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By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Saturday, Aug 23, 2008
The rhetoric is heating up in the effort to get the Big Ten Network on Time Warner Cable.
Time Warner on Friday issued a reply from Terry O'Connell, executive vice president of its Midwest region, to a letter written by Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith, who said he was disappointed that the cable company hadn't signed a deal with BTN and urged Buckeye fans who want to see the games to sign with other video services.
In the letter, Time Warner's O'Connell offers to supply customers who do not have the necessary equipment with a box to watch individual games on a pay-per-game basis, with the network keeping all of the revenue while it continues negotiating with BTN.
The Big Ten Network called calling that a publicity stunt because all of the BTN's deals require that the channel air first on the expanded basic tier in Big Ten Conference states.
In its deal with No. 1 video service Comcast, the channel can be moved to the digital tier next spring, provided that it can still reach the majority of the customers.
''Time Warner today publicly offered to air Buckeye football games on a pay-per-view basis. Time Warner is well aware that it cannot selectively choose to air a network's programming in lieu of full carriage,'' the network.
The outlook for an agreement looked picture perfect last spring, when Comcast signed its deal, but things look to be more tumultuous than a hurricane right now and aren't likely to get better in time for the Buckeyes' opening game against Youngstown State in a week. BTN will have three of the Buckeyes' first five games this season.
''Time Warner has already had more than 18 months to decide to offer the Big Ten Network to its customers, and in a statement Wednesday said 'we are ready to carry the network,' '' the network said. ''Fine. Then they should carry the network, and at terms comparable to the network's other agreements. Or they should tell their customers they have decided not to. Either way, Buckeye fans deserve to know the truth.''
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
The rhetoric is heating up in the effort to get the Big Ten Network on Time Warner Cable.
Get the full article here.
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