From Deseret News archives:

Senators push to get MWC games on satellite

Published: Friday, Sept. 28, 2007 12:35 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
WASHINGTON — College sports fans take note, Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett are trying to get Brigham Young University and University of Utah onto satellite television.

Utah's senators joined five other Republicans from Western States in telling Comcast, DirecTV, Echostar Communications, the CBS Corp. and the Mountain West Conference that something needs to be done about the "ongoing impasses" that limit the Mountain West Sports Network to being offered through DirecTV and Dish Network.

"This issue has been a matter of substantial controversy among the fans of the teams in the Mountain West Conference as the failure to reach an agreement has left many viewers without access to this widely anticipated and popular sports programming," the senators wrote in a letter sent Thursday. "Many of the potential viewers in the Intermountain West live in rural and mountainous areas where only satellite television is available."

The senators have heard many complaints from fans who want their college sports.

Story continues below
"We anticipate that, with the progression of the college football season, which will be followed immediately by the basketball season, our constituents' desire to view Mountain West Conference games will only intensify," according to the letter sent by Hatch, Bennett, along with Sens. Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyo. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., John Ensign, R-Nev., Pete V. Domenici, R-N.M. and Wayne Allard, R-Colo.

They noted that there does not seem to be a technical problem to get an agreement together to broadcast the games, saying other conference can get games on cable as well as satellite.

"We strongly believe that, when it comes to programming conflicts, the interests of consumers should bethe foremost concern," they wrote. "Toward that end, we urge all of the parties involved in this dispute to work together to ensure that Mountain West Conference games and events are broadcast to the widest possible audience."


E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com

Recent comments

Look people, before you jump all over these guys: A senator's job is...

Josh | Sept. 29, 2007 at 12:49 a.m.

I guess in the over-all picture of life, college sports are not the...

BYU Fan | Sept. 29, 2007 at 12:24 a.m.

Are they going to push to get the Big-12 network on Comcast? I can...

what? | Sept. 28, 2007 at 10:46 p.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

WOW people. come on. seriously. a win is a win. it doesnt matter how you get...

Want a great example of the disparity inherent in the BCS? It took...

Rock on

Stats for the New York game: Kirilenko was 5-8 from behind the arc. That's...

TCU showdown has big implications

Little Brothers and... | 7:53 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009 "BYU has done that [top 25...

The bad defense starts with the guards. How many rookie PGs have lit up the...

Am. Fork band to nationals?

Mr. Miller and the band were not even planning on attending this event until...

Hope for single moms

Funny how men are called sexists, whiners, etc. when merely stating facts.

Letters: Suicide survivors

After wasting thousand of dollars on professional counseling for depression...

5A: Hunter outlasts Lone Peak

yes you can get a delay of game on defense.

TCU moves into 4th place in BCS

will be all that Utah has to show for this season when all is said and done

Advertisements
Advertisement