WAC hopes SportsWest
TV deal brings exposure
Hawaii's football games at Tulsa and Louisiana Tech this fall will still be televised by KFVE-TV (Channel 5) -- otherwise know as "The Home Team." Just don't expect Jim Leahey, one of the few perfect pronouncers of Polynesian names, to be calling the action.
Leahey, the long-time TV voice of UH sports, is blocked out by the double-team of Western Athletic Conference contracts with ESPN and SportsWest. The latter deal was announced yesterday; it calls for SportsWest to do 10 each of WAC football and men's basketball games every year.
"We are televising it, but not producing it," KFVE programming director Dan Schmidt said yesterday of the Tulsa game, which is being picked up by SportsWest. "It's a similar situation with the Louisiana Tech game, except that one is ESPN Regional."
Leahey and new color commentator Doug Vaioleti are now scheduled to voice from six to eight of the Warriors' 13 regular-season games. The games at UNLV (Sept. 19) and at home against Boise State (Dec. 6) have been picked up by ESPN for national TV, while the one at USC (Sept. 13) will be shown by Fox Sports Network. Home games against Fresno State (Oct. 11) and Alabama (Nov. 29) could be plucked by ESPN.
Leahey, who is in annual negotiations on his KFVE contract, declined comment.
Said Schmidt: "I'm not happy about it, and it takes away some of our branding. But I don't expect it to harm KFVE, or our relationship with the University of Hawaii. It's just another one of those bumps in the road."
SportsWest originally planned to also do UH's game at LaTech. But ESPN Regional took priority.
"We only have one Hawaii football game, but we'll make that up by doing three Hawaii basketball games this year," said Mikel Minor, vice president of production for SportsWest.
That could be the only plus for UH in the equation, since those would likely be road basketball games and KFVE rarely broadcasts away hoops games.
UH athletic director Herman Frazier said that overall the new contract is "good for the Western Athletic Conference."
Financial terms of the deal between SportsWest and the WAC were not available yesterday, but UH is not expected to make a significant amount from it.
"The mutual benefit is the league gets exposure and SportsWest gets to sell the game," Minor said.