Economy not hurting BTN

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman says 2009 should be the two-year-old cable network's first full year of profitability.

Silverman says he hasn't yet put together a detailed forecast, but he says the network should be profitable based on growing advertising revenue and money from new international distribution deals.

Parent company News Corp. has said the network recorded its first profitable quarter late last year.

Silverman says the network's biggest source of revenue is the fees cable companies and satellite distributors pay to carry it. He declined to provide specifics.

Silverman on Wednesday said he also plans to work on network production quality. And he wants to produce more original programs, such as a game show.

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