galentjm
April-8th-2005, 07:16 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35042-2005Apr7.html
Nats' TV Coverage Gets Upgrade
Next Nine Games Will Be Shown on Channel 20
By David Nakamura and Thomas Heath
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, April 8, 2005; Page D01
In the face of growing outrage from Washington Nationals fans unable to watch the first two victories on television, baseball officials announced yesterday that the team's next nine games will be shown on WDCA-20, beginning with tonight's contest against the Florida Marlins.
In a conference call with District Mayor Anthony A. Williams and D.C. Council member Jack Evans, Major League Baseball President Robert A. Dupuy said that finalizing a TV schedule for the Nationals was a "top priority" for himself, Commissioner Bud Selig and Baltimore Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos, Evans said.
"This is a new operation and we are working diligently to get as many games on the air as possible and as quickly as possible," Dupuy said in an interview.
Bob Whitelaw, who heads the Orioles-owned Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which in turn owns the rights to the Nationals games, said the run of nine consecutive Nationals games on television "is something we have been working on and it came together today."
The Nationals' debut, an 8-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, was televised locally on Channel 20. But their victories over the Phillies on Wednesday and yesterday were not shown locally, angering many Washington fans and some local officials.
The situation has focused attention on the status of the regional sports network created by Major League Baseball and Angelos last week to broadcast Orioles and Nationals games. Under the terms of the deal, announced as part of a package that baseball negotiated for Angelos to compensate him for the Nationals' relocation to Washington, the Orioles will own 90 percent of the network this season, with baseball owning the rest. Baseball's share will increase over the next 20 years, but it will be capped at 33 percent.
Under the arrangement, 76 Nationals games this season will be broadcast on WDCA-20, a Fox-owned outlet, with some of those games being moved to WTTG-5, also owned by Fox. Whitelaw said Mid-Atlantic is talking to cable and satellite providers about carrying a package of the remaining Nationals games. He would not specify when a deal might be reached, although sources at Comcast said the cable company has had no contact with Mid-Atlantic since a courtesy meeting last week. Baseball officials said their intent was to televise at least 150 of the team's 162 games locally this season.
In addition to Comcast, other area cable companies include Time Warner, Charter Communications, Adelphia and Cox.
The Orioles have two years remaining on their contract with Comcast SportsNet to produce and televise about 80 Orioles games per season. Starting in 2007, Orioles games will be produced by Mid-Atlantic.
Baseball officials said the reason the Nationals' game Wednesday night was not broadcast in the Washington area was because the ESPN cable network has a guarantee that prevents over-the-air telecasts on that night. Teams can provide only local cable broadcasts on Wednesday nights under the league's broadcast rules.
Baseball officials said the Nationals' 5-4, extra-inning victory over the Phillies yesterday was not televised due to the game's 1:05 p.m. start. Afternoon games do not usually draw good ratings, the officials said.
Duffy Dyer, station manager of Channel 20, a UPN affiliate, said the station is reluctant to air Nationals games on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights because those evenings include some of UPN's most popular shows. Dyer said he recommended the Nationals' current television schedule on the station to Whitelaw.
"Those are some of the best nights we have," Dyer said. "We have made strong inroads on those nights."
Nationals fans posted angry rants yesterday on Internet message boards.
Dave Lanham, 42, of Prince Frederick, Md., said that he listened to Charlie Slowes and Dave Shea call the game on the radio Wednesday, when Nationals center fielder Brad Wilkerson had four hits -- a single, double, triple and home run. "It's clearly outrageous," Lanham said. "You have an historic event where Wilkerson hits for the cycle. I really enjoy Slowes and Shea but there are many fans, young fans like my two sons, who would have loved to have watched to see the kind of drama that baseball can provide in a wonderful way."
Kip Smith, 22, a youth baseball coach who lives in the District, said: "I would have watched. I'm very concerned because this is a team that we put so much fight into getting and I would love to see them every chance I get."
Evans, the council's most ardent baseball supporter, said in a television interview Wednesday night that perhaps the city should not be so willing to provide public funding for a new stadium for the Nationals if the games are not televised. Yesterday, he softened his stance, saying he still supports the stadium financing package.
"The thing that set me off was the notion we were not on TV. That's ridiculous," said Evans (D-Ward 2). "We win the game, but Baltimore is on TV. How does this all happen? I'm just angry. We've got to get this straightened out."
Nationals President Tony Tavares asked the team's fans to be patient. "I hope every time we hit a bump in the road, people don't start saying, 'We aren't going to build them a stadium,' " Tavares said. "If I had my choice, all the games would be on and this would have been resolved months ago. But that's not the way it worked. The agreements just came together."
Mayor Williams said that baseball officials should have ensured that the Nationals were on television early in the season when the new franchise is trying attract fans. "We ought to be given the benefit of the doubt since we're starting up," Williams said.
On Wednesday evening, as Wilkerson was playing the hero in Philadelphia, those who watched Channel 20 would have caught the following shows during the 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. time slot: "Girlfriends," a sitcom about four young women dealing with family, friends and relationships; "America's Next Top Model 4," a reality show hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks; and "Kevin Hill," featuring Taye Diggs as an attorney who unexpectedly has to raise his cousin's 10-month-old daughter.
"It's outrageous the game could not be seen here," D.C. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D) said. "The city stepped up to plate. A new stadium is coming here. Fans have given some support to it. The least that could happen is they ought to be able to view the games in the city."
Staff writer Lori Montgomery contributed to this report.
Nats' TV Coverage Gets Upgrade
Next Nine Games Will Be Shown on Channel 20
By David Nakamura and Thomas Heath
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, April 8, 2005; Page D01
In the face of growing outrage from Washington Nationals fans unable to watch the first two victories on television, baseball officials announced yesterday that the team's next nine games will be shown on WDCA-20, beginning with tonight's contest against the Florida Marlins.
In a conference call with District Mayor Anthony A. Williams and D.C. Council member Jack Evans, Major League Baseball President Robert A. Dupuy said that finalizing a TV schedule for the Nationals was a "top priority" for himself, Commissioner Bud Selig and Baltimore Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos, Evans said.
"This is a new operation and we are working diligently to get as many games on the air as possible and as quickly as possible," Dupuy said in an interview.
Bob Whitelaw, who heads the Orioles-owned Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which in turn owns the rights to the Nationals games, said the run of nine consecutive Nationals games on television "is something we have been working on and it came together today."
The Nationals' debut, an 8-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, was televised locally on Channel 20. But their victories over the Phillies on Wednesday and yesterday were not shown locally, angering many Washington fans and some local officials.
The situation has focused attention on the status of the regional sports network created by Major League Baseball and Angelos last week to broadcast Orioles and Nationals games. Under the terms of the deal, announced as part of a package that baseball negotiated for Angelos to compensate him for the Nationals' relocation to Washington, the Orioles will own 90 percent of the network this season, with baseball owning the rest. Baseball's share will increase over the next 20 years, but it will be capped at 33 percent.
Under the arrangement, 76 Nationals games this season will be broadcast on WDCA-20, a Fox-owned outlet, with some of those games being moved to WTTG-5, also owned by Fox. Whitelaw said Mid-Atlantic is talking to cable and satellite providers about carrying a package of the remaining Nationals games. He would not specify when a deal might be reached, although sources at Comcast said the cable company has had no contact with Mid-Atlantic since a courtesy meeting last week. Baseball officials said their intent was to televise at least 150 of the team's 162 games locally this season.
In addition to Comcast, other area cable companies include Time Warner, Charter Communications, Adelphia and Cox.
The Orioles have two years remaining on their contract with Comcast SportsNet to produce and televise about 80 Orioles games per season. Starting in 2007, Orioles games will be produced by Mid-Atlantic.
Baseball officials said the reason the Nationals' game Wednesday night was not broadcast in the Washington area was because the ESPN cable network has a guarantee that prevents over-the-air telecasts on that night. Teams can provide only local cable broadcasts on Wednesday nights under the league's broadcast rules.
Baseball officials said the Nationals' 5-4, extra-inning victory over the Phillies yesterday was not televised due to the game's 1:05 p.m. start. Afternoon games do not usually draw good ratings, the officials said.
Duffy Dyer, station manager of Channel 20, a UPN affiliate, said the station is reluctant to air Nationals games on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights because those evenings include some of UPN's most popular shows. Dyer said he recommended the Nationals' current television schedule on the station to Whitelaw.
"Those are some of the best nights we have," Dyer said. "We have made strong inroads on those nights."
Nationals fans posted angry rants yesterday on Internet message boards.
Dave Lanham, 42, of Prince Frederick, Md., said that he listened to Charlie Slowes and Dave Shea call the game on the radio Wednesday, when Nationals center fielder Brad Wilkerson had four hits -- a single, double, triple and home run. "It's clearly outrageous," Lanham said. "You have an historic event where Wilkerson hits for the cycle. I really enjoy Slowes and Shea but there are many fans, young fans like my two sons, who would have loved to have watched to see the kind of drama that baseball can provide in a wonderful way."
Kip Smith, 22, a youth baseball coach who lives in the District, said: "I would have watched. I'm very concerned because this is a team that we put so much fight into getting and I would love to see them every chance I get."
Evans, the council's most ardent baseball supporter, said in a television interview Wednesday night that perhaps the city should not be so willing to provide public funding for a new stadium for the Nationals if the games are not televised. Yesterday, he softened his stance, saying he still supports the stadium financing package.
"The thing that set me off was the notion we were not on TV. That's ridiculous," said Evans (D-Ward 2). "We win the game, but Baltimore is on TV. How does this all happen? I'm just angry. We've got to get this straightened out."
Nationals President Tony Tavares asked the team's fans to be patient. "I hope every time we hit a bump in the road, people don't start saying, 'We aren't going to build them a stadium,' " Tavares said. "If I had my choice, all the games would be on and this would have been resolved months ago. But that's not the way it worked. The agreements just came together."
Mayor Williams said that baseball officials should have ensured that the Nationals were on television early in the season when the new franchise is trying attract fans. "We ought to be given the benefit of the doubt since we're starting up," Williams said.
On Wednesday evening, as Wilkerson was playing the hero in Philadelphia, those who watched Channel 20 would have caught the following shows during the 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. time slot: "Girlfriends," a sitcom about four young women dealing with family, friends and relationships; "America's Next Top Model 4," a reality show hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks; and "Kevin Hill," featuring Taye Diggs as an attorney who unexpectedly has to raise his cousin's 10-month-old daughter.
"It's outrageous the game could not be seen here," D.C. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D) said. "The city stepped up to plate. A new stadium is coming here. Fans have given some support to it. The least that could happen is they ought to be able to view the games in the city."
Staff writer Lori Montgomery contributed to this report.