Big Ten Network prepared to "broadcast" first game this Saturday

The Big Ten Network launches tomorrow night at 8 p.m. ET and will carry its first games this Saturday at Noon. The Michigan/Appalachian State game is the lead game and the BTN has assigned its top broadcast crew of Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Charles Davis (color analyst) and Charissa Thompson (sideline reporter; pictured at right) to the game. The only problem is that other than DirecTV subscribers not many people will see the broadcast. Is it still a "broadcast" if no cable company will carry it? Negotiations with Comcast (my cable company) and the other major cable companies continue to progress slowly. Consequently, the BTN programming will not be broadcast on Comcast this weekend. No word on when the impasse may be broken. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Charissa Thompson from FOX Sports Net