Monday, January 27, 1997
SPORTS:
Century Cable’s decision not to carry Fox Sports West 2 could
affect spirit, merchandisingHere in Los Angeles, big business has
had a way of wresting sports teams from the hands of their loyal
and enthusiastic fans. Recent years have seen the second largest
city in the United States stripped of both its football teams, and
now, with the impending sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers, there is a
slight (yet conceivable) chance that our baseball team will leave
town as well.
With UCLA sports, something slightly different but equally
frustrating is occurring. A recent Daily Bruin headline says it
all: "Westwood residents to lose access to UCLA sports coverage,"
with Westwood residents making up a considerable portion of the
Bruin fans.
At base, there is something wrong with this picture.
Fox Sports West, in order to provide better coverage of local
sports, has created a new channel, Fox Sports West 2. As of today,
Fox Sports West 2 will be up and running, complete with coverage of
the UCLA-Oregon State basketball game. Sounds great, right? Not if
you live anywhere near campus. Century Cable, Westwood’s
monopolistic multisystem operator, will not be offering the channel
to local subscribers due to a lack of "channel availability."
We would never ask our readers to give up their Cartoon Network,
QVC Home Shopping or Private Selections Adult Programming. However,
we feel that Century Cable should consider replacing a leased or
local access channel or, if possible, salvage something from that
mysterious empty block between Channel 78 and 98, in order to
provide Bruin coverage.
Because Fox Sports West 2 is also slotted to carry 40 Dodger
games per season, it has been suggested that Century Cable is
backing away from the channel until the future of the Dodgers is
confirmed. It has also been suggested that Century’s bean counters
are waiting to determine if there is a large enough demand for the
channel and, if so, whether subscribers are willing to pay extra.
Frankly, we don’t care about the provider’s marketing perspectives.
We want a vehicle that allows the games to reach the fans. Century
can provide that vehicle, but they won’t. There’s the rub.
Denying UCLA sports coverage in Westwood and West Los Angeles is
an insult; it is a potential sapping of our school spirit. And it
has financial implications as well. For example, Century Cable’s
neglect of our local fan base will certainly not bring ASUCLA any
increased sales of Bruin merchandise.
Although Fox’s efforts are appreciated, it makes no sense to
split a channel in two in order to provide better coverage when
"better coverage" means zilch for local fans. Unlike the sudden
withdrawal of our pro football teams, fans have a voice in the
matter. Local residents wanting cable coverage of Bruin sporting
events should call Century Cable at (310) 453-2233 and say, "I want
my Fox Sports West 2!"