IU cable to carry Big Ten Network

The Big Ten Network may be at a stalemate with major cable companies, but IU’s cable system, Campus Cable TV appears to be persuaded that the Network has value and plans to pick it up eventually.\n“We certainly plan to carry it on campus cable,” IU spokesperson for Campus Cable TV Mark Kuchefski said. “We feel it will interest the students, and it is also a network that this institution is part of.”\nCampus Cable TV is IU’s in-house cable system, supplying 43 cable channels to all of IU’s campus including students living in dorms. \nKuchefski could not confirm when the channel would be added to the cable line-up and said all the details have not been hammered out with the supplier who will be providing the channel.\nThe news is not as promising for Bloomington residents who subscribe to Insight Communications, but will be served by Comcast beginning in early 2008. \nMark Apple, the Regional Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs for Comcast, said the Big Ten is at fault if fans lose access to their favorite team because of the new network.\n“Fans are accustomed to watching (IU) on Comcast, and this was the Big Ten’s idea (to start this network),” Apple said.\nApple, an IU alumnus, said he feels most of IU’s basketball games will be on a major network and not the Big Ten Network. \nABC and ESPN get first choice of all games, and the Big Ten Network will get to choose their games third, except on three of the 12 weeks during football season, when they choose in front of ESPN. \nDuring basketball season, the Big Ten Network will get to pick after ESPN and CBS. All games previously airing on ESPN Plus – WTTV in Bloomington – will now air on the Big Ten Network. ESPN, ABC and CBS’s coverage will remain unchanged. \nThe problem remains that the Big Ten is asking for $1.10 per subscriber in the Big Ten region, which is the second highest of any network on cable behind ESPN. \nApple said if the price were lower, Comcast would not object and continues to negotiate regardless.\n“If the Big Ten lowers their demands, we will negotiate and we continue to negotiate,” Apple said. “If all conferences charged $1.10, then it would cost Comcast $1.5 billion annually for all conferences that started these networks.” \nApple said Comcast’s official statement remains the same as it has throughout the negotiation process.\n“We want to bring the Big Ten Network to our customers in the best and fairest way, which would be to offer it on our digital sports tier in the eight-state Big Ten region and as an out-of-market subscription service for customers in other markets,” Apple said in the statement from Comcast. “That way, Big Ten fans would be able to subscribe to it, while the majority of our customers would not be burdened with a $12 Big Ten Network tax. It’s very early in our discussions with The Big Ten Network, but we’re talking and will continue to do so.”\nInsight Communications, which will continue to serve Bloomington through the end of the year, also continues to negotiate which tier the Network should be placed in and has not reached an agreement. In the Bloomington area, only DirecTV has reached an agreement to carry the network. \nIn other news, the Big Ten Network has named their announcer team, which will consist of Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis. The studio crew will include former IU head football coach Gerry DiNardo. \nThose hoping to find out when the Network will be available to them may do so by typing in their zip code on www.bigtennetwork.com. This will show which providers plan to carry the fledgling network.