WPXT-TV won’t compete against Pats

Some football couch potatoes in southern and central Maine were upset they weren’t able to view what was arguably the best game on the NFL schedule last week – San Francisco at Kansas City.

Instead of watching Joe Montana’s new team (Chiefs) beat Joe Montana’s old team (49ers) in a close contest, most Maine Fox viewers had to settle for Washington at New Orleans.

And the folks at Portland’s WPXT (Channel “Fox” 51) want their viewers to know there’s a very simple reason why they didn’t get to see the Chiefs-Niners game: economics.

WPXT has a policy of not scheduling Fox games at the same time New England Patriots games are being aired on NBC affiliates Channel 6 in Portland and Channel 2 in Bangor.

“For our own survival, we will do our darndest to avoid head-to-head competition with Patriots games… It was strictly a business decision,” said Doug Finck, executive vice-president and general manager at Fox 51.

Because Patriots games have proven to be the dominant ratings winner in the New England market, especially when running against other NFL games, Finck said it made no business sense to try and compete with them.

“Traditionally, when there has been a Patriots game against another game, even a Giants game, the Pats game on Channel 6 (WCSH) almost always wins the time slot,” Finck explained.

Finck added that in cases where the Fox network is scheduled to air an NFL doubleheader, Fox 51 will select the games with the most appeal – even though one will go head-to-head with the Patriots.

So if last Sunday had been a Fox NFL doubleheader day, viewers would have been able to see the Chiefs-Niners game.

Most Aroostook County viewers did see the Chiefs-Niners game because WAGM-TV in Presque Isle (Channel 8), a traditional New York Giants station, has a contract for Fox games.

With the Giants playing at night on TNT-TV, WAGM was free to air any 1 p.m. game – and it chose the Chiefs-Niners battle.

Also in the realm of Patriots TV coverage, Patriots fans can breathe a little easier this year. Finck has confirmed that when both the New York Giants and Patriots play at the same time – and they’re both scheduled to be on the Fox Network – WPXT will opt for the Patriots.

“If there is any opportunity for us to broadcast Patriots games, then we will have the Patriots on,” Finck said. “Our number one choice is the Patriots. The Giants are number two.”

Whenever an AFC team hosts an NFC team, the rights to the game belong to the NFC network (Fox). Conversely, if an NFC team hosts an AFC team, the TV rights go to the AFC network (NBC).

There is a silver lining in this for Giants fans, only once this year do the Pats and Giants games conflict on Fox – on Sunday, Nov. 13.

With TNT holding the rights to Sunday night NFL telecasts for the first half of the season, ESPN’s 1994 Sunday night NFL broadcast schedule doesn’t start until Nov. 6 (L.A. Raiders at Kansas City). Eight more weekly games will follow. The Patriots will make their only nationally televised appearance Sunday, Nov. 27 at Indianapolis.