WVII to show taped Patriots

The excitement and enthusiasm over getting television rights to New England Patriots preseason games has been tempered somewhat over at Bangor’s WVII-TV (Channel 7).

That’s because WVII officials found out a couple weeks ago they would only be able to air the games on a tape-delay basis, not live as previously thought.

“The Patriots are only allowed by the NFL to broadcast preseason games inside their home market,” said Jim Reed, WVII’s program director. “I guess the NFL has major fines if teams show games beyond their market.”

Reed said it was his understanding the Patriots found about the rule sometime after they reached an agreement with WVII allowing the station to televise three preseason games live.

“The rules allow them to air the games only in the actual broadcast market they exist in,” Reed explained.

“It’s actually not a rule, said Dan Kraft, New England’s assistant to the president. “But the NFL strongly urges us not to broadcast games outside a 75-mile radius of the stadium.”

Kraft says the policy is in place to guard against cutting into national network game broadcasts.

“I think NBC has a game Aug. 12, when we play,” he said. “If we aired our game live, the rating for the NBC game wouldn’t be too good. We hope people understand. We appreciate their interest.”

Reed, who would not say what adjustments have been made in the agreement between his station and New England since finding out about the rule, did say “we’ve worked it out with the Patriots.”

Reed admitted he’s disappointed about not being able to carry the games live, but says games on tape are better than nothing.

“Having them live would be better obviously, but we’re still happy to have the games on when the alternative would be no games at all in this area,” said Reed.

WVII will air all three preseason games (Aug. 4, 12, and 25) around midnight the day of the game.

The Patriots host Detroit in their first preseason game Friday at 7 p.m. WVII will air the game at 12:05 a.m., following Nightline.

The Patriots’ preseason game Thursday, Aug. 17 at Philadelphia will be televised live – on TNT.

The result of ESPN’s first foray into the publishing world should hit your local newstand soon.

ESPN Pro Football 95, the first of four planned special interest sports magazines this year by ESPN and Hearst Magazines, is a 164-page preseason guide to the upcoming NFL season.

The magazine, which is distributed nationwide, has one national and three different regional covers. New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe graces the front of the northeast edition. The other cover subjects are Steve Young (national), Troy Aikman (midwest-southwest), and Dan Marino-Kerry Collins (southeast).

Perusing through an advance copy, I found EPF 95 to be a pretty good read. It blends articles and columns by sportswriters such as Mitch Albom and Tony Kornheiser, and ESPN personalities like Chris “Keep the Home Fires” Berman (I couldn’t resist) and Chris Mortensen.

Patriots fans will want to read the feature on Bledsoe. By the way, Mortensen picks the Patriots second in the AFC East and sees them getting another wild card berth.

ESPN’s other three magazines will focus on college basketball, the NBA, and a wrapup of the 1995 sports year.