Which road would you choose? The one with the toll booth restricted to subscribers, or the one that's had free access for the entire state the past 12 years?
This is just another of the financial dilemmas facing the University of Hawaii as the contract to broadcast Rainbow athletics goes out to bid, possibly this week. Just how much does the university need - and want - for the telecast rights and at what price does the winning bidder - and Hawaii residents - get them?
Oceanic Cable is offering $1.2 million a year through 2001. The hitch is that 14 percent of the state - some 53,000 homes and 154,000 people - don't subscribe to cable. Although Oceanic has gained partnership approvals from cable stations on all the other islands, broadcasts will still reach only 90 percent of cable subscribers.
On the other side of the dial are public channels KHNL-Hawaii News 8 and its lessee, KFVE, "The Home Team." John Fink, KHNL president and general manager, said there won't be a bidding war with Oceanic Cable but that KHNL "would meet UH's stated budgetary broadcast needs."
"We're trying to do what is in the best interests of the university and the people of Hawaii, and make a wise business decision," Fink said. "While money is the obvious issue, I think 150,000 people losing out on UH sports would be an ugly precedent."
The irony is that KHNL/KFVE made the television rights to the UH athletic program worth considerably more than the annual $425,000 fee the station is currently paying. From 15 broadcasts in 1984, to 75 in 1986, to 195 scheduled this school year, KFVE gives UH the most comprehensive collegiate TV package in the country.
It's no surprise that Fink is reluctant to see his baby growing up in the hands of a stranger. KHNL and Oceanic discussed a partnership but, "After the smoke cleared, we decided to readdress the issue after the bid process," said Oceanic Cable president Don Carroll.
THE beauty of having the Rainbows on public channels is the free, easy access for even the casual fan. What happens to all the portable TV sets at local barbecues that will be blacked out if the 'Bows go cable?
Should Oceanic be granted the rights, Carroll guarantees that UH contests won't be on "Pay-for-Play." At least not soon.
"They (UH) have to raise money somehow," Carroll said. "I don't see it happening within this bid time frame but one has to wonder if it won't happen at some point."
One also has to wonder if a newly created Rainbow Channel won't go the way of the Disney Channel? Subscribers began receiving the premium channel for free only to have a "system upgrade charge" appear on their bills soon after.
The bidding process has changed. Previous bids were awarded by proposal, meaning the highest monetary offer didn't necessarily win if another bid was deemed in the best interest of the school. This time, the Rainbows will go to the highest bidder "so nobody could accuse us of favoritism," UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida said.
Avoiding favoritism will make for an interesting decision. On one hand, there is KHNL which built KFVE around the Rainbows. On the other hand is Oceanic's Carroll, a former president of the UH Foundation, the university's fund-raising arm.
Among the bid specifications are: a minimum cash offer of $750,000 annually for five years; UH games to be shown in at least 80 percent of Hawaii households and, if on cable, must be part of the basic subscriber package; and all football games to be shown on the mainland in a minimum of a 1,000,000 households west of the Rockies, and including Texas.
Stay tuned.