Coronado, Calif. – Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson wanted so badly to announce MWC- wide televised availability of CSTV and The mtn., the soon- to-launch all-MWC network, that he made the announcement Tuesday without a single detail.
Referring to intense negotiations over the past 10 days, Thompson said, “We have finalized a distribution deal for both CSTV and The mtn. and will have distribution of both networks come Sept. 1.”
Without signed contracts, however, Thompson said he could not give specifics.
There was no information on whether either or both networks will be on expanded basic cable packages or a premium tier such as the current CSTV availability on Denver-area Comcast.
“Our deadline was to make this announcement today,” Thompson said on the final day of the MWC football preview. “Unfortunately television works on its own schedule.”
He anticipated full details by the end of the month.
“There are things that need to be done that are out of our control. We do know today this is the end of a long process,” said Tim Pernetti, CSTV’s executive vice president for content. “The holdup is the i’s have to get dotted, the t’s have to get crossed.
“We don’t want the cable operators to be put in a situation where deals are not making business sense for them. At the same time, we have a huge investment in the league.”
Although CSTV is available as a premium sports tier on Comcast in the Denver area, it isn’t available in San Diego and Las Vegas, where Cox Communications saturates the markets. Furthermore, there are no contracts signed for The mtn., which will carry many of the MWC’s televised football games this season.
“I don’t anticipate we won’t be on in San Diego and Las Vegas,” Thompson said.
The MWC left ESPN for CSTV to avoid ESPN-mandated games played at odd hours and on odd days.
While there has been much discussion about getting The mtn. in the league’s “footprint” of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, southern Nevada, the Dallas- Fort Worth area and San Diego, Air Force and Brigham Young have more national followings outside the footprint.
“Our fans will find us,” BYU senior quarterback John Beck said. “My brother-in-law lives in North Carolina. He was up at 1 a.m., in his local (church), watching a satellite feed.”
For years, MWC coaches used the ESPN exposure as part of recruiting pitches.
“I believe you can sell kids on new things,” Nevada-Las Vegas coach Mike Sanford said. “The fact CSTV merges TV and the Internet appeals to them.”
Footnotes
Wyoming coach Joe Glenn said the media’s selection of the Cowboys for last place will be a motivational tool. “There’s no way if people knew our personnel they would pick us last,” he said. … Utah, Wyoming and UNLV will have quarterback battles for at least the first week of camp. “We’re going to have a great quarterback. We just don’t know who he is,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who won’t use Brian Johnson until he’s 100 percent. Johnson suffered a knee injury in the 10th game last season. Brett Ratliff, who quarterbacked Utah’s final two victories last season, and Oklahoma transfer Tommy Grady are in the mix. … Glenn said he wants to decide after the Cowboys’ first scrimmage whether junior Jacob Doss or redshirt freshman Karsten Sween will start the opener at quarterback. … UNLV sophomore quarterback Rocky Hinds hasn’t played in three years, but as a USC transfer is the most anticipated newcomer in the
MWC. He still has to win a battle with incumbent Shane Steichen, a senior with 12 career starts.
Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
