TV stations eyeing prep football alliance

Even before the football teams from Kahuku High and Saint Louis School clash in an inaugural interleague regular season, there is the potential for another interesting showdown shaping up.

Just the prospect of some of the intriguing matchups that could be delivered over the two-year pilot program has several TV and cable entities eyeing the possibilities as we wait for the private-school ILH and public-school OIA to sign off on the enterprise.

The marquee Open Division, as it has been presented to officials of the two leagues, would include Campbell (OIA), Farrington (OIA), Kahuku (OIA), Kamehameha (ILH) Kapolei (OIA), Mililani (OIA), Punahou (ILH), Saint Louis (ILH) and Waianae (OIA).

Where we could end up watching them is anybody’s guess as the alliance prepares to break new ground.

Spectrum, the rebranded Oceanic Time Warner Cable after its 2016 acquisition by Connecticut-based Charter Communications as part of a $79 billion deal, holds the OIA and Hawaii High School Athletic Association football rights through at least December 2019. Current OIA rights alone are thought to be worth about $150,000, though officials have refused to confirm figures.

Spectrum also holds the non-football rights to the ILH through May 2018.

But full regular-season interleague play, which apparently was not foreseen in previous contracts, could be a whole new ballgame and an added revenue stream, a major attraction of the alliance for the leagues.

Meanwhile, TV and cable entities see it as an opportunity to get a foothold in a market dominated by Spectrum, which also has the UH rights through June 30, 2020, while Spectrum could tighten its hold.

Since taking over other cable outlets on the mainland, Charter has cut back on high school programming in Orlando and Tampa, Fla., and restructured in northern New York State.

However, a spokesperson for Charter Communications said in an email, “We are very proud of our local sports coverage in Hawaii. We will continue to have conversations with local organizations and we have every hope that we’ll continue to have long-term relationships with them because we know it’s important programming for our customers.”

Spectrum’s local cable competitor, Hawaiian Telcom, previously sought to get a piece of the local high school programming under lease from Spectrum, an arrangement similar to what it has with UH football pay-per-view and once held with Rainbow Wahine volleyball.

But where federal regulation requires Spectrum to make college football available at a price to an in-market competitor, there is no such obligation to sell volleyball or high school programming. Spectrum pulled the plug on Hawaiian Telcom’s Rainbow Wahine coverage after six years just prior to last season’s opener.

The only way for non-Spectrum subscribers to watch local high school sports last season was a $400 yearly package. Games were not sold on an individual basis.

In response to questions about its interest, Hawaiian Telcom said, “As Hawaii’s only local TV provider, Hawaiian Telcom is interested in all opportunities to offer more local programming to our subscribers. Expanding viewership of high school sports is in the best interest of all of our families and fans.”

Meanwhile, KFVE, which showed UH sports for three decades until Oceanic took over exclusive rights in 2011, has been eyeing a re-entry.

John Fink, vice president/general manager of KFVE said, “We’re always interested in quality local sports programming. We’ve talked long and hard about doing a game of the week and this would be a perfect opportunity. It might provide a great forum to help it grow as more and more people see this as a great alliance.”

Hawaii News Now had sought the last UH contract that went to Oceanic in 2014 and general manager Rick Blangiardi said, “We’re always looking at opportunities to be as relevant as possible to our audience. This alliance, I think, is going to create some real fan interest, given the history of these schools. We would, obviously, want to be involved in that. I can say that without doubt.”

Whether the high schools would sell a complete package or prefer to protect their box office by allowing showing of just selected games remains to be seen. But they don’t figure to lack for interest.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.