MWC still has work left to do

Now it appears DirecTV is tidily tucked into the Mountain West Conference television partnership, it's time coverage for the conference continues to evolve so exposure for the league blossoms.

It would help if Dish Network jumped on board now that DirecTV is certain to binge on subscriber signups and start making some good dough.

DirecTV will throw The mtn. programming to all corners of the hemisphere if not the world for a price and the right programming tier.

Issues still remain, however.

The MWC and its TV partners have operated on the idea that all the league's schools get an equal number of games aired. That's a noble goal, to be fair to everyone.

Trouble is, coverage of some teams is in more demand than others. There is supply and demand, the simple spool on economics in place. Some teams in this league draw bigger audiences than others. To pigeon-hole games into a season based on equal coverage will not mean equal revenue (based on ratings). Of course, you don't cheat certain schools out of games. There is management, then there is business. Render unto that school the things of the TV deal, but render the real audience what it seeks.

A team like BYU has a proven track record on both the league's new network channels and ESPN as a numbers draw. Ignoring a BYU game to give equal access to another league team with a lesser draw makes sense — if this were socialism — but we live in a capitalistic society.

There's an easy fix, if there's no set figure, or if the TV partners don't mind putting up as much product as it can bear and live with the consequences. But in the negotiations the past two years with DirecTV, Dish Network and other platforms, nobody wanted to play that game, believing duel programming would dilute the value of the product.

The mtn. ought to pick programming, selecting games and teams like it did last year. But it should not restrict CSTV or Versus from airing other games in the same time slot, if they'll get off their duffs and be a real partner.

And if any of those partners pass on a team's game, the rights to that team's broadcast should revert back to that team, who could work out a regional or local deal for coverage of that game to its fans.

Exposure instead of enclosure.

In a local case, this means a BYU or Utah game that is not available on a chosen weekend by the league's TV partners should be released to be aired on KSL, KUTV, KTVX, KJZZ, BYU-TV or any other outlet.