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TV issues unresolved in two-team NFL market 
[size=-1]Web Posted: 09/14/2005 12:00 AM CDT [/size]
[size=-1]John Whisler
Express-News Staff Writer [/size]
The NFL has yet to decide whether it will televise New Orleans Saints or Dallas Cowboys games on San Antonio's Fox affiliate KABB this season.
Cowboys vs. Saints on TV
But the league vowed Tuesday to change its policy to enable San Antonio football fans to watch all New Orleans Saints games — home and away.
"Right now, there is no policy," NFL spokesman Seth Palansky said. "But we will figure one out. We're dealing with a pretty unique situation here."
Local radio station WOAI-AM 1200, which broadcast the Saints-Carolina game Sunday, announced that it would continue live broadcasts of Saints' games the rest of the season.
"We're going to be carrying every one, the whole shootin' match," WOAI news director Jim Forsyth said.
Palansky said league policy states that all 32 NFL teams are assigned "defined market" and "secondary market" areas that receive telecasts on a regional basis.
San Antonio is considered a secondary market of the Cowboys, he said, and not even on the radar for the Saints. But all that changed when the Saints were displaced by Hurricane Katrina and set up shop in the Alamo City.
"Normally, San Antonio would not be considered part of New Orleans' extended area," Palansky said. "But these aren't normal circumstances."
Palansky said the same concept would apply to San Antonio in regard to the league's blackout policy.
That policy states that unless a stadium is sold out 72 hours before kickoff, the game would be blacked out in that market.
Would that rule apply to San Antonio?
"Probably not," Palansky said. "The rule is for teams with eight home games at a particular site. San Antonio does not fit into that category."
Palansky said no discussions on either topic — blackouts or San Antonio as a defined or secondary market — have been held, nor did he know when they would take place.
"They're complicated issues," he said. "It's going to take some time to sort them out."
NFL schedules suggest the Saints and Cowboys could have five direct time conflicts and two other Sundays when Fox will be limited to one game and the teams will play in different programming windows.
Palansky said the league would take one game at a time and that a decision on how to solve potential conflicts "could be made as late as the Friday prior to the game."
Dan Bell, a spokesman for Fox Sports, said no talks have taken place with the NFL and that no timetable has been set.
"Until we discuss this matter with the league, it's still too early to comment," Bell said. "But that will have to be soon."
KABB general manager John Seabers said his opinion as to which games his station should televise can be summed up in the ratings from last weekend.
"San Antonio did a 22 rating for the Cowboys," he said. "The Saints did a 9.6 here. The Texans had a 15 rating in their home market of Houston.
"That's a pretty good indication of where San Antonio fans' allegiances lie."
Palansky said he hoped San Antonio would be a secondary market for both the Saints and Cowboys and that potential conflicts could be worked out.
He pointed to Monday's games involving the Saints and Cowboys as an example.
The Saints' game against the New York Giants, rescheduled for Monday in East Rutherford, N.J., was switched from Fox to ABC. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. locally on ABC, 90 minutes before the Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders game in Irving on ABC's "Monday Night Football."
At the NFL's urging, ABC has agreed to shift the Saints-Giants game, in progress, to cable giant ESPN at 8 p.m. to allow ABC to telecast the Cowboys-Commanders game on ABC in its entirety.
Palansky acknowledged that fans wouldn't be able to watch the end of the Saints-Giants game unless they have cable. But he said cooperation between the networks — Fox, ABC and ESPN — was unprecedented for football.
"That shows you what can happen," Palansky said.
[size=-1]Web Posted: 09/14/2005 12:00 AM CDT [/size]
[size=-1]John Whisler
Express-News Staff Writer [/size]
The NFL has yet to decide whether it will televise New Orleans Saints or Dallas Cowboys games on San Antonio's Fox affiliate KABB this season.
Cowboys vs. Saints on TV
- New Orleans and Dallas aren't scheduled to meet this season, but for San Antonio television viewers, the year could be filled with Saints-Cowboys clashes.
- There are five dates in which the teams were set to play at the same time: Oct.16, Nov. 20, Dec. 4, Dec. 18 and Dec. 24.
- On Sept. 25 and Oct. 23, the teams are set for different times, but Fox can show only one NFC game those days. Fox televises NFC-vs.-NFC games, as well as interconference games in which the NFC team is on the road.
- Craft helps Saints' DBs respond to get-better goal
- David Flores: Saints give Alamo City big chance to look good
- San Antonio putting its game face on
- TV issues unresolved in two-team NFL market
- Superdome needs major cleaning
- The Water Cooler: Benson acts like other New Orleans businessmen, but he alone is villainized for moving forward
- Saints notebook: Team could practice in Alamodome Friday
- Saints 2005 schedule
- Shout out: Give your thoughts on the Saints
But the league vowed Tuesday to change its policy to enable San Antonio football fans to watch all New Orleans Saints games — home and away.
"Right now, there is no policy," NFL spokesman Seth Palansky said. "But we will figure one out. We're dealing with a pretty unique situation here."
Local radio station WOAI-AM 1200, which broadcast the Saints-Carolina game Sunday, announced that it would continue live broadcasts of Saints' games the rest of the season.
"We're going to be carrying every one, the whole shootin' match," WOAI news director Jim Forsyth said.
Palansky said league policy states that all 32 NFL teams are assigned "defined market" and "secondary market" areas that receive telecasts on a regional basis.
San Antonio is considered a secondary market of the Cowboys, he said, and not even on the radar for the Saints. But all that changed when the Saints were displaced by Hurricane Katrina and set up shop in the Alamo City.
"Normally, San Antonio would not be considered part of New Orleans' extended area," Palansky said. "But these aren't normal circumstances."
Palansky said the same concept would apply to San Antonio in regard to the league's blackout policy.
That policy states that unless a stadium is sold out 72 hours before kickoff, the game would be blacked out in that market.
Would that rule apply to San Antonio?
"Probably not," Palansky said. "The rule is for teams with eight home games at a particular site. San Antonio does not fit into that category."
Palansky said no discussions on either topic — blackouts or San Antonio as a defined or secondary market — have been held, nor did he know when they would take place.
"They're complicated issues," he said. "It's going to take some time to sort them out."
NFL schedules suggest the Saints and Cowboys could have five direct time conflicts and two other Sundays when Fox will be limited to one game and the teams will play in different programming windows.
Palansky said the league would take one game at a time and that a decision on how to solve potential conflicts "could be made as late as the Friday prior to the game."
Dan Bell, a spokesman for Fox Sports, said no talks have taken place with the NFL and that no timetable has been set.
"Until we discuss this matter with the league, it's still too early to comment," Bell said. "But that will have to be soon."
KABB general manager John Seabers said his opinion as to which games his station should televise can be summed up in the ratings from last weekend.
"San Antonio did a 22 rating for the Cowboys," he said. "The Saints did a 9.6 here. The Texans had a 15 rating in their home market of Houston.
"That's a pretty good indication of where San Antonio fans' allegiances lie."
Palansky said he hoped San Antonio would be a secondary market for both the Saints and Cowboys and that potential conflicts could be worked out.
He pointed to Monday's games involving the Saints and Cowboys as an example.
The Saints' game against the New York Giants, rescheduled for Monday in East Rutherford, N.J., was switched from Fox to ABC. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. locally on ABC, 90 minutes before the Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders game in Irving on ABC's "Monday Night Football."
At the NFL's urging, ABC has agreed to shift the Saints-Giants game, in progress, to cable giant ESPN at 8 p.m. to allow ABC to telecast the Cowboys-Commanders game on ABC in its entirety.
Palansky acknowledged that fans wouldn't be able to watch the end of the Saints-Giants game unless they have cable. But he said cooperation between the networks — Fox, ABC and ESPN — was unprecedented for football.
"That shows you what can happen," Palansky said.
