Season-tickets sales are not the only requirement that the
Raptors and Grizzlies must meet to keep the NBA happy.
Apparently "firm arena plans and broadcasting deals" also have to
be finalized by the end of the year. One well-informed league-
level source told Neil Campbell of the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL that,
"technically, the league could still revoke if all the terms
aren't met. There's a lot of impatience with the people in
Toronto and their arena situation. They don't have a TV deal
done yet in Vancouver but that is not as serious as the Toronto
situation." The Raptors want to have their arena at a downtown
site, but there is no guarantee that the problem would be solved
by December 31. In Vancouver, local TV rights have not been
sold, but owner Arthur Griffiths' family has "extensive broadcast
holdings throughout B.C. and Alberta," and the team is
"apparently headed" for a radio deal with an FM station owned by
the Griffiths. One broadcast source reports that the Grizzlies
are asking a C$1 million for the radio rights (Toronto GLOBE &
MAIL, 12/16).
