SEC Plans To Tweak Elements Of Controversial New Media Policy

SEC Associate Commissioner for Media Relations Charles Bloom said that the conference "plans to 'tweak' elements of its new, controversial media policy that was distributed to the 12 schools last Thursday" due to the "public relations backlash," according to Jon Solomon of the BIRMINGHAM NEWS. Bloom: "I'm confident there will be some changes to the policy." Bloom said that the "ban of online video, the 72-hour window for TV highlights, and the definition of an 'event' are among the items that could be changed." Bloom added that a "clause that states a media member must be a 'full-time salaried employee' will definitely be changed." Bloom: "We're dealing in a world with stringers and college media." Meanwhile, Bloom said that changes to the new media policy "will probably need to be agreed upon" by XOS Technologies, which last month was announced as the host of the SEC Digital Network. Bloom added that the SEC and XOS "developed the language in the policy and the SEC office and all 12 member schools signed off on it." Bloom noted that "since the policy became public late last week, 35 to 40 media outlets have complained to the SEC" (BIRMINGHAM NEWS, 8/11). YAHOO SPORTS' Holly Anderson wrote the "real victims" of the media policy are the "traditional, small-market media types who actually need to earn a living from game coverage without the assistance of a large-market newspaper or TV network but risk losing their access altogether if they turn to other means" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/10).

BOWLING FOR DEALS: The BIRMINGHAM NEWS' Solomon reports the "direction the SEC takes for its bowl lineup from 2010 to '13 could take shape in the next couple of weeks," and bowl execs said that "finalizing the deals ... begins at the top with Orlando's Capital One Bowl, which is currently in a window of exclusive negotiations with ABC." Capital One Bowl Exec Dir Steve Hogan said that "it's 'certainly possible' the game could move to ESPN ... if the Capital One Bowl remains with ABC's parent company, Disney." Hogan: "It's clear the TV model has changed. It makes perfect sense that what's going to drive a lot of us in the future is to deliver programming that warrants subscriber increases." Meanwhile, Solomon notes Cotton Bowl officials "won't rule out jumping ahead of the Capital One in the SEC pecking order." The Cotton Bowl "has moved" to the new Cowboys Stadium, and organizers are "angling for a spot in the Bowl Championship Series in the future" (BIRMINGHAM NEWS, 8/11).

TV DEALS: FSN Northwest and Washington State Univ. (WSU) have reached an eight-year extension of their rights agreement to provide coverage of WSU athletics through the '16-17 academic year. FSN also "will produce a 30-minute weekly show focusing on Cougars athletics beginning this season" (TRI-CITY HERALD, 8/7)....The Big Sky Conference yesterday announced the "largest television package for a Football Championship Subdivision conference," which includes 22 conference games and a "total of 34 contests featuring league teams." Each Big Sky team will appear on TV "at least three times" this season, and the package includes five conference games on Altitude Sports & Entertainment (DESERET NEWS, 8/11).