AM Briefing: MWC office saying to dump DishNetwork

If you are waiting for DishNetwork to join DirecTV in broadcasting Mountain West Conference sports and picking up the Mtn network, it’s not going to happen, according to commissioner Craig Thompson, who spoke on a Salt Lake City radio station this morning.

“I’m telling people to switch,” Thompson said.

The reason?

DishNetwork has had the same proposals and contracts in front of them that DirectTV has had since January and they haven’t budged an inch. There are no negotiations going on, no talks underway with DishNetwork.

Thompson pointed out that DishNetwork is going through the poorest financial period in its history with a net loss of 25,000 subscribers in the first quarter of the year.

“I don’t see it happening.”

The interview took place on 1320 AM and can be downloaded as a podcast on www.thefansports.com.

Thompson said this year could be a “breakout year” in Mountain West football. “We have depth instead of a singular team” capable of making a run at the BCS after going 6-2 in bowl games against teams from BCS conferences of late.

Thompson said he might be the only one, but he sees a non-BCS team with one loss getting in a BCS game. He believes an 11-1 Utah or BYU could receive a high enough ranking to get in one of the big bowls, but it would take winning their games against BCS schools in non-conference play (Utah’s Oregon State and Michigan and BYU’s UCLA and Washington games).