Bryant Gumbel officially joined CBS News yesterday,
saying "it offered him the right combination of 'people' and
'opportunity,'" according to Josef Adalian of the N.Y. POST.
Gumbel said he "has no desire to take on responsibilities at
CBS Sports." Gumbel will continue to host HBO's "Real
Sports" until his contract expires at the end of '98 (N.Y.
POST, 3/14). Gumbel, on any involvement at CBS Sports: "I'm
not really big in going back over ground that I've done
before ... There are no plans for it" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER,
3/14). CBS Sports President Sean McManus said there are
currently no plans for Gumbel to work with the sports
division, but added "the door is open." NEWSDAY's Steve
Zipay writes "don't be surprised if Gumbel has some role" in
CBS' coverage of the Nagano Winter Games (NEWSDAY, 3/14).
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports Gumbel's deal to be worth
about $7M a year, including options in CBS owner
Westinghouse Electric Corp. and an equity stake in a prime-
time production deal with a CBS syndication company (WALL
STREET JOURNAL, 3/14).