Thursday, July 29, 1999

Fox is planning
local sports show

The plan is still in its early stages,
but the network hopes to have the
cable show launched as
early as next year

National prep pigskin playoff a ways off

By Cindy Luis
Star-Bulletin

Fox Sports Net's proposal for a national high school championship game is just one option of a multi-faceted offense in a plan to become a sports network leader.

The cable network's strategy is to launch a locally focused sports news program in each of its 22 regional markets, including Honolulu. The network's top executives hope to begin programming as early as next year, broadcasting on Fox Sports West 2, a cable channel not currently offered to most Hawaii households.

However, Oceanic Cable representatives say the plan is still in the negotiating stages, as far as Hawaii is concerned. Kit Beuret, Oceanic's director of public affairs, said yesterday that it would be premature to anticipate the implementation of the programming without some detailed market analysis locally.

"For us to add Fox Sports West 2 would mean we would either have to find a place for it among the already finite number of analog channels we have, or add it digitally as a premium channel, a premium package or basic service," said Beuret, who has worked at Oceanic for some 17 years. "We have so many variables we have to work with, including our implementation committee that deals with the ramifications of marketing, customer service and technological issues.

"Right now, we're still in the negotiating stages and those negotiations are moving along."

Currently, Oceanic offers Fox Sports West as part of its premium sports package to subscribers. Fox Sports 2 is available in limited areas via other cable systems and satellite.

According to a Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal issue earlier this month, the new programs are planned to provide in-depth local sports coverage, somewhat like a broadcast version of the daily newspapers' sports sections. In between local segments will be the Fox Sports News, the national sports news program hosted by Keith Olbermann.

Complicating the local issue is Oceanic's independent contract with the Oahu Interscholastic Association to televise selected games of the Oahu public schools' league. That five-year contract runs through the summer of 2001.

Also in place is a five-year agreement between the University of Hawaii and KFVE, which runs through 2003 with an option to renew for another five years. The Western Athletic Conference - of which UH is a member - recently signed an agreement with Fox Sports Net for live telecasts of up to 18 football and 40 conference basketball games over the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons. The agreement also carries a three-year extension option.

"I don't believe we'll be impacted by what is being done," said Dan Schmidt, KFVE programming director. "It's like ESPN coming in and producing the Pro Bowl. They have the rights, they do the production with their own broadcasters.

"Plus the WAC deal is very simple, dealing only with football and basketball. The only question will be, 'Is their news program going to be produced here or on the mainland?' "

KFVE has been broadcasting UH sports since 1984, televising football (delayed on Oahu), men's and women's basketball and volleyball, men's baseball, and women's soccer, water polo and softball. KFVE also has broadcast selected state high school state tournaments, most recently girls' basketball and boys' baseball, on a non-contract basis with the Hawaii High School Athletic Association.

The Fox Sports West proposal includes televising selected high school contests on a regional basis, meaning the HHSAA would become involved. As mentioned, the OIA already has a contract with Oceanic, but a statewide deal with any national network would have to be approved by the HHSAA executive board.

As for the local Fox network affiliate, KHON Channel 2 has no involvement with the national or west coast operations.

"We have not been dealing with Fox Sports West at all," said Steve Hiramoto, KHON's general sales manager. "We do deal with Fox News in terms of sending them video clips and information. If there is a network program, our feeling is it will be done through Oceanic and we won't be involved at all."

Fox Sports Net has been tremendously aggressive said Bob Hogue, KHON's sports director. "We are able to get highlights regionally from everywhere. And they keep gobbling rights up to everything."

Fox Sports has spent millions for the long-term rights to broadcast 75 percent to 80 percent of regional Major League Baseball, NBA and NHL teams. Fox recently broadcast the MLB All-Star Game and Stanley Cup finals.

According to Jason Franks, public relations director at Fox Sports West in Los Angeles, the Street & Smith's article may have jumped the gun.

"We're still in the planning stages," he said.

Fox Sports Net is the first truly national, regional and local supplier of sports programming and reaches more than 68 million homes through 22 regional networks.

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National prep pigskin
playoff is a ways off

By Cindy Luis
Star-Bulletin

A national high school football playoff involving St. Louis, Kahuku or another Hawaii team? Don't even think about it, at least for a while.

Despite Fox Sport Net's big push to engineer a meeting of the top two football teams in its weekly poll for a national title game, it's doubtful it will happen in time for the network's proposed game at the Alamodome in December 2000.

"There are many hurdles that need to be overcome," said Keith Amemiya, executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association.

The least of which being that the National High School Federation prohibits such a contest. Of the 51 high school associations nationwide (including the District of Columbia), only Hawaii, North Dakota and Rhode Island don't have specific bylaws addressing that issue; however, as members of the NHSF, the national bylaws override any decision at the local level.

"And we certainly don't want to risk any sanctions from the national federation," said Amemiya, who met with Fox Sports network officials last May. "It's a very intriguing concept, the national championship, however, I don't think we want to risk expulsion from the national federation.

"I do know that Fox Sports is pursing a national waiver for its football championship."

Currently two Hawaii schools are ranked in Fox Sports Net's regional rankings - St. Louis at No. 1 in the West, No. 3 nationally, and Kahuku, No. 15 in the West.

Approximately 30 of the 51 member associations have some working relationship with Fox regional networks. Hawaii's affiliation is through the Oahu Interscholastic Association's deal with Oceanic Cable, which carries Fox programming.

"I think national exposure would be great," said Amemiya. "It would provide exposure to colleges for our student-athletes to see the high caliber of play in Hawaii.

"However, there is a valid concern of not putting too much emphasis on high school sports."

Dwight Toyama, the OIA executive secretary, said he would like to study the proposal further but shared Amemiya's concerns.

Amemiya said Fox Sports has expressed an interest in televising Hawaii's inaugural state high school football championship this November. Also, there has been talk of holding the national championship game in Hawaii in the future.

"I know that Fox has met with several key associations in the last months, including ours," said Amemiya. "They were interested especially in states that had nationally ranked teams.

"But before we can agree to televise our games on even a regional basis, we have to have HHSAA board approval."

While the OIA has been more receptive to broadcasts - including negotiating a five-year TV package with Oceanic Cable - the Interscholastic League of Honolulu has been reluctant to join in the television marketing. The ILH's stand has been to take a low-key approach to prep sports.

While the ILH has not entered into a broadcast package for football, last year's Prep Bowl, the unofficial state championship, was broadcast on a pay-per-view basis through Oceanic with great success financially and per household.

"It all is very intriguing," said Amemiya. "There's a lot of tradeoffs involved. Although it might put too much emphasis on high school sports, it also provides a benefit for the student-athlete in terms of exposure and to provide family and friends throughout the state and mainland a chance to see them play in the state tournaments."

Amemiya, entering his second year in the job, said his vision for the HHSAA included a monthly high school sports TV program that would highlight all sports.

"There's a strong move nationally to do this," he said. "And it's growing more and more every year. I think it's an option we should purse."