Finebaum Signs With ESPN, SEC Network NBA Kings Owners To Buy Arena Site Leiweke Seeks To Make Raptors Canada's Team Audience For NBA Conf. Semis Down ESPN Layoffs Reportedly In "Low Hundreds" WNBA Sky Ink Five-Year Local TV Deal Colangelo Staying With Raptors, Loses GM Title PGATour.com To Air Series On UW Golf Team ESPN Has First Mass Layoffs In Years NBPA Meets With NHL, MLB Union Heads
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SBD/18/Sports Media
MEDIA NOTES
Published January 18, 1996
In a "stunning move," Viacom Chair Sumner Redstone fired longtime friend and CEO Frank Biondi. Redstone: "Frank's style is very laid back ... I saw the need for a different style -- the (Rupert) Murdoch style. Very aggressive, hands on, entrepreneurial." The Viacom board created an executive committee that includes the heads of Viacom's major businesses (USA TODAY, 1/18)....HBO's Jones-Sosa fight last Saturday evening drew a 14.2 rating and a 21 share in homes that have HBO (HB0)....The NBA's "Inside Stuff" will feature Knicks Coach Don Nelson this weekend, with a behind-the-scenes look at his recent GQ "fashion makeover" (NBA Entertainment)....NewSport television has a crew of reporters in Tempe for Super Bowl XXX for a week- long series of special programs, interviews, and press conferences (NewSport)....CBS Sports announced their golf package for the year. The network will broadcast 22 events this year, with The Masters heading the list (CBS Sports)....ESPN has acquired the worldwide distribution rights for Formula 3 auto racing from Latin America. ESPN will distribute 11 Formula 3 races live each year beginning in '96 (ESPN)....Former Bucs Coach Sam Wyche told Chris Myers of ESPN's "Up Close" that broadcasting is in his future. Wyche: "I've been told this is the road you should take. I've always been fascinated with your industry and I, of course, have been in involved with it on the other side of the microphone. I'm going to find out what it looks like from the other side, too" (ESPN, 1/17)....America Online will provide a live cybercast of track & field's '96 World Air Games in February. AOL will create a first full online promotion of the event which will take place in Chicago on February 18. Beginning February 4, AOL members can access content at keyword "AOL sports" (World Air Games).




