The Tao of television

Sporting News, The, March 15, 2004 by Fritz Quindt

* The Tao of television. The NFL is thinking out loud about adjusting time-tested methods of scheduling and distribution, in hopes of extracting more than the current $2.2 billion annual windfall from TV. Caution: There are risks inherent in monkeying with the delicate yin and yang of a life-giving environment.

Fans hardly would be impacted if FOX and CBS drew from the same pool of games, or if the season got pushed back, extending two weeks into February for sweeps' sake. But giving ABC two regional games, or switching Monday Night Football to another evening? Too radical and problematic.

See also: moving Sunday kickoffs back one hour to 2 and 5 p.m. ET. Later starts equal bigger ratings, yes, but CBS would have to move 60 Minutes from its hallowed 7 o'clock slot, with ESPN forced to make Sunday Night Football the late-late show at 9:30 or pre-empt NFL Prime time, its second-highest rated show.

Paul Tagliabue also might schedule on Thursdays or give games to another network. Ah, but Pete Rozelle has been there, done that. Re-admit TNT and you take away ESPN's cable exclusive, alienating the partner paying the most in NFL rights. And Rozelle pulled the plug on ABC's Thursday "specials" 20 years ago, citing underwhelming ratings and overexposure.

E-mail: fquindt@sportingnews.com.