At a New Orleans advertising conference, CBS Corp. CEO
Mel Karmazin said that "he would love to buy NBC."
Karmazin: "If Exxon and Mobil can combine, then why can't I
buy NBC?" The FCC currently "prohibits" one TV network from
owning another (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/26). More Karmazin:
"We would overpay for NBC, just like we overpaid for the
NFL" (N.Y. POST, 2/26)....In Miami, Barry Jackson writes
that the Sunshine Network is "now willing to carry Fox
Sports News," but "only if the sides can agree to terms
financially." Sunshine GM Jim Liberatore: "I don't know
which way it will go, but we should know in a week or two"
(MIAMI HERALD, 2/26)....In N.Y., Peter Vecsey takes a shot
at the AP's Chris Sheridan, who "admonished" Vecsey for
having Shaquille O'Neal instead of Tim Hardaway on his nine-
man Olympic roster. Vecsey: "Space prohibits me from
detailing the number of times AP's sources have led its
readers astray since the lockout ended, or how many times it
lifted information from newspapers and branded it an
exclusive" (N.Y. POST, 2/26)....Fox Sports Bay Area has
reached an agreement with the MLS Clash to televise 18 games
this season (Fox Sports BA). With the combo of Fox and ESPN
coverage, the Clash will have 26 games on TV, up from last
year, when it had fewer than 20 (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/25).
...CNBC took out a full page ad in the WALL STREET JOURNAL
promoting its weekend coverage of the Tucson Open (THE
DAILY)....A three-year deal between the Devil Rays and Mega
Communications will see all 162 Devil Rays games broadcast
in Spanish this season by WBDN-AM (ST. PETE TIMES, 2/25).
DOWN IN THE PITS: An ELECTRONIC MEDIA source says that
NASCAR is talking with TCI, Fox and SpeedVision about
launching a digital cable channel that will feature NASCAR
races. The channel wouldn't "launch for at least two years"
(ELECTRONIC MEDIA, 2/25)....Wednesday's news of NASCAR's new
consolidated TV plan sent stocks of companies owning race
tracks soaring. Speedway Motorsports rose 20.4%, Penske
Motorsports jumped 14%, Dover Downs Ent. increased 12.5% and
Int'l Speedway Corp. rose 12.4% (THE DAILY).
