BROADCASTING & CABLE features its annual TV Sports
Special and looks at sports programming and production in a
number of separate stories. B&C's Joe Schlosser reports on
CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN's attempts to sell advertising for
the new $17.6B NFL TV package, and writes, "In the long run,
some Wall Street observers say, those high-priced contracts
may spell financial trouble. And analysts and ad buyers who
criticized NBC (which broadcast the games for 30 years), for
dropping out of the bidding now praise that decision." Some
advertisers predict "that the networks will try to
renegotiate their deals with the NFL after suffering early
losses." Tom DeCabia, Senior VP at Paul Schulman Co.: "I
think you are going to see after three years that they are
going to want desperately to renegotiate." Other highlights
of B&C's TV Sports Special: Fox TV Chair/News Corp. co-COO
Chase Carey is interviewed in a Q&A and says that Fox Sports
would like a greater presence in FL. He added that while
this past NHL season has been "disappointing," the network
"is committed" to the league. In regards to the NFL, Carey
said that while Fox did take a $350M write-off after
acquiring league rights in '94, "we expect ourselves to be
whole against" the current NFL contract. B&C also examines
the state of TV sports production and new technology used
for sports broadcasts, including virtual signage, lipstick
cameras, SporTVision technology and ESPN's bat track, among
just a few of the innovations (BROADCASTING & CABLE, 6/22).
