Through the Wire
By Kent Gibbons -- Multichannel News, 1/30/2005 7:00:00 PM
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Items:
Pennsylvania Guv Won’t Miss This Game Don Logan Sees Cable In a Whole New Light Cox Exec Lobbies FCC, But For NAB, Not Cox Digital Debbie Won’t Accept Gropes Quietly |
Contributors: Linda Haugsted, Ted Hearn, R. Thomas Umstead.
Pennsylvania Guv Won’t Miss This Game
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has been a Philadelphia Eagles fan since 1969, when he bought his first season-ticket package. He did not attend that team’s Super Bowl XV appearance in New Orleans in 1981 — probably for the best, as coach Dick Vermeil’s Eagles team lost to quarterback Jim Plunkett and the Oakland Raiders, 27-10.
But when the Eagles head to Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 6 for another try at the crown, Rendell will definitely be in the house, thanks to hometown cable company Comcast Corp.
The former Philly mayor will be joining the on-air talent for the live pre- and post-game coverage of the Super Bowl, produced by Comcast SportsNet.
Rendell has been a part of the programming family there for years, commenting on his favorite team and donating appearance fees to charity. During the league championship post-game telecast, Rendell took on sports and civic duties, commenting on the game and advising ecstatic fans against damaging public property.
The Super Bowl-related programming will extend beyond SportsNet Philadelphia, network spokeswoman Maureen Quilter said. An estimated 18 million cable homes in eight markets — including Detroit, Dallas and Atlanta — will have access to CSN Philadelphia’s Daily News Live from Jacksonville. The show is scheduled at 5 p.m. ET from Jan. 31-Feb. 4; and Saturday, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
For more on what Comcast has planned in Jacksonville, see page 6.
Don Logan Sees Cable In a Whole New Light
Don Logan’s taking it all back. The Time Warner Inc. Media & Communications Group chairman’s most famous remark ever might have come in 1995, when he said Time Warner’s costly Pathfinder Internet portal gave new definition to the term black hole.
Last Wednesday night, at a black-tie event honoring magazine editors and publishers, he declared, “What was I thinking?” Running an Internet company is great, he said.
“And remember when we used to fret about cable TV encroaching on our advertising business?” he continued.
“I’m here to tell you those cable people are really nice guys who wouldn’t dream of hurting the advertising business. Don’t give them a second thought.”
Of course, Logan used to be more focused on magazines and publishing, as longtime chairman and CEO of Time Inc. But since July 2002, Time Warner Cable and America Online report to him.
The event, by the way, was the Magazine Publishers Association and American Society of Magazine Editors’ annual dinner, in New York, and Logan was introducing Time Inc. editor-in-chief Norman Pearlstine.
Pearlstine was being inducted into the Magazine Editors’ Hall of Fame — even though, as several speakers noted, the longtime editor of The Wall Street Journal had never actually edited a magazine. New definitions, indeed
Cox Exec Lobbies FCC, But For NAB, Not Cox
Andrew Fisher, Cox Enterprises Inc.’s top television executive, met last week with three members of the Federal Communications Commission to urge the agency to force cable operators to carry every free digital service provided by a local TV station.
Fisher’s participation was odd, because MSO Cox Communications Inc. supports the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s position that “multicast” must-carry is contrary to federal law, and that TV stations are entitled to carriage of just one programming service.
The same company is not supposed to take both sides of a dispute.
Fisher’s advocacy for multicasting mandates was recorded by the National Association of Broadcasters (Fisher is chairman of NAB’s TV Board) in three letters posted to the FCC’s Web site last Wednesday. For no apparent reason, the letters suddenly disappeared a day later.
The delicacy of Fisher’s position became clear after NAB filed a new letter with a very crucial amendment to the first paragraph, which stated: “Mr. Fisher was present as a representative of NAB and did not speak on behalf of Cox Television.”
Digital Debbie Won’t Accept Gropes Quietly
Coming next month from In Demand: a new Web site to tout its sports programming packages.
What’s so cool about it?
The site, Stillinthedoghouse.com, includes a few additional features that will tempt and entertain young male sports fans beyond the traditional X and Os.
The site is hosted by a “well-endowed” female “virtual sports host” who isn’t afraid to scold would be cyber-pervs, should their cursors touch her sensitive digital buttons. Wander away from the text and onto site host Debbie’s digital assets and expect a virtual scolding, such as, “Hey, my eyes are up here” and “All that surgery paid off, don’t you think?”
Also, a helpful “panic button” turns up a phony spreadsheet in case the boss should walk by.
The rest of the site — created by two women, we’re told — offers information on In Demand baseball, basketball, college and National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing out-of-market and interactive pay-per-view packages, including package pricing, updated scheduling and up-to-the-minute live game scores. It also gives sports geeks a creative excuse to ditch day-to-day chores and watch sports all day, every day.
