CBS Sports named Jim Nantz its primetime host for
coverage of the '98 Nagano Olympics and extended his
contract to be the main voice of CBS for the next five
years. Nantz will anchor CBS' College Football Today, its
coverage of the PGA Tour and The Masters. He will also be
lead announcer for NCAA Basketball, including the Final Four
and Championship game. In addition, Nantz will serve as a
contributor to CBS News (CBS). Nantz acknowledged yesterday
that he had been in talks with ABC, but that continued
coverage of The Masters helped him decide to stay at CBS:
"There is no event that I treasure more than The Masters,
and that was something else that kept weighing heavily on my
mind. And when we were at The Masters this year,
documenting one of the most important sporting events of our
lifetime, that was kind of a point when I think my mind
started to sway towards CBS." CBS Sports President Sean
McManus: "You can't run a successful sports network without
having someone of the stature of Jim Nantz" (THE DAILY).
USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke reports Nantz signed for "about"
$2.5M a year and is "one of the highest paid sportscasters."
Martzke adds that ABC's offer was to co-host "Good Morning
America" (USA TODAY, 5/30). In L.A., Larry Stewart calls
the deal a "major victory" for CBS (L.A. TIMES, 5/30).
PRAY FOR US: CBS announced that Japan's Zenkoji Temple
will be the site of its primetime Nagano telecast. Nantz
will work from a three story glass-enclosed studio in the
Temple's courtyard. CBS Senior VP/Olympics Rick Gentile:
"The third floor will be a set with glass windows, so behind
Jim will be this fabulous sixth-century temple. This area
is the heartbeat of the city" (THE DAILY). Richard Sandomir
writes the studio "will be the first structure built by an
outsider at the temple in 1,400 years" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/30).
