DAVID HILL was named Fox Sports TV Group Chair & CEO, a
newly-formed entity that will oversee the company's
expanding global presence in sports media. In addition,
JEFF SHELL was named Fox Sports Networks President. Shell,
who was previously FSN Exec VP & CFO, will anchor a senior
management team consisting of Fox Sports Regional
Networks/Fox Sports Int'l Exec VP & COO BOB THOMPSON and Fox
Sports Net Exec VP & COO TRACY DOLGIN (Fox). In N.Y., Bill
Carter reports that Hill will oversee FSN and be an
"adviser" with int'l sports operations owned by News Corp.,
including Sky Sports and ESPN Star Sports. Carter:
"Essentially, Mr. Hill is returning to day-to-day control of
Fox's growing empire in sports." Hill "emphasized that he
would not have any involvement" with the teams owned, or
partly owned by Fox Entertainment Group. No replacement was
named for Hill at Fox Broadcasting (N.Y. TIMES, 6/18). In
L.A., Sallie Hofmeister writes that Fox Entertainment Group
is "streamlining its sports business, putting its cable and
broadcast operations under one umbrella." Sources also tell
Hofmeister that Hill's "primary goal is to improve
efficiencies at a time of skyrocketing costs for sports
rights by merging the marketing, production and business
affairs" of Fox Sports and Fox Sports Networks. Merging the
two units would also allow Fox to bid jointly for cable and
broadcast rights to sporting events (L.A. TIMES, 6/18).
APPOINTMENT NOT A SURPRISE: In N.Y., Battaglio & Rice
report that "the move of Hill was not a surprise as sports
programming has long been his passion." Fox co-COO CHASE
CAREY added that Fox's buyout of Liberty Media's interests
gives Hill "the chance to move ahead more aggressively in
the sports media business" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 6/18).
