Big Ten Network, Mediacom talking again

| Thursday, July 10, 2008

   IOWA CITY — The Big Ten Network and Mediacom are talking again.

   The network's programming includes coverage of every men's and women's sport played in the conference, from football and basketball to soccer and track. Mediacom is Iowa's largest cable provider.

   The two have been at an impasse for nearly a year over cost and channel slot.

   Mediacom spokeswoman Phyllis Peters says the two sides are in "active discussions.''

   The Big Ten Conference owns 51 percent of the network, with Fox owning 49 percent.

   The network televised four Iowa home football games and 24 Iowa men's basketball games last year, which Mediacom did not carry. Mediacom serves about 400,000 households in Iowa including the Quad-Cities.

   The Big Ten Network will televise at least four Iowa football games this fall.

   The Big Ten Network and Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable provider, reached a deal last month. Comcast doesn't have any subscribers in Iowa.