THE DISAPPEARING TV CRITIC

NBC's coverage of the Kentucky Derby was "clean." That's the term often used by TV sports departments when you get on and off on time, your opening and closing both work, you cover the entire story, and you get all the commercials in.

I think "almost clean" is a better description of this year's coverage. But don't forget that the Kentucky Derby, with replays, can only be stretched to five, maybe six minutes of sports excitement. The rest is simply to sell enough commercials to pay for the production cost, plus, and that's a BIG PLUS, the rights fee for the event, and maybe a little profit. NBC did very well in this department, even selling the sponsorship of The Best Hat Contest.

What was missing were taped replays of the fatal injury to Eight Belles the only filly in the race. Following her gallant second place finish, Eight Belles' tragedy came a quarter mile past the finish line, when she suddenly fell forward on her knee. She suffered simultaneous, compound fractures of her front ankles.

NBC said the injury, the horse going down, and then writhing in pain is simply not a picture to show families watching at home. And with this we agree.

The key mistake was made on Friday night in the production meeting where the decision was made to pick the horses to isolate on during the race. NBC said they decided not to use one of their cameras to isolate on Eight Belles.

Normally a good decision. But perhaps NBC was not aware that presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made Eight Belles a main part of her stump speeches last week, as the filly she would bet on and that she was sending Chelsea to Louisville with instructions to place her bet. An interesting part of the coverage that was missed. With an isolated camera, NBC would have had much better tape of the injury to show, without upsetting the viewing audience.

The "Disappearing TV Critic" awards a bronze medal.