08/09/07

We are getting the drift that the BTN and Time Warner may be getting close to a deal. If true-where is Comcast? Here's hoping that if a deal with Time Warner is in the offing, then maybe it will provide a road map for Comcast and up the pressure. The clock is running.

An examination of the only tv station to be dedicated to only the Big Ten Conference.

How will it work come football season?

Just when you thought you had everything figured out re watching your favorite Big Ten team, the conference has thrown a challenge your way. This fall is kickoff time for the Big Ten Network. The BTN is a new television network. Programming highlights are advertised as follows:

1. 35 plus football games
2. 105 plus basketball games
3. 55 plus woman's basketball games
4. Big Ten championship games
5. 170 plus olympic sporting events
6. Coaches shows
7. 660 hours of campus programming.

HOW THE HELL DOES THIS WORK

The ABC, ESPN, and the ESPN2 deal we are used to will remain how it historically has been. For example, if ABC decides they want to broadcast the OSU/ Michigan game as their nationwide game of the week, it will be on ABC and not on the BTN. If ABC decides it is a regional game, it will be shown in the picked region and on Game Plan in the rest of the country-not on the BTN. BTN games will not be on any of these networks or on ESPN GamePlan

HOW DOES THE BTN AFFECT YOU?

The initial question is where do you live. Your impact/ cost is again dependent upon where you live.

LIVING WITHIN THE 8 BIG TEN STATES

Right now the BTN has signed contracts with AT&T and Direct TV(Total Choice). The BTN is in contract negotiations with the other cable providers to offer the BTN as part of their basic cable package. You should contact your local cable provider to request that not only they carry the BTN, but also:
1. Provide the BTN as a part of the basic cable package; and
2. That overflow channels are utilized on gameday. For example assume week one OSU is playing Youngstown State, and Iowa is playing the Sisters of the Poor. Neither game is being broadcast by ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2. If you are living in Ohio and you are a Iowa fan you are going to see the Buckeyes, unless your cable provider frees up their unused channels to show the other Big Ten games such as the Iowa game. This is the same idea as ABC having regional coverage. Either you live in the right region or you better have the gameplan.

LIVING OUTSIDE THE BIG TEN

For those of us living outside of Big Ten territory this issue is more perplexing. What incentive does my cable provider have in South Florida to not only carry the BTN, but carry it as a part of their basic cable package. Additionally, as was dicussed above, if we do have the BTN offered in South Florida, will my cable provider free up additional channels for all the games the BTN is broadcasting?

While we are discussing problems, think about this one. Iowa is a regional ABC game, not shown in South Florida. Last year we watched that game on ESPN Gameplan. This year:
1. We don't get it as our regional game;
2. It is not a BTN game, it is a ABC regional game, so it is not on the BTN
3. It is on gameplan-if we bought it.

Therefore, living outside of Big Ten territory, I will be investigating Direct TV as it seems to me to be the only way to avoid the problems as set forth immediately above. I will keep you posted.

Schedules

The BTN has announced the following as their broadcast schedule for games this fall.

Saturday, September 1

Appalachian State at Michigan, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT

Youngstown State at Ohio State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT

Florida International at Penn State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT

Northeastern at Northwestern, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT

Bowling Green at Minnesota, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT

Indiana State at Indiana, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT

Saturday, September 8

Akron at Ohio State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT

Nevada at Northwestern, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT

Bowling Green at Michigan State, Noon EDT/11a.m. CDT

Miami (OH) at Minnesota, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT

Eastern Illinois at Purdue, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT

Western Illinois at Illinois, 7 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. CDT

Syracuse at Iowa, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT

Saturday, September 15

The Citadel at Wisconsin , Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT

Buffalo at Penn State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT

Akron at Indiana, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT

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Lloyds Apple said:

	There is nothing worse than paying for Gameplan and still not getting the games. Or, midway through a game, switching to another game. When this happens, as someone who pays, I'm affected negatively while people that did not care enough to pay get to watch the end of whatever game is closer and deemed more important. Direct TV is the way to go. Bright House sucks!
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June 21, 2007
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JEH45 said:

This is a continuing and evolving story. You will recall that the BTN is telling us they want the BTN offered as a part of a basic cable package. I see today that the Big Ten and Comcast are in a public pissing match. Not to bore you with the pissing, but the bottom line is Comcast seems to be balking at the idea of making the BTN a part of their basic package. They appear to want to offer it, but as an addional package-more money. Apparently Comcast has 5.7 million subscribers in the eight Big Ten states. If the Big Ten states aren't going to get this as a part of basic cable, then I suppose here in South Florida I can forget about this as a part of my Comcast basic cable.

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June 22, 2007
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Judge said:

In Ohio we remember what occurred last year when Ohio State football was unavailable for one weekend unless you had a special ESPN channel. The fans were ready to linch everyone involved in the unavailability of that one broadcast - this in a year that every other game was available as standard programing. If, because of this dispute games become regularly unavailable, then the fan uproar will become momentous. Of course we call always follow the words of Walter Cronkite and harken back to yesterday and the golden days of radio.

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August 13, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

	This story is no longer evolving, this story simply sucks. The Big Ten tried to get power back from ESPN and cable companies, all the while fans get screwed. Luckily, I've found bit torrents of the games so I can still watch games a couple days after the fact.
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September 06, 2007
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boomerb88 said:

	At one time, I found a map of where the regional game of the week was being televised on BTN and I can't remember where it was located. Are we in Florida going to get the UW game or the other regional game?
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November 02, 2007 | url
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boomerb88 said:

	At one time I found the BTN map of which the various regional games were being televised. Since then I haven't been able to find it. Could you please e-mail me with this information and are we , in Florida going to get the UW game or something else? Thank You
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November 02, 2007 | url
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JEH45 said:

	OSU/Wisconsin will be seen by practically the whole country on the BTN including Florida. I saw the map on the BTN website. Go Bucks!
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November 02, 2007
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