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Options are limited for Lightning

By SHARON GINN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 31, 2001

WXPX-Ch. 66 may be joining Sunshine Network as a broadcasting partner for Lightning games, but that almost certainly will mean fewer games on TV than last season.

But the options are dwindling for the team, and ongoing negotiations have delayed the release of the television schedule. Training camp begins Sept. 11.

Essentially the dilemma for the Lightning is this: Broadcast more games, about 20 percent of them on a loose network of cable channels that has been known to fail, or show fewer games on a station (WXPX) that is more well-known, more reliable and better able to promote the team.

Most teams would rather have more games, but most teams also would rather not have to deal with an ill-fated experiment like last year's Lightning Hockey Network. The "network" actually was a group of unrelated cable access channels charged with getting the broadcast on the air 20 times.

Not only was the audio and video quality often lacking, in Hillsborough County one entire game and two-thirds of another didn't air because of equipment failure.

"Although the Lightning Hockey Network got better as the season went along, I don't think it was ever perfect," team spokesman Bill Wickett said.

Sunshine's contract with the Lightning requires the network to produce 60-75 of the 82 games for television. Last season, Sunshine aired 50 and put 20 on the experimental Lightning Hockey Network.

Sunshine will air about 50 again this season, and hopes to place 10-15 elsewhere. WXPX seems the most likely candidate, Wickett said, but the Lightning Hockey Network could live on.

The team's major goal is to get as many road games as possible on the air. Wickett expects the schedule to be finalized by next week.

BIG BUCS: WTOG-Ch. 44's two preseason Bucs games have been its highest-rated programming of the year. The Aug. 18 game at Cleveland drew a 15.6 rating and 25 share (one ratings point equals 1 percent of the market's homes with televisions; share is the percentage of TVs turned on that were tuned in).

Saturday's broadcast of the Bucs-Patriots game earned a 17.7 rating and 28 share. The station's final game is tonight.

The station decided the large audience could best be used to promote fall programming during halftime, rather than air a traditional highlights show, said Barbara Burley, director of programming, promotion and advertising.

HI, DAD: Brian McRae, son of Rays manager Hal, will work the Tampa Bay at Seattle game Monday as an analyst (10 p.m., ESPN2).

The ESPN2 regional broadcast, however, will be seen only in the Baltimore and Oakland markets, where the national game (Orioles at A's) is blacked out. Area fans will see the Rays on Fox Sports Net Florida.

TENNIS ANYONE?: You had to know this one was coming: The Tennis Channel is set to launch next summer. Network executives promise tournament and instructional programming plus classic matches and coaching tips.

Icky alert: Uber-sports agency IMG, which already owns and manages tennis tournaments and represents top players such as Jennifer Capriati, will be a network partner.

FINE TUNING: Sunshine will air the Plant-Hillsborough high school football game at 7 tonight. ... This month, ESPN2 became the fastest network to reach 80-million homes, 95 months after its October 1993 launch. ESPN is at 84.7-million, ESPN Classic is at 40-million and ESPNNEWS at 25-million.

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