All Cubs Channel a Result of Sale?

by Emelie on Jul 16, 2008 7:13 AM CDT

The Business Section of the Tribune this morning offers the tantalizing possibility of an all Cubs cable channel. The Tribune Co. included this proposal in its financial book sent recently to prospective buyers. The Cubs market is huge.

On Comcast SportsNet, the Cubs draw more viewers by a wide margin, the article says, more than the other three sports teams shown on the network: the White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks.

The WGN factor complicates matters and proves worrisome. The article says, it's unclear whether Tribune Co... would obligate the new team owner to continue broadcasting games on the local station, which has a 60-year history with the Cubs.

It would be a shame to have a local all Cubs channel at the expense of nationally broadcast games. Fortunately, for the near term -- or at least until 2019 when the CSN license expires -- we can breathe easy.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation, Bleed Cubbie Blue, or Al Yellon, editor-in-chief. FanPost opinions are, however, valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

0 recs | Comment 30 comments

Story-email Email | Print |

Comments

All Cubs channel sounds good to me

I dont live in illinois, so if it were like YES and showed all the games and was available regardless of cable provider, Id be all for it, despite what a great job WGN does. So if there was a way too see all the cubs games without shelling out for the baseball package, I think that would great.

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Jul 16, 2008 8:43 AM CDT 0 recs

I was thinking about somethign sililar to this

just a few weeks ago. The sale of the Cubs would put WGN’s hold on broadcast in jeopardy. I’m not talking just the television portion, but also the radio. WIthout the Tribune umbrella, who’s to say that the Cubs will still be with WGN some years from now? I have no idea on the specifics in the WGN deal, but I would suppose that at some point, it would come up for competitive bid.

Formerly NO100

by jerry morales rules on Jul 16, 2008 9:41 AM CDT 0 recs

Living in Ohio...

This would be a huge bummer.

I've told you a million times never to exaggerate!!

by pscrblazer on Jul 16, 2008 10:09 AM CDT 0 recs

Basically

For those of us outside of the Illinois area, it may mean shelling out for access to an all Cubs channel at some point…which I would be willing to pay for, because I’d expect I’d see more games than on just WGN (with no Chi Sox to get in the way) and maybe it would be less than what I pay for the baseball package. I’m cool with it, as it stands the only games I really see on WGN are day games…the rest are usually road night games broadcast from FSN from whatever city they may be in.

by StevenABQ on Jul 16, 2008 10:11 AM CDT 0 recs

Realizing..

... that it would cost you $ outside of Chicago and I’d get it as part of basic cable (probably), it has always been my position that you should be able to see any game you want if you are willing to pay for it, rather than be subject to blackouts that now prevent some of you outside Chicago from seeing every Cubs game.

Perhaps this will happen in the near future.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Jul 16, 2008 10:22 AM CDT up 0 recs

Hear Hear!

Eat More Katsui

by CaliCub on Jul 16, 2008 10:24 AM CDT up 0 recs

Hope Blackout Rules Change

I have doubts that this proposed channel would be on a basic cable package outside of the Chicagoland area. Maybe, the blackout rules will change by the time a proposed all-Cubs channel would come into being. If things don’t change with blackout rules, I’m afraid even with this channel that some games would get blacked out outside Chicago.

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Jul 16, 2008 10:41 AM CDT up 0 recs

It probably WON'T be on a basic package outside Chicago, BUT...

... what they need to do is change the blackout rules so you could buy it anywhere and see all the games.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Jul 16, 2008 10:43 AM CDT up 0 recs

Yeah very true

Only thing that has saved me from D-Backs blackouts is WGN…

by StevenABQ on Jul 16, 2008 10:57 AM CDT up 0 recs

Would an all-Cubs channel broadcast year round?

If so, I cringe at how they’d fill up the programming during the off season – or even during the regular season. I mean, how much Cubs analysis could they possibly put together? Hm, then again, perhaps the day of reckoning could soon be close at hand…

Coming up next…”See ‘n Say Baseball” with your host BlueMike!

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Jul 16, 2008 10:33 AM CDT 0 recs

I can see the 3:00 AM programming on The Cubs Channel:

a toss up between

“Granny Ziegler’s Cubs Treehouse” – Granny was a bartender at Murph’s and has lots of memories of 1969 when Leo Durocher tied one on with Eddie Lopez, a street sweeper who dared him to trade shots

“Kyle Farnsworth: Firewalk With Me” – a backstage pass to Kyle’s last year with the Cubs with lost footage and a 3 am shot of weepy-eyed mascara running Trixie outside Hi-Tops panting “Kyle Kyle Kyle .. Oh .. Kyle . .. Kyle ..” as she balances a Lowenbrau on her Gucci bag

An informercial for the new book “What ‘They’ Don’t Want You To Do At Bat” – By Dusty Baker and Jose Canseco

.. stuff like that ..

Well, Next Year is here .. and Jack's century's gotta end some time .. GO CUBBIES!

by cubnational on Jul 16, 2008 10:40 AM CDT up 0 recs

Hm, that sounds like some pretty interesting stuff.

Maybe a Cubs-based reality dating show. Dead-behind-the-eyes Trixie seeks romance amidst a gaggle of half-witted, beer-goggled Wrigleyville studs.

Who will survive the Ronnie Woo-Woo challenge? (Eight hours, locked room, ‘nuff said.) Is someone hiding something? (“Psst…I’m pretty sure Antonio is a Cards fan.”) And who will receive the final W flag? (“Hans, will you accept this flag and continue to score with me?” “Hang on, doll, I gotta take this call.”)?

Tune in next time on “For the Love of Ivy.” (The Trixie’s name would be “Ivy.” And I don’t care if that’s not her real name. She would go by “Ivy.”)

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Jul 16, 2008 10:56 AM CDT up 0 recs

For the next 6 hours,

Dan Plesac on Dan Plesac.

by N Oakley on Jul 16, 2008 12:06 PM CDT up 0 recs

bravo!

give that man a promotion!

We never give up -- Aramis Ramirez

by Emelie on Jul 16, 2008 12:10 PM CDT up 0 recs

hhhhhhahahaa

by bakester on Jul 16, 2008 10:57 AM CDT up 0 recs

Oh yeah...nice reference to Twin Peaks

I wouldn’t mind watching “LaTroy Hawkins: I am the arm!”

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Jul 16, 2008 4:01 PM CDT up 0 recs

I think in the next 10 years we will see Einhorn's and Reinsdorf's vision played out---PAY PER VIEW

The model of broadcasting is vast diminishing due to technology, expansive of choices and micro markets dynamics.

MLB is a big micro market and but is is not so much MLB unlike the NFL or NBA it is more like college BB in that it is tied to team micro markets. Thus broadcasting (as in the word broad and cast) is a diminishing factor in that once the marketplace went away from 3 major networks and their affiliates to cable and satellite with its hundreds of channels and micro markets the market place changed. The Cubs represent a non geographic based micro market that is what my former college acquaintance Mark Cuban discovered with broadcast.com where a consolidating micro markets on the Internet that were fractured by geographic issues created a new market place.

My feeling is that MLB.TV is going to be the primary venue. Technology will further the viewing experience, where I can see micro chat rooms associated with Internet broadcasts. The problem is simply the stupid model of local rights. Society is too mobile for this and MLB will have to come to terms with this.

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Jul 16, 2008 10:34 AM CDT 0 recs

don't know about this one but

you’re right about broadcasting .. it’s on the way out. Cable and Satellite and new technology will certainly create new paradigms .. I think the PPV model is definitely going to come … and we’re not going to like it.

Real Cub fans will be forced to cough up bucks to watch the Cubs on their IPods or their HD TV’s.
The new owners are going to ease into this slowly and watch the spreadsheets grow and grow.

ugh

Well, Next Year is here .. and Jack's century's gotta end some time .. GO CUBBIES!

by cubnational on Jul 16, 2008 10:44 AM CDT up 0 recs

And actually...

... IF they allow everyone to do it WITHOUT BLACKOUT NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, I suspect a lot of people will be happy about it.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Jul 16, 2008 2:00 PM CDT up 0 recs

The Cubs cant leave WGN

It just wouldnt be right

"This balls got a chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannce, GONE!" - Pat Hughes

by SouthsideCUBSfan on Jul 16, 2008 10:48 AM CDT 0 recs

The Braves Left TBS

Braves fans, outside of the south, need Extra Innings to get the Braves games now. Even then, those games could be blacked out depending on the viewers’ area and the Braves opponent.

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Jul 16, 2008 3:51 PM CDT up 0 recs

All Cubs

All Cubs all the time.

Good point about filling the time especially during the offseason.

Highlights of 60 years of TV could fill a lot of time.

Replays of 20 plus conventions.

Dancing with the Cubs. Wouldn’t it be fun to see big Z?

Deal or No Deal. Hendry is looking to make a trade and all the players names are locked in 25 suitcases.

Desperate Cubswives.

PR a takeoff on ER when public relations tries to handle a crisis.

Price Is Right. Cubs bid on free agent pitchers.

THS Jim Hendry

Hannity and Colmes type show with a conservative vs a liberal player.

Survivor type show for the last spots remaining on the 25 man roster.

Go Cubs

by cubstoseriesby100 on Jul 16, 2008 12:04 PM CDT 0 recs

Hm, actually the "Hannity vs. Colmes" thing could work.

But they should have a baseball traditionalist face off against a stats guy. Think MDBNIU v. cwyers. Oh, it’s on. It’s on.

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Jul 16, 2008 12:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

"The Fischer Factor"

with your host Gail Fischer!

Eat More Katsui

by CaliCub on Jul 16, 2008 4:01 PM CDT up 0 recs

LOL!

"It’s like they have 40,000 players on one team. Forty thousand people want to be in the dugout slapping fives. ‘Passionate’ is an understatement. Fans like that are special." -- Giants LHP Alex Hinshaw on Wrigley Field

by northsider on Jul 16, 2008 4:04 PM CDT up 0 recs

My Tivo would be set.

If I had a Tivo, that is.

I'm thinking you weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling, so why don't we just ignore each other til we go away.

by neverAcquiesce on Jul 16, 2008 5:07 PM CDT up 0 recs

Proof

This is proof that I really really need to get out more.

TV schedule for winter days

1200 am Law and Order Wrigley crimes unit – in depth details of people thrown out of games

1:00 Without a Trace Tales of Cubs who were Cubs briefly and seemingly then disappeared., The Jeff Kunkel hour will be quite interesting.

2:00 CSI Chicago: Diehard Cub fans William Peterson and Gary Sinise tackle mysteries surrounding Cubs baseball like Where Did Corey Patterson’s talent go?

3:00 Medical Mysteries : What really happened with the injuries. 10 part special on Mark Prior.

4:00 Rachel Ray takes on the Wrigley cuisine. Rachel Ray teaches how to make various things sold at Wrigley Field.

5:00 Oprah does the Cubs. Oprah always has to be there.

6:00 Dancing with the Cubs.

7:00 Kasper and Brenly Len and Bob tackle today’s issues facing society putting a baseball spin on everything.

8:00 The Lou Pinella Show Lou takes on today’s issues.

9 The Simpletons : Cartoon show about Sox fans.

10 FutuCubama Show about the Cubs in the year 3000

11 PR aforementioned show about Public relations problems in Cubs history

12 What would Hendry do? Advice show run by Jim Hendry giving advice to people based on what he would do.

1 The Closer Kerry Wood tackles mysteries and solves crimes using that wicked fastball.

2 The Mark of Zambrano Action adventure show featuring the true Hero with the Z.