David Nuno's Take on the Industry

Courtesy of KTRK-ABC 13

David Nuno is a sports reporter at KTRK - ABC Channel 13 in Houston, Texas. He's the recent addition to the sports team joining just last year in 2012. Yet, he's been in this business for nine years starting back in 2004 at the ABC affiliate KXXV in Waco.  

Nuno's career isn't limited to just sports broadcasting. He worked as the marketing and communications manager for the Harris County Houston Sports Authority. He even dabbled in sports radio as a host for Yahoo Sports Radio and 1560 The Game. 

Yet, Nuno said his most exciting job before television was working for the Dallas Mavericks for two years as the corporate and Hispanic marketing manager.

"While I was with the Mavericks I got to do some broadcasting stuff and I got to do some marketing at the corporate level. So I got to experience a little bit of everything from the business side of sport," Nuno said. 

Even as a sports journalist, Nuno believes sports business can still impact the job of a journalist. The trend of teams and leagues owning their own networks, like NBA-TV, could question the objectivity of journalists working at these media outlets.

"Yes, you are a legitimate media outlet. They hire real journalists to cover the teams but even if you are a journalist you can be a bit I believe swayed because of your allegiance of who your employer is," said Nuno.

Yet, Nuno believes the most challenging aspect for sports journalists is adapting to the ever changing field of journalism.

"This business today is going to be different in three years. You're going to have to be able to give people the information they want, when they want it. So the industry itself ought to be ahead of the curve in the video perspective and from the story telling perspective." 

Listen to the interview here: 

David Nuno's Interview

How long in sports broadcasting. Since you started the broadcasting side.

I started in 2004

You worked a little bit for the Dallas Mavericks. How did this open your eyes to the business side of sport?

It’s funny. That’s probably one of the most fruitful and best jobs I could have had. While I was with the Mavericks I got to do some broadcasting stuff and I got to do some marketing at the corporate level. So I got to experience a little bit of everything from the business side of sport. At that time it was regarded as one of the best organization. They were just an amazing experience to see how that organization was put together. It was kind of an expansion team. When I started mark Cuban had just bought the team. And they were one of the worst teams in all of sports. To see how they’ve built a championship team I was kind of behind the scenes on that. Taught me a lot about how to put a team together from now a business standpoint and operations standpoint.

NBA first to create own TV channel. How does NBA TV control their contact and media relations of the mavericks?

I didn’t really see it that way. I do know where you’re going. It’s no difference

You want to kind of control the information because this is your brand. Yes you are a legitimate media outlet. They hire real journalists to cover the team. And place them in cities. You’re seeing more of that putting real journalist on the beat. But even if you are a journalist you can be a bit I believe swayed because of your allegiance of who your employer is.

How do regional networks impact journalists doing their job?

I think it has to play a little part. I don’t know how big of a part it plays in the content model. Yea they are owned by the rockets and the Astros but they are also owned by NBC and NBC has a strong mark of journalism behind their name. When you work closely to anybody you’re going to see things differently. When you work directly Yes, it affects it a little bit. Information is because of their exclusivity they are able to get more access. Like when Dwight Howard signed with the rockets. Darryl morrow got off the phone with Dwight and walked over to Comcast and did a quick interview where we had to wait a little bit. So there are advantages and disadvantages to being so close.

The challenges of covering Dwight Howard

ABC we have a relationship with the Texans. We get to broadcast the games. During the preseason we have affiliation with the team through the year.do we get Access is a little different. At the end of the day it’s the same. To me a strong reporter doesn’t matter who you work for. Like Dwight Howard story. I don’t know if Comcast had anything more than an interview quickly afterwards. But breaking that story, USA today broke the story. If you’re a good journalist, then you’re a good journalist.

How those in power can control media access?

It’s kind of hard to say, because we can’t show a highlight during the event per say or maybe an hour until it’s ended. Yea it can bother us. If you care about the NCAA you’re probably watching it takes place. Yea it kind of bothers me a little bit. Just like the Olympics, if you really care you’re probably watching it. And you almost you don’t want to give your viewer a reason to go watch someone else. This game isn’t over yet but go watch it, go watch folks. That’s basically what you’re doing so. So it does affect us but at the same time it can save us at some points.

Developing bad relations impacting media access cut off:

I have heard stories like that. At the end of the day it’s the journalist responsibility to develop relationships. It goes back to the actual reporter. If you don’t do a good job developing a relationship and you do talk smack about somebody. Of course they are not going to go out of their way to help you. But if you are doing your job the right way, I think you people respect it.

How do you feel money impacts NCAA and conference realignments?

From my perspective, it doesn’t matter. What matters to me is the intriguing story lines for what people care about what they are going to talk about at the water cooler. I was able to do a lot of coverage of Texas A&M because of the conference realignment. The University of Texas is always covered because it’s a major university. Other schools that aren’t as important don’t get covered or will receive less amount of coverage. With A&M moving to the SEC it made the SEC relevant to our market. So the big 12 is relevant as well. So from that respect it doesn’t matter. And do think that we’ve spent a lot of money. By we I mean ABC spent a lot of money in getting Big 12 rights. CBS spent a lot of money on SEC rights so you more than likely focus on that a little bit more because it is on your air.

Other thoughts on the industry:

It’s changing. This business today is going to be different in three years. We live in a world where people are tracking their news instantly. The days were 5, 6, 7 o’clock news…I don’t want to call them dinosaurs but they are going to be different. You’re going to have to be able to give people the information they want and when they want it. The new generation of viewers out there is being trained to get news instantly. So the industry itself ought to be ahead of the curve in doing that from the video perspective, from the story telling perspective.