Let’s see what the Midwest newspapers are saying about the Big Ten Network’s debut last night.
ILLINOIS REACTION
Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald says he chose not to watch the debut even though he could have on DirecTV. Fans in Springfield can watch BTN thanks to Consolidated Communications.
INDIANA REACTION
Mike Carmini of the Lafayette Journal and Courier reviews the first hour which was not glitch-free.
IOWA REACTION
Ryan Suchomel of the Iowa City Press-Citizen watched the debut of BTN with University of Iowa students as the channel is on the school’s cable system, but not Mediacom elsewhere in the state. The Des Moines Register reports that last night’s Iowa State-Kent State game was not carried on one Mediacom system as a result of its dispute with BTN. In fact, this is what was shown while a simulcast of the radio broadcast was playing.
MICHIGAN REACTION
Kyle O’Neill of the Detroit Free Press recaps the first few minutes of the launch. Also in the Free Press, the Presidents of Michigan and Michigan State co-write an OpEd piece on BTN. Antoine Pitts in today’s Ann Arbor News says a majority of his city’s residents could not see the debut. And Pitts adds that a Detroit mainstay, ABC7’s “Big Ticket” pre-game show won’t been seen as much as a result of fewer Big Ten games on the station. An editorial in the Midland News appeals to Charter Communications to make a deal with the Big Ten Network.
MINNESOTA REACTION
Paul Christian of the Rochester Post-Bulletin gives a positive review to the first night of BTN.
OHIO REACTION
Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch writes that the Big Ten Network’s deal with Insight doesn’t include HD or the overflow games. Aaron Dorksen in the Wooster
Daily Record says most Ohioans are shut out of the Ohio State opener this Saturday. The Canton Repository’s Todd Porter talks with the President of Massillon Cable, one of the few smaller companies that chose not to carry BTN. The Dayton Daily News suggests getting the game on radio for free. Tom Feran of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says BTN follows the trend of teams and leagues creating their own channels and cutting out the middle man.
PENNSYLVANIA REACTION
L.A. Tarone of the Hazelton Standard Speaker writes that two Penn State games won’t be seen locally.
WISCONSIN REACTION
Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Badger Blog recaps the debuts as well. Jeff Richgels of the Capital Times talks to one fan who’s angry at the Big Ten Presidents for the cable dispute.
There you have it. Lots of stuff on the Big Ten Network. There might be a small update later today. Check back.
