VOL 16 l NO. 4 APRIL 3, 1979 NCAA, ESPN reach major cablevision agreement A two-year agreement for the Association’s three divisions. million homes which have tele- exclusive national cablecasting The regular~season cablecasts visinn sets. of a series of NCAA champion- will cover all sports in which Cable industry is booming The ESPN coverage will be ships, as well as college and the Association sponsors cham- presented in addition to the five conference regular-season pionships, plus others on occa- Copyright 1979, The New York Times championships annually pro- events in 18 sports, has been sion. The year-round program Reprinted by permission duced by ABC-TV under terms reached by the National Colle- is scheduled to provide cable- The Gett.y Oil Company’s recent agreement to acquire of its contract for telecasting giate Athletic Association and casts to the public of mnre than up to 85 percent of Entertainment and Sports Programming NCAA football games. NBC-TV the Entertainment and Sports 350 college events and related Network Inc., a supplier of cable television programs with also telecasts one additional Programming Network, Inc., of shows. headquarters in Plainville, Connecticut, caused hardly a rip- championship under terms of Plainville, Connecticut. Under the contract, ESPN plc in oil industry circles. An obvious reason: It was said to its contract for rights to the ESPN plans to begin pro- will be required to cablecast a involve less than $10 millinn, a relative pittance for Getty, NCAA Basketball Champinn- duction of full-time, all-sports minimum number of events in which had revenues last year of $3.76 billion. ship. programming in September different sports, as far as the But the agreement is nevertheless regarded as quite sig- The ESPN agreement pro- 1979 for distribution via satel- inseasnn institutional and cnn- nificant for cable television : It is one more indication of the vides for additional program- lite to cable television systems ference events are concerned. robustness and growth of that youthful industry. Cable is ming to support its game tele- throughout the United States. ESPN also will release at least beginning to attract big investment dollars. casts, including highlights The ESPN plan, approved by one cablecast of every NCAA Recently, for example, the Storer Broadcasting Company shows and programs designed the NCAA Council upon recom- championship except those un- of Miami announced that it planned to sell its five radio to promote the events to be mendation of the Television der contract to other television stations and to expand its cable division, for which it has cablecast. Committee, calls for the events interests. Coverage of approxi- earmarked $100 million for development and acquisition. “We are happy and excited to be shown both live and on a mately 30 conference and 200 Continued on page 3 to be working with the NCAA delayed basis. Some will be re- inseason institutional events is to implement nur innovative peated to accommodate viewers contemplated. full-time sports program ser- unable to watch the initial pres- “The NCAA is pleased with breakthrough for the less pub- Coppedge indicated NCAA vice far cable systems natinn- entation. this arrangement,” said Capt. licized sports and the athletes Productions would assist ESPN wide,” said William F. Rasmus- The agreement provides that .I. 0. Cnppedge, United States who excel in those sports.” in administration of the series, scn, ESPN president. the entire spectrum of NCAA Naval Academy and chairman ESPN will prnvide the pro- particularly in scheduling and “One unique feature that is sports will be included in the of the NCAA Television Com- gramming to existing cable sys- acquisition of rights to cnnfer- certain to please sports fans is ESPN package. With the ex- mittee. “It provides a vehicle by tems. The systems that pur- ewe and regular-season con- our limited commercial con- ception of specific events and which mnre members and more chase the ESPN series will add tests, and in production of tent,” he continued. “We will sports programming already sports can gain television ex- it to their existing prngram se- cablecasts, with emphasis on limit our commercials to just committed to other networks, posure than ever before. lection at no extra charge to NCAA championships. four minutes per hour, plus a ESPN’s cable coverage will be “The coverage of the other subscribers; the plan does not Cnppedge noted that nearly one-minute station break, and designed to include each NCAA outstanding National Collegiate call for viewers to pay for any 15 million homes now are wired will not under any circum- national championship in the Championships is a major event. for cable service out of the ‘74 Continued on page 3 Judge’s ruling favors Wrestling Federation A federal district court in overextended their authority. Chicago has confirmed that the The court decision rejected this United States Wrestling Feder- position. ation won last September’s Following the arbitral award award from the American Ar- last fall, the USOC acknowl- bitration Association, boosting edged that the USWF was the the USWF closer to full imple- new national gnverning body mentation of its role as national and unseated the AAU as governing body for amateur Group A member. The USOC wrestling in the United States. also initiated steps to help the “This decision represents one LJSWF gain recognition by the mnre small step for the USWF FILA. However, in December, and a giant stride for wrest- under strong pressure from an ling,” USWF Executive Direc- AAU lnhby, the USOC execu- tor Steve Combs said. “If the tive board voted tn revoke its Amateur Athletic Uninn is earlier actions and reinstated truly concerned about the wel- the AAU as its national gnvern- fare of the athlete, as it claims ing body. to be, I hope it will now support The reversal brought abnu t our membership application to legal action, filed by the USWE’ International Wrestling Fed- in the Federal Courts of Wash- eration (FILA) so that the ington, D.C., seeking to com- roadblock it has created will be pel the USOC to abide by its removed and we can work to- constitution, accept the result Typical earth station under construction, others hke it to receive ESPN programmlng In 1979 gether to finalize the plans for of binding arbitration and seat all of the upcoming world cham- the Federation as its national pinnships.” gnvcrning body. The USWF The effect of the latest court also is seeking to have terms of Energy plan may affect attendance decision is judicial recognition the arbitration enforced upon of the ruling by three arbitra- the AAU, barring that nrgani- The Department of Energy impose restrictions on the re- be implemented in the event of tars that the USWF had estab- zation from any activities dcs- recently submitted for cnngres- tail sale of motor fuels during a fuel shortage and in the event lished t.he right to become the ignateri by the Amateur Sports sional apprnval several stand- weekend hours, defined as Fri- (:ongress approves the plan. national governing body far Act of 1978 as respnnsihilities hy energy conservation plans, day nnnn tn Sunday midnight. The potential impact of Plan wrestling and should be seated of the national governing body. No. 1 is dificult to assess be- one of which could, if imple- Once approved by Congress, as the Group A member of the The USWF has obtained a mented, have a major impact cause it is impossible to predict IJnited States Olympic Cnmmit- temporary restraining order, the plan could be implemented on gate receipts at college to what extent and at what tee. The fact of the arbitration blocking the USOC from imple- at any time. sports events, the Association’s time of the year it might be and of the award are now on mentation of its December re- Washington counsel has ad- Although a number of stand- put into effect. Nevertheless, record in the courts. The AAU versal of position and barring vised. iJy conservation plans Will be mandated service station clos- had challenged the arbitral the expenditure of any USOC Standby Conservation Plan prnpnsed (four have already ings on Friday afternoons and award, alleging in District funds to any organization, No. 1 would authorize the Set- been submitted), it is generally Saturdays would make it diffi- Court hearings that the arbi- other than the USWF, to carry retary of Energy (without fur- recognized that Plan No. 1 is cult for many potential spec- trators were hiased in favor of out, the duties of the national ther congressional action) to nne of the steps most likely to Continued on page 7 the IJSWF and that they had governing body for wrestling. The Editor’s View HEW and the marketplace Reprinted below is an ercerpt from the writing of 4 news columnist commenting pertinently about intercollegiate athletics. It is selected The most prolific theorists are those who capita expenditures or participants in a fe- because the NCAA NEWS feels it makes 4 point and discusses 4 topic have no financial responsibility for their male sport or sports, even though the female which will interest readers. Publication herein, however, does not imply NCAA NEWS endorsement of the views expressed by the schemes. In the labyrinthine quarters of the sport (or sports) may generate only $1.0 author. Department of Health, Education and Wel- thousand. fare resides probably the largest collection In the administration of men’s intercol- of social theorists or social engineers in all legiate athletics, the economic facts of life This judge wasn’t jesting of history. have long been recognized, which accounts By FURMAN q ISHER HEW’s 145,000 employees, of course, are for the widely varying budgets between and The Atlanta Journal not responsible for earning the income to among the different men’s sports at NCAA It was pure coincidence that I flew out of Kansas City after meet HEW’s annual budget of $184 billion.