Bill Rasmussen & The 24-Hour Sports Media Blueprint

24-Hour Broadcast Orbit

1979 LAUNCH GRID

00:00

SportsCenter Re-air

STUDIO ANALYSIS

1.4M

Baseline Reach

12 hrs

Live Events

1,250

Cable Affiliates

RCA SATCOM-1 TRANSPONDER #7 24 / 24 HRS LEASED (100%)

Rasmussen's insight: 24-hr nationwide satellite lease ($1,250/mo) cost less than localized 5-hour Connecticut landlines.

Lineup & Disruption Model

8 Program Blocks

1970s Big 3 Networks

Weekend afternoon blocks only. Sports treated as filler between prime dramas.

Max 14 hrs/week

Rasmussen Continuous

24/7 uninterrupted sports coverage, slow-pitch softball, Aussie rules & SC.

168 hrs/week (12x)

The Bristol Genesis (Sept 7, 1979): When Hartford Whalers PR man Bill Rasmussen was fired, he teamed up with son Scott and Bob Beyus to create an all-sports cable network. Told Connecticut transponders were unavailable, he discovered leasing all-US satellite transponders 24 hours a day was cheaper than partial state lines.

Ready to scrub 24-hour orbit or export historical blueprint.