Today was the deadline to let the athletic department and the procurement office know of anyone's intention to bid. As expected, officials at KFVE-TV (Channel 5) and KGMB-TV (Channel 9) said they already had sent their letters.

"Shortly after the bid meeting, (KGMB general manager) Dick Grimm indicated there would be a letter of intent to bid," KGMB station manager Ray Depa said yesterday. "And I believe we did."

KFVE-TV general manager John Fink also said his station intends to bid for a package Channel 5 owns. The contract ends next month. KFVE currently pays about $429,000 a year for the broadcast rights.

UH assistant athletic director Jim Donovan said earlier this week that the minimum bid for the new contract is $1 million a year through 2002, with an option for another five years after that.

The amount of the bids submitted won't be known by anyone in the athletic department until they are opened on April 14. Whoever bids the most will be awarded the contract, provided the station can show the athletic department that it meets other requirements of the bid specifications, such as broadcasting UH events into at least a million mainland homes.

The winner will be allowed seven days to prove it can meet the minimum requirements set down in the bid specifications. If for some reason it can't, then the other bidder would have the same opportunity to prove it can meet the minimum requirements.