Steve Beverly
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Steve Beverly is an American professor and game show expert.
Beverly is professor of broadcasting at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He oversees a classroom of students who produce radio and television shows, and learn about the history of their profession.
In 1997, Beverly launched the Game Show Convention Center on the Internet, which eventually became TVGameShows.net. The web site covered game shows (both from the United States and United Kingdom) on a daily basis. Beverly contributed a weekly column on game shows (and sometimes other aspects of pop culture) and conducted occasional interviews. In addition, users could find the latest results from a variety of shows once they had been aired. Beverly has credited Jim Blalock, a childhood friend and fellow media executive, and Fred Wostbrock, an agent for game show hosts, with his vast knowledge of the subject.
In 2005, Beverly cut TVGameShows.net to a once-a-week magazine because of increased professional responsibilities.
On the site, Beverly has expressed his preference for more traditional game shows, especially those that trace their roots to the early days of TV; examples include The Price is Right and Jeopardy!. He has decried the shows that are in the genre of reality television which are often referred to as "game operas (in fact, he coined the term game opera)." His biggest complaints are that the shows are destructive to the human spirit by "bringing out the worst behavior in contestants."
In 2001, his original reporting was cited as UPN cancelled the reality game show Manhunt, which was a "bounty hunter" show. Beverly revealed that the show, which claimed to take place in Hawaii, actually was shot at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Author Peter Lance reported on the same show's discrepancies on Dateline NBC.
Beverly contributed to World Championship Wrestling's hotline in 1988 and '89 and published the Matwatch newsletter. He is also the former news director at WWAY in Wilmington, North Carolina, WSAV-TV in Savannah, Georgia, and WBBJ in Jackson, Tennessee, a former assistant news director at WSPA in Spartanburg, South Carolina and a former anchor at WTVM in Columbus, Georgia. He has a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Georgia and a masters' degree from Auburn University. He has done post-graduate work at the University of Memphis and Union University.
Beverly's father is a Methodist minister. In 2005, Beverly revealed that his father has Parkinson's disease.
[edit] More notes
- Beverly has said that if he could try out for only one game show, he would try out for Name That Tune.
- He is play-by-play announcer for the Union University men's and women's basketball teams, and has called over 90 percent of the national championship tournament games of NAIA women's basketball in the last three seasons (through 2005-06). The tourney is hosted by Union every year at the Oman Arena in Jackson.
- Beverly is a supporter of the Game Show Congress, which was launched in 2002 by University of Colorado alumnus Paul Bailey. He suggested a lifetime achievement award for game show host Bill Cullen, which was awarded during the first year. A permanent version of the award named for Cullen has been presented ever since. The Game Show Congress also presents a lifetime community service award named for Ralph Edwards
