…of the umpteen-dozen unexpected joys of cable TV. AT&T Broadband just added three additional Fox Sports Net channels, re-purposing sports programming intended for FSN’s 16 or so regional branches. Right now, I’m watching a minor-league baseball game involving the Brooklyn Cyclones, the team that’s boldly brought the pro game back to a borough still mourning the Dodgers’ move to LA 45 seasons ago. Besides shots of the Cyclones’ courageous game play and their handsome-intimate new Coney Island stadium, the telecast is full of commercials for local Brooklyn businesses. There’s a horseradish maker, a lobster restaurant, a lock-and-key store, even a cement contractor! Thanks to cable, these tiny family firms can televisually strut their stuff, and this non-customer 3,000 miles away can admire the utterly charming 30-second end results.

This same set of channels also brings me FSN’s Detroit Sports Report, which is actually produced in Bellevue, WA by Fox’s Northwest Sports Report team—same announcers, same set, same everything. I wonder if any Tigers fans ever wonder why Bill Wixey & co. have probably never been personally seen within 1,600 miles of Comerica Park.

(Too bad AT&T still won’t give me the Boomerang (classic made-for-TV animation), Showtime Beyond (young filmmakers), or ABC SoapNet channels.)