NFL playoff game on CBS available in some B.R. establishments

In light of the ongoing negotiations with Raycom Media to get CBS programming back to Cox Cable customers in Baton Rouge, a Cox spokesperson says one option for customers wanting to watch the NFL playoff game on Sunday is to buy a high-definition TV antennae. However, some area bar and restaurant owners are offering a less-expensive alternative: Watch the game at their place. Brewbacher’s is among those that will have the game for customers. “I don’t have Cox. I have Eatel,” says owner Beau Dicharry, which means his establishments throughout Baton Rouge aren’t affected by the standoff between Cox and Raycom—the parent company of local CBS affiliate, WAFB Channel 9. When Walk-On’s first opened, co-owner Jack Warner wanted to cover all of his bases. The bar and restaurant has both Cox and DirecTV—including its NFL package. “I couldn’t tell you all the legalese,” Warner says of the Cox-Raycom negotiations, adding: “We checked it out; we’re good to go.” Warner says the game will be available at both Walk-On’s and the Schlittz & Giggles on Perkins Road. Being thwarted from watching on one’s own home television Sunday’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens might not create an uproar among local sports fans. But what would the scenario be if the squabble between the cable and broadcast providers took place before an LSU-Florida matchup on CBS? “They would figure it out before kickoff,” Warner says. A deal between Cox and Raycom will likely come well before the fall, as CBS is slated to broadcast the NFL Super Bowl on Feb. 3. —Matt Randolph