Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. "has intensified" efforts to
gain the European broadcast rights to the 2000 Sydney Games by
forming an alliance with the Sydney Organising Committee for the
Olympic Games (SOCOG), according to a report in the AUSTRALIAN
FINANCIAL REVIEW cited in DAILY VARIETY.  The deal involves a
News Corp.-led consortium "wrestling" European rights from the
European Broadcast Union for both Sydney 2000 and Salt Lake 2002.
The REVIEW reports Sam Chisolm, head of News Corp.'s
international TV operations, and SOCOG President Gary Pemberton
went before the IOC a few weeks ago regarding combined 2000-2002
European rights (REUTERS/VARIETY, 12/22).