Fans of the Wisconsin Badgers and the Big Ten Conference are about to gain a major victory for their television-viewing habits.
Charter Communications Inc., announced Wednesday that the cable company reached, in principle, an agreement with the Big Ten Network to carry the network and related programming. While a final deal hadn't been announced as of press time, all indications are that it will happen soon.
The Big Ten Network debuted last year, and many of the conference's football and basketball games that used to be carried on free television stations were transferred to the network - available only through cable systems and via satellite dish. But the dilemma locally was that Charter Communications and the Big Ten Network were unable to agree on terms. So local cable television viewers were unable to subscribe to the Big Ten Network, and thus missed a handful of Badger games.
There was a call for legislators to take up their cause, to enact a law that forced the cable company and Big Ten Network into an agreement to provide the programming to Wisconsin cable viewers. The call, while well intentioned, was misguided.
We said then that the spat between Charter and the Big Ten Network was for the two companies to settle, not government. We were confident that market forces - the customers' demand for watching the games - would necessitate a deal getting done.
That seems to be what has happened.
Charter and the Big Ten Network seem well on their way to settling their differences. Ideally, that would happen in time for the Badgers' football season kickoff against Akron to be available to Charter customers on Saturday.
Even if a deal doesn't get finalized right away, it's still more appropriate to let the two parties do what is right for both their companies and their customers - without government intervention.
Charter Communications Inc., announced Wednesday that the cable company reached, in principle, an agreement with the Big Ten Network to carry the network and related programming. While a final deal hadn't been announced as of press time, all indications are that it will happen soon.
The Big Ten Network debuted last year, and many of the conference's football and basketball games that used to be carried on free television stations were transferred to the network - available only through cable systems and via satellite dish. But the dilemma locally was that Charter Communications and the Big Ten Network were unable to agree on terms. So local cable television viewers were unable to subscribe to the Big Ten Network, and thus missed a handful of Badger games.
There was a call for legislators to take up their cause, to enact a law that forced the cable company and Big Ten Network into an agreement to provide the programming to Wisconsin cable viewers. The call, while well intentioned, was misguided.
We said then that the spat between Charter and the Big Ten Network was for the two companies to settle, not government. We were confident that market forces - the customers' demand for watching the games - would necessitate a deal getting done.
That seems to be what has happened.
Charter and the Big Ten Network seem well on their way to settling their differences. Ideally, that would happen in time for the Badgers' football season kickoff against Akron to be available to Charter customers on Saturday.
Even if a deal doesn't get finalized right away, it's still more appropriate to let the two parties do what is right for both their companies and their customers - without government intervention.
