Boise St. Vs. Wyoming Still Wait-and-See TV: Cable Company Negotiating to Add Mtn. Network to Premium Sports Digital Tier

By Brian Murphy, The Idaho Statesman, Boise

Sep. 14–Sit tight, Bronco fans.

This week’s TV fiasco isn’t over yet.

Boise State’s football game at Wyoming on Saturday is still not scheduled to be broadcast locally. But Cable One, the largest cable provider in the Treasure Valley, is negotiating with the mtn. network to air the 1:30 p.m. game.

“We are negotiating to carry the mtn. In the event that those negotiations are positive, it would be carried on our sports digital tier,” Celynda Roach, the Cable One general manager for the Boise area, said Wednesday afternoon. “We are hopeful, but it has not been completed.”

The mtn., a new network created by the Mountain West Conference, is not currently available on Cable One or satellite providers Dish Network and DirecTV.

Tim Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for Comcast Sports Net, which manages the mtn., said the network was in negotiations with additional providers, including satellite and cable companies such as Cable One.

The mtn. has agreements with 10 cable providers in five states, including the Independent Cable Systems of Idaho, but Fitzpatrick confirmed that no deal had been made with any additional providers.

If the game is not aired in the area, it would be the Broncos’ first road game since 1997 not to be televised.

“We’re hopeful we can provide that programming,” said Roach, who called Cable One’s attempt a “shot in the dark.”

If Cable One is successful, only subscribers with the digital tier — which requires a digital cable box — would be able to watch the game. It would likely be added to the cable system’s Digital Plus package, which includes The Golf Channel, ESPNews and several Fox College Sports regional networks.

Roach said media reports around the Treasure Valley indicating that an announcement was scheduled for today were incorrect. “It’s incredibly important that somebody have the right information,” she said.

KTVB offered three times to carry the mtn.’s broadcast of the game unedited, but was rebuffed each time.

Any provider hoping to air Saturday’s game could likely strike a deal as late as Friday and still get the game on the air.

The game will be broadcast on local radio station KBOI (670 AM).

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Idaho Statesman, Boise

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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