The networks scheduled to air the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament–CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV–enacted their contingency plan this week to ensure their advertisers remain happy in lieu of the tournament being canceled. Network executives sprung into action and announced that they will fill the time slots earmarked for games with a 136-hours of “One Shining Moment,” the peppy theme song and montage that culminates the tournament every year.
“The song is so iconic, we’ve got a good feeling that looping it over and over again will keep viewers attention for hours at a time,” said CBS Sports President David Berson. “We’re even going to sprinkle in some unseen interviews with the likes of Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross that are going to make people forget they’re not watching Villanova vs. Georgetown or Duke vs. UConn.”
While CBS and TNT will air “One Shining Moment” non-stop, TBS and TruTV are expected to mix in some other programs connected to the NCAA tournament including Frank TV, the short-lived sketch comedy show featuring comedian and impressionist Frank Caliendo that aired from Nov. 2007 to Dec. 2008.
“It’s turrible that they would ever cancel March Madness, this was the year Auburn was gonna win it all,” said Caliendo, while doing his Charles Barkley impersonation. “What’s not turrible are reruns of Frank TV, I remember when they advertised that show every 30 seconds, it made me millions. That Calidando is one funny guy, knuckleheads!”
