BYU NewsNet - Cost forces campus TV to drop ESPN from lineup

BYU’s campus television service went digital and changes were made to its sports lineup when a new television contract took effect on Friday.

The service now uses a digital signal, in preparation for the television industry’s upcoming switchover from analog. In addition, Campus Television dropped ESPN in an attempt to cut costs and added CBS College Sports.

“We decided to keep all the channels we have currently, except for ESPN, based on the cost of that package,” said Todd Hollingshead, University Communications information and financial manager. During negotiations for the new digital contract, campus television evaluated all of its existing packages and found that the ESPN package cost more than the combined price of all the other channels, he said. According to a University Communications press release, it was decided the expense of carrying ESPN could not be justified.

Tim Boyer, a history major from North Pole, Alaska, said it is too bad ESPN was dropped, calling it one of the few uplifting programs left on television. “When you compare other network programming ... (the) Discovery Channel, the History Channel and ESPN are some of the few channels left with good programming and not much bad content,” he said.

Abram Clay, a sophomore from Wenatchee, Wash., studying pre-accounting, said he watched ESPN on campus three to four times a week before the channel was dropped last week. “It’s something that’s unfortunate but it’s understandable why they made the change,” he said of the decision to leave the channel out of the new contract. “You just live with it and go from there.”

Campus Television’s new addition, CBS College Sports, carries a selection of collegiate athletic events, including some from the Mountain West Conference.

“That will allow more students to see BYU games,” Hollingshead said. Campus Television already carries The Mtn., which exclusively carries MWC athletic events.

Clay said while true sports fans care about more than just BYU athletics, he thinks CBS College Sports is a good substitute for ESPN.

“It’s not just like they’re taking it away and giving us nothing in return,” he said. “Even though it’s not ESPN, it will still give us a lot of coverage of athletic events.”

All other channels from the previous contract will still be carried. Hollingshead said the new contract will affect television programming across campus, including housing units at Helaman Halls, Heritage Halls, Wymount Terrace and Wyview Park.