Aren't Local Sports of Local Interest?

If it ain't the Huskers, they don't give a s---.

OK, we live in a cornfield. But there is a lot of stuff going on out here. Just don't expect the media to tell you about any of it, unless you bring a lot of people into town... and with them: wallets, billfolds, purses, loose change, greenbacks, and those pieces of plastic that people like to steal.

But even then, don't count on it... unless you can some how trace it all to the 'scarlet and cream'. I don't scream, you probably don't scream, but they all seem to scream for the scarlet and cream... you know big school by the train yard 50-miles to the southwest.

(Just a little hint... 'The Big Red'... that's Cornell. Nebraska(-Lincoln): you're the Cornholios, or Cornholers, or Cornf---ers, or something like that. I can't really be bothered with what you call yourselves-- Bugeaters comes to mind for some reason, too.)

I'm not saying the Omaha media shouldn't cover the felons of the Cornbelt, but they need to realize that they are the major market... (ok, stop laughing and let me finish)... major market of the state. With that comes the responsibility to cover much more than one team or institution.

Here's the problem. The local Omaha media: KETV, KMTV, KPTM, KXVO, WOWT, and the Omaha World Herald really show no interest in anything going on in Omaha sportswise, unless it involves their beloved Cornthingers. Maybe Creighton gets a little love, but only when they do something really great-- and I'm talking NCAA Tournament greatness.

They give quick scores of high school athletics-- which is fine... if you have a professional team to cover. The Knights and Royals (both teams AAA in terms of level, but professional teams none the less) are largely neglected in this town by the media. They never get front page Sports coverage-- not even when one leaves town. But if the assistant associate equipment manager in charge of picking up used prewrap off the two-toned turf in Memorial Stadium gets Montezuma's Revenge, you'd be sure to hear all about the stink in Lincoln-- front page, above the fold... and lead story in the broadcast media.

High school scores here consist of 5-seconds of video of someone who is 'Lincoln-bound', usually of them picking their nose or scratching their ass, and a final score if you're lucky. Except for football-- you get 20-minutes of high school football, because everyone here wants to go to Lincoln. God only knows why.

What we have going on right now is the Nebraska State High School Track Meet-- here in Omaha, at Burke Stadium. Now, the World Herald has it covered. But only because it involves the reasons stated above-- the accessories and monetary contribution to the city. But the broadcasters... they're only interested in those who will be appearing at a school near 'the Penis of the Plains'.

There is no television coverage of the state track meet in Nebraska. However, KXVO was broadcasting the Iowa State High School Track Meet. They also broadcast high school football championships, high school basketball championships, and high school wrestling championships-- all from Iowa. Why? You're in Omaha, and I doubt Council Bluffs could really care less, unless they had a team there-- which they don't.

How is it that Iowa high school sports is on one of the affiliates in Omaha, while Nebraska high school and college sports are relegated to the occaisional airing on NET1 (PBS)?

Right now, Telepro Productions (in Omaha) has a deal in place to broadcast several athletic events for the University of Nebraska-Omaha (the Mavericks, not to confused with the Convicts). So, what's the problem? There is nowhere to air these events.

The affiliates don't care, and really have no place to air them, citing their network affiliation requirements (and the inability to preempt prime time scheduling... except, that KETV does it for Creighton basketball-- also produced by Telepro). And NET1, in Lincoln, refuses to allow KYNE to be anything other than a repeater station for NET1. KYNE also operates The Knowledge Network of Greater Omaha, but unless you have cable... AND live within Douglas County, you can't see it...

'... attendance is thin today, what with the tractor pull in town and all. So, if you're in the area, and if you can hear me you must be in the area-- because this isn't a very powerful television station-- come on down to the fieldhouse and be apart of Maverick basketball-- live on TKN...'

The other issue TKN faces, is a battle with Cox Communications-- I said Cox, but I might as well have said c--ks-- over public access availability. Cox wants to reduce the number of public access channels in another classic Cox move to bend their customers over the table. Worse yet, they somehow got the support of Omaha City Councilman Jim Suttle, probably through the means of the biggest payoff since 'Payola'.

You can see the dichotomy and idiocy. Willing to bend the rules for the big schools, willing to go out on a limb for another state. It leaves the local teams in a hole-- which may not be totally unitentional. Needless to say, something needs to be done.

With NBC's recent performance, I don't think anyone would care if WOWT interrupted netword broadcasting for local interests. Beyond that, all the affiliates have broadcasting space on their digital licences which they are not fully using, yet.

But what really needs to be done, is that KYNE (UNO-TV) needs to get together with UNO's new Chancellor and new Athletic Director, and come together to build a sports network to bypass the bureaucratic bull---- the local affiliates and representatives are feeding them. It needs to be done, it needs to be done by UNO (or they'll just play second fiddle to UNL or CU), and it needs to be done now.