A glance at the walls of Firestone Fieldhouse depicting a slew of conference and NCAA championship banners suggests that Pepperdine athletics stand firmly in the “big time.” Likewise, the fledgling athletic program at Malibu High School — though its many Frontier League championship banners wait to move into its new gym — has begun its own tradition of dominance. Malibu is becoming a city of champions, and if a team of broadcast journalism students get their way, everyone in town will soon know about it.
As befits a big-time sports town, Malibu now has its very own bi-weekly sports-magazine TV show. Hosted and produced by Josh Harold and Matt Storm and directed by Nathan Smithson (all Pepperdine undergraduates) the half-hour show airs twice daily on cable channel 26 in Malibu, Agoura and Calabasas reaching about 26,000 potential viewers.
With updates, profiles and feature stories on both the Sharks and Waves, “it’s ‘SportsCenter’ on a $5 budget,” said Harold, referring to ESPN’s near-mythical sports news program.
Though cost and studio time restrict them to taping only one episode every two weeks, they are not at a loss for air time. Channel 26 broadcasts the same episode every day at 3:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. for a two-week cycle.
Pepperdine Assistant Athletic Director Mike Zapolski said that TV exposure is nothing new to Pepperdine athletes. With penetration into millions of households, Fox Sports West will be broadcasting 14 men’s basketball games, and the network has also aired several women’s volleyball games.
Though Harold and Storm reach far fewer viewers, for both the show’s producers and the athletes it covers, there is, for the most part, no such thing as bad press. Zapolski said the school welcomes whatever coverage it gets, and Harold said his team enjoys working alongside professional broadcasters, such as Fox Sports.
“Quite a few Pepperdine students watch, and we have a lot of Malibu High School viewers,” said Harold. “It’s kind of nice for students to see themselves on TV.”
“Certainly any exposure in the Malibu community is welcome for athletics at the university,” said Zapolski.
Zapolski said that he was not personally familiar with the show but said that it sounded “fantastic.”
While Pepperdine’s broadcast journalism has fielded sports shows in the past — including one with current KABC-TV sports anchor and Pepperdine alum Bill Weir — Harold said the current incarnation is more dynamic and appealing than previous shows because its scope extends beyond just the Waves.
“It was a good move to cover Malibu High School athletics,” said Harold. “There’s a lot of excitement at Malibu High.”
The show’s narrow focus and local interest puts the spotlight on players and teams in the Malibu area, something that major broadcasters cover rarely, if ever.
“We’re trying to reach out into the community to people not directly affected by the teams,” said Harold.
Though both Harold and Storm hail from the Midwest and had no particular connection to either the Sharks or the Waves prior to enrolling at Pepperdine, Harold said that both “have a passion for sports” regardless of what community they are in.
“I kind of view sports as an integral part of society,” said Harold. “People come together and talk about sports on a daily basis.”
According to MHS football coach Rich Lawson, the show has had positive influence among MHS athletes and fans.
“Something like that is good for the community,” said Lawson. “It gives the kids a chance to get some exposure … [and] the community will be a little more aware of what’s going on.”
Because the show is part of their academic curriculum and funded by the university, the show’s producers do not get paid. But, Harold said it does collect enough revenue to be “self-funded.”
Otherwise, Harold said they gladly accept in-kind donations and sponsorships, especially edible ones, such as the chocolate-drink Yoo-hoo, which Harold said, “has kind of sponsored my life. They’ve given T-shirts for the show.”
Harold also said viewers sometimes recognize them as the “Yoo-hoo boys” when they are seen in town. “We have sort of a cult following,” said Harold.