Programmer's Page With Chad Heiges And Seth Arenstein

Getting Its Kicks Evidence of a growing, more aggressive GolTV could be easily witnessed at The Cable Show, where the net shouted out with an attractive and expansive display, replete with a team of cute young women in referee outfits. Inside 5 years, the niche soccer play has netted 11mln subs, mirroring the surge in American soccer fanaticism derived mainly from an increasing Latino population and an efficient MLS. Now, armed with a $200mln cash infusion through a Mar investment by SCP Worldwide, the Miami net is now sharpening its focus on differentiating content. While direct competitor Fox Soccer Channel’s rights lineup is largely filled with English-dominated leagues such as the English Premier League, GolTV kicks to viewers content with a decidedly Spanish bent. Content from Spain’s La Liga does well, as does that from the Colombian league, said COO Rodrigo Lombello, who loves his net’s positioning. To hit GolTV’s pitch in Sept are World Cup qualifying matches among South American nations, who arguably play the most beautiful and talented brand of soccer anywhere. To be sure, watching Brazil and Argentina play is quite gratifying. A large chunk of the net’s sub base likely feels the same, as half (4mln) of the Latino-headed US households that subscribe to cable receive GolTV, said Lombello. Meanwhile, 70% of the net’s sub base receives programming in English, which allows for future growth across ethnicities. Advertisers are responding. The US Navy is a heavy sponsor of net content, as are Verizon, Dodge and Gatorade. And big things are expected at next week’s upfront presentation. "We’re starting to get worried that we won’t have enough seats," said Lombello. GOOOAAALLL! CH Highlights "What If God Were The Sun?" Mon, 9pm, Lifetime. At the risk of our integrity we’ll admit we were hooked by this sappy, predictable story about a young nurse with attitude (Lacey Chabert) who befriends a terminal older woman with more attitude and experience, played by Gena Rowlands. Throw in classical music, a love story or two, faith, mystery, an old house and you have diversionary entertainment whose quality won’t be beat by the majority of Lifetime fare. The drama’s also a neat way to attract a younger demo while not disturbing the network’s older core. And then there’s Rowlands, who raises the level of nearly anything she touches. Worth a Look "Innocent," Thurs, 8pm, BBC Am. Some may recognize that the workings of this series mirror The Innocence Project, the Barry Sheck-led group of law students working to free the wrongly imprisoned. This British takeoff features young and sometimes idealistic law students trying to do the same. A strong and attractive cast help the series succeed. — "Mission Ops: Assignment IEDs," Tues, 10pm ET, Discovery Times. Going behind the headlines, this special is a useful if brief look at improvised explosive devices, the homemade bombs that are killing and maiming US soldiers in Iraq. [More reviews, including Disney and Sci Fi fare, at cable360.net.] SA