From Deseret News archives:
BYU got worst TV time slot
And people like yours truly complain bitterly about it.
There was, however, a high-profile exception to that rule on Thursday. And it worked to the detriment of fans.
Who would've thought?
Going into postseason play, BYU was clearly the marquee team in the Mountain West Conference. Not only did the Cougars win the regular-season title, but they were the only MWC squad ranked in the Top 25.
And yet ... BYU got the worst TV time slot the league had to offer on Thursday. The Cougars' 1 p.m. MDT start meant that the game was difficult for much of anybody to see, even assuming they had access to The mtn. (And, of course, few TV viewers do.)
At least in Utah, there certainly would have been more people watching the game had it started at, say, 7 p.m.
There are obviously some great reasons for BYU to be out of prime time. As the regular-season champ, you win the right to have the most time between games on Thursday and Friday.
It's just a bit ironic that, in this particular case, if TV had ruled and put its biggest draw in prime time, it would have been better for TV viewers.
When the MWC announced its deal with CSTV (and, later, Comcast), yours truly counseled patience for several months, even in the face of horrendous distribution.
When it became clear The Powers That Be behind The mtn. were out of their league resulting in two full years of horrendous distribution I lost patience along with everyone else. And, yes, I've been far less than kind about it in print.
At this point, I'll praise and smack those Powers That Be at the same time. Because they deserve both.
If I was a Utah or BYU fan and I moved back to my childhood home in upstate New York, I'd be doing the happy prospector dance over The mtn.'s deal with DirecTV. I'd (relatively) happily pay whatever it cost to subscribe to the satellite system because I'd be able to see more of my team than ever before. Certainly more than I'd ever seen while living 2,000 miles from Utah.
This is a fantastic thing for out-of-state Cougar and Ute fans.
But getting The mtn. on DirecTV doesn't solve the Mountain West Conference's distribution problems. Even if we are to assume that every DirecTV subscriber will pay for a package that includes The mtn. (which is NOT going to happen), the channel will not be available in 86 percent of American homes.
(That's including the anemic cable distribution.)
If you buy into the theory that lack of TV distribution hurts MWC teams when it comes to rankings and recruiting, this deal isn't going to help much.
Getting on DirecTV is a great step forward. But it's only a step.
E-mail: pierce@desnews.com
Recent comments
In the old days, the only BYU gmes I could watch on TV were the bowl...
Farid @ Pocatello | March 15, 2008 at 3:11 p.m.
Okay, here's another Cougar Fan that realizes that the time slot is...
Cougar Fan | March 15, 2008 at 9:20 a.m.
Scott, just because you're a TV writer doesn't mean that there is...
Weak | March 15, 2008 at 8:50 a.m.
- New 3rd District judge appointed 12:12 p.m.
- Richmond teen dies week after crash 12:10 p.m.
- Prep swim rankings 12:05 p.m.
- Woods' wife asked neighbors to call 12:03 p.m.
- Stocks climb after econ reports 11:57 a.m.
- Missionaries talk to Michigan paper 11:49 a.m.
- Witness: Mitchell wanted attention 11:45 a.m.
- NBC sale to Comcast cleared 11:14 a.m.
- Palin book goes platinum 11:12 a.m.
- 2 arrested in Roy double slaying 11:09 a.m.
- 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
- Hall reprimanded by MWC
- Utes won't respond to Hall
- Mitchell called intelligent, controlling
- Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
- Daughter: Mitchell fed me my pet
- BYU says Hall incident resolved
- Max Hall: a fixture in rivalry lore
- 'Grandfamilies' a growing trend
- Cougs begin bowl preparations
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
900 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
481 - Hall reprimanded by MWC
393 - Max Hall issues apology
385 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
330 - Utes won't respond to Hall
269 - BYU says Hall incident resolved
152 - BYU is champion of the state
140 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
123 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
120
Just ran into a neighbor of mine at the gas station - thanks for buying...
First off I have been a Boozer supporter all along. Boozer is top 3-5PF....
JT also needs someone to watch to help him understand the meaning of terms...
Some people have claimed that it was Whit's son who took the cell phone and...
Mendenhall and Whittingham should stand up and take a stand on this one. A...
I guess Utah fans have some planning to do for next year's Utah-BYU game.
@ S. Reno, Are you saying that abortion is not a religious issue? When...
I don't remember any Utes chasing George. The only Utes in the picture...
MY experience is just the opposite. I have been insulted and mistreated in...
Adult thinking: The man who died in the nutty putty cave deserves respect...
Mendenhall and Whittingham need to take a stand and cool this thing down....


