Turner Broadcasting System is negotiating to have
Superstation TBS switched to a basic cable channel, leading
to "behind the scenes negotiations" between the Braves
carrier and ESPN and Fox in an attempt to "clear up" MLB
rights, according to Chuck Ross of AD AGE. Turner wants to
show Braves games on TBS, and must get approval from ESPN
and Fox, which hold the rights to cablecast and broadcast
MLB games nationally. News Corp. "is said to have signed
off" on the TBS deal as part of its deal to get its Fox News
Channel on cable systems owned by TCI, which holds a "major"
stake in TBS parent Time Warner. Negotiations with ESPN are
"said to be nearing completion," as the talks "revolve
around" ESPN getting "favorable" carriage deals for ESPN,
ESPN2 and ESPNEWS on Time Warner Cable systems in exchange
for letting TBS become a basic cable network (AD AGE, 4/21).
Time Warner Chair Gerald Levin said the company has an
"abundance" of programming to replace Braves telecasts if an
agreement is not worked out (BROADCASTING & CABLE, 4/21).
