CABLEFAX DAILY’s Steve Effros writes an Administrative Law Judge at the FCC has “remarkably decided that there is no difference between golf and tennis, that they are both in the ‘sports genre.’” Thus, Comcast “cannot make an editorial decision to place one channel it owns, The Golf Channel, on a more broadly distributed tier than The Tennis Channel, which it also carries, that likewise features those three attributes.” Effros asks if people “take out the use of a ball, then will the FCC start deciding based on what it generally considers a ‘sport’?” The IOC has “already accepted synchronized swimming and curling, and is being petitioned to include ballroom dancing.” Is the cable industry at the point “where the FCC is going to decide what we can and cannot treat ‘equally’ on our channels based on its editorial judgment?” (CABLEFAX DAILY, 1/26).
FUTURE OF 3D: DAILY VARIETY’s Michael Ventre noted Cameron-Pace Group co-Chair Vince Pace at the Sports Entertainment Production Summit at Luxe Sunset in L.A. “talked about 3D in sports programming and said that after witnessing the new technology by Sony and others, the proliferation of glasses-free 3D is not far off.” Pace said, “It’s incredible to me that we’re on the right path.” Spike TV’s Tim Duffy talked of meeting Lakers F Metta World Peace “to discuss a possible sports-based reality show.” But World Peace said that he “didn’t want to be depicted as a bad guy.” Duffy on the project, “Pass. Not everybody deserves to be on TV” (VARIETY.com, 1/25).
QUESTIONS & COMMENTS: In Buffalo, Jerry Zremski wrote Sports Fans Coalition, “a national group that has been fighting the Federal Communications Commission’s blackout rules, announced Tuesday that it has formed a Buffalo chapter to press the FCC on the issue -- and to explore ways to ensure that the Bills remain in Buffalo.” The group has “set up a website, endblackouts.com, where fans can write their comments to the FCC regarding the blackout rules.” The FCC is “accepting comments on the matter through Feb. 13” (BUFFALO NEWS, 1/25).
TRYING TO DRIVE INTERST: In Indianapolis, Curt Cavin wrote IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard has said that it is his goal “to get the TV show that IndyCar did on Versus back at least for May.” Cavin: “We’ll see where it goes from there. The overall lack of broadcasting programming is a big problem for IndyCar.” There are “scads of NASCAR alternatives; virtually none for IndyCar” (INDYSTAR.com, 1/25).
