Fox Sports Wisconsin: 95 of its 136 Brewer Games in HD

[Tom Snyder]

FOX SPORTS WISCONSIN SCHEDULES 95 HD MILWAUKEE BREWERS GAMES

Number of HD Brewers Telecasts on the Regional Network Increases by 30 Games

FOX Sports Wisconsin announced today that it will televise 95 of its 136 Milwaukee Brewers game schedule in high-definition television (HD) in 2009—an increase of 30 games from 2008. The 95 HD telecasts will comprise 70 percent of all 136 Milwaukee Brewers telecasts on FOX Sports Wisconsin in 2009. The first Brewers HD telecast will air on April 24 against the Houston Astros.

2009 Milwaukee Brewers –HD Schedule is here:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=64248698018&ref=mf

[vegasvic]

That's ridiculous.  We were promised all HD this year.  I suppose they will use the economy as an excuse.  And we have to wait until April 24?  The opening Giants series and first home series against the Cubs can't be in HD?  At least the April 12 game is on ESPN so we'll have it in HD.  But the April 9 game in HD on MLB is blacked out for our great SD broadcast on FSN. :mad:

[tencom]

Isn't there more important things to be concerned about,  then how many Brewer telecasts. will be in HD or not. Lets be more vocal about how much we as  consumers, are being made to pay for all the sports that are being carried by   the networks it amounts to quite a large sum of money that we have to fork over to the sports interests. I heard that of any program catagory sports telecasts, are the most expensive per program hour, when compared to other programming catagories.

[LoadStar]

70 percent ain't bad.

I'd be thrilled if they'd just start simulcasting everything on the digital channel, even if it's in SD, instead of just going off the air. The analog channel is just so fuzzy and hard to watch.

[vegasvic]

Isn't there more important things to be concerned about,  then how many Brewer telecasts. will be in HD or not. Lets be more vocal about how much we as  consumers, are being made to pay for all the sports that are being carried by   the networks it amounts to quite a large sum of money that we have to fork over to the sports interests. I heard that of any program catagory sports telecasts, are the most expensive per program hour, when compared to other programming catagories.

Which is exactly why there is no excuse not to have all the games in HD.  This is the fifth year FSN has done HD broadcasts are we are still only up to 70%.

[Snoogins]

That's ridiculous.  We were promised all HD this year.  I suppose they will use the economy as an excuse.  And we have to wait until April 24?  The opening Giants series and first home series against the Cubs can't be in HD?  At least the April 12 game is on ESPN so we'll have it in HD.  But the April 9 game in HD on MLB is blacked out for our great SD broadcast on FSN. :mad:

+1 here.

Although, when FSN was being mum all through Jan. and Feb., I had a pretty good hunch that they were going to reneg on the "all HD in '09" promise.  The funny thing is that I was sorta excited to see the number at 95, because I was scared they were going to stay flat at around 65.

My 2 biggest issues with this are:
1) How can you not show the home opener, or the entire Cubs series for that matter, in HD??  Hello?  Those games have been sold out forever.  To wait until April 24th for the first HD game is ridiculous.  With all the pent-up demand for baseball after last year, FSN is really missing the boat having only 3 HD games in April.  :rolleyes:

2) I know it'll never happen, but I really don't think the blackout rules (if that's even the right term) should apply when a national network is covering the game in HD, and the local (reigonal) channel doesn't have HD coverage that night.  Go ahead, black out the SD feeds on MLBN and ESPN, but the HD feeds should still be shown if FSN isn't going to broadcast the same game in HD.  That's not comparable product, IMO.  Thank God FSN isn't broadcasting the game on Easter Sunday, so we'll at least get that in HD.

@tencom - I'm not trying to be uppity or anything, but the reason for the premium prices surrounding sports broadcasts is because they pull consistently good ratings numbers (broadly speaking, of course).  I understand the frustration, but since a large majority of my viewing habits revolve around sports, I'm fine with it.  It's what the market will bare...

[duncantuna]

Can someone explain something ..

What entails the "HD equipment" that's needed for a baseball broadcast?  I mean, wouldn't it be way easier to leave the stuff there for the 82 games, instead of breaking it down and removing and reinstalling for every game?  

Football, I get.  You can't leave cameras there for the 10 games/year a football stadium is used (8+2 preseason).  But baseball?  That's a crapload of games to be moving cameras around for ..

Anyone?

[vegasvic]

Hell, we have had a lot of games against team where the other team is getting the game in HD and we aren't.  And they are both FSN networks.   We have a three game series this year in Atlanta where games 1 and 3 are not in HD but game 2 is. We have a four game series against the Cubs in July where the first 2 games are in HD and the last 2 are not (why wouldn't ALL Cubs game for the season be in HD?)

I know a lot of people are happy they increased it from last year but they neglect the fact that FSN made a big deal out of how ALL games would be in HD this year.  Not only is that not true but the HD schedule they have makes no sense at all.

Are ratings higher at the end of the year than they are in April?  Yes, IF the team is in contention.  Meanwhile we have a city starving for Brewer baseball and they show 3 HD games in April. :rolleyes:

[LoadStar]

I just want a simple answer: why isn't everything simulcasted on 531, even the non-HD stuff? It's not like all the rest of the "HD" stations show _only_ HD programming. I'd be thrilled if they would broadcast the non-HD games in 480i digital... it's no HD, but the analog FSN is just horrible to try and watch.

[vegasvic]

Yes it is.  And so are the games on Channel 41.

[LoadStar]

Yes it is.  And so are the games on Channel 41.

Yeah, but that's one of those things you kind of just have to deal with... gotta throw a bone to those who don't have cable but still want to watch an occasional Brewers game.

[vegasvic]

I agree.  I just wish it would be a channel other than 41.

[tencom]

Which is exactly why there is no excuse not to have all the games in HD.  This is the fifth year FSN has done HD broadcasts are we are still only up to 70%.

About 70 Percent of programming is stiill only available, in standard definition.
Why should sports be any different.

[RonH]

Because the sports are being filmed and produced in 2009.

[vegasvic]

Because the sports are being filmed and produced in 2009.

Yup.  Exactly.