympics

21 7:00pm - 11:00pm Live
Original Dance Olympics

22 8:00pm - 12:00am Live
Free Dance Olympics

23 8:00pm - 12:00am Live
Ladies Short Program Olympics

24 12:35am - 2:05am Taped
Ladies Short Program Recap Olympics

25 3:00pm - 5:00pm Taped
Ladies Preview Olympics

25 8:00pm - 12:00am Live
Ladies Free Skate Olympics

26 12:35am - 2:05am Taped
Ladies Free Skate Recap Olympics

27 8:00pm - 11:00pm (tentative)
Champions Gala Olympics

***************************************
28 6:00am - 12:00pm Taped
MSNBC: Champions Gala Repeat Olympics

CANADA

JANUARY 2010

31 2:30 – 4 P.M. (Local)
CBC: Canadian Figure Skating Championships

Editor’s Note: Times are Eastern unless otherwise noted. Broadcast schedules are subject to change. Please check your local listings.

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The Jan./Feb 2010 issue of International Figure Skating (IFS) magazine, is now available in digital form. It features Meryl Davis and Charlie White on the cover as well as the other stars from the Grand Prix season — Yu-Na Kim, Evan Lysacek, and Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao — and a feature on Paul Wylie, an update on Ilia Kulik, a Q&A from Tai Babilonia with Robin Cousins, and "showstopping" images from “Ice All Stars 2009” in Korea. To subscribe, click HERE?, email customerservice@madavor.com or call 800-437-5828. The digital issue costs $20 (U.S.) for a one-year, is free with a print subscription, and provides access to BACK ISSUES posted online.