DLD 10/23 - A's Drop KICU - Athletics Nation

DLD 10/23 - A's Drop KICU

by Zonis on Oct 23, 2008 12:52 PM PDT Comment 56 comments

Potential TV, radio changes: The A's have opted out of their contract with one of their two broadcasters, KICU (Channel 36).

"This does not eliminate the possibility of the team entering a future agreement with the station," team spokesman Bob Rose said in an e-mail. "At this time, we are simply exploring every opportunity to improve and expand our television coverage."

According to sources, the team is continuing to focus on a fulltime agreement with Comcast SportsNet California in Sacramento.

KFRC (106.9 FM), the A's flagship radio station, recently announced a format change to all news, simulcasting KCBS (740 AM). Asked how that would affect the A's radio plans, Rose responded, "We're going through some confidential negotiations. ... We don't have any comment right now."

Owner Lew Wolff said at a booster luncheon last month that the club was investigating options for its broadcast outlets.

Marine Layer covers this on his New A's Ballpark Blog, and through the archives, you can read about the A's talks with Comcast Sports California.

The move seems to make sense. KICU's biggest draw for the A's would be that they were an over-air channel that could grab those non-broadband viewers. But there are few non-broadband viewers anymore, with almost everyone in the Bay Area having some form of Cable, Satellite or DSL based Television. With the new Digital act coming into effect, the number of over air will probably drop further.

I hope ML is right, and the A's get 150 games on TV with the new deal.

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actually there are more non-comcast and non-satellite

TV watchers than might be assumed.

by OaklandSi on Oct 23, 2008 12:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Numbers?

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Oct 23, 2008 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

we need number for both assumptions

I’m busy at work at the moment, I’ll see if I can dig those up over the weekend…

by OaklandSi on Oct 23, 2008 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

About 13.8% nationally rely on an antenna for TV reception

57.7% have cable and 28.5% subscribe to “non-cable multichannel distribution services” (would include new products like AT&T U-Verse in addition to satellite). (Source)

Marine Layer’s numbers suggest that reliance on antennas is much lower in the Bay Area than nationally. This makes sense considering the hilly topography of the region which interferes with the transmission. In a recent blog post regarding TBS’ carrying the Division Series and ALCS, I noticed that cable and satellite have only about 80% market penetration in the flat-as-a-board Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Relatively high per-capita income is probably also a factor in the Bay Area’s reliance on subscription television.

by Soaker on Oct 23, 2008 3:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I read that as "hippy topography"

it was much funnier that way.

by mikev on Oct 23, 2008 4:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

my first thought on reading "hilly topography of the region" ...

Appalachia?

It's just something we do. It's not something we like. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Oct 23, 2008 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

According to Marine Layer (linked above)

it’s only 6%, which should drop after the digital conversion …

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Oct 23, 2008 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

There was a recent DTV test

Link

Among Bay Area households, about 6 percent depend on over-the-air signals, but don’t have any televisions that are ready to receive digital transmissions, according to a report released earlier this month by Nielsen. An additional 7 percent of area households have at least one television that’s not ready.

What’s going to happen is that many of that 6% will get at least one digital converter box. Some will find that they receive far fewer digital channels than they did analog. That will force them to either move forward in that reduced fashion, buy and install an antenna, or seek out an alternative such as cable. The 7% referred to in additional households is considered the “garage TV with rabbit ears” demographic.

by vertig0 on Oct 23, 2008 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

with a digital converter analog TVs will be fine

actually, broadcast users who have already added the converter to their analog TVs are already getting more channels and a generally clearer signal.

by OaklandSi on Oct 23, 2008 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's too broad an assessment

Plenty of viewers will be fine in the switch. There will be some that don’t fare so well – to what extent is not known. Those viewers that have difficulty will have the dilemma on what to do next.

For instance, the difference between having a quality outdoor antenna pointed in the right direction and having an indoor antenna is far more pronounced when going digital. There is no partial, static-filled signal with digital. It either comes in or it doesn’t.

by vertig0 on Oct 23, 2008 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

2 data points say digital OTA reception >> analog OTA reception

My parents live in SF, their apt faces away from the broadcast antennas, they couldn’t get much OTA in analog before, but gets the digital channels loud and clear with just rabbit ears. I live in SJ, with a larger indoor antenna I can pull in most of the SF UHF digital channels, while before I have no chance of getting any SF analog channels.

by asfansince1989 on Oct 23, 2008 8:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

New survey on affected households

Follow-up: ars technica has an article this week citing a survey by ABI Research. According to the survey, 20% of antenna-only viewers will cease to watch TV altogether. Additionally:

70 percent of the surveyed TV watchers plan to hook a digital converter box up to their over the air antennas, while another 10 percent plan to switch over to cable or satellite pay-TV. According to analyst Steve Wilson, though, the rest of the current over the air households will simply stop watching traditional television altogether.

That translates to only 3% of American viewers that will stop watching TV come February. That’s not a bad percentage considering the kind of upheaval the transition is being hyped to be. Not sure how that translates to the Bay Area, where the affected percentage is smaller than nationwide.

by vertig0 on Oct 24, 2008 12:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just because you're a Comcast subscriber

doesn’t mean you’ll get Comcast SportsNet California.

I don’t know what the price structure is down there, but here in Seattle you pay Comcast $55/mo for “basic” service (ie, all the usual cable channels, but no premium movie channels, pay-per-view etc). The next step down is about $15/mo for “limited” service, where you mostly just get the broadcast channels plus a few public service ones.

I love TV, but I never have time to watch as much as I’d like, and I have to wonder if it’s really worth paying an extra $40/mo just to watch cable channels for 7 or 8 hours a month.

When we see numbers showing how many viewers already “have some form of cable, satellite, or DSL based television”, are we automatically assuming everyone who has cable has the “basic” service? Sounds to me like this is one more way for Comcast to make everyone pay for the $55/mo level of service. Anything less and you no longer get to watch baseball.

"Dispatch knuckleheadedness with Bond-like aplomb." –74mk

by iglew on Oct 24, 2008 4:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

thank goodness

i can actually watch games on tv now

'That's something we do...thirteen hits and not score'-Terrence Long

by DyeLongJustice on Oct 23, 2008 1:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

by Blez on Oct 24, 2008 7:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No more in-game promos for repeats of "Cops" and "That 70's Show"?

…damn

I am Ray Fosse's infatuations with Clay Wood and high-definition television.

by franks a lot on Oct 23, 2008 1:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Brewers fans might soon be saying "FIRE MACHA NOW!!!":

Macha, Bob Brenly, and Willie Randolph are frontrunners to become the next manager of the Brewers.

Macha and Kendall, together again. That would be a happy reunion, considering this quote:

And Kendall: "I know that the one thing any player wants from his manager is to be protected. If there’s a bang-bang play at first, even if you’re out, if you’re arguing, you want someone there behind you. If you argue a pitch, even if you’re wrong, you want someone joining in. And I’m not sure Macha did that.’’

by whiteshoes40 on Oct 23, 2008 1:38 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

But if the Brewers resign CC, Macha would be perfect. CC, looks like he never met a Nations burger

he doesn’t like.

by theblackpearl on Oct 23, 2008 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

They don't call him Captain Cheeseburger for nothing.

by mikev on Oct 23, 2008 4:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's like Joe Torre and Scott Procter

except even more awkward.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Oct 23, 2008 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Too bad the article doesn't quote source

I don’t recall ALL those player quotes after Macha got fired.

"And sometimes, when it seems like all hope is gone, Life tosses you a special gift of a baseball game" . 7/10/08 BaseBallGirl headline

by LongTimeFan on Oct 23, 2008 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Brenly is a joy to listen to on Cubs broadcasts

And for that selfish reason, I hope he doesn’t get the job.

by thejd44 on Oct 23, 2008 10:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I dropped KICU once

It was hella crazy fun, but to this day I have no idea how I wound up in the East Creek Slough.

I'm a street walkin cheetah with a heart full of napalm.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Oct 23, 2008 4:33 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

QOTM

QOTM knows no off-season!

by Englishmajor on Oct 23, 2008 9:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Did you wake up reeking of pruno

with your torso covered in trunk-burns ?

by green star oakland on Oct 24, 2008 12:33 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope Comcast Sports would carry more games in HD

I got excited when Comcast started carrying KICU in HD, but all KICU games are still in SD, very disappointing. I an live with SD for a lot of the TV shows, but sports, once you’ve gone HD, you just can’t go back.

by asfansince1989 on Oct 23, 2008 8:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think it's great that they're finally paying attention to broadcast media

It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver

by WaddellCanseco on Oct 23, 2008 8:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I ♥ AN.

Seriously. Even if you’re having the crappiest day ever, you can just dive into the ANcillary Terms or re-read the game thread when Raj Davis got the nickname “Bomb Shelter” and find yourself laughing your ass off.

If I don't comment on your comment how will you know you are completely wrong? -Rocktopus

by pam5981 on Oct 24, 2008 12:38 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Or get Poppy started on one of her rants...

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Oct 24, 2008 12:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I knew I shouldn't have brought up ANcillary Terms...

If I don't comment on your comment how will you know you are completely wrong? -Rocktopus

by pam5981 on Oct 24, 2008 1:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, shut up.

Don’t worry, Gold Glove winners will be announced in a few weeks, so I’ll have something else to rant about.

Ray: "How fun is it to be up here playing in the Big Leagues?"
Gio: "It's *SUPER* fun!!!"

by Poppy on Oct 24, 2008 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

{throws Frisbee on Poppy's roof}

Oh, if people only knew how frugal we are. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Oct 24, 2008 11:18 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

{retrieves Frisbee, keeps it, is charged with petty theft}

Ray: "How fun is it to be up here playing in the Big Leagues?"
Gio: "It's *SUPER* fun!!!"

by Poppy on Oct 24, 2008 2:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, if people only knew how frugal we are. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Oct 24, 2008 3:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ray: "How fun is it to be up here playing in the Big Leagues?"
Gio: "It's *SUPER* fun!!!"

by Poppy on Oct 24, 2008 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, if people only knew how frugal we are. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Oct 24, 2008 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

question for you guys

if you had this trade, would you take it? Kurt Suzuki and Ducherer for Kevin Youkilis. I would think so, and if they get Tex I wonder if what they would do at catcher

Let's have our Piazza and eat the Cust too - SPWC

by closetasfan on Oct 24, 2008 6:55 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't do it just because Youkilis has only 2 years to FA, and there's no other catching solution

than Kurt. As far as what Boston will do, they should trade for one of Texas’s four catchers.

It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver

by WaddellCanseco on Oct 24, 2008 8:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No.

Suzuki is probably a top 10 catcher in baseball, and Youkilis has the Bosox taint on him now.

by mikev on Oct 24, 2008 7:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Another question for you guys

Why doesn’t Price get a save for yesterday? because he started with a 4 run lead? he would have gotten with a 3 run lead? thnx

Let's have our Piazza and eat the Cust too - SPWC

by closetasfan on Oct 24, 2008 7:47 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Wiki describes it this way:

He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team
He is not the winning pitcher
He is credited with at least ⅓ of an inning pitched
He satisfies one of the following conditions:

He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning.
He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat or on deck
He pitches for at least three innings

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Oct 24, 2008 7:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

how did you get that “⅓”?

"The Athletics at Fremont" is soooooooo bad

by ArakSOT on Oct 24, 2008 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

divide one by three, duh.

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Oct 24, 2008 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL!

I can’t believe how much that’s making me laugh right now.

The monster at the end of this blog.

by grover on Oct 24, 2008 5:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know its 10/24

but I just saw this mention of Emil Brown. if only.

by Future Ed on Oct 24, 2008 12:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

another question

recently, when I click fanposts I get to a list rather than the page I used to go to before. Anything I can do to change it back?

Let's have our Piazza and eat the Cust too - SPWC

by closetasfan on Oct 24, 2008 1:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

What if you click on "full view"

underneath the AthleticsNation logo?

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Oct 24, 2008 2:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

so, no more Brodie Peru?

alaska A residing in colorado.

by ak_A on Oct 24, 2008 6:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Grodie Guatemala?

Oh, if people only knew how frugal we are. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Oct 25, 2008 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Presented for your listening pleasure

Monkeyball mentioned the fine CD, The Baseball Project, a while ago. It happens that this was the appropriate week for a very small radio piece that I produced on one of the songs, “Sometimes I Dream of Willie Mays”.

by Englishmajor on Oct 24, 2008 6:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I heard that very small radio piece today.

Actually I heard a very small part of that very small piece because my dog unplugged the radio half way through.

What I heard was top notch, however!

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on Oct 24, 2008 9:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I guess this is as a good a place as any

I got this spam message today

Subject: hi
In the body, it says: “I want you let’s finally meet at www dot likcindy dot com”

I know the name is mis-spelled, but it still took me back to this comment I made.

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Oct 24, 2008 10:33 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for that.

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Oct 24, 2008 11:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is sort of funny.

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Oct 25, 2008 11:35 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The KICU thing is great, great news.

I’ll probably get flamed for saying so, but I think getting the A’s on Comcast instead of FSBA/KICU is a better thing for their long-term health than the new ballpark.

"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico

by jeepers on Oct 25, 2008 11:45 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs