CPTV ignored in this hoopla

[PacoSwede]

it's interesting that CPTV's early decision to broadcast nearly all games of the Husky women is not noted in all the talk about UConn's role in popularizing (changing, growing) the sport. i believe the public television station covered a few games in 1994, and added more in '95. after that undefeated season, they did almost the whole schedule, particularly home games.

so what? Connecticut Public Television gambled that women's basketball would attract viewers and the support of donors. this was undreamed of.

cptv's bet paid off. it was unheard of at the time, and fortuitously execs at ESPN in Bristol were exposed to the local broadcast's rabid audience. the seed was planted for the proliferation of wider TV coverage that would have been scorned by the industry if local public television (!!!) had not proved it could be a source for viewers and a money stream.

geno and the huskies provided the product (extremely popular locally because they won a lot with a load of Northeastern players) and CPTV's gamble was a good one. before that, only some of the crown jewels of the sport (such as tennessee) had received sporadic national network coverage for the majorly significant games, and otherwise the occasional broadcasts were given only poor time slots where a 'filler' was needed.

CPTV's innovation started to change that, and average viewers -- and the sport -- began benefitting. It's taken years and years to develop, sadly, but women's basketball is at last getting its due.

 

[msf22b]

Spot on Paco...
But happens all the time..."Out of sight, out of mind."

 

[ucmiami2]

I have been wondering if someone at CPTV would put together a retrospective on the first 25 years.

There is no question that the idea of producing and broadcasting a full season of WOMEN's Basketball was a revolutionary concept,. And paying Uconn a licensing fee for the broadcast rights to those games! And actually making money on the concept with the half time donation drive!

It took the buzz of 1995 to kick start ESPN and a few other national networks to think about cherry picking a few marquee match-ups in season. And the only reason we saw any women's tournament games was because was the NCAA made the FF game broadcasts a contingency of bidding on the men's March Madness rights.

It took ten years for anyone else even to considered producing broadcast product for a full season of women's college basketball for a single school, and a few more years for a networks to start demanding that women's basketball be included in their TV rights packages for conference broadcast rights.

And for CPTV to get into a bidding war with a commercial station in 2012! And for Uconn to be able to actual have coverage/broadcasting demands written into that contract!

Even today with BTN and Longhorn Network, and Pac12 Network, etc - few schools actually have the slate of home and away games broadcast by a single 'station'.

 

[and one]

I didn't occur to me until Paco pointed out that CPTV didn't get the props that they deserved. If I remember right the UConn game ratings were among the highest for NPR programs nationally. I started following the Huskies after the 1995 Tennessee game. Had I not been able to watch their games on TV I would probably have lost interest. Fortunately I could watch almost every game, which still holds true to this day.

 

[Barkin Out]

it's interesting that CPTV's early decision to broadcast nearly all games of the Husky women is not noted in all the talk about UConn's role in popularizing (changing, growing) the sport. i believe the public television station covered a few games in 1994, and added more in '95. after that undefeated season, they did almost the whole schedule, particularly home games.

so what? Connecticut Public Television gambled that women's basketball would attract viewers and the support of donors. this was undreamed of.

cptv's bet paid off. it was unheard of at the time, and fortuitously execs at ESPN in Bristol were exposed to the local broadcast's rabid audience. the seed was planted for the proliferation of wider TV coverage that would have been scorned by the industry if local public television (!!!) had not proved it could be a source for viewers and a money stream.

geno and the huskies provided the product (extremely popular locally because they won a lot with a load of Northeastern players) and CPTV's gamble was a good one. before that, only some of the crown jewels of the sport (such as tennessee) had received sporadic national network coverage for the majorly significant games, and otherwise the occasional broadcasts were given only poor time slots where a 'filler' was needed.

CPTV's innovation started to change that, and average viewers -- and the sport -- began benefitting. It's taken years and years to develop, sadly, but women's basketball is at last getting its due.

I miss “The most Fascinating 30 Minutes on Television”, how Meg used to introduce Geno on the PBS/1st iteration of the coaches show. I was in my early 20’s at this point- just moved away from home in CT to western MA with rabbit ear antenna rigged up to get the broadcast. It was easy to see his charisma and leadership shine through the static.
Was it Larry and Harriet that asked for donations when they cut back to studio?

 

[psconn]

Great point. CPTV should have a banner on the Wall of Honor.

 

[Skeets]

Great point. CPTV should have a banner on the Wall of Honor.

No, not on the Wall, but a little blurb in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame would be appropriate. BTW, I do not miss the endless begging for money.

 

[FormerCTrez]

Great point. CPTV should have a banner on the Wall of Honor.

And it would be well deserved!!

 

[ctkaiser]

No, not on the Wall, but a little blurb in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame would be appropriate. BTW, I do not miss the endless begging for money.

Now UConn is directly endlessly begging for money.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Now UConn is directly endlessly begging for money.

If we want UConn to compete at the highest level of D1 athletics then we the fans have to be willingly to pay for that privilege.

 

[cabbie191]

No, not on the Wall, but a little blurb in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame would be appropriate. BTW, I do not miss the endless begging for money.

I don't live in CT so I've never watched CPTV but if it's anything like public television and radio that I've experienced in other states, their "begging" is periodic with a small number of pledge drives during the year, coupled with regular reminders the rest of the time that the service is viewer/listener supported.

I doubt anyone really enjoys listening to pledge drives but they are more palatable to me compared to watching the same GEICO (or name any other company) commercial a dozen times during a sports broadcast or watching an "hour" show that is up to 25% advertising. It's refreshing watching/listening to generally commercial free content.

 

[g_smith]

No, not on the Wall, but a little blurb in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame would be appropriate. BTW, I do not miss the endless begging for money.

I was telling my gf today about the donor drives & how dramatic & persistent they were.

The corded phones in the background ringing & the giveaways if a tote bag or the “we need 100 fans RIGHT NOW to call in”

It was such a crazy thing to witness but I can’t find any archive footage of it

I just spent an hour sleuthing all of the internet

Closest I got was games broadcast on CPTV uconnhuskygames.com but the commercial breaks are cut out (funny enough that’s usually what you’d want)

Anyone have any recordings of a game from say 1996-1998 CPTV games?

 

[Skeets]

Constant begging for money. Pre-game, post-game, halftime, and every time out. No opportunity was missed to beg for money. Now as someone pointed out, UConn is doing it. I've been a season ticket holder since '99 and now I could lose my XL center seats, that I was told I could keep, because of a "reseating" money grab. Nice.

 

[WiseWillie]

The only constant in life isn't change, its the constant increase in seat prices, tv sports packages, streaming services - basically anything related to sports or should it more appropriately be called sports entertainment.

C'est la vie for sports fans everywhere.

 

[RowdyFan]

I was telling my gf today about the donor drives & how dramatic & persistent they were.

The corded phones in the background ringing & the giveaways if a tote bag or the “we need 100 fans RIGHT NOW to call in”

It was such a crazy thing to witness but I can’t find any archive footage of it

I just spent an hour sleuthing all of the internet

Closest I got was games broadcast on CPTV uconnhuskygames.com but the commercial breaks are cut out (funny enough that’s usually what you’d want)

Anyone have any recordings of a game from say 1996-1998 CPTV games?

I don't have any archived footage, but I wanted to comment on the fund drives at half time: My Dad recorded every game so he could watch them through the summer. I'm watching the half time time CPTV donor pledge, and I hear "Rita from Wallingford has donated $100. Thank you, Rita." She knew my Dad never donated. That was the grocery money. HAHA

 

[g_smith]

I don't have any archived footage, but I wanted to comment on the fund drives at half time: My Dad recorded every game so he could watch them through the summer. I'm watching the half time time CPTV donor pledge, and I hear "Rita from Wallingford has donated $100. Thank you, Rita." She knew my Dad never donated. That was the grocery money. HAHA

I hope she received a nice UConn CPTV tote bag for her generous donations lol

 

[Steelerone]

it's interesting that CPTV's early decision to broadcast nearly all games of the Husky women is not noted in all the talk about UConn's role in popularizing (changing, growing) the sport. i believe the public television station covered a few games in 1994, and added more in '95. after that undefeated season, they did almost the whole schedule, particularly home games.

so what? Connecticut Public Television gambled that women's basketball would attract viewers and the support of donors. this was undreamed of.

cptv's bet paid off. it was unheard of at the time, and fortuitously execs at ESPN in Bristol were exposed to the local broadcast's rabid audience. the seed was planted for the proliferation of wider TV coverage that would have been scorned by the industry if local public television (!!!) had not proved it could be a source for viewers and a money stream.

geno and the huskies provided the product (extremely popular locally because they won a lot with a load of Northeastern players) and CPTV's gamble was a good one. before that, only some of the crown jewels of the sport (such as tennessee) had received sporadic national network coverage for the majorly significant games, and otherwise the occasional broadcasts were given only poor time slots where a 'filler' was needed.

CPTV's innovation started to change that, and average viewers -- and the sport -- began benefitting. It's taken years and years to develop, sadly, but women's basketball is at last getting its due.

Great post, Paco. How quickly they forget.