The Padres signed a five-year TV deal with Cox
Communications and starting with next season's spring training,
at least two San Diego TV outlets will carry up to 125 games,
according to John Freeman of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Most
of the games will be carried on Cox's Channel 4 channel, to be
called, "The Channel 4 Padres." Padres Owner John Moores: "This
takes a giant step to financially stabilize the franchise."
Freeman's sources say the deal exceeds $1.5M per year over five
years and was mediated by TV negotiator Barry Frank (SAN DIEGO
UNION-TRIBUNE, 9/11).
YANKEES: Today's Yankees-Tigers telecast on WPIX-TV could be
the network's last, according to Bob Raissman of the N.Y. DAILY
NEWS. The MSG Network, which owns rights to all Yankee games,
has not renewed its deal with PIX and the "prospect of the two
outlets reaching an agreement is very much up in the air." It
"is likely" the WPIX portion of Yankee games will end up on
ITT/Cablevision's and Dow Jones' WBIS+, but MSG Network chief Joe
Cohen said a final decision won't be made until season's end
(N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/12).
NEWS & NOTES: Prime Sports Rocky Mountain will carry 40
regular season Nuggets games for the '96-97 season. ...Pistons
play-by-play announcer Mark Champion will not return for team
broadcasts on WWJ due to a conflict of interests regarding his
job at another Detroit station. Champion had been play-by-play
man since '89 and will be replaced by WWJ Sports Dir Larry Henry
(DETROIT NEWS, 9/12).
