SURFING THE NET

By Kevin Cooney

Sports Writer

It is less than two weeks before it's debut, and the building that is suppose to house the next generation in local television looks more like something out of post-World War II Europe.

The building that will serve as the studio is a hulking structure with plywood lying all around, and the sound of hammers and nails pierce the still South Philly air.

It's sort of ironic that Comcast SportsNet has been telling it's viewers to "Get Ready", because this last month before it goes on the air has been one big rush to Get Ready.

But all seems to be a go for the Oct. 1 launch of SportsNet, the new 24-hour all-sports station that will broadcast just about anything and everything in sports from the Philadelphia area.

The $7 million studios are expected to be built in time for the debut of the cable network (which Comcast locally will air on Channel 9) next Wednesday night at 5 P.M., with a documentary on the formation of the network.

SportsNet's first big event, however, will come on at 7:30, with the NHL Opening night game between the Flyers and the Florida Panthers.

The station will featurn nearly all of the Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers home games, and selected road contest.

With it's arrival, SportsNet will also mark the end of an era, as PRISM/Sportschannel, one of the nation's first pay regional cable companies, signs off the air for the last time. PRISM will become, on most cable systems, STARZ!, a national movie channel.

As can be expected, the mood at the SportsNet offices at the CoreStates Center is that of anticipation.

"We are all excited to get on the air, and show the people of Philadelphia exactly what we are going to bring to them," said Jack Williams, the president of Comcast-Spectacor broadcasting, which will own the station. "We feel they are going to like what they are going to see.

SportsNet's founding came from the huge megadeal that saw the cable company buy the Flyers, Sixers, and the two local arenas that Spectacor owns.

Originally, SportsNet was going to go with all local programming, but a recent deal with Rupert Murdoch's Fox Sports Net will give the company a national presence.

SportsNet, however, will remain mostly local. Over 11 hours a day of live, local programming is scheduled to come out of the CoreStates Center on gamedays.

"Anything that the Philadelphia viewer wants, they will know where to turn to," said Williams. It was not the first time Ed Snider turned to Williams. Backin 1977, Williams came in to Philadelphia to help rescue Snider's struggling PRISM operation. The network flurished overthe years Williams was there.

Then, in the mid-1980's, Snider again turned to Williams to rescue the sinking all-sports radio station in town, WIP. With Williams, 'IP turned into a phenominon.

"I think that certain people just seem to work well together," Williams said. "Ed and I have been like that. It's always turned out to be a pretty good relationship."

Back when PRISM was started in 1976, the main reason for it's berth was, in part, to capitalize on the huge success of Snider's hockey team, the Flyers.

In 1997, the Flyers will again be the main draw of the station. But it seems as though it will hardly be alone.

The three teams will combine for 182 games a year on the network (47 Flyers, 60 Sixers, 65 Phillies). The telecast on those games will, according to some sources, remain basically the same, with some minor technical tweekings.

What will make SportsNet different from PRISM will be the sports news and discussion programs. Leading that charge will be "SportsNite", a SportsCenter clone that features long time Channel 3 and 17 veteran Neil Hartman and newcomer Leslie Gudel, the first woman sportscaster in Philadelphia history.

In the same vein will be SportsRise, a 6 to 10 a.m. morning show that will be hosted by Ron Burke.

Most of the more popular PRISM shows, however, did not make the cut, leading some to believe that the network will not be anything more than a 24-hour informercial for its owners.

Hartman, however, downplays that angle.

"When I was at WIP, working for the same company and carrying both the Flyers and Sixers, they never told me once what to say. And they've told us to do our jobs here in the same vein."

"People know in this town when you are a phony," Williams said. "If we did that, we would'nt have any crediblity, and people would see right through us."

"Give us six months, and then tell us if we are a rubberstamp or not."

Time will tell that. But right now, opening night looms.

And for Williams, the feelings are mixed.

"I'm excited and worried, sort of like being a father," said Williams. "I know, however, that we're going to turn out alright."