,,"' :8~2:,,-, -:N.::EW:..:.~YORK=:.':..PO:.:.:S:.:.:T.-:.TU=iE::S.:;DA:.;,Y..:.._A...:U..:.G..:.,US_T_2_0..:.,_1_99...:6 _ PlUS .. Next on Classic- Sp~orls: Overtime, '~. ....: ... '~ seems remote, acco~ No sudden death Richard Aurelio, presider Time Warner Cable of : as hot network York. ' "They've made presel gets reprieve tions to us in the past By MICHAa STARR but we have so many cl: nels that my reaction HE Classic' Sports Net­ [Classic Sports) is that t worle might go into enra really oUght to be a""... innings after all , round channel on a Contractually, Classic ~rts network like l\I T ESPN2 or SportsChann Sports is scheduled to be dropped by WBIS'Ch. 31 on Aurelio said. "As a chaD Oct. 16, when the new sta- by itself, it doesn't seen " tion - which used to be be a viable programm v.~'YC and was bought for service. We're tracking ~207 million bv Dow Jones pretty closely, and we de and ITT - 06tensibly starts see anything signific. airing its own programming. about its impact. It's a n But it's doubtful WBIS will elty and it's new ... , people want to watch I meet the Oct. 16 startup sports events, usually date. meaning Classic Sports prime time." could continue on WBIS. The There aren't any offil sports network is being seen Nielsen numbers on I: on Ch. 3 on cable systems in Classic Sports is penal Manhattan and on Ch. 31 on ing. According to one p S\"5tems in the other bor­ lished report, Cia! o~ Sports scored cable ratil -As of today, we're sched­ rangiog from 0.4 to 1.2 uled to go off WBIS on Oct. New York on July 24 • 16: said Classic Sports 26 - outperforming otl President Steve Greenberg. cable networks like ESE -Contractually, we 'have a Comedy Central. CN limited ron on WBIS and at and Discovery Channel. some point between now "'We've gotten thousal and January we're going to of letters and phone Cl go off. But whether or not from people thanking us that will change we're just creating the network , - not sure." asking us to run spec WBIS station president prograDlming," . Greenb Carolyn Wall said the sta­ said. "There's even a 'Ho tion 'Irill have several pro­ Run Derby' cult and WI gramming announcements bearing from a lot ofbox: "in the next couple of fanatics rediscovering weeks~ but wasn't specific Cable's Classic Sports Network has ca..tluehul New York ......- fans with Its lineup of boxers of the '405 and'S about WHIS' startup plans. ........... .......- We've developed a v ~r\'e legendary sports events, including great boxing matches such as the young Muhammed strong followi!1t in a v been here since June short period oftime." and I think there's still a Ali's first bout against heavyweight champion SOnny Uston (left) in Miami In 1964. To ,ensure people WI lirtle bit of time that needs schedule," she said. -x'o Classic Sports relies not Greenberg said Classic forget about the networl to be devoted to planning what degree and extent will only on arcliival footage, but Sports is talking to Beveral it leaves WBIS, Greenb -" and staffing," Wall said. be discussed. I don't know also features old shows like loCal cable systems - in- said Classic Sports is And Wall said that Clas- how permanent it will be." "Home Run Derby," "Sparta eluding Tel (North Jersey, vertising on radio, TV, o sic Spons could find a home Classic Sports - a Cballenge" o..nd '1'be Super- and Westchester>, Cablevi- newspapers and on 1 on WBIS"': though for how 24-hour network devoted to stars." In addition, roUnd- sion and Comcast - about boards. long remains to be de­ replaying memorable sports table discussions and inter- picking up Classic _§ports "We have a substan termined. events - has generated a view segments with sports once its run ends on WBIS. budget allocated for pro -The\' will continue to be lot of passionate talk legends are hosted by sPorts- But the chances of Classic tion and marketing in !' represented after the among sports fans since it caster AI Trautwig from the Sports !anding on Time York over the next launch and will have a began airing July 1 on network's "Vtctory Yard" stu- Warner Cable - which car- weeks," he said. "We wan place 00 our [programming] WBIS.· , . mos in midtown Manhattan. ries WBIS in New York - be somewhat ubiquitous." WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1996 CABLE MUSTN'T BENCH CLASSIC SPORTS CHANNEL '" EVERY measure. the new B Classic Sports Network has But the No. 1 fan of Classic It's taken Greenberg and his been a home run ever since it Sports may be Rudy Giuliani. partner, Brian Bedol, three years startt,d airing on WBIS July 1. The other day, the mayor had a to 11('!{otiale 'ic('n~ing deals with Its ratings are higher than City Hall meeting with Magic all the major sports film libraries. ESP:-:·.s and Comedy Central's. Johnson. The first thing the The network has been receiving mayor told Magic was, "My son Part of the appeal of CSN is its about 300 letters a week from and r watched you play against taste in programming. It does not fnns. Yesterday, it got a $20 mil· Larry Bird last night." go for cheap thrills. lion infusion ofnew capital. "Classic Sports is the best thing "We elected not to show the But unless something unex. that happened this summer," third IEmilel Griffith·IBenny] pected happens, Classic Sportll Giuliani says. "I watch it with Paret fight. despite many reo will lose its New York outlet at Andrew all the time. My son quests, because Paret died after the ~nd of tht> year because of the never knew the Knicks won two the bout," Gr~nhe..g says. "We monopoly politics of cable televi· NBA titles. We saw the catch by won't show any of O.J. [Simp· sion. Willie Mays in the 1954 [World} son'sl games because that would CSN shows complete, memora. Series together. He became a box­ be cxploith'e and we don't want to ble sports events, plus old shows ing fan watching the Carmen Ba· promote O.J. silio·Tony DeMarco and Jimmy like "Home Run Derby." It pre­ "The biggest problem we face is serves legacies and standards. Young-George Foreman tights." Yet, despite all this consumer that there isn't a rh'al cable dis· It shows the younger generation tributor we can sell our product to oril,rinal.s like Ruherto Clemente, enthusiasm - and genuine fam­ ily values - Classic Sports may in New York. It's like ha\;ng one Larry Bird, Willie supl.'rmarket in a City, and no Ma\'s, Billie J~an be forced off cable at the end of the yt>ar. Its trial run on WBIS, neighborhood groceries to stock a Kilig. Oscar Rob· superior product." ertson, Bobby Orr which took over Channel 31 from and Sugar Ray Rob· WNYC. is limited. And Time Over the next 10 d:l\'s. Classic inson - in their Warne... whkh has a cahl(' mo­ Sports will air: the 1947 Yankt>es' pnmes. in the context of dramatic nopoly. inc....dibly seems to have Dodgers World Series: the 19M2 confrolltations. no inte..est in giving CSN one of NCAA finals between North Car· Thel'~ is no doubt that such ar· its i6 channels - many of which olina and Gt.'orgetown: the 1980 chival film and tape -like an old air junk or P0l"ll. Bjorn Borg·John McEnroe tennis song - has the mystical power to "Th(' chances of CSN getting a match; the 1955 Stanlt>)' Cup fi· m;Jkt' menHlry Sef,'m magical. dedicated channel from us are nals: the third til{ht in the Tony I watched the 1970 Knick!> with Zalc.Rocky Graziano trilogy; and my daughtt'r, and she gained new very remote," says Barry Rosen· ever)' tight in Muhammad Ali"s in"lght mto selness teamwork. blum. president of Time Wamer curecr in a mar;Jlhon this Satur· Illy pl'1\'atl' mt'mory bank and Cable ofNew York. day. wht're Bill Bradley came from. "We would have to give up one Ont' reason I shed a tear when I of our six pay·per-view channels. The VCR industry would proba­ walched Muhammad Ali light the and thill would irritate our cus­ bly be pressurinK Time Warner OlympIC name with a trembling tomers." Cable to give CSN a slot just for hand was that [ had just seen Ali Richard Aurelio, Rosenblum's all the VCRs it will help sell. - forev€'r young at 22 - jab and boss. was quoted earlier saying, When I told Giuliani that Clas­ dance Sonny Liston silly an hour "CSN doesn't seem to be a viable sic Sports will probably be l'al"lil'r un CSN. programming service. We don't squeezed out of the New York ,Jlle Spilwlli, former state in. see anything significant about its market, he responded: spector general and FBI agent impact. It's a novelty," told me: ' My cable·industry sources say "You write that Time Warner "I watched the Rocky Marciano. Time Warner is just acth.... like a should not only give Classic Archie Moore fight with my normal arrogant monopoly. Sports a channel, they should ex· daughter. My grandfather had A new sports channel. owned by pand it to 24 hours. I can't believe taken me to see that fight in Sports Illustrated and CNN, is there isn't a huge audience for 1955, when I was 6 years old.