- Joined
- Mar 29, 2014
- Messages
- 1,108
- Reaction Score
- 1,868
If you guys can stand it, it's on scarletnights.com: http://www.scarletknights.com/news/release.asp?prID=14870#.U2RIyXlOXBR
Good stuff at the end:
Q. What’s the significance to the Big Ten Network’s profile with Rutgers and Maryland joining and the markets they bring?
JD: “We have to get distribution. It’s more complicated than just getting on some cable systems. We want to have it on the same basis that exists in Illinois and Michigan. This is an outer-market, somewhat-distributed situation. And it has to be an in-market situation, where we have the same kind of relationship we have in the East as we do in the Midwest. And it didn’t just happen in the Midwest. It was a hard fight. It was difficult. So people here should not expect it to be simple and easy. It wasn’t simple and easy when we started and it won’t be here.
“I think it’s got to be demanded by the people. If the people don’t demand it then there’s probably not a great business reason to have it. So it’s not a layup. But it’s not a halfcourt shot, either. I think it could happen. But Maryland fans and Rutgers fans have to know it’s a phenomenal asset for a conference to have a 24/7 network that serves men’s programs, women’s programs, institutional interests. But it’s not a given. If you look around the country, if it was a given everybody would have one. The Big East would have one, the ACC would have one, the Big 12 would have one. But that’s not the way it is. It’s not easy and I don’t think that anybody should expect that it will be easy. I think it will be a challenging situation, but most things that are good are challenges and take time to develop.”
Good stuff at the end:
Q. What’s the significance to the Big Ten Network’s profile with Rutgers and Maryland joining and the markets they bring?
JD: “We have to get distribution. It’s more complicated than just getting on some cable systems. We want to have it on the same basis that exists in Illinois and Michigan. This is an outer-market, somewhat-distributed situation. And it has to be an in-market situation, where we have the same kind of relationship we have in the East as we do in the Midwest. And it didn’t just happen in the Midwest. It was a hard fight. It was difficult. So people here should not expect it to be simple and easy. It wasn’t simple and easy when we started and it won’t be here.
“I think it’s got to be demanded by the people. If the people don’t demand it then there’s probably not a great business reason to have it. So it’s not a layup. But it’s not a halfcourt shot, either. I think it could happen. But Maryland fans and Rutgers fans have to know it’s a phenomenal asset for a conference to have a 24/7 network that serves men’s programs, women’s programs, institutional interests. But it’s not a given. If you look around the country, if it was a given everybody would have one. The Big East would have one, the ACC would have one, the Big 12 would have one. But that’s not the way it is. It’s not easy and I don’t think that anybody should expect that it will be easy. I think it will be a challenging situation, but most things that are good are challenges and take time to develop.”