Pasadena, Calif. -- ESPN came to Television Critics Association winter press tour Friday to showcase its new morning talk show Get Up, but network executives and talent could not dodge questions from TCA critics about the network’s recent struggles.

The daily series, which launches April 2 and hosted by network personalities Mike Greenberg, Jalen Rose and Michelle Beadle, will look to balance traditional sports news coverage with sports talk elements, according to Bill Wolff, ESPN vice president.

“We’ll do the sports and the news and the information, but I think we’ll also try to be the table setter for a whole day of talking about sports,” Wolff said.

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Wolff defended questions about whether the network needs a new morning show by saying that people still watch television prior to starting their day, so it’s a great time to aggregate an audience for the show.

“Mornings, we believe, are still at a moment … where part of people’s routines still includes television,” he said. “It’s one part of the day when television I think is more common in any American household than it might be at other times of the day.”

Rose added that the show will look to cover all major stories and events relevant to its audience. "I think we really take pride in not forcing topics, so if there is something in any genre of sports, politics, entertainment, pop culture -- and we think the fans want to hear about it -- we will discuss it, regardless to whether ESPN owns the property or not," he said.

The panelists also addressed the surprise departure of ESPN president John Skipper last month, with Greenberg saying he was “stunned and saddened” to hear of Skipper’s decision to resign to seek treatment for a “substance addiction.” He also said that recent employee layoffs at ESPN were “very difficult” for those still working at the network. 

“Certainly seeing people laid off is something no one wants to see,” Greenberg said. “It’s very difficult, whether they’re people you’ve known for years or someone you’ve never met --wherever it happens, it’s a reality of life in corporate America right now. It is certainly terrible to see.”

Bill Simmons’ hoops hour will tip onto TV on Thursday night.

ESPN will bow The Grantland Basketball Hour on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. (ET). The initial Grantland-branded show will feature editor-in-chief Simmons and ESPN NBA analyst Jalen Rose. They will be joined by guests Michelle Beadle, the worldwide leader’s lead NBA game analyst Jeff Van Gundy and Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers. The five will size up an array of NBA topics ahead of the 2014-15 campaign before a studio audience at ESPN’s Los Angeles production center.

All told, there will be up to 18 one-hour primetime Grantland Basketball specials throughout the NBA season and The Finals. Additional episodes are planned for the NBA Draft and free-agency period.

“We are delighted to bring the Grantland brand to television – it's the natural evolution for our site and for everything Jalen and I have been doing on our video channel,” Simmons said in a release. “We want to be creative, we want to be unpredictable and we want to stand out.”

In addition to airing on ESPN, the show will encore on ESPN2 and ABC, with segments also featured on Grantland.com and integrated within ESPN platforms, including SportsCenter. Thursday’s premiere episode will re-air on ABC on Saturday, Oct., 25 at 2 p.m.

Following a suspension, Simmons was recently reinstated to ESPN following critical remarks he made about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stemming from the Rice Ray domestic violence incident.

While Grantland makes the jump to TV, Simmons’ seat on the NBA Countdown roster will remain empty this year as ESPN/ABC will go with a primary three-person team of Sage Steele, Doug Collins and Rose on Fridays and Sundays.

The trio of ESPN NBA insider Doris Burke and analysts Avery Johnson and Rose will return for their second Countdown campaign on Wednesdays.