TOM BUCHANAN

Perspective

If you want to see your University of Wyoming teams compete on television and you are a satellite subscriber, you are out of luck.

Neither DirecTV nor DISH has chosen to carry the mtn., the network that showcases Mountain West Conference sports. We are hearing from fans who aren't happy about the situation, and as much as we would like to help, the situation is out of our hands.

First, some history.

In 2004, the Mountain West Conference faced a contract renewal with sports network ESPN. The nine member universities determined that ESPN's proposal wasn't a good deal - for the student-athletes, the athletics programs, or the fans. The contract offered fewer televised games, an emphasis on weekday games, unusually early or late starting times, and a smaller financial package.

Early or late starting times and midweek games might be convenient for the network, but they're not for the academic performance of our student-athletes, or for our fans who fill the stands.

When the Mountain West Conference declined ESPN's offer, it made a bold move to build its own network - the mtn. - the first of its kind for any conference.

The advantages are clear.

The current television package, which includes games shown on Versus, CSTV and the mtn., allows for reasonable game days and starting times. We know our fans approve, because attendance is at a record level so far this year.

More Mountain West Conference games are reaching more people than ever before. Versus reaches about 70 million homes. CSTV reaches more than 23 million homes. The mtn. now reaches about 1.2 million homes. We know our fans now have the choice to attend games or to watch at home n if they are not satellite subscribers.

That's the significant disadvantage. Fans who are satellite customers can't watch the mtn., but they can watch Big Ten Conference games. Earlier this year, the Big Ten also opted to form its own network, and it has struck deals with both satellite carriers, although not with cable systems.

What's even more confusing to our fans across the country is that while the satellite companies carry both Versus and CSTV, they still decline to carry the mtn.

Clearly, cable systems in the Mountain West Conference region have made a different decision. The mtn. is carried on 21 cable systems in more than 160 communities. In some places, such as Pine Bluffs and Evanston, it's part of the basic package. In many more communities across Wyoming, it's a staple of the digital basic package.

Because we know that successful companies listen to their customers, we urge you to contact DirecTV and DISH and let them know you want to see University of Wyoming sports and Mountain West Conference games on their systems:

DISH Network

www.dishnetwork.com, or feedback@customermail.dishnetwork.com

. DirecTV

www.directv.com

Customer Service Mailing Address

P.O. Box 6550

Greenwood Village, CO 80155

Tom Buchanan is president of the University of Wyoming.