San Diego prep football goes dark on local TV

Word on the street has it that Channel 4 San Diego is not going to be televising weekly local high school football games this fall.

That’s really too bad; but understandable in today’s economy when sponsors are hard to come by for anything.

The San Diego Section CIF games have had a great run over the past three years on Channel 4.

In Season One, they were televised live on Thursday nights.

In Season Two, the telecasts were live on Friday nights.

Last year, in Season Three, the games were shown on tape delay Saturdays at noon.

Alternative one was the best, showing the games on Thursdays when there was no competition.

On Friday nights, most people who cared were already at a game. On Saturdays, people weren’t going to miss a live USC or UCLA game for a taped prep contest.

Here’s hoping that in a better economy, the TV games can return in 2010.

And here’s wishing that the CIF finals will continue to be televised … as they were even in the seasons preceding the weekly telecasts.

Channel 4 San Diego ready for some (prep) football

Channel 4 San Diego is going straight to the top for its 2008 prep football coverage.

Poway High School, the defending San Diego Section CIF Division I champion, will be featured in the first telecast of the season when it travels to Scripps Ranch on Friday, Sept. 5.

There will be something new about the telecasts this fall. Each will be shown on a tape delay on Saturdays at noon or 1 p.m.

Traditionally, the taped broadcasts have received better ratings than live telecasts … probably because the multitudes interested in high school football are already at a game on Friday night.Here is the taping schedule for the four weeks of Friday Night Football:

Sept. 5: Poway at Scripps Ranch
Sept. 12: Ramona at El Capitan
Sept. 19: El Camino at Escondido
Sept. 26: Otay Ranch at Helix

After Week 4, Channel 4 will announce its coverage on a “flex” schedule similar to the one used by the NFL for its Sunday night games on NBC.

Those games will be based on attempting to cover the best match-up in the county each week.

Steve Quis and Lew Bush will again return as the more-than-capable announcers for prep football on Channel 4.

Channel 4 finalizes prep football schedule

Channel 4 San Diego is going straight to the top for its 2007 prep football coverage.

Carlsbad High School, the defending San Diego Section CIF Division I champion, will be featured in two of the first three games to be telecast this season.

Each of the first five games will be aired on a tape delay basis following Padres’ games and the Lexus Postgame Show.

Last year, Channel 4 received its highest ratings for prep football coverage on the tape delay games because they were promoted during the Padres’ broadcast.

Here is the schedule for the first five weeks of Friday Night Football:

Aug. 31: Carlsbad vs. St. Augustine at Mesa College
Sept. 7: Oceanside at La Costa Canyon
Sept. 14: Carlsbad at Helix
Sept. 21: Escondido at Rancho Buena Vista
Sept. 28: Grossmont at Valhalla

After Week 5, Channel 4 will base its coverage on a “flex” schedule similar to the one used by the NFL for its Sunday night games on NBC.

Those games will be based on attempting to cover the best match-up in the county each week.

Among the on-air personalities expected to be involved in the coverage are Jenny Cavnar, Chris Ello, Steve Quis and John Weisbarth.