JimBob
12-14-2007, 03:56 PM
KOTV bid for telecast is rejected
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
12/13/2007
OKC, Stillwater viewers will see the game on basic cable, but Tulsans will not.
An Oklahoma City television station is believed to have secured the rights to carry the NFL Network's live coverage of the Dec. 31 Insight Bowl matching Oklahoma State and Indiana, but a bid submitted by the parent company of Tulsa's KOTV channel 6 was rejected.
In Oklahoma City and Stillwater, the Insight Bowl will be televised on basic cable. But in the Tulsa area, the telecast would be available only to subscribers of the DirecTV and Dish Network satellite systems, along with subscribers of Cox Communications' sports-and-information package.
''We were told by the NFL Network that they weren't considering Tulsa as a syndication market. They didn't want to see a bid from Tulsa,'' said John Trook, KOTV's director of sales. ''They only wanted to see a bid from Oklahoma City.
''We were prepared to jump through a hoop to make this happen.''
Trook said Griffin Communications, which owns Tulsa's KOTV and Oklahoma City's KWTV channel 9, submitted a bid that involved both stations.
Trook said the NFL Network awarded the Insight Bowl telecast to KSBI channel 52, an independent Oklahoma City station.
Trook said KOTV's intent was to present the OSU-Indiana telecast to all Tulsa-area viewers, including those who are not cable or satellite customers.
Telephone and e-mail attempts to contact NFL Network spokesman Seth Palansky were unsuccessful. Palansky had told The Okla homan newspaper that the bid process was open to all Oklahoma City television stations.
For Oklahoma City-area viewers, KSBI is available both over the air and on cable.
Stillwater residents will have access to the Insight Bowl telecast. KSBI is included in Stillwater's basic cable package.
The NFL Network is owned and operated by the National Football League.
Asked why Tulsa was shut out of the bid process, Trook replied, ''No one will give us a straight answer. We just kind of assume that Oklahoma City, being a Top 50 market nationally, is more critical to the NFL Network's sales effort. We're just presuming that at this point.
''I've asked other stations in the (Tulsa) market if they got the telecast, and no one has.''
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
12/13/2007
OKC, Stillwater viewers will see the game on basic cable, but Tulsans will not.
An Oklahoma City television station is believed to have secured the rights to carry the NFL Network's live coverage of the Dec. 31 Insight Bowl matching Oklahoma State and Indiana, but a bid submitted by the parent company of Tulsa's KOTV channel 6 was rejected.
In Oklahoma City and Stillwater, the Insight Bowl will be televised on basic cable. But in the Tulsa area, the telecast would be available only to subscribers of the DirecTV and Dish Network satellite systems, along with subscribers of Cox Communications' sports-and-information package.
''We were told by the NFL Network that they weren't considering Tulsa as a syndication market. They didn't want to see a bid from Tulsa,'' said John Trook, KOTV's director of sales. ''They only wanted to see a bid from Oklahoma City.
''We were prepared to jump through a hoop to make this happen.''
Trook said Griffin Communications, which owns Tulsa's KOTV and Oklahoma City's KWTV channel 9, submitted a bid that involved both stations.
Trook said the NFL Network awarded the Insight Bowl telecast to KSBI channel 52, an independent Oklahoma City station.
Trook said KOTV's intent was to present the OSU-Indiana telecast to all Tulsa-area viewers, including those who are not cable or satellite customers.
Telephone and e-mail attempts to contact NFL Network spokesman Seth Palansky were unsuccessful. Palansky had told The Okla homan newspaper that the bid process was open to all Oklahoma City television stations.
For Oklahoma City-area viewers, KSBI is available both over the air and on cable.
Stillwater residents will have access to the Insight Bowl telecast. KSBI is included in Stillwater's basic cable package.
The NFL Network is owned and operated by the National Football League.
Asked why Tulsa was shut out of the bid process, Trook replied, ''No one will give us a straight answer. We just kind of assume that Oklahoma City, being a Top 50 market nationally, is more critical to the NFL Network's sales effort. We're just presuming that at this point.
''I've asked other stations in the (Tulsa) market if they got the telecast, and no one has.''