The mtn., CSTV have hurdles to clear

Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson called the impending launch of the The mtn. — Mountain West Sports Network "an historic moment," and he's right.

It is, for all intents and purposes, the death of local TV telecasts of Utah and BYU football and basketball. No Ute games on Ch. 14. No Cougar games on Ch. 5. Or any other local channel.

All the details have yet to be worked out, but nobody at KSL or KJZZ is expecting to have access to the local teams once the Mountain West's contract with CSTV and its sister channel, The mtn., kicks off in September.

For Ch. 5, this won't be that big of deal. Once home to seemingly half the BYU football and basketball schedule, the number of games on KSL has dwindled to but a handful in recent years — both because of the MWC's soon-to-expire deal with ESPN and because of the station's own contract with NBC.

It's a much bigger deal for Ch. 14, which has been the Home of the Utes since 1995.

But if you're a fan of an MWC team, you'd better subscribe to a cable or satellite system. And you'd better make sure your cable or satellite system carries CSTV and The mtn.

That's one of the big questions surrounding this new television venture — who will actually have access to the channels?

If I were you, I'd start calling your cable/satellite company immediately.

This could, potentially, be a gift dropped right in the lap of the cable companies. At this point this is only speculation, but don't be surprised if CSTV and/or The mtn. are part of the digital tier in the cable-channel lineup. In other words, if you want to see the Cougars and Utes you'll not only have to subscribe to cable, but you'll have to pay extra for digital cable.

Same thing with the satellite companies, who are likely to make The mtn. part of a sports package, not part of one of their lower-priced channel lineups. If they carry it at all.

And the powers that be at the MWC and CSTV have some decisions to make. Do they want to offer The mtn. as cheaply as possible to cable/satellite companies in hopes of increasing the channel and the league's exposure, or do they want to try to make as much money as possible? Is the goal to cater to the fan base or is this solely a money-making venture?

Assuming you have access to CSTV and The mtn., this could be the greatest thing that's happened to you if you're a Cougar or Ute fan. Virtually all of your team's football and basketball games will be available on television.

(And it's a bonus that games will be at more normal times — some football games on Saturday afternoon and no basketball games in the middle of the night.)

I have no criticism to make of the MWC for leaving ESPN — a move I believe the league was forced into. I have high hopes that the deal with CSTV, including The mtn., will work out.

But there are a lot hurdles yet to be cleared.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com