I first heard about disctv two years ago after skipping a regional event in Joliet, Illinois. Some friends had returned to report that a camera crew had been there on a talent search, auditioning players who might be interesting in hosting their new television show about disc golf. A couple of my friends had even auditioned.

Mentally wishing the show's producers the best of luck, I wrote them off as dreamers. Disc golf on TV? Too early.

Soon after, the PDGA got word that these same TV guys were coming to Worlds 2000 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They wanted to talk with the association about obtaining the rights to broadcast PDGA events, and were putting together a pilot episode of their soon-to-be weekly show. Cool.

I was doing same day coverage of Worlds 2000 on the Web, and had little time to spend with the folks of disctv. They interviewed me at one point during the week, but otherwise we had little contact.

Weeks later I got a call. They wanted to come to one of my local events, and wondered if I would like to be their talking head. Sure, okay. Let's rock. Soon after I joined up as the show's host, and the pilot episode was completed. ESPN, here we come.

The first effort to get disctv on the air was to go directly to the big guys: Fox Sports, ESPN, etc. Result: a ripple of interest, but months later, no contracts had been signed. Momentum began to fade, cynicism crept back in.

The next failed attempt to keep the show alive was to sell subscriptions to a weekly Internet-only show. The idea was to bring in some funding until the wheels began to turn. While there was a lot of initial interest, a sum total of about 27 subscriptions were sold, and refunded soon after. The idea was too far ahead of typical household technology.

The prospects for the show's success looked bleak.

I had already given up, and hadn't heard from the producers in months when I got a call last December: we were going to the annual trade show of the National Association of Television Producers and Executives. This is the big show where the people who buy and sell television shows do their horse-trading. We packed up, drove from Chicago to Las Vegas, and started pitching. The response we received was overwhelming, and the show was back on the birdie train.

We geared up. A million things to plan, double check, and pay for. The show's producers are John Sink and Leo Borowski, two longtime Chicago television guys. Leo is the disc golfer of the pair, and one thing lead to another to bring these guys to present day. They have put a lot of risk into bringing this show to it's on air debut this week (the Gator Country Classic from Gainesville, FL), and their tenacity is fierce. I liked them immediately.

The Memorial in Phoenix and National Doubles near Austin were covered as warm-ups for the weekly, hour-long show. The tapes produced from those events in March can also serve as emergency backup shows in case a scheduled event gets cancelled. We also got to experience what we already knew would be true: it would be a boatload of work for three guys and an occasional field helper.

The disctv journal will be updated as often as time allows, and will include new photos and personal video clips with each update. You get an insider's look at the birth and growth of disctv through our 31-week season, and follow the moments when disc golf is driven to new heights of public recognition, popularity and growth.

These are exciting days indeed. It's gonna be a riot.

Brian

For more information on disctv, go to the full site. You'll find lots of clips, information where to see the show, and lots more.