The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 26

errors C2 llC Sill! JULY 10, 1984 The gamble ydu'll pay for all-sport network schedule case. All playoffs are on Almost the entire Canadian Football League schedule is on either CTV or CBC while the NFL is sewn up by the three U.S. networks. There are sufficient Blue Jay, Expo and other major league baseball games available in Canada and on U.S. border stations to satisfy all but the ultimate fanat- ics.

"I wonder," asks Johnny CTV's vice-president of sports, "what would a person want to pay for when he already gets so much for free? Out of 31 pay-TV systems in the States, 30 are losing money." Counters Craig: "There's a huge inventory of sport events out there and we'll be programming for the real sports fans. We believe we can convince people to subscribe to our network. The conventional networks devote maybe 10 per cent of their schedules to sports and we'll be broadcasting sports 168 hours a week. "I think the pay-TV industry here has taken a bit of a bad rap," he adds. "There was a 10 per cent penetration factor in the first year and that's a faster start than any pay-TV service in the U.S.

It's taken the networks down there five or six years to reach the 10 per cent level. As for the First Choice-Superchannel merger, I think it can only strengthen the industry." TSN is confident it can attract 671,000 subscribers by the end of its first year of operation, which computes to 12 per cent of all Canadian homes currently with cable television. It projects an increase to 1.13 million in its second year, 1.6 million in year three and more than 2 million by its fifth year. Don MacPherson, former president of First Choice and now head of CBC network sports, says TSN could thrive if they get those figures. "I think it's going to be a fascinating marketing job more than anything else," he says.

"How will it be sold by the local cable companies, the retailers? Will they be able to convince the Canadian consumer to buy the service? And will they get the advertisers? I think the real key will be a year from now to see whether they're meeting their projections. "It will be a tough row to hoe because the marketplace in Canada is very small. It takes a long time 1 for a new communications chan-1 nel to become successful. If Gordon Craig can get 1.5 million or 2 million subscribers, he will be well on his way." 'Neither MacPherson nor feels threatened that TSN will siphon viewers away from their networks. "We look at them more as com-plementary than says MacPherson.

"They're interested in volume and we're interested in specifics. The bulk of our coverage is on the weekend and they could carry some events, such as tennis or curling, during the week which would then lead into our coverage." According to Esaw, the key is TSN's license. "We don't consider them a threat based on the conditions on which their license is granted," Esaw says. "If those guidelines change, it could change the whole ballgame. The breweries' resources far outweigh those of the networks if they ever wanted to get into direct competition.

Oh sure, we'd oppose any move by them to attempt to become legitimate competitors somewhere down the road. But they've publi-cally stated they are in no way planning to challenge us so, as long as we have what we consider the important games, I don't see how they can detract from what we're doing." The network that will be affected albeit willingly by TSN is First Choice. Currently the Canadian rights holder to all ESPN events, First Choice is planning to cut its sports coverage and deal many of the shows to TSN. "We have told Gordon Craig we will help him," explains First Choice president Fred Klinkham-mer. "lama big booster of specialty channels coming on the scene.

I think they're good for the cable industry, good for the pay-TV industry but, most of all, they're good for subscriber satisfaction. And the name of the game is subscribers." Frank Selke, an executive with the Canadian Sports Network which produces Hockey Night in Canada, has a thought certain to warm Craig's heart. "Somewhere down the says Selke, "there will be a successful pay-TV sports network in Canada. I know it's going to come. "Maybe this will be the one." on the sports with which they already have a promotional interest.

The movie channels, by contrast, are commercial free. TSN president Gordon Craig is encouraging what he calls "a menu approach" to the selling of his service. "It's entirely up to the individual cable companies as to how they market us," he says. "Those people who want just sports should be able to get it. Those people who want it tied in with another package should be able to get it, too." An educated guess might be $6 or $7 for the sports service alone and in conjunction with another pay-TV channel.

What will you get for your money? In a nutshell, anything that's not currently on home TV. TSN was not licensed to compete with CBC and CTV; it was licensed to complement them. "We haven't put together a schedule yet," explains Craig. "Right now we're just assembling properties." Indications are there will be five kinds of events; Major pro sports of Canadian interest such as Canada Cup and NHL hockey and major league baseball. The Blue Jays are signed, an Expos deal is pending.

Coverage of these sports will be in addition to existing network coverage; European soccer, tennis, boxing, NBA basketball, U.S. and Canadian university sports Early-round action of golf, tennis and curling events which will be on network TV on the weekend; Minor sports, such as full-contact karate, rodeos and darts Two daily scoreboard and highlight shows at 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. plus other magazine style shows, TSN also has numerous Canadian content obligations to fulfill. Eighteen per cent of all programming must be Canadian; 34 per cent between 6 p.m.

and midnight (Eastern time) and 47 per cent between 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. On Jan. 1, 1987, the amounts increase to 35 per cent, 50 per cent and 50 percent. There will be no delayed telecasts.

For B.C. viewers, this means most major weeknight events will commence during rush hour and continue through dinner. "We'll be doing what ESPN does," says Craig. "We'll put the 3 a.m. World Cup of Water-, skiing.

V. 4: 1 4 a.m.' Repeat of tennis. '5 a.m, Sport Canada Magazine. Cupdarts. 6 a.m.

British Gymnastics championship. 7 a.m. Children's Sports. 8 a.m. Tennis magazine.

9 a.m. NFL week in review, 10 ajtt. Canadian university 1 p.m. Motorcycling lenge, 2 p.m. European soccer.

to break even." (Certainly ABC has faith in all-sports TV. Howard Cosell's employers recently bought ESPN from Getty Oil for $237 million.) In Canada, the pay-TV industry is hardly on terra firma. C-Chan-nel and Star Channel are memories while First Choice has already changed hands once and the two French channels have merged. Now First Choice and Super-channel have decided to split up the country rather than compete. The big sports all have tremendous exposure on regular TV.

The NHL, in addition to its Saturday HNIC shows, is seen regionally midweek. Carling O'Keefe and CTV are putting together a package with Quebec Nor-diques and the U.S.-based teams for a Friday game of the week, scheduled to begin either next year or in 1985-'86 pending a court Rondelier pays dividends By ELLIOTT PAP On April 2, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved the application of the Action Canada Sports Network to provide a 24-hour-a-day all sports channel on a discretionary user-pay basis beginning Sept. 1. 1984. The CRTC said it was satisfied that ACSN, a subsidiary of John Labatt had "the financial resources as well as the programming and marketing expertise necessary to develop a viable and attractive new specialty service, which over time, should contribute significantly towards meeting the objectives of the Broadcasting Act by increasing the diversity and enhancing the quality of programs available to Canadians, and by providing new opportunities and revenue sources for Canadian producers.

Sounds great, doesn't it? Sports 'til your eyeballs drop off. Sports, sports and more sports. Hockey, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, university sports, sports news, sports views. All day. Every day.

You watch, they play. Can't get enough on regular TV? Hockey Night in Canada, Monday Night Football, Monday Night Baseball, Wednesday Night Hockey, Friday Night Football, Game of the Week, Sportsweek-end, Wide World of Sports, Sports-beat, Sports Journal, Sports Page, Sportsline. Still want more? Labatt and $145 million are gambling you do. The Action Canada Sports Network, which has since changed its name to The Sports Network (TSN), intends to become a part of your viewing life. TSN will charge each cable company $1.50 per month per subscriber for the service and the local companies will then develop their own pricing strategy.

Sandy Buschau, director of marketing for Rogers Cablesys-tems in Western Canada, said her company is still putting together its package and will not announce any details until later this month. One thing is certain; TSN will cost less than a movie channel. In addition to the $1.50 fee, each hour of air time will contain eight minutes of commercials. Labatt will obviously be front and centre although other major sponsors, including Labatt rivals Molson and Carling O'Keefe, are expected to advertise extensively, especially Roxburgh to change By ARV OLSON A few observations worth noting from last week's B.C. Amateur golf championships: The only other year since 1969 that Doug Roxburgh has failed to make B.C.'s Willingdon Cup team was 1974, when he happened to capture his second of three Canadian Amateur titles.

"This is the worst year I've ever scored. But I'm not discouraged with last week because I know what my problems are and I'm working on them," says Roxburgh, who, at 32, should be in the prime of his golf career. Roxburgh went to the Island, looking for his eighth B.C. championship, with several kinks that crept into his swing through inactivity last winter and spring. "I picked up some bad habits after not playing at all for five or six months," he explains.

"And I haven't worked on my game as hard as I should have this year. "I was between jobs last summer and played a lot of golf. I guess I was tired out," adds Roxburgh, a controller for the Bulk Systems division of CP Trucks. Roxburgh, who stunned absolutely everyone by missing the 36-hole cut after shooting 77 at Glen Meadows and 80 at Gorge Vale, has developed "a more upright swing that's caused other problems for me. I've got to re- Scottish cyclist takes stage GUZET-NEIGE, France (AP) -Robert Millar of Scotland powered his way to victory Monday on the first mountain stage of the Tour de France men's cycling rally.

Frenchman Vincent Barteau, the surprise of the event, held the yellow jersey as the overall leader despite finishing 19th. After 10 stages of cycling and time trials, the tour hit the mountains for the first time with a 226.5-kilometre stace that began in Pau. Millar crossed the finish line 41 seconds ahead of Luis Herrera of Colombia. Millar was timed in seven hours, three minutes, 41 seconds, while Herrera's clocking was 7:04:22. In the overall standings, Barteau has amassed a time of 51:36:38 with runner-up Maurice Le Guilloux of France 7:37 behind.

Sample Although TSN Is not prepared to release a sample schedule for one 24-hour day, here what's you' might see on a September day 4 p.m. Scoreboard show. 4:30 Blue Jays baseball- 7:30 Wayne Gretzky celebrity tennis. 8:30 Canadian College Sports Magazine. 9:00 Scoreboard show.

9:30 Silk Cup darts. 10:00 Repeat of Blue Jays game. 1 a. Australian Rules Football. prime time games back on the schedule at probably 1 a.m.

Eastern time that night, which would be 10 your time." ESPN, the Entertainment and Sports Network south of the border, has more than 31 million subscribers and 7,800 affiliates. It is in 36 per cent of all American homes with television. It is in 75 per cent of all cabled homes. It is sold as part of a cable package rather than an individual pay-TV channel. It has also lost more than $100 million since its inception in 1979.

"We are turning the corner," insists Chris LaPlaca of ESPN. "We expect to be profitable by the first quarter of 1985. Sure we've lost a lot of money but ask anybody who invests in a new business. They don't expect to make money right away. It took Home Box Office, which is a pay network, five years BILL TULLY holds U.S.

record Pole vaulters taking aim at world mark No track and field promoter can predict a world record, but Ken Elmer is saying that one might be threatened in next Monday's Harry Jerome International Track Classic at Swangard Stadium. Elmer predicts the pole vault world record of 5.88 metres held by Soviet vaulter Sergei Bubka could be tested by five American vaulters who have been nibbling at the height. "Without the pressure that many of these vaulters will face in the Olympics it (Bubka's record) could go," Elmer said. Former world record holder Mike Tully, who won the U.S. Olympic trials with a new American record of 5.81 metres, will be up against another member of the American team in the Los Angeles Olympics, Earl Bell.

Bell. 28, also is a former world record holder and was sixth at the 1976 Olympics In Montreal. Billy Olson of Texas. Dan Ripley, a member of the Pacific Coast Club and teammate Brad Pursley all have vaulted better than 5.40 metres The Harry Jerome meet will feature other Olympic athletes from the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Events get under way at 7 p.m. By MIKE MOONEY A change in strategy is paying dividends to owner Albert Zien.

Zien had a couple of horses in mind when he went to California in March, but the prices were too rich for him. He found a bargain, however, paying $50,000 for a 2-year-old colt named Rondelier. The buy appears to be a good one. Rondelier, ridden by Andy Smith, won the $21,250 Blue Boy Stakes Monday night at Exhibition Park while starting for only the second time in his life. The son of Sham-Acidulee came from off the pace, catching 11-1 shot Ain't This Livin in the final strides.

He covered the 64 furlongs in 1:19.1 and finished a half length in front. "We went down to the 2-year-old training sale to spend $40,000," Zien said. "Everything we were interested in went too high. One was a Master Derby colt who had worked in 34 and change that week. He went for "This horse had been sold for at the summer Fasig Tipton sale in Kentucky.

We told the owners we'd give $40,000 for him and they said they'd sell for $50,000." Rondelier, who is trained by Shauna Van Oostdam, had trouble while finishing fourth in his career debut June 25. "I let him fall out of there and run his own race," Smith said. "Going trying habits turn to a flatter swing-plane." Playing so poorly and inconsistently, he has been visiting his original instructor, Jack Westover, for the first time in five or six years. The Burna-by Mountain teaching pro says Roxburgh has lost his swing balance and stability and in Victoria he "must have lost his concentration to shoot those scores." But Westover, for one, won't be surprised if Roxburgh returns home from London, next month with his fourth national title. Brent Franklin can be excused (he's only 18), but he's advised to change his attitude playing courses that don't suit his tastes.

"I just don't do well on courses I don't care for," grumbled Franklin, a major disappointment posting rounds of 77, 80 and 82 at Glen Meadows after opening with 73 at Gorge Vale. The 1983 Canadian junior champion from Shaughnessy will have to approach all courses more positively to succeed at Brigham Young University. Joining Franklin at BYU this fall will be Nanaimo's Jamie Harper, a Weber State (Utah) transfer. Another youngster who hopefully learned something, albeit the hard way, last week is Victoria's Terry Budzinski. The 19-year-old halfway leader after rounds of 70 and 66 appeared to have shaken off a quadruple-bogey nine while shooting 79 the third day.

His frustrations in round four, however, surfaced when he carelessly took a backhanded jab at a tap-in on the 18th green. Turning an 80 into a sloppy 81 could haunt him in the final two rounds of the Willingdon Cup trials. He goes to Pitt Meadows and Point Grey July 21-22 in sixth spot, two shots out of the fourth and final team spot, instead of one. Champion Ed Beauchemin, 25, of Glen Meadows can't be considered a homer. He tied for sixth in 1983 and finished "around" 20th and tied for 12th the two previous years.

Beauchemin will be defending next July at Capilano, where he was ninth in the 1983 Canadian Amateur, If more players conducted themselves as briskly as South African Philip Jonas, the runnerup, tourney boss Les Howard wouldn't need binoculars to find and admonish the slow-pokes who create five-hour rounds for the unfortunate late starters, Howard, incidentally, is now an employee of the B.C. Golf Association. The former BCGA president has been appointed to the amateur association's newly created position of executive director and Monica Gold-thorpe is office administrator. guided Baby Chile to victory Sunday in the Bellevue Handicap at Longacres. He beat Sharper One by a nose.

Albert Rocks finished third and Barbex fourth. "He got beat a nose for third and he beat Barbex by a nose," said Frank Barroby, trainer of Albert Rocks. "They only beat us about ZVt lengths. He ran well. I think I was starting a short horse." Barroby plans to run Albert Rocks a week Wednesday in the mile and one-sixteenth Dogwood.

The two races he is aiming for are the Ascot Sophomore later this month and the Canadian Derby in August at Northlands Park Loseth, who leads the jockeys standings with 95 winners after 52 days, is only 46 wins shy of Basil Frazier's Ex. Park record. His wins came with Dust A Tear in the third, Donna Mac in the fourth, Pez's Pride in the fifth and Top It Up in the Steven Shiu and Bill Caros each got their maiden win as trainers Monday. Shiu sent out Risky Trip to win the first race. Caros saddled Dust A Tear Raise An Aries was a late scratch from the Blue Boy King Alphonse and Junction Road are among the 13 horses nominated to Saturday's John Longden 6,000.

Neither has started this year at Ex. Park Rumpole passed up the Blue Boy and is expected to start next in the July 21 Stallion Stakes Ex. Park management has had no talks with union representatives since a track proposal for Sunday racing was rejected Friday night. Softball Oilers was honored Monday as the 1984 Seagram's Seven Crowns of Sports Award winner for hockey. Gretzky is the first National Hockey League player in the 10-year history of the award to win it three consecutive times.

Right winger Guy Lafleur of Montreal Canadiens (1976, 1979) and centre Marcel Dionne of Los Angeles Kings (1977, 1980) are two-time winners. RACQUETBALL The Canadian Racquetball Association is looking for good results from the 10-member team it is sending to the first world championships, set for Sacramento, July 16-22. Wendell Talaberof Vancouver is a men's singles entry. BOXING Gerry Cooney'i scheduled comeback fight July 20 in Dallas against Philip Brown has been postponed indefinitely. Cooney suffered a scratch above his left eye in sparring last week, but the cause of the postponement is reported to be a rotator cuff injury to one of Cooney's shoulders.

into the first turn he had plenty of room but kind of sucked back. "He is a nice colt," Smith added. "The longer they go, the longer he'll go." "He really ran a good race the first time for as green as he was," Van Oostdam said. "And he has improved since. He got a little tight on that first turn and sucked back when the dirt hit him in the face.

He was much more professional this time. He's so smart, everything he does wrong, he learns from it. He is a nice, classy colt." Zien's last stakes winner was Light Olympia. "Not only haven't we had stakes wins, we haven't come up with many horses that have been running well," he said. "But this one can.

There's ho way he's gonna beat Rumpole going short, but maybe he'll have a chance going long." Brian Johnson, the rider on Ain't This Livin, was pleased with his horse the second longest price on the board. "I really had to get after him, but he gave me everything he had," Johnson said. "I couldn't have gotten any more out of him." Rondelier was the second choice at 4-1. Ice The Puck, the 6-5 favorite, faded to third after leading most of the way. Financial Planner was fourth and third-choice Dusty Heir fifth.

MOON SHOTS Chris Loseth, who rode four winners last night, Overall leader on corrected time was Zamosan, a 55-foot Farr Custom out of West Vancouver. Zamosan, skippered by Vic Bishop, was also Division. One leader on corrected time. Sanfire, a 43-foot and Custom skippered by Sue Liebert of Vancouver, led Division Two and Blue Jay, a J-36 from Port Townsend, was leading Division Three. MOTORSPORTS Drag racing star Shirley Muldowney, severely injured as the result of an accident June 29, remained in stable condition Monday in Montreal General Hospital.

Claude Rochon, press relations officer for the Molson Grand Prix, said the 44-year-old Muldowney. a resident of Mount Clemens, was scheduled for some skin grafts today. She developed an allergy to medication, however, and the operation was set back to Wednesday. AWARDS Wayne Gretzky of the Stanley Cup-champion Edmonton Canada unbeaten in Sun News Dispatches Gene McWillie pitched a two-hitter and struck out 17 to lead unbeaten Canada to a 4-0 victory over Netherlands-Antilles in the World Fast Pitch Softball tournament Monday night. Gerry Dickey slugged a two-run homer for Canada, which has not allowed a run in winning its first four games of the tourney in Midland, Mich.

Canada meets Chinese Taipei today, In other games, Owen Walford and Dennis Amell combined for a three-hitter as the United States beat Japan 5-1, New Zealand trounced Hong Hong 10-0 in five innings and Chinese Taipei defeated the Bahamas 7-2. In addition to Canada, the United States and New Zealand are 4-0, Those teams face off tonight. YACHTING Whistlewind, out of the West Vancouver Yacht Club, continued to lead the 25-vessel fleet Monday in the Victoria-Maui yacht race..