Badger fans in Madison are still waiting to see if they will receive the new Big Ten Network as part of their Charter Communications cable package.

Although the network officially launches Aug. 30, the channel is not scheduled to be on the cable operator's lineup by the time of the inaugural telecast.

Negotiations between BTN and Charter are ongoing. Charter likes the concept of the channel, especially as it pertains to customers interested in the Big Ten Conference," John Miller, director of communications for Charter Communications in Wisconsin, said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald. "But we'll need to know more specifics before we can assess whether or not carriage of the network will be in the best interest of our customers."Miller said Charter Communications recently received proposed carriage terms from BTN representatives and is currently reviewing those terms.

According to BTN Vice President Elizabeth Conlisk, the new channel will carry many programs that are relevant to the University of Wisconsin as a whole.

There will be more Badger sports on the Big Ten Network than on any other network," Conlisk said. "In addition to sports, there will be campus programming and feature stories about all the happenings on the campus at Madison."

However, such programming could be expensive, Miller said. "In television today, sports programming carries a high price tag, which means a specialty network must be positioned so that customers interested in paying that high sports premium to see it can do so," he said. "At the same time, it's incumbent upon us to protect customers who are not interested in paying for or viewing the channel from bearing the cost of that programming."

Although Charter Communications is still in the process of negotiating with BTN, a July 2 University of Wisconsin release announced the network has reached agreements with more than 75 local cable systems within the eight states where Big Ten institutions are located.

Therefore, hundreds of thousands of cable subscribers within these states will receive BTN on an expanded basic level of service. According to Miller, though, BTN has yet to announce a carriage agreement with any of the country's largest cable operators, including Charter Communications.

While negotiations will continue indefinitely, BTN will launch its programming just two days before the kickoff of the 2007 Big Ten college football season Sept. 1.

Big Ten Tonight — the network's studio-based news, information and highlight show — hosted by Dave Revsine, will begin with a preview of the upcoming season on Aug. 30, as well as an examination of the weekend's conference teams, according to the UW release. The first game-time coverage will begin at 11 a.m. CDT Sept. 1, with regional coverage of Appalachian State at Michigan, Youngstown State at Ohio State, Florida International at Penn State and Northeastern University at Northwestern.